Alabama once again struggled in the red zone in the loss to LSU. The Tide got no points four times deep inside LSU territory as Jamie Christensen missed two field goals and the Tide committed two turnovers. Alabama didn’t score in the second half. After Christensen’s second miss, the Tide ran only six snaps for eight yards. Tide tailback Ken Darby scored his first touchdown of the season against LSU on a pass from Wilson. Coming into the game, Darby was the only back in the nation who had over 100 carries and no touchdowns. He gained only 47 yards against the Tigers. Darby has only 108 yards in two games against Auburn. Alabama gained only 78 yards rushing. Punter P J Fitzgerald averaged only 27 yards per punt. The Tide gained 377 yards in the win over LSU. Receiver Will Oakley caught four clutch passes for 51 yards. The Tide had 37 sophomores and freshmen on the LSU travel roster. Right tackle Chris Capps is expected to play after an injury kept him out of the most of the LSU game. Receiver Keith Brown is questionable with leg injuries. Alabama receiver D. J. Hall caught eight passes for 142 yards. Hall has at least 100 yards receiving in his past seven of eight games. Quarterback John Parker Wilson, who was 22- of- 35 for 291 yards and two scores, was sacked four times. The only time that Alabama has lost five straight to Auburn was 1954-58. Alabama won nine straight from 1973-81. In the last four games, Alabama has gained 339 yards.

Arkansas at Mississippi State: State has not beaten Arkansas since 1998 with Jackie Sherrill at the helm. The Bulldogs had a week off after the Alabama win.

Arkansas can clinch a spot in the SEC title game with a win over State. Tailback Darren McFadden ran 30 times for 181 yards and two scores in the win over Tennessee. He also threw a scoring pass to Marcus Monk, who caught eight passes for 139 yards and two scores. Hog quarterback Casey Dick was 10- of- 15 for 156 yards with one score and one pick in his first start. The Hogs have won nine straight games, the longest streak since 1988. McFadden sat a school record with his fifth game of 180 yards or more rushing. Arkansas ran 45 times for 259 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per play. Left end Jamaal Anderson had three quarterback sacks in the first half. Receiver Marcus Monk has caught 16 passes for 329 yards in his last two games. The Hog line hasn’t allowed a sack in the past three games. They have allowed only six sacks this season, the best in the nation. Running back Peyton Hillis will probably miss this week’s game due to a bruised thigh and guard Stephen Parker is doubtful with an injured right knee. Nutt praised athletic director Frank Broyles for giving him a two year pass after turning down the Nebraska job two seasons ago.

Western Carolina at Florida: Quarterback Chris Leak was 19- of- 27 for 254 yards with one score and a pick in the win over South Carolina. He also ran seven times for 19 yards. Defensive lineman Jarvis Moss had eight tackles and two blocked kicks. Quarterback Tim Tebow scored from 12 yards out. Tailback DeShawn Wynn gained 90 yards and receiver Percy Harvin totaled 111 yards on 10 touches. Linebacker Earl Everett had 11 tackles. The offense had some bright moments in the win over South Carolina. Florida didn’t have any three and outs and gained 401 yards, the third most this season. Freshmen linebacker Dustin Doe and Brandon Spikes had to play when Everett (sprained ankle) and Brandon Siler (second degree MCL sprain) were slowed with injuries. Coach Urban Meyer said Sunday that he will make more of an effort to get receiver Cornelius Ingram (three catches for 50 yards) more touches. He also said the offensive line played its best game against USC. Florida won the game without creating any turnovers or sacks. The teams combined for over 800 yards and 51 first downs, despite only one turnover. ABC will televise the FSU game at noon. Florida has played 15 true freshmen this season. Moss has been suspended for the game. Freshman Lawrence Marsh will not lose his redshirt because he broke his hand in practice and is out for the rest of the season.

Western Carolina: The Catamounts have averaged 2.8 yards per carry in their last three games and scored a total of 16 points. Florida allows only 2.9 ypc. They have lost eight straight games.

Louisiana Monroe at Kentucky: The Wildcats are bowl eligible for the first time since 1999 after the Wildcats beat Vandy for the fifth time in six games. Receiver Keenan Burton caught 11 passes for 171 yards. Tailback Rafael Little ran 20 times for 131 yards. He also caught eight passes for 113 yards. Quarterback Andre Woodson was 29- of- 42 for 450 yards and four scores. Freshman cornerback E. J. Adams intercepted quarterback Chris Nickson in the end zone to preserve the lead in the fourth quarter. Woodson has 24 touchdowns on the season. Woodson has thrown for 938 yards and nine scores in the last three weeks. Kentucky is No. 118 out of 119 in total defense. The worst is Louisiana Tech. Kentucky’s secondary allows 283 ypg, last nationally. Louisiana Monroe leads the Sun Belt with 315 yards passing per game. Chance Payne may start at quarterback after he replaced the injured Kinsmon Lancaster.

Ole Miss at LSU: The Rebels were off last week. They have not beaten LSU since 2001.

