In the SEC, the powers that be still care about the run game

By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The five teams with the best records in the Southeastern Conference all rank in the top seven in the 14-team league in rushing. And not all of them are posting gaudy passing stats. That trend has revealed itself even as spread offenses have taken hold across the conference. First-year LSU coach Brian Kelly says pass-oriented spread offenses can produce a lot of points and wins. But Kelly says teams that win championships tend to play with physicality and exert their will by running well and stopping the run. Tennessee is the SEC’s top passing team. But the fifth-ranked Vols lost last week to a No. 1 Georgia squad that played strong defense and outrushed them 130 yards to 94.