Gamecocks Crack AP Top 25...4-1 Start Puts Carolina Among Nation's Elite

The University of South Carolina boasts the 25th-ranked football team in the country, according to this week's Associated Press poll.
South Carolina (4-1) checks in at number 25 in this week's AP poll with 200 points. It marks the 1st time the Gamecocks have been ranked since they defeated Arkansas on November 8, 2008 to improve their record to 7-3. Missouri (4-0) is ranked just ahead of Carolina in 24th place with 215 points, while Wisconsin (5-0) is 26th with 157 points in this week's poll.
The Gamecocks are just outside the top 25 in the ESPN/Coaches Poll. They come in at number 27 this week with 128 points. Wisconsin is 25th in that poll with 156 points, just ahead of Georgia (148) and Carolina.
The Gamecocks will put that national ranking on the line on Saturday, October 10, when they host the Kentucky Wildcats in another SEC contest. That game, which will be televised on FSN, will kick at 12:30 p.m. The SEC Rocks!

Vols' Offense slow to start against Auburn

Auburn is ahead of Tennessee in the rebuilding race. A 26-22 victory Saturday night in Neyland Stadium didn’t seem an accurate measuring stick of how far ahead.
“I thought we lost in all three phases of the game today,’’ said UT coach Lane Kiffin after the Vols fell to 2-3, 0-2 SEC. UT trailed 23-6 early in the fourth quarter before quarterback Jonathan Crompton and the rest of the offense finally showed some pop.
Too little, too late. Crompton’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore as time expired was the closest Tennessee got all night.
The Tigers dominated statistically most of the night and ended up with 459 yards of total offense.
“They’re so complicated,’’ Kiffin said. “They do a great job. And I thought their players made a lot of plays tonight.’’
Tennessee didn’t make many plays until the fourth quarter.
Chris Todd’s 11-yard TD pass to Terrell Zachery put the Tigers on top 23-6 with 13:41 to play.
UT answered with a quick scoring drive. Crompton found Montario Hardesty with a 31-yard touchdown pass and it was 23-13 with 11:36 remaining.
Tennessee’s next possession was a laborious, 18-play undertaking that reached the Auburn 4, but not the end zone.
Daniel Lincoln’s 26-yard field goal left it 23-16 with 4:19 left.
A 52-yard kickoff return by Ontario McCalebb helped the Tigers get close enough for Wes Byrum’s fourth field goal of the game.
And a 26-16 lead was money in the bank, with only 39 seconds left.
The Tigers, it turned out, needed those three points. Crompton hit two long passes, the final one to Moore for the score.
But time was out and Auburn was home safe.
The late rush made Tennessee’s numbers surprisingly respectable — 410 yards of offense.
Crompton was 20-of-43 passing for 259 yards. But only 78 of those yards came in the first three quarters as the passing game struggled mightily to overcome off-target passes and drops by the receivers.
“We’re not good enough to overcome drops,’’ Kiffin said. “We’re not explosive enough.’’ The SEC Rocks!

Horrible penalty on A.J. Green...Decides UGA vs LSU Outcome

A.J. Green caught a touchdown pass with 1:09 remaining, putting Georgia on top of LSU 13-12.
Following the play, Green was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. For what? We have no clue.
Based on the replays shown by CBS, Green did absolutely nothing worthy of a penalty. It was a horrible call, and a possible game-changer as well as the 15 yards forced UGA to kickoff from their 15-yard line. This gave the Tigers possession inside the fifthty following the return.
Charles Scott raced 33 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with :46 left in the game. With the conversion of the two-point try, LSU is up 20-13.
Again, a horrible, horrible call on the part of the officials for flagging Green. A call that has changed the complexion of the game, and may allow the No. 4 team in the nation to escape with a win they may very well not deserve.

