Tag: SEC Network

Kennedy Dykes signs with Tennessee

Kennedy Dykes, daughter of Jimmy Dykes, signs with Tennessee.

Kennedy Dykes signed to be a cheerleader at Tennessee on Wednesday.

Dykes is the daughter of ESPN and SEC Network basketball analyst Jimmy Dykes.

“So proud of our daughter Kennedy for signing with the University of Tennessee cheer team,” Jimmy Dykes announced. “She’s headed to Rocky Top.”

Jimmy Dykes served as women’s basketball head coach at Arkansas from 2014-17, compiling a 43-49 (15-33 SEC) record. He guided the Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament during his first season.

He also served as a men’s assistant coach in the Southeastern Conference at Arkansas (1984-85) and Kentucky (1987-89).

PHOTOS: Kim Caldwell introduced as Tennessee Lady Vols’ basketball head coach

Texas A&M’s 2024 SEC Football Schedule has been revealed

During Wednesday’s SEC schedule reveal, Texas A&M’s 2024 conference slate dates have been released in their entirety.

In its entirety, Texas A&M’s 2024 SEC schedule has been released to the public as the official dates and times for every conference matchup provide more context within head coach Mike Elko’s first season at the helm.

Earlier this summer, A&M’s non-conference schedule, including the season-opening home matchup vs. Notre Dame on Saturday, Aug. 31, became even more interesting on Tuesday after it was revealed that former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard will transfer to the Fighting Irish, pitting Elko’s ex-signal caller against the man he called head coach for the past two season’s in Durham to open the 2024 season.

Most importantly, Texas and Oklahoma will join the now division-less SEC after departing the Big 12 conference, just a year after the Longhorns compete for a 2023 National Title. Conference realignment has changed college football as we know it; permanent rivals were also announced earlier this year. LSU, Mississippi and Texas will face the Aggies annually on the gridiron.

To recuperate during the busy season, the Aggies will have two open weekends in October (Oct. 12) and November (Nov. 9) before finishing the SEC season.

In conference play, the Aggies will avoid Alabama and Ole Miss for the first time since entering the SEC in 2012, while the resurrection of the Lone Star Showdown vs. the Texas Longhorns stands out as the crème de la crème of late-season matchups during the 2024 slate.

SEC Network’s Laura Rutledge, Joey Galloway, Greg McElroy, Tim Tebow and Paul Finebaum helped announce the schedules for all 14 teams on Wednesday night. Here is the entire 2024 SEC schedule for Texas A&M.

Arkansas football schedule for 2024 to be released Wednesday

Want to know Arkansas’ 2024 football schedule? Tune in to ESPN or SEC Network at 6 p.m.

If you’re wondering when to plan that guy’s trip, or if you’re fearful that your buddy’s wedding is going to interfere with a football game next year, you’ll find out what’s in store tonight.

SEC Network is having a special schedule release at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Some games have already been shared through the grapevine, or could be assumed based on past trends.

For instance, Arkansas will play Texas A&M on the last Saturday in September, in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

They will host Ole Miss on November 2 and Texas on November 16, along with the non-conference dates that were already set.

Arkansas is coming off a 4-8 season that saw it win only one conference game, a 39-36 victory at Florida in overtime which was the first time it had won in Gainesville in school history.

Sam Pittman hired former head coach Bobby Petrino in the offseason, and made other staff changes as well, including hiring Eric Mateos as the offensive line coach.

The 2024 SEC schedule will be revealed in December

The SEC Network will release the 2024 SEC schedule on Wednesday, Dec. 13, as Texas A&M will know their future matchup times and dates.

Prepare for the 2024 SEC season, folks, as the impending matchups will finally receive a time and date, as new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko will lead the Aggies on the field for the season-opening home matchup vs. Notre Dame on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Back in June, SEC Network revealed every SEC team’s conference schedule, as the East and West conferences will be eliminated starting in 2024, and the top two finishers will face each other in the SEC Championship.

On Thursday, it announced that the totality of the SEC schedule would be revealed on Wednesday, Dec. 13, as the Aggie’s season finale matchup vs. Texas in the reincarnation of the Lone Star Showdown, reportedly occurring on Saturday, Nov. 30.

For the Aggies, when I say favorable, I’m referencing the fact that both Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia are not on the schedule, and if Elko can keep this roster intact coupled with adding players through recruiting and the transfer portal, as former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s lack of activity in the portal over the bulk of his Aggie career greatly hindered in-season production.

Here is every SEC team Texas A&M will play in 2024:

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SEC Network analysts agree the Gators control their own destiny

The Florida Gators challenge the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon, UF head coach Billy Napier has ton of respect for UGA coach Kirby Smart.

