Gamecocks OL Coach, Elliott rips offensive line's effort

"Well ... wouldn't you be?" Elliott said, voice raising. "They didn't play very well , didn't block very well, didn't protect very well. We had a part in those fumbles that were caused there in the fourth quarter." Quarterback Stephen Garcia, under heavy pressure, fumbled twice. Both turnovers led directly to Auburn touchdowns. "You can't be happy with it," Elliott said, voice cracking. "Shoot, nobody's happy with it. That wasn't a great effort by anyone." Spurrier said Tuesday the Gamecocks are "stuck" with the linemen they have, due to a lack of depth. Nagging injuries have already caused a great deal of shuffling early in the season. Tackle Hutch Eckerson (ankle), guard Rok Watkins (stinger) and guard Terrence Campbell (ankle) have missed periods of practice, and have struggled in games after missing that practice time. Center T.J. Johnson (undisclosed) has been limited some this week. So has tackle Kyle Nunn (foot). Guard Garrett Chisolm missed a game after a death in his family. Additionally, tackle Jarriel King missed half of camp with a hamstring injury and then the North Charleston native was embroiled in an NCAA investigation that caused him to miss the opener.

The bye week comes at a good time for this group.

QB change at LSU could be on the way

LSU may be 4-0 and ranked No. 12 in the country, but that doesn't mean Les Miles isn't facing a tough decision with his quarterback situation. The Tigers are 115th in the country in passing offense, averaging just 110 yards per game. Jordan Jefferson hasn't thrown for more than 100 yards in any of the past three games. So, does Miles stick with Jefferson and hope for improvement or turn to junior Jarrett Lee, who has patiently waited for another shot after throwing 16 interceptions in 2008? "We're watching Lee continue to improve," Miles said Wednesday. "I think there's a want to reward him for competing and get him on the field. I can't tell you exactly when that will happen, but I can tell you that in short order we'll reward his competition and let him play. "It's not in regard to Jordan Jefferson in any way. It's the responsibility, Lee has shown in competing at the spot that's really encouraging the coaching staff to play him." "The reality of it is that we've hit some passes that we've not put our hands around," he said. "We put ourselves, certainly in the last game, in some long-yardage situations, which it's no fun to play quarterback in that position. And then the quarterback mis-threw some balls. So there's a need to improve really across the board on the offensive side to make the passing game better."

Tide's Greg McElroy a semifinalist for Campbell Trophy

Alabama senior quarterback Greg McElroy is one of 121 players announced today as semifinalists for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy, an award given by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame to college's football's "best and brightest." Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. A fifth-year senior in terms of football eligibility, McElroy is a graduate student who has been endorsed by Alabama as a Rhodes Scholar candidate.
The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 15 finalists and announce the results on Oct. 28. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000 and receive a 25-pound bronze trophy, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 in New York.

The University of Florida's Tim Tebow was the 2009 Campbell Trophy award winner.

"Heck, I am afraid they could sue me if I let him play like that," Spurrier said

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia's first clue he was benched down the stretch against Auburn? Watching backup Connor Shaw trot onto the field with the Gamecocks offense. "It hurt. I didn't really like it happening," said Garcia, a fourth-year junior who's started the past 18 games. "But that's what happened and I can't fumble twice. That's the main reason he took me out." Garcia had played a strong game through three quarters at Jordan-Hare Stadium, throwing three touchdowns to push South Carolina in front 27-21. Although, the two fumbles led to a pair of Auburn touchdowns and a 35-27 victory. After the second turnover, Spurrier had seen enough and sent in Shaw, both of Shaw's drives ended in interceptions. Shaw going in "kind of caught me off guard," Garcia said Wednesday. "But that's in the past. I'm not worried about that anymore." Garcia's much more concerned with playing the way Spurrier wants. Spurrier says Garcia's bull-rush, head-down running technique is dangerous and can lead to catastrophic injury if not corrected. "Heck, I am afraid they could sue me if I let him play like that," Spurrier said after Tuesday's practice. "That's a terrible way to play football. You can't do it like that." Still, he said Garcia would keep his starting job, USC has a bye, as the 20th-ranked Gamecocks (3-1) regrouped following the Auburn defeat. South Carolina and plays next against No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9. "He actually played three quarters pretty well, and obviously the two fumbles were really bad plays," Spurrier said. "Can he stop fumbling? We're going to give him a chance to stop fumbling."

Leaders of the Kentucky football program approached head coach Joker Phillips with a Request

First-year head coach Joker Phillips said Wednesday that leaders of the University of Kentucky football team addressed him about changing practice, specifically, getting the first-team offense to work more against the second-team defense instead of the scout team and vice versa.
Phillips said he respected the leaders for addressing him and made the changes they requested, going against the scout team for only 15 minutes in Wednesday practice. The change appeared to work as Phillips said the team was “upbeat and positive” at practice.
"It was another upbeat and positive practice," Phillips said. "Again, we are working together even more on Wednesdays, which makes it that way. We only had a 15-minute period where we were with the scouts. A couple of our leaders asked us to do it, which I respect. We went more with ones vs. twos instead of scouts. I think that definitely helped practice, especially if they think it helped practice."
On the injury front, Phillips spoke confidently about the return of junior offensive guard Stuart Hines, who missed the Florida game because of an injury to his ankle. Phillips said that Hines is moving well and believes he will be ready to go in Oxford on Saturday.
"Stuart is moving around well, I think that he will be fine," Phillips said. "He played the whole Akron game and hurt his ankle the third play of the game. He just couldn’t go last week but he will be fine. He is a tough kid and knows what to do and will play physical. He is one of our leaders up front and we need him in there."
Kentucky will hold its final practice Thursday before making the trip south to Oxford to face the Ole Miss Rebels at 12:21 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Georgia vs Colorado: Bulldogs Favorites Over Buffaloes on the Road

This Saturday the Colorado Buffaloes will host the Georgia Bulldogs in an important non-conference game for both teams. Georgia desperately needs a win this weekend, as they fell to 1-3 on the season after losing at Mississippi State 12-24. Colorado got an early bye last week, and come into the game with wins over Hawaii and Colorado State, but also have a big time loss at home to California 7-52. This is only the second meeting between the two schools, with Georgia grabbing the only win 14-13 at home in 2006. If you are thinking about betting on the game this weekend, the current college football odds have the Bulldogs favored by 4.5-points over the Buffaloes on the road.

UGA has a new game plan on scheduling

While Evans sought nonconference games that would expose other parts of the country to the Bulldogs, such as the 2008 trip to Arizona State, last year's to Oklahoma State and this week's to Colorado, new athletic director Greg McGarity prefers to stay home for nonconference games except the every-other-year trip to Georgia Tech. "I would say it's just a philosophical difference in football scheduling," McGarity said.

McGarity's scheduling philosophy is twofold: Play seven games in Athens each season, up from six this season and the past two seasons. And generally play one BCS-level nonconference opponent each season, Georgia Tech, down from three last year and two this year.

McGarity concedes his approach won't produce the marquee nonconference games some fans covet, but he argues it will best position the team to play for championships. Another reason for a seventh home game, he said, is financial, for both UGA and the Athens community. McGarity's scheduling philosophy mirrors that at Florida, where he worked for the past 18 years. "It's a model that I have become accustomed to," McGarity said, "and it has had its successes over the years at Florida and other schools."

John Chavis has LSU defense back on top just in time for Tennessee

"He had a great experience over there, and he loves that place," said LSU coach Les Miles, who has often spoke of his love for his alma mater Michigan. "I'm sure that he will feel something when he looks over and sees Tennessee Saturday night. I'm certain there'll be some issues, but he'll handle it." Chavis played defensive tackle for Tennessee from 1976-78. He was a graduate assistant coach for the Volunteers in 1979. After nine years as an assistant coach at Alabama A&M and Alabama State, Chavis returned to Tennessee in 1989 and stayed for 20 years — the last 14 as defensive coordinator. He is in just his second year as LSU's defensive coordinator. On Saturday, for the first time in his life, the 54-year-old Chavis will coach against Rocky Top when Tennessee (2-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) plays at No. 10 LSU (4-0, 2-0 SEC) at 2:30 p.m. on CBS. "I know this is going to sound like a cliché, but I hadn't really thought about it," Chavis said. "This is all about LSU and how exciting it is to be at LSU, a program with great tradition and opportunities to win championships here. So my focus here has been on taking care of LSU and getting us to the point where we can be the very best that we can be."Just in time for Tennessee, Chavis has LSU No. 1 in the SEC and No. 9 in the nation in total defense with 254 yards allowed a game.

