SEC Extra Points with Barrett Sallee: Todd Gurley Isn't X-Factor for Georgia
Todd Gurley's Return Is Great, but He's Not the X-Factor
Georgia will get star running back Todd Gurley back this week vs. Auburn after the junior sat out the last four games due to his suspension for taking money for autographs.
Great news for Georgia, right?
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Of course.
Gurley is one of the top players in college football, and his return will allow head coach Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to keep Gurley and freshman Nick Chubb fresh, spread around carries and bring Gurley in as "the hammer" in the second half—just like they did vs. Clemson in the opener.
He's not the X-factor this week for Georgia, though. That moniker belongs to Georgia inside linebacker Ramik Wilson.
The senior has 72 tackles on the season—second on the team behind fellow inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera. Those two will have their hands full with Auburn.
The Bulldogs gave up 418 rushing yards two weeks ago in the 38-20 loss to Florida and 214 in the 63-31 win over Kentucky last week. Neither of those two teams come close to having as much eye candy in the backfield as Auburn does.
"The farther back you are from the line of scrimmage, the more you'll see those fakes and motions," Richt said on Wednesday's teleconference. "That's a part of what makes them good—the ability to get people not doing what they're supposed to be doing."
Wilson is a high-energy, fast-twitch linebacker who's capable of taking over games. However, Auburn's scheme has the ability to use the speed of linebackers against them.
Wilson's success, or failure, will determine the outcome of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.
Final Homecoming?
The 2014 season hasn't gone according to plan for South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier.
Picked as the preseason favorite to win the SEC East, the Gamecocks have sputtered to a 4-5 record and have two tough games against Florida and Clemson remaining on the schedule.
The struggles have made this season quite frustrating for the Head Ball Coach.
"Yes, it has been, because of our record," Spurrier said on Wednesday's teleconference. "We're sort of on pace to gain more yards and score more points than any team in school history, but we're doing the same thing on the other side. We've had some leads in the fourth quarter, and the entire team didn't finish the game."
His Gamecocks will travel to his old stomping ground this week to take on the Gators, and Spurrier was noncommittal on whether this would be the last game he coaches in The Swamp.
"There's a chance in just about anything in life," Spurrier said.
Spurrier told Josh Kendall of The State earlier this month that "the plan" was to stick around for the 2015 season.
Can that plan change? Sure.
A loss to Florida would give him five straight conference losses to close the season, and Kendall indicates it would mark the first time in his coaching career that he has lost five straight in the conference.
My gut feeling? With a defense-heavy recruiting class coming in next season, Spurrier will give it at least one more shot.
T.J. Yeldon Is Practicing, but Will He Play?
Alabama entered the season with one of the deepest and most versatile running back corps in the nation, with junior T.J. Yeldon, sophomore Derrick Henry and junior Kenyan Drake.
Drake was lost for the season in the loss to Ole Miss and Yeldon aggravated an ankle injury late in last week's 20-13 win over LSU.
Will Saturday afternoon's game against Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa be "The Henry Show" at Bryant-Denny Stadium? Don't count Yeldon out quite yet.
"He's practicing and, you know, doing well," Saban said on Wednesday's teleconference.
When specifically asked if he will play, Saban reiterated that "he's practicing and doing well."
It's an endorsement, but not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Yeldon at full strength would be huge for the Crimson Tide.
Mississippi State's front seven is loaded with studs like linebacker Benardrick McKinney and defensive linemen Preston Smith and Chris Jones.
They routinely rotate fresh bodies up front during games, and if Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin can rotate his running backs to combat that depth, it will not only help out the offense but keep Dak Prescott and the Bulldog offense on the sideline.
There are other options for Kiffin if Yeldon can't go.
Sophomore Altee Tenpenny and freshman Tyren Jones would be available as backups to Henry, and while both have potential, neither has significant big-game experience to draw from.
An Imminent Return?
It didn't look good for Auburn wide receiver D'haquille "Duke" Williams when he was hit low and left in the second quarter of the 41-38 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon.
Williams won't be back for this weekend's matchup at Georgia but could be back for the Iron Bowl on Nov. 29 against Alabama.
"He is week-to-week right now, but we will see how he progresses," Malzahn said on Tuesday in quotes released by Auburn.
Williams' absence against Georgia will be felt. He's been a critical piece of the puzzle for the Tigers this year with 38 catches for 609 yards and five touchdowns.
He's been especially important for quarterback Nick Marshall on third downs. Thirteen of William's 15 third-down receptions have gone for first downs, and three of them have been touchdowns.
Auburn has gone old-school and focused more on the running game over the last three weeks, but Williams is Marshall's most reliable third-down outlet. His absence could impact the game on Saturday, especially if Georgia puts Auburn in 3rd-and-long situations.
A Weatherproof Offense
Snow games are great for fans watching on television, but for the players on the field, the elements could present major problems to game plans if the coaching staff doesn't properly prepare in advance.
Except if you're Arkansas.
The forecast for Fayetteville, Arkansas on Saturday for the Razorbacks' showdown with LSU isn't exactly promising, according to Ross Dellenger of The Advocate:
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema doesn't care.
"Offensively, one of the reasons we go with this kind of offense is that it can play in all weather," he said on Wednesday's teleconference. "It can play dry in 100-plus degrees and can play wet in freezing temperatures."
What specifically will Arkansas do if the snow hits? The old-school Hogs will go even more old-school.
"If it's really bad, we might put every lineman we can on the field," he said. "We've run formations with eight or nine linemen on the field, and that's something that hopefully will be able to benefit us on Saturday."
Just make sure one of them throws a touchdown pass. That's the precedent Arkansas has set, and it's up to Bielema to follow the rules.
Quick Outs
- Butch Jones calls his offensive line a "work in progress" and said that the addition of quarterback Joshua Dobbs' run game has helped it develop. In the process, though, Dobbs led the Vols to a win at South Carolina and has them sitting at 4-5. With games against Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt left, a bowl trip isn't out of the question. That'd be huge for this young offensive line, Dobbs and the entire Tennessee offense.
- Just how good is Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett? He has already set the SEC freshman sack record with 11, and Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel compared him to former Tiger and current San Francisco 49er Aldon Smith. "Imagine what he's going to look like in another year or two," he said.
- Despite moving from rivalry weekend, LSU head coach Les Miles still considers Arkansas a bigger rival than Texas A&M. "There's never been that thought in my mind," he said. The Tigers will visit College Station to take on the Aggies on Thanksgiving night.
- Bielema confirmed that his team won't do snow angels on Saturday night, regardless of how much it snows. Bummer.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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