Georgia's season shaping up to be mirror image of 2007...but better

Aaron Murray, a sophomore, has emerged as one of the premier quarterbacks in the SEC. Isaiah Crowell, a true freshman, has made quite an impact as well. Like 2007, the combination of two emerging stars ignited what appeared to be an average team. Georgia appeared to be heading toward another disaster this fall after losing its first two games to Boise State and South Carolina. Combining an 0-2 start with miserable 8-5 and 6-7 campaigns in the two previous years, even the most supportive of Georgia fans started calling for the end of Richt's tenure in Athens. All of that talk has completely dissolved now. Again, just like in 2007, Georgia turned the corner with a surprising victory in Jacksonville against their heated rival, Florida. The Dawgs had completely lost the interest of the fans in 2007. A 16-12 loss to South Carolina in Athens (just like this year) and a 35-14 loss to Tennessee dropped Georgia out of the rankings.

A nail-biter in Nashville against Vanderbilt, despite a Georgia victory, gave fans reason to believe Florida would destroy the Dawgs in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Again, sound familiar? Georgia fans were shaking their heads two weekends ago when their two-loss Dawgs nearly gave away the game against the Commodores.

But, Saturday's victory over Florida has sparked a new attitude about Georgia's program.

The Bulldogs are in the midst of a six-game winning streak and are now tied with South Carolina on top of the SEC East division.

Arkansas receiver apologizes for nasty special teams hit

Arkansas receiver Marquel Wade was the sole nominee for biggest jerk of a Week 9 Saturday after he administered this special teams hit on Vanderbilt punt returner Jonathan Krause. Wade was ejected for the hit and celebrating afterward. Today, though, Wade formally apologized for hit, claiming he thought Krause had the ball (Krause had called for fair catch).

“I was wrong,” Wade said. ”I really want to apologize to any embarrassment to the fans. … I messed up. I take the rep for it, everything I did.

“I thought he had the ball… ( Yeah Right) I thought I just made a good play.”

It doesn’t look like Wade will face any additional punishment for the hit. Wade has eight catches for 62 yards on the season.

Wildcat's QB Smith comeback try... comes up short

Kentucky's true freshman quarterback fell short in a comeback bid on Saturday night. The Wildcats fell behind 21-6 by halftime and Smith's late-game rally wasn't enough. Kentucky (3-5, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) had a chance to pull within one possession late in the fourth quarter, but Smith was hit as he threw to La'Rod King on fourth-and-seven with 4:46 to go in the game, and the pass sailed high.
The incompletion ended an 18-play drive along with any chance UK had to complete the comeback. Smith didn't turn the ball over and led the offense to 10 points in the second half, but still failed to pull within one possession. Mississippi State (4-4, 1-4 SEC) kneeled the clock out on the next drive to cap a 28-16 win.
Smith finished 26-33 for 174 yards, and played well enough that Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips said he would open the starting quarterback job for competition between Smith and Newton this week. It may be a moot point. Newton could miss next week's game with an injured shoulder and a high ankle sprain.
"I knew I was going to have to come in at some point this season," Smith said. "That's just how backup quarterbacks prepare."
It was the best game of his career, and a far cry from his turnover-marred performances at South Carolina and Louisiana State earlier this year. Phillips and offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said they were proud of the way he played.
Mississippi State jumped out to an early lead thanks to three long drives. The Bulldogs alternated between sophomore Tyler Russell and senior Chris Relf at quarterback all night, keeping the Wildcats' defense off balance. Mississippi State scored touchdowns with ease on drives of 80, 65 and 80 yards in the first half. None of those drives took longer than 2:34.
"You could say we lost it in the first half," defensive coordinator Rick Minter said. "We didn't ever have enough points to catch back up."
Relf, who had been benched in favor of Russell earlier this season, finished 6-9 passing for 92 yards and a touchdown. He also had six carries for 19 yards and two touchdowns. Russell, who started the game, propelled the offense with his arm, finishing 9-12 for 172 yards and a touchdown.
They opened the game alternating drives, but by the end of the game were swapping in and out during series'.
"There would be time the defense would think Chris was in the game, which opened up the pass for me," Russell said.

LSU is No. 1 in the BCS Standings, and Alabama is No. 2.

Coming on the heels of two unbeatens going down to defeat in Week 8, Week 9 matched that effort as two more teams were on the receiving end of their first loss of the season — No. 6 Clemson 31-17 to unranked Georgia Tech and No. 10 Kansas State 58-17 to No. 11 Oklahoma.

So, with the string of upsets the past two weeks, No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama, which will lock horns next weekend, as well as No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 4 Stanford — barely — idle No. 5 Boise State and No. 18 Houston are the only undefeated teams with a month left in the regular season.

Derek Dooley may ditch QB sneak

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley might ditch the quarterback sneak for a while. UT quarterback Justin Worley got stuffed on a crucial sneak in the second quarter of Saturday night's 14-3 loss to South Carolina at Neyland Stadium. It was the second consecutive game the Vols couldn't convert a key fourth-and-1 on a sneak. Matt Simms was stopped for no gain in the same situation during the third quarter of the Vols' 37-6 loss at Alabama.

"We've been 100 percent on quarterback sneaks until the last two weeks, and can't get a sneak on fourth down, so it's tough right now," Dooley said.

Worley, who replaced Simms as the Vols' starter for the South Carolina game, lined the Vols up for fourth-and-1 at the South Carolina 44-yard line with the Gamecocks leading 7-3. Worley was stopped by Melvin Ingram and Kelcy Quarles for no gain with 4:48 left in the half.

"It's six inches, you know," Dooley said. "But they knock us back, and we can't dig it out, so we've got to not sneak it with Justin and Matt."

by D. Link

South Carolina beats Tennessee 14-3

Connor Shaw threw for one touchdown and ran for another as No. 14 South Carolina survived Tennessee with a 14-3 victory on Saturday night.

The Gamecocks (7-1, 5-1) remain in control of the Southeastern Conference’s East Division.

It was their first game without star Marcus Lattimore, who suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 15 against Mississippi State.

Brandon Wilds had 137 yards on 28 carries and was the centerpiece of a methodical drive that ate up much of the third-quarter. He ran 11 times for 51 yards on the 20-play drive, and Shaw finished it off with a 5-yard touchdown run on a draw that gave the Gamecocks a 14-3 lead with 47 seconds in the third quarter.

Shaw was 10 for 18 for 87 yards and an interception.

Tennessee (3-5, 0-5) couldn’t turn multiple South Carolina mistakes into points. Justin Worley finished 5 of 12 for 105 yards and two interceptions.

Mississippi State QB tandem beats Kentucky 28-16

Mississippi State quarterbacks Tyler Russell and Chris Relf combined for 264 yards and each passed for a touchdown, and Relf ran for two touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 28-16 win over Kentucky on Saturday night.

Russell earned his second start of the season, and the two alternated drives in the first quarter. As the game went on, Russell took most of the snaps and Relf was brought in for running situations.