Vols Au..Burned 26-22 Tennessee falls to 2-3 on season

Auburn and Tennessee began the season with fresh starts under new coaches. The Tigers underscored their lead in the rebuilding race Saturday night with a 26-22 victory over the Vols at Neyland Stadium.
A crowd of 102,941 and an ESPN audience watched the Tennessee struggle to keep pace with Auburn’s prolific and imaginative offense as the Tigers improved to 5-0, 2-0 SEC, under new coach Gene Chizik.
UT (2-3, 0-2 SEC) trailed 23-6 before closing to within 23-16 on Daniel Lincoln’s field goal with 4:19 to play.
The Tigers, however, answered with yet another long drive and Wes Byrum’s fourth field goal to put the game out of reach.
Auburn joins Florida in holding an active five-game winning streak over Tennessee.
The Vols’ first two touchdowns came from Montario Hardesty. Denarius Moore scored on a 32-yard pass as time expired.
Hardesty scored on a 1-yard run just before halftime and on a 31-yard reception from Jonathan Crompton after the Tigers had carved out a 23-6 lead.
Auburn got touchdowns from Ben Tate on an 11-yard run and an 11-yard pass from Chris Todd to Terrell Zachery.
A historic footnote, the game was the first since 1982 that neither the Vols nor the Tigers were ranked in the Top 25. That covers a span of 16 games in which Auburn was ranked 13 times and UT 10 times.
The Tigers will almost certainly join the rankings next week after passing their first road test of the season. The SEC Rocks!

Mallet, Arkansas hand Texas AM first loss 47-19

Ryan Mallett shook off a slow start and threw four touchdown passes to lead Arkansas to a 47-19 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday night in the revival of their Southwest Conference rivalry.
Mallett misfired on his first three passes, was sacked twice and hadn't gotten a first down when the Razorbacks were trailing 10-0. Then the big sophomore hit Joe Adams for a 67-yard gain to start the next series, and Arkansas (2-2) was on its way to scoring 30 points by halftime. The Aggies (3-1) were never able to get back into it, and the Razorbacks never let up.
This "Southwest Classic" was the first of at least a 10-year series held at Cowboys Stadium in hopes of cashing in on recruiting and alumni riches in the Dallas area. Hogs fans remained to crank up a loud chant of "S-E-C! S-E-C!" in the final minutes.
Mallett, a sophomore transfer from Michigan who won a high school title in Texas in 2006, finished 17-of-27 for 271 yards and an interception, while throwing touchdowns to four receivers. Although he fell one TD pass shy of tying the school record he set two weeks ago, the poise he showed despite those awful first three possessions bodes well for Arkansas as it heads into the teeth of its SEC schedule. They get Auburn next, then play at Florida and at Ole Miss.
Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson was 30-of-58 for 345 yards and two touchdowns, with most of the numbers piled up mostly after the Aggies fell way behind. He also had two fumbles, one that was returned 85 yards for a touchdown (turning a potential go-ahead drive into a 21-10 deficit) and another in the closing seconds.
A&M gained 458 total yards, well below the nation-leading 574.3 it was averaging. The defense gave up nearly as many points in one game as it had in the previous three games combined and had only two sacks, both in the opening minutes, after coming in with a national-best 4.67 per game.
So much for the lift the Aggies sought by wearing white helmets for the first time since December 1978. Their all-white look might be headed to mothballs for all the good it did them. They'll certainly be looking for something different when they open Big 12 play at home against Oklahoma State next weekend.
A&M's Von Miller, who came in with a national-best eight sacks, had the first against Mallett but was neutralized after a few series. He also had the hit that forced Mallett's interception, just his second of the season. The SEC Rocks!

