Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas (Little Rock): Hog quarterback Mitch Mustain was 12- of- 15 for 157 yards with one touchdown. Mustain is 60-2 since the eighth grade. Arkansas is bowl eligible and the only SEC school with a perfect conference record. Uncharacteristically, the Hogs had more passing yardage (205) than rushing yards (141) in the win over Ole Miss. The Hogs didn’t have a 100-yard rusher, but McFadden took a pass 70 yards for a score and Jones ran a kickoff back 100 yards. McFadden, who leads the SEC with a 98 yard rushing average per game, also had 65 yards rushing. The Hog defense is improving. They haven’t allowed more than 20 points in a game since the USC game. The Hogs are No. 5 in the SEC allowing 16 points per game. Mustain, who is averaging 16 passes per game, is 6-0 as a starter. The Hogs lead the league in kickoff returns averaging 26.6 per return. Arkansas leads the league in rushing with 221 yards. No other team averages over 160 yards. The Hog defense has allowed one touchdown in the last 10 quarters.

Louisiana-Monroe gave Kansas some trouble, but has lost six straight. ULM is No. 7 in turnover margin. Arkansas has 17 giveaways. Middle Tennessee gained five yards per carry on ULM last week.

Auburn at Ole Miss: Rebel running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who ran 20 times for 79 yards, was one of the few bright spots in the loss to Arkansas. Quarterback Brent Schaeffer had another dismal day. He was 11- of- 30 for only 118 yards. Schaeffer is last in the SEC averaging 112 yards passing per game. Receiver Michael Hicks caught four passes for 88 yards including a long of 51 yards. The Rebels were 6- of- 17 on third down and 0- of- 4 on fourth down. Ole Miss is still last in the league in scoring averaging only 13 points per game. Linebacker Patrick Willis, who had 13 tackles, leads the league in tackle per game with 10. Rory Johnson, another linebacker, had 11 tackles. Ole Miss has four losses by at least 17 points. They have scored less than 10 points in four games.

Ole Miss Coach Ed Orgeron announced the suspension of four players for violating team rules: junior linebacker Garry Pack, sophomore defensive end LaMark Armour, sophomore defensive end Hayward Howard, sophomore linebacker LeRon King and sophomore linebacker Robert Russell. Pack will likely be replaced by freshman Jonathan Cornell. Sophomore starting fullback Quentin Taylor quit the team. Ole Miss is down to 65 scholarship players. They are now critically thin at linebacker and fullback. Published media reports have mentioned the players involved in offcampus incident involving illicit drugs.

Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox, who was 16- of- 19 for 212 yards and three scores, was not sacked by Tulane. Cox has thrown 102 straight passes without a pick. Tailback Ben Tate ran 26 times for 156 yards and one score. The Tigers had allowed the most sacks in the league coming into the game. Tate, a freshman, played most of the game because of injuries to Kenny Irons, who was sitting out with a bad ankle and Brad Lester, missing time with a groin injury. Speaking of injuries, Center Jason Bosley, who was subbing for starter Joe Cope, sustained a knee injury in the game. He had surgery and might not play Saturday. Tulane gained 389 yards, the most the Tigers have allowed this season. Jonathan Palmer ended up moving from tackle to center. Green Wave quarterback Lester Ricard was 20- of- 39 for 283 yards. Tulane converted 10- of- 18 third downs. Receiver Courtney Taylor scored his first touchdown since last year’s bowl game. Defensive lineman Quentin Groves leads the SEC in solo sacks with seven. He has four sacks in the past two games. Auburn has not lost to Ole Miss since 1992, winning the last six times in Oxford. Eight of the last 13 games have been decided by 10 points or less.

Florida vs. Georgia in Jacksonville: Quarterback Matthew Stafford was 20- of- 32 for 267 yards with two scores and three picks in the win over Mississippi State. He has thrown seven picks and only three touchdowns this season. Receiver Kenneth Harris caught four passes for 106 yards. Defensive back Tra Battle made six tackles and returned a pick 53 yards. The Bulldogs overcame five turnovers to beat Mississippi State. Defensive end Charles Johnson forced a fumble and recovered it with State at the Georgia 22 with 18 seconds left in the game. He had three tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. Johnson leads the SEC with 12 total tackles for loss. Harris came into the game with only four catches for 108 yards on the season. Receiver Mikey Henderson and Massaquoi both fumbled after receptions. Massaquoi, who caught a touchdown pass, caught the wrath of the crowd after he dropped three passes and lost a fumble. He was benched in the fourth quarter. Tailback Kregg Lumpkin rushed for 80 yards. Linebacker Tony Taylor had his third pick of the season. Fullback Brannan Southerland scored his seventh touchdown of the season. Georgia scored only seven points off three Mississippi State turnovers. Battle’s pick was the second in the two weeks in the red zone. Senior offensive lineman Daniel Inman had three false start penalties.