The Bulldogs (4-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) committed three turnovers, two of which were fumbles that Kentucky recovered inside the Mississippi State 25-yard line. But the Wildcats were held to field goals on both drives.

Kentucky (3-5, 0-4) quarterback Morgan Newton suffered a right ankle sprain in the first quarter and did not return. Freshman Maxwell Smith replaced him and finished 26 of 33 for 174 yards.

Running back Vick Ballard had 87 yards for the Bulldogs.

Auburn runs over Ole Miss 41-23

Clint Moseley threw his first four career touchdown passes and Mike Dyer rushed for 177 yards to lift Auburn to a 41-23 win over Mississippi on Saturday night.

The Tigers (6-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to break a halftime deadlock and go up 31-17 in a matchup of the league’s two bottom-dwelling defenses.

The Rebels (2-6, 0-5) have now dropped 11 straight league games, adding to their longest string since joining the SEC in 1933.

Moseley completed 12 of 15 passes for 160 yards in his second career start after debuting in a blowout loss at No. 1 LSU last weekend. The Tigers had managed just 10 passing touchdowns in the first eight games.

They got a boost from the return of leading receiver Emory Blake, who missed the last three games with an ankle injury. He had five catches for 71 yards and a 25-yard touchdown

Arkansas rallies again, beats Vandy 31-28

Zach Hocker kicked a 42-yard field goal with 6:53 left, and Arkansas rallied from 14 points down to beat Vanderbilt 31-28 Saturday—the Razorbacks’ fourth straight win.

“You can’t get frustrated winning,” said Arkansas receiver Jarius Wright, who had 10 catches for 135 yards. “You can get frustrated by not starting out like you expect your team to do. We know how good we are. We expect to start faster. We expect to play way better than we played. We did get the win. You can never be mad getting the win.”

This was the third time this season the Razorbacks have trailed by double digits. They didn’t trail by 18 as they did against Texas A&M or 17 last week before beating Mississippi. This time, Vanderbilt led 21-7 with 1:39 left in the first half.

The Commodores (4-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) also had the ball at the Arkansas 5 in the fourth quarter leading 28-20 when Zac Stacy fumbled, and Jerry Franklin picked it up and ran it 94 yards for a touchdown. Tyler Wilson found Wright in the end zone for the tying 2-point conversion with 13:25 left.

“That was huge,” Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said of Franklin’s TD. “We had a lot of opportunities for a lot of turnovers, but that one was the biggest one. It was the one that swung the game for us.”

Vanderbilt missed a chance to force overtime when Carey Spear’s 27-yard field goal went wide right with 8 seconds left.

“We’re lucky they missed the kick,” Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette said. “I felt like our chances were good in overtime, but I’m glad we didn’t have to do that.

No. 22 Georgia gets rare win over Florida, 24-20

Richt may have saved his job with two gutsy, fourth-down calls that resulted in touchdowns, and No. 22 Georgia overcame several mistakes to beat Southeastern Conference rival Florida 24-20 Saturday. “I know it was just a ballgame, but it seemed like a lot more than that,” Richt said. “Just to see our players and fans celebrate, in this place especially, was awesome.” At the very least, Georgia kept pace with South Carolina in the Eastern Division. Maybe more important, Georgia picked up its fourth win in 22 tries against Florida. This one was huge for Richt, who had been under pressure since losing to Boise State and the Gamecocks to open the season.

The Bulldogs (6-2, 5-1 SEC) have now won six straight.

“I can say this now that it’s over, but this was more than just another game to win and to keep pace in the Eastern Division,” Richt said. “You could see it with our guys, but we didn’t want to try to make it any bigger than it needed to be.” Richt shook hands with Florida coach Will Muschamp, then headed straight for the end zone to start dancing with his players. They screamed, shouted, hooted and hollered.

They eventually made their way to the locker room, where Richt had everyone sing “Rocky Top.” the Bulldogs need Tennessee to beat South Carolina this Saturday to take the lead in the East.

SEC Football Online sportbook preview Arkansas vs Vandy

The Arkansas Razorbacks and the Vanderbilt Commodores will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at Vanderbilt Stadium.Oddsmakers currently have the Razorbacks listed as 9-point favorites versus the Commodores, while the game's total is sitting at 52.Arkansas was a 29-24 winner in their most recent outing on the road against Mississippi. They failed to cover the 16–point spread as favorites, while the total score (53) made winners of UNDER bettors.Vanderbilt was a 44-21 winner in their most recent outing at home against Army. They covered the 11.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (65) made winners of OVER bettors.Current streak:
Arkansas has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Arkansas: 6-1 SU, 4-3 ATS
Vanderbilt: 4-3 SU, 5-2 ATS
Arkansas most recently:
When playing in October are 7-3
When playing on grass are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When playing within the conference are 7-3

Vanderbilt most recently:
When playing in October are 2-8
When playing on grass are 4-6
After outgaining opponent are 1-9
When playing within the conference are 1-9

A few trends to consider:
Arkansas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arkansas's last 7 games on the road

SEC Football Online sportbook preview Gators vs Bulldogs

The Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at EverBank Field.Oddsmakers currently have the Bulldogs listed as 3-point favorites versus the Gators, while the game's total is sitting at 48½.Last time out for Florida, they were a 17-6 loser as they battled Auburn on the road. Florida failed to cover in the match as a 3-point favorite, while 23 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.Georgia won its last outing, a 33-28 result against Vanderbilt on October 15. Georgia failed to cover in that game as a 13.5-point favorite, while the 61 combined points took the game OVER the total.Current streak:
Florida has lost 3 straight games.
Georgia has won 5 straight games.
Team records:
Florida: 4-3 SU, 3-3-1 ATS
Georgia: 5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS
Florida most recently:
When playing in October are 4-6
When playing on grass are 6-4
After being outgained are 5-5
When playing within the conference are 4-6

Vols Dooley ready for a 'Repeat' of last season

Dooley has already been through the experience before and everything worked out fine for the Vols. But starting a true freshman at quarterback for the second season in a row is far from his ideal situation, even if he isn't afraid to make the move to Justin Worley and has shown no signs of second-guessing the decision to turn him loose against No. 14 South Carolina at Neyland Stadium tonight (TV: ESPN2, 7:15 p.m.).

"I'm not opposed to playing freshmen," Dooley said. "But at quarterback, you don't ever want to play a true freshman. There's no coach out there that says, 'I want to play a true freshman quarterback.'

"It's a venture into the unknown. Now, I say unknown, but I still expect Worley to go perform the way he performs in practice. And I'm not afraid of him not performing — you can't be."

That fearless approach worked perfectly when Tyler Bray was thrown into the mix last season, with the Vols (3-4, 0-4 SEC) winning all of his regular-season starts down the stretch to clinch a bowl bid and validate Dooley's decision to replace Matt Simms.

One year later, at nearly the same point in the schedule, a broken thumb for Bray and ineffective outings for Simms have put UT in a similar situation with the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year now in line to take over against the Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1).