There’s a monumental midterm exam coming for the Florida Gators on Saturday as they’ve studying up on ways to take the current kings of the college football world, the Georgia Bulldogs.

It’s set up to be the turning point of the season for head coach Billy Napier and his young squad. A victory over their arch-nemesis would move the Gators up in the SEC East race and keep hopes alive for a trip to Atlanta in December.

Analysts Benjamin Watson and former Gator Chris Doering discussed on SEC Football Final that there are three teams who control their own destiny: Missouri, Florida and Georgia.

According to the duo, a win or loss from any of those teams will change the trajectory of the remainder of the already chaotic season.

“They all control their own destiny,” Watson said. “I think if you looked at this maybe five, six weeks ago… we might not have picked these three teams. You pick Georgia, obviously, but you might not have picked Florida. You might not even be thinking Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee.

“But now you look at it you say, ‘Wow,'” Watson continued. “The next three weeks Georgia is gonna play Florida, which is going to be a tough game for both. They play in the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, that’s always interesting down there and then they play Missouri.”

Missouri is riding into a BYE week before they travel to take on Georgia and then host Florida on Nov. 18.

Former Gators receiver Chris Doering says the top two teams in the SEC East are obviously between the Georgia Bulldogs and Missouri, but it’s difficult to truly measure the rest of the standings.

“How do you rank the rest of those teams?” Doering asked. “Florida is coming off that big win against South Carolina, you feel good about them, but oh, by the way, Kentucky just beat the hell out of them a few weeks before. Tennessee may be playing better than all those teams, but yet, Florida beat them back in September. So there’s still a lot of murkiness as it relates to how the hierarchy in the East stands.”

First things first, the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party has to commence to see if the almighty Bulldogs can stay on its throne for yet another week.

Kickoff between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs is slated for 3:30 p.m. EDT and will broadcast on CBS Sports.

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Chris Doering thinks Florida’s pass protection needs some tweaking

SEC Now co-host and former Florida Gator Chris Doering says the Gators pass protection is a must-fix from the BYE week.

Florida football is coming off a much-needed bye week after taking down the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road in Week 7.

There was a lot for the team to adjust and the co-host of SEC Now and former Gator [autotag]Chris Doering[/autotag] says there’s one major flaw in head coach Billy Napier’s young squad.

Doering said the most surprising thing to change is the Florida offensive line, digressing in pass protection this season.

“It was a real strength last season,” Doering said. “This year, the past protection just has not been as good as what it needs to be. If the offense wants to push the ball down the field a little bit more, you have to protect. In fact, Florida has given up 19 sacks which is the fourth-most in the conference. Mertz is pressured on 34% of his dropbacks.

“So in an effort to be more successful throwing the ball down the field and protecting your quarterback,” he continued. “Florida, please work on that pass-pro this week now.”

Watch the full segment where Doering breaks down the other four programs that were on a bye week.

The Georgia Bulldogs average 5.1 tackles-for-loss per game and are usually able to collect two sacks weekly. The Gators allow around the same of sacks, ranking at No. 105 in the FBS for sacks allowed.

Doering has always been a Florida Gator at heart, even while broadcasting on live television. The former UF wide receiver takes every chance to be honest, critical, and mostly biased toward his alma mater.

He is best known for his go-ahead touchdown catch against Kentucky in 1993.

Kickoff between the Florida Gators and No. 1 Georgia is set for 3:30 p.m. EDT and will broadcast on CBS Sports.

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Florida’s quarterback appears on SEC Network, praises teammates

Florida Gators QB Graham Mertz appeared on “SEC This Morning” and took time time to praise his teammates for the team’s recent success.

The Florida Gators are on a bye week and riding a two-game win streak after surpassing the South Carolina Gamecocks last Saturday, giving the team some time to relax and make media appearances.

Quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] was a guest on the television/radio show “SEC This Morning,” being interviewed by hosts Peter Burns and former Florida Gators wide receiver Chris Doering.

The trio discussed Mertz’s adaption after moving to Gainesville and the connection with senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. Mertz said he instantly felt comfortable when he and Pearsall stepped on the field for the first time.

“I mean, you gotta you got to put in the work and that’s one thing that I’ve appreciated a ton from (Pearsall) this entire this entire journey,” Mertz said. “He’s just been about the work every day getting extra catches, working through things that we may have missed in a practice to build that confidence.”

Mertz also said Pearsall and the rest of the Gators wide receivers have been workhorses in order to improve their technical skills on the field.

When asked about his feelings towards the Florida-Georgia rivalry, he explained how the Florida coaching staff educated the team on the historic rivalry and used his experience from the Big Ten.

