Alabama tailback Terry Grant rushed for 174 yards and two scores on 24 carries in the win over Vanderbilt. He also caught three passes for 26 yards. Alabama ran for 221 yards. Wilson was 14- of- 28 for 150 yards and a pick. Alabama limited Commodore receiver Earl Bennett to four catches on 52 yards. Cornerback Simeon Castille, who had four tackles and a pass breakup, was given the responsibility of guarding Bennett. Quarterback Chris Nickson was only 5- of- 18 before he pulled a hamstring. Vandy rushed for only 57 yards on 26 carries. Linebacker Rolando McClain led the team in tackles with six including a nine-yard sack. Running backs Glenn Coffee (11 carries for 48 yards), and Jimmy Johns and offensive lineman Mike Johnson should be able to play despite slight injuries during the game. Antoine Caldwell, who is a better center, did a nice job of moving to guard when Johnson left the game. Receiver D J Hall is only 34 yards shy of breaking Ozzie Newsome’s career mark. Junior free safety Rashad Johnson grabbed his first interception. Sophomore punter P J Fitzgerald averaged 41 yards on five punts. Offensive lineman Andre Smith and tight end Travis McCall earned Player- of- the- Week honors for blocking for Grant. Ends Bobby Greenwood and Wallace Gilberry (four quarterback hurries and forced a fumble) earned POW for pressuring Vandy quarterbacks. On special teams, Javier Arenas (3 punt returns for 79 yards and 3 kickoffs for 59 yards) earned POW for his kick return duties. Alabama’s late 86-yard touchdown drive, featuring 8- of- 9 running plays, sealed the game. Alabama kicker Leigh Tiffin missed three field goals and an extra point in this game last year.

Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt has won only once in Tuscaloosa (2003 in overtime). The Hogs are 12-11 on ESPN. Arkansas is 8-8 on television against Alabama. Nutt is 5-2 against Alabama when coming off a previous win. Quarterback Casey Dick was battling pink eye last week. Tailback Darren McFadden, who was recruited by Alabama, started his career in the spotlight against Alabama two years ago in Tuscaloosa when he had a 70-yard touchdown run. Defensive end Marcus Harrison will play after being suspended for felony drug charges. Receiver Marcus Monk (knee scoped) and tight end Ben Cleveland (pinched nerve) are not expected to play. Cleveland caught a scoring pass against Alabama last year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE AT AUBURN: The Bulldogs earned a crucial win over Tulane last week. Quarterback Michael Henig was 20- of- 31 for 222 yards and a touchdown and tailback Anthony Dixon gained 132 yards on 27 carries. Backup quarterback Josh Riddell didn’t play a snap. Instead, freshman Wesley Carroll closed out the game. Linebacker Gabe O’Neal was named the SEC Defensive POW for recovering a fumble and returning an interception for a touchdown. State leads the nation in turnovers with nine.

Auburn has beaten Mississippi State, 34-0, and, 28 -0, the past two years. State has not beaten Auburn since 2000 (six straight games). The offensive staff is looking for playmakers such as receiver Robert Dunn, who is moving to an outside spot. Freshman Tim Hawthorne is the starter at the slot position. Senior Prechae Rodriquez is on second team after dropping two passes against South Florida. Auburn allowed South Florida 133 kickoff return yards including a 59-yarder late in the fourth quarter. After two games, quarterback Brandon Cox has completed less than half his passes with two touchdowns and four picks. Tailback Mario Fannin had two fumbles back- to- back in the game. Coach Tommy Tuberville said freshman quarterback Kodi Burns will likely redshirt this season. Linebacker Tray Blackmon and safety Aairon Savage were back at practice after sitting out the USF game. Junior Chris Evans had 14 tackles against USF, the most since 2002 for a Tiger player. Savage is doubtful for State. Cornerback Jonathan Wilhite is doubtful also after re-aggravating a hamstring. Freshman Mike McNeil got 40 snaps against USF. Another freshman, defensive end Antoine Carter, got 15 snaps.

