Kiffin: Special teams 'killing us'

Another week for Tennessee has meant another week of fixing special-teams problems.
The Vols hope to get through Saturday's game with South Carolina without making any terrible gaffes in the kicking game - for a change.
Kickoff coverage wasn't a disaster against Alabama, but the Tide still managed a 30-yard return to its 45 to set up a short drive for a field goal.
The killer breakdown was the inability to protect on field-goal attempts. Two were blocked.
"We're not very good on special teams, and it's killing us,'' said head coach Lane Kiffin.
Look for defensive tackles Montori Hughes and Dan Williams to beef up the line in hopes of preventing penetration on field-goal attempts.
Long range, Kiffin said shrewd recruiting evaluation is the answer.
"We've got to continue to recruit great players and great depth,'' he said. "If you start missing on five or six guys every year, with four classes that's 20 to 24 guys you can't play at this level.
"Special teams will always have to do with the bottom of your recruiting class, so you've got to be recruiting really good players and not missing on guys.''
At least three walk-ons have been playing on UT's kickoff units.
As it's turned out, Eric Berry's Heisman Trophy campaign might not have been so unrealistic after all. None of the favorites - all quarterbacks - has made an iron-clad case yet, leaving the door open to a defensive player getting in the discussion.
"If we were taking care of business and winning more games and the ball bounced to him a couple more times,'' Kiffin said. "It doesn't seem like there's a front-runner or anybody with big-time stats running away with it.
"So if there was a year, this would have been it.''
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is a Berry fan. This time last season Berry was on a highlight-reel binge. He had a 45-yard interception return against the Gamecocks.
"It took about two minutes to run him down on that pick he had,'' Spurrier said.
Everyone knows about Berry's phenomenal interception-return ability, but he's pretty nimble with a fumble, too.
He has 101 yards on three career fumble returns, an average of 33.6.
Spurrier is one SEC win shy of tying Johnny Vaught of Ole Miss (106) for second on the all-time league chart. Paul "Bear" Bryant had 159. The SEC Rocks!


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SEC Football Online's Free Sportbook...Miss State vs Kentucky

Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-5 SU, 4-3 ATS) at Kentucky Wildcats (4-3 SU & ATS)
Saturday, October 31 - 7 PM ET
SEC Football Online Odds: KENTUCKY -3.5, Our Pick Mississippi State +3.5
Here are some of the NCAA football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
MSU has covered four of its last six games
MSU has lost four of its last five games SU
MSU has covered three of its last ten road games
MSU has lost eight of its last ten road games SU
MSU has played five of its last six road games UNDER the total
KY has covered two of its last six home games
KY has won 16 of its last 24 home games SU
KY has played five of its last seven home games OVER the total
Also...
KY has won five of the last seven meetings SU
Four of the last five meetings have gone UNDER the total
KY has won four of the last six meetings SU as the home team
Although they don't have a lot of "W's" to put on their ledger, these two teams aren't doing that badly in the NCAA football odds, and seem to have made some progress lately. The MSU Bulldogs had a lot of work to do, and they put things in the hands of Dan Mullen, the former offensive coordinator at the University of Florida. Mullen has his team playing hard; they barely missed out on a win when LSU put in a furious goal-line stand against them back on September 26. They were competitive with Georgia Tech before losing a wild one by a 42-31 score; they took things down to the wire with Houston, which was nationally-ranked, and fought all the way against Florida last week, losing 29-19 and intercepting Tim Tebow twice.
Anthony Dixon had a streak of five straight 100-yard games broken against Florida's rock-ribbed defense last week, but on the season he is still averaging five yards a carry and is 15th in the nation's rushing statistics. He also brings some veteran presence to the table. So does Tyson Lee; however, Lee is not a talented enough quarterback at this time to run Mullen's spread the way he wants it run. With three TD passes and nine interceptions and only 163 net rushing yards, he's more of the problem than the solution.
The Mississippi State defense has been vulnerable to explosive offenses, and that has accounted for its losses in the NCAA football odds, but Kentucky isn't a team that has one. The SEC Rocks!

SEC Football Online's Free Sportbook Pick...Gators vs Dawgs

They’re saying that Jacksonville is “neutral territory” but we think that’s a far cry when everyone from the home of the Jaguars will be trying to get a free preview of their potential future quarterback. Tim Tebow, meanwhile, has other things on his mind than the NFL draft. The Gators have strung together a 7-0 SU season, but have gone just 2-3-1 ATS during the NCAAF betting season. Can Georgia pull off a big upset after a bye week?
This game will be very personal as the Georgia players look to upset the season that Florida has put together. The recent rivalry stems to 2007, where Georgia practically stormed the field as if they had won the BCS Championship. The reason? They scored a touchdown. They should’ve saved the celebration for when they actually beat Florida 42-30 to disrupt their season.