LSU has beaten Alabama four straight times, a first for the series. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell was 18- of- 21 for 207 yards and three scores. He also ran seven times for 38 yards. Receiver Early Doucet caught seven passes for 101 yards and one score. Tiger tailback Keiland Williams gained 72 yards on eight carries in the Alabama game. Jacob Hester tallied 62 yards on nine carries. LSU gained 219 yards rushing. Tiger safety Jessie Daniels missed the Alabama game with a hamstring injury. Receiver Buster Davis, who missed the Alabama game, should be ready to return. Attendance for the game was 92,588, second only to 92,644 against Auburn last season. Linebacker Darry Beckwith left with an injury in the first half. Jacob Cutrera, who replaced him, had eight tackles. Beckwith will probably miss the Ole Miss game. Another freshman linebacker Perry Riley also had to play the entire second half. LSU has won four straight game buoyed by an improved rushing attack. They are averaging 5.8 ypc compared to 4.3 earlier in the season. Part of the improvement is that the offensive line has been the same except for one game since the Florida game. Russell has completed 77% of his passes for 10 touchdowns in his last four games. This is a night game so the Tigers will know the results of the Arkansas game beforehand.

Middle Tennessee at South Carolina: The Middle Tennessee staff led by head coach Rick Stockstill knows Steve Spurrier’s system very well. Blue Raider quarterback Clint Marks has started 30 straight games. MTSU has lost to Maryland, Louisville and Oklahoma. MTSU is 6-0 in conference play and has seven wins. The MTSU secondary is very suspect. Conference foes ULM and Florida Atlantic threw the ball on them at will. Eugene Gross is a solid running back for MTSU.

South Carolina tailback Mike Davis ran 16 times for 94 yards in the loss to Florida. He also caught two passes for 22 yards. Quarterback Blake Mitchell was 24- of- 33 for 272 yards. Linebacker Jasper Brinkley had 13 tackles and one sack. Receiver Sidney Rice caught seven passes for 72 yards. USC totaled 410 yards. The Gamecocks had 10 penalties for 85 yards. Special teams mistakes including two blocked field goals and an extra point made the difference in the game. The Gamecocks have lost three games by a total of 14 points. Senior cornerback Fred Bennett had one of his worst games by having a possible interception go through his fingers and he was flagged three times. Mitchell will remain at quarterback. Syvelle Newton will remain full time in the secondary. Tailback Cory Boyd broke a bone in his hand, but he should be able to play with a soft cast. Linebacker Dakota Walker is back in the fold after quitting the team for a few days. Lineman Stanley Doughty is back in good graces after being suspended for the Florida game. Both were tied for the team lead in sacks in 2005. The Clemson game has been picked up by ESPN for a noon telecast next weekend. The SEC office has reprimanded Spurrier for his comments pertaining to officials last week on his radio show. A win this week would guarantee USC at least a .500 season for the past three years, the first time this has happened since 1998-90. Spurrier said USC had a chance to make a realistic run at the SEC title next season. Rice, who sustained a groin pull Wednesday, announced that he was returning next season. He has 50 receptions for 758 yards. Saturday is senior day. Twelve seniors will be honored in pre-game ceremonies.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt: The Vols will be looking for revenge after last year’s upset at the hands of former Commodore quarterback Jay Cutler. Once again the Vols failed to gain more than 100 yards rushing. They rushed for 96 yards against Arkansas, but allowed 258. Quarterback Jonathan Crompton was 16- of- 34 for 174 yards with two scores and a pick in the loss to Arkansas. The Vols managed only 266 total yards. Erik Ainge is expected to start at quarterback Saturday. Tailback LaMarcus Coker will start Saturday despite his injuries. In the last two games, the defense has allowed conversions on 17- of- 30 possessions on third or fourth down plays. The injury to Ainge’s ankle and a poor running game has cost the Vols in their last two losses. Tennessee hasn’t lost at Vandy since 1982. The Vol secondary has allowed seven touchdowns in the past three games.

Vanderbilt Joel Caldwell had 12 tackles in the loss to Kentucky. Receiver Earl Bennett caught 11 passes for 220 yards and one score. Nickson was 23- of- 37 for 446 yards with one score and two picks. He ran 16 times for 71 yards. A nice matchup in the game is cornerback Jonathan Wade of Tennessee against Vandy’s Bennett, who has caught 33 passes for 561 yards in the last three games. Vandy has allowed 122 points in the last four games. The Vandy secondary allowed 298 yards to Florida and 446 to Kentucky. This is Vandy’s last game of the season.

Georgia is off: Quarterback Matthew Stafford was 14- of -20 for 219 yards and one score in the win over Auburn. He ran seven times for 83 yards and one score. Tailback Kregg Lumpkin ran 21 times for 105 yards and one score. Defensive back Tra Battle had three interceptions and returned one for a score. He also had four tackles. The Auburn win was No. 700 for the Bulldog program. Coach Mark Richt is 22-3 on the road. Battle’s three picks were the first time a Bulldog player has accomplished that feat since Terry Hoage against Vandy in 1982. Georgia scored 23 second half points in the win over Auburn. Fullback Brannan Southerland, who scored on a short plunge, has eight touchdowns on the season. Linebacker Tony Taylor had eight tackles and defensive lineman Ray Gant collected two sacks. Auburn was held to less than 175 yards. Georgia was 8- of- 13 on third down. Richt is 3-3 against Auburn. Georgia’s offensive line didn’t allow a sack. The Bulldogs have committed 17 turnovers on the season (nine fumbles and eight picks). Gordon Ely-Kelso became the first player to punt and kick for the Bulldogs since Dax Langley in the 1997 win over Florida.

