Cam music man had approval from Alabama's athletic department

In announcing the firing of a part-time employee whose name turned out to be Jason Adlman, a UA official stated in an email to the Tuscaloosa News that “all music and videos played in the stadium prior to and during every game be carefully scripted and approved by a senior administrator in the Athletics Department. … The former staff member deviated from the script that had been approved.” Apparently, that wasn’t exactly the case as it looks as though one player in the drama who’s low on the totem pole took the fall for approvals that were that were given by those above him.

According to a new report on the News’ website Tuesday evening, Justin Brant, director of Crimson Tide Productions, participated in selecting the songs and was in the control room while they were played before Saturday’s game. CTP, the paper writes, oversees elements of game-day presentation at football games at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Neither Brant nor Adlman would comment when contacted by the News. The pair weren’t the only UA athletic department employees involved, either.

Another UA employee, Amy Eifler, the manager of the Production House at the Center for Public Television and Radio, was also involved and worked with Brant to plan the playing of the songs before the game, according to two people involved UA’s investigation of the event. Eifler could not be reached for comment.

Neither Brant nor Eifler have been fired.

Is this childish or what, so, Liar, Liar, pants on fire, UA...shameful. Hey, the SEC Rocks!

Alabama fires staffer over songs aimed at Newton

The University of Alabama has fired an employee who played songs aimed at Auburn quarterback Cam Newton before the Iron Bowl. University spokeswoman Debbie Lane said Monday that the part-time staffer was fired for the unauthorized songs. “Take the Money and Run” and “Son of a Preacher Man” were played while Newton and the Tigers warmed up. The NCAA has been investigating allegations that Newton’s father, a pastor, solicited $180,000 from Mississippi State during recruiting.

Lane said in a statement that all music and videos played in the stadium before and during games have to be approved by a senior athletic administrator. She said the staffer—who was not named—didn’t get those songs cleared.

The Tuscaloosa News first reported the firing.

Ex-MSU player to talk to state officials...about Cam Newton

Former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers is scheduled to meet with officials from the Mississippi Secretary of State's office Dec. 9 to discuss the recruitment of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. Rogers, who has worked with a sports agent, has said Newton's father, Cecil, asked two Mississippi State coaches for up to $180,000 at a hotel in Starkville, Miss., to secure his son's commitment to the Bulldogs. Rogers says the coaches declined the request, and MSU has said all of its employees acted properly. Cecil Newton has denied any wrongdoing. Rogers' attorney, Doug Zeit, said his client will meet with officials from the secretary's office and has been interviewed by the NCAA. Secretary of State spokeswoman Pamela Weaver said Tuesday the office would not comment on "current, pending or potential investigations." The Secretary of State's office enforces regulations under the Uniform Athlete Agent Act, which governs sports agents in Mississippi. Violators can be sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison and pay up to a $10,000 fine along with additional civil penalties. Rogers has a company called Elite Football Preparation, which holds camps in Alabama, Chicago and Mississippi, and matches football prospects with colleges.

Rogers has also come under scrutiny from the NFL Players Association.

Gamecocks' Coach Steve Spurrier back in SEC title game

Steve Spurrier seemed to be a shell of himself his first few years at South Carolina, unable to rekindle the kind of success he had at Florida. This year looked like it might be another tease when the Gamecocks again followed a big win against Alabama with a disappointing loss to Kentucky. Spurrier was shaken, but not down. At 65, the South Carolina head ball coach is back in the Southeastern Conference title game. His No. 18 Gamecocks take on second-ranked Auburn Saturday. After five largely so-so seasons, Spurrier can bring a winner to South Carolina in the game he loves the most. It’s a second-act few thought Spurrier would pull off with the also-ran Gamecocks.

"The important thing is that our players really set some lofty goals this year," he said. "They set some goals that a lot of people maybe would’ve laughed at at the beginning of the season."

Tyler Bray shares SEC Freshman of the Week

The SEC selected Tyler Bray as co-Freshman of the Week on Monday after Bray threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-14, bowl-clinching win over Kentucky on Saturday, the third time he's been named to the league's weekly honor roll since he took over the UT offense. Mississippi State running back LaDarius Perkins shared the award. Bray also tossed for more than 300 yards for the third time in November, with more than 200 of them and both touchdowns in the victory over the Wildcats coming before halftime as he helped secure one more start during his freshman campaign. A big part of his success has come from a dynamic relationship with senior Denarius Moore, who went over the 200-yard receiving mark for the second time this season thanks to a handful of deep balls from Bray on Saturday. Moore finished the game with 205 yards on seven catches with a touchdown, earning him an honorable mention spot in the SEC's weekly awards.

Auburn's Cam Newton named a finalist for the Manning Award

Auburn junior quarterback Cam Newton is one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced Monday. The Manning Award is presented to the nation's outstanding quarterback and is the only quarterback award that takes the candidates' bowl performances into consideration. Joining Newton as finalists for the award are TCU's Andy Dalton, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick, Stanford's Andrew Luck, Arkansas' Ryan Mallett, Boise State's Kellen Moore, Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor, Michigan's Denard Robinson, Oregon's Darron Thomas and Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden.

Georgia's Jones named SEC Co-Defensive lineman of the week

Georgia sophomore defensive end Abry Jones has been named the Southeastern Conference Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week, according to a league announcement on Monday.
Auburn junior Nick Fairley shared the award with Jones.
Jones, a 6-3, 297-pound native of Warner Robins, exploded for a career-high 16 tackles, including two tackles for loss, versus Georgia Tech. Jones was one of three Bulldogs who racked up 16 tackles after the Yellow Jackets ran 92 plays on offense.
Jones also forced a fumble that the Bulldogs recovered deep in Georgia territory with the score knotted at 21-all. Thanks in part of Jones’ presence, the Bulldogs have forced 24 turnovers and converted them into 101 points while Georgia has only had 14 miscues that have turned into 21 points. This turnover margin (+10) ranks second in the SEC and 18th in the nation.
Starting six games and playing in all 12 this year, Jones has recorded 32 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, this season.
This is Georgia’s fifth SEC weekly football award of the 2010 season.

The Bulldogs (6-6, 3-5 SEC) are currently waiting to see what bowl they will play in and who they will play against during the postseason.

Auburn's Gus Malzahn named a finalist for the Broyles Award

Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has been named one of five finalists for the 2010 Broyles Award, the Broyles Award selection committee announced Monday. The Broyles Award is presented annually to the nation's top assistant coach. Joining Malzahn as finalists for the award are defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas of TCU and offensive coordinators Paul Chryst of Wisconsin, Dana Holgorsen of Oklahoma State and Greg Roman of Stanford. Malzahn has instructed Auburn's explosive offense that ranks second nationally in passing efficiency (183.98), sixth in rushing offense (291.3), seventh in scoring offense (41.6) and eighth in total offense (490.1). The Tigers lead the SEC in all of those categories, as well as first downs (24.0) and third-down conversion percentage (51.1). The Tigers have already set school records for points scored (499) and total offense (5,881 yards) this season, and are on pace to break the school single-season records for points per game (38.5 - 1995) and total offense per game (485.0 - 1970). Auburn is ranked second in the nation in average yards per pass attempt (10.28) and third nationally in average yards per rush attempt (6.24). The rushing average would rank as the second-best average in a season in SEC history.

Auburn's Gene Chizik looking for another win, in rematch with South Carolina

There could be a new wrinkle or two when Auburn tries to beat South Carolina for the second time this season, but coach Gene Chizik says not to expect anything crazy in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday.

"There's not going to have wholehearted changes anywhere on your team, because obviously you've been doing things to get to you this game,'' Chizik said Sunday.

The Tigers beat South Carolina 35-27 in the fourth game of the season. All the Tigers have done since then, and before then, is win. Auburn is 12-0 and a win away from playing for the national championship.

Steve Spurrier says he's just happy to have South Carolina in a game that could give the school its first SEC title. The former Heisman Trophy winner from his days as a Florida quarterback was asked if Auburn quarterback Cam Newton deserves a Heisman, too.