EA Sports predicts Alabama a 38-28 winner over Florida

EA Sports simulations are becoming as cliche as a coach getting dunked with a Gatorade bucket.
Consider this is a matchup of Top-10 schools we'll consider feeding the beast at least one more time. The video-game maker launched a simulated computer game of its NCAA Football 11 in advance of Saturday night's battle between No. 1 Alabama and No. 7 Florida. The result was a 38-28 Crimson Tide victory.
Anyone else simulate Saturday's mega-matchup? If so, feel free to post your results in our comments section.

Gamecock's Spurrier, Rips the OL a New and Large one to Boot...Ouch

Spurrier was asked about the struggles of the offensive line, and made it perfectly clear that he wasn't pleased with the level at which their performing.

"Maybe we just can't block guys well enough to allow our quarterbacks to stand back there a long time. We're stuck with what we got," Spurrier said as his offensive line coach presumably winced, especially after the coach seemed to question the competence of his own assistant by praising one from another school.

"Those Auburn guys played pretty well. Their guys could block. I don't know who their line coach is, but he's a hell of a coach."

"When losing begins to hurt these guys as much as it hurts some of us, we'll have a good team here at South Carolina," the coach said. "But I'm not convinced losing hurts these guys much, or else they'd play better. They would really play their assignments and play better. They're either not smart enough to play or losing doesn't hurt, one or the other because they're big, strong guys."

"Our line looks pretty good running out there. They look pretty good and then the ball is snapped and sometimes we just don't compete hard enough. But they're our guys and we're going to try to get them to play better."

ZacAuburn's Etheridge Named A Nominee For Courage Award

Auburn safety Zac Etheridge and Ole Miss running back Rodney Scott are the first weekly nominees for the 2010 Discover Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award, the Football Writers Association of American (FWAA) announced Wednesday. Etheridge, a senior from Troy, Ala., has returned to football after he was temporarily paralyzed while making a tackle in 2009. Scott, a sophomore from Cross City, Fla., is being recognized for his action - or inaction - in helping prevent further injury to Etheridge. During the teams' game last October, Etheridge tackled Scott. When both players remained motionless, it became apparent something was wrong. Etheridge had suffered a neck injury. Scott, sensing Etheridge was seriously injured, did not move. "If I had moved, he could have been paralyzed," Scott told reporters. "It was one of the most amazing things I've seen," Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. "I've got to give Scott a lot of credit. I don't know how he knew, but he just knew he couldn't move. He sat as still as the night, laying right underneath Etheridge. It was one of the most phenomenal things I've witnessed."

Etheridge's spine wasn't structurally damaged. He suffered torn ligaments and a cracked fifth vertebra and had to wear an invasive neck brace for three months.

Etheridge earned his degree in public administration last December. He did not participate in spring practice, but was cleared to play just before the season. He is tied for second on the team with 24 tackles. Scott has played in a reserve role for the Rebels. The players have spoken on the phone several times since the accident.

Gator RB Demps out of boot, 'probable' he'll play vs. Tide

One of the big issues leading into the Florida/Alabama game circles around the foot of Florida running back Jeff Demps. It was sprained Saturday against Kentucky and coach Urban Meyer said he expected him to play this week in Tuscaloosa. Speaking on this morning’s SEC teleconference, Meyer updated the speedster’s status. Demps is no longer wearing the walking boot on the injured foot and expects him to practice on a limited basis Wednesday afternoon. For Saturday, Demps is listed at "probable." Demps sprained his left foot in UF's Sept. 18 against Tennessee, and then aggravated the injury during the win over Kentucky last Saturday. His 367 yards rushing are more than double the Gators' No. 2 rusher Mike Gillislee (143).

Garcia still QB for Gamecocks vs Bama

Steve Spurrier said that he wasn't sure "what we'll do" at the quarterback position for the Alabama game the weekend after next.

Today Spurrier let it be known that he knows what he'll do. And it'll be status quo for Garcia. At least for the next game.

Following practice Tuesday afternoon, Spurrier announced that, yes, Garcia would be the starter the next time the Gamecocks take the field.

"We plan on him starting against Alabama," Spurrier said in quotes distributed by the school. "He actually played three quarters pretty well and then obviously the two fumbles were really bad plays.

"Now, can he stop fumbling? We're going to give him a chance to stop fumbling. He hasn't thrown a lot of picks this year. Other than the fumbles, he's played pretty decently."

Auburn Fans' Comments on the South Carolina Game

"For the first time in 5 years I have confidence in an Auburn team when the game is on the line. We have proven our intestinal fortitude time and time again this year. Cameron Newton for Heisman!!!"

"I don't care what you say!!! We just beat the #12 team in the country according to the AP, the coaches, ESPN, and who knows who else!!! We were favored by 3 by the so called experts in Vegas!! So we deserve to be at least # 11 in the country. We will NOT give up in any game... We may not win bit we will NEVER give up!! I love them tigers!! DWWD AND WDE BABY!!!"

"Any win is a good win. But, is there a worse secondary in all of football than Auburn's? Mallett is gonna eat us alive."

"DYER TURNED OUT TO BE THE BETTER PICK OF THE FRESHMAN BACKS.OH, CAM NEWTON BEST QB IN SEC."

"A good team that is far too dependent on one player."

"This game could have set up the Iron Bowl as the game to watch in college football this year."

"DB are primary concern. Safeties too slow getting to ball in air, and cornerbacks give too much cushion because concerned about getting beat deep. Demond Washington is only solid option at corner."
"Finally, Auburn plays a complete game, and against a quality team - South Carolina - that will most certainly compete with Florida in the SEC East. The Iron Bowl should be a great game that decides the SEC West in 2010 !"

"With the exception of Mario fumbling aaggaaiinn! I thought offensively we played very well, defensive backs still taking wrong angles. D-Line is NASTY!! Now what's the name of the Running Back for South Carolina?? Oh yea now i remember Marcus LattiLESS. Not impressed with Lattiless but am very impressed with our D tackle Fairley he is a BEAST. Great job Auburn!!Said its GREAT TO BE AN AUUUUBUUURRNN TTIIGGEERR!"

Bama's McElroy dealing with 'pretty painful' foot injury

The Tide quarterback suffered an injury to his right foot on a fourth-quarter sack during the comeback win over Arkansas Saturday.

As reported by the Ledger-Enquirer, it's not an injury that leaves McElroy's status for the game in peril. The QB noted, however, that it is causing discomfort and could linger throughout the week.

"Yeah, this thing's pretty sore," he said. "It actually felt better yesterday as opposed to today, I think, because I had a shot after the game, an anti-inflammatory shot. It was like a 48-hour type of dose. I'll be fine. It's gonna be a little ginger on it the first few days. It's gonna be pretty painful."

The good news is that, during the portion of practice open to the media Monday, McElroy moved without much of a limp.

1st Georgia Invitational Football Classic in 2011

Optimus Energy Drinks and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame will partner to bring the first annual Georgia Invitational Football Classic to Macon in 2011. The Georgia Invitational Football Classic will feature teams from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina. The tournament will begin with two games on December 29, 2011 and will culminate with the Optimus Energy Bowl Championship Game on December 31.

