The Week 6 slate looked less compelling with seven teams on bye and No. 10 Alabama hosting No. 16 Vanderbilt as the only ranked matchup. But then Billy Napier’s Gators pulled off another upset win that has everyone wondering: Is Napier destined to start each season on the hot seat, only to play himself off it before the calendar flips?

Let’s break down the key stat or performance from each Week 6 SEC matchup that highlights why each team won or lost.

Alabama – 30–14 Win Over No. 16 Vanderbilt

Alabama was a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone, capitalizing where Vanderbilt (1-for-3) didn’t. The Crimson Tide’s late touchdown with 17 seconds left made the score look less competitive than the game truly was. Ty Simpson’s strong performance (23-of-30 passing for 340 yards and two touchdowns) kept Alabama a step ahead of Vanderbilt in the second half — and may have played him into the Heisman conversation. Credit Alabama’s defense, too, for shutting out Vanderbilt after halftime.

Arkansas – Bye

Auburn – Bye

Florida – 29–21 Win Over No. 9 Texas

DJ Lagway delivered his best outing of the season (21-of-28 for 298 yards, two TDs, one INT). Welcome to the 2025 season, DJ Lagway — where have you been? Florida’s defense deserves recognition for holding Texas under 350 total yards and limiting the Longhorns to 3-for-11 on third down, though many of Texas’s offensive struggles were self-inflicted (more on that later). Both of Lagway’s touchdown passes went to true-freshman receiver Dallas Wilson, making his season debut after a preseason foot injury. Will the Lagway–Wilson connection save Billy Napier’s job? We’ll see — Florida still faces five ranked opponents in its final seven games. But this was the most promising performance by a Napier-led team since the Gators beat Ole Miss last year.

Georgia – 35–14 Win Over Kentucky

Georgia’s offense played its most efficient game of the season, converting eight of its first ten third downs. The Bulldogs bounced back in a big way after struggling to sustain drives against Alabama the previous week. That wasn’t the case here — Georgia scored on its first two possessions to take a quick 14–0 lead. The victory marked Georgia’s 16th straight win over Kentucky, tying Alabama’s current streak over Mississippi State as the longest active streak between SEC opponents.

Kentucky – 35–14 Loss at No. 12 Georgia

Kentucky managed just 45 rushing yards, putting pressure on freshman quarterback Cutter Boley to make plays. He flashed his arm talent at times against a talented Georgia defense, finishing 25-of-41 for 225 yards and two touchdowns — including four completions of 15+ yards (long of 38). Boley had Kentucky positioned to cut the deficit to 11 before halftime, which could have been significant with the Wildcats receiving the second-half kickoff. But Jacob Kauwe missed a 26-yard field goal to end the half, and Kentucky then fumbled on its opening drive of the third quarter. Georgia scored five plays later. No single stat fully explains Kentucky’s loss — the Wildcats were simply overmatched. But it’s tough to win when you average just two yards per carry and rely on a quarterback making only his third start.

LSU – Bye

Mississippi State – 31–9 Loss at No. 6 Texas A&M

The Bulldogs were just 1-for-10 on third down. Plain and simple, they couldn’t sustain drives. Mississippi State was held to 219 total yards (77 rushing, 2.5 yards per carry), a stark contrast from the 203 rushing yards they gained against Tennessee the week before.

Missouri – Bye

Oklahoma – 44–0 Win Over Kent State

Backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. scores touchdowns. Kent State is one of the worst FBS teams in the country, so Oklahoma likely wins this game regardless, but Hawkins’ performance is notable because, as of Tuesday, John Mateer had yet to be cleared to play against Texas on Saturday. The latest report said he’s “pushing to play vs. Texas.”
Hawkins started four games last year, including the Red River Rivalry — when then-No. 1 Texas routed OU 34–3. If Hawkins starts again Saturday, he’ll have a much better team around him — and a Texas squad that isn’t playing its best football right now.

Ole Miss – Bye

South Carolina – Bye

Tennessee – Bye

Texas – 29–21 Loss at Florida

No run game (52 rushing yards) forced the Longhorns to become one-dimensional. On paper, Arch Manning wasn’t terrible — 263 yards, two TDs — but he threw two costly interceptions. Manning was also under heavy pressure and ended up as Texas’s leading rusher (37 yards), underscoring how nonexistent the ground attack was. Florida deserves credit for playing a complete game on both sides of the ball, but it’s disheartening for Texas that it was outplayed and still only lost by one possession.

Texas A&M – 31–9 Win Over Mississippi State

The Aggies rushed for 299 yards and averaged nearly six yards per carry. Their offense perfectly complemented a defense that kept Mississippi State in check all game. It wasn’t a flashy win — it didn’t need to be. The defense made stops while the offense ground down the clock, holding possession for over 38 minutes. Through two SEC games, Texas A&M looks like the most physical team on both sides of the ball.

Vanderbilt – 30–14 Loss at No. 10 Alabama

Diego Pavia committed two red-zone turnovers (a fumble and an interception) that Alabama turned into points. His play didn’t match the fire of his pregame comments. Pavia fumbled away — no pun intended — a chance for Vandy to silence the 100,000+ Bryant-Denny crowd by taking a 14–0 lead. Instead, the turnover sparked Alabama’s 12-play game-tying drive. His second miscue, an interception early in the fourth quarter, set up an Alabama field goal that turned a six-point lead into a two-score cushion.

By Jake Thigpen (@Jake_Thigpen)