"Certainly. I think he's been the most dynamic player in college ball this year,'' Spurrier said.

Vols are Bowl Bound...with November surge

The short-term gain of Tennessee's 26th consecutive victory over Kentucky is that the Vols' season also lives on. "I know I gave Tennessee everything I had,'' senior linebacker Nick Reveiz said following the Vols' 24-14 win over the Wildcats at Neyland Stadium. "Now I've got one more game and I'm looking forward to it.'' He's got one more game because a four-game winning streak carried the Vols from the depths of a winless October to a 6-6 finish (3-5 SEC). They're bowl eligible and most likely headed to Nashville for the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. "It's hard to describe how proud I am of this football team,'' said first-year UT coach Derek Dooley.

A November victory tour that began in Memphis and visited Nashville climaxed on the home turf before a Senior Day crowd of 101,170.

Robbie Caldwell steps down as Vandy’s head coach

According to the Nashville Tennessean, Robbie Caldwell will officially step down as Vanderbilt’s head coach at a 12:45 ET press conference. It’s uncertain whether this is a dismissal or a resignation, although it will likely be labeled as the latter for public consumption as Caldwell has stated in the past that he would like to continue on. Ahead of the press conference, the school has released a statement from the now-former coach. "Having the opportunity to be Vanderbilt’s head football coach has been a dream come true," Caldwell said, "and I greatly appreciated the chance to serve, and I gave it my best. However, after a lot of reflection, I’ve realized it is time for me to step aside and let someone else pick up the hard work and efforts of our staff."

Stanford celebrates after LSU loss

There have already been two major upsets that have impacted the BCS top-1o this weekend and no one benefited more from both of those losses than Stanford. As of a couple days ago, BCS at-large bids were a hot commodity and it appeared that the Cardinal might be on the outside looking in come January. But with Boise State losing an overtime shocker to Nevada and LSU’s luck running out against Arkansas, Stanford will be next in line to receive a BCS at-large bid, helped in part by their win over Oregon State Saturday night. Which is completely justified that when you consider Stanford could be a top-5 team come tomorrow whose only loss came to the No. 1 team in the country. With LSU’s loss, it’s very likely that Arkansas will occupy the Sugar Bowl’s at-large spot as the bowl continues its ties with the SEC.

Georgia Bulldogs state champs again over Ga Tech 42-34

Georgia and Georgia Tech drove up and down the field on each other, made costly turnovers and had the game decided by a missed kick that will enter the rivalry’s lore. Tech rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and drew to within 35-34 when B-back Anthony Allen bulled into the end zone with 5:05 remaining in the final period. However, kicker Scott Blair, who had made 77 point-after tries in a row, missed No. 78. The Bulldogs gave Tech the ball back with just under three minutes to go, quarterback Aaron Murray fumbled the snap on a fourth-down play — but the Jackets could do nothing with two last gasps. Georgia salvaged a measure of pride by beating Tech and secured its 14th consecutive bowl appearance. The Bulldogs (6-6) could be headed to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis against Central Florida. Tech (6-6) could be headed to Shreveport, La., for an Independence Bowl pairing with Air Force. With the win, Georgia coach Mark Richt completes his first decade in the series 9-1. It is the most lopsided 10-year run the Bulldogs have had in the 107-year rivalry. Tech also enjoyed a 9-1 stretch from 1947 to 1956.

A year after both teams’ defensive failings led to the dismissal of both defensive coordinators, Saturday’s results confirmed the season’s findings that plenty of work remains to be done.

Vanderbilt falls to Wake Forest 34-13

With seemingly every reason to play inspired football after their head coach had lost his job on Senior Day, the Commodores were handled by a squad with the nation’s longest losing streak in the Bowl Subdivision. Wake Forest built a comfortable halftime lead and cruised to a 34-13 win before a sparse crowd on a cold evening at Vanderbilt Stadium. Caldwell, in his first and final season as Bobby Johnson’s replacement, gave his resignation Saturday morning and offered his players a full day to digest the news before they took the field for the season finale. This response wasn’t expected against the Demon Deacons (3-9), which had lost nine in a row but finished with a better record than Vanderbilt (2-10). Vanderbilt had two Richard Kent punts blocked in a game for the second time this month, surrendered 226 rushing yards and suffered consecutive 10-loss seasons for the first time since 2002-03. Commodores senior quarterback Jared Funk threw for 277 yards on 27 of 61 passing in his first career start for an injured Larry Smith, but virtually all of it was playing catch-up. Smith never got on the field. Vanderbilt ran 97 offensive plays to Wake Forest's 57 and outgained the Demon Deacons 443-299. It didn’t matter.Wake Forest opened a 24-6 halftime lead and stretched its advantage to 34-6 in the first minute of the fourth quarter on receiver Chris Givens’ 9-yard touchdown run.

The battle of the Palmetto State is won by South Carolina over Clemson 29-7

South Carolina defeated Clemson 29-7 Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, giving the Gamecocks their ninth win heading into the SEC Championship. With the victory, South Carolina (9-3) has consecutive games against Clemson (6-6) for the first time since winning three in a row from 1968-70. The win also means South Carolina's seniors are the winningest class in school history. The Gamecocks have won 29 games in the past four seasons. This season is the first time South Carolina has won seven or more games in three consecutive seasons. This is the 102nd consecutive year the teams have met, the third-longest streak in the country behind Kansas-Nebraska and Minnesota-Wisconsin. USC has nine wins on the season for the third time in school history (2001 and 1984) and won a third consecutive road game for the first time since 2006.

Up next for the Gamecocks is a rematch with Auburn (12-0) next Saturday in the SEC Championship in Atlanta.

MSU hangs on for the win over Ole Miss 31-23

Chris Relf threw for a career-high 288 yards and three touchdowns as No. 25 Mississippi State beat Mississippi 31-23 on Saturday night in the Egg Bowl. The Bulldogs dominated for most of the game, with a 498-326 advantage in total yards. But Ole Miss nearly rallied from a 31-9 fourth quarter deficit, scoring two touchdowns to pull within 31-23 with 4:21 remaining.

The Rebels' comeback ended when Jeremiah Masoli was sacked on fourth-and-24 with 59.4 seconds remaining.

Mississippi State's LaDarius Perkins caught three passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns. The freshman also rushed for 98 yards on 13 carries.

As usual, the Bulldogs' were steady on the ground, rushing for 210 yards. But the potent passing game was a pleasant surprise, as Relf completed 13 of 20 passes. He also added 66 rushing yards.

Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4 SEC) won for the first time in Oxford since 1998. The road team has won only twice in the past 12 years of the series.

Masoli, who ended a disappointing senior season in Oxford after transferring from Oregon over the summer, led Ole Miss (4-8, 1-7) with 261 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception.

The scene in Oxford was far different than two years ago, when Ole Miss destroyed MSU 45-0, a humiliating defeat that helped send then-coach Sylvester Croom packing.

Florida Gators lose in state rivalry at Florida State 31-7

Christian Ponder threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns Saturday to lead coach Jimbo Fisher and No. 22 Florida State to a 31-7 win over Florida that snapped a six-game losing streak by the Seminoles.
Ponder connected with Rodney Smith, Taiwan Easterling and Willie Haulstead on scoring plays covering 39, 15 and 29 yards respectively in his final home game.
The Seminoles, 9-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference, put the game away with a 21-point second quarter, getting three touchdowns in just over nine minutes to take a 24-7 halftime lead.
Florida, 7-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference, capped its worst regular season under Urban Meyer with its first loss to FSU since Meyer took over in Gainesville in 2005.