Both the Macon City Council and Bibb County Commission have already passed resolutions in support of the tournament that will be played at the Ed Defore Sports Complex and Henderson Stadium. Georgia’s team will be led by former Central of Macon Head Coach and current Westside of Macon Head Coach, C.B. Cornett. Coach Cornett also coached at Macon County High School where he won a state championship in 1996. He will be assisted by a terrific collection of top coaches from around the state. The tournament will feature second and third tier blue-chip recruits that have yet to commit to a college or university. This will enable them to play in front of college coaches that are still trying to round out their recruiting classes for the coming year. “This is a win-win for all involved,” commented Johnny James, Optimus Energy Drink founder and CEO. “The players benefit; the schools benefit; Macon/Bibb County benefits; and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and other beneficiaries benefit too.”

Vanderbilt-Connecticut game to air on Nashville's WUXP MyTV30

The Vanderbilt-Connecticut game this Saturday will air to Comcast customers across Middle Tennessee.
The game, slated to kickoff in East Hartford, Conn., at 11:08 a.m. CT, will be televised by Nashville's WUXP MyTV30. The station airs locally in high-definition on Comcast channel 236 (and in standard definition at channel 14).
The SEC-TV game originally scheduled to run on WUXP - Kentucky at Ole Miss - will air in Middle Tennessee on WNAB CW58 (Comcast channel 235).
The Vanderbilt-Connecticut encounter also will be shown on regular Big East Network affiliates that reach virtually the entire Atlantic Seaboard and most upper Mideast states. The is also available to Dish Network (Ch. 428) and DIRECTV (Ch. 625) households with premium sports package subscriptions, as well as being part of ESPN's GamePlan coverage.
"I'm extremely happy that Commodore fans in and around Nashville will be able to watch the game, and I'd personally like to thank the good folks at MyTV30 for making it happen," Vanderbilt Head Coach Robbie Caldwell said.

Vols WR Jones cleared for practice, not for LSU game... yet

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said the Volunteers’ most experienced wide receiver isn’t a sure bet to play Saturday at LSU. Jones injured his hand while making a diving catch in the second half of UT’s 50-0 season-opening win over UT-Martin. "He’s cleared," Dooley said Monday afternoon. "We’ve just got to go see him get in the mix. He’s back, but I haven’t seen him go run a route or hit somebody." Dooley said three other injured starters, junior tailback Tauren Poole, junior cornerback Art Evans and sophomore weakside linebacker Herman Lathers, (unspecified) are officially listed as day-to-day and could play Saturday. Evans has a knee bone bruise. "We’ll find out more tomorrow, but there’s a chance all four of them could play," Dooley said. "And we need them to play." Dooley said first-team center Cody Pope (stinger, concussion) and first-team left guard JerQuari Schofield (broken foot) probably won’t play Saturday. "Nothing tells me that they’ll be back," he said.

Who will start for Gamecocks? Says Spurrier, 'I don't know what we'll do'

The Gamecocks (3-1, 1-1 SEC), who slipped to No. 19 in The Associated Press poll, have two weeks to collect themselves before No. 1 Alabama comes to Williams-Brice Stadium. Among the questions that will burn in the interim: Who will South Carolina's quarterback be against the Tide? With six minutes to go and the Gamecocks trailing by eight, Spurrier inserted freshman quarterback Connor Shaw for junior Stephen Garcia. Garcia had fumbled on consecutive possessions, each leading to an Auburn score. Shaw led promising drives, but both ended in interceptions, including one in the final seconds that glanced off Alshon Jeffery's hands in the end zone. "I don't know what we'll do," Spurrier said about the quarterbacks. "We've got too far to go for a decision. But we're not going to have competition. "We know what both can do. We've watched both of them now for quite a while. We'll just make a decision on what's best for the team, and maybe what's best for Stephen Garcia." "He puts his head straight down. I think he closes his eyes and he dives in there. That's a recipe for disaster. I'm really concerned about his health as we proceed. Something bad could happen. "There's nothing worse for a football coach, or a parent, than to see a player out there not moving." Spurrier sounded sincere in his concern about Garcia. And also about the defense getting shredded by the league's best ground game. "We didn't know they could run the ball that well against us," Spurrier said, "but they certainly did."

UGA's A J Green will finally return this week to take on Colorado

The Georgia football team has suffered through the opening portion of its schedule to the tune of a disappointing 1-3 record. With one win under their belt, conference play then started, and three straight SEC foes proved they were too much for Georgia to handle. First came the loss to South Carolina, then the heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Ryan Mallett and the Arkansas Razorbacks, and then the disgusting performance against Mississippi State. This should change, for Green will finally return this week to take on Colorado in an important non-conference game. While one player can't turn around the mishaps of an entire team, Green will have a gigantic impact on the success of the Bulldogs offense. Aaron Murray will finally have a wideout to throw the ball to whenever necessary. No receiver on the Georgia squad has the ability to catch footballs like Green does.

LSU's "Patrick Peterson best football player in the United States of America right now"

Matt Zemek of CollegeFootballNews.com, had this to say about LSU’s Patrick Peterson following the Tigers’ 20-14 victory over No. 21 West Virginia: "And in other news from this game, let’s put the matter plainly: Patrick Peterson is the best football player in the United States of America right now, with Denard Robinson being a close second. Seriously: Is anyone doing more for his team or making more impact plays each game than Peterson is? Let’s not be biased against defensive players or special-teams studs. If you’re the best player in the country, you’re the best player in the country. Period. That’s what Peterson is right now."

Peterson was also mentioned on CNNSI.com today in the website’s "Heisman Watch."

Rebels' Lockett suffers season-ending injury

Kentrell Lockett battled his way back from a heart condition that kept him out of Ole Miss' season opener. Unfortunately for Lockett, ligaments in one of his knees have ultimately scuttled his 2010 season. Mississippi coach Houston Nutt says defensive end Kentrell Lockett will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Saturday's 55-38 victory over Fresno State. In three games, Lockett made six tackles, including one for a loss. He had 10 tackles for a loss and five sacks in 2009. Nutt says Lockett's loss was tough physically and emotionally. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound senior from Hahnville, La., is one of five team captains.

Newton accounts for all five TDs as Auburn downs South Carolina

Cameron Newton threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns and ran for three scores as No. 17 Auburn finished strong to upend 12th-ranked South Carolina, 35-27, in a key early-season SEC clash at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Newton took advantage of two costly fumbles by Gamecock junior quarterback Stephen Garcia to hit Philip Lutzenkirchen for the go-ahead score and Emory Blake with under 6 1/2 minutes remaining to forge an eight-point lead. The junior dual threat rushed for 176 yards on 25 carries and completed 16- of-21 passes for 158 yards for the Tigers (4-0, 2-0 SEC), who outlasted Clemson in a brawl last weekend, 27-24, in overtime. Michael Dyer gashed South Carolina's top-ranked league rushing defense for 100 yards to further bolster the Tigers' No. 1-ranked SEC rushing offense. Out of the Tigers' total 492 yds of offense, 334 of it came on the ground. Auburn's defense came away with four turnovers, two in the fourth quarter on interceptions of backup QB Connor Shaw with the Gamecocks driving in hopes of landing a game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion. "That is a great SEC win against a really, really good football team. Again, coming down from (13) points at one point two weeks in a row against two really, really good football teams," said Auburn head coach Gene Chizik of rallying for wins two weeks in a row against league foes. "They have the word respond that we use a lot. Our guys have just responded."

LSU's Defense Propels them past no.22 WVU

"I was just in the locker room with an undefeated, 4-0 college football team," LSU head coach Les Miles said. "I think there are a lot of teams that would like to be in that position. We just played our second nationally-ranked team and won. Our football team is playing great on defense." The Tigers improved to 4-0 overall and face Tennessee on Oct. 2 in Tiger Stadium. The matchup with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS. West Virginia fell to 3-1. Both teams struggled offensively, as LSU outgained West Virginia, 230-177. "We can run the football well," Miles said. "We didn't throw it as well as we would have liked. Our quarterback play has got to get better. It's just that simple. Our guys know it. We are going to work on it. We'll start yet again on Monday." LSU running back Stevan Ridley proved the biggest offensive weapon in the game, outgaining his teammates with 20 carries for 116 yards and a 1-yard touchdown. The rest of the Tigers combined for 114 yards. LSU starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson was 10-of-22 passing for 75 yards. He was interceptioned twice. Backup Jarrett Lee entered for one series in the fourth quarter. "We needed a change right there," Miles said. "We put in Lee. Lee came in, he made a pass, and he did some things we wanted him to do, and then, we wanted to run the clock out, and we felt better with Jefferson running the clock out. That's why we put him back in."

