The first week of SEC football began with Florida facing Utah in a prime time road bout last Thursday and was capped with a top 15 showdown between LSU and Florida State in Orlando.
In between, some answers were provided about Tennessee's upcoming conference opponents, from the Gators' woes to Texas A&M's new-look offense in its 2023 debut.
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Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama won without much trouble while Missouri and Vanderbilt got off to winning starts at home.
Here is what we learned.
Gators' struggles continue
Florida opened Week 1 with what was expected to be one of the top games of the weekend against No. 14 Utah in Salt Lake City.
The Gators upset Utah in Gainesville last season and the win propelled them into the top 25 the following week in head coach Billy Napier's first season. Florida featured a number of new faces on the offensive line and at quarterback in Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz and the line moved to as low as 4.5 points before kickoff after Utes starting quarterback Cam Rising was ruled out.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: X's and O's: Analyzing Tennessee three best plays vs. Virginia
It wasn't a must-win game for Florida, but it felt like the Gators needed to play well as they try to build momentum in Napier's second campaign. Instead, Mertz was sacked five times and Florida committed a number of game-changing penalties and special teams mishaps in a 24-11 loss.
Florida was without its starting center, but it was clear that it's most glaring issue for now is its offensive line, which struggled to get any push up front and open up the run game where the Gators lean on most.
Play calling left much to be desired, though Mertz finished 31-of-44 passing for 333 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Florida's talented running backs duo of Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne were held to just 31 yards.
Florida hosts McNeese State at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, its final tune up before SEC play begins the following week against Tennessee at home.
South Carolina offensive line a major concern
Speaking of offensive line issues, South Carolina had plenty of them against North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Kickoff Classic in Charlotte late Saturday night.
After struggling to establish the run last season, the Gamecocks' front didn't provide many opportunities for improvement there as rushers combined for an abysmal -2 yards in a 31-17 loss.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee vs. Virginia: What we learned
Quarterback Spencer Rattler, who was looking to build off of a strong finish last season was efficient in the passing game, going 30-of-39 for 353 yards, but the line didn't help his case. Rattler was sacked nine times and the Tar Heels totaled 16 tackles for loss.
When given time, Rattler has proven more than capable, but it will be hard for South Carolina's offense to function in future games if it can't use its run game effectively or protect Rattler.
The road ahead doesn't get any easier for the Gamecocks, who face one of the toughest schedules in the country. They get Furman next before playing No. 1 Georgia, Mississippi State and Tennessee to round out the month of September.
Texas A&M offense looks improved
Texas A&M didn't have as stern of a test as Florida and South Carolina did in its opener, but the Aggies were able to display their offensive improvement in a 52-10 drubbing of New Mexico.
Among Texas A&M's struggles during a 5-7 finish in 2022 was its lack of offense. The Aggies ranked 101st nationally last season, leading to head coach Jimbo Fisher hiring Bobby Petrino as the team's offensive coordinator.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Snap counts, game grades from Tennessee football's win over Virginia
Quarterback Conner Weigman impressed with 236 passing yards and a career-high five touchdowns while wide receiver Evan Stewart totaled 115 yards and two scores. In total, Texas A&M put up nearly 650 yards.
It was an overall success offensively but Texas A&M will have an opportunity to show how far its come on Saturday at Miami. The Aggies open league play vs. Auburn on Sept. 23 to begin a daunting stretch that includes games against Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee on Oct. 14 in Knoxville.
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