Tennessee goes perfect in November with win over Kentucky

Tyler Bray threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns as Tennessee extended its winning streak over Kentucky to 26 straight games to become bowl eligible with a 24-14 victory on Saturday. After losing four games in October, the Vols (6-6, 3-5 Southeastern Conference) were perfect in their four November games. They also upheld the longest active streak in a series between two FBS teams, one that's survived 10 coaches on the two teams and is older than any player on either team's roster. Denarius Moore caught one of Bray's touchdown passes and had 205 yards receiving to become the only Vols receiver in history to have more than 200 yards receiving in two games in either a season or career. Moore had 228 yards in an Oct. 30 loss to South Carolina.

Arkansas boots LSU, 31-23, in season finale...BCS turmoil

Ryan Mallett threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns as No. 12 Arkansas made its case for the school’s first BCS bowl game with a 31-23 win over No. 5 LSU on Saturday. In the Battle for the Golden Boot, the Razorbacks (10-2, 6-2 SEC) took college football’s heaviest trophy from the Tigers (10-2, 6-2) at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Mallett finished 13 of 23 passing and had touchdown passes of 85, 80 and 39 yards for the Razorbacks, who won their sixth straight game and finished second in the SEC West. The junior quarterback broke the school record for touchdown passes in the game, passing Clint Stoerner’s 57. Mallett now has 60 touchdown passes in two seasons at Arkansas, and his 39-yarder to Joe Adams on fourth-and-3 in the fourth quarter put the Razorbacks up 28-20. LSU, which was outgained 462-299 by Arkansas, never led. Jordan Jefferson passed for 174 yards and ran for 39 for the Tigers.

Auburn closes the title door on Boise State and TCU

The Tigers dodged a major bullet, erasing what was at one point a 24-0 deficit in the 28-27 win over Alabama, and kept their title hopes very much alive, while simultaneously breaking the hearts of those in Boise and Fort Worth as this could be the last big test for either Auburn or Oregon. The stirring comeback, one of the greatest in the tradition-rich history of the Iron Bowl, seemingly removes the final major obstacle in the Tigers’ path to the Championship.
Auburn should be able to handle their business in the SEC championship game against South Carolina. "Should" is the operative word here, though; the Gamecocks took a 27-21 lead into the fourth quarter on the road in late September, but turned the ball over four times in the fourth quarter as the Tigers mounted one of their eight fourth-quarter comebacks. Certainly Auburn will be favored, possibly heavily, in the conference title game but, as Alabama showed today, the Tigers are far from invincible

LSU's Peterson Named Thorpe, Bednarik Finalist

LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson added his name to the list of finalist for two more national awards on Monday as the junior was named as one of three finalists for both the Thorpe Award and the Bednarik Award. The Thorpe Award is presented annually to the top defensive back in college football. It is named after history's greatest all-around athlete, Jim Thorpe, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also was a standout defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as "The Legend", Thorpe also played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon. The Bednarik Award, which is given to the outstanding defensive player in college football, is named after Chuck Bednarik, a two-way player for the Philadelphia Eagles for 14 years. Peterson is joined on the Thorpe Award list by Prince Amukamara of Nebraska and Tejay and Johnson of TCU. He's joined on the Bednarik list of finalist by Nick Fairley of Auburn and Da'Quan Bowers of Clemson.

Auburn storms back to beat Alabama and remain undefeated

Cam Newton and Auburn played like a quarterback and a team in search of a national championship Friday, rallying from a seemingly impossible deficit to beat Alabama 28-27 with a mighty second-half comeback in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama led 24-0 in the first half before Auburn got in gear. The Tigers finally passed Alabama on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Newton to Philip Lutzenkirchen with 11:55 to play. The Tigers risked everything late, and made it, on a fourth-and-1 from its own 37. Newton gained 2. That allowed Auburn to run extra time off the clock. Alabama had a final shot with less than a minute to play, but couldn't score. Auburn improved to 12-0, snapping a two-game losing streak to the Tide. The Tigers, the No. 2 team in the BCS, will try to continue their march to the national championship game when it meets South Carolina in the SEC title game next Saturday in Atlanta.

Alabama left the field with a 9-3 record.

Mallett, Arkansas face tough test in LSU defense

The Razorbacks lead the SEC and are third nationally in passing offense, averaging 343.6 yards per game. Mallett, after missing much of a loss at No. 2 Auburn with a concussion, has been at the center of that attack for most of the season. The junior is averaging 297.5 yards passing per game, and his 305-yard effort last week in a double-overtime win at Mississippi State was the eighth time this season he’s topped the 300-yard mark. Last season against LSU, however, Mallett struggled for much of the game as the Tigers built a 17-6 halftime lead. Arkansas eventually rallied to send the game into overtime, where LSU pulled out a 33-30 win, but Mallett’s numbers in the loss, 17 of 39 passing for 227 yards, were hardly up to his usual standards. "Last year, they did a really good job of disguising their coverages," Mallett said. "We made some adjustments in the second half, and that’s when we started playing better in the passing game. What we’ve got to do is study last year’s film and make sure we’ve got all the looks, and then study this year’s film and just make sure we have everything down pat going into the game." While Arkansas is second in the SEC in total offense (491.5 yards per game), LSU is first in total defense, allowing only 286.9 yards per game. The Tigers, led by junior cornerback Patrick Peterson, lead the league in passing defense, allowing an average of 151.8 yards per game. It’s that defense that has helped LSU overcome an inconsistent offense at times this season as well as rebound from a loss at Auburn on Oct. 23. "They don’t give you anything," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. "They don’t try to gimmick-blitz you and do any of that stuff. They make you beat them. They’re very sound. You have to be able to line up and block them to run the ball, and you’ve got to work hard to get open and be accurate with your throws."

Auburn's Cam Newton is making powerful statements on the field

The best player in college football is being kept in seclusion these days, far removed from reporters, a safe distance from controversy and so far away from the public that CBS and its big-money contract with the SEC couldn't even wrangle an interview for an Iron Bowl pregame show this week.

Cam Newton, who has dominated the Southeastern Conference with huge offensive numbers, has been kept under wraps as Auburn and the star quarterback have worked toward Friday's game against Alabama.
Newton shrugged off his first round of dealing with hurtful stories when he led Auburn to a 49-31 win over Georgia on Nov. 13. If Newton was troubled by stories alleging wrongdoing in his recruitment to Mississippi State, he didn't show it. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns and accounted for 299 yards. "I really feel like he's improved each week," says offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. "He's done a good job running the offense and everything that goes with that. I'm very proud of the way he's played."

Do you feel it...It's Coming...the Iron Bowl...Auburn vs Alabama

Alabama-Auburn.

Nickname: The Iron Bowl.

Series record: Alabama 40, Auburn 33, 1 tie.

It is cliche to say this Southeastern Conference rivalry divides families— it’s also true. Alabama-Auburn is a 365-days-a-year topic in the state. How important is this game? Well, put it this way, if Alabama beats Auburn on Friday but somehow the Tigers still went on to win the national championship, there will be plenty of Tide fans convinced their team had the better season.

Vandy likely without season-long starter at QB for finale

In what could be his final game as Vanderbilt’s head coach, Robbie Caldwell could be without his starting quarterback for the first time this season. Starter Larry Smith is suffering from both an elbow and knee injury, although the latter injury is what will likely keep the junior off the field for the regular-season finale against Wake Forest. Jared Funk took most of the reps with the first-team offense Wednesday, and appears to be in line for the start. Funk, though, is dealing with his own injury issue; the senior tweaked his left knee after replacing Smith last weekend, but appears to be ready to go a week later. "I woke up Sunday and could barely walk. Two days later, I feel fine," Funk said Tuesday. "This past weekend was nice. I got a chance to get in and get comfortable rather than just three or four plays and I’m out. Hopefully I get another shot at it this weekend."

USC/Clemson milestones

Longtime Clemson football fans will never forget their team’s national title in 1981. University of South Carolina fans are still basking in this season’s victory over then-No. 1 ranked Alabama on the way to the football team’s first SEC East title. Still, both schools have enjoyed many other milestones, off the field.

Milestones: The events that made history

Provided by USC and Clemson media relations departments:

USC

1801: South Carolina College is chartered.

