GEORGIA: Coach Mark Richt is 16-2 on the road. Quarterback D J Shockley leads the SEC in passing efficiency. He has completed nearly 60% of his passes. Shockley has eight touchdowns and two interceptions. Georgia has won the past two games in Knoxville. Georgia is No. 3 in the nation in turnover margin (plus 8). Georgia has the best offense in the SEC (468 ypg), No. 2 in rushing (198 ypg) and passing (270 ypg). Running backs Thomas Brown is back from a shoulder injury. Tight ends Leonard Pope and Martrez Milner have caught 16 passes for 338 yards and three scores. The Dawgs have posted a picture of Tennessee’s Jason Allen with a flag on the Georgia logo after the Vols upset Georgia last year. Rover Antonio Sims is back after breaking a leg this summer. The coaches are unsure how much he will play. Georgia must also minimize penalties because they are the second most penalized teams in the SEC. Wide receivers A J Bryant and Mario Raley will not make the trip due to injuries. Defensive end Charles Johnson has a sore ankle. (UGASports.com)

LSU AT VANDERBILT: Tiger running back Joseph Addai ran for 86 yards on 17 carries in the win over Mississippi State. The Tigers ran for 180 yards. JaMarcus Russell was 21- of- 24 for 197 yards. Receiver Xavier Carter ran a reverse 36 yards for a score. Receiver Skyler Green caught nine passes, mostly on bubble screens. Receiver Craig Davis missed the game with an injury. After allowing a 66-yard scoring pass from State quarterback Omarr Conner, the Tiger defense tightened up and surrendered no more points. Defensive lineman Melvin Oliver had a breakout game with six tackles and two sacks. The defense had seven sacks. LSU has allowed Arizona State’s Sam Keller to throw for 461 yards and Clausen of Tennessee to pass for 196 yards. Defensive back LaRon Landry has four interceptions in LSU’s past five games. LSU is last in the SEC in pass defense allowing 295 yards per game, No. 107 in the nation. (Tigerbait.com)

VANDERBILT: Quarterback Jay Cutler leads the SEC in passing yards per game (275), completions per game (25) and total offense per game (311 ypg). Vandy is averaging 165 yards per game rushing. A win over LSU would give Vandy its first 3-0 start in the SEC since 1950. Receiver Erik Davis has at least six catches in every game this season. Vandy’s defense is No. 8 in the SEC. The Commodores allow 149 yards rushing and 215 yards passing per game. Linebacker Moses Osemwegie has 46 tackles, two sacks and an interception.

THE CITADEL AT OLE MISS: Receiver Mike Espy caught a career-high 10 passes for 115 yards in the loss to Tennessee. Ole Miss running back Mico McSwain ran 13 times for 70 yards. McSwain has gained 286 yards on 32 carries. Citadel lost its starting quarterback Duran Lawson last week to a torn ACL. The Bulldogs run an option attack. Running back Mario Hill (muscle injury) and offensive lineman Darryl Harris (back spasms) are battling injuries and hope to play. Linebacker Patrick Willis had 15 tackles in the game. Quarterback Michael Spurlock, who was 18- of- 37 for 200 yards, threw a pick that was returned for a touchdown in the first quarter. The Rebels gained 250 yards against Tennessee. Ole Miss had three turnovers compared to none for Tennessee. The Rebels have allowed 523 yards to Vanderbilt and 383 to Wyoming. (RebelGrove.com)

LOUSIANA MONROE AT ARKANSAS: Freshman receiver Rod Coleman may lose his redshirt because of injuries to Chris Baker (sprained knee) and Cedric Washington (hamstring). Another freshman, running back Felix Jones is averaging 8 yards per carry. Arkansas is off to a 1-3 start, but their opponents have a 13-1 record. ULM runs out of a shotgun formation with senior Steven Jyles at quarterback. He threw four scoring passes against Arkansas State last weekend. Arkansas is No. 99 in the nation in turnover margin. The Hogs lead the SEC in rushing with 277 yards per game. (HawgIllustrated.com)

MISSISSIPPI STATE AT FLORIDA: Bulldog quarterback Omarr Conner threw a 66- yard pass to Joey Sanders in the loss to LSU. Conner was 9- of- 22 for 141 yards. State ran for only 56 yards. Coach Sly Croom has suspended redshirt freshman linebacker Fred Akines and sophomore defensive back Demario Bobo indefinitely. Bobo is fifth on the team in tackles. Akines has one tackle. Defensive lineman Willie Evans leads the SEC in sacks with 6. Conner has thrown for 803 yards with eight touchdowns and four picks this season. State’s offense is ranked No. 105 in the nation. Tailback Jerious Norwood suffered a concussion in the second quarter against LSU. (BulldogBlitz.com)