Bulldog opponents have scored 45 points off 10 Georgia turnovers this season. The Bulldogs are next to last in the SEC in turnover margin. Battle’s pick was the second in two weeks in the red zone. Stafford is ready to make his fourth start of the season. It is the fourth time a Bulldog freshman quarterback has started against Florida. Jon Rauch in 1945, Eric Zeier in 1991 and Quincy Carter in 1998 all started as freshmen. All three teams that started a freshman quarterback ended the season with nine wins. Georgia is 6-2. Redshirt sophomore Demiko Goodman will start at split end replacing sophomore Mohamed Massaquoi. He caught three passes for 24 yards Saturday against State. Junior guard Chester Adams said he will play after missing last week with a high ankle sprain. Senior tight end Martrez Milner is doubtful with turf toe. If he can’t play, sophomore Tripp Chandler will replace him. Redshirt sophomore Ramarcus Brown will play despite a strained hamstring. Linebacker Darius Dewberry is doubtful with a hamstring injury. Redshirt freshman Bryan Evans played in his spot last week. Junior Mikey Henderson is nursing a hamstring injury. Georgia has scored on 31% of Stafford’s drives, 52% of Tereshinski’s and 36% of Joe Cox’s drives. Still, Richt opened up the playbook and Georgia scored four touchdowns against State, the most since tallying five against Western Kentucky. Harris was the first receiver to have a 100-yard game. Georgia has not lost three times in four games since Jim Donnan was coach in 1999. Georgia must generate a pass rush. Chris Leak is 2-1 against Georgia. In the two wins he was sacked once and in the one loss he was sacked four times. The last four meetings have been decided by seven points or less, the first time it has happened since 1972-75.

Florida has allowed only five touchdowns in seven games this season on defense. They are third in total offense and total defense in the league. The Gators are in the top five nationally in scoring defense allowing only 12 points per game. They are allowing only an average of 67 yards per game rushing. One of the few chinks in the armor for the Gators was allowing Alabama, LSU and Auburn to convert nearly 50% on third down. Time of possession is poor for the Gator averaging less than 30 minutes per game. In the past three games, the Gator offense has converted only 30% on third down. For various reasons, the Gators are last in the nation in penalties, averaging 62 yards per game. The Gators are a respectable fourth in the SEC in rushing, averaging 157 yards per game. Florida and Georgia both allow 267 yards per game in total defense, tied for second in the SEC. The two teams are also tied in number of defensive sacks with 19. Coach Urban Meyer said his team will not be overconfident. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said freshman defensive tackle Brandon Antwine and freshman defensive end Jermaine Cunningham will be factors in the second half of the season. Starting receiver Jemalle Cornelius is back at full speed after dealing with a hamstring. Tailbacks DeShawn Wynn and Kestahn Moore are also feeling better. Urban Meyer has a strong record (19-2) after bye weeks. Florida has played 14 freshmen this season. The Vanderbilt game has been selected by Lincoln Financial for a 12:30 pm kickoff.

Kentucky at Mississippi State: The Wildcats had a week off to try to patch up a defense that is ranked last in the nation allowing 462 yards per game. Kentucky is also last in the league in scoring defense allowing 30 points per game and last in rushing averaging 79 yards per game. The Wildcats are averaging 244 yards per game passing, third in the SEC. Kentucky is second in the league in turnover margin. The Wildcats do lead the league in punt returns, averaging 17 yards per return. Quarterback Andre Woodson is No. 3 in the league in total offense averaging 225 yards per game. Receiver Kennan Burton leads the league in all- purpose yards averaging 132 per game. Kentucky needs three more wins to be bowl eligible.

Bulldog quarterback Michael Henig was 14- of- 31 for 234 with two picks and a fumble in the loss to Georgia. Anthony Dixon scored three times for State. Dixon and Brandon Thornton have been an effective combination. Receiver Tony Burks caught four passes for 106 yards. Linebacker Quinton Culberson had 10 tackles. The Bulldogs scored 17 points off five Georgia turnovers. State is the worst team in the league in red zone offense allowing 26- of- 26 scores. Free safety Jeramie Johnson leads the SEC with five forced fumbles. State has not used the same offensive lineup twice all season.

