Dodd @ CBS: "SEC Offenses Stink"

[DKW 86 7,428]

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One man's close game is another man's offensive ineptness.

And man, oh, man is the SEC offensively inept.

Lots of folks were giddy about last week's Alabama field-goal fest against Tennessee. A lot of them were soccer fans. As the season wears on, the SEC is wearing on us.

   

SEC offenses are running about as smoothly as D.J. Shockley on a knee brace and two crutches. (AP)   

It enters the weekend second worst among the 11 I-A conferences, averaging 24.2 points and 358.3 yards of offense per team. Last week, the 11 SEC teams in action averaged 17.1 points -- not even three touchdowns. The current NCAA average is 27 points.

Weekend Watch List believes no other conference has been hit as hard by injuries as the grand ol' SEC. Alabama's best player, Tyrone Prothro, is out. Georgia will be missing D.J. Shockley this week against Florida. LSU lost running back Alley Broussard early on. Tennessee just lost running back Gerald Riggs Jr.

At some point all this has to have a cumulative effect. WWL's take: A lack of skill players has led to some really boring games and results. Before 'Bama Nation spontaneously combusts, congratulations on the Tennessee win but, really, it wasn't a Rembrandt.

The Tide have scored one touchdown in their past nine quarters. That's a snapshot of the SEC's best offense statistically (31st nationally).(Actually, Auburn is 31st and Georgia is 33rd. Bama is 59th.) Link

Nine I-A teams didn't score a touchdown last week. Two of them played at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Truth be told, The Undefeateds -- 'Bama and Georgia -- are living on the edge. Georgia went from a four-point favorite to a five-point underdog this week, all because Shockley is out and Joe Tereshinski is making his first career start.

The SEC's leading receiver, South Carolina's Sidney Rice (27th nationally) is listed as a defensive back in the NCAA stats. The league has one player (LSU's Joseph Addai) among the top 20 in rushing. No active quarterback is among the top 19 in pass efficiency (Shockley is 14th but is injured this week).

It's not surprising that the SEC's leader in that category (still on the field) plays for Steve Spurrier. It is surprising that, with Shockley injured, that player is South Carolina's Blake Mitchell. No Brodie Croyle in the top 20 (27th), no Jay Cutler (the preseason all-SEC quarterback is 76th).

Spurrier's former foil, Phil Fulmer, deserves pity this week. Tennessee is a shocking 11th in the SEC (second-to-last) in rushing.

"We need somebody on offense to step up big," Vols defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona said.

When the SEC coaches teleconference lines got jumbled up Wednesday, Fulmer made some comment about it functioning as well as his offense.

Wrong, Phil. The phone lines were better.

[Tigermike 3,037]

It must be a down year, AU has lost two games!

BEAT THE REBS!