ARKANSAS (2-5, 4-6): Tailback Darren McFadden ran for 165 yards to lead the Hogs past Mississippi State. Running back Felix Jones ran 10 times for 71 yards. Arkansas ran for 247 yards on 45 carries. The Hog defense held State to only 183 yards. Quarterback Casey Dick was 12- of -23 for 124 yards and two picks. Injuries have forced a shuffling with the offensive line this week. Guard Stephen Parker will not play.

LSU (6-1, 9-1): Quarterback JaMarcus Russell threw two scoring passes in the rout of Ole Miss. The loss was the worst home defeat for the Rebels since 1956. The Tiger defense held Ole Miss to seven yards rushing. LSU has won eight straight games, the longest streak since the 2003 season. The Tiger defense knocked out Ole Miss quarterback Ethan Flatt early in the game. Michael Spurlock replaced him. Neither was very effective. Arkansas has lost five straight games in Baton Rouge by an average of nearly 20 ppg. LSU has won nine games in three straight years. The last time this happened was 1985-87. They have won all five road games this season. Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth set a school record with his 49th straight start. LSU has allowed a team to score in the first quarter only twice this season (Mississippi State and Alabama). Russell has thrown 14 touchdowns this season, the eighth Tiger quarterback to do so in a single season. LSU is No. 92 in turnover margin (forced 12 takeaways).

TENNESSEE (2-5, 4-6 AT KENTUCKY (2-5, 3-7): Vanderbilt receiver Earl Bennett, who grabbed 14 passes for 167 yards, caught a 5-yard pass from quarterback Jay Cutler for the winning points as Vanderbilt broke a 22-game losing streak to Tennessee. The Vols will have a losing season for the first time since 1988. Cutler was 27- of- 39 for 315 yards and three scores. Tailback Arian Foster ran 40 times for 223 yards. Rick Clausen was 11- of- 25 for 125 yards and two picks. Many sources are reporting that David Cutcliffe will be hired as offensive coordinator as soon as the season ends. Offensive lineman Albert Toeaina has been suspended for the Kentucky game after he threw his helmet and spit on a cameraman. Clausen will not play due to a strained knee. Erik Ainge will start. This is the sixth different starting quarterback this season for Tennessee.

OLE MISS (1-6, 3-7): Word out of Oxford is that Noel Mazzone, the offensive coordinator, has already been fired. Mazzone has two years left on his contract. Twelve players including seven from the February signing class have either quit or been kicked off the team since last summer.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (0-7, 2-8): Jerious Norwood had 91 yards rushing on 14 carries in the loss to Arkansas. Quarterback Mike Henig was 11- of- 27 for 77 yards and one pick.

ALABAMA (6-2, 9-2): Tide quarterback Brodie Croyle was sacked 11 times in the loss Auburn. The Tide gained only 188 yards, losing 81 on sacks. Croyle was only 13- of- 25 for 109 yards. Auburn led at halftime, 28-7. Alabama gained only 33 yards rushing due to the loss of yards on sacks. Tailback Ken Darby ran 18 times for 89 yards. Alabama had 12 penalties and Auburn had two.

AUBURN (7-1, 9-2): Quarterback Brandon Cox was 13-of -15 in the first half for 120 yards in the win over Alabama. Tailback Kenny Irons gained 103 yards on 28 carries. He has run for at least 100 yards in six straight games. The Auburn seniors, who have won a record tying 39 games in four years, have never lost to Alabama. The four-game winning streak ties the longest streak of four straight from 1986-89. Auburn outgained Alabama in the first quarter 120- to- 17 yards. Lee Tilley (6-5, 317), an offensive tackle from Columbus, Ohio Franklin Heights, committed to Auburn on Monday. He had 36 other offers. Tilley is the No. 24 rated OT by Rivals.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA (5-3, 7-4): Freshman tailback Mike Davis ran 21 times for 111 yard in the loss to Clemson. Quarterback Blake Mitchell was 16-of -29 for 188 yard and three picks. He sprained his ankle early in the game. His three picks came in the second half. Receiver Sidney Rice caught seven passes for 122 yards. However, Rice dropped a ball at the Clemson 5-yard line late in the third quarter. South Carolina gained 251 yards in the first half, but only 96 in the second half. This was the first game this season that the team that scored first did not win the game. Two trips inside the 20-yard line ended up in only two field goals. USC forced three turnovers.