Gamecocks' Garcia takes command over SC State 38-14

Stephen Garcia threw two touchdowns, rushed for another score and South Carolina matched its best start of Steve Spurrier's 5 seasons with a 38-14 victory over South Carolina State on Saturday night. The Gamecocks improved to 4-1, tying their opening mark of 2007. But it took more time than Spurrier would've liked to finally put away the Football Championship Subdivision opponent. South Carolina's head ball coach has groused about his team's stuck-in-the-mud offense for much of the season. And after a slow start against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Bulldogs, Garcia and the Gamcocks finally got things going. Garcia's 1-yard TD right before halftime put South Carolina ahead 10-0. In the second half, Garcia connected with Moe Brown on touchdowns of 40 and 9 yards to put things out of reach at 31-7. Garcia finished 13 of 19 for 132 yards. Spurrier improved to 38-0 against opponents not in the six conferences with Bowl Championship Series bids. South Carolina State (3-1) fell to 0-5 against Football Bowl Subdivision. South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood put on a show against his younger brother's Bulldogs with a blocked field goal and an interception. Erin Norwood is a sophomore defensive back at South Carolina State. Spurrier hopes the Gamecocks can carry this start further than they did two years ago. Back then, they reached No. 6 in the country as they opened 6-1. But they lost their final 5 games and didn't even make the postseason. Right before kickoff, Williams-Brice Stadium experienced a power outage that hampered ESPN Classic's planned broadcast and knocked out the video board midway through the second period. There wasn't much power displayed by either team in the opening half, either. South Carolina was outgained by its FCS opponent 159 yards to 149. The Gamecocks couldn't crack the end zone until Garcia's 1-yard run with 2:23 to go before halftime that made it 10-0. South Carolina State responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with a milestone touchdown. Malcolm Long's 5-yard scoring run was the first time the FCS team had put up a touchdown in its five games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. The Bulldogs swarmed Long as if they had just earned another league title instead of simply cutting things to 10-7 at halftime. That was about all the celebrating South Carolina State would get to do. South Carolina struck for Kenny Miles' 22-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and the Bulldogs could not recover. The only drama at the end came when South Carolina State broke through for a second touchdown, Long converting a 4th-and-goal from South Carolina's 1 with 4 seconds left. The SEC Rocks!

Georgia Tech Airs It Out over Mississippi State 42-31

Josh Nesbitt threw for a career-high 266 yards and No. 25 Georgia Tech converted 3 Mississippi State turnovers into touchdowns for a 42-31 win Saturday night.
Nesbitt, who rushed 32 times the week before, took to the air against the Bulldogs (2-3), connecting with Demaryius Thomas eight times for 174 yards and a 23-yard touchdown in an exciting game that featured a little bit of everything.
The Yellow Jackets (4-1) and Bulldogs (2-3) both scored on reverses and converted a combined six fourth downs, including a fake field goal by Mississippi State. The Bulldogs' Leon Berry had an 89-yard kickoff return a score and Tech's Jerrard Tarrant returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown.
Anthony Dixon rushed for 106 yards, but gave up the fumble to Tarrant and another at the goal line after going 329 carries since 2007 without losing the ball.

Snead overcomes 3 picks, helps Ole Miss bounce back with 3 TDs

Ole Miss's Snead passed for 3 touchdowns to overcome his three interceptions as No. 21 Mississippi bounced back Saturday night with a 23-7 victory over Vanderbilt.
Snead threw for just one touchdown in last week's 16-10 loss to South Carolina, a game that dropped the Rebels (3-1, 1-1 SEC) from a No. 4 ranking that had been their highest since 1970. He matched his season high with three TDs against Vanderbilt.
The Commodores (2-3, 0-2) picked off four Snead passes a year ago in Oxford, Miss. They nearly matched that with Jamie Graham, Casey Heyward and Myron Lewis each intercepting a pass.
But Ole Miss' Marcus Temple intercepted Larry Smith in the end zone with 10:55 left to help preserve a 23-7 lead.
The Rebels host the Crimson Tide next Saturday in a crucial SEC showdown.
Mississippi outgained Vanderbilt 397-240 and held the ball for nearly 36 minutes. The Commodores disintegrated twice inside the Ole Miss 20 in the first half. They missed two field goal attempts and finished with an uncharacteristic 12 penalties for 74 yards.
Snead came in having completed 49.3 percent of his passes and ranked 65th nationally in passing efficiency. He looked much more like the quarterback who led the Rebels to a Cotton Bowl win as he guided them to three scoring drives in the first half, and he did it against a Vanderbilt defense that came in ranked third nationally in passing efficiency defense. The SEC Rocks!