Tennessee at South Carolina: USC scored more points on Vandy than Michigan, Alabama, Georgia or Arkansas. Gamecock quarterback Syvelle Newton, who was 11- of- 18 for 133 yards, threw for two scores and ran for a third. Tailback Cory Boyd ran 22 times for 156 yards and one score. Newton is No. 9 in the league in passing averaging 144 yards per game. Spurrier has won all 14 games that he has coached against Vanderbilt. USC has won five straight SEC road games. The Gamecocks won despite committing four turnovers. Receiver Sidney Rice caught seven passes for 89 yards. Ryan Succop kicked a 55-yard field goal, the second longest in Gamecock history. Mark Fleetwood kicked a 58-yard against Georgia in 1982. Succop leads the SEC in field goal percentage this season hitting 9- of- 10. South Carolina has run for at least 190 yards three times in the past four games. The Gamecocks overcame three fumbles and an interception. USC ran 22- of- 28 plays in the second half, gaining 131 yards. The Gamecock defense held Vandy receiver Earl Bennett to only four catches for 16 yards. USC is the worst team in the league in red zone offense scoring only 16 of 27 times.

ESPN GameDay will broadcast from Columbia. Defensive end Casper Brinkley, who had four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble, was honored as the SEC defensive lineman of the week. ESPN will also broadcast the Arkansas game. Spurrier is 8-3 against Phil Fulmer. Justin Sorensen, 6-7, 321, is likely to start on the offensive line this week. He played well against Vandy. After seven games, USC has 232 rushes and 190 pass attempts. USC is 4-1 with Newton as a starter. Their third down conversions have risen from 29% to 44%. South Carolina is No. 8 in pass defense. Changes in the offensive line made a difference last week. Spurrier moved Jamon Meredith from right tackle to left tackle and Justin Sorensen went to right tackle. USC averaged six yards per carry in the second half against Vandy.

The Vols have outscored their opponents 68-13 in the fourth quarter after losing to Florida. Quarterback Erik Ainge was 28- for- 46 for 302 yards and three picks in the Alabama game. Tennessee leads the league in passing averaging nearly 300 yards per game. In the fourth quarter, Tennessee limited Alabama to one first down. Ainge pushed Castille out of bounds after his interception. He joked later in the locker room that it was his first tackle ever. Jon Hefney returned six punts for 140 yards. His longest was 39 yards. Linebacker Jerod Mayo had 12 tackles and a sack. He was named the SEC defensive player of the week. Tennessee had a 168-19 advantage in return yards. The Vols are second in the league in total offense averaging 412 yards per game. Tennessee is the least penalized team in the league averaging 33 yards per game. Ainge leads the SEC in passing per game with an average of 279 yards. Tailback LaMarcus Coker is out for three to six weeks with a partially torn MCL (sprained knee). Arian Foster said he is ready to take as many snaps as possible. Receiver Jayson Swain aggravated an ankle injury. Tennessee is No. 10 in rushing offense averaging 119 yards per game. Last year, South Carolina beat Tennessee snapping a 12-game win streak. Two days later, Randy Sanders resigned as offensive coordinator. The LSU-Tennessee game will be televised by CBS on Nov. 4. Tennessee has three straight games with South Carolina, LSU and Arkansas. Cornerback Jonathan Wade, who is tied for the SEC lead for passes defended, will be a nice matchup with USC receiver Sidney Rice. Another matchup could be Tennessee receiver Robert Meachem and USC cornerback Fred Bennett.

Vanderbilt at Duke: The Commodores should erase the pain of the South Carolina loss against winless, but feisty Duke. Will the teams compare SAT scores at halftime? Vandy has to improve on third down conversions. They were only 1- of- 12 in the loss to South Carolina. Quarterback Chris Nickson was only 4 of 15 for 76 yards and threw two picks. This is a must win for Vanderbilt. Their defense is No. 21 nationally against the pass. They will give Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis a challenge. Vandy averages 148 yards rushing per game. Duke held Miami to 30 yards rushing. Jonathan Goff, the Commodore linebacker, is fifth in the SEC with 63 tackles. The last time Vandy won at least four games in two straight years was in 1993-94.

LSU is off: Tailback Alley Broussard, who didn’t play against Kentucky, gained 67 yards on five carries including a 38 yard touchdown run in the win over Fresno State. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell was 15- of -18 for 210 yards and two scores. He was sacked three times. LSU linebacker Darry Beckwith had 11 tackles and a sack. Craig Davis had a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown. He leads the league with an 18- yard average per return. LSU had four sacks. Dwayne Bowe caught four passes for 106 yards including a 58-yard touchdown. Bowe’s touchdown was the 21st of his career, tying him with Michael Clayton for the most in school history. The Tigers lead the SEC in scoring averaging 36 points per game. LSU is first in scoring defense allowing only eight points per game and they are tops in passing defense allowing an average of 136 yards per game. The Tigers also lead the league in total defense allowing a stingy 211 yards per game. In all, LSU leads the SEC in eight defensive categories.