1874: T. McCants Stewart becomes the first African-American graduate of the University of South Carolina.

1894: South Carolina begins accepting women. Mattie Jean Adams becomes the first female graduate in 1898.

1987: Pope John Paul II visits the Horseshoe on the USC campus.

2001: The University of South Carolina celebrates its bicentennial.

CLEMSON

1889: Clemson Agricultural College is founded as an all-male military school on land given as a gift to the state by Thomas Green Clemson University

1893: Clemson College is formally opened with an enrollment of 446.

1955: Clemson begins accepting women and changes to a “civilian” school. Margaret Marie Snider is the first woman to receive a degree.

1963: Clemson is peacefully integrated, enrolling Harvey Gantt as its first African-American student.

1964: Clemson College becomes Clemson University.

by: Bertram Rantin

BCS will have to wait...Auburn coach Gene Chizik thinking about Alabama

Auburn coach Gene Chizik is two wins away from playing for the national championship, but he says he's not concerned about that right now.

He's thinking about playing Alabama on Friday, and, after that, he'll surely think about playing South Carolina in the SEC title game.

If Auburn wins both of those, the BCS will become the talk of the town. But two Top 25 teams stand in the away.

Still, the Tigers are 11-0, SEC West champions and are No. 2 in the BCS. Even Chizik acknowledged that's pretty good.

"At the beginning of the year, everybody would love to be in this position, and it's a great position to be in where you control your destiny. That's a good thing,'' Chizik said during the SEC teleconference Wednesday. "We don't really talk around this building in terms of the long term. We understand if we continue to win what's out there for us. We still try to live day by day in the way of thinking the next game is the most important game, to continue to focus and process that every day.

"That's worked for us."

Alabama working on plans to stop Auburn and Heisman Trophy hopeful Cam Newton

Alabama's video monitors are surely alive this week with clips of Heisman Trophy hopeful Cam Newton and his devastating moves that have left defenders distraught.
So how does the Crimson Tide plan to stop him?
"It' s a big challenge," Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus said. "We've got to try to contain Cam. We don't want to let him get out. He can get all of his yards on the secondary. He's a great player. You can't just stop him. You've got to contain him. We've got to keep him east and west. It's pretty hard to do, but we're going to try to do it and buckle down."
At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, catching Newton on the loose is like trying to hog-tie a charging bull.
The difference? Not only can he bowl over defenders, he can dance around them and break away for big gains.
"It's always going to be hard when you're tackling a guy that big who can actually run and move," Crimson Tide defensive back Mark Barron said.
Newton is ninth in the nation in rushing yards, averaging 117.9 per game, and he has been compared to former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.
That means it's important for Alabama to finish the initial hits it makes on Newton.
"I'm going to go in and use the same technique I've been using in the last (11) games," Alabama defensive back Robert Lester said. "By him being a big guy, I've got to give it everything I've got, whoever comes out on top comes out on top."
Just how tough is it to stop Newton? Highlights from Auburn's 24-17 win against LSU show Newton weaving through the LSU defense on a 49-yard touchdown run capped by dragging defensive back Patrick Peterson into the end zone.

"The only thing you can do is learn from other guys' mistakes," Lester said. "Our defense, we're shooting to the ball, and hopefully I have backup when I hit him."

UGA coach Mark Richt appreciates the efforts in learning Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense.

"They're probably not going to be too fired up today when they find out we’re going to put the full pads on them one more time and let them go full-speed," Richt said Wednesday morning on the SEC’s weekly teleconference. Wednesday was a physical day for Georgia’s team, which usually limits contact and practices in shoulder pads and helmets on Wednesday.

"I decided to put the pads on again today one more time and continue to try to defend that thing," Richt said.

Despite its own struggles they faced for a 6-5 record, Georgia Tech leads the nation in rushing offense, averaging barely more than 319 yards per game. Georgia's defense ranks 23rd nationally against the run, but the Bulldogs allowed 315 yards on the ground to Auburn in its most recent game.

Heading into Wednesday's practice, Georgia has gone with live blocking each of its past four practices, dating back to Tuesday of the bye week. The Bulldogs practiced with live tackling Monday and Tuesday. Richt said the Yellow Jackets were the "best cut-blocking team in America," referring to a legal maneuver where an offensive lineman goes low to try to upend a defender.

It appears defensive coordinator Todd Grantham may have had a say in the Bulldogs' physical practice plan this week.

"You can do drills for cut-blocking, but they've got to get out there and play," Grantham said. "They don't really like doing it right now that way, but that’s the way we do it, because that's what is going to happen on Saturday. You've got to learn to bring your feet with you, and you've got to learn to get away from the guy and accelerate down the line. We're going to do those things, and the best way to do it is live. So that's what we're doing right now."

Tide likely to be without starting guard for Iron Bowl

Heading into the week leading up to the Iron Bowl, Alabama was somewhat hopeful Barrett Jones would return to the starting lineup Friday. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Jones suffered an ankle injury in the Nov. 13 win over Mississippi State and was sidelined for the Georgia State game last week. The lineman, who had started every game at right guard until suffering the injury, was in a black no-contact jersey at practice again yesterday.
Nick Saban indicated how Jones is today will likely determine his availability for Friday’s rivalry game with Auburn.

"Barrett Jones is still struggling a little bit," the head coach said. “He hasn’t been able to practice much. He may try to do some things tomorrow and I think that would be the indicator of whether he would be able to participate in the game or not.”

Auburn's Chizik named finalist for Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award

Auburn head coach Gene Chizik has been named as one of eight finalists for the 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, the Football Writers Association of America in conjunction with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has announced. The winner will be revealed on Dec. 6 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Joining Chizik as finalists for the award are Wisconsin's Bret Bielema, Michigan State's Mark Dantonio, Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, Stanford's Jim Harbaugh, Oregon's Chip Kelly, TCU's Gary Patterson and Boise State's Chris Petersen. In his second season at Auburn, Chizik has guided Auburn to an 11-0 record and a No. 2 ranking in the national polls. The Tigers have already clinched a spot in the SEC Championship game where they will play South Carolina on Dec. 4. It marks just the third time Auburn has won its first 11 games in a season (2004, 1993). The Tigers have won 12 consecutive games dating back to last season's victory over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl, which is the fifth-longest winning streak in school history.

Chizik now owns a 19-5 record since taking over as head coach at Auburn prior to the 2009 season. It marks the second-most wins in his first 24 games as head coach at Auburn by any coach in school history.

Gators turn their attention to rivalry game with Florida State

The Gators have won six consecutive games in the series, their longest streak since winning six in a row over the Seminoles from 1981-86. In three of the last four meetings, Florida was ranked in the top five and the Seminoles not ranked at all. Since FSU last defeated Florida in 2003, the Gators have won more national championships (two) than the once-dominant Seminoles have won ACC titles (one).

But here’s perhaps the most difficult fact of all to comprehend: the Florida-FSU rivalry hasn’t been close since Urban Meyer took over the Gators in 2005. Meyer is not only 5-0 vs. FSU, but the Gators have won by an average of 24.8 points.

In Bobby Bowden’s final five games against Florida, the only time the Seminoles lost by less than 27 points was in 2006, a 21-14 Florida win on the way to Meyer’s first national title.

The Gators will try to make it seven in a row over FSU on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium as the rivalry takes on a different look. For the first time since 1975, Bowden won’t be on the Seminoles’ sideline when the schools meet. And for the first time since Meyer joined the rivalry, the Gators aren’t favored to win.

Murray pain-free and says he’ll play for UGA

Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray said Tuesday he’s “pretty much pain-free” and will definitely start against rival Georgia Tech. Murray sustained a bruised left knee and bruised sternum in a Nov. 13 loss to Auburn. He didn’t practice during an off week, but he returned to the field Monday and had no major problems.

