The Tide defense allows 38 yards rushing and 166 yards passing, good for second in the SEC. Alabama is No 3 in the SEC in rushing offense averaging 203 yards per game. Starting defensive end Mark Anderson underwent surgery for a broken hand, but he will play Saturday. Penn State, Duke and Georgia Tech will be on future Tide schedules. (Bamaonline.com and AOL.com)

ARKANSAS: USC had scoring drives against Arkansas of 38, 6, 26 and 12 seconds. The Hogs have beaten Alabama five of the last eight times they have played. Arkansas leads the SEC in rushing. The Hogs are nearly last in the SEC in several defensive categories: rush defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and scoring defense. Hog freshman tailback Darren McFadden rushed 13 times for 88 yards against USC. Quarterback Robert Johnson has a sore back and a mild concussion from the USC game, but he will play. (Hawgsports.com)

RICHMOND AT VANDERBILT: Commodore quarterback Jay Cutler was 24- of- 41 for 314 yards in the win over Ole Miss. He ran for 58 yards. Vandy linebacker Moses Osemwegie had 11 tackles in the game. He forced a fumble from Ole Miss quarterback Robert Lane that sealed the win. Vandy was 11- of- 18 on third down. Vandy tailback Jeff Jennings ran for 106 yards and scored three times. Richmond has losses to UMASS, Lafayette and a win over Maine. (Vandysports.com)

TROY AT SOUTH CAROLINA: Gamecock coach Steve Spurrier is 0-2 in SEC play for the first time in his career. Quarterback Blake Mitchell was 20- of- 38 for 173 yards with an interception and a touchdown in the loss to Alabama. USC gained only 73 yards on the ground. The Gamecock rush defense allowed Alabama 338 yards rushing. Spurrier has promised some changes in the lineup such as moving Carlos Thomas, a receiver, to cornerback. Receiver Sidney Rice will start against Troy. Defensive coordinator John Thompson said he was particularly disappointed in the play of the linebackers. Spurrier said the “defensive stand-up scheme” will be used less. Mitchell will remain at quarterback. Spurrier said part of the problem is with the offensive line. He said he would also thin out the playbook. This is only the second meeting between Troy and USC. South Carolina won last year. These are two of the worst (ranked No. 113 and 114) rushing teams in the nation. Troy quarterbacks have been sacked over a dozen times in three games. ESPN2 has selected the Auburn game for a 7 p.m. start on Oct. 1. USC freshman quarterback Cade Thompson will likely redshirt. (Gamecockcentral.com and The State)

WESTERN KENTUCKY AT AUBURN: Quarterback Brandon Cox was 16- of- 19 for 171 yards in the win over Ball State. He had no turnovers. Tiger tailback Kenny Irons ran for 148 yards on 11 carries in the win over Ball State. Irons has taken over the starting role. Carl Stewart, Brad Lester and Tre Smith are working to back him up. Tackle Marcus McNeil and guard Tim Duckworth return to the lineup after missing last week’s game. Western Kentucky is the No. 1 team in Division I-AA. Hilltopper junior quarterback Justin Haddix owns several school records. Alex Rose (6-2, 177), a receiver from First Coast (Fla.) High school in Jacksonville, has committed to Auburn. (Auburnsports.com and AOL.com)

GEORGIA AT MISSISSPPI STATE: Georgia kicker Brandon Coutu kicked a 58-yard field goal (third longest in school history) in the win over ULM. He also had two 40-yard field goals. Despite Bulldog tailback Thomas Brown being out with a shoulder problem, the Dawgs, led by Danny Ware with 109 yards, gained 240 yards. Georgia gained 543 yards and committed two turnovers (one turnover was a fumble by reserve fullback Stephen White) Six different backs had at least one carry. Georgia averaged 9.7 yards per carry. Their 6.3 yards per carry leads the SEC. The two teams combined for 21 penalties (Georgia had 11). Bulldog quarterback D J Shockley was 13- of- 20 for 246 yards.