The Heat is on, UGA's Coach Mark Richt, that is

Mark Richt was either on the coaching hot seat or could find himself there now. His boss at the time made an attempt to shoot down any such talk.

"Mark has been here, what, 10 years, nine years. He's had a great track record here," then-Georgia athletic director Damon Evans said in early June. "I think when they see a little adversity, people want to just jump on it and attack it. There is no need for that, because he's not on a hot seat. Mark is in a good place with us, and I'm glad he's here."

Now, Richt finds himself with a new boss following Evans' DUI arrest and subsequent "resignation". A total of eight players have been arrested on a variety of charges since March. His star wide receiver was slapped with a four-game suspension for selling a game-worn jersey to a person the NCAA considers to be an agent.
If the situation could get worse, it did, the home Bulldogs downed the road Bulldogs Saturday night for the first time since 1974. Mississippi State embarrassed Georgia 24-12 in a win that is huge for Dan Mullen's football program.
The University of Georgia is 0-3 in the SEC. Richt had never been 0-2 in the conference in his previous nine seasons.
So, now the question is, how much of a hot seat, Richt is in, not when it will occur.

LSU's Peterson's TD punt return picks up LSU in win over WVU

Patrick Peterson returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown and the LSU defense held West Virginia to 177 total yards, as the 15th-ranked Tigers held off the 22nd-ranked Mountaineers, 20-14, in a non- conference battle of unbeaten teams. Stevan Ridley ran for 116 yards and a touchdown on 20 touches for the Tigers (4-0), who kept the nation's longest non-conference winning streak intact at 31 games. The win gave LSU a 4-0 start for the fourth straight year and extended a winning streak at Tiger Stadium to 29 consecutive games against non-conference foes dating back to 2000. Geno Smith threw for 119 yards on 14-of-29 attempts with two touchdowns and an interception. Noel Devine was held to 37 yards rushing, and West Virginia (3-1) gained just 11 more yards on the ground as a team. Jock Sanders ended with five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Brandon Bolden Leads Ole Miss Rebels To 55-38 Win Over Fresno State

Brandon Bolden rushed for a career-high 228 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown on the opening play of the second half as Ole Miss defeated previously unbeaten Fresno State 55-38.
Ole Miss (2-2) rolled up 578 yards in total offense, including 425 on the ground. The Rebels scored six times in the opening seven offensive series to build an insurmountable 41-10 lead early in the third period. Fresno State (2-1) never got closer than 10 points again.
Enrique Davis, Jeff Scott and Bolden scored on runs of 8, 55 and 14 yards, respectively. Jeremiah Masoli connected with Melvin Harris and Bolden for touchdown passes of 30 and 2 yards, respectively. Jesse Gandy added a 50-yard punt return touchdown.
Ryan Colburn was 32-of-42 for 390 yards and four touchdowns for Fresno State (2-1). Jalen Saunders, Jamel Handler, Austin Raphael and Tapa Taumoepeau had touchdown catches of 16, 9, 3 and 2 yards, respectively. Michael Harris added a 2-yard touchdown run.

Auburn rallies to beat Gamecocks

Newton ran for the three touchdowns and threw for two more to rally No. 17 Auburn to a 35-27 victory over No. 12 South Carolina before a capacity crowd of 87,451 in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn sealed the exciting win when Demond Washington intercepted a pass in the end zone with 33 seconds remaining. Newton's last two scores were touchdown passes, both coming in the fourth quarter. The first one to Philip Lutzenkirchen, a 7-yarder, gave the Tigers the lead. The second to Emory Blake, a 12-yarder, was for insurance. Newton also scored on a 54-yard run, a 3-yard run and a 4-yard run. Auburn improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC. South Carolina fell to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the league.

Gators blow out UK, look to Rematch with Bama

Trey Burton scored six touchdowns, breaking former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow's school record, and No. 9 Florida beat Kentucky for the 24th consecutive time, 48-14 Saturday night. Burton became the fourth player in Southeastern Conference history to score six times in a single game and first since Auburn's Cadillac Williams in 2003. His big night helped Florida end its first-quarter slump and gave coach Urban Meyer a memorable milestone. Meyer became the sixth fastest coach in NCAA history to reach 100 career wins. He improved to 100-18 at Florida, Utah and Bowling Green, hitting the century mark faster than anyone except Gil Dobie (108 games), George Woodruff (109), Bud Wilkinson (111), Fielding Yost (114) and Knute Rockne (117). Now, Meyer and the Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) get their long-awaited rematch with defending national champion and top-ranked Alabama.

Georgia Loses Battle of Bulldogs to Miss. State

Miss. State posted a 24-12 win over Georgia tonight, its first win over Georgia since 1974. Georgia had won the past nine meetings and dropped to 4-2 all-time here in Starkville and 16-6 overall. Georgia (1-3, 0-3 SEC) has now lost three straight games for the first time since 1990 when it dropped its last four that season to finish 4-7. Also, tonight Georgia fell to 0-3 in the SEC for the first time since 1993.

UT beats UAB in double OT

The Vols (2-2) had held a 23-7 lead at halftime. But the Blazers (1-3) staged their second major comeback in two weeks as David Isabelle found Frantrell Forrest on a 27-yard touchdown strike and ran for 6 yards for another score and Bryan Ellis hit Jeffery Anderson on two 2-point conversions. The Vols played poorly on defense the entire game and struggled on offense after halftime, but a double-covered Denarius Moore caught a 25 yd TD pass from Matt Simms on the Vols' first play in the second overtime period as they pulled one out a 32-29 over the Blazers. "We just kept fighting," Dooley said. "That's the only thing we did well. We didn't tackle. We didn't line up right. We blew coverages. We didn't catch. We didn't run routes right. We didn't run the ball well. We did nothing well except we kept fighting, and that's what gave us a chance."
The Blazers dominated the game in nearly every category. They picked up 544 yards compared to the Vols' 287 yards, had eight more first downs, converted seven more third down attempts and held the ball 12 minutes more than the Vols.

Ingram leads No. 1 Alabama to 24-20 come-from-behind victory over No. 10 Arkansas

Mallett's passing, 25 for 38 for 359 yards, three interceptions, helped the Razorbacks take a 20-7 lead midway through the third quarter, but a pass on third-and-11 from his own 19-yard line late in the fourth quarter was intercepted by Alabama free safety Robert Lester.
It was Lester's second big interception of the game, and he returned it to the Razborbacks' 12-yard line.
Ingram ran three times from there, and the last for 1 yard and the go-ahead touchdown.
Dre Kirkpatrick intercepted a Mallett pass to end Arkansas' last chance. It was the Tide's third interception of the game.
Ingram had run 54 yards for Alabama's first touchdown, but the Tide trailed 17-7 at halftime.
Arkansas had stunned the Tide from the start, going 74 yards on the first two plays of the game for a quick touchdown.
The victory extended Alabama's winning streak to 18 games and its string of consecutive regular-season victories to 28. The Tide has not lost since falling 31-17 to Utah on Jan. 2, 2009 in the Sugar Bowl. It had not lost in the regular season since falling 17-10 on Nov. 24, 2008 at Auburn.

SEC Football Online's Free SEC Sport Book Pick

The Vols might be 3-0 SU all-time in this series, but the Blazers are 3-0 against the spread in the all-time series.

UAB has never scored more than 13 points against Tennessee, and this might not be much of an exception. However, the Vols laid it all on the line last week against the Gators, and there might not be all that much left in the tank. Meanwhile, the Blazers are coming off of their best showing of the year and might be beaming with confidence.

