Tailback Ciatrick Fason is second in the SEC in rushing averaging 99 yards per game. Florida leads the SEC with 12 scoring drives less than two minutes. Sophomore receiver Kenneth Tookes is stepping up as evidence by his diving 18-yard reception to convert a third down last Saturday. Linebacker Travis Harris is the only remaining player to have played in the 2000 loss at Starkville when the Bulldogs rushed for 351 yards on the Gator defense. Linebacker Channing Crowder leads the SEC in tackles per game with nine. Sophomore cornerback Dee Webb has risen to third on the team in tackles with 31. He has six deflections and two picks. (GatorBait.net, SECsports.com)

MISSISSIPPI STATE: Bulldog quarterback Omarr Conner has returned to action after straining a knee ligament in the second half of the LSU game. During the off week, the Bulldog coaches moved Quinton Culberson from safety to outside linebacker. Coach Sly Croom is also going to start two other new linebackers-Gabe O’Neal at the outside position and freshman Titus Brown at middle linebacker. State is hoping McKinley Scott can return from a hamstring injury that has limited him all season. The Bulldogs have the SEC’s youngest defense with 2.64 years of experience. Florida and State have not met since 2001. The teams have split the last four meetings. In games at Starkville, State leads 6-3. Four years ago, State won 47-35 over then third ranked Florida. At that point they were 13-6 in SEC play over the last 19 games. Since the win over the Gators, State is 6-27 in SEC play. (GatorBait.net and Bulldogblitz.com)

OLE MISS IS OFF: Against Tennessee, Ethan Flatt, Robert Lane and Micheal Spurlock combined for 14-of-26 for 168 yards with two picks and no touchdowns. Flatt was intercepted twice. Robert Lane, who led the Rebels with 44 yards rushing, could be close to challenging for the starting position. ESPN has selected the Auburn game for a primetime Oct. 30 broadcast. (RebelGrove.com and Clarion Ledger)

SOUTH CAROLINA IS OFF: Quarterback Dondrial Pinkins threw without pain from his inflamed rotator cuff on Monday. Syvelle Newton was still on crutches early in the week after injuring his ankle against Kentucky. Since being benched the first few weeks of the season, kicker Josh Brown has made seven straight field goals. (The State and Gamecockcentral.com)

KENTUCKY: Redshirt freshman quarterback Andre Woodson might get his first start against Auburn, the fifth ranked defense in the nation, if starting quarterback Shane Boyd does not recover from his shoulder injury. In the USC loss, Woodson was 13-of-21 for 129 yards with one touchdown and one pick. (Kentucky Sports Report)

AUBURN: Last week against Arkansas, quarterback Jason Campbell set a school mark with an 89% completion rate (17-of-19). Kentucky and Auburn have not met since 1995. Auburn has won 13 straight in the series. Backup defensive end Stanley McClover has four sacks this season (three in the last two games) and is tied with Georgia’s David Pollack and Tennessee’s Jesse Mahelona. Auburn has outscored it opponents 81-9 in the first quarter and 68-10 in the second. (AuburnSports.com and Al.com)

GEORGIA: The Bulldogs are tied with Florida for the least amount of turnovers lost (7). The Bulldog coaches are penalizing players for penalties with gassers or up-downs. Georgia has been called for 45 penalties and lost an average of 63 yards per game. The Bulldogs are last in the SEC and No. 108 nationally in kickoff returns (16 yards per return). Freshman defensive back Mikey Henderson practiced for the first time Tuesday after missing the first five games due to a broken ankle. He might be returning punts. Georgia misses Damien Gary. They have tried tailback Tyson Browning, and cornerbacks Tim Jennings and Thomas Flowers with limited success.

Defensive end David Pollack (ankle), offensive linemen Nick Jones and Dennis Roland (ankles) are expected to play. Tight end Martrez Milner (back) could practice this week. If he plays, then he is in the rotation with starter Leonard Pope. The 273 yards rushing against Vandy was a high water mark during Richt’s Georgia career. Georgia has gained 43% of its total yards on the ground this year. That number never topped 38% in Richt’s first three seasons. Only twice has Georgia thrown more than it ran—against South Carolina and Tennessee. Receiver Cedric Haywood played briefly against Vandy. This was the first time he had seen the field since he was a senior in high school. He redshirted his freshman year then tore an ACL in fall camp in 2003. Haywood pulled a hamstring in practice this week. The Bulldogs are second in the SEC in total defense. (UGASports.com and Columbus Ledger Enquirer)