It's tempting and perhaps easy to draw parallels between the two scenarios, even down to the jump each player got on their careers by enrolling early and going through spring practice. But almost as soon as Worley's redshirt was removed last week and his expanded role leading the offense was confirmed, Dooley began stressing the differences between this year and last.

And he's also made clear that having gone through it before, even with success, won't make it any easier on him.

Blake once again questionable for Auburn

The wide receiver suffered an ankle injury Oct. 1 and his missed all but a couple of snaps the past three games. Head coach Gene Chizik a decision on Blake’s availability won’t be made until shortly before kickoff tomorrow.

“He ran around there a little bit at practice this week. I’m not going to say he’s ready to go. We’ll make a game-time decision on him,” the coach said.

Despite missing most of the past three games, Blake still leads the Tigers in receiving yards with 333. He’s second in receptions with 19.

SEC working on 13- and 14-team schedules

Commissioner Mike Slive says the Southeastern Conference transition team that includes Texas A&M is working on scheduling for both a 13- and 14-school league just in case the SEC expands further. However, Slive wouldn’t say whether any 14-team scenario includes Missouri.

The commissioner said Thursday at the league’s basketball media day that with respect to SEC expansion, “I don’t have anything new to report at this time.” Missouri is widely expected to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC, giving the league a chance to have two seven-team divisions. The SEC and Texas A&M formed a transition team that has been working on a schedule for next season.

Missouri’s curators have unanimously given Chancellor Brady Deaton the authority to move the school out of the Big 12.

Hamstring tweak could sideline Gamecocks’ Ellington

Sophomore athlete Bruce Ellington has done it all for South Carolina this season by passing, rushing and catching the ball, but his services may be missed this weekend against Tennessee.

Josh Kendall at The State tweeted yesterday that Ellington had a hamstring pull and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. Ellington wore a non-contact jersey today in practice. However, Kendall noted later that Ellington’s mother said she planned on attending the game, so there may still be hope for Ellington’s playing chances yet.

Ellington, who also plays on the USC basketball team, has completed two passes this season, is fourth on the team in rushing and fifth in receptions. He has one touchdown. Obviously, for a team that’s now missing running back Marcus Lattimore for the rest of the season, losing any more playmakers like Ellington would be a tough blow

Georgia’s leading WR doubtful against Florida

The chances are diminishing that Georgia will have its leading receiver for the Florida game. Malcolm Mitchell is now doubtful because of his hamstring injury, according to head coach Mark Richt. Mitchell apparently aggravated his injury early in Monday's practice and hasn't practiced since. “He’s doubtful. I’m hopeful. That’s my quote on him,” Richt said. Richt was unsure if they would take Mitchell on the trip to Jacksonville. “We might, we might now,” Richt said. “I really don’t know. We have 69 spots decided on, there’s one to go. That’s part of the reason why.” Mitchell leads the team with 25 catches and 438 yards, despite missing the Vanderbilt game. The team’s second-leading receiver is tight end Orson Charles. But Richt is still optimistic that the team will be able to sustain a good passing game. “I think we’ll be able to throw the ball well," Richt said. "There were some games we didn’t have A.J. Green and we still threw it. We have guys that can run routes, we have guys that can catch the ball. ...

"The more that you have the better, and the more guys you have with Malcolm’s ability, the better. Rantavious Wooten has some talent too and we’ve been missing him. Marlon’s been in and out. I don’t think we’ve had a game where we just had all of them fresh and ready to go.”

Vols Jacques Smith still chasing some big plays

Realistic or not, serious or half-joking, Smith has set the bar high for himself — and he's going to keep it there as he prepares for No. 14 South Carolina on Saturday (TV: ESPN2, 7:15 p.m.) and another chance to make the kind of impact that has generally eluded him so far this season.

"Everybody sets higher standards than what everyone else's expectations are," Smith said. "Of course, I want to do better. Of course I want to make big plays.

"I mean, a sack on every down would satisfy me. But I haven't gotten to that point yet, and I have to continue to get better on the run and pass."

Obviously, the dream of getting to the quarterback on every snap is never going to be realized for Smith, but he's now gone seven games into his sophomore season, without even one full sack to his credit. Last week against Alabama he didn't make a tackle, the second outing this year where he left that column blank on the stats sheet.

"The biggest thing is learning to execute within the framework of the defense," defensive line coach Lance Thompson said. "If you're supposed to be in the C-gap, be in the C-gap. If you make the tackle, great. If you don't make the tackle, that's fine — as long as you're in your gap and somebody's got it. What's frustrating with Jacques is he tries to make plays and see things sometimes where, hey, it will come to you. Just be in your gap, do your job, play your responsibility.

Gators lose a pair to transfer

In a release, UF confirmed that tight end Gerald Christian and wide receiver Robert Clark have asked for and been granted a release from their scholarships. Both players were recruited by former head coach Urban Meyer and his coaching staff.

As noted by Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post, Christian and Clark are the eighth and ninth players to leave the program since Will Muschamp took over for Meyer in January.

“Both of these players have expressed a desire for more playing time and felt that it would be in their best interests to transfer,” Muschamp said in a statement.. “We wish them both the best of luck and appreciate their contributions to the program.”

Christian was a four-star member of the Gators’ 2010 recruiting class, and the No. 2 TE in the country. This season he had four receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown, but did not see the field near enough to his liking and will attempt to find another situation that will afford more substantial playing time.

“I’m looking for an opportunity to play more,” said Christian. “I have no bad feelings about Florida or the coaching staff, I just want to get a fresh start and see the field more.”

Clark, on the hand, had no catches this season after hauling in seven for 69 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman last season.

“I’ve enjoyed being a part of the Gator program but at the same time I’m excited about future opportunities to play more,” Clark said. “I will have nothing but good memories from my time in Gainesville.”

Tide’s depth takes an injury hit

In a release, the Tide confirmed that freshman offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Head coach Nick Saban said Kouandjio will require surgery to repair the damage.

Additionally, senior linebacker Alex Watkins will likely be out for 2-3 weeks with a broken arm. Both players suffered their injuries during Saturday’s win over Tennessee.

“Even though those two guys aren’t starters, they’re guys that have made a lot of contribution, especially to the depth of our team,” Saban said in a statement.

Kouandjio played in seven of eight games as a reserve at offensive tackle. Watkins has seen playing time in every game to this point and has 13 total tackles with one sack and a forced fumble. He’s also a contributor on special teams.

2011 Butkus Award semifinalists announced

“This Award is about honoring linebackers at all levels, and reminding them that they have a responsibility to serve as role models and to give back to society,” said Dick Butkus, the legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker.

The Butkus Award is selected by a 51-person panel comprised of scouts, coaches and journalists. Selectors follow all rules of their leagues, including limitations on contact with players. Individual votes remain completely confidential. The panel is coordinated by Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly.