Take UAB and the hefty lines for college football on Saturday as they look to extend the Vols mediocrity in non-conference battles to 2-9 ATS their L/11.

Our SEC Football Prediction: UAB Blazers (+14) -110

SEC Football Online's SEC College Football Picks

Alabama 34, Arkansas 23. Alabama's offense proves to be too much for Arkansas to handle. Ryan Mallett will find a way to move the ball some, but the Razorbacks' lack of a running game (last in the SEC in rushing) will ultimately hurt them.

Auburn 24, South Carolina 20. Another week, another tight Auburn win. Gene Chizik challenged his team to be more physical at the line of scrimmage, and aided by the home crowd, Auburn will do just enough of that to win. What's South Carolina's mental state after the tragic suicide of former teammate Kenny McKinley?

LSU 27, West Virginia 20. Interesting matchup in Baton Rouge. Noel Devine and some speedy West Virginia receivers go up against a very fast LSU defense. West Virginia won't back down against SEC teams. If this game was being played in Morgantown, We'd probably pick WVU, but home-field advantage proves to be the difference for LSU in this one.

SEC QBs are Tops in Nation

Four, the number of SEC quarterbacks that are ranked in the top eight in the nation in passing efficiency. Alabama's Greg McElroy leads the nation with a rating of 200.03. Auburn's Cam Newton is fourth at 187.66, Arkansas' Ryan Mallett is fifth at 186.50 and Kentucky's Mike Hartline is eighth at 170.16. The passing-efficiency rating uses completion percentage, yards per pass, interception percentage and touchdown percentage to measure quarterbacks.

Georgia looking for 'Turning Point' this Season and this Game

Georgia (1-2 overall, 0-2 in the SEC) has two very different fates awaiting its result at Mississippi State on Saturday: A loss, and the team would officially be reeling, with more state-of-the-program questions awaiting Richt upon his return to Athens. Although, a win could be the start of a turnaround, especially with an easier stretch of games ahead. "It definitely has to be a turning point," cornerback Vance Cuff said. "We definitely have to take this and build off it. We’re in a position where we’ve gotta win." Mississippi State (1-2, 0-2), which to this point arrived in the same position; a win over a weaker opponent, then two straight league losses. MSU coach Dan Mullen pointed out this week that between his team and Georgia, all the losses came to teams ranked in the top 15.

Ouch, that has got to hurt, Georgia which is: 91-29 the past decade, to be compared to the 'other' Bulldog team, which is 35-76 over the same period.

Well that’s the way it is, fans, around the Georgia program, which started the year with hopes of winning the SEC East, and is now alone in last place. So Richt told his players this week to adopt a 'day one' mentality. Act like the past two weeks didn’t happen. "Let’s get the same feeling that we had for the first game of the year," Richt said. "Because what I don’t want to happen is for the last couple ballgames to affect this ballgame. So we need to put it behind us and move forward, and get that same feeling we had when we played the very first ballgame. It’s just more for everybody’s psychological attitude, I guess."

Georgia has not lost in Starkville since 1951, and hasn’t lost three straight games since 1990.

Gator's Rainey's legal fate likely to be known Monday

According to the Palm Beach Post, Rainey's expected to learn Monday whether his aggravated stalking charge, or "misspoken text" in lawyer lingo, will be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, or even possibly dismissed. The prosecutor in the case told the Post that a decision on how to proceed will be made at that time.

Rainey has been "nowhere near the team" since his arrest Sept. 14, although teammate Mike Pouncey spoke with certainty a couple days ago that the receiver "[will] be back." Head coach Urban Meyer refused to say one way or the other whether what happens Monday will ultimately decide Rainey's future with the program.

"I'm not even thinking about that," Meyer said. "I'm letting everything be handled. At some point we'll have to address it. That point's not now."

Gamecocks leading tackler in '09 to have playing time this Saturday

Linebacker Shaq Wilson is set to make his first appearance of the year this Saturday.

Wilson has been sidelined by a hamstring injury since early on in summer camp, and there were rumors floating that he could be sidelined for the entire season because of the injury.

However, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said the junior is expected to play this weekend as No. 12 South Carolina continues SEC play against No. 17 Auburn.

"He's done well," Johnson said in quotes released by the school. "Physically he's fine. Like you would imagine, he's been out awhile and a few little things will pop up here and there, a little rusty, but physically he's fine."

It's uncertain whether Wilson, who led the Gamecocks in tackles last season with 85, or Tony Straughter will start the game, although Wilson's "going to play early and play a lot" according to Johnson.

Vols vs UAB....Really?

How about this one, UAB vs Tennessee. UAB pulled a HUGE upset against, wait for it, Troy, yeah that's right, last week, and dreams of knocking off the Vols in Neyland Stadium Saturday morning starting at 12:21 EST. Even if they do, it won’t be saying much. The Vols are 1-2 and couldn’t really hang in against a less-than-great Florida last week. That game is on SEC Network TV and ESPN3.com.

South Carolina, the new Beast of the East ?

Unless you are a die hard Gator fan, or bask in the relevance of the past, you have to say South Carolina is the front runner to win the SEC East. They can run the ball and play a little defense. With these two assets, Steve Spurrier begins to look like a wizard quarterbacks coach and play caller as well. They go to Auburn, which had to rely on the luck of the Gods to beat Clemson last week. Which team will the luck of the Gods be pulling strings for when the Gamecocks and Tigers play on ESPN Saturday night at 7:45 p.m. EST?

Alabama's McElroy doing pretty well as the 'other' QB

He has outperformed Tyrod Taylor, Jevan Snead and Tim Tebow, in addition to outdueling Mallett a year ago. He’s also the first to share credit with his teammates. "I think I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to make plays because of the guys around me," McElroy said. A positive with the likes, Ingram, Ricardson, Jones, Maze, Hanks, and Dial can make a QB look pretty good. Not to mention what McClain, Areans, Barron, Dont’a Hightower, Jackson, and Cody do to the other team’s QB, they look totally lost. McElroy comes into this showdown against Mallett as the nation’s No. 1 quarterback in pass efficiency with a 200.0 efficiency rating. "That’s pretty cool," McElroy said when he was informed of the rating. He said he doesn’t know how that rating is computed, but that his goal each week is to be above 145. "I know a lot of people look at it as a quarterback barometer, but really if the wide receivers aren’t getting open, if the offensive line isn’t protecting me and makes me throw balls away and force throws, my QB efficiency will decrease dramatically, so it’s a team goal," McElroy said.

Auburn's Adams becomes Tigers' go-to guy

On the Tigers’ first drive of the second half, Newton dropped back on a second-and-18 and heaved one in Adams’ direction with much the same result. Adams climbed the ladder, made the play and had 35 yards to show for it. "That’s what wide receivers Coach Trooper Taylor says he likes about me, I catch the ball away from my body," Adams said. "We have drills that take us through that. I had an opportunity to do that in the game and I tried to do that the best I could." Until Terrell Zachery’s 78-yard catch and run at the end of the third quarter, Adams’ hands were the only ones to possess the ball on an Auburn pass play, besides Newton, Xavier Brewer and Deandre McDaniel, the two Clemson defensive backs who recorded interceptions. Adams caught five passes for 118 yards and a tightrope-walking, toe-dragging 8-yard touchdown that tied the game at 17 during the Tigers’ win Saturday. "There was no easy catch for him. He made tough catches all night long," coach Gene Chizik said. "There was usually someone right on him and he had to take the ball or tiptoe inbounds." So Chizik wants to see more of that. He also wants to see some other playmakers get into the act.

Alabama-Arkansas headlines a great weekend in the SEC

The college football nation will be watching this week to see if Arkansas can do anything to knock Bama off its stride in Fayetteville Saturday at 2:30 CT. Alabama will be on CBS’s national broadcast for the first of many times this year. Even if Arkansas doesn’t win, if they can expose some potential weakness in the Tide for future opponents to try would be helpful.
So, can Ryan Mallet, in a sophisticated Bobby Petrino passing system give the Alabama defense trouble. The Tide secondary is young and the front seven of Bama’s defense hasn’t yet kept quarterbacks on the run as much as it did last year. So, the big question will likely not be whether Alabama is a better team than Arkansas, but whether the Alabama defense of 2010 is as good as the Alabama defense of 2009.