In 2008, coach Urban Meyer called two timeouts during the final minute of the game as revenge, exasperating the 49-10 beating that the Gators handed the Bulldogs. Meyer insists that he wasn’t being a dick, but what possible explanation could he have had? Georgia hasn’t soon forgotten Meyer, and would love nothing more than to destroy the Gators’ chances of repeating BCS glory.

Georgia Bulldogs (4-3) vs. Florida Gators (7-0)
Saturday, October 31st --- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Jacksonville --- 3:30pm EST
Sec Football Online Betting Line: Florida -15 The SEC Rocks!

Injured players expected back for Florida Gators vs Georgia Bulldogs

Urban Meyer expects most of his injured players to suit up.
Meyer said running back Jeff Demps (neck), linebacker Brandon Spikes (groin), defensive end Justin Trattou (bicep) and defensive tackles Lawrence Marsh (ankle) and Jaye Howard (knee) all should play against the Bulldogs.
Trattou's status is the most surprising, as his bicep tendon injury was expected to cost him at least a month.
``[Trattou is] one of the toughest guys I've ever been around,'' said Meyer, who added the injury is more about pain management than structural damage.
KICKER SPOT UNCERTAIN
Meyer said the battle for the starting kicker job is open again. Caleb Sturgis took over after Jonathan Phillips missed a 39-yard field goal against Troy, and though he hit a 51-yarder and a 27-yard game-winner against Arkansas, Sturgis also has missed three field goals and an extra point.

"They both kicked really well,'' Meyer said. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do Saturday.''

NCAA Football Tickets

Bid On Autographed Game Ball From Ole Miss win over Arkansas

Celebrate the Rebels' 30-17 victory over Arkansas with a piece of Ole Miss Football history, as Rebel fans can now bid on an autographed game ball through OleMissSports.com's Auctions.

One lucky fan will receive a game ball signed by Coach Houston Nutt. There's no better way to commemorate this momentous Rebel victory and the 2009 football season.
Bidding on the autographed football ends Thursday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. CT. The SEC Rocks!

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UK gets good, bad news on injury front

According to a release from the school, linebacker Micah Johnson and defensive tackle Shane McCord are expected to be available for Kentucky's game Saturday against Mississippi State.
However, cornerback Trevard Lindley remains doubtful for the game.
Lindley was a preseason All-American candidate, but has been hobbled by a high-ankle sprain he suffered on Oct. 3.
"Micah was able to get through practice today, limited, but I think he'll be available for some action," head coach Rich Brooks said. "We won't start Micah but he should be available to come in unless he has a real setback from what he did today."
"Trevard did a little bit (in practice) but I doubt that he's going to be quite ready. We'll suit him up (Saturday) and judge him during the pregame warm-ups whether he'll be available or not.
"Shane McCord should be able to go. He's not 100 percent but should be able to go."
Johnson suffered a strained MCL last weekend, while McCord has been dealing with a shin injury.

Monte Kiffin: I want to tell you this right now - I ain’t retiring, OK?

Monte Kiffin isn’t going anywhere,
and the first-year Tennessee defensive coordinator clearly isn’t a fan of anybody suggesting otherwise.
Wherever the rumors Kiffin might retire or return to the NFL might have started, he made crystal clear after practice Thursday where they should end.
“Can you believe that somebody out there, and it’s been a couple and I’m not going to say who , but they said they think Monte Kiffin is going to retire so you may not want to go there and play for him because he probably won’t be there,” said Kiffin, who left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to join his son Lane Kiffin at UT. “I want to tell you this right now, I ain’t retiring, OK? I’m not going back to the NFL. "
“I didn’t coach in the NFL 25 years to come to Tennessee and get experience to go back to the NFL. I’m not here because of my kid and grandkids, that may be a little bit of the reason, but I’m going to tell you right here, I’m not going. I’m going to stay right here, I love it here and I’m going to coach here as long as I can coach.” The SEC Rocks!