The Bulldog defense continues to create turnovers. Georgia has intercepted seven passes and recovered five fumbles (tied for the national lead with Georgia Tech). The Bulldogs are No. 1 in the SEC in scoring and also first in turnover margin. Cornerback Thomas Flowers intercepted a pass and defensive end Charles Johnson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score. Georgia leads the SEC in scoring and turnover margin. Freshman defensive back C J Byrd has seen more playing time backing up Tra Battle. Defensive back Antonio Sims will return soon from a broken leg. Linebacker Jarvis Jackson is probable after having recent thumb surgery. Saturday’s 9:12 eastern kickoff is the latest in Georgia history. Michael Lemon, a defensive lineman from Stratford Academy in Macon, Ga., is commitment No. 21 for the Bulldogs. (UGASports.com)

MISSISSIPPI STATE: State tailback Jerious Norwood scored the winning touchdown in the victory over Tulane. Backup tailback Derek Ambrose is out for the year with a torn ACL. Former Bulldog signee Jamar Chaney will face his old team Saturday night. This is the first time the two teams have played since 1997. Since 1991, Georgia is the only SEC team that State has not beaten at least once. State’s last win over Georgia came in 1974. Defensive lineman Willie Evans is the SEC defensive lineman- of- the week after making 10 tackles in the win over Tulane. (Bulldogblitz.com)

FLORIDA AT KENTUCKY: Quarterback Chris Leak (17- of- 26 for 179 yards) completed his first six passes and did not throw a pick in the win over Tennessee. He was 9- of- 11 on third down. Leak was sacked five times. Linebacker Brandon Siler had 6 tackles, 2 passes batted down and a quarterback hurry. Florida was three- for- three in the red zone with two being field goals. Cornerback Dee Webb blocked a field goal attempt and kicker Chris Hetland hit three field goals. Coach Urban Meyer said Webb had eight chances to make a play and he made a play on all eight. Defensive ends Joe Cohen and Derrick Harvey did a good job subbing for Ray McDonald, when he went out of the game with the knee injury. McDonald is out for 4-6 weeks after surgery for a partially torn ACL. Receiver Andre Caldwell, who scored on a reverse play, also went out with a broken leg in the third quarter. He is out for the season. Receiver Jemalle Cornelius had a productive game. Cornelius, Gavin Dickey and Tate Casey will be depended on to step up their play. Meyer said freshmen Louis Murphy and Nyan Boateng are pushing for playing time. Defensive back Reggie Lewis was beaten for the Vols’ lone score and was called for pass interference. Florida has allowed only one touchdown in the first half this season. The Gator defense held Tennessee to only 70 yards in the second half including (-4 yards) rushing. Their deepest penetration was to the Gator 48-yard line. Florida is No. 2 nationally in total defense allowing 199 yards per game. Defensive line coach Greg Mattison has been credited with improving the Gators technique.

Gator recruiting: Jamar Hornsby, a five-star athlete from Sandalwood High, in Jacksonville, Fla., has delayed any announcement of a commitment. He said that he would make his official visit to Florida during the FSU game. Hornsby is also going to make an official visit to Michigan in October when they play Penn State. Rivals No. 1 athlete Percy Harvin, who is from Virginia Beach, Va., rated his visit to Gainesville this weekend as a “10”. Harvin has canceled his official visit to FSU and added a trip to Michigan when the Wolverines face Ohio State Nov. 18. He had not omitted FSU from his favorites. Harvin had four touchdowns in his game last Friday including a 70-yard kick return and a 90-yard interception return. Maurice Hurt (6-3, 344), a defensive lineman from Baldwin County in Milledgeville, Ga., has committed to the Gators. (Gatorbait.net and Gainesville Sun)

KENTUCKY: The Wildcats had an inexcusable showing in a loss to Indiana. Quarterback Andre’ Woodson said his team took the Hoosiers too lightly. Kentucky allowed Indiana to run for over 300 yards and has allowed an average of 216-yard rushing per game. Kentucky has lost to Florida 18 straight times. (CatsPause.com)