FLORIDA: In the loss to Alabama, quarterback Chris Leak was 16- of- 37 for 187 yards and two picks. Gator receiver Dallas Baker caught 6 passes for 119 yards. Florida receiver Chad Jackson caught 8 passes for 50 yards. Linebacker Brandon Siler had seven tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack. He was one of the few defensive players that played with a high level of energy. The Gator’s did not take advantage of Earl Everett’s 33-yard run on a fake-punt. Florida’s 166 game touchdown streak that started in 1992 came to an end. Safeties Jarvis Herring and Kyle Jackson were continually out of position, missed tackles and had bad angles. The spread offense has not worked, partly due to an ineffective offensive line. Meyer said tailback Markus Manson will get more playing time because of his speed. Offensive linemen Tavares Washington and Jim Tartt left with injuries, but should return this week. Receiver Jemalle Cornelius is doubtful with an ankle injury. Meyer said the first three series set the tone for the game. A lack of success on third down is causing fewer calls for shovel passes and triple option. Gator coaches have bemoaned the fact that they are not getting the ball out on the perimeter. The Gators missed 17 tackles in the Alabama game. Meyer has said this week that he wants Reggie Nelson more involved in the defense. The Gators have allowed 18 sacks this season, last in the SEC. With a win over State, Florida is hoping to begin the season 5-1 for the first time since 2001. (Gatorbait.com and Gainesville Sun)

ALABAMA: The Tide is off this week. Alabama is up to No. 7 in the AP poll. Alabama ran for 121 yards and threw for 288 yards in the win over Florida. Tailback Ken Darby ran for 101 yards on 15 carries. He had five runs of nine yards or longer. Quarterback Brodie Croyle was 14- of -17 for 283 yards. Receiver Tyrone Prothro caught 134 yards on five catches including two scores. The Tide defense held the Gators to 139 yards rushing and 187 yards passing. Florida’s Jackson was held to 6 catches for 50 yards. One of the big plays of the game for the Tide defense was holding Florida tailback DeShawn Wynn on a 4th and goal from the 1-yard line. This came after a fake punt. Tide defensive coordinator Joe Kines had drilled the defense on the Gator tendencies. Alabama defensive players said the Gators kept repeating the same signals. In the third quarter, the Tide had a drive that didn’t score, but lasted six minutes. Defensive lineman Chris Harris and defensive back Ramzee Robinson had interceptions. Freshman defensive lineman Bobby Greenwood had a sack and two quarterback hurries in 18 snaps. Several of Leak’s passes were knocked down. Alabama is 8-0 the past two seasons with Croyle starting as quarterback. In the Florida game, Croyle set the school record for touchdown passes with 36. David Ross (6-4, 295), an offensive lineman from Homewood (Ala.) High, has committed to Alabama over Auburn. Marquis Johnson (6-0, 190), a defensive back from Sarasota Booker High, committed to Alabama on Tuesday. He chose Alabama over Maryland. Croyle is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated. Prothro had successful surgery for his broken ankle. He is expected back next spring. Freshman Corey Reamer tore an ACL in practice Wednesday. (Bamaonline.com)

AUBURN: The Tigers are off this week. Tiger quarterback Brandon Cox was 19- of- 29 for 245 yards and one touchdown in the win over South Carolina. Linebacker Travis Williams, who was not recruited by South Carolina, led the Tigers in tackles with 11 and forced one fumble. USC moved across midfield only once. Auburn leads the SEC in scoring defense. Tiger tailback Brad Lester led the Tigers in rushing with 53 yards on 13 carries and scored twice. Auburn is averaging 178 yards per game rushing (No. 3 in SEC). They ran for 123 yards against South Carolina. They have allowed only five sacks this season. The Tigers are building ample depth on the offensive line. The Tigers have six straight SEC games, including four on the road. Steven Ross will start his first game at center against Arkansas. He replaces Joe Cope who started the first five games. Terrell Zachery (6-1, 185), a receiver from Wadley (Ala) has committed to Auburn. (Auburnsports.com)

KENTUCKY AT SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina scored only one touchdown in the loss to Auburn. Quarterback Antonio Heffner was 15- of- 23 for 133 yards. Receiver Sidney Rice caught three passes for 63 yards. USC has lost three of its last four games. Coach Steve Spurrier admitted this week that the recruiting has slipped the past few years before he was named the coach. He also said the reason for the poor start is inexperience among the top players and inconsistency in effort and intensity. Last week, a redshirt or true freshmen started at quarterback, tailback and receiver. USC is No. 10 in scoring defense (27 ppg), No. 11 in rushing defense (183 ppg) and No. 7 in total defense (360 ypg). Quarterback Blake Mitchell, who missed the Auburn game with a sprained ankle, should start against Kentucky. Spurrier is thinking about moving receiver Syvelle Newton back to quarterback. He would backup Mitchell. Rafael Little, the Kentucky running back, is averaging a SEC leading168 all-purpose yards. Kentucky is the worst run defense allowing 214 yards per game. South Carolina is the worst rushing offense in the SEC averaging 66 yards per game. (Gamecockcentral.com)

MARSHALL AT VIRGINIA TECH: The Hokies ran for 214 yards in the win over West Virginia. Tailback Cedric Humes ran for 79 yards and quarterback Marcus Vick ran for 74 yards. Vick, who threw for two scores and ran for one, was 15- of- 17 for 177 yards and no picks. No word yet if Vick will be suspended for an obscene gesture toward officials last week in the West Virginia game.