Three ACC schools—Clemson No. 4, Virginia Tech No. 6 and Miami No. 8—are among the top 10 in total defense nationally.

Buffalo at Boston College: BC had a 21 point second quarter to build an 11-point lead in the win over Florida State. Cornerback DeJuan Tribble had a pick six with 20 seconds left in the first half. Matt Ryan was 16- of- 26 for 261 yards. Receiver Tony Gonzalez and Brandon Robinson combined for 127 yards. N C State’s loss to Maryland puts BC back in control of the Atlantic division. BC and Clemson are both 3-1 in divisional play, but BC has the tiebreaker edge. BC has beaten Virginia Tech and FSU in consecutive games. Tom O’Brien and Matt Ryan could be up for coach and player of the year. Ryan leads the ACC in total offense (237 ypg) and has thrown for an ACC high 1,661 yards.

Florida State at Maryland: Drew Weatherford was 32- of- 48 for 326 yards with one touchdown and two picks. Tribble stepped in front of Greg Carr and return one pick for a 36 yard score. Receiver Chris Davis had 10 catches for 100 yards. The running backs gained 20 yards on seven carries. Tailback Lorenzo Booker caught eight passes for 75 yards. The offense was unable to convert third and 3 and fourth and 4 inside the BC 10 with less than two minutes remaining. FSU started five freshmen-rover Myron Rolle, defensive end Kevin McNeil, defensive tackle Budd Thacker, linebacker Dekoda Watson and cornerback Jamie Robinson. Quarterback coach Daryl Dickey told Weatherford that he needed to produced in the third quarter or else. Weatherford has thrown 10 touchdown passes this season. He had his fifth 300-yard passing game against BC. FSU has been held to under 21 points in four of five ACC games. Receiver De’Cody Fagg is out with an ankle sprain. Linebacker Geno Hayes is out with a knee sprain. Freshman defensive lineman Justin Mincey became the 17th freshman to play this season in the BC game.

Maryland converted two consecutive turnovers into 14 third quarter points in the win over N C State. Quarterback Daniel Evans threw two picks. Quarterback Sam Hollenbach might need to produce more than usual if the running game is slowed. Maryland’s defensive strength is in the secondary with cornerback Josh Wilson.

Miami at Georgia Tech: Receiver Calvin Johnson did not have a catch against Clemson. Reggie Ball was only 12- of- 25 for 117 yards with one pick and one touchdown. Georgia Tech gained only 205 total yards. Tailback Tashard Choice only gained 48 yards on 15 carries.

Cane defensive back Willie Cooper intercepted a Duke pass at the goal line to preserve a five- point win. He also had a quad injury. Linebacker Romeo Davis might be out for several weeks with a knee injury. Larry Coker said tight end Greg Olsen will be back Saturday. Linebacker Jon Beason will be re-examined this week for his MCL injury. He will probably not play. Quarterback Kyle Wright had two touchdown passes to receiver Sam Shields. Duke had 380 total yards. Twelve players return for the Georgia Tech game. Redshirt freshman Darryl Sharpton, who had eight tackles against Duke, will likely replace him. Last year, Tech beat then No. 3 Miami sacking Wright seven times. Miami had 15 penalties against Duke. The Canes want to make amends for the loss last season to the Yellow Jackets. Miami still has the nation’s No. 8 ranked defense, allowing 258 ypg. Miami’s secondary, ranked No. 55, will have to contend with Calvin Johnson. Kenny Phillips, who had three picks against Duke, could be asked to cover Johnson.

Wake Forest at North Carolina: UNC officials have announced that Coach John Bunting will not return next season. Rivals.com rates the 2007 verbal commitments for UNC as the No. 15 class. Bunting’s .373 win percentage in six seasons is lowest among the eight UNC coaches since the ACC began in 1953. UNC has been outscored 137-24 by four ACC foes this season. Possible successors that have mentioned are: WV coach Rich Rodriguez, Butch Davis, LSU OC Jimbo Fisher, Navy head coach Paul Johnson and Tulsa head Coach Steve Kragthorpe. There is major interest in Davis and Kragthorpe.

Wake is off to its best start (6-1) since 1979.

N C State at Virginia: Freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell has completed 58% of his passes. In his last two games, he has 541 yards of total offense. Receiver Kevin Ogletree has caught three or more passes in each of his last seven games.

N C State is No. 114 in turnover margin.

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.