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Five SEC teams are ranked in this week’s USA Today Coaches’ and Associated Press polls with LSU, Alabama and Arkansas ranked 1-2-3 in both. South Carolina is 13th and Georgia is 14th while the Bulldogs are 13th and Gamecocks 14th in the AP poll.
In the history of the AP poll, there has only been one other time that a conference had top three in the 75-year history of the poll. In the 1971 final rankings, the Big Eight had 1-2-3 with Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado. Arkansas has its best ranking in AP poll (3rd) since Oct. 16, 1978 when Razorbacks were also No. 3.
SEC teams are 39-5 (.886) against non-conference foes this year. The SEC high-water mark for most-non-conference regular season wins in a season is 42, set in 2009. That season, the SEC was 42-6 against non-conference foes. Including bowl games, the SEC’s best year was in 2009 as the league went 6-4 in bowl games and finished overall at 48-10.
In 77 home games this season, SEC games have drawn 5,825,480 fans, an average of 75,656 fans per game. The percent of capacity this season for SEC home games is 95.68.
SEC teams, collectively, have scored 227 rushing touchdowns and 190 passing touchdowns. SEC teams have scored 29 defensive touchdowns, 12 on punt returns and 6 on kickoff returns. Defensively, SEC teams have given up 179 rushing touchdowns, 145 passing touchdowns, 25 defensive scores, five kickoff returns and 5 on punt returns.
LSU has scored first in 10 of its 11 games, with five touchdowns and two field goals on its initial drive of the game.
South Carolina has the two longest drives in the SEC this season – 20 plays, 98 yards, 11:35 for a touchdown against Tennessee, and 18 plays, 72 yards and 9:18 for a touchdown against The Citadel.
This weekend’s Arkansas-LSU game is the third closest series in the SEC since 2000. In the 11 games, the average scoring margin is 10.18 points, with eight games decided by 9-points-or-less. The Alabama-Auburn series is the fifth closest series in the SEC since 2000. In the 11 games, the average scoring margin is 11.09 points, with seven games decided by 9-points-or-less.
LSU’s Brad Wing leads the SEC in percentage of punts downed inside the 20-yard line. In 40 attempts, he has succeeded on 21 punts, a 52.50 percentage. Auburn’s Steven Clark is second at 47.26 percent (30-of-63).
Arkansas’ Zach Hocker leads the SEC with 34 touchbacks on kickoffs this season.
The SEC’s top three teams in the polls are also the top three in offensive drive efficiency in the SEC. LSU leads the SEC, scoring on 49.2 percent of its offensive drives (38.1 percent for touchdowns), Alabama is second, scoring on 45.9 percent of offensive drives (33.8 percent for touchdowns) and Arkansas is third, scoring on 45.8 percent of offensive drives (33.8 percent for touchdowns).
Alabama leads the SEC in holding opponents to 3-downs-and-out, succeeding 48.9 percent of the time (65 of 133). Georgia is second, holding opponents to 3-and-out on 60 of 141 drives, a 42.5 success percentage.
Arkansas has outscored its opponents, 105-31, in the fourth quarter this season. The 74-point margin leads the SEC. Alabama’s 72-point margin (90-18) is second and LSU’s 70-point margin (98-28) is third in the SEC.
LSU’s opponents have scored only eight points off of Tiger turnovers, lowest number in the SEC. Alabama’s opponents have scored only 10 points off of Crimson Tide turnovers, second lowest.
Georgia leads the SEC with 31 scoring drives of two-minutes-or-less while Alabama and LSU are tied for most 5+ minute scoring drives with 13.
In the latest NCAA statistics, Alabama leads the nation in pass efficiency defense (84.79 rating), pass defense (121.27 yards per game), rushing defense (74.64 yards per game), scoring defense (8.36 points per game) and total defense (195.91 yards per game). LSU leads the nation in turnover margin (+18) while Ole Miss leads the nation in punt returns (20.42 average).
Individually, Florida’s Caleb Sturgis leads the nation in field goals per game (2.10). Georgia’s Jarvis Jones is second in the nation in sacks (1.14 per game) and sixth in total tackles for loss (1.68 per game). Georgia’s Baccari Rambo is second in interceptions (7) and Arkansas’ Joe Adams is third in punt returns (16.19 yards per return). Alabama’s Trent Richardson is sixth in the nation in scoring (12.00 points per game), seventh in rushing (125.45 yards per game) and 10th in all-purpose rushing (160.73 yards per game).
Mississippi State’s Charles Mitchell and South Carolina’s Kenny Miles are this week’s SEC Community Service Team Players of the Week. Mitchell is a senior defensive back from Clarksdale, Miss., majoring in Kinesiology while Miles is a junior running back from Lawrenceville, Ga., majoring in Criminal Justice.
South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has moved into the SEC Career Top 10 in reception yardage with 2,865. He is now 9th all time. Arkansas’ Anthony Lucas (1995-99) is 8th with 2,879 yards. Jeffery has 177 career catches.
Georgia placekicker Blair Walsh has moved into second place in SEC Career Top 10 scoring with 393 points. Georgia’s Billy Bennett (2000-03) is the SEC career leader with 409 points.
Arkansas’ Dennis Johnson has moved to fourth in the SEC Career Top 10 list in kickoff returns with 2,475. South Carolina’s Chris Culliver (2007-10) is third with 2,476 yards.
Alabama’s Trent Richardson’s 20 rushing touchdowns this season is tied for second in SEC history for a single season with Cam Newton (Auburn, 2010). The SEC single-season record for rushing touchdowns is 23 by Tim Tebow (Florida, 2007). Richardson’s 22 touchdowns total scored this season is third in SEC single-season history behind Alabama’s Shaun Alexander (24 in 1999) and Tebow (23 in 2007).
(Thanks to SEC Associate Commissioner - Communications & Public Relations Charles Bloom for contributing this report.)