Auburn's Fannin could step in Saturday vs Ole Miss

Mario Fannin doesn’t have the jets of Onterio McCalebb, but he might be called upon to fill the void if the speedy freshman’s bum ankle isn’t good to go Saturday against Ole Miss.
“Certainly,” coach Gene Chizik said, “he’s prepared to do that.”
McCalebb remains “day by day” with an ankle injury he’s dealt with since the end of September, Chizik said. He said the Tigers will “literally be playing it by ear” as the days, hours and minutes melt away before Saturday’s 11:21 a.m. kickoff.
“You know it’s those ankles when you’re a running back,” Chizik said. “It’s just a slow process.”
Asked what McCalebb’s status was, running backs coach Curtis Luper responded with a question of his own.
“What did Coach Chiz say?”
Fannin carried the ball six times for 56 yards against LSU on Saturday, picking up the majority of work on Auburn’s final drive of the game. Recruited as a tailback, Fannin has bounced back and forth between running back and wide receiver, settling on H-back for his junior season.
He has 19 carries for 162 yards to go along with 24 catches and 255 receiving yards. Because of Auburn’s lack of production from its wide receivers behind Terrell Zachery and Darvin Adams, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor has often referred to Fannin as the team’s third receiver.
“He’s a versatile guy, and we do ask him to do a lot of different things,” offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said. “I was very impressed with the way he finished the game and took some reps in some different areas. He’s one of our playmakers, and we’re continually trying to find ways to get him the ball.” The SEC Rocks!

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Ingram tops Heisman poll; Tebow falls to fifth place

An October surprise has hit the Scripps Howard Heisman Trophy poll.
Just two weeks after Florida quarterback Tim Tebow appeared to be in charge of the race, Alabama running back Mark Ingram grabbed the lead in a jumbled vote that saw six different players receive first-place votes.
A close second to Tebow last week, Ingram grabbed four first-place votes after gaining 99 tough yards in the Crimson Tide’s 12-10 win over Tennessee. Voters seemed to overlook Ingram’s key fumble with four minutes left that nearly sparked a Vols’ comeback or Ingram managing just 27 yards rushing in the second half.
Tebow, the 2007 Heisman winner who had led all five previous polls this season, was judged more harshly. After throwing a pair of interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in a sloppy 29-19 win at Mississippi State, Tebow plummeted all the way to fifth. Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen moved up a spot to second while Houston QB Case Keenum and Texas QB Colt McCoy also moved up a notch to third and fourth, respectively.
Florida and Alabama remain on a collision course for the SEC Championship Game set for Dec. 5 in Atlanta. That showdown could go a long way toward settling what is now a wide-open Heisman race as Ingram tries to become the first Tide player ever to win the award. The SEC Rocks!
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Detour for Fans Traveling to Knoxville this Weekend for SC vs UT game

Due to a rock slide on Interstate 40 near the North Carolina - Tennessee state line, motorists must detour around the road closure. The North Carolina Department of Transportation recommends interstate travelers use the following route:
I-40 West to I-240 West (Exit 53B) to I-26 West (Exit 4A). Follow I-26 West from Asheville to I-81 South (Exit 8A) in Tennessee, back to I-40. Eastbound motorists will follow the reverse directions.
An additional route is as follows:
From Columbia to Knoxville:
I-26 West to Asheville, NC
Continue on I-26W in Asheville, NC past I-40 West
Take Exit 19B (off I-26W in Asheville, NC) for US Route 25 North / US Route 70 West
This will take back roads through Hot Springs to Newport, TN
As you get into Newport, TN, US 25 & US 70 will merge with Route 9, Route 32, and Route 25
Continue on these roads until it joins I-40 West (Exit 432).
From Knoxville to Columbia:
I-40 East to Exit 432A (Newport, TN)
Follow signs for US Route 25 South / US Route 70 East
This will take you through Newport, Hot Springs, and eventually to Asheville, NC
This will eventually connect to I-26 East at Exit 19.