FLORIDA (5-3, 7-3): Receiver Dallas Baker still has a broken rib but he is close to 80-90% and will play against Florida State. Coach Urban Meyer said it is a pain tolerance issue. Defensive lineman Marcus Thomas (back) is getting better. FSU leads the ACC in sacks and Florida has allowed the most in the SEC. A Gator win would mean Florida would beat a Bobby Bowden coached team in consecutive years for the first time since 1985-86. Florida can also finish unbeaten at home for the first time since 2000, if they beat FSU. Neither team is ranked in the top 15 for the first time since 1986. Defensive lineman Ray McDonald might need a second knee surgery to repair an ACL tear. Florida has allowed an SEC-high 31 sacks. FSU has 33 sacks on the season.

FLORIDA STATE (5-3, 7-3): FSU is close to its first three-game losing streak since 1983. FSU and Florida are the two most penalized teams in their conference. Defensive lineman Kamerion Wimbley will miss the game and end D J Norris is doubtful. FSU has allowed at least 150 yards rushing in the past four games. A total of 28 players on the FSU depth chart have missed time with injuries this season.

GEORGIA (6-2, 8-2): The Bulldogs have won the Eastern Division title three times in the past four seasons. One of the keys to beating Kentucky last week was holding Wildcat running back Rafael Little to 61 total yards. Quarterback D J Shockley, who was 17- of- 31 for 159 yards in less than three quarters, threw for four touchdowns. Tailback Danny Ware (eight carries for 71 yards) scored on a 52-yard run, the longest run from scrimmage since 1999. The Bulldogs gained 169 yards rushing and 226 yards passing. Punter Gordon Ely-Kelso made the play of the game when he ran 34 yards on a fake punt that set up a touchdown pass from Shockley to tight end Leonard Pope. The Bulldogs were 0- of- 10 on third downs, but three- of- four on fourth down. Georgia has beaten Kentucky nine straight years. The Bulldogs could be making three straight trips to Atlanta (Tech, SEC title game and Sugar Bowl). ABC had selected the Georgia Tech game for an 8:00 pm kickoff. Tech has not beaten Georgia since 2000. Running back Tyson Browning might have a broken leg that he sustained on a kickoff return. Linebacker Tony Taylor had his knee scoped Friday and is likely out for the season. Marcus Howard replaces him. Defensive lineman Charles Johnson injured his arm and was wearing a sling by the end of the game. Shockley has 18 touchdowns and only four picks. Georgia has allowed only 16 sacks, the fewest in the SEC. Tech sacked Bulldog quarterbacks four times last year. The receivers are dropping too many passes.

GEORGIA TECH (5-3, 7-3): The Yellow Jackets sacked Miami quarterback Kyle Wright seven times and made two late defensive stands to beat the Canes. Quarterback Reggie Ball was 11- of- 30 passing for 159 yards. Ball is averaging 229 all-purpose yards. Receiver Calvin Johnson had six catches for 89 yards. Travis Bell missed field goals of 42 and 44 yards. Tailback Tashard Choice had 29 carries for 84 yards. Credit must be given to defensive coordinator John Tenuta for the job he did against the Canes offense. Three Tech players lost love ones last week: defensive back Dennis Davis, who made the game-clinching pick, lost his cousin in Iraq. Linebacker Philip Wheeler lost his uncle and linebacker Gerris Wilkinson lost his mother to cancer. Tailback P. J. Daniels missed the Miami game with an ankle injury. Receiver Calvin Johnson has 50 catches for 855 yards. Tech is ranked in the top 15 defensively in seven different categories. Georgia will have trouble blocking linebacker KaMichael Hall, who leads the team with 13.5 TFL.

