The 52 points on opening day were the most since the Tide scored 66 in a win over Cal in 1973. The 575 total yards were the most since 2001 when the Tide beat UTEP, 56-3. Alabama made 35 first downs, the most since a school record of 34 in the Penn State game in 1984. Rolando McClain, who had seven tackles in the game, and Kareem Jackson become only the eight and ninth players to start as freshmen. The Tide defense had 10 tackles for loss. Receiver D J Hall is only 101 yards away from breaking Ozzie Newsome’s career mark of 2,070. Wilson should have time to throw against a suspect Vandy secondary. However, the Tide must find a way to pressure Vandy quarterback Chris Nickson. Linebacker Prince Hall and receiver Keith Brown have rejoined the team after being suspended for the opener. Kicker Jamie Christensen (quad injury) could possibly play if needed.

Vanderbilt beat Richmond on the strength of receiver Earl Bennett catching 13 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. Linebacker Jonathan Goff had seven tackles and a pick against Richmond. Quarterback Chris Nickson was 19- of- 25 for 285 yards and four touchdowns. Alabama has won the last 19 games in the series.

ARKANSAS IS OFF: Hog freshmen-kicker Alex Tejada, receiver Crosby Tuck, who caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from tailback Darren McFadden, and tight end D J Williams, who had a 16- yard catch in the first quarter, all played roles in the win over Troy. Arkansas gained 507 yards. McFadden carried 24 times for 155 yards and had 30 yards receiving and 42 yards passing. Quarterback Casey Dick was 11- of- 20 for 108 yards. Tailback Felix Jones had 12 carries for 131 yards.

AUBURN VS. SOUTH FLORIDA: The Tiger defense held K-State to only one offensive touchdown and 27 yards rushing. Wildcat quarterback Josh Freeman, who threw for 289 yards on 59 attempts, was sacked twice. Safety Aairon Savage (rolled ankle), linebacker Tray Blackmon (rolled ankle) and cornerback Jonathan Wilhite (hamstring) didn’t play in the second half after being hurt during the first two quarters. All are expected to play against South Florida. Redshirt freshman cornerback Zac Etheridge had eight tackles and a pass breakup in this first start. Defensive end Quentin Groves had two sacks in the game. The second sack caused a fumble that Antonio Coleman returned for a score.

Quarterback Brandon Cox, who was 17- of- 30 for 229 yards, had two picks, endured five sacks and poor play until the last five minutes when he led the Tigers 57 yards on six plays to throw the winning touchdown to tight end Gabe McKenzie (4 catches for 42 yards) in the corner of the end zone. Cox is 20-5 as a starter. K-State put eight- or- nine players in the box and blitzed Cox on every play. Auburn ran for only 62 yards on 37 carries. They were only 3- of- 15 on third down. Tailback Ben Tate led the Tigers with 82 yards rushing on 23 carries. Starting tailback Brad Lester didn’t play due to academic reasons. Redshirt freshman tailback Mario Fannin, who didn’t play in the opener, will play Saturday.

Tiger freshman kicker Wes Byrum connected on three- of- four field goals in his debut. Byrum also turned his ankle on a kickoff trying to make a tackle. If he can’t go then sophomore Zach Kutch will play. Redshirt freshman punter Ryan Shoemaker averaged 42 yards per punt. Receiver Robert Dunn returned six punts for 74 yards. Auburn is 12-1 in home night games since 2001 including four wins over nationally ranked teams.

South Florida beat Elon last week with tailback Mike Ford gained 77 yards on five carries scoring two times. Quarterback Matt Grothe was 22- of- 38 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive end George Selvie had five sacks. The Bulls had too many penalties. Ben Moffitt is the team’s best linebacker. Defensive backs Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins have combined for 59 starts.

SOUTH CAROLINA AT GEORGIA: Coach Steve Spurrier announced several lineup changes Tuesday. Redshirt freshman Kevin Young was set to replace Lemuel Jeanpierre at right guard, but Young sprained his ankle in practice and Jeanpierre is starting again. Freddie Brown, who is a better blocker, takes over for Moe Brown at receiver. Several of the freshmen receivers could get a long look. Safety Darian Stewart steps in at strong safety. This allows Brandon Isaac to return to free safety. Dustin Lindsey (6-4, 235), one of the bigger linebackers also could step in after battling academic problems and recovering from knee surgery. His twin brother, Jordin, is still awaiting word from the NCAA about his academic future. Spurrier also said blocking or the lack of it was the reason for some of the special teams woes-a missed field goal and poor returns. The Gamecocks ran 41 times and threw 29 against ULL. Freshman Matt Clement is behind Kenny McKinley on the depth chart.