Collegiate 2011 Butkus Award Semi-Finalists:
Zach Brown, North Carolina
Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State
Audie Cole, North Carolina State
Lavonte David,Nebraska
Dont’a Hightower*, Alabama
Luke Kuechly, Boston College
Travis Lewis*, Oklahoma
Keenan Robinson*, Texas
Sean Spence*, Miami (Fla.)
Manti Te’o*, Notre Dame
Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
Jarvis Jones, Georgia

If Brantley can’t go for Gators, Brissett will be up

Word from Florida’s coaching staff has indicated that quarterback John Brantley will likely be healthy enough to play this weekend against Georgia after missing the last two games with a lower leg injury he suffered against Alabama.

But, in the event that Brantley can’t go — that, or he gets hurt during the game — it looks like the Gators are going to stick with freshman Jacoby Brissett as the No. 2 guy. Brissett has started the past two games against LSU and Auburn for Florida because fellow freshman Jeff Driskel has been hampered with his own ankle injury.

Speaking after practice Tuesday, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said the decision to go with Brissett as the backup was based more on what he’s seen from Brissett, rather than the health issues of Driskel.

“Based off of their performance in the games and practice, Jacoby’s slightly ahead,” Weis said. “That’s why he would go in next.”

Gators may get Brantley back for Georgia

Florida quarterback John Brantley looks like has a much better chance to play this Saturday against Georgia. Head coach Will Muschamp said Monday that the senior wasn’t practicing last week, but will participate in drills this week in a limited role.

“I think again, as of today on Monday he’s probable for the game,” Muschamp said. ”We expect his reps to increase as the week goes.”

“I fully expect him to continue to progress through the week unless we hit something we can’t predict.”

Assuming Brantley is a go, the backup job between Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett should be announced later in the week. Brissett started both games against LSU and Auburn with Brantley out. Brantley originally suffered a lower leg injury against Alabama. The injury did not require surgery.

True frosh to get nod at QB for Vols

At his press conference Monday morning, head coach Derek Dooley announced that Justin Worley will start under center for the Vols against South Carolina. Worley will replace Matt Simms, who was benched last season in favor of Tyler Bray.

Worley replaced an ineffective Simms in the loss to Alabama this past weekend, but didn’t attempt a pass. In Simms’ two starts, he’s thrown for just 186 yards and led the offense to a meager 13 total points. In fairness to Simms, those two starts came against LSU and Alabama, but Dooley felt he needed to make the change.

“We’re not throwing and catching the way we need to and we’re not calling the game the way we want to,” Dooley said. “We just need to make this move.

“It’s not something that’s done on a whim. We have a lot of data to make a switch. We don’t have a lot of data on Justin.”

Worley will represent the Vols’ third starter at QB this season.

Suspended LSU trio to reportedly be reinstated Tuesday

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.com reports that cornerbacks Tyrann Mathieu and Tharold Simons and running back Spencer Ware will be reinstated Tuesday. The trio had reportedly been suspended for failing a drug test, although the school has yet to confirm the reason they did not play against the Tigers.

Interestingly, LSU’s chancellor intimated earlier today that a reinstatement was not imminent.

“The athletic director will ultimately make the decision, (and) he’ll consult with me,” Michael Martin told USA Today . “Fortunately for them and the team, they have two weeks to get their act together because we have a bye week. They have been directed to some counseling, and they will now be subject to greater scrutiny for the remainder of their time at LSU.”

LSU-’Bama moving to primetime

The SEC announced Sunday afternoon that the latest Game of the Week/Year/Millennium will kickoff at 8 p.m. ET on CBS from Tuscaloosa. The game had originally been scheduled for a 3:30 start time.

It’s unclear what if any concessions CBS had to make to ESPN in order to get the game moved.

Regardless of when the game would’ve played, it will mark the first time in SEC history that two conference schools ranked 1-2 will meet in the regular season.

No. 2 Alabama rolls to 37-6 win over Vols, 37-6

AJ McCarron passed for 284 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to lead No. 2 Alabama to a second-half surge and a 37-6 rout of Tennessee Saturday night.

The Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) scored on its first five possessions after halftime to turn a tie game with the rival Volunteers (3-4, 0-4) into a blowout. That set up a two-week bonanza of hype ahead of Alabama’s showdown with No. 1 LSU, which routed Auburn 45-19 in a game that ended shortly before this one kicked off.

Now, both SEC powers head into an open date. The “LSU” chants began with a couple of minutes left with most of the fans staying until the end.

Alabama had either first downs or touchdowns on its first 10 plays of the second half to bust open a 6-6 game.

The Tide outgained the Vols 280-41 in the second half and didn’t allow a first down.

Rodgers leads Vanderbilt to 44-21 win over Army

Zac Stacy set career highs with 198 yards rushing and three touchdowns, quarterback Jordan Rodgers made the most of his first career start, and Vanderbilt beat Army 44-21 on Saturday night.

The Commodores (4-3) snapped a three-game slide, but more importantly appeared to right an offense that was faltering after a fast start. Stacy's rushing total was the third most in a single game for Vanderbilt and the first three-touchdown game for the team since 2007.

Rodgers, younger brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, rushed for 96 yards and a score and passed for 186 yards and another TD. He had two passes of more than 40 yards and kept the Black Knights (2-5) off balance.

No. 1 LSU crushes No. 19 Auburn 45-10

Randle caught scoring passes of 42 yards from Jordan Jefferson and 46 yards from Jarrett Lee, and No. 1 LSU once again overcame off-the-field distractions in style with a 45-10 victory over 19th-ranked Auburn on Saturday. “It just seems like no matter who goes down or who’s out, we have guys who are ready to step in … and not just to fill a spot but to go in and dominate,” said LSU center T-Bob Hebe
LSU was without star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, leading rusher Spencer Ware and defensive back Tharold Simon—all suspended one game for violating the team’s drug policy. They watched the game on TV, teammates said, after being told to stay away from Tiger Stadium.

“I almost feel like everybody else makes a bigger deal about it than we do,” Hebert said of the periodic lineup upheaval, and the public scrutiny of the misbehavior that has caused it.

“It’s not distracting to us. This team is so good about staying focused, one-track mind, not letting anything on the outside get to them because we don’t want to have any regrets.”

Off next week, LSU (8-0, 5-0 SEC) will be unbeaten entering what is bound to be a highly hyped showdown at No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 5. The Crimson Tide were playing at home Saturday night against struggling Tennessee. Lee was 14 of 20 for 165 yards and two touchdowns, the second a 10-yarder to Shepard. Jefferson completed two of three passes for 54 yards.

“I feel really comfortable with the rhythm that I have with both quarterbacks,” Randle said. “That was shown in both touchdown passes today.” With Michael Ford leading the way (12 rushes, 82 yards), LSU gained 174 yards on the ground.

Even without two key defensive backs, LSU held Auburn first-time starter Clint Moseley to 145 yards passing, sacked him six times and intercepted him once.