Spurrier blueprint: Kiffin says he has always admired Gamecocks' coach

Lane Kiffin figuratively bit his tongue, and it seemed to put him in literal pain.
Surely the Tennessee coach will have somebody on the other sideline this weekend who can relate.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier might not use his sharp jabs or poke fun at SEC rivals nearly as often as he used to, but he's still the original and made popular the vocal blueprint Kiffin has adopted.
So heading into his first meeting with Spurrier at home Saturday (TV: ESPN, 7:45 p.m.), instead of taking any shots at the No. 21 Gamecocks (6-2, 3-2 SEC), Kiffin went completely the other way and only partly because he was trying to stay out of trouble with the conference.
"Yeah, I've heard (Spurrier's one-liners)," Kiffin said. "I think it's funny. You guys know me, I think it's funny. I guess we're not supposed to do those anymore - I almost made it this whole conference (season) without saying anything (about SEC rules).
"I think he's hilarious, I think he always has been, and I think the way that he acts is great for football and it's great for the league."
It's worked out pretty well for Spurrier's teams over the years as well, and that's the benefit Kiffin is most trying to duplicate with UT (3-4, 1-3).
The latest reprimand for his public comments on officiating clearly still bothered Kiffin on Tuesday, but like any subtle or blatant shot he's taken at other teams, they reaffirmed the confidence he has in himself and the Vols. And it's no secret who took that style to a whole other level a decade ago at Florida.
"I've always had unbelievable respect for what he's done," Kiffin said of Spurrier. "When I was growing up, he was probably the one guy that I looked at. To me, when you watched his teams play and the intensity and the swagger and the way that they walk, I think they represented him because he was so confident in the way he came across and how much his players believed in him that he could move the ball and win games.
"I think it was obvious (then), and here he is doing it again. As soon as people want to start counting him out he's back in the top 25. He's had a Hall of Fame career, and he's still doing it." Kiffin has only just started, and clearly he's got a long way to go to catch a coach with a national championship and seven SEC titles on his resume.
But even early in his career it's clear Kiffin shares a few similarities with Spurrier, and there are certainly worse guys to be compared with on the sidelines. The SEC Rocks!

Football Internet Specials

UGA lineman arrested for traffic charges

Georgia offensive lineman Vince Vance was arrested Wednesday morning by UGA Police on traffic charges.
UGA Police charged Bulldogs OL Vince Vance with failing to obey a signal or signs and of driving without a valid license.
By the way the Gators are favored by 16, does the bye week matter?
He was charged with running a red light and driving without a license, according to the Clarke County Jail booking report and UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson.
An UGA spokesman said coach Mark Richt is aware of the incident and that it will not affect Vance's availability for Saturday's game against Florida.
"Coach Richt will handle discipline internally, but [Vance] will not be suspended from Saturday's game," Georgia associate athletics director Claude Felton said.
Vance was booked into the Clarke County jail at 9:47 a.m. and released on bonds totaling $1,000 at 11:54 a.m., according to jail records.
Williamson said Vance was pulled over for running a red light on College Station Road near the UGA intramural fields and was arrested because he does not have a valid driver's license.
Vance, 22, has a learner's permit but violated the conditions of that permit by not having an 18-year-old-or-older licensed driver in the vehicle with him, Williamson said. The SEC Rocks!

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Nick Saban defends SEC referees: 'Our officials do a marvelous job here'

Alabama coach Nick Saban defended Southeastern Conference referees today against mounting criticism, saying coaches' gripes should not be aired publicly.
"I've been in other leagues and in bowl games," Saban said, "and our officials do a marvelous job here. Are they perfect? No. Do they make everything perfect? Probably not. None of us do. But the spirit of making corrections should be done through the proper channels in the SEC office."
Saban's comments came after Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin was reprimanded Monday by the SEC for criticizing referees that worked Saturday's 12-10 loss at Alabama.
Kiffin complained that no penalty was called on the Crimson Tide's Terrence Cody for removing his helmet during the game's final play. In doing so, Kiffin became the third coach in two weeks to be reprimanded for complaining about officiating.
The Vols' first-year coach also suggested that SEC crews were favoring Florida and Alabama -- the SEC's only two remaining unbeaten teams, and that it was "amazing" that UT's headsets went out before kickoff. The SEC Rocks!

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Kiffin won't comment on reprimand

Lane Kiffin was asked several times during his weekly press conference on Tuesday about being reprimanded by the SEC.
The first-year Tennessee head coach reserved comment, as best he could.
“As hard as it is for me to do, I’m not getting into it,” Kiffin said with a grin. “I’d like to.”
Kiffin was reprimanded by the SEC on Monday after he criticized the officiating in UT’s 12-10 loss to Alabama on Saturday. Kiffin hinted that he did so to stand up for his players following a game in which they were penalized seven more times for 58 yards more yards than the Crimson Tide.
“I think that you guys know me,” Kiffin said to the media. “I think we have great confidence in our players. We always stand up for our players.”
Kiffin cited his public stance on quarterback Jonathan Crompton as proof that such allegiance can pay dividends. Crompton has played well in UT’s last two games despite a shaky start to the season, which prompted many fans to call for him to be benched.
“When they see me saying things, they know that I have confidence in them that we can play against anybody,” Kiffin said. “They know that this staff isn’t worried about who we play or where we’re playing.
“They believe that we can put together a plan that we can go beat everybody. I think that’s what your goal is.” The SEC Rocks!