MARYLAND AT TEMPLE: The Terps upset Virginia by 12 points. Terp quarterback Sam Hollenbach had two touchdowns and threw for 320 yards on 25- of- 33 passing. Receiver Danny Melendez caught 9 passes for 125 yards. Tailback Lance Ball ran for 163 yards as the Terps ran for 250 yards.

WAKE FOREST AT FLORIDA STATE: The Noles ran for 116 yard on 38 carries and passed for 396 yards in the win over Syracuse. Starting quarterback Drew Weatherford was 17- of- 26 for 234 yards. He threw for three scores and ran for one. Xavier Lee was 5- of-10 for 162 yards. Receiver Willie Reid caught five passes for 70 yards. Chris Davis caught four passes for 89 yards. Kenny O’Neal caught one pass for 75 yards. Last season, the Noles completed only one pass longer than 50 yards. So far this season, they have completed six passes of more than 50 yards. Last season, the Noles converted 24% on third down compared to 41% this season. The Noles sacked Syracuse quarterback Perry Patterson, who was 14- of- 25 for 189 yards with a touchdown pass, seven times and had 16 total tackles for loss. FSU has 19 sacks on the season, four more than last season. Syracuse gained only 45 yards rushing. FSU’s defense is in the top ten in total defense, rush defense and scoring defense. Wake Forest is No. 74 in scoring defense nationally. Defensive lineman Darrell Burston is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Sophomore Alex Boston has done a good job replacing him. The game at Virginia on Oct. 15 has been selected by ESPN for a 7:45 pm kickoff. FSU coaches are planning on visiting St. Augustine (Fla.) High athlete Jacques Rickerson in Fridays’ game against Nease High quarterbacked by heralded prospect Tim Tebow. Wake Forest has the top two rushers in the ACC, but FSU’s run defense is No. 6 nationally. (Warchant.com)

DUKE AT MIAMI: The Canes got off to a quick 17-0 lead before the offense bogged down and won 27-7 in the win over South Florida. Quarterback Kyle Wright was 13- of- 26 for 173 yards. Tailback Tyrone Moss carried 22 times for 89 yards and scored three touchdowns. The defense was stellar allowing only 174 yards on 11- of- 31 completions for 69 yards and four picks. Defensive back Lovon Ponder had two interceptions. Kicker Jon Peattie made two field goals after missing two last week. Linebacker Tavares Gooden is expected to miss the season after having shoulder surgery. Cornerback Randy Phillips is not expected back for four weeks due to a knee injury and safety Greg Threat (thigh) could return this week. Glenn Cook started at the nickel linebacker spot. Defensive lineman Kareem Brown had two sacks. Leon Williams started over Romeo Davis at linebacker. Guard Derrick Morse should return this week from a shoulder injury. Coach Larry Coker said the receivers had been playing average. (Canesport.com)

CLEMSON: The Tigers are off this week after blowing the lead and the game to Wake Forest. After trailing by three with three minutes left, the Demon Deacons, led by receiver turned quarterback, Cory Randolph drove 66 yards in eight plays in nearly two minutes of play. Clemson has lost three straight games by a total of 13 points. Several members of the Clemson media said this loss was nearly as inexcusable as the loss to Duke last year. In the first half, Clemson had a punt blocked and two passes that were tipped and picked off. Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was 28 –of- 42 for 304 yards. Tailback Reggie Merriweather rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries. Clemson failed on a fake punt with fourth and seven inside the Wake Forest 30-yard line. The Tigers held Wake to 165 yards rushing. Tailback Chris Barclay ran for 105 yards. Randolph was 20- of- 25 for 222 yards and three touchdowns. Tommy Bowden is 2-2 versus Wake. (TigerIllustrated.com)

NORTH CAROLINA AT LOUSIVILLE: Tailback Ronnie McGill returns for UNC after tearing a chest muscle. He will take 20-25 snaps. Louisville’s defensive lineman Elvis Dumervil has 11 sacks.

VIRGINIA AT BOSTON COLLEGE: Virginia is struggling to run because of a banged up offensive line. Offensive linemen D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Brian Barthelmes are back from injury. The BC defense is in the top five in scoring defense; total defense and rush defense allowing 53 yards rushing per game despite no players in the top 35 in tackles.

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.