LOUISVILLE AT KENTUCKY: Quarterback Andre Woodson threw for 218 yards and two scores, tailback Rafael Little ran for 102 yards on 13 carries and Kennan Burton caught seven passes for 109 yards in last week’s win. Kentucky is averaging 53 points per game and Louisville is averaging 65 points per game. Kentucky will probably be without defensive tackles Myron Pryor (pectoral muscle) and Ricky Lumpkin (serious hip injury). Free safety Marcus McClinton and cornerback David Jones are both expected to return.

The Cardinals have won the past three games in the Kentucky series. Louisville has scored a school record 131 points in its first two games of the season. They totaled 729 yards of offense in the Middle Tennessee win. Louisville is averaging nearly 700 yards and 65 points per game. Quarterback Brian Brohm is hitting nearly 70% of his passes with nine touchdowns and no picks. Tailback Anthony Allen ran for a school record 275 yards in the win over MTSU. Kentucky should be encouraged that Louisville allowed 42 points and 555 yards to Middle Tennessee. The Cardinal offensive line has yet to allow a sack, but the Louisville defense has only one sack. Peanut Whitehead, a defensive end, has yet to collect a sack. He and Maurice Mitchell need to pressure the quarterback.

TENNESSEE AT FLORIDA: Gator quarterback Tim Tebow threw for 236 yards and had 96 yards rushing in the win over Troy. He had three touchdowns passing and two rushing. Gator Coach Urban Meyer has yet to lose in the Swamp (15-0). Freshman defensive end Justin Trattou picked off a pass against Southern Miss. Freshman Carlos Dunlap also made a big play by deflecting a punt. Receiver Bubba Caldwell will not play due to a sprained MCL. Riley Cooper and Louis Murphy (six catches for 78 yards against Troy) are in line to replace him. Safety Bryan Thomas will miss the game due to a sprained ankle. Receiver Cornelius Ingram had a team high seven catches for 105 yards in the win over Troy. Florida at Ole Miss will be the Lincoln Financial game next Saturday. Linebacker Brandon Spikes led the team in tackles for the second straight week. Dustin Doe, another linebacker, tied Spikes for the lead in tackles. Tailback Kestahn Moore averaged 5.6 yards per carry against Troy. Receiver Percy Harvin is expected to be healthy as he has been on Saturday.

After trailing Southern Miss, 16-10, Tennessee outscored the Golden Eagles, 23-3. The Vol defense held Southern Miss to 108 total yards and three points. Vol fans were glad to see a running back and two receivers hit the 100- yard mark. Tailback Arian Foster had 23 carries for 125 yards and receivers Austin Rogers, a sophomore, caught seven passes for 112 yards and junior Lucas Taylor five for 118. Receiver Brent Vinson has yet to catch a pass. Freshman tailback Lennon Creer ran for 58 yards on six carries, including a 38-yard burst against Southern Miss.

Quarterback Erick Ainge, who was 23- of- 36 for 276 yards and two scores, has thrown 83 passes in the first two games without an interception. Tennessee threw for 276 yards and ran for 207 yards. Dan Williams has replaced J T Mapu on the defensive line. Defensive end Robert Ayers had perhaps his best game with three sacks and two quarterback hurries. Linebacker Rico McCoy had nine tackles and a pick in the game. Kicker Daniel Lincoln has made all four of his field goals, two beyond 40 yards. Defensive back Antonio Gaines is out for the year with a torn ACL. This means that Eric Berry is once again at cornerback and Jerod Parrish will have another chance to nail down a starting job at safety.

The past three games in the Gators series have been decided by a combined 12 points. Florida won two- of-three. One of the keys to last year’s Florida win in Knoxville was Tennessee being held to (minus 11 yards) rushing. The Gators also forced three Vol turnovers. The winner of this game has won the rushing battle 15- of -17 years. The Vol offensive line needs to at least stalemate the Gator defensive line. The matchup between Gator defensive end Derrick Harvey and Vol offensive lineman Eric Young could be interesting. Quarterback draws have hurt John Chavis’ defenses over the years. The last time the loser of this game made it to the SEC title game was 1997. If Ainge receives time to throw from his offensive line then he could pick on the UF secondary. Yet, the Vol defense has struggled against the pass and is among the bottom SEC teams in scoring defense.

