ALABAMA: Spring practice is over in Tuscaloosa after Saturday’s spring game where 40,000 fans saws the White team beat the Crimson team in the annual A-Day game. Quarterback John Parker Wilson, who was 21- of- 31 for 244 yards with two picks and two touchdowns, is the starter at quarterback. There is limited experience behind him with Marc Guillon, who missed the last part of spring with a knee injury, and Jimmy Barnes. The offensive line is better with the move of Antoine Caldwell to center. At middle linebacker, junior Matt Collins, a former walk-on, has held off redshirt freshman Prince Hall and juco transfer Darren Mustain in an attempt to replace Freddie Roach. Receiver D J Hall caught seven passes for 136 yards. Jamie Christensen kicked two field goals of 43 and 51 yards. Tailback Roy Upchurch carried 11 times for 35 yards, Jimmy Johns had 10 carries for 34 yards and Ken Darby ran seven times for 26 yards.

GEORGIA: G-Day is Saturday. The quarters will be 10 minutes each instead of eight- minute quarters previously in attempt to get the quarterbacks more work. In Monday’s scrimmage, the quarterbacks were under extreme pressure with two picks and multiple sacks. Defensive back Ramarcus Brown took quarterback Blake Barnes’ interception back 75 yards for a score. Freshman quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 67 yards and two scores, but was picked off by defensive back Tra Battle. Barnes threw for 74 yards, Joe Tereshinki for 48 and Joe Cox for 44. Barnes will miss the spring game after breaking a bone on the tip of his thumb. Cox moves up to the No. 2 spot behind Terenshinski. Tailbacks Thomas Brown and Danny Ware both rushed for 30 yards each. Receiver Trahern Holden caught three passes for 63 yards. Defensive back Bryan Evans was injured in a collision Monday, and was taken to the hospital for tests. He was not seriously hurt despite having a spinal cord concussion. Evans is competing with Asher Allen for the starting nickel corner and No. 2 wide corner. Near the end of Wednesday’s practice, freshman defensive tackle Ricardo Crawford was seen with a neck brace heading getting in a van heading possibly toward the hospital. Defensive back turned receiver Mikey Henderson has returned from a minor hamstring injury. Henderson and running back Jason Johnson, a junior from Chicago, has drawn many compliments from Mark Richt. Georgia safety Kelin Johnson has replaced Greg Blue at the starting safety position.

FLORIDA: Coach Urban Meyer said Wednesday’s practice was the best this spring. He lauded quarterback Chris Leak being more comfortable and defensive end Jarvis Moss being one of the most improved players. Meyer said freshmen guard Maurice Hurt and quarterback Tim Tebow are practicing hard. Cornerback Avery Atkins and offensive lineman Ronnie Wilson also drew compliments from Meyer. Receiver Dallas Baker has been solid. Florida has a scrimmage Saturday. Markus Manson and DeShawn Wynn are first and second in the pecking order.

LSU: The Tigers have finished spring practice. Only 3,000 fans showed up for last Saturday’s spring game on the same day that the women and men’s team were in the Final Four. LSU ran a scripted scrimmage Saturday due to so many players being out with injuries. Seven offensive players who were expected to contribute in the fall, did not participate. Receiver Dwayne Bowe had three touchdown catches. Quarterback Matt Flynn had scoring passes of 23 and 15 yards to Bowe. Quarterback Ryan Perrilloux threw a 29-yard scoring pass to Bowe. Flynn was 10- of- 22 for 145 yards and two scores. Perrilloux was 11- of -24 for 145 yards and one score. With Alley Broussard and Justin Vincent, Steven Korte and R J Jackson out, Jacob Hester led the tailbacks with 61 yards on 10 carries. Receiver Trindon Holliday ran 19 yards around end and had a 68-yard kickoff return. The offensive line needs a lot of work after losing Will Arnold and Ryan Miller to injuries that cost them time this spring. Ali Highsmith is back after finishing second on the team in tackles last year, but he is the only returning starter at linebacker. Les Miles said tackle Glenn Dorsey and Bowe had been the two of the most outstanding players of the spring.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldogs have their spring game Saturday. State had their second scrimmage of the spring last Saturday. The offense showed improvement in the red zone. Quarterback Mike Henig was 16- of- 33 for 173 yards with four scores and no picks. Former quarterback turned receiver Omarr Conner caught six passes for 110 yards and a score. Tailback Derek Ambrose rushed for 48 yards on six carries and a score. Brandon Thornton, the expected starter at tailback, is still recovering from a shoulder injury. Adam Carlson kicked six field goals. The defense led by tackles Deljuan Robinson and Andrew Powell limited the ground game to 83 yards. Sophomore Jamar Chaney led the defense with eight tackles. Six players—sophomores Keith Fitzhugh, Derek Pegues, Michael Gates, Tray Rutland, Charles Burns and redshirt freshman Quinton Wesley—were arrested and charged with felony assault Sunday. At a sorority party the previous night, the players allegedly assaulted a man named Demetric Armstead when he tried to break up an argument between two women.