“I’ve heard I’ve heard a lot of stories,” Mertz said. “And I think that for me,  playing in rivalries back at Wisconsin, you grow to have an appreciation for and understand what came before you.”

“From the start of fall camp and we had this rivalry one-on-one and we talked about each game (for) Tennessee, Florida State and then Georgia. I’ve gained an appreciation for all the people that have come before me in this game. I know what it means to the Florida fan base to the Florida family so I’m excited for it.”

Mertz, Pearsall and the rest Florida Gators will relax during the BYE week, before prepping for the battle with the almighty No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs. The showdown happens on Oct. 28.

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Ole Miss comes into Arkansas game with momentum

Ole Miss’ high-octane offense is humming on all cylinders as Arkansas comes to town Saturday night.

Lane Kiffin challenged his Ole Miss team after a disappointing performance the week before against Alabama, and it responded Saturday night against LSU.

The No. 15 Rebels compiled 706 yards of offense and won a wild 55-49 affair over its rival in the Magnolia Bowl.

Now they turn their attention to Arkansas, losers of three straight, including a 34-22 setback to Texas A&M over the weekend.

Arkansas hasn’t won in Oxford since 2017, when the Razorbacks overcame a 31-7 deficit and won 38-37 in Bret Bielema’s final season, which also happened to be his only SEC victory that year.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson, a Mississippi native, has never won a game he started in his home state, so this will be his last chance.

He lost to the Rebels two years ago in a wild 52-51 shootout, then was injured and didn’t play in last year’s Mississippi State game in Starkville. The game there the Razorbacks won in 2020 was Feleipe Franks under center.

Of the five opponents that have played Ole Miss, only two have kept the Rebels under 40 points–Tulane and Alabama–while Georgia Tech surrendered 48.

Kickoff of the game is at 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.

Florida-Vanderbilt kickoff time, TV info announced

The SEC office announced kickoff times and broadcast information for the Week 6 slate, and the Gators will be playing in the afternoon slot.

The Florida Gators’ Week 6 matchup with the Vanderbilt Commodores will kick off at 4:00 p.m. EDT and air on the SEC Network, according to the conference office.

The Gators are looking to avenge a loss from last season to the Commodores. The upset broke a 31-game win streak in the series, and Florida isn’t likely to fall twice in a row to Vanderbilt, especially at home.

Florida-Vanderbilt will be the middle game in a triple-header on the SEC Network on Saturday. Mississippi State will host Western Michigan in the noon slot and Arkansas at Ole Miss is the evening matchup, set for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Two SEC matchups will air on ESPN during Week 6. Missouri hosts LSU at noon in battle of ranked teams, and Kentucky gets Georgia at 7 p.m. The Alabama–Texas A&M matchup will air on CBS at 3:30 p.m.

After starting the season off with four straight night games, the Gators are playing at high noon on Saturday against Kentucky and will get a chance to play in the afternoon in Week 6.

Most Floridians are familiar with the daily rain that rolls through the state every summer and fall afternoon. Hopefully, the teams can stay dry. They don’t call it the Swamp for nothing, though.

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SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic is a big fan of Texas A&M DE Shemar Turner’s impressive versatiliy

SEC Networks’ Cole Cubelic is a fan of Aggies junior defensive end Shemar Turner’s impressive versatility.

Texas A&M (2-1) is just a couple of days away from hosting the Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon, as both programs are set to open SEC play in front of what should be a packed Kyle Field.

As SEC Nation has already made its way to College Station to preview the game for the next two days up until kick-off, SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic joined many of us in Aggie media and the fanbase alike concerning junior defensive end Shemar Turner, who leads Texas A&M in sacks (3) netting one sack a week so far. Due to his impressive position versatility, Cubelic notes that this may be the beginning of Turner’s rise to stardom in the trenches.

“Shemar Turner was lights out, lights out again. And this is what’s cool: he can go outside of a tackle, and he can rush the edge; he can move down into a 3-technique, outside shade of a guard, and he can strike and shed an offensive lineman and play the interior of the defensive line exactly the way it’s supposed to be played. He had an awesome game again.” 

Despite tackling issues and poor coverage witnessed in the Aggies’ 48-33 Week 2 road loss to Miami, don’t count out the defense just yet, showing vast improvement in the win vs. UL Monroe, currently ranked 39th in the country, which includes their 35th-ranked rushing defense; a steady improvement from last season.

However, the pass rush has continued to struggle, but that may be changing with Turner’s sudden ascendance, which could open up the rest of the Aggie’s defensive line to finally get in the backfield at a consistent rate, starting with Auburn’s veteran, and transfer heavy offensive line.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.