Tennessee is 8-12 in their last 20 games against top 25 teams. Tennessee has won only once (2003) in the Swamp in September since 1992. Fulmer is 5-10 against Florida, but he has won two of the last three trips to Florida Field.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT LSU: The Tiger defense held Virginia Tech to 149 yards. Hokie quarterback Sean Glennon led the team in offense with only 62 yards. Tech averaged 2.6 yards per play and converted only 2- of- 14 third downs. Tailback Brandon Ore was held to 28 yards on 14 carries.

Quarterback Matt Flynn injured an ankle before halftime and was replaced by Ryan Perrilloux. Flynn has practiced little this week and is questionable for Saturday. Both quarterbacks were 22- of- 32 for 301 yards. Tailbacks Jacob Hester, Keiland Williams and Charles Scott have averaged 6.8 yards per rush and 321 combined yards on 47 carries. Williams had 126 yards in the win over Tech. LSU has at least 40 points in consecutive games. This is only the sixth time that has happen in Tiger history. The Tigers nearly had perfect balance in rushing and passing which combined for 598 yards. Receiver Brandon LaFell had five catches for 100 yards. Safety Craig Steltz has a toe injury that has limited him.

Tech’s 41- point loss was the biggest point margin in Frank Beamer’s tenure at Virginia Tech. MTSU has been outscored 85-56 in losses to Florida Atlantic and Louisville. MTSU running backs DeMarco McNair and Philip Tanner are dangerous in space.

Coach Rick Stockstill, the former Clemson assistant and Florida State quarterback, has developed an explosive spread formation attack at Middle Tennessee. Blue Raider quarterback Joe Craddock threw for 290 yards and two scores in the loss to Louisville last week. Tailback Phillip Tanner added 144 yards rushing and three scores. Middle Tennessee gained 555 total yards and averaged 10 yards per play against Louisville.

WESTERN CAROLINA AT GEORGIA: Tailback Knowshon Moreno continues to show great promise after running for his first 100- yard game (104 yards on 14 carries) last week. Quarterback Matthew Stafford’s was 19- of- 44 for 213 yards against South Carolina, but his receivers dropped four passes including two that would have been touchdowns. Kicker Brandon Coutu kicked a career high four field goals. Georgia was just 3- of- 18 on third down conversions, but outgained South Carolina 341-314 yards. Receiver A J Bryant is out for several weeks with an injured knee. He underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and is expected to be out for four weeks. Safety Kelin Johnson is questionable after injuring his ribs. Cornerback Remarcus Brown returns after being suspended for the first two games. Georgia threw 48 times and ran only 28 in the loss to South Carolina. Richt said Tuesday that offensive linemen Vince Vance, Clint Boling and Kiante Tripp have earned more playing time. The Catamounts are allowing over 300 yards per game rushing.

OLE MISS AT VANDERBILT: Ole Miss allowed 96 plays in the opening win to Memphis and another 80 in the loss to Missouri. Offensively, tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 226 yards on 33 carries even though he fumbled inside the ten-yard line in the second quarter. Quarterback Seth Adams had 305 yards passing and receiver Mike Wallace caught seven for 136 yards. The defense allowed 550 yards. A lot of the Missouri success in the second quarter came when linebacker Jonathan Cornell left the game with a shoulder stinger.

The Rebels won last year’s game against Vandy despite being outgained 400 yards- to- 179 and 23- to- 7 in first downs. Nickson played little in the second half of the Alabama game after injuring his hamstring. His backup McKenzie Adams led Vandy to its only touchdown against Alabama. The Rebel pass defense has allowed over 330 yards per game in the first two contests.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AT SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks, who were No. 17 in the AP poll this week, beat Georgia for the first time in five years. Tailback Cory Boyd, who gained 75 yards, scored the only touchdown of the game. Receiver Kenny McKinley continues to his fine play after catching seven passes for 102 yards in the win over Georgia. South Carolina was only 1- of- 11 on third down, but they yielded no turnovers. South Carolina gained 314 total yards. Tailback Mike Davis leads USC in rushing with 150 yards. He is tied with Boyd as the leading receiver with seven catches.