ARKANSAS: This is homecoming week for the Hogs. Arkansas has played Florida, Auburn and now Georgia in consecutive games. Quarterback Matt Jones has been too sore from a pulled groin muscle to practice during the first part of the week. Jones, who leads the Hogs in rushing and passing, has never missed a game, but if he does Robert Johnson might replace him. Starting guard Tony Ugoh has been trying to pass a kidney stone. Former Bulldog signee Michael Grant has replaced starting cornerback Michael Coe. Starting flanker Steven Harris has missed three days of practice this week. Just a few weeks ago, starting right tackle Zac Tubbs and reserve defensive end Derek Moore were lost with broken left fibulas. (Hawgsports.com)

TROY AT LSU: Troy is 3-3 this season with wins over Marshall and Missouri. The Trojan defense has not given up more than 22 points in any game this year. Linebacker Bernard Davis leads Troy in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. Coach Nick Saban remains coy as to who will start this week between Marcus Randall and JaMarcus Russell. Randall came off the bench to lead the win at Florida. This is the first home game for the Tigers in 28 days since the Mississippi State game. (Advocate.com and TigerBait.com)

SEC TRENDS: In 2000, SEC teams rushed the ball 51% of their plays. This season, they are running the ball 60% of the time. (Columbus Ledger Enquirer)

MIAMI: Quarterback Brock Berlin is recovering from a bruised sternum that he suffered against Louisville. Defensive back Devin Hester leads the nation in kickoff returns with a 32- yard average. He had a 78-yard punt return in the win over Louisville last week. Receiver Sinorice Moss (hamstring) and receiver Ryan Moore (ankle) are questionable. The Canes played with only four receivers—Roscoe Parrish, Darnell Jenkins, Lance Leggett and Akieem Jolla—against Louisville. The Cane defense is allowing only 12 points per game. The defense has been setting up the offense that averages 356 ypg. (Canesport.com and Miami Herald)

N. C. STATE: The Wolfpack has 29 players from Florida on its roster. Five former Miami Killian High players are on the roster. The ESPN Gameday crew is at Raleigh this weekend. Except for the Richmond game when they scored 42 points, the Wolfpack are averaging 19 points per game against average defenses. Tailback T. A. McClendon is nursing a tender hamstring.

DUKE AT VIRGINIA: Despite the thrashing from FSU, Virginia is 5-1 and off to its best start in six years.

MARYLAND: One of the highlights of this game could be the play of kick returners Justin Miller (34 yard average) of Clemson and Steve Suter (26 yard average) of Maryland. In losses to Georgia Tech and N. C. State, the Terp offense managed 172 yards and ten points. No team has scored more than 22 points on Maryland. Quarterbacks Joel Statham and Jordan Steffy have been very average at best. Tailback Josh Allen needs to step up his production after rushing for only 392 yards and three scores.

CLEMSON: Maryland has beaten Clemson three straight times. In those games, Maryland averaged 212 ypg rushing and Clemson averaged 71 ypg rushing. Since 1992, the team who held the rushing advantage has won the game. In the past three games, Maryland has rushed for 637 yards and Clemson has run for 214. Clemson ranks No. 94 in rushing averaging 109 yards per game. The Tigers would have an advantage in the return game if the game is tight. Linebacker LeRoy Hill of Clemson and Maryland linebacker D’Qwell Jackson are two the best in the conference. Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is still struggling with only six scores and 13 picks. (TigerIllustrated.com)

GEORGIA TECH IS OFF: Over the last two games, the Tech defense has allowed only 265 yards of total offense and improved its ranking from No. 64 (366) to No. 18 (288 ypg)

FLORIDA STATE: FSU linebacker Ernie Sims earned 76 tomahawk points in the win over Virginia, a total that defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said he had never seen before. Sims has 37 tackles, second only to linebacker A. J. Nicholson, who has one more. With safeties B. J. Ward and Kyler Hall sidelined by injuries, junior Pat Watkins has had to play more snaps. Against Virginia he has six tackles and broke up a pass. (Warchant.com)

WAKE FOREST: The Demon Deacons are second in the ACC in rushing and total offense averaging 221 and 399 yards per game. FSU leads the nation in rush defense allowing only 58 yards per game. Wake Forest quarterback Cory Randolph, who has passed for 769 yards and ran for 207, has thrown only two interceptions in his last 178 attempts over his last 11 games. In 13 of 21 Wake losses under Coach Jim Grobe have been by eight or fewer points. Wake is second in the ACC in turnover margin.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE CLAY COUNTY LINE IN ORANGE PARK, FL.
HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM AND SAMSPORTSLINE.COM.