By Cole Mantell (@LightningDragon)
Season 23 is well underway in the CFSL, and we are just starting another exciting CFSL action season. I have been tasked with covering the SEC every week for a third season. Once again, six teams compete for the SEC crown. This season, we have one newcomer, LSU, to join the five familiar faces competing for glory. So with non-conference play starting with Week 1’s action, let’s dive in.
SEC Leaderboard: LSU and Tennessee (!?)
After one week of play, the SEC only had two winners. One is the newcomer, LSU. They won a great game on the road against Michigan. Come playoff time, that could be the difference for LSU if they get into a vote-in situation. For Tennessee, after years of being in the basement of the CFSL, who’s laughing now?
Tennessee has now beaten Notre Dame three seasons in a row. But this season felt different. In Seasons 21 and 22, Tennessee bested the Fighting Irish by a combined 32 points. On Thursday, Tennessee bested the Fighting Irish by 32 points (52-20). Pretty much since the beginning of my covering the SEC, Tennessee has slowly improved their squad under AD CJ Furman. Now, no offense meant to Notre Dame, but Tennessee is going to try to prove this season that they deserve the tougher matchups. Tennessee ran away with this one, and going by point differential, now leads the SEC. You can argue about a weaker schedule, but at this rate, Tennessee won’t have a very easy strength of schedule in Season 24.
LSU also had a great showing in their first game back in the SEC. AD Josh Claydon is a veteran who knows the ups and downs of the CFSL. Now, he’s got a head start with his squad’s road victory in Ann Arbor. Senior Dakoda Cydrus led the team with 119 receiving yards on just 7 catches, as LSU pulled away for a 44-34 win. Fun fact as well: LSU starting QB, after his transfer from Clemson to LSU last season, has now started for an ACC, Big XII, and SEC team. At this rate, maybe LSU should apply for Big 10 membership next season to complete the cycle for Moss.
SEC Falls in Close Contests
Meanwhile, four other teams in the SEC lost this week, including some close losses in prime time. The biggest example probably was Florida, with the Smith Brothers once again facing off in Week 1. Penn State and Florida have played each other now three times in a row in Week 1. In Season 21, it was Penn State who was victorious. In Season 22, Florida won a close matchup. Now, in Season 23, Penn State has taken the crown of this rivalry once again. In his first career CFSL start, QB Colter Thomas threw and ran both for over 100 yards. He also had 3 combined touchdowns (1 passing, 2 rushing) in the win.
Meanwhile, an arguably bigger clash was taking place later in the week between Alabama and USC. Alabama traveled across the country, playing USC on Thursday in a near-instant classic to start Season 23. Despite Alabama combining for 673 offensive yards as a team, they still fell 50-45 on the road in the Coliseum. Alabama had particular trouble on 3rd downs, going 4/12 (33%) on the evening. Additionally, the four turnovers were the nail in the coffin for Alabama in this prime-time playoff-caliber matchup.
Players Who Stood Out This Week
It was a bonanza of offense from the SEC, even if the conference as a whole didn’t fare well in the win column. Georgia QB Drake McDaniel threw for seven touchdowns in UGA’s high-scoring loss to Oregon. He leads all CFSL QBs in the CSFL so far in that category. Another freshman QB, Auburn’s Zacchaeus Mosley, also made an impression in his first career CFSL game. His 703 passing yards against Ohio State were the most in a single game in Auburn history, and the fifth most in a single game in CFSL history. Auburn would end up losing 59-54 to Ohio State. However, despite the losses, the future is bright in both Auburn and Athens.
Sophomore Tennessee HB Kelby Fulton ran for the 2nd most rushing yards in the CFSL in Week 1, only behind Colorado’s Taylor James. I talked a lot about Fulton’s talent last season, and maybe this season, he can finally break out into the CFSL’s elite. Adding to Georgia’s offensive explosion in Week 1, Georgia WR Jeff Master was the only CFSL WR with 4 receiving touchdowns in Week 1. It’s the second most in a single game for a Georgia player ever.
On defense, Florida SS Erron Grant leads the way. A top recruit heading into his commitment to Florida, Grant had 12 tackles, tied for the most in the CFSL Week 1 with Nebraska freshman MLB Luke Rogers. Alabama DT Lucian Nistor, Georgia FS Anakoni Vita, and Florida DE Joe Wayne were just three of seven total players in the CFSL with two or more sacks in Week 1’s action.
SEC Results Week 1
Florida falls to Penn State, 44-36
Auburn falls to Ohio State, 59-54
LSU beats Michigan, 44-34
Georgia falls to Oregon, 63-56
Tennessee beats Notre Dame, 52-20
Alabama falls to USC, 50-45
SEC Schedule Week 2
Monday, May 12th
Miami vs Alabama (6:30 PM, Twitch)
Tuesday, May 13th
North Carolina vs Florida (8:30 PM, Twitch)
Wednesday, May 14th
Virginia Tech vs Auburn (6:30 PM, YouTube)
Georgia vs West Virginia (8:30 PM, YouTube)
Thursday, May 15th
LSU vs Oklahoma (8:30 PM, Twitch)
Tennessee vs Nebraska (8:30 PM, YouTube)
Potential SEC Game of the Week
For the first time in a while, we have SEC action all four days of the week. Miami vs Alabama will be the prime time show people expect, but my answer is actually for a Twitch game. I’m choosing Virginia Tech vs Auburn, for no small part because I’m shocked it was relegated to YouTube. This is the ACC Champion facing off against a regular-season dynasty looking to reclaim lost glory. Auburn just had their guy throw for more yards than almost anyone ever has in a CFSL game. And Virginia Tech just demolished Texas 45-28 in Week 1. This has Game of the Week written all over it.