OLE MISS: The Rebel defense held the offense in check for the half of Saturday’s scrimmage. Defensive back Gary Albury and linebacker Quentin Taylor had picks. Rogers Loche and Rob Russell have had good springs at linebacker. Art Kehoe’s offensive line did a much better job keeping the defensive line out of the backfield. BenJarvus Green –Ellis ran for 118 yards on 22 carries and two scores. Former quarterback turned running back Bruce Hall had 42 yards on 14 carries. Sophomore defensive end Peria Jerry has been a force this spring. With senior linebacker Patrick Willis rehabbing after foot surgery, Jerry, who moved from tackle to end, has been the most dominant player. Tight end Robert Lane, who is now up to 240 pounds, has had a very productive spring according to coach Ed Orgeron.

SOUTH CAROLINA: In last Friday’s scrimmage, the defense beat the offense 41-38 in a 101-play scrimmage. The Garnet and Black game is Saturday at 2 pm. Defensive end Shea McKeen returned from suspension. He will miss the three games of the season due to being involved in a bar fight. The quarterbacks, who were all picked off at least once, combined for 13- of- 44 passing for 161 yards. Blake Mitchell was 3- of- 11 for 28 yards and three picks. Cade Thompson, a redshirt freshman, was 7- of- 21 for 110 yards and a pick. Mike Davis and Cory Boyd ran for 78 yards each. Jasper Brinkley continues to improve at linebacker. Syvelle Newton, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, has asked to be moved to safety. He wants to concentrate on one position for his senior season. Receiver Sidney Rice broke his thumb while playing basketball last week. He is expected to be fine by the summer.

TENNESSEE: Saturday is the annual Orange and White game. Last Saturday, once again the offense struggled in a scrimmage. The first or second teams did not score in last Saturday’s scrimmage. Quarterback Erik Ainge was 13- of- 31 for 102 yards and Jonathan Crompton was 11- of- 20 for 94 yards. Offensively, the Vols lack confidence. Coach Phil Fulmer said Ainge needs to toughen up and not let dropped passes affect him. Defensive back Antwan Stewart picked off two passes. Redshirt freshman linebacker Rico McCoy was all over the field with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack. Foot surgery limited him last year. McCoy and other linebackers need to step up after losing three starters at the position. Defensive lineman Justin Harrell had constant penetration with three tackles for loss. Defensive tackle Demonte Bolden left the field on a stretcher following a head injury. The injury was not serious and he quickly returned to the team. Fulmer said he didn’t think the offense hit anybody on defense hard enough to hurt them. Punter Britton Colquitt was not at the Saturday scrimmage due to a hamstring injury. He overslept and did not come. Fulmer said he will play Saturday if he is through running by then or “rolling” due to the hamstring. The head coach has allowed Ell Ash, a lineman to return to the team after he was suspended following his conduct after the Vanderbilt game. The offense has struggled all spring, but the defense is replacing six of the front seven. Tackle Steven Jones was named the most improved player on offense and lineman Dan Williams and defensive back Jonathan Wade on defense.