Gamecocks running back, Giles to transfer

"Jarvis has decided he’d like to transfer so we certainly wish Jarvis the best and he'll have a release to go where he wants to," Gamecock head coach Steve Spurrier said. "Jarvis is a fine young man and we wish him the best."
The sophomore was a highly-rated speedster out of Tampa, Fla. that had many Gamecock fans excited about what he could do for the Gamecocks. However, due to a preseason injury he found himself deep down on the depth chart behind Marcus Lattimore, Brian Maddox, and Kenny Miles. Spurrier said he won’t limit where Giles can transfer, even inside the SEC.
"He can go anywhere he wants to," Spurrier said. "I don't think it's fair to limit a player if he wants to go play somewhere. He wants to go play. I encourage guys that want to enjoy college football, if it's not working out where you are and that's one of your big goals, then I encourage them to transfer and go play. Now, if graduating from your state university is important, then that's another side that may keep you here, even if you're not playing. There are all kinds of reasons in life we do things, and Jarvis wants to play."

Auburn on the up-coming game with South Carolina

Gene Chizik biggest concern is the team as a whole aren't playing physically enough to control the line of scrimmage going into Saturday night's game against No. 12 South Carolina. "I feel like we need to be playing more physical," Chizik said. "I don't feel like there's any secret. We've had that discussion over the last two days. I think they know it, we know it, they have to fix it. If we're going to win the football game Saturday, that's going to be part of the equation that we got to fix."
"We can't continuously put ourselves in the situation we have been," Newton said. "Sooner or later, our luck will run out."
"We accept the challenge," guard Byron Isom said. "We're very focused on that this week. It's really a challenge when he puts it on you. You just have to respond. It kind of hurts a little bit, but you can't get down on yourself. We're definitely going to respond to that."
"I've seen the same film he has," Left Tackle Ziemba said. "We definitely need to be more physical up front to win ballgames. That's showed up big time."
"Newton has made some really good throws into some tight areas," Chizik said. "We've got to give him time to throw and we've got to get some more receivers open. That's the gameplan."

Kentucky Wildcats Begin Preparation for SEC Opener vs. Florida

"Good, not great," Phillips said about practice. "This is the day that we install new schemes and we had a few new things that we were installing, especially in the special teams area"
Kickoff coverage is a concern for Phillips, considering that Florida is first in the Southeastern Conference and fifth in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 32.7 yards per return. UF junior running back Jeff Demps is the main reason for Florida’s success on kickoff returns, sitting first in the SEC and sixth in the country with 36.8 yards per return.
"It is a concern, there is no question about that," Phillips said. "The thing that we have to do is kick the ball in the right place so we only have to cover a third of the field. When we kick the ball in the right direction we have covered it well and cut the field into a third and get people around the ball and on the ground. I like to see him, Joe Mansour, kick it in the end zone so we don’t have to cover it but if he doesn’t he at least needs to kick it in the right direction.
Phillips also told reporters that nothing has changed on the status of starting fullback Moncell Allen (hamstring) and starting offensive lineman Stuart Hines (ankle). Both are still listed as doubtful for the Florida game Saturday.

Mississippi State's defensive coordinator, Diaz on MSU's 'D'

Manny Diaz, Mississippi State's defensive coordinator, said,"We have a funny knack this year defensively so far, we really respond when our backs are against the wall. However, when we have a little prosperity, we're not taking advantage of it." Diaz pointed specifically at the defense holding LSU's offense to four field goals in the first half Saturday. Even so, there was the second half, when State cut the lead to 12-7 and LSU responded with a 60-yard touchdown drive. Diaz called it one of MSU's worst defensive series of the season."As a coach, you admire our fortitude when we're put in tough situations but you'd like for us to respond when we have a little bit of an advantage," he said.
"We're getting closer," said Diaz, whose unit is sixth in scoring defense in the SEC. "We're getting better."

Mark Richt's and the Georgia Bulldog's sanity.

The rumbling has begun in Athens from upset Georgia fans. So far, the Bulldogs can settle on respectable although disappointing losses to ranked opponents, South Carolina and Arkansas. But what happens if Georgia loses at Mississippi State this week? Tommy Tuberville's final season demonstrates how quickly a fan base can sour on a longtime coach. It would help Richt's peace of mind if his veteran offensive line played like a veteran offensive line.

Who's for real in the SEC, Auburn or South Carolina?

No. 12 South Carolina and No. 17 Au­burn are trying to unseat giants in their respective SEC divisions (Florida and Alabama). But there are numerous questions as to whether either team will really be in At­lanta in December. After all, both teams have 11-14 SEC records since 2007. The winner of this game moves a step closer toward that reality.

Tennessee could start three freshman on offense-line against UAB

Vols' Derek Dooley has enough to worry about on the offensive line. If offensive linemen Cody Pope and JerQuari Schofield can't start this Saturday against UAB, the Vols will have three freshman, Ja'Wuan James, James Stone and Zach Fulton, starting against the Blazers.
"I mean, what goes through my mind is we've got to do a good job of developing a plan so that they, the freshman, can go out there and function and get hats on hats," Dooley said. "I think if we do that, we'll be OK. But I can't get them experience without playing them, and we can't go look on the free-agent wire right now and pick up some guys on the street."
"They're coming along well, and it just keeps building," said sophomore lineman Dallas Thomas, who originally started over freshman Stone. "It started all the way back in the summer, we'd put ourselves in positions where, let's say somebody went down, we'd just step a freshman up to see how it went. It's working pretty good. We've got to just keep building, and it's all going to work out. It's going to be OK."

Georgia Bulldog's Injury updates: Will Branden Smith, Caleb King, others play Saturday?

Here’s the latest injury report from coach Mark Richt:

• Smith: "He right now is not ready to practice today. We think before the week is over he will have a chance. He did have a concussion. He is getting better. There’s a way that [director of sports medicine] Ron Courson tests all our guys before they get back on the field [after concussions], and [Smith is] going through that process. Between now and the time we practice, there is an outside chance he can do something today. But as of right this second he is not cleared to practice."
• King: "I just can’t imagine Caleb not practicing full speed this week. Even watching him yesterday, he looked fine. He’s got his ankle taped up, but he looked fine."
• Chapas: "He is trying to get back. He did not practice yesterday; he was running, kind of a walk-run, around the field, no change of direction or anything like that. He’s questionable. We think he still has a chance to play Saturday."
• Davis: "I don’t think Chris will practice today, but we hope he’ll practice tomorrow. He may go today in a little bit of scout work. We’re not going to let him in any of the more competitive drills." Inside linebacker Marcus Dowtin: "His strength has come back really good. He has a stinger that was keeping him out. He practiced yesterday. He ran well. He’ll practice today probably in a green non-contact jersey"”

Horrendous 1-2 start has Rebels searching for winning solution

Many thought Ole Miss could win its first five games. Now it's just wanting to win a game. The next opportunity comes Saturday, when a 2-0 Fresno State team visits Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. "Our morale isn't down or anything," junior offensive lineman Alex Washington said. "We know we're just a couple of plays off from the record being different. We've just got to continue to push."
Ole Miss is, after all, 1-2 against three teams that went a combined 3-21 against Bowl Subdivision teams a year prior.The Rebels have a minus-5 turnover margin, the worst such mark in the Southeastern Conference. No league team has given up more points than Ole Miss, which has yielded 90.
"Got to get your confidence back," Nutt said. "Got to get your swagger back. You've got to do that by making plays and playing very hard."
"We've always been known for playing at your highest level," Nutt said. "And I want to make sure everybody's doing that. We've got to play at a very high level, play hard. I can live with whatever happens, as long as I know they're giving everything they have and we're giving them the best opportunity to win."
Food for thought, Nutt thinks Fresno State is the best team the Rebels will have played this season.