“It’s really difficult to really assess how he did,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said of Moseley. “That was an anemic job of protecting the quarterback. We have a lot of work to do and a lot of research to do to figure out how to stop the bleeding in that regard.”

Arkansas beats Mississippi, 29-24

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino came to the postgame news conference sporting a rare grin. His Razorbacks had just taken a huge haymaker from underdog Mississippi but survived to laugh about it. “I’m on about the 10th deep breath I’ve taken,” Petrino said.

The No. 10 Razorbacks fought back from an early 17-point deficit to beat Mississippi 29-24 on Saturday afternoon at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, needing Eric Bennett’s late interception to stop the final Ole Miss drive and seal the victory. Tyler Wilson threw for 232 yards and rushed for two short touchdowns as Arkansas (6-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) continues its best start in four years under Petrino, staying in the mix in the loaded Western Division that includes LSU and Alabama. Dennis Johnson rushed for 160 yards on 15 carries, including a 52-yard touchdown. Joe Adams caught four passes for 124 yards.

Ole Miss (2-5, 0-4) took a surprising 17-0 lead with 6:20 remaining in the second quarter after Randall Mackey’s 3-yard touchdown run, but the Razorbacks responded with 29 unanswered points. The Rebels have now set a program record for SEC futility, losing 10 straight league games dating back to last season. Ole Miss has been in the SEC since 1933. The 11:21 a.m. kickoff had the Razorbacks looking a little groggy, but the afternoon brought much better things.

“Certainly we didn’t want to start that way, but we kept competing,” Petrino said. “We found a way to win and I’m happy with how we responded.”

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt fell to 2-2 against the program he coached for 10 seasons before coming to Oxford. Nutt said he was proud of how his players fought, but the Razorbacks’ 19-0 edge in the third quarter proved too much to overcome. “I’d like to have that third quarter back,” Nutt said. “There were two series on offense and two series on defense where we just didn’t do anything.”

The Razorbacks’ league-leading passing offense was never at its best, but Wilson was effective when it mattered. He completed 13 of 28 passes and didn’t throw an interception. Arkansas had 310 total yards in the second half.

Kentucky beats Jacksonville State 38-14

CoShik Williams ran for a career-high 148 yards and Kentucky snapped a four-game losing streak with a 38-14 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday. With injuries in the backfield, Williams took up the slack as the primary ball carrier after sophomore Raymond Sanders left in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Williams, a junior, finished with 22 carries. Williams’ previous career best was 95 yards rushing—set against Charleston Southern last season. The Wildcats were able to break out after a bye week, earning a season-best 445 yards of total offense and 340 yards of total offense despite missing their two primary tailbacks. Kentucky (3-4) struggled to move the ball in the first quarter with its first three possessions ended with two punts and a lost fumble. The Wildcats entered this game ranked 118th out of 120 FBS teams in total offense, earning just 229 yards per game this season. Their first three possessions carried held true to that reputation, ending with only one first down, two punts and a lost fumble. But with 3:33 left in the first, safety Martavius Neloms sacked Jacksonville State quarterback Coty Blanchard, forced a fumble and ran it back 40 yards for the game’s first score. The offense began clicking in the second quarter for the Wildcats, and they finished with 253 yards of total offense at halftime. They had gained a total of 251 yards in their previous two games combined

Washaun Ealey rushed for 120 yards for the Gamecocks (5-2). He ran for 157 yards and five touchdowns against the Wildcats last year for Georgia before transferring to Jacksonville State in the spring.

SEC Football Online free Sportbook Pick...LSU vs Auburn

In the battle of the Tigers, what hope does Auburn (5-2, 3-1 SEC) have against the top-ranked LSU (7-0, 4-0 SEC) really? None? Some? If football betting market reactions and popular opinion are anything to go by, the former is probably true.

The LSU Tigers are rolling this season, undefeated in seven games by a considerable average margin of over 26 points. The defense hasn’t been lazy either, stacking impressive numbers including holding opponents to just 7.8 points per game. No surprise then that they are the heavy faves to win and that most bettors expect them to win.

Bearing in mind that this is effectively a clash between the top-ranked team and the reigning national champions, you’d think Auburn would be given a bit more consideration. Two things have hurt them this season: their inconsistent form and the fact that Cam Newton is no longer there to lead them to glory.

SEC Football Online Pick: This game is LSU’s to win, hands down. However, we don’t believe Auburn will go down without a fight. Therefore, we expect LSU to be forced to work hard to win a surprisingly tight game.

Pick: LSU Straight Up, Auburn to Cover

SEC Football Online free Sportbook Pick...Vols vs Crimson Tide

Tennessee (3-3, 0-3 SEC) is getting no favors from the schedule as it heads towards yet another tough task in No.2 overall Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC).
Last week, the Tennessee Volunteers were trounced 38-7 by the No.1 ranked LSU Tigers and much of the same is expected here. Indeed, this is Alabama’s game to win and most likely they’ll win with little effort, conveniently before the looming clash against LSU the coming week.
Alabama is coming off another impressive performance, a 52-7 routing of Ole Miss last weekend. The Crimson Tide wasn’t tested at all as it easily held the Rebels to 141 yards of total offense and just nine first downs. Heisman hopeful Trent Richardson carved 183 yards and four touchdowns, improving his seasonal total to an insane 15 touchdowns, against the Rebels.

SEC Football Online Pick: With such a lopsided victory expected the betting value is not in the outright win markets, it’s an almost foregone conclusion but in the periphery markets, i.e. the totals and spreads. Alabama is playing some inspired football this season, giving up an average of 7 points per game. They are 6-1 ATS this season and 3-1 at home ATS. They’re not going to risk much in this one with LSU looming the next week but even at 50% effort it shouldn’t be difficult to put down 50 points against the Volunteers while being stingy at the same time.

Pick: Alabama to Cover

Arkansas' Kody Walker out indefinitely with stress fracture

The health of Arkansas running back Kody Walker has been in doubt for several weeks already as the freshman has been dealing with an ankle injury, but now it’s his future this season that appears far more in doubt.

Walker had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his shin and will coach Bobby Petrino said the injury ”will take a while… to heal.”

Petrino would not specify how many games Walker could miss.

Through the first half of the season, Walker is the team’s fifth-leading rusher with 20 carries for 68 yards and 5 touchdowns

Suspended LSU trio might be back for ‘Bama

The Daily Reveille broke the news that starting cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and leading rusher Spencer Ware would be suspended for the upcoming Auburn game for failing a drug test, while the Associated Press later reported that top nickel corner Tharold Simon would be suspended as well. The school’s student paper added that the suspensions could be for multiple games, putting in doubt the availability of two starters and a top reserve for the Alabama game in two weeks.

ESPN.com‘s Mark Schlabach is reporting that while the players have been suspended indefinitely by head coach Les Miles, there is a chance they could return for the game in Tuscaloosa. That return would be based on the players meeting several requirements, although we’d assume “importance in keeping the Tigers on track for an SEC title and a shot at the national championship” would be high, so to speak, on the list of said requirements.