After the latest workout, Murray proclaimed himself ready to go. "I knew I was going to play," he said. "I don’t care if I have a broken leg, I’m going to play in this game. I knew the pain wasn’t anything bad." Daily treatment and the extra time off has given Murray time to recover. "It’s progressing and getting better every day, so I knew that if we keep progressing daily I’ll be fine by the game," he said. "These past few days have been pretty much pain-free." Murray actually sustained the bruised sternum early in the Auburn game, but played through the discomfort. He was struck in the knee late in the game, and freshman Hutson Mason took the final few snaps.

Typical buzz going down for UGA- GaTech week

Annual bragging rights will, of course, be on the line Saturday night at Sanford Stadium during the 103rd rivalry meeting of Georgia vs Georgia Tech, but other than lower-tier bowl positioning, that’s about it after disappointing seasons for both sides. "Winning or losing the game is probably not going to make or break anybody’s season," Johnson said. "Nobody’s going to deem that their season with a success, win or lose, I wouldn’t think, not with the way we’ve played." The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs opened this season at 16th and 23rd, respectively, in the Associated Press’ Top 25 polls. Eleven games later, neither is receiving votes. Georgia (5-6) needs one more victory to assure its own bowl eligibility, while Georgia Tech (6-5) did so with a sloppy 30-20 victory over Duke this past weekend. The Jackets’ snapped a three-game losing streak with their first victory since quarterback Tevin Washington replaced Josh Nesbitt, who broke his arm Nov. 4. The Bulldogs were off this past weekend and some of their players made a scouting trip to Bobby Dodd Stadium.

UGA coach Mark Richt said the quest to avoid becoming the program’s first team since 1996 to miss a bowl game isn’t as important as this week’s opponent. "It helps motivate a team at this point," Richt said. "I don’t think we’ve had trouble trying to motivate our guys, but when you get to this point where we’re at with no chance for any kind of SEC championship game and that kind of thing, you’re always looking as a coach for things to motivate a team. When you play Georgia Tech, I won’t have to strain very hard at all."

Gator Bowl still a possibility for UK Wildcats

Most early bowl projections have Kentucky (6-5, 2-5 SEC) headed to either the Birmingham Bowl, the Liberty Bowl or back to the Music City Bowl for the fourth time in five years. But if UK can beat Tennessee for the first time since 1984, and assuming the SEC gets two teams into the BCS, the Wildcats would be at least on the radar to play on New Year’s Day at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. The Gator Bowl is in the first year of affiliation with the Southeastern Conference and pits the No. 6 SEC team against the No. 4 or No. 5 team from the Big Ten. The game kicks off at 1:30 and will be televised by ESPN2.

Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett said three teams are currently under heavy consideration: Florida, Mississippi State and Kentucky. All three teams wrap-up the regular season against arch-rivals, and Catlett said the selection could come to which of the three teams have the most momentum going into the game.

Academic suspension for Vols' Montori Hughes

A season that started with great expectations for Montori Hughes will end with him on the sideline. The sophomore defensive tackle, who's struggled with injuries and never really delivered on the preseason attention he received this year, will miss the regular-season finale against Kentucky on Saturday, due to an academic suspension. Vols coach Derek Dooley announced the decision on Monday during his weekly press conference, and no matter how Hughes has played to this point, his absence could be a significant issue for a team already short on depth in the middle of the defensive line as UT tries to earn a bowl bid against the Wildcats. "We suspended Montori Hughes for academic reasons, an academic suspension similar to what fullback Kevin Cooper went through early in the year," Dooley said. "He won't be playing in the game. "I do think it's big, because we're so thin and unproductive at defensive tackle. Anybody we lose there, it hurts the team - there's no question. But we have an academic accountability system that they understand and they know the consequences. I've told them, it's the same old line that everybody can do what they want. Everybody has freedom of choice, but nobody has freedom of consequence and at some point, you can't play."

Rebels’ leading receiver suspended for Egg Bowl

Head coach Houston Nutt announced Monday afternoon that wide receiver Melvin Harris has been suspended for the rivalry game between Mississippi State. The reason for the suspension is, of course, violating unspecified team rules. Harris currently leads the Rebels with 30 receptions, and is second in receiving yards (408) and touchdowns (3). Lionel Breaux, who has seven catches this season, is listed behind Harris on the Rebels’ depth chart. Harris has started four of the 11 games he’s played in this season.

BCS remains unchanged, but TCU, Boise waiting in the wings

The nation’s top three teams, Oregon, Auburn and TCU, had a bye. Boise State had another opportunity to demonstrate on national television why they deserve to be in the BCS championship discussion and the Broncos did just that by pounding a good Fresno State team 51-0.

The Broncos are also making a late-season surge. A win over No. 19 Nevada could propel Boise over TCU, who finishes the season against the hapless Lobos of New Mexico. As far as best wins go, Virginia Tech has now officially won the ACC Coastal, giving Boise State a clear edge in that department.

The chance for that change would come from Auburn. The Tigers have to go to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama on Friday. So, depending on if the Tigers would falter, the BCS standings would change and it would be up for grabs...did we hear, Play-off anyone? Although the SEC Rocks!

The Clash of the Titans...South Carolina Gamecocks vs Clemson Tigers

Entering rivalry week, reigning state champ South Carolina holds that distinction with an 8-3 record, division title and what Swinney calls the most “balanced offense” Clemson has faced this season. USC has freshman sensation Marcus Lattimore at running back and star Alshon Jeffery at receiver. Both players have gone over 1,000 yards from scrimmage with three games to play. Jeffery has 1,210 receiving yards this season, and his 6-foot-4 and 230-pound frame will give Clemson’s defensive backs trouble. Lattimore has 1,066 rushing yards (5.1 ypc.) and has scored 19 touchdowns. His balance, vision and power will test a Clemson defense that has improved against the run this season.

A win against the SEC East champs would alter perception, create momentum heading into the offseason and allow Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to salvage something from a season littered with more disappointments than successes.

"It’s always a huge, huge game," Swinney said."“Playing in a state championship game is all the focus you’ll ever need."

"It’s about trying to be the dominant team in the state."

Florida Gators walk-on defensive tackle Gary Beemer cherishes first touchdown

Gary Beemer had never scored a touchdown in his entire career. The Newsome High graduate began playing football in high school, but as an offensive and defensive lineman, he didn't have many scoring opportunities. Until Saturday afternoon.In a gesture meant to reward Beemer for his dedication as a walk-on, coach Urban Meyer allowed the defensive tackle to score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 48-10 win over Appalachian State. "Gary Beemer is one of my favorite players on our team," Meyer said. "He's a guy that's about as unselfish a guy as you can get. Our players love him because he goes every day. He's a walk-on. He's going to go on to a career in coaching. I grabbed him in the third quarter and said, 'If we get close enough, I'm going to hand you the ball.' It's just as respect for the kid." After running for 3 yards then no gain, Beemer scored on a 1-yard run with 3:18 remaining. He lost his helmet on the bottom of the pile but kept the game ball, which he gave to his brother and said will most likely end up on the family mantel.

"I grabbed the ball, I lowered my head, closed my eyes and ran, and when I opened them, I had scored a touchdown," Beemer said. "It was overwhelming. When you're a kid, you dream of something like this, and I'm a lineman. If I was a starter here, just scoring touchdowns as a defensive lineman is astronomical in itself. But for Meyer to just come up to me with seven minutes left and say, 'Would you like the ball on the goal line?' I'm still trying to process it and make it a reality."

LSU outlasts Ole Miss

"That was a classic SEC football game," LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson said. "It was fun. They scored. Then we scored. Then they scored, but this team doesn't quit. That's been our whole motto this season. just finish." LSU (10-1, 6-1 SEC) finished the scoring with 44 seconds to play on a 7-yard run by tailback Stevan Ridley, who led the Tigers with 89 yards on 18 carries and had three touchdown runs in all. "That's one team I didn't want to lose to," said Ridley, a Natchez, Miss., native who had been living painfully with back-to-back losses to the Rebels, including last season when time ran out on LSU at the Ole Miss 5 after a series of clock management meltdowns by LSU's sideline."We were in a shootout," Ridley said. "We're not used to being in those types of high-scoring games, but we had to go down there and score at the end. And we did it. It was huge for me to get that last touchdown. Words can't explain it."