Comments from Vandy's Coach Caldwell on win at Ole Miss

The Com­mo­do­res head into their bye week fresh off a 28-14 vic­tory in Oxford, Miss. Van­der­bilt will attempt to repeat its' suc­cess at Ole Miss into another win at UCONN on Oct. 2 and even its' record at 2-2. Here are some com­ments from Coach Rob­bie Cald­well from Saturday. "We came here on a busi­ness trip. That’s what we desig­na­ted it as. It was a quick tur­na­round. We had pre-game meal at 7 this mor­ning, on the bus, the bus broke down. We had to pile every­body on the other buses. They could have found every excuse to not fight hard, to throw their hands in the air, but they didn’t." "Defense pla­yed great. Offense, we didn’t have a whole lot of yards, but we rushed for about 240. Outs­tan­ding. We made first downs when we had to. I couldn’t be more proud of them. Spe­cial teams, it was a com­plete effort. The punt team just did an extraor­di­nary job kee­ping them bac­ked up." "We never got down. We know we should have won one other, and we pos­sibly had a chance to win the other. We know that. Every­body has poin­ted it out to us on many occa­sions as well. I always appre­ciate the help from the outside, too. But these guys just kept wor­king. We’re a family and we pay atten­tion to what’s said inside. That’s the most impor­tant thing."

Van­der­bilt left tac­kle Wes­ley John­son, hono­red as the SEC Offen­sive Line­man of the Week

Van­der­bilt left tac­kle and for­mer Mont­go­mery Bell Aca­demy stan­dout Wes­ley John­son was hono­red as the SEC Offen­sive Line­man of the Week for his per­for­mance in the Com­mo­do­res' 28-14 win at Ole Miss. A redshirt fresh­man pla­ying in his third college game, John­son was a big rea­son why Van­der­bilt was able to run for 227 yards (5.5 per carry) against the vaun­ted defen­sive line of the Rebels. John­son was cre­di­ted with six knock­down blocks in the win and hel­ped spring Warren Nor­man and Zac Stacy for long touch­down runs. This is the Com­mo­do­res' first weekly SEC award of the season.

Gamecocks' all-time leader in catches dead of apparent suicide

According to FOX 31 in Denver, Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead of an apparent suicide at some point Monday. McKinley was just 23 years old.

McKinley, who played in eight games last season as a rookie and was placed on injured reserve before the start of the 2010 season, was a fifth-round draft pick of the Broncos following a stellar career with the Gamecocks that saw him leave the school as the SEC's third-leading receiver with 207 receptions. He ended his career at South Carolina as the school's leading receiver.

South Carolina head coach Spurrier was told of McKinley's death at practice and was said to be shaken. Members of the school's support staff, Travis Haney of the Charleston Post & Courier wrote on Twitter, "are very upset".

Spurrier, who referred to McKinley as one of his "all-time favorite Gamecocks", said he saw McKinley at the school's Sept. 11 game against Georgia and "he seemed to be in good spirits. Great smile, like he always had."

"I don't understand it, if it happened the way they say. It's hard to comprehend," Spurrier said.
Posted by John Taylor

Ingram's knee holds up to first big test and How

Ingram rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries in the 62-13 win over Duke. Ingram said he was sore Sunday, but the soreness did not come from his surgically-repaired knee. In the end, the junior was just happy to be back out on the field with his teammates.

"It was great just to be able to get back out there with the team," said Ingram. "It was hurting just not being able to be out there with them contributing the first two weeks. I really just wanted to get back out there and make an impact and show the team I'm still capable of making some plays."

Head coach Nick Saban was pleased as well, saying the coaching staff will look to continue increasing Ingram's workload as the knee continues to strengthen.

"I thought he did a really good job and hopefully we'll just keep taking another step to continuing to increase and improve his role with our team," Saban said.

Alabama will open SEC play this Saturday on the road against No. 10 Arkansas.

Tennessee Vols' effort isn't enough against Florida Gators

The Vols trailed just 7-3 at halftime and nudged within 24-17 early in the fourth quarter before Florida closed the deal. It was in marked contrast to last Saturday when UT surrendered 45 unanswered points in a blowout by Oregon, a performance that left Dooley questioning the Vols' commitment. This time, UT stayed the course — albeit a losing course. "We definitely dealt better with adversity than a week ago," said Vols quarterback Matt Simms. "We did a great job of dealing with the ups and downs." UT defensive lineman Gerald Williams said: "I'm not ashamed of the way we played. We competed." Dooley isn't into moral victories. He believes maximum effort, regardless of the circumstances, should be the norm not the exception."I'm proud of them for that," Dooley said, "but that's what we should do every game. That's kind of a bottom-line standard. All that does is give you a chance, and it proved out."

Despite loss, Richt says Bulldogs improving

"It’s always discouraging to lose any game, so we’re not happy about the won-loss record right now," Richt said. "When you do the job we do and you coach and you teach and you give your guys assignments and you give them things they’re trying to get better at, and you watch the film and you see guys improve, that’s what I’m talking about." Richt noticed improvement from Aaron Murray at quarterback,and a better showing from Georgia’s running game, which had 139 yards, and a strong effort against Arkansas' running attack. The Bulldogs held Arkansas to 53 yards rushing and 2.3 yards a carry. Although Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns. "I don’t want to throw out anything that would sound like dirty laundry or anything on these kids," Richt said. "The blame was spread out across the board. It wasn’t just one culprit" Murray still managed to go 15-for-27 for 253 yards and one touchdown and rallied the Bulldogs from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit. "He’s got to learn to continue to work his way up in the pocket and throw the ball on time," Richt said."That’s kind of what I was talking about after Game One, trying to create something out of something that’s not there. And when you do that enough times, you’re going to get hit like that. He made a lot of very positive plays rushing the football and moving up in the pocket, throwing or running, but you just can’t ask the guys to block too long. By trying to move up and move back and reset and all that, you’re going to get hit. He’s learning that."

Gator Freshmen making huge Impact on Team

During his weekly press conference on Monday, Florida coach Urban Meyer was stopped in his tracks when told that 41 percent of the Gators who traveled to Tennessee were either true or redshirt freshmen. “That’s a lot of good young players there,’’ Meyer said. Later, Meyer pointed out the play Riggs made on a punt by Chas Henry after the Gators’ first drive of the game stalled. Henry booted an ideal kick, and Riggs, a cornerback who also plays on special teams, raced down the field, positioned himself in front of the goal line, and made the play on Henry’s kick. The sequence didn’t lead directly to any points for the Gators, but Meyer said a message was sent. “Our field position in that game was why we won the game,’’ Meyer said. “That whole thing about 41 percent of our team being freshmen, most of them don’t really understand that. “It takes a while to beat that into them. ‘So you really want to go find a way to win at Neyland Stadium?’ Here is what you have to do. That started them down in there. When you keep them pinned down in there, it’s demoralizing and it gives you great field position. We’ve seen a lot of guys step up right now.’’

Auburn loses starting lineman to season-ending injury

When A.J. Greene went down with a lower-leg injury in the fourth quarter of Auburn's win over Clemson Saturday, it appeared the offensive lineman might miss a significant period of time.

Head coach Gene Chizik announced Sunday that the starting right tackle suffered a broken ankle in the win and will be out for the remainder of the season.

John Sullen, who had battled Greene for the starting job throughout summer camp, took over after the injury and would appear to be in line to take the starting job permanently, although Brandon Mosley is also a consideration.

"We'll reevaluate it all. We have to see where we're going with that," Chizik said.