The Gamecock defense held Georgia to only 12 points off field goals, 128 yards rushing and 321 total yards. Stafford missed 25 passes. Kicker Ryan Succop, the SEC special teams POW, hit three field goals of his own. Sophomore Darian Stewart led the team in tackles with nine in his first start. Defensive back Emanuel Cook, who had an appendectomy a few weeks ago, had three tackles and a key pass breakup.

SC State beat Bethune-Cookman last week after losing to Air Force in the first game. Buddy Pough, a former Gamecock assistant coach under Lou Holtz is their coach. USC is 2-0 for the first time since 2003. South Carolina is 7-3 on the road under Spurrier. Mike Davis is averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

BOSTON COLLEGE AT GEORGIA TECH: This could be a preview of the ACC Title game. If BC wins this game, they probably win the next four games and vault into the top ten. In the win over N C State last week, running back Andre Callender (159 yards rushing) and LV Whitworth ran for over 200 yards combined. Quarterback Matt Ryan was only 15- of- 34 for 142 yards and one score. Brandon Robinson and Kevin Challenger were among a group of receivers that dropped too many passes. The offensive line allowed no sacks. They will be challenged this week by Georgia Tech’s blitzing defense. The defensive line did a nice job of holding State to less than 60 yard rushing.

A problem for the BC defense was allowing State quarterbacks to throw for over 350 yards, but the defense forced seven turnovers. Preseason starters B J Raji (academics) and Nick Larkin (injured) are out so Brady Smith and Austin Giles have to step up. N C State quarterback Harrison Beck threw five picks. The Eagles are 12-6 since joining the league before the 2005 season, the best record of any of the Atlantic Division teams. BC is allowing only 29 yards per game rushing. Georgia Tech averages 327 yards per game. Tech is averaging 6.6 yards per rush. Georgia Tech’s secondary appears to be the weakest part of its defense. Cornerbacks Avery Robinson and Pat Clark got beat against Notre Dame, but none of the Irish quarterbacks could take advantage.

Georgia Tech is averaging 51 points per game and allowing only eight points per game after beating Notre Dame and Samford. Tech rushed for 380 yards in the win over Samford. Tailback Tashard Choice rushed for 110 yards in the first quarter. Choice is averaging 112 ypg in his last 12 games. Coach Chan Gailey said Choice reminds him of former Gator great Emmitt Smith. Freshman Jonathan Dwyer had 138 yards and three scores. Receiver James Johnson who is recovering from a leg injury is back and will start. Tech’s defense has played well against senior quarterbacks such as Philip Rivers of N C State and Brady Quinn of Notre Dame. This is a matchup between BC offensive coordinator Steve Logan and Georgia Tech defensive back Jon Tenuta.

FURMAN AT CLEMSON: In the win over Louisiana Monroe, freshman Willy Korn made his quarterback debut. Junior quarterback Cullen Harper was 20- of- 26 for five touchdowns and no picks. The defense allowed LMU 419 yards of offense. Sophomore receiver Jacoby Ford had three catches for 68 yards including a 52-yard touchdown, a 23-yard kickoff return and a 12-yard punt return. Twelve different receivers caught passes.

FLORIDA STATE AT COLORADO: In the win over UAB, FSU had 12 penalties for 131 yards. It was the most penalties since the 17 flags in the Gator Bowl three years ago. In the third quarter alone, FSU had penalties on three consecutive plays. Tailback Antone Smith was back at practice after sustaining a concussion in the UAB game. In last week’s game with Smith out, Jamaal Edwards and Marcus Sims carried the load with a combined 110 all-purpose yards. Receiver De’Cody Fagg had dropped passes and a fumble in the win over UAB. Richard Goodman (50-yard touchdown strike) and Preston Parker (four catches for 89 yards and 74 yards on six punt returns) also stepped up their play. With Kevin McNeil out due to suspension, redshirt sophomore Kendrick Stewart is moving from defensive tackle to end. Offensive line coach Rick Trickett said Shannon Boatman and Ryan McMahon made strides in the UAB game.