Georgia's rally falls short in wild finish as LSU Wins 20-13

LSU's Charles Scott scored on a 33-yard run with 46 seconds remaining to cap a wild finish that gave No. 4 LSU a 20-13 victory over 18th-ranked Georgia on Saturday.
Neither team reached the end zone through the first three quarters, but the teams traded touchdowns back and forth over the final three minutes before the Tigers (5-0, 3-0 SEC) came out on top in their second straight close call. With Georgia (3-2, 2-1 SEC) ahead 7-6 after finally scoring in the opening minute of the fourth period, LSU reclaimed the lead, 12-7, on Scott's 2-yard run with 2:53 remaining. The Bulldogs bounced back on Joe Randle 16-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green with 1:09 left, going up 13-12 before missing a 2-point conversion.
But LSU, starting in good field position after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Georgia, was already in field goal range when Scott broke two tackles at the line and went all the way to the end zone.
Georgia weathered a dominating performance by LSU in the first half to only trail 6-0.
Georgia dominated the third quarter,with their defense that sacked Jordan Jefferson six times, and the hard running of freshman Washaun Ealey, who gained 33 yards on 8 carries in his first college appearance.
Cox hooked up with Orson Charles on a 22-yard reception, and Georgia recovered even after Charles was dubiously flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for pumping his right fist after making the big catch.
The Bulldogs got it to the 1 on a pass to Michael Moore, who came up just short of the goal line. On fourth-and-inches, Georgia decided to go. Cox faked a handoff to Caleb King, then spotted fullback Shaun Chapas, who made the touchdown catch while falling backward to give Georgia its first lead of the game.
But that catch was overshadowed by the ending.
Jefferson completed a 16-yard pass on third down to Rueben Randle, hit Scott on a screen for another 16 yards, and got loose down the sideline for a 27-yard run that set up Scott's first TD. LSU went for the 2-point conversion, but Jefferson was sacked again.
Trailing 12-7, Georgia quickly drove downfield. Tavarres King got loose behind the secondary and hauled in a 46-yard pass from Cox. One play later, the senior quarterback threw it for grabs in the end zone and Green reached over cornerback Chris Hawkins to snatch the ball before tumbling into Sanford Stadium's famous hedge.
But, with the crowd going nuts, Georgia was flagged again for excessive celebration. The Bulldogs missed their 2-point try, then had to kick off from their 15. Trindon Holliday returned it to the Georgia 43, and a 5-yard penalty for an illegal formation pushed LSU even closer.
Two plays later, Scott appeared stopped at the line by Rennie Curran and Marcus Dowtin. But the LSU runner stayed on his feet and didn't stop until he was in the end zone.
Scott rushed for 95 yards on 19 carries, while Jefferson was 18 of 27 for 212 yards. Cox completed 18 of 34 for 229 yards, including 5 passes for 99 yards to Green. The SEC Rocks!

Alabama Victory on the Road 38-20

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Alabama Football team scored over 30 points for the fifth time this season, beating the Kentucky Wildcats 38-20 in Commonwealth Stadium. It was the Crimson Tide's first true road game of the season and first Southeastern Conference road matchup. After scoring on its opening drive, the Tide stalled offensively before closing out the half with a pair touchdowns in a span of 19 seconds, the first coming off a 97-yard drive followed by a 44-yard fumble return.
Sophomore running back Mark Ingram led the Tide on the ground with 140 yards on 22 carries and a pair of touchdowns while senior tight end Colin Peek led the Tide with six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. Senior linebacker Rolando McClain led the UA defense with 10 tackles. He also forced the fumble that led to Courtney Upshaw's fumble return for a score before the half as well an interception that set up Ingram's second touchdown to start the second half.

( by http://www.rolltide.com/)