Auburn Overtime Thriller Against Clemson 27-24 Update

Auburn (3-0) had rallied from a 17-0 deficit late in the first half and scored three touchdowns in the third quarter.
Clemson (2-1) has lost 14 consecutive meetings in the vintage but long dormant Southern rivalry.
It was the first regular-season meeting since 1971 and the second straight to have extra football, including the 2007 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Clemson, which had opened with predictably lopsided wins over North Texas and Presbyterian, stepped up for the Southeastern Conference opponent with a fast start in front of the biggest crowd the program had played in front of (87,451).
The rivalry renewal turned into a roller-coaster ride, where the teams took their turns in the driver's seat.
Clemson threatened to score go-ahead points after pushing the ball near midfield on its final drive of regulation but Auburn stuffed a reverse. Then Parker's third-and-long pass under pressure was just out of Dwayne Allen's grasp down the right sideline.
Buried at its own 13, Auburn let the final 1:23 wind down.
Cam Newton completed seven passes for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 78-yarder to Terrell Zachery in the third quarter to give Auburn its first lead at 24-17. Newton also ran for 68 yards but was intercepted twice.
Darvin Adams caught five passes for 118 yards and a TD. McCalebb gained 81 yards on 10 carries.
Parker was 21-of-35 passing for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Andre Ellington gained 140 yards on 22 carries in a game that was a statistical standoff.
Auburn had 424 yards, Clemson 414.
Auburn scored 24 straight points after getting dominated for 29 minutes. Gus Malzahn's offense racked up 258 yards in the third quarter after getting mostly held in check for the first two.

Bulldog's vs Razorback's post game thoughts

Georgia showed some heart coming back like they did, although Ryan Mallet was just too much for them. UGA so far has shown, they don't stand a chance to win the SEC. There were a lot of Bulldogs that showed us something, especially the potential of their freshman quarterback.
Yeah, they played 2 pretty good teams but if you're going to be able to compete for the SEC title you have to be able to beat those teams. We(secfootballonline) wonder how much worse it would have been if they had to travel to Fayetteville, AR to play the Razorbacks?
As much as we like Richt as a person, he is not someone that is going to be able to take this program where the DAWG Nation wants it to go...an SEC Champion.

Rough Start for Houston Nutt and Ole Miss this Season

Ole Miss couldn't avoid crucial mistakes in the game against Vanderbilt. The Rebels dropped two touchdown passes, missed a field goal and lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that set up Vanderbilt's final touchdown.
Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed 19 of 35 passes for 190 yards, but threw two interceptions. He rushed for 104 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown run. Korvic Neat scored the team's first touchdown on a 4-yard run.
The Rebels lost despite outgaining the Commodores 385-300. They completed only 5 of 18 third-down opportunities.
It's been a rough start to coach Houston Nutt's third season with the program. The Rebels won 18 games and two Cotton Bowls over the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but have started with two embarrassing home losses this season.
Ole Miss lost to Jacksonville State 49-48 in double overtime in the season opener. It was the first loss to a Football Championship Subdivision team in school history.

Vandy vs Ole Miss Update

Warren Norman rushed for 111 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, as Vanderbilt beat Mississippi 28-14 for coach Robbie Caldwell's first career victory on Saturday.
Vanderbilt (1-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) snapped a 10-game conference losing streak dating back to 2008. The Commodores have beaten the Rebels four of the past six seasons.
It was Norman's third career 100-yard rushing game, and his first against an SEC opponent. The Commodores did most of their damage on the ground, rushing for 227 yards.
Vanderbilt lived off big plays all afternoon. The Commodores scored their first three touchdowns on 35-yard touchdown run by Zac Stacy, a 21-yard interception return by Eddie Foster and the biggest of all, Norman's 80-yard touchdown run that gave them the lead for good.
Norman's touchdown came at a critical juncture. Ole Miss (1-2, 1-1) had just tied the scored at 14-14 when the 5-foot-10, 195-pound sophomore scored on Vanderbilt's first play from scrimmage, running untouched for the longest run of his career and the second-longest run in school history. Larry Smith added a 15-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also completed 9 of 19 passes for 73 yards.
Caldwell, who replaced Bobby Johnson after he surprisingly stepped down in July, is the first Vanderbilt coach to win his road debut since 1975.

LSU's Defense more than efficient in Defeat of MSU, 29-7

A staunch defense that intercepted five passes and an offense that scored on its first seven possession gave the No. 15-ranked LSU football team its 11th-straight victory over Mississippi State, 29-7, in the home opener in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. LSU (3-0, 2-0 SEC) needed the right foot of placekicker Josh Jasper to secure a 12-0 halftime advantage with a school-record four field goals in the half. After Mississippi State scored on the opening drive of the second half, LSU answered with two touchdowns and a field goal on its next three possessions to improve to 2-0 in Southeastern Conference play. Jasper broke his own school record with five field goals, converting from 44, 32, 51, 37 and 21 yards.

Kentucky Rolls to 47-10 Win Over Akron

Derrick Locke ran for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns to lead Kentucky past Akron 47-10 on Saturday night. Mike Hartline passed for 250 yards and two scores for the Wildcats (3-0), who won their 18th straight regular season nonconference game. Kentucky opens Southeastern Conference play next week at No. 10 Florida. The Wildcats took their time getting going against the Zips (0-3) before scoring touchdowns on six straight possessions to break it open.Kentucky star Randall Cobb caught five passes for 43 yards and a touchdown but spent the second half on the sidelines with heartburn symptoms. Locke made sure the Wildcats didn't need Cobb, darting through Akron's overmatched defense to become the seventh running back in school history to top 2,000 career yards. The Wildcats outgained Akron 544-172 and collected five sacks while failing to turn the ball over for the third straight game. Joker Phillips became the first Kentucky coach to win his first three games on the job since Bear Bryant in 1946.

Auburn beats Clemson in overtime...must have some Irish on Auburn

Wes Byrum's 39-yard field goal in overtime turned out to be the winner as Auburn beat Clemson 27-24 Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Clemson had a chance to win the game in OT, but the throw was a tad off to the right. Then they had the try for the tie, but the field goal that was good was waved off for an illegal snap. Which we at Secfootballonline call 'Gatoritis', Clemson tried again but missed from 32 yards out on the second try.

Auburn trailed 17-0 in the first half before staging a big comeback.

Auburn improved to 3-0. Clemson fell to 2-1.
It was a hard fought and the most hard hitting game in the SEC, so far this year, wait, the hardest in the NCAA so far this year.

USC Gamecocks top Furman Paladins

South Carolina is 3-0 to start the season after defeating Furman 38-19 Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.Quarterback Stephen Garcia threw for two touchdowns, one to Tori Gurley and another to D.L. Moore. Garcia threw two interceptions, one that was returned three yards for a Furman touchdown. "They outplayed us and out-toughed us a little bit. It was tough out there," Steve Spurrier said after the game. "There are a lot of guys who played well. Overall it wasn't our best but we're happy to win the game." Spurrier said the team has a lot to improve on heading into next week's game at Auburn, the Gamecocks' first road game of the season. "We played pretty careless at times tonight, which obviously gave Furman a chance to win the game," Spurrier said. "Give those guys credit. They played smart. They played tough."

Vols fall to Gators 31-17...Gator Bait

John Brantley threw for 167 yards and a touchdown and Mike Gillislee ran for two scores, as 10th-ranked Florida took a 31-17 win over Tennessee in the teams' SEC opener. Brantley connected on 14-of-23 throws while Jeffery Demps rushed for 73 yards on 26 carries for the Gators (3-0, 1-0 SEC), who have won 15 consecutive regular-season conference games. Trey Burton ran for a score for Florida, while Frankie Hammond, Jr. caught a touchdown pass to end a drive kept alive by a fake punt. Matt Simms passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns, but threw two costly interceptions, one in the end zone as Tennessee (1-2, 0-1) lost to Florida for the sixth straight time.

Top-ranked Tide welcomes Mark Ingram back in a 62-13 victory over Duke

The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner ran 48 yards on the first play of the game, ran 50 yards the third time he touched the ball and ran for two touchdowns before his day was done early. Ingram, who missed the Tide's first two games with a knee injury, finished with nine carries for 151 yards, leading top-ranked Alabama (3-0) to a 62-13 victory over Duke (1-2). Greg McElroy completed 14 of 20 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns and Trent Richardson returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. The 62 points are the most Alabama has scored since a 62-0 victory over Tulane in 1991, and they are the most the Tide has scored in a road game since a 62-27 victory at Ole Miss in 1989.