Gamecock quarterbacks Tommy Beecher and Chris Smelley were a combined 21- of- 29 for 238 yards in the win over Louisiana Lafayette. Mike Davis led USC rushers with 94 yards on 15 carries. South Carolina ran for 195 yards on 41 carries. ULL ran for 252 yards. USC had two goal line stands or the game would have been closer. Defensive end Clifton Geathers could play more after playing sparingly in the opener. This is an important game for South Carolina with LSU being the next SEC foe. Jasper and Casper Brinkley, twin linebackers, played well against ULL. Quarterback Blake Mitchell was 16- of- 22 for 156 yards in last year’s game, but failed to put any points on the board. Ryan Succop had four of his kickoffs go into the end zone for touchbacks.

Georgia Coach Mark Richt played 16 true and redshirt freshmen in the win over Oklahoma State. Redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno carried the ball a team high 20 times for 73 yards and caught two passes for 51 yards. Freshman tight end Bruce Figgins caught an 11- yard touchdown pass. Tailback Kregg Lumpkin broke his thumb in the first half and didn’t return. He is out for probably a month. Tailback Thomas Brown gained 48 yards and two scores after returning from ACL surgery. Georgia’s defense shut out Oklahoma State in the second half. The Bulldogs sacked Bobby Reid five times and held Dantrell Savage to 55 yards. Richt has plenty of praise for defensive ends Marcus Howard, Roderick Battle, and Jeremy Lomax. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was 18- of- 24 for 234 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe had seven tackles and one sack in the game. Redshirt freshman Brandon Wood has been moved from tackle to end on the defensive line.

Georgia’s offense was 5- of- 6 inside the redzone with five touchdowns. Tripp Chandler will start at tight end after serving a one- game suspension. The receivers dropped only one pass against Oklahoma State. Richt, who has coached two Heisman Trophy winners in Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke, said Stafford, who is 7-2 as a starter, is his most talented quarterback ever. Stafford has won the last four games he has started three being against ranked foes. Georgia is 11-4 in the series. Richt is 5-1 against South Carolina. Four- of –the- six games since 1991 have been decided by six points or less.

TENNESSEE VS. SOUTHERN MISS: Vol defensive lineman Dan Williams is replacing J T Mapu in the starting lineup. Junior end Robert Ayers has been very inconsistent in his career. Junior Walter Fisher is coming off two shoulder surgeries and hasn’t been much of a factor. Tennessee has allowed 150 yards or more rushing in their last five of seven games. They have allowed 200 yards or more three times in that time. In the past 14 games, Tennessee has only 17 quarterback sacks. Defensive end Xavier Mitchell, who was hurt in the Cal game, has been cleared for contact. Freshman Eric Berry, will start this week at safety opposite Jonathan Hefney. Tailback LaMarcus Coker returns from suspension this week.

The Vol defense allowed 471 yards including 231 yards rushing in the loss to Cal. Nate Longshore, who was 19- of- 28 for 241 yards and two scores, was not sacked a single time. Defensive tackle J T Mapu and Demonte Bolden combined for only three tackles. Cal tailback Justin Forsett ran for 156 yards on 26 carries. Vol special teams really struggled. Punter Britton Colquitt was instructed to punt the ball out of bounds, but he kicked to DeSean Jackson who returned the ball 77 yards for a touchdown. Five freshmen-Berry, Denarious Moore, Brent Vinson, Chris Walker and Lennon Creer—made their debut. Quarterback Erik Ainge was 32- of- 47 for 271 yards and three scores. Tailback Arian Foster had 89 yards on 13 carries. He had 226 all-purpose yards including 117 yards on kickoff returns. Tennessee gained 111 yards rushing. Tight end Chris Brown had seven catches for 54 yards and two scores. Receiver Lucas Taylor had six catches for 102 yards. Linebacker Jerod Mayo had 10 tackles at Cal. Fulmer said the Vols missed 22 tackles that resulted in 150 yards of offense.

Southern Miss beat Tennessee Martin in its opening game. Sophomore tailback Damion Fletcher gained 156 yards on 19 carries. Quarterback Jeremy Young was only 11- of- 26 for 115 yards. Tight end Shawn Nelson had NFL potential. USM was 11- of- 19 on third down. Gerald McGrath had 11 tackles in the opener. Antwain Easterling, a tailback from Miami Northwestern High, has been cleared to play at tailback. He is currently fourth on the depth chart.