Update...Vandy Commodores vs UT Vols game notes

· Today marked the 107th meeting between the two schools.
· Vanderbilt trails in the all-time series 28-73-5
· The last time Vanderbilt beat Tennessee in Nashville was November 27, 1982
· The Commodores have now lost five straight against the Volunteers
· The last coach to beat Tennessee during their debut season was Fred Pancoast, who led the Commodores to a 17-14 victory on November 29, 1975.
· Vanderbilt has not won consecutive games against Tennessee since they won six straight from 1920 to 1926.
· This is the fifth time in the series that both coaches are in their first seasons. Vanderbilt won in 22-0 in 1901 and 1904 while Tennessee won in 1953 and 1963.
· Vanderbilt did not have a penalty in the first half.
· Vanderbilt’s 17-play field-goal drive to close out the first half was the longest scoring drive of the the season. The previous high was a 13-play touchdown drive against Ole Miss on September 18.
· Vanderbilt had multiple interceptions for the first time since recording two against Ole Miss on September 18.
· Vanderbilt had a field goal blocked with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter, the first time an opponent has blocked a Commodore field goal since Kentucky on November 15, 2008.
· The Commodores have now had fewer penalties than their opponent four times.
· For the fourth time this season, six different players had a rushing attempt for the Commodores.
· Vanderbilt is now 0-6 on the year when the opponent scores first.
· When trailing heading into the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt is now 0-9.

Vandy drops a disappointing chance at a win with loss to Vols 24-10

Tauren Poole rushed for 99 yards and the game-clinching touchdown and Tennessee kept its slim bowl hopes alive under first-year coach Derek Dooley with a lackluster 20-10 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
Vanderbilt (2-9, 1-7 Southeastern Conference) threatened with a late touchdown, but Tennessee (5-6, 2-5) sent the Commodores to their sixth straight loss when Poole took advantage of a failed onside kick to rip off a 28-yard touchdown run with 1:11 remaining.
Tennessee won its third straight game for the first time since 2007 and must beat Kentucky next Saturday to clinch bowl eligibility.
Tyler Bray threw for 232 yards, but struggled for the first time since taking over as starter three weeks ago with two interceptions.
As expected in a game featuring the SEC East's two one-win teams, neither squad was particularly sharp.
Bray got off to a fast start, and early on, looked like the fabulous freshman who guided Tennessee to 102 points in wins over Memphis and Mississippi by throwing for 648 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
He completed nine of his first 10 passes and gave the Volunteers a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter with a a 15-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter in the first quarter and a 20-yard scoring pass to Denarius Moore.
He killed Tennessee's next two drives with interceptions, though, then had trouble connecting with his receivers the rest of the way, finishing 16 of 27.
Tennessee also lost a touchdown when defensive tackle Malik Jackson's late hit on Vanderbilt quarterback Larry Smith wiped out Gerald Williams' interception return for a score.
While the offense struggled to find consistency, the defense took advantage of several Vanderbilt miscues.
The Commodores missed out on points thanks to a missed field goal and a blocked field goal in the first three quarters, then lost a chance to tie the game late when a wide receiver stepped out of bounds before catching a touchdown pass and Jared Funk was intercepted at the goal line a few plays later.
Vanderbilt quarterbacks threw two interceptions and were 20 of 41, continuing a season-long trend of completing less than 50 percent of their passes. Starter Larry Smith was pulled late in the game for Funk after completing just 11 of 27 passes for 76 yards.

Arkansas linebacker Anthony Leon will be suspended for the first half vs LSU

Arkansas linebacker Anthony Leon will be suspended for the first half of the Razorbacks’ game next weekend against LSU after he was ejected Saturday night. Ejections carry an automatic suspension for the first half of the following game. The suspension is handled by the NCAA and is not subject to appeal. Leon was ejected when he appeared to throw a punch at Mississippi State receiver Chad Bumphis in the third quarter of the Razorbacks’ 38-31 win in double overtime. The senior has 52 tackles this season. Leon will be one of three defensive players serving suspensions in high-profile SEC games next week. Auburn defensive linemen Michael Goggans and Mike Blanc won’t play in the first half of the Tigers’ game with Alabama after both were ejected for throwing punches in their game last week against Georgia. Arkansas and LSU will kick-off at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The game will be televised by CBS.

No. 13 Arkansas tops No. 22 MSU 38-31 in double OT...update

Arkansas proved it can run the ball, but when the big play needed to be made on Saturday night, the Razorbacks went with old faithful. Standing with poise as Mississippi State’s blitz came hard and fast, Ryan Mallett lofted a perfect 7-yard touchdown pass to Knile Davis in double overtime and No. 13 Arkansas beat No. 22 Mississippi State 38-31 at Davis Wade Stadium. Mallett finished with 305 passing yards and three touchdowns, but early in the night, the Razorbacks seemed content to use the quarterback’s powerful arm almost exclusively for handoffs. He finally got going in the third quarter with an 89-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, the second-longest in school history. Wright was wide open in the middle of the field, but nearly tripped over his own feet before regaining his balance on his way to the end zone. Mallett completed 17 of 26 passes, making the big play almost every time the Razorbacks needed him. Arkansas (9-2, 5-2 SEC) won its fifth straight. "They’d been blitzing a whole bunch," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. "The middle was open a lot and we had just missed it. So it was a play-action and Jarius knew he was going to have it in the middle of the field. I’m just glad he kept his feet." On top of his game-winning touchdown reception, Davis rushed for a career-high 187 yards and two scores, leading the Razorbacks’ potent running game. The final catch was sweet redemption since his two fumbles earlier in the game nearly cost them the victory. "I don’t like to fumble," Davis said. "I take that very seriously. But at least we won. It felt good to come up big to help out the team." The Bulldogs had a chance to tie the game in the second overtime, but Chris Relf was hit hard as he tried to complete a fourth-down pass. Relf was 20 of 30 passing for 224 yards and rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown. The game featured loads of offense, with the two teams combining for 974 yards. Mississippi State (7-4, 3-4) ran 100 offensive plays, including 70 rushing attempts as its grind-it-out style nearly produced an upset win. Arkansas had multiple chances to put the game away, but struggled with turnovers and missed opportunities.

Vols transfer QB popped for DUI

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Tennessee quarterback Doak Raulston was arrested early Saturday morning on a charge of driving under the influence. No details of what led to the arrest were available, although Raulston has a court appearance scheduled for Monday morning. Raulston signed with Derek Dooley and Louisiana Tech in 2009, and redshirted his freshman season. Dooley left for the Tennessee job earlier this year, and Raulston followed his coach shortly thereafter, walking on to the Volunteers in August. Rivals.com gave Raulston a three-star rating coming out of All Saints Episcopal High School in Dallas.