“There are some requirements in place which the players have to complete before they’ll be allowed back on the team,” a source familiar with the situation told Schlabach. What those specific requirements would consist of is unclear.

As has been reported by other media outlets, Schlabach writes that the players are facing sanctions for having tested positive for synthetic marijuana, which is one of multiple recreational and prescription drugs for which the university tests.

That weed substitute, more commonly referred to as K2 and which was developed at Clemson University, is described by one “pharmacologist” as “an herbal substance sold as an incense or smoking material that remains legal in the United States. The products contain one or more synthetic compounds that behave similarly to the primary psychoactive constituent of marijuana… THC.”

Bad snaps force Tennessee Vols to swap two offensive linemen

The ball has been back in Simms’ hands for a game after an injury moved him into the starting lineup again. Now some shaky snaps have forced another change. It appears Bullard, from Brentwood Academy, will be the new guy in charge of delivering them for the Vols as they prepare for another stiff test from No. 2 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday (TV: ESPN2, 6:15 p.m.).

“Well, you know, we work a lot of guys, like we always do,” UT Coach Derek Dooley said after practice. “Just trying to find the right pieces, and I don’t think it’s any secret that James (Stone) has been inconsistent on the shotgun snaps. And we can’t not get in the shotgun, so we’ll look at them a little bit and see if that (works), and James has played some guard before.

“It’s not something you want to do, but it’s also something that when you have a pattern, you have to not be afraid to take some action.”

by Austin Ward

CBS Sports will stream LSU vs Auburn and more

CBS Sports' coverage of SEC College Football continues on Saturday, Oct. 22 (3:30 PM, ET) with national coverage of No. 1 LSU hosting No. 19 Auburn.

CBSSports.com will provide live streaming coverage of the Auburn at LSU game, as well as the entire 2011 SEC ON CBS football schedule. The games are available exclusively on CBSSports.com, CBS Sports Mobile and can also be accessed through a link on the websites of all CBS affiliates.

All games can be viewed at: www.CBSSports.com/SECLive

Following Saturday's game, SEC football fans can go to CBSSports.com for the "5th Quarter with Gary Danielson," an interactive show produced live from the SEC ON CBS CRUISER, an all-access mobile media vehicle fully outfitted with the latest technology. The "5th Quarter with Gary Danielson" will provide fans an opportunity to chat with Danielson and discuss all the day's SEC storylines and college football news.

The "5th Quarter with Gary Danielson" can be viewed by visiting: www.cbssports.com/gary Fans can also follow Danielson via Twitter: @DanielsonCBS.

Vanderbilt, Georgia players suspended for a half

One Vanderbilt player and two Georgia players were suspended for a half of their next games by the Southeastern Conference on Wednesday for their parts in scuffles, and there may be further action take on members of the coaching staffs. Vanderbilt center Logan Stewart and Georgia nose tackle Kwame Geathers were suspended for their incident, in which Stewart dived in the back of Geathers' legs and Geathers threw a punch in retaliation. Georgia safety Shawn Williams also will have to sit for a half have being pnalized several times for personal fouls. Vanderbilt plays Army next, while Georgia has a bye this week and faces Florida next week. The absence of Williams and Geathers for one half may hurt the Bulldogs in that game.

The SEC is taking a look at a confrontation between the two coaching staffs and events that led up to it.

LSU’s Mathieu, Ware reportedly suspended for failed drug test

Randy Rosetta of TigersSportsDigest.com and the Daily Reveille are reporting that cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and running back Spencer Ware could/will be facing suspensions for Saturday’s game against the Tigers. The Daily Reveille, the school’s student newspaper, reports that the suspensions would be for failed drug tests. Rosetta tweets that as many as three LSU starters could be suspended for the game; the identity of the third player was not identified by Rosetta, but the Associated Press is reporting that it is cornerback Tharold Simon. Simon is listed as the backup to Mathieu on the latest LSU depth chart.

While the one-game suspension is bad enough, the situation could get a lot worse for the Tigers as the student paper writes that the one-game suspensions could turn into multi-game suspensions. Such a development could place the players’ availability for the huge showdown with Alabama Nov. 5 in jeopardy.

Vols’ Bray undergoes successful surgery

Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray had a metal plate inserted in his hand today to help his broken thumb heal properly. The procedure was anticipated and does not affect the six-week recovery period that was originally presented shortly after Bray suffered the injury earlier this month against Georgia, coach Derek Dooley said.

"They have to let the swelling go down and the plate is in only so the bone doesn't grow, so it doesn't heal crooked," Dooley said at his weekly press conference. "The plate's only to help the healing. The scar tissue heals but it can move. If it moves and then it heals, then you've got a crooked thumb. We certainly don't want that with our quarterback."

Former UT wide receiver Gerald Jones underwent a similar procedure last season.

With Bray out until mid-November, senior Matt Simms remains the Vols' starter and freshman Justin Worley is the No. 2 option. When asked if Worley would only enter in an emergency, injury-related situation, Dooley said it was too early to speculate.

"Matt's our quarterback," Dooley said. "He's played one game, so I just think it's a little premature right now."

Ole Miss dismisses WR Melvin Harris

Ole Miss junior receiver Melvin Harris was dismissed from the football team, coach Houston Nutt announced prior to his weekly press conference earlier today.

“Melvin Harris, I’m going to have to dismiss from our team. We have really tried to help him for three years and I don’t want to get all the way involved in everything or the scenario of this thing, but he will continue to go to school and hopefully get his life in order,” Nutt said. “He’ll probably transfer to a 1-AA school and finish it out. It’s just sad but I know this: We did everything we could to try to help him. I know that.”

Auburn's Chizik to go with Moseley at QB

Clint Moseley will replace Barrett Trotter as Auburn's starting quarterback at No. 1 LSU on Saturday.

Coach Gene Chizik announced the change in his Tuesday press conference.

It'll be Moseley's first career start and completes a rapid rise up the depth chart in a week. Moseley was summoned off the bench to start the second half of Saturday's 17-6 win over Florida after playing sparingly and throwing two passes in the first six games.

Moseley was 4-of-7 for 90 yards against Florida. Trotter was 2-of-8 for 33 yards and a touchdown.

For the season, Trotter is 81-of-149 for 1,009 yards and 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. Moseley is 6-for-9 for 120 yards.

Florida's Muschamp apologizes for sideline language against Auburn

Muschamp was overheard during ESPN's telecast of the Florida-Auburn game cursing while talking to officials, particularly during what appeared on replay to be defensive holding against RB Chris Rainey but was not called, and on Rainey's muffed punt in which Muschamp thought there was interference.

"I do want to apologize for my language on the sidelines the other night,'' Muschamp said. "That's not something that's going to be tolerated here at the University of Florida, first of all, by me and our program. That's certainly not representative of what this program and this university is about.''

Muschamp is well known for his fiery demeanor on the sidelines during his days as an assistant, most notably as defensive coordinator at Texas. He's said on many occasions he won't change who he is just because he's a head coach. And he reiterated that again on Tuesday.