LSU VS. VIRGINIA TECH: Quarterback Matt Flynn, who was 12- of -19 for 128 yards and no turnovers, managed the game well in the win over Mississippi State. Flynn, who also ran for 42 yards on 11 carries, didn’t turn the ball over. Tailback Jacob Hester averaged five yards per carry. Hester is dependable, but Charles Scott, Keiland Williams and Richard Murphy are the home run threats. Receiver Early Doucet caught a career high nine passes. Freshman Terrance Toliver showed some promise in the game. ESPN GameDay will be in Baton Rouge for the game. LSU held Mississippi State to only 10 yards rushing and just 146 yards of offense. The Tiger defense picked off six Michael Henig passes. Defensive back Craig Steltz stole three of them. Defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey had five tackles including two for loss and a sack. LSU wants to make tailback Brandon Ore a non-factor and force Sean Glennon to win the game. One of the big matchups in the game is Doucet going against Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers.

Tech quarterback Sean Glennon was 22- of- 33 for 245 yards in the win over East Carolina. Cornerback Macho Harris picked off a Brett Clay pass and returned it 17 yards for a score. Tight end Sam Wheeler caught seven passes for 81 yards. Tailback Brandon Ore finished with 70 yards rushing. East Carolina had four quarterback sacks. The Tigers will have to account for linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi. Defensive back Brandon Flowers is an all-conference candidate. Tech needs to play ball control and force LSU to go on long drives. The Tech offensive line struggled against the East Carolina defensive front. In the past three years, Virginia Tech has allowed the fewest offensive touchdowns (47) of any team. Penn State is second with 55. Since the 2000 season, Virginia Tech has 37 blocked kicks. Only Texas (46) and N C State (41) have more. Frank Beamer’s next win will be 200 the most among active coaches except for Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno.

KENTUCKY VS. KENT STATE: The Wildcat defense held Eastern Kentucky to only 2 of 14 on third down. Quarterback Andre Woodson was 20- of- 29 for 250 yards. The Cats can’t afford to be looking ahead to Louisville.

Kent State upset Iowa State last Thursday. Quarterback Julian Edelman threw for a score and ran for a touchdown. Sophomore tailback Eugene Jarvis, who is 5-foot-5, ran for 112 yards, his fourth career 100- yard rushing game.

FLORIDA VS. TROY: Gator linebacker Brandon Spikes had 11 tackles in the win over Western Kentucky. Derrick Harvey had two sacks in the game. Linebacker Dustin Doe was second on the team in tackles. Defensive lineman Jermaine Cunningham did well against the run and had good pressure off the edge. Quarterback Tim Tebow was 13- of- 17 for 300 yards and three scores. He also ran for 38 yards. Receiver Bubba Caldwell went from averaging 10 yards per catch to 30 yards per catch when he moved from the slot position to an outside receiver. Riley Cooper, who caught four passes for 122 yards, came up big with two long touchdown receptions. Center Drew Miller had no bad snaps. Kestahn Moore made several tough runs up the middle. Running back Brandon James is back from a one game suspension. Freshman defensive lineman Torrey Davis and redshirt freshman Lawrence Marsh will see more playing time. Meyer was not happy with the push the defensive line got in the opener. He also said he expects to hear soon on defensive tackle John Brown.

Cornerback Markus Manson is doubtful with a sprained ankle. Freshman Joe Haden did well in the secondary, but Wondy Pierre-Louis needs improvement according to Meyer. Sophomore cornerback Markihe Anderson plans on playing against Troy since his sprained knee is doing better.

Troy runs the spread offense. Quarterback Omar Haugabook, who sustained a hand injury against Arkansas, was 15- of- 43 for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Troy attempted 49 passes and 31 runs against the Hogs. Senior Gary Banks caught five passes for 66 yards and senior Gerald Tate had two catches for 38 yards. Tailbacks Kenny Cattouse and Tanner Jones each scored a touchdown at tailback.

OLE MISS VS MISSOURI: Rebel defensive back Dustin Mouzon picked off two passes in the Memphis win. He took one back 99 yards for a score. Quarterback Seth Adams was 19- of- 30 for 201 yards. Receiver Marshay Green caught five passes for 59 yards. The Ole Miss defense allowed Memphis 96 plays. Missouri won last year, 34-7, in Columbia. Receiver Dexter McCluster is out for three to six weeks for an undisclosed injury.

Missouri’s Ziggy Hood had five tackles, forced two fumbles and one quarterback pressure. Quarterback Chase Daniel was 37- of- 54 for 359 yards in the win over Illinois with three touchdowns and no picks. The Illinois defense allowed 34 points, 119 yards rushing and 316 yards passing.