TENNESSEE AT LSU: Tennessee is now 1-6 when it enters the Florida game as the higher ranked team. The Vols had five miscues in the kicking game in the loss to Florida: a blocked field goal, muffed punt, botched fake punt, a nine-yard punt and a kickoff out of bounds. Tennessee was terrible in first down production when 14- of- 24 first down plays went for 1 yard or less. The Vols were 3- of- 13 on third down. This season Tennessee longest play from scrimmage is 19 yards. What looked like a big play offense has not produced. Tailback Gerald Riggs ran 17 times for 86 yards including 73 in the first half. Tennessee only ran six times in the second half after attempting 15 in the first half. Quarterback Erik Ainge was 14-of -29 for 147 yards. He has been named the starter against LSU. The Vol receivers, with a decided height advantage, could do nothing with the Florida corners. The Vol defensive front did a nice job stuffing the run. Tennessee sacked Leak five times.

The Vol total of seven points against Florida was the second lowest under Fulmer in a SEC game. Tennessee has scored 24 points in the first two games, the lowest production since 1981 when they were outscored 87-7 in the first two games. Right guard Cody Douglas is out for the game with ankle and knee problems. His injury means the Vols will be starting their third-different lineup in as many games. Center Richie Gandy tweaked the same knee that he hurt in August, and he is questionable. Florida loaded the line of scrimmage, played aggressive press-man coverage on the perimeter and dared the Vols to throw over the top and they didn’t. (Volquest.com)

LSU: The Tennessee game has been delayed until Monday night at 6:30 p.m. LSU has not played since beating Arizona State in Tempe two week’s ago. LSU’s defense allowed 461 yards to Arizona State. Tennessee has allowed two touchdowns in eight quarters. Defensive end Kirston Pittman had a procedure on his ankle and could be done for the year. The Tennessee-LSU matchup will be the first between top ten teams since 1987 when the Tigers were ranked No. 4 and Ohio State was No. 7. The two teams have not played since 2001. (TigerBait.com and advocate.com)

WYOMING AT OLE MISS: Ole Miss receiver Mike Espy ran a punt back 51-yards for a touchdown to put the Rebels in position to tie Vanderbilt. Rebel redshirt freshman receiver Mico McSwain scored on a 53-yard run in the third quarter to pull the Rebels within a touchdown. The Rebel defense allowed Vandy to gain 523 yards, run 90 plays, almost double the time of possession, and have a 100-yard runner and a 300-yard passer. Lane could start against Wyoming if starter Micheal Spurlock can’t go due to a broken middle finger on his left hand. Lane is more of a pocket passer than Spurlock. Rebel linebacker Patrick Willis has a knee injury and broken finger. Rebel receiver Mario Hill leads the SEC in receiving yards per game (119), but he is doubtful for the game Saturday. Defensive back Jamarca Sanford also will not play. Ole Miss has inked a deal with Missouri for the next two seasons. They travel to Columbia next season. (RebelGrove.com and Clarion-Ledger)

COLORADO AT MIAMI: The Canes outlasted Clemson in their triple-overtime win. Miami committed 14 penalties for 117 yards. Clemson had two penalties. The Canes won despite losing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The offensive line allowed five sacks. Defensive back Brandon Merriweather had 10 tackles. Quarterback Kyle Wright was 16- of- 26 for 152 yards and a score. Tailback Tyrone Moss had 139 yards on 13 carries. Freshman Kenny Phillips picked off Whitehurst to end the game. Miami is last in the ACC in sacks allowed (14) and sack production (2). Colorado will be hard pressed to gain more than 250 yard rushing like they did against New Mexico State. The Buffaloes are No. 8 in rush defense allowing 50 yards per game. Colorado quarterback Joe Klatt, who has completed 40-of-58 passes for 469 yards, is No. 32 in pass efficiency. Tailback Hugh Charles has gained 100-yard in the first two games. The last two times these teams played in 1993, the game ended with a bench- clearing brawl. (Canesport.com)