Western Michigan at Florida State: FSU was shutout for the first time since 1988 by Miami. The last time they were shutout at home was 1973. Drew Weatherford was 4- of- 15 for 52 yards. Xavier Lee was 5- of -13 for 61 yards. Both threw two picks each. Lee’s two picks led to 10 points. The Noles had 113 yards passing. FSU ran for 26 yards on 23 carries. Ray Garvin returned five kicks for 120 yards. Junior defensive end D J Norris had season ending shoulder surgery. He is the fifth FSU defensive player to be lost for the season. FSU gained three first downs in the second half. Weatherford will start Saturday, but Lee will also see action. Tailback Antone Smith will see more carries this week than Lorenzo Booker. Linebacker coach Kevin Steele denied rumors that he was going to North Carolina as defensive coordinator. Candidates for offensive coordinator to replace Jeff Bowden are Chris Hatcher, head coach at Valdosta State, Larry Fedora, offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Jimbo Fisher, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at LSU, George Henshaw, an assistant for the New Orleans Saints, Brad Scott, offensive line coach at Clemson.

Miami at Virginia: The Canes scored 13 points in the fourth quarter after trailing 14-0. They held Maryland to only 56 yards rushing. Quarterback Kirby Freeman was 14- of- 27 for 140 yards and ran for a team best 78 yards. With 4:20 left in the game, Miami got the ball at the Maryland 43. Terp defensive end Trey Covington intercepted a deflected pass at the Terp 32 to end the drive. Miami held, but Bruce Johnson fumbled the punt and Maryland ran out the clock. Maryland scored on a 96- yard touchdown pass and a 65-yard touchdown pass. Coach Larry Coker said Sunday that Freeman is the starter because he is healthy. Receiver Ryan Hill dropped a touchdown pass. Taurus McKinley (5-9, 163), a receiver from Belle Glade Glades Central, committed to the Canes. His brother is Cane cornerback Randy Phillips. Wright has had season ending hand surgery. Freeman will start Saturday. Athletic director Paul Dee said he has not spoken to Southern Cal about playing next season. Miami’s first three games next season are Marshall, at Oklahoma and Texas A & M. Cane offensive lineman A J Trump will have surgery for a torn ACL.

Virginia’s Jeffrey Fitzgerald leads all freshmen with 5.5 quarterback sacks.

Virginia Tech at Wake Forest: Four different Wake runners had runs of at least 13 yards, several on reverses in the win over FSU. Sam Swank kicked field goals of 20, 25 and 51 yards. He also averaged 42 yards per punt. Quarterback Riley Skinner was 13- of- 19 for 138 yards. Kenneth Moore led Wake with 80 yards on 24 carries. Wake had over 300 yards of offense. Both teams have a four-game win streak. Wake’s defense has not allowed a point in five quarters.

Virginia Tech tailback Brandon Ore has rushed for 109 ypg to lead the ACC. He also said that he will return for his junior season. Tech has allowed seven opponents 10 points- or- fewer and allowed 300 yards of offense just once in the loss to Georgia Tech. Tech leads the ACC in scoring defense, total defense and pass defense.

Maryland at Boston College: Eagle quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 219 yards and two scores in the win over Duke. L V Whitworth ran for 118 yards and Andre Callender ran for 105 yards. BC outgained Duke 501- to- 301. Ryan has completed 66% and 883 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games. He leads the ACC with 253 ypg passing.

Maryland: Sophomore linebacker Erin Henderson has 10 or more tackles in five consecutive games. Maryland offensive lineman Donnie Woods is doubtful after he is recovering from a neck injury he suffered last week. Woods was flown to a local hospital but tests were negative. Maryland comes in with a five game win streak the longest in the ACC. Tailback Lance Ball has 630 yards rushing on 143 carries. Receiver Darrius Hayward-Bey has two touchdowns and 175 yards receiving in the win over Miami.

Duke at Georgia Tech: Tailback Tashard Choice ran for 119 yards on 32 carries and a touchdown to beat North Carolina by an odd score of 7-0. Quarterback Reggie Ball, who was 10- of- 24 for 78 yards and a pick, missed on several deep throws that could have led the easy scores such as his pass to receiver James Johnson in the fourth quarter. Tech converted 9- of- 19 times on third down.

Clemson is off: The Tigers ran for 223 yards in the win over N C State. They are 28-1 under Tommy Bowden when gained more than 200 yards on the ground. The pass defense held N C State to under 100 yards passing. Jacoby Ford had a 77-yard kick return to open the second half. Receiver Stansi Stuckey caught five passes for 72 yards. The rush defense allowed 172 yards to the Wolfpack. Clemson lost two picks and a fumble. Freshman C. J. Spiller leads all freshmen with 759 yards rushing and eight scores.

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.