MISSISSIPPI STATE AT TULANE: Linebacker Dominic Douglas had eight tackles in the loss to LSU. Defensive lineman Titus Brown made four tackles and a quarterback sack. The Bulldogs will run the ball more with Anthony Dixon. Quarterback Josh Riddell will see early playing time. State has been shutout in eight of their last 29 SEC games.

This is the opener for Tulane. The Green Wave have a lot of experience at linebacker with juniors Evan Lee and James Dillard. Tulane is deep at running back with Matt Forte and Ade Tuyo. Running back Matt Forte is a load to stop.

MIAMI AT OKLAHOMA: A key for this game is Miami’s run defense that allowed Marshall only 51 yards on 32 carries. Miami’s defense had six sacks and four picks. Last season, the Canes were fourth nationally in rushing defense.

The Canes averaged 6.5 yards per carry and netted 260 yards in the win over Marshall. Quarterback Kirby Freeman was only 9- of- 21 for 81 yards with one touchdown and one pick. Receiver Lance Legget caught four passes for 31 yards. Tailback Graig Cooper ran 12 times for 116 yards. He also returned three punts for 28 yards. Tailback Javarris James ran for 99 yards on 14 carries. Miami’s defense allowed 234 yards, six sacks and four picks. Some depth chart issues were cleared up: James started at tailback, Chris Rutledge at right tackle, Willie Cooper at safety and Randy Phillips and DeMarcus VanDyke at corner. Receiver Sam Shields will return after being suspended in the opener. Receiver Darnell Jenkins injured his shoulder in the game. Fullback Jerrell Mabry was on crutches after the game.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, who was 21- of- 23 for 363 yards and three touchdowns in the 79-10 win over North Texas got off to a good start. Tailback DeMarco Murray, who scored five touchdowns, can no longer be kept under wraps. Receiver Juaquin Iglesias caught seven passes for 128 yards.

N C STATE AT BC: Backup quarterback Harrison Beck will be the starter this week after rallying the Wolfpack for a near win last week against UCF. Wolfpack starting running back Toney Baker is out for the year after sustaining a knee injury in the fourth quarter of the UCF loss. Starting tight end Anthony Hill was lost for the season a few weeks ago also with a knee injury. Backup running back Andre Brown will take over for Baker. The Wolfpack rallied from a 25-3 halftime deficit to nearly win the game. N C State held UCF to only two first downs, 38 yards of offense and two first downs in the second half. Quarterback Harrison Beck (17- of- 28 for 207 yards) took over in the second half for starter Daniel Evans (7- of- 10 for 65 yards) to lead the rally. UCF tailback Kevin Smith rushed for 177 yards on 19 carries in the first half. He finished with 219 yards on 35 carries. The Wolfpack committed seven penalties in the game, similar to what they did last year.

Boston College players were stunned last year because of the last second, 17-15 loss to N C State. The Eagles could be 2-0 with a win going into next week’s crucial game at Georgia Tech. BC won last week without Brian Toal, defensive tackle B J Raji, tailback L V Whitworth, tailback Jeff Smith and linebacker Robert Francois.

BC quarterback Matt Ryan, who was 32- of- 52 for 408 yards, threw for five touchdowns in the win over Wake Forest. Ryan hit 10 different receivers. Receiver Brandon Robinson caught nine passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Tailbacks Andre Callender and A J Brooks combined for 66 yards. The defense held Wake to two yards on 24 attempts. Defensive back DeJuan Tribble picked off three passes. Johnny Ayers did a great job on punts. Outside linebacker Mark Herzlich had eight tackles.

NORTH CAROLINA AT EAST CAROLINA: After the win over James Madison, Coach Butch Davis said he was pleased with the defense creating turnovers and the play of the receivers. Receiver Brooks Foster had four catches for 87 yards including a 65-yard touchdown. Punter Terrance Brown averaged 50 yards on four punts. Quarterback T J Yates was 13- of -18 for 218 yards and three touchdowns in his first start. The Carolina defense held JMU to only 250 total yards. The running game gained only 100 yards. Twelve first time starters played and seven true freshmen played.

NEBRASKA AT WAKE FOREST: Quarterback Riley Skinner, who was 28- of- 37 for 236 yards, separated his shoulder in the loss to BC. Brett Hodges replaced Skinner and completed 17- of- 23 passes. Hodges will start his first game against Nebraska. Receiver Kenneth Moore caught 15 passes (one short of the ACC record) for 126 yards and a score. Wake struggled to run the ball last week.

Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller, who was 14- of- 25 for 193 yards, had a decent debut against Nevada except for an interception returned for a touchdown. Tailback Marlon Lucky, who gained 233 yards on 30 carries, showed a lot of promise. Nebraska’s offensive line has improved greatly. The defense was dominating especially on third down. Wake is hoping Nebraska is looking ahead to its matchup next week with USC.

LOUISIANA MONROE AT CLEMSON: Tailback James Davis rushed for 102 yards on 18 carries in the win over FSU. Davis said the Tiger offense got tired and relaxed. Tailback C J Spiller carried 11 times for 48 yards. Quarterback Cullen Harper was 14- of- 24 for 160 yards and two scores. The Tiger defense allowed only 16 points and 256 yards. Linebacker Nick Watkins made 11 tackles, one sack and recovered a fumble.

ULM has all its offensive starters returning including leading rusher Calvin Dawson. In the loss to Tulsa, ULM passed for only 66 yards and allowed 523 yards of offense.

DUKE AT VIRGINIA: Wyoming held Virginia to only 110 total yards in their win. Virginia had seven yards rushing. James Sewell was only 11- of- 23 for 82 yards

UCF is off after upsetting N C State. Tailback Kevin Smith ran wild as he gained 217 yards on 35 carries and two scores. Quarterback Kyle Israel was 12- of- 24 for 93 yards. Michael Torres kicked three field goals.

UAB AT FLORIDA STATE: Quarterback Drew Weatherford, who was sacked five times, was 17- of -34 for 142 yards and one score in the Clemson loss. Tailback Antone Smith gained 90 yards on 14 carries. He was also the leading receiver catching five passes for 57 yards. FSU was only 3- of- 17 on third down and had only eight first downs.

Blazer quarterback Sam Hunt threw for 214 yards in the loss to Michigan State, but UAB ran for only 13 yards on 25 carries. Neil Callaway is the first year coach of the Blazers.

After reviewing the film, Coach Bobby Bowden said the first half was the worst he had every seen. Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher said Drew Weatherford’s problems are attributed to poor line play and receivers running the wrong routes. The defense was not without blame allowing 24 points, 11 first downs and 210 yards in two quarters. In the second half, the defense allowed only 82 yards of offense and three yards rushing. FSU had 31 missed tackles. True freshman Rodney Hudson, who started against Clemson, has returned to backing up Jacky Claude and Shannon Boatman at guard. Linebacker Marcus Ball, who is coming back from a knee injury, did see some playing time behind Dekoda Watson. FSU is 0-8 against Atlantic division opponents since 2005. They are 5-0 against Coastal division opponents.

SAMFORD AT GEORGIA TECH: Tailback Tashard Choice ran for 196 yards and two touchdowns in Tech’s rout over Notre Dame. Choice has now run for 100 yards in eight straight games, a school record. The Yellow Jacket defense forced starting quarterback Demetrius Jones to fumble twice and sacked Evan Sharpley seven times. Quarterback Taylor Bennett was 11- of- 23 for 121 yards. Tech had 386 total yards and held Notre Dame to 122 yards. Receiver James Johnson has a leg injury that will keep him out of the Samford game.

Samford won its first game against West Alabama. Former Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan is the coach. Quarterback Jefferson Adcock threw for 280 yards.

MARYLAND AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL: Quarterback Jordan Steffy was 19- of- 24 for 174 yards in the win over Villanova. His 79% completion rate was the highest for a Terp starter since 1995. Maryland plays West Virginia next Thursday night. Reserve quarterback Josh Portis will not play this season because of a violation of the school’s academic code.

NOTRE DAME AT PENN STATE: The loss to Georgia Tech was the lopsided defeat in an opener since the Pitt defeat (31-10) in 1976. It’s also the first time Notre Dame failed to score a touchdown in an opener since the Michigan loss in 1985.

Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli was 23- of- 38 for 295 yards and three scores in the shutout of FIU. Linebacker Sean Lee had seven tackles, one sack, forced a fumble and broke up a pass.

TCU AT TEXAS: TCU’s defensive front seven is one of the better ones in the nation. Texas has struggled in its last four games including last week. TCU freshman quarterback Andy Dalton needs to play better this week after completing 18- of- 30 for 205 yards and a touchdown.

The Big 12 has lost 17 straight games to ranked non-conference opponents. The Big 12 was 3-5 in bowl games last year.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR MYCLAYSUN IN ORANGE PARK, FLA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON SPORTS RADIO 1010 XL.