Kentucky and Alabama meet for the 38th time in school history

Nick Saban is in his 2nd season at Alabama with a record of 23-8 (.742) and 16th overall with a record of 129-67-1 (.657). The Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator is Jim McElwain and the defensive coordinator is Kirby Smart. Rich Brooks is in his 7th season at Kentucky with a record of 34-42 (.447) and 19th overall with a record of 125-151-4 (.454). The Wildcats' offensive coordinator is Randy Sanders and Steve Brown serves as the defensive coordinator. WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN ALABAMA HAS THE BALL: Trent Richardson led the Crimson Tide in rushing with 65 yards on 9 carries in the 35-7 win against Arkansas. He is 2nd on the team in rushing with 280 yards on 38 attempts and is tied for the team lead with 4 rushing touchdowns. Greg McElroy has been impressive in his first four games as the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback, completing 67.7 percent (63 of 93) of his passes for 938 yards and 7 touchdowns with only 1 interception. The junior boasts a 175.15 passing effi ciency rating, which ranks third nationally. In addition to rushing for 347 yards through 4 games this season to rank 36th nationally in rushing, Mark Ingram has added 13 receptions for 141 yard and three scores. Trevard Lindley has made several game-changing plays while at Kentucky. He currently has 10 interceptions and 38 pass breakups during his Wildcat career. Seven of his 10 interceptions have been key plays in Kentucky victories, with the 8th pick helping send a game into overtime. He led the team in breakups each of the last three seasons and now holds UK's career record with 38. He currently leads the SEC in passes defended with 1.7 per game. Corey Peters has 107 tackles in his career, including 17.5 tackles for loss and 8.0 quarterback sacks. The Wildcats linebackers are paced by senior Micah Johnson, who leads the team in tackles with 25 stops. He ranks fifth in the SEC in tackles per game. WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN KENTUCKY HAS THE BALL: Defensive end Marcell Dareus has led the way for the Tide with 3.5 sacks (-25) to rank tied for 23rd in the NCAA and fourth in the SEC. Dareus also has nine tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries. Cornerback Javier Arenas is second on the team with 3.0 sacks for a loss of 31 yards to rank tied for fifth in the SEC. Middle linebacker Rolando McClain is next with two sacks for a loss of 19 yards. Kentucky has a 8-4 (.667) record with junior Mike Hartline as the starting quarterback. Hartline has completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 485 yards and four touchdowns. After gaining 36 yards against Florida, Derrick Locke has 993 career rushing yards and needs just seven more yards for 1,000. Randall Cobb has scored at least 1 touchdown in 6 of 14 career games, including five of the last seven. He leads UK and ranks 2nd in the SEC in receptions per game (6.0). The SEC Rocks!

Georgia Tech - Mississippi St. Match-up

Georgia Tech (3-1) was No. 14 in the nation before falling out of the rankings with a 33-17 loss at then-No. 20 Miami on Sept. 17. The Yellow Jackets rushed for a season-low 95 yards and held the ball for seven fewer minutes than the Hurricanes.
"We could never get them off the field," coach Paul Johnson said. "In a game like that, you better maximize and we didn't. We played very poorly on offense."
It was a different story in last Saturday's 24-7 win over then-No. 22 North Carolina. Led by reigning ACC player of the year Jonathan Dwyer, who ran for a season-high 158 yards, the Yellow Jackets outrushed the Tar Heels 317-17 and held the ball for 42:06, the most since a 30-10 win over Wake Forest on Sept. 14, 1996.
"I think a lot of people had written us off," Johnson said.
Mississippi State's 1st-year coach Dan Mullen is not one of them.
"Our run defense will have their hands full this weekend with Georgia Tech," he said. "We'll face a different scheme (spread option) than we're use to, but we're playing with some confidence and we'll have to continue to do so if we want to be successful."
The Bulldogs weren't last year against the Yellow Jackets, losing 38-7 on Sept. 20, 2008, in the teams' first meeting since 1929. Georgia Tech is 3-0 against Mississippi State. The SEC Rocks!

Auburn vs Tennessee Odds - Auburn offense will earn respect on the checkerboard

The Auburn vs Tennessee odds matchup is going to be a coming out party for the Auburn Tigers. Gene Chizik has had a better first year at Auburn than Lane Kiffin has had at Tennessee, yet the Tigers are still not included in the Top 25. After a win at Rocky Top, fans can finally expect the Tigers to start getting the attention they deserve.
Auburn vs Tennessee odds: Tennessee -1.5 The SEC Rocks!

NCAA Football Betting #4 LSU Tigers vs. #18 Georgia Bulldogs

LSU has long been a team based on a stalwart defense, but that unit didn’t exactly show up when the Tigers nearly lost to Mississippi State last weekend. Though they won 30-26, LSU marched to the tune of 293 total yards, while allowing 525-yards against. When they meet Georgia this weekend, their defense will have to step up unless they want to relive the ugly loss to Georgia they experienced last year.
Les Miles and his team will be working an uphill battle against history. The Tigers are just 2-5 SU in their last 7 games against Georgia and have been a very disappointing bet the last few weeks. LSU has gone just 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games and are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games. They are the more talented and experienced team by far, but they have to prove they can win on the road to retain their 4th ranked spot in the AP polls.
Since getting slammed in their opening game, Georgia has been on a roll in the win column. They’re riding a five-game win streak SU, but have failed to cover in most games. Georgia is just 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games, and 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 at home. A lot of that is because of weird lines. This is not the Georgia team powered by Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, and this is not a high profile program that recruits like mad anymore.
LSU Tigers (4-0) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (3-1)Saturday, October 3rd Sanford Stadium, Athens 3:30pm EST Georgia -3 The SEC Rocks!