BOSTON COLLEGE AT CLEMSON: Tiger quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who was 31- of- 55 for 288 yards and two scores, overthrew wide open receiver Chansi Stuckey in the end zone right before the end of regulation, partly because he had pressure from Miami defensive lineman Javon Nanton. Whitehurst threw his only interception of the season on the final play of overtime. Freshman defensive back Kenny Phillips picked it off. Freshman James Davis was held to 12 yards on 12 carries. Still, Clemson had 380 total yards. The overtime loss was the first for Clemson after going 5-0 before Saturday’s game. Stuckey led Clemson in receiving with 71 yards on seven catches. Coach Tommy Bowden said the Cane defense was one of the best he had seen in his tenure. Tight end Cole Downer had his spleen removed and is probably out for the season. (TigerIllustrated.com)

BOSTON COLLEGE: Quarterback Quinton Porter is questionable with a high ankle sprain. Reserve quarterback Matt Ryan might have to replace him for the second consecutive game. No Eagle running back has gained over 100 yards this season. Senior defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka has yet to make a sack yet. Clemson is 4-2 after its first loss of the season under Tommy Bowden and the Eagles are 7-1 after their first loss of the season under Coach Tom O’Brien. (EagleAction.com)

FLORIDA STATE: The Noles are off until Syracuse visits Oct. 1. Nole linebacker A J Nicholson, who made 19 tackles, intercepted two passes and returned one for a 19-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. The defense held BC six times from inside the two-yard line. Receiver Greg Carr caught two scores in the Noles defeat of BC. FSU scored two touchdowns before BC came back with 17 unanswered points. FSU’s ground game struggled with 19 carries for 13 yards. BC’s Porter, who was 20- of- 31 for one score and two picks, left with an ankle injury. Defensive back Darius McClure blocked a punt that led to a Lorenzo Booker score. FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford was 20- of- 38 for 243 yards and two scores. His best drive came in the fourth quarter when he was 8- of- 9 for 56 yards and a scoring toss to Carr. Punter Chris Hall pinned BC inside their own 20-yard line three times in the second half. Freshman defensive back Tony Carter has been compared favorably to Tay Cody. Carter is tied for second place in tackles with 11. FSU coaches have downplayed quarterback Xavier Lee’s demeanor on the sidelines in the BC game. TV analysts commented that he was not paying attention to the action. Linebacker Ernie Sims had a minor ankle sprain in the game. Senior noseguard Broderick Bunkley has a small cartilage tear and bruise in his knee but he is fine. (Warchant.com)

GEORGIA TECH AT VIRGINIA TECH: Yellow Jacket quarterback Reggie Ball is out of the hospital after a bout of viral meningitis, but is expected to play Saturday. His condition didn’t require quarantine. His illness snapped a string of 27 straight starts. Ball was replaced by redshirt freshman Taylor Bennett who threw for 142 yards and one score in the win over UCONN. Tailback P J Daniels is averaging 109 yards per game. Tech is improved on defense, allowing 16 points and 310 yards. (Jacketsonline.com)

VIRGINIA TECH: The Hokies are allowing less than 221 yards per game, fifth nationally. Tech has two straight shutouts. The Hokies are thinner on the offensive line after losing guard Reggie Butler for the season with a torn ACL. Receiver Eddie Royal only has two catches for 15 yards. Quarterback Marcus Vick has completed 60% of his passes for 500 yards and a league-leading six touchdowns. (HokieHaven.com)

NORTH CAROLINA AT N C STATE: UNC quarterback Matt Baker leads the ACC in total offense at 286 yards, but he is complaining less than 45% of his throws. N C State and UNC have committed 20 penalties for 182 yards. UNC’s defense is ranked No. 74 in the nation. Wolfpack tailback Toney Baker rushed for 85 yards and scored three times in the win over Eastern Kentucky last week. (TheWolfpacker.com)

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE CLAY COUNTY LINE IN ORANGE PARK, FL.
HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM AND SAMSPORTSLINE.COM.
HE CAN BE HEARD AT 6:20 P.M. ON MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS ON 930 THE FOX IN JACKSONVILLE, FLA.