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Urban Meyer Named To Bryant College Football Coach of the Year Watch List

University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer was named to the Bryant Watch List for the 2009 College Football Coach of the Year as announced by the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards committee of the American Heart Association on Monday. The selection committee consists of current and past event chairmen, Bryant family representatives, National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association representatives, college football sports analysts and former collegiate players and coaches.
Bryant College Football Coach of the Year finalists will be announced later in December and attend an awards dinner in Houston on Jan. 14, 2010. The winner will be announced live that evening. The winner of the Bryant College Football Coach of the Year is voted on by members of the National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association and is the only college coaching award voted on after all bowl games are played.
January’s event will also recognize The University of Georgia’s legendary coach and athletic director, Vince Dooley, as the Bryant Lifetime Achievement Recipient. This award recognizes excellence in coaching on and off the field during a career, allowing recipients to take their place in history alongside legends such as Bryant. The SEC Rocks!

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Hogs' secondary riddled with injuries

Arkansas' secondary is already thin on playmakers, and there's a chance the Razorbacks could be without two of their top cornerbacks this weekend.
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said Monday junior Ramon Broadway will miss Saturday's homecoming game against winless Eastern Michigan because of a serious hamstring injury. The status of fellow cornerback Rudell Crim, meanwhile, remains uncertain.
Crim has started all seven games this season, but he was unable to finish last week's 30-17 loss at Ole Miss after suffering a hip pointer. Petrino said the junior had X-rays, which came back negative.
"He's made a lot of progress since Saturday, so he probably has a chance to play (Saturday)," Petrino said of Crim.
Broadway could miss more than one game because a hamstring injury suffered at Ole Miss. Petrino said he's hopeful that the junior could return in time for a critical Nov. 7 game against No. 21 South Carolina in Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Broadway started the first three games of the season, but since then has seen significant action as a backup cornerback. Freshman David Gordon would likely fill in for Broadway.
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Another Vols coach blasts officiating

Lane Kiffin isn't the only Tennessee coach miffed by what the Vols perceived as questionable officiating in Saturday's Alabama game.
Assistant head coach Ed Orgeron, who was the head coach at Ole Miss 2005-07, knows the feeling.

"Seems like some people get the calls and some people don't," Orgeron said while speaking to the Knoxville Quarterback Club on Monday. "I've been in this league and I've been a part of that. Whether that's true or not, you can never prove that.

"I do know this: there were some very questionable calls in that game that could have went either way and they went Alabama's side. There were very questionable calls throughout the season and it seems they go for the better team. Whether that's true or not, we can never prove that but that's what it seems like."

Orgeron, however, refused to blame the officials for 12-10 loss.

"You cannot make excuses to your team," the defensive line coach said. "You've got to beat them all. The better team you have, the less you're going to complain about the officials."

Orgeron hinted that there might be a backlash to head coach Lane Kiffin's public, provocative comments made during the off-season.

"He may have rubbed some people wrong a little bit and maybe they want to get back at you a little bit," Orgeron said. "I think that's human nature but I think it's also human nature that there's some favorites." The SEC Rocks!
Football Internet Specials

'Dawgs Green Named Semifinalist For Biletnikoff Award

Georgia sophomore flanker A.J. Green has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2009 Biletnikoff Award, according to an announcement from the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.
The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate receiver. The award is named for Fred Biletnikoff, who was an All-American receiver at Florida State before becoming a member the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The next vote for the top three finalists will take place Nov. 16 and close on Nov. 19. A third vote starting on Dec. 4 will determine this year’s winner.
Green, a 6-4, 207-pound native of Summerville, S.C., is leading the Southeastern Conference in total receiving yards (682), receiving yards per game (97.4) and receptions per game (5.9) through the Bulldogs first seven games.
Green is tied for the league lead with six receiving touchdowns. He has a pair of 100-yard receiving games this season (137-Arkansas, 153-Arizona State) and has four career games with more than 100 yards receiving. In addition, Green blocked his first career field goal late in the fourth quarter against the Arizona State to help secure Georgia’s win.
Green is the only player from the SEC picked as a semifinalist. The SEC Rocks!