Tebow won't practice this week, recovery "ahead of schedule"

Tim Tebow was not present at Florida's Thursday practice, which means he won't participate in any team drills until next week. The Gators held their last team practice of the bye week before getting a three-day break. The team will reconvene on Monday in preparation for LSU.
A team source said Tebow is doing "much better, ahead of schedule" in the concussion recovery process. Under strict concussion guidelines, Tebow must be asymptomatic, basically no after effects, for seven days before game participation. Team trainers are unavailable for comment on whether Tebow is still experiencing headaches, soreness or other symptoms.

Brooks treated for skin cancer

Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks had surgery for skin cancer on his lower leg on Wednesday.
UK spokesman Tony Neely called it "a simple procedure," and Brooks was on the practice field Wednesday.
Brooks, 68, did not mention his surgery at practice, but he posted a message on his Twitter account that said, in part:
"Had a skin cancer cut out of my lower leg. Old age is not much fun."

LSU's Miles wants Tebow to play next week

There is a chance that Heisman Trophy winning Florida quarterback Tim Tebow will not play against LSU on Oct. 10 in Tiger Stadium because of a concussion he suffered against Kentucky last week.
Should that happen, sophomore John Brantley would start at quarterback.
The No. 1 Gators (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) are open this week as Tebow is recovering slowly after being hospitalized Saturday night after a very hard tackle.
"We want him to play," LSU coach Les Miles said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. "We think he's great for college football, and I know coach Meyer will do exactly what's right without question."
Florida coach Urban Meyer has said he is leaving it up to the Gators' medical personnel. Meyer is also considering limiting Tebow's running duties when he does return. Meyer fielded several questions about whether he should have taken Tebow out of the game earlier. He was injured with Florida comfortably ahead in the third quarter of a 41-7 victory.
"It's always a tough thing," Miles said. "The main thing is you want to finish the game in solid, solid fashion. It's one where the coach weighs the responsibility of getting the starters out with the responsibility of finishing this game well."
Miles said when he was an assistant coach at Michigan for head coach Bo Schembechler he once suggested that it might be a good time for some substitutions as the Wolverines were comfortably ahead.
"He told me to shut up," Miles said. The SEC Rocks!

SEC's leading rusher had knee drained

Few expected Tennessee tailback Montario Hardesty to lead the SEC in rushing a month into the season. Teammate David Oku is downright astounded.
“I don’t know if we can curse or not,” the freshman tailback told reporters Wednesday. “But I’m sure surprised. For a man to go through three knee surgeries, that is a helluva guy to be doing something like this still. Most people would give up. I ask him everyday ‘How the hell do you do it?’ ”
Hardesty continues to do it while battling persistent health issues. A sore shoulder slowed him last week, yet he still rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries against Ohio.
He had his knee drained early this week and was limited in practice but expects to play Saturday against Auburn.
Hardesty is tops in the SEC with 121.25 rushing yards per game. That’s good for 9th best in the country for the senior who was known more for injuries than carries before this season.
“I don’t think I should get all the credit for that,” Hardesty of his production this season. “I can’t do anything I’ve been doing without my o-line blocking, the receivers blocking downfield and the coach having confidence to give me the ball.
“I’m just out there trying to do my part of the job to help my team win.”
Hardesty’s ascension means less carries for his backfield mates. He has 84 carries this season. Highly touted freshmen Bryce Brown and Oku have 43 and 8, respectively. Despite a strong off-season, sophomore Tauren Poole has five carries.
The Vols’ offensive intentions are clear: ride Hardesty, who is averaging 5.8 yards per carry. The SEC Rocks!