FLORIDA STATE: The spring game this Saturday will be a modified scrimmage with a special scoring system. In Wednesday’s scrimmage, quarterback Drew Weatherford was 6- of- 7 for 79 yards. He has yet to throw an interception in any scrimmage work. In Monday’s practice, defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews called one of freshman defensive back Myron Rolle’s two picks as “unbelievable”. Rolle read quarterback Tommy Keane’s eyes then leaped over the receiver and caught the ball. He also delivered a vicious hit on tailback Pat Davis. Junior defensive tackle Andre Fluellen and sophomore center Dumaka Atkins had minor injuries in Saturday’s scrimmage. In that scrimmage, FSU ran for the ball 17 times for 120 yards. Tailback Antone Smith gained 67 yards on 27 carries. Lorenzo Booker caught a screen pass from Weatherford, who was 9- of -16 for 120 yards, and took it 65 yards for a score. Newcomer Toddrick Verdell looks to be staying at linebacker. There was talk of him moving to safety. Senior receiver Chris Davis is the leading candidate to replace Willie Reid as the No. 1 punt returner. Sophomore receiver Richard Goodman and freshman running back Russell Ball are competing against him. The punting job is between sophomore Graham Gano and Louisville transfer Brent Moody. After grading Saturday’s scrimmage, Andrews promoted Michael Ray Garvin and Trevor Ford to the starting cornerback positions over redshirt freshmen Jamie Robinson and Korey Mangum.

MIAMI: In Saturday’s scrimmage, the defense was way ahead of the offense. The defense had 14 tackles for loss. Defensive linemen Vegas Franklin, Bryan Pata and Courtney Harris all had sacks. The offensive line has trouble blocking Baraka Atkins, Pata, Teraz McCray and Kareem Brown. Quarterback Kyle Wright threw a few good passes and two bad picks in Saturday’s scrimmage. Backup quarterback Kirby Freeman continues to get work but it is too early to tell how he will do Running backs Charlie Jones, Derron Thomas and Andrew Johnson are running hard, but none of them are wowing anyone. Freshman Richard Gordon continues to impress at tight end. At receiver, Lance Leggett is the key. He is practicing better. Receiver Ryan Moore has missed valuable time with hip (muscle pulls) injuries. Darnell Jenkins, another receiver, has continued to improve. The offensive line is a work in progress, but the coaches are pleased with their work ethic. Miami’s O-line is crucial this year.

The Cane defensive line has some exciting young players like tackles Antonio Dixon and Luqman Abdullah. Lineman Rhyan Anderson had shoulder surgery, but is expected to be ready for the fall. The linebackers have been tremendous with younger players like Spencer Adkins and Darryl Sharpton. Jon Beason and Tavares Gooden (the No. 2 weakside linebacker) have drawn rave reviews. Gooden, who has gained 18 pounds, is up to 238. Romeo Davis has been moved from backup middle linebacker to starting strongside linebacker. The starter at middle linebacker between Glenn Cook and Sharpton has yet to be determined. Linebacker Willie Williams has not practiced this week because he has been sick. Safety is solid with Kenny Phillips, Brandon Merriweather (out for the rest of spring with shoulder surgery) and Anthony Reddick. Coach Larry Coker has praised the play of defensive back Carlos Armour, who is coming off knee surgery and is bothered by tendonitis. Early reviews of offensive coordinator Rich Olson and quarterbacks coach Toddy Berry have been good. Lineman John Rochford, who is 290 pounds, has moved to fullback because of a lack of depth.

CLEMSON: The defense rebounded in Wednesday’s practice after struggling in Saturday’s scrimmage. The spring game is Saturday. Tommy Bowden said the scrimmage would be more like a game. In Saturday’s scrimmage, the offense gained nearly 600 yards including seven touchdowns and two field goals. Quarterback Will Proctor was 14- of- 19 for 148 yards and two scores. Backup quarterback Tribble Reese was 12- of- 16 for 205 yards and two scores. Bowden praised the continued progress of cornerback C. J. Gaddis. Freshman receiver Jacoby Ford will play despite a foot injury. In Saturday’s scrimmage, the offense had 400 yards and over 170 rushing. Tiger receiver Aaron Kelly is out for the rest of spring after injuring knee in a non-contact drill. Defensive end Gaines Adams is close to regaining the form he showed last year with 15 tackles for loss and nearly 10 sacks.

GEORGIA TECH: Safety Joe Gaston will miss the 2006 season due to a knee injury he suffered in spring practice. His injury is crucial since Tech loses four of its top five players from last season. Gaston will be redshirted. Sophomore quarterback Taylor Bennett has been impressive. Taylor will receive more work since starter Reggie Ball is out the remainder of the week with a minor arm strain. Defensive tackle Darryl Richard is back on the field after missing all of last season with a knee injury.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE CLAY COUNTY LINE IN ORANGE PARK, FLA., HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON ESPN 1460 ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY AFTERNOONS ON THE RUMBLE WITH MIKE DEMPSEY AND TOM MCMANUS.