VIRGINIA (3-4, 6-4): Tailback Wali Lundy ran 15 times for 67 yards in the loss to Virginia Tech. Marques Hagans was 17- of- 30 for 140 yards and two picks.

MIAMI (5-2, 8-2): Wright was only 14- of- 31 for 207 yards in the loss to Tech. Wright’s worst decision was trying to throw to tight end Greg Olsen at the Tech 27-yard line late in the game when he was double-covered. The Yellow Jackets bounced back from last week’s loss to Virginia. Tech had drives of 61 and 68 yards that ended in scores. Miami converted one- of- 14 third down situations and had only 30 yards rushing. Tailback Charlie Jones had 18 carries for 50 yards. Receiver Sinorice Moss caught six passes for 63 yards. Tight end Greg Olsen did not catch a pass. One of the big plays late in the game was Tech punter Ben Arndt’s 78-yard kick. Miami was one-for- 16 on third and fourth down against Georgia Tech. Wright was sacked seven times. The formula for beating Miami is to stuff the running game at the line of scrimmage and pressure Wright. The receivers are also struggling to get open. Miami has lost a crucial game at home for the past two years. Coach Larry Coker’s biggest offseason decision could be what to do with offensive coordinator Dan Werner.

NORTH CAROLINA (4-3, 5-5): The Tar Heels’s Ronnie McGill, who gained 146 yard on 26 carries, ran a 2-yard touchdown in the final two minutes to rally past Duke. Quarterback Matt Baker was 15- of- 34 for 238 yards.

VIRGINIA TECH (6-1, 9-1): Tech beat Virginia for the sixth time in seven meetings. They converted three UVA turnovers into touchdowns. If Tech beats UNC Saturday, they win their division. Tailback Cedric Humes ran 17 times for 113 yards and three scores. Tech ran for 333 yards on 55 carries. Quarterback Marcus Vick was 15- of- 21 for 178 yards and one pick.

MARYLAND (3-4, 5-5): The Terps had four turnovers in the loss to Boston College. They had a fumble returned for a score and an interception returned for another touchdown. Tailback Lance Ball ran for 135 yards and a score. Quarterback Sam Hollenbach was 25- of- 45 for 230 yards and two picks.

N C STATE (2-5, 5-5): Andre Brown ran for 94 yards and a score in the win over Middle Tennessee. Stephen Tulloch returned a pick 50 yards for a score. Quarterback Marcus Stone was 6 of 11 for 85 yards.

CLEMSON (4-4, 7-4): Freshman tailback James Davis ran for 145 yards in the win over South Carolina. Clemson has beaten USC eight- of- the past nine times in the series. Trailing 9-6, Clemson had a first down and 35 after two penalties. Amazingly, the Tigers converted the first down. Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was 17- of- 26 for 172 yards with two picks. Clemson won without junior right guard Nathan Bennett, who had been suspended for one game. Receiver Chansi Stuckey caught four passes for 26 yards. Clemson has three win over AP top 20 teams this season since 1989. Whitehurst has seven wins over top 25 teams, tying him for the lead with Rodney Williams. Clemson and Michigan are the only teams in the AP poll with four losses.

NO FLORIDA SCHOOL IN BSC: Unless FSU wins the ACC title game or South Florida (6-3) wins the Big East, no school from the state of Florida will be in the BCS for the second straight year If USF beats UConn (4-5), then they play at home against West Virginia on Dec. 3 for the league title. West Virginia still needs to be Pitt Thursday night. USF is the only team not to trail at home this season.

UCF: After losing all 11 games last year, the Golden Knights are a half-game off the NCAA record for biggest one-year improvement for a team. Because they have the best league record, UCF (7-1, 7-3) will host the C-USA title game on Dec. 3. Penn State is team with the next best improvement (+6).

ILLINOIS: The Illini, coached by former Florida Gator Ron Zook, lost eight Big Ten games by an average of 32 points.

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.