Arkansas' Davis scores three TDs for Hogs in 2OT win 38-31

Sophomore Knile Davis became the 10th player in University of Arkansas history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, but tonight, it will be his first career touchdown reception that saved the day as the 13th-ranked Razorbacks won in double overtime over Mississippi State, 38-31. Davis rushed for 187 yards on 30 carries, but Ryan Mallett found him wide open from the backfield for six yards in the second overtime for the win. It was a game filled with drama as it looked twice that the Razorbacks had their ninth win of the year sewn up against the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs (7-4, 3-4). The Hogs shut down a potent Bulldog offense on its final drive of the game, and was killing time in the late fourth quarter. State was forced to use its final time outs. All the Razorbacks needed was a first down, but a fumble by Davis gave the ball back to MSU with just over a minute to play. State quarterback Chris Relf moved the Bulldogs up field, but was unable to get the score. Rushing before time expired, MSU got the kicking unit on the field for a 25-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. Arkansas won the toss and elected to play defense, a break that set the stage for another near miss. State running back Vick Ballard fumbled into the end zone for a touch back to end the first overtime for MSU. The Razorbacks were unable to end the game, however, as freshman kicker Zack Hocker missed, only his second of the season. The Razorbacks were on offense first to start the second OT, and Mallett opened up the offense quickly. On third down, he rolled right, then looked back left at Davis who had snuck out of the backfield against the flow of the play. Mallett tossed the easy pass to Davis for his first career touchdown reception. State was stopped on downs, with a definite final play of the game as Tenarius Wright sacked Relf to end the contest. For the night, Davis' three touchdowns led the Razorbacks. His rushing put him at 1,031 for the year, and becomes the 10th Razorback in school history to post a 1,000-yard season. Mallett threw for 305 yards in the game, going 17-of-26 with three touchdown passes and one interception. He had two drives of less than 40 seconds. D.J. Williams and Joe Adams had four catches each to lead the Razorbacks, with Jarius Wright topping the yardage with 105 for his two receptions.

Tennessee beats Vanderbilt 24-10

A predominantly UT crowd of 37,017 at Vandy watched the Vols (5-6, 2-5 SEC) get to within one win of bowl eligibility in Derek Dooley’s first season as coach. Coach Robbie Caldwell’s first season leading the Commodores (2-9, 1-7) has been filled with frustration as the team’s losing streak hit six overall and five in the series with their in-state rival. Tennessee has won 27 of the last 28 meetings. Vols tailback Tauren Poole sealed the win with a 28-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-2 with 1:22 left. Tennessee opted against a 45-yard field-goal attempt, and Poole’s slick cutback move made it the right call. The outcome was in doubt after Vanderbilt freshman receiver Jordan Matthews reeled in a 16-yard touchdown from backup quarterback Jared Funk, playing for an injured Smith in the fourth quarter. That shrank the Vols’ lead to 17-10, but the onside kick was unsuccessful with 2:33 to play. Bray, a freshman making his third start, threw for 232 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. His touchdowns capped a pair of 80-yard drives that built a 14-3 halftime lead that the Commodores couldn’t overcome. It wasn’t due to a lack of chances.

Vanderbilt reached Tennessee territory on 9 of 13 possessions, but it wasn’t until the eighth of those that it found the end zone. Trailing 14-3, the Commodores came up empty in a scoreless third quarter despite drives that made the Vols 8 and 28. Fowler missed a 25-yard field goal wide left, and four minutes later had a 45-yard try blocked by Tennessee defensive end Gerald Williams. After Daniel Lincoln’s 28-yard field goal extended the lead to 17-3 with 12:57 to play, Matthews had a would-be touchdown catch nullified for illegal touching after stepping out of bounds.

LSU survives battle...outscores Ole Miss, 43-36

Stevan Ridley scored three touchdowns, including a seven-yard run with 44 seconds left that gave LSU a 43-36 win over Ole Miss Saturday at Tiger Stadium. Jordan Jefferson completed 13 of 17 passes for 254 yards for LSU (10-1), the No. 5-ranked team in the BCS rankings. Ole Miss fell to 4-7. The Rebels rolled up 420 yards offense, led by quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, whose 22-yard touchdown run with 4:57 left gave Ole Miss a 36-35 lead. But LSU answered with a 51-yard drive on seven plays, all rushes. Michael Ford carried three times for 19 yards on the winning drive and Jefferson twice for 12 yards. Ridley, who rushed for 89 yards on 18 carries, carried the last three plays of the drive for 20 yards. Brandon Bolden of Baton Rouge rushed for 91 yards on 18 carries for Ole Miss, including a 50-yard touchdown in the first quarter. LSU finished withe 470 net yards offense, almost double the 251 the Tigers gained in last week's 51-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe.

The Gators defeated FCS No.2 Appalachian State, 48-10

Florida looked like a total scoring machine, although it came against an undersized FCS team. The Gators defeated FCS No.2 Appalachian State, 48-10. The Gators are now 7-4, with this victory in their final home game of the season.

The Gators played well in all phases of the game, but UF's success must be considered due to the fact, that Appy State is not an SEC team. The Mountaineers are a good team, but they do not have the depth or size to compete with a FBS team. While Florida can deploy five-star recruits in waves, Appy State has nothing close.

The Gators had 547 yards of offense, scoring on their first three drives. Aside from a Jordan Reed touchdown pass to John Brantley, Florida did not show anything that anyone has not seen before. The difference being, playing a team with players 30 pounds lighter and two steps slower. Brantley was 16/22 for 222 yards and an interception, plus his receiving touchdown. Reed threw for one score and had another three on the ground, rushing for 71 yards on 11 carries. Chris Rainey and Trey Burton also had touchdowns.

After the game, Urban Meyer was asked what he took take away from this game. He said he wasn't quite sure. That is the apparent problem; did UF win because they played well or because App. State was no match. We'll find out Saturday at FSU how good and serious this team really is.

No. 17 Gamecocks have huge first half in victory over Troy

South Carolina needed less than a half to put to rest any worries that it would follow it's latest big win with another unbelievable letdown.
Marcus Lattimore had three touchdowns and 102 yards rushing by halftime to lead the 17th-ranked Gamecocks to a 69-24 victory, its biggest point total under Steve Spurrier and the most it has scored in 15 years.
"We knew we had to come out and play and we did that," Lattimore said.
A month ago, the Gamecocks were the talk of college football after stunning then top-ranked Alabama 35-21. They were the sport's main topic a week later, too, when they blew a 28-10 halftime lead to lose at Kentucky.
Before Saturday's game many at Williams-Brice Stadium wondered, would the SEC East champions lay another egg against Troy?
"Yeah, that's what we talked about all week," Lattimore said. "Just show our fans we can play two games straight because we didn't do that last time."
There's likely little chance of letdowns ahead for South Carolina, who face bitter rival Clemson next Saturday and then No. 2 Auburn in the SEC title game on Dec. 4.
"I feel like our guys will be ready to give it their best shot. That's all we can ask of them," Spurrier said. "It's a lot more fun when there's a lot on the line."
The Gamecocks (8-3) clinched a spot in the title game with last week's 36-14 victory at Florida, the program's first win in Gainesville, Fla., in 13 tries.

Free SEC Football Online parley...Wisconsin, Ohio State and Ole Miss are your picks

3-Team NCAAF Parlay

All Games on Nov. 20th

Wisconsin vs. Michigan at 12:00 pm EST

Ohio State vs. Iowa at 3:30 pm EST.

Mississippi vs. LSU at 3:30 pm EST

Wisconsin Badgers -4 ½ vs. Michigan Wolverines - - The freaking Badgers scored 83 points against the Indiana Hoosiers last week. 83 points! Sure, Michigan has a decent offense with QB Denard Robinson running the show, but the Wolverines’ D is downright horrid. The Wolvies defenders give up an average of 32 points and 434 yards per game.

Wisconsin’s D gives up an average of 316 yards and 20 points per game. RB John Clay, who rushes for Wisconsin, also has to be giving Wolverine fans nightmare. This is an easy one in our minds. Wisconsin is definitely part of the parlay.

Ohio State Buckeyes -3 vs. Iowa Hawkeyes - - We are a bit iffy on this game. Yes, we know that Ohio State has the much better defense and we did write in another piece that the Hawkeyes’ D wouldn’t be able to stop Buckeyes’ QB Terelle Pryor and Ohio State’s wide receivers, but we are just a bit unsatisfied with the way that the Buckeyes played versus Penn State in the first half last week. Wait a moment…oh, yeah! Oops, forgot to re-watch the second half of that game where Ohio State outscored Penn State 35 to 0. Yeah, we think you are safe with the Buckeyes.