"Just the language,'' Muschamp said when asked if he was apologizing for his behavior and his language. "It's hard when you've got a 6-year-old and a 10-year-old at home and you've got to go home and explain to them what you said. So that's not good and that's not how we're going to run our program. That's it. Again, as far as the sideline stuff's concerned, we're going to be who we are. I'm just apologizing for the language, nothing else."

Ole Miss loses a pair of defenders for the season

Ole Miss HC Nutt, announced that defensive end Wayne Dorsey and cornerback Marcus Temple are lost for the year due to injuries. Both players are starters. Dorsey (pictured) sustained a broken right arm and Temple a fractured right ankle in the loss.

“Those were some key players that we just lost, so somebody has to step up and fill their positions,” Ole Miss linebacker Mike Marry said after the game. “They were big playmakers and also big leaders on and off the field.”

Indeed, losing Dorsey and Temple qualifies as major loses. Dorsey had three sacks, five tackles for loss and an interception; Temple had a pair of interceptions of his own.

SEC looking into Franklin-Grantham postgame confrontation

Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham were involved in an “incident” following UGA’s win Saturday.

Based on Mark Richt‘s words Sunday, there seems to be no punishment in the offing for Grantham from the school. Whether the SEC decides to take action against the two men is another matter entirely.

UGA athletic director Greg McGarity told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday that the SEC is currently in the process of reviewing the incident. Both schools are expected to submit a written report to the conference, at which point the league will decide what if any action should be taken.

Gamecocks lose Lattimore for rest of year

Shortly after Marcus Lattimore was injured in the fourth quarter of South Carolina’s win over Mississippi State, the official and very preliminary diagnosis was that the running back had suffered a sprained knee. In his postgame press conference, head coach Steve Spurrier hinted that the injury could be much more than a sprain.

Unfortunately, Spurrier was correct as the Ol’ Ball Coach announced Sunday that Lattimore suffered torn ligaments in the knee and will miss the remainder of the 2011 season. Surgery will be performed at some point in the near future.

“Our worst fears were realized. Marcus has a torn ligament and a little bit of cartilage damage in there,” said Spurrier. “It’s very unfortunate, flukish-type injury that occurred yesterday.”

Lattimore’s season-ending injury comes a week after the football program dismissed starting quarterback Stephen Garcia for violating unspecified team rules.

Through seven games, Lattimore was No. 13 nationally and No. 2 in the SEC — behind Alabama’s Trent Richardson — in rushing yards per game at 116.9. The past four games, however, Lattimore, considered a preseason Heisman favorite, had seen his production drop precipitously as the Gamecocks struggled to get consistency from the quarterback position.

As far as a replacement for the sophomore goes, Spurrier will likely look at the RB-by-committee approach, hoping to get some semblance of productivity from the trio of Kenny Miles, Brandon Wilds and Bruce Ellington. Wilds, a true freshman, will likely get the start against Tennessee in two weeks, Spurrier said. Miles has been sidelined with a wrist injury for the past several weeks, but Spurrier is hopeful he will be healthy enough to return following the upcoming bye weekend.

The injury to Lattimore will have also have a major effect on the SEC East race. With Lattimore in the lineup, and even given the uneven play at the quarterback play, the Gamecocks were the prohibitive favorites to represent the East in the SEC championship game. Without Lattimore? The door is wide open for Georgia or even Florida to find their way to Atlanta in early December.

Murray has 3 TDs as Georgia beats Vanderbilt 33-28

Aaron Murray threw for a career-high 326 yards and three touchdowns, and Blair Walsh kicked four field goals as the Georgia Bulldogs held off Vanderbilt 33-28 for their fifth straight victory Saturday night. Vanderbilt (3-3, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) hadn’t beaten Georgia in Nashville since 1991, and Udom Umoh blocked Drew Butler’s punt with 7 seconds left to give the Commodores one last chance at the Georgia 20 before a substitution infraction backed the Commodores up to the Georgia 25. Jordan Rodgers overthrew Chris Boyd in the end zone, leaving a second for a final play. Rodgers was hit as he threw short to tight end Brandon Barden, who was tackled well short at the 16. Georgia (5-2, 4-1) also intercepted three passes, the last by Bacarri Rambo with 1:10 left, as the Bulldogs kept pace in the East with South Carolina, a 14-12 winner over Mississippi State earlier. The hectic ending was fitting on a night when a transformer on the east concourse of the stadium blew and knocked out four sets of lights with 2:53 left in the first half. Workers fixed a fuse and got all but one stand working by early in the third quarter. Walsh clanked his first field goal attempt off the left upright and missed another wide right. The Commodores had the ball twice in the final 2:30, first when Casey Heyward picked off a Murray pass at the Vandy 2. Rambo ended that drive with his interception, but the Bulldogs, who had to kick so many field goals, couldn’t pick up a first down to run out the clock, which set up the final few plays. Murray threw two TDs to Marlon Brown, the last a 75-yarder with 13:57 left that proved to be the winner and the longest TD play for both quarterback and receiver. Murray also connected with Tavarres King on a 20-yard TD set up by Orson Charles blocking a punt.
Georgia had allowed only two offensive touchdowns in the previous four games. The Bulldogs gave up three to Vandy, two in the final 16 minutes as Zac Stacy capped an 84-yard drive by running for a 19-yard TD with 9:15 left.

Skirmish breaks about between Georgia, Vandy after game

Georgia’s 33-28 victory over Vanderbilt was interesting all the way until the last play of the game. And then some.

A very hard-fought, emotional game that featured multiple personal foul penalties ended with a skirmish between the two sides instead of the normal handshakes. Specifically, Vanderbilt coach James Franklin and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham got into a battle of words while other coaches reportedly had to separate players from fighting.

The details of the situation are still pretty fuzzy right now, and Grantham was rather vague in his response to the skirmish.

“I love our players. I’m going to stick up for my players and everybody’s competitive,” Grantham said repeatedly.

We just had a tough, emotional game and some things were said that I didn’t think were appropriate,” said Franklin. “I went to find Coach [Mark] Richt and didn’t find him, so I found one of his assistant coaches and it didn’t go well. We’re not going to sit back and take it from anyone.”

“I explained to [Richt] what happened,” Frankin continued. “That’s for me and Coach Richt to deal with. Hopefully we’ll learn from that experience. Those things happen.”

Richt said afterward he was unaware of exactly what went on, but plans on looking into it soon.

“I don’t know exactly what happened. Maybe TV picked it up and we’ll get a better view of what was going on,” he said. “But we are grown men and we need to act that way. But we’re also competitors and we all have emotions and sometimes when you get a little fired up it’s hard to keep from getting in some kind of jawing contest.

“I’ll say this: There were times when I was ashamed of some of the choice things that came out of my mouth during the game. So I’ve got to be disciplined, too.”

Georgia has reeled off five straight wins after starting the season 0-2; Vanderbilt drops to 3-3 overall and 1-3 in the SEC.