Ole Miss Rebels +16 vs. LSU Tigers - - No football parlay picks for Week 12 would be complete without knocking LSU, right? Sure, the Tigers have covered in 2 straight games but the first was an upset victory over Alabama 24 to 21 and the second was a 51 to 0 win over UL-Monroe as 33 ½ point dogs in the sportsbook. We are not sold on LSU being able to cover a 16-point spread versus Ole Miss on Nov. 20th. Mississippi isn’t a great or maybe even good team, but the Tigers have failed to cover in 5 out of 10 games this season and their minds will be on next week’s contest versus Arkansas. We think Ole Miss bounces back from that 14 to 52 loss to Tennessee last Saturday.

Nutt suspends 2 Rebels players

Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt has suspended true freshmen Tony Grimes, a defensive back, and Delvin Jones, a defensive lineman, for a violation of team rules. Nutt says the suspensions were indefinite. The Rebels have just two games remaining. Both players are members of the Rebels' 2010 signing class out of Florida. On Tuesday, Nutt made reference to needing to see "effort in the classroom" from the players. Grimes had played in nine of the Rebels' 10 games. He started at cornerback in the Rebels' Oct. 2 win over Kentucky. Grimes has recorded 15 tackles and two pass breakups. Jones, has played in just two games this year, recording one tackle.

No. 3 Broncos get spotlight hosting Fresno State, Auburn's off

Just what Fresno State coach Pat Hill wanted, yeah right, a short week of preparation for a road game after an emotional, one-point loss.

Not to mention the Bulldogs’ opponent: No. 3 Boise State.

After narrowing the gap on TCU for third in the BCS standings, the Broncos (9-0, 5-0 WAC) will try to extend the nation’s longest winning streak on Friday night when they host Fresno State (6-3, 4-2).

Oregon, Auburn and TCU—the trio ranked ahead of Boise State in the BCS standings—all have the weekend off, leaving the national stage and the opportunity to impress voters and computers to the Broncos. They get that chance against the Bulldogs, who are still stinging from last Saturday night’s 35-34 loss to No. 19 Nevada.

Gators not looking past Appalachian State

The words and emotional delivery of play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman remain as captivating today as they did then. “The kick is blocked. Appalachian State has stunned the college football world, one of the greatest upsets in sports history.’’

The upset was so stunning, Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore forgot to remove his headset immediately after the game. In YouTube clips that have been watched hundreds of thousands of times, Moore is nearly speechless when first approached by a Big Ten Network sideline reporter.

Moore finally gathered his thoughts as his team celebrated by forming a human mountain on the field in front of more than 100,000 shocked Michigan fans at “The Big House.’’

“This is just a crowning achievement,’’ Moore said. “We beat a good Michigan football team right here on this field. That is what is so remarkable about this.’’

The Gators intend to make sure a similar scene doesn’t unfold Saturday on Senior Day at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium when FCS power Appalachian State pays a visit. The Mountaineers’ 34-32 upset at No. 9-ranked Michigan in 2007 made national headlines.

“We’re all aware of it,’’ Florida safety Will Hill said.

“It was a crazy victory,’’ Gators senior offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert said. “It's 2010. It's a different year, different teams. I think we're going to come out and handle business because a lot guys, especially seniors, have a chip on their shoulders and are not going to let this be our last loss at the Swamp.’’ by Scott Carter

Ex-UGA QB Mettenberger reportedly favors LSU

Two months after being offered a scholarship by the school, it appears as though Zach Mettenberger might be leaning toward hooking up with LSU next season. Given the current state of the quarterback position in Baton Rouge, that would be a welcome signing of the former Georgia quarterback. Speaking to the Shreveport Times, Mettenberger’s father didn’t say that his son has made a decision but, based on his love of a History Channel series, he thinks he knows which school might have the edge at the moment.Bernie Mettenberger said Thursday. "From my conversations with Zach. He’s never been down there to LSU, but his favorite show is ‘Swamp People.’ And he’s got a real close relationship with Les Miles." Mettenberger is at LSU today and will be at the school through the weekend on an official visit. He’s also visited Texas A&M.

No. 11 Tide turns its attention to No. 2 Auburn after 63-7 victory over Georgia State

Alabama defeated Georgia State 63-7 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in a game that was moved to Thursday night to give the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide (9-2) two more days to prepare for a Nov. 26 showdown against second-ranked Auburn (11-0). Alabama warmed up for its archrival with the kind of performance you would expect in a mismatch that pitted the 2009 national champion against a football team finishing its first season under former Alabama coach Bill Curry. The Crimson Tide ran and passed up and down the field on its way to a 42-7 halftime lead. Alabama's defense forced five turnovers, including four interceptions that increased its nation-leading total to 21. One of those interceptions was returned 41 yards for a touchdown by freshman linebacker C.J. Mosley, his second TD of the season. Alabama also scored on special teams as Chavis Williams blocked a punt and Brandon Gibson returned it 22 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter. The Tide's starters on offense didn't even play a full half. Many walk-ons received playing time in the fourth quarter. Greg McElroy completed 12 of 13 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Julio Jones caught seven passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns and Mark Ingram ran 12 times for 86 yards and one touchdown. Running back Trent Richardon (knee) and right guard Barrett Jones (ankle) did not play. Backup running back Eddie Lacy ran 13 times for 81 yards and one touchdown. Demetrius Goode (1 yard) and freshman Jalston Fowler (36 yards) also ran for touchdowns. Backup tight end Chris Underwood caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback AJ McCarron. Alabama ran for 254 yards on 44 carries and Tide quarterbacks completed 19-of-22 passes for 217 yards. The Tide defense allowed Georgia State 161 yards of offense, 87 on the ground.

Vanderbilt, Tennessee coaches receive new look at rivalry

For Dooley, the prospect of four consecutive wins to get his Vols (4-6, 1-5 SEC) bowl eligible must look like Christmas morning after dropping six of seven. Vanderbilt (2-8, 1-6) and Kentucky stand in the way.

For Caldwell, there is the rare pride a Vanderbilt coach experiences with a victory over the Vols. It has happened just once in the last 27 years, and no coach has beaten UT in his first season since Fred Pancoast in 1975.

"I can't speak on the history and tradition of the rivalry … because I haven't lived it," Dooley said. "I do know that back when General Neyland got here, his main charge was to beat Vandy. So that says something about the rivalry right there."

It will be the fifth time in the series that both coaches are in their first seasons. UT won in 1953 and 1963. Vanderbilt won in 1901 and 1904. Dooley and Caldwell became leaders of their respective programs in different fashions. Caldwell was signaled in from the practice field he was busy lining when Bobby Johnson retired in July. He was given a promotion, a clean shirt and a press conference to attend in a matter of minutes. Dooley was summoned from Louisiana Tech to deliver stability at Tennessee. He got the job in January when Lane Kiffin left for the Southern Cal, forcing the Vols to turn to their third coach since 2008.Unlike Caldwell, Dooley was able to hire his own staff. But also unlike Caldwell he didn't have knowledge of personnel on his team.

Arkansas well versed in defending against the option

Arkansas will once again be asked to defend an option running attack when it travels to No. 21 Mississippi State this weekend. Led by quarterback Chris Relf and running back Vick Ballard, the Bulldogs are third-best in the SEC, averaging 211.7 rushing yards per game this season. "They’re a lot like Auburn and they run the ball well," Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. "They have a very physical offensive line, probably comparable to Auburn. The quarterback is a lot like the Texas A&M kid, Jerrod Johnson, real quick They don’t have the big bruiser like they had in the backfield last year but these kids run physical.They’re a good football team, they really are." The No. 13 Razorbacks have struggled against the run at times this year, allowing more than 150 rushing yards per game. Arkansas has faced several mobile quarterbacks similar to Relf. In addition to Johnson, the Razorbacks have had to defend the likes of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, among others. "There hasn’t been an offense that hasn’t given us an option look since the Georgia game," Robinson said, citing the Razorbacks’ third opponent of the year. "The biggest concern here is the fact they have three ways to go, the dive, the quarterback and the pitch. You have to have great discipline and know where your assignments are against these guys."