No. 24 Auburn holds on for 17-6 win over Florida

The Auburn Tigers made use of two things that can redeem a struggling offense: big special teams plays and a backup quarterback. Onterio McCalebb opened the fourth quarter with a 14-yard touchdown run, Ikeem Means recovered a muffed punt late and No. 24 Auburn beat Florida 17-6 in a defensive game that saw seven players take snaps at quarterback. The Tigers also owned the special teams play.

“The kicking game was off the charts,” Tigers coach Gene Chizik said. “I really feel it was the difference in the ball game.”

The Tigers (5-2, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) got a spark from No. 2 quarterback Clint Moseley but also received plenty of help from Florida (4-3, 2-3), which committed three turnovers with two on muffed punts.

The Gators would have had the ball near midfield with about 3 minutes left but Robert Clark had the ball squirt through his arms after calling a fair catch. Cody Parkey then put the game away with a 42-yard field goal with 35 seconds left. Parkey, who had two earlier misses, nailed the final attempt after getting pushed back 5 yards by a false start penalty. The last five meetings between the teams have gone down to the final minute, with Auburn winning four of them. Auburn outgained Florida 278-194 in total yards. Mike Dyer ran 23 times for a workmanlike 73 yards and Wildcat QB Kiehl Frazier gained 43. The Tigers finally stretched the lead to 14-6 with McCalebb’s touchdown run on the opening play of the fourth quarter on a zone read by Frazier. Moseley got Auburn into that position with passes of 15 and 23 yards to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen. Then Driskel took Florida to Auburn’s 16 with help from two 15-yard personal foul calls. Muschamp opted to go for it on fourth-and-4 but Driskel overthrew Deonte Thompson. Muschamp said kicker Caleb Sturgis, who had made two field goals, had hurt his leg and was unavailable for a third. After the Tigers went three-and-out, Florida lined up to go for another fourth down near midfield but had to punt after a false start. David Lerner buried the Tigers at the 3 with 5:31 left. All they could do was burn a couple of minutes off the clock with three straight runs up the gut by Mike Dyer, but the Clark’s miscue on the ensuing punt, another high, arching boot by Steven Clark—gave Auburn’s offense a chance to put it away.

“Those things were in the clouds,” Chizik said.

No. 2 Alabama rolls over Ole Miss 52-7

Trent Richardson ran for a career-best 183 yards and set another a career best with four touchdowns and No. 2 Alabama’s defense smothered foundering Mississippi in a 52-7 win on Saturday night. Richardson put the Rebels (2-4, 0-3 SEC) away with an electric 76-yard run midway through the third quarter and now leads the nation with six straight 100-yard games. He’s scored 16 touchdowns this season for the Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) and displayed his rare combination of power and speed as he tossed aside Rebels with ease. It was the most-lopsided defeat since a 49-3 loss to Florida in 1981 for Ole Miss, playing the first of three straight games against ranked opponents. The Rebels have lost eight straight to Alabama, which hadn’t scored this many points in an SEC game since 1990.
Alabama turned up the offensive intensity in the second half, scoring on five of six offensive possessions. The sixth ended deep in Ole Miss territory as time expired. After scoring runs of 8 and 7 yards in the first half, Richardson capped Alabama’s opening drive of the second half with an 8-yard touchdown run set up by AJ McCarron’s 36-yard pass to Darius Hanks. After the defense forced a punt on Ole Miss’ ensuing possession, Richardson opened Alabama’s second drive with a 16-yard run. He then took the handoff through the left side of the line, shedding two Rebels, cut across the field and down the right sideline. It looked as if Ole Miss would hem him in around the 10, but he stopped short to shake one defender, and sprinted to the pylon while knocking away two more would-be tacklers for the highlight-reel score.

With that, Richardson was done for the night. He averaged 10.8 yards per carry.

No. 1 LSU beats Tennessee 38-7

Even when top-ranked LSU isn’t playing its best, the Tigers are still finding ways to dominate games. Jarrett Lee and LSU got off to a slower start than usual against Tennessee but wore the Volunteers down in a 38-7 victory on Saturday. It was a record sixth straight victory over a Southeastern Conference East Division opponent for the Tigers, and their seventh consecutive win by a double-digit margin.

“I felt like we did what we needed to do,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “It wasn’t our best game, but we did what we had to do to ensure victory. Our defense gave us turnovers and the opportunities to take the opponent out. Our offense late in the game gave us the football and ate up the time of possession and scored.”

Matt Simms, making his first start of the season for Tennessee in place of the injured Tyler Bray, was 6 of 20 for 128 yards and two interceptions against one of the nation’s best defense. Twice LSU (7-0, 4-0) started drives on Tennessee’s side of the field, and both times the Tigers turned the field position into touchdowns.

“It wasn’t a really complex game,” Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said. “In the first half, I thought we competed our tails off and had a couple of real bad mistakes that was ultimately the difference in the first half. In the second half, we had a couple of third-down opportunities where we didn’t execute and they pounded us. I don’t know any other way to say it.”

Aside from LSU’s 99 yards on interception returns, the teams played almost evenly through the first half. The Vols kept from falling apart, even as Simms threw another interception midway through the second quarter. Tennessee’s defense held LSU after the pick, and the offense put together an 80-yard drive.

“We have had problems in the running game, but we just tried to put it on our back as an offensive line, hit them in the mouth and try to build momentum,” Tennessee offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James said. “We left the first half with some momentum. We need to keep pushing each other and execute in the second half.”

No. 15 South Carolina beats Mississippi St., 14-12

Struggling against Mississippi State’s defense all afternoon, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier finally found an indefensible play. Sophomore quarterback Connor Shaw lofted a 4-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery, who stretched his 6-foot-4 frame over two Mississippi State defenders for the game-winning touchdown. When the three players jumped for the ball, Jeffery was simply the tallest and best athlete, plucking the ball from the sky with 3:50 remaining in the fourth quarter to lead No. 15 South Carolina to a hard-fought 14-12 victory over Mississippi State.

“Somehow or another Connor found Alshon on the jump ball,” Spurrier said. “We had been trying to get the jump ball thrown all day and he finally threw it perfect.”

In his third career start, Shaw struggled for much of the afternoon. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for 28 yards on 16 carries. South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore came into the game averaging an SEC-best 129.8 rushing yards per game, but managed only 39 yards and a touchdown against the hard-hitting Bulldogs. He left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury that could make the Gamecocks’ victory a lot less sweet. Spurrier said he was told Lattimore’s injury is a sprained knee, though a full evaluation hadn’t been done.

Mississippi State was driving late in the game, but Tyler Russell’s pass was intercepted by D.J. Swearinger with 1:45 remaining. From that point, the Gamecocks were able to run out the clock, and Shaw ran out the back of the end zone on the final play for a Mississippi State safety.

“We needed to make one more play,” Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. “When you play top-15 teams you’ve got to make a lot of plays. They made one more play than we did.”