Colorado Coach Dan Hawkins said FSU is much faster than the Arizona State team that beat the Buffs by 19 points after CU leaped ahead 14-0. Two of the Buffs fastest players-senior tailback Hugh Charles (hamstring) and freshman receiver Josh Smith—are back from injuries. Starting Buff quarterback Cody Hawkins, who was 15- of- 42 for 155 yards with a touchdown and a pick, grew up a FSU fan. Colorado had 42 yards rushing in the game. Bernard Jackson, last year’s quarterback who switched to receiver this year, is out with academic problems.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT MIAMI: After the loss to Oklahoma, Kyle Wright, who is 14-7, is the starting quarterback over Kirby Freeman, who was 3- of- 9 for 17 yards in the loss to OU. Wright was 7- of- 14 for 65 yards in the loss to OU. Tailbacks Javarris James and Graig Cooper combined for only 54 yards. Miami’s defense allowed 411 yards including nearly 300 passing. OU quarterback Sam Bradford was 19- of- 25 with five scores. Coach Randy Shannon also said there will be no rotating. He also said freshman Robert Marve is not ready to play after his wrist injury. Randy Phillips has moved to safety from cornerback, where he struggled.

Richard Gordon will not return kick after he made an ill-advised return attempt deep in the end zone. Either DeMarcus VanDyke or Shawnbrey McNeal, both freshmen, might replace him. Ryan Hill will be the other returner. Center A J Trump is out three weeks with a knee injury.

FIU has run for only 79 yards in two losses. Randy Shannon’s son is the center for FIU.

NORTH CAROLINA AT VIRGINA: UNC freshman tailback Johnny White, who averaged 4.8 ypc, is making a case for the starting job. East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pickney threw for 406 yards and three scores in the Pirates win. ECU kicker Ben Hartman kicked a 39-yard field goal to win the game at the last second. UNC quarterback T J Yates threw for 344 yards and three scores. Receiver Brandon Tate is averaging 35 ypc.

Virginia was a disaster on special teams last week. Tailback Cedric Peerman ran for 137 yards. Freshman quarterback Peter Lalich was 13- of- 18 for 141 yards.

WOFFORD AT N C STATE: The Wolfpack turned the ball over seven times in the loss to BC. Beck threw five interceptions. Wofford runs a triple option offense.

OHIO AT VIRGINIA TECH: Freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor will start against Ohio. He had 106 total yards against LSU. He is the first freshman quarterback to start under Coach Frank Beamer since Bryan Randall. The offensive line has been shaky, which has bogged down the running game.

Ohio has beaten ULL and Garner-Webb under Coach Frank Solich. Quarterback Brad Bower was 17- of- 28 for 264 yards last week. Running back Kalvin McRae scored five times.

ARMY AT WAKE FOREST: Quarterback Brett Hodges played poorly (especially his mechanics) against Nebraska. Kenneth Moore ran for 116 yards from his receiver position. Tailback Micah Andrews had 49 yards. The offensive line improved dramatically against Nebraska. The defense held Husker running back Marlon Lucky to 3.8 ypc.

TEXAS AT UCF: The Longhorns have allowed only one offensive touchdown this season, holding TCU to only 251 yards. Yet, the Longhorns have been very inconsistent. Colt McCoy ended up 25- for- 38 for 239 yards and a touchdown.

USC AT NEBRASKA: The Husker pass rush has been inconsistent over the first two games. Pete Carroll’s teams have made a living off winning big road games. USC has lost only four regular season games in the last four years, but two of them came after two week layoffs. The Huskers have had two good games out of their offensive line by protecting quarterback Sam Keller, who has played USC at Arizona State. He had three picks and two touchdowns so far. USC has several players out with injury such as safety Josh Pinkard (torn ACL), receiver Patrick Turner (shoulder injury), running back Chauncey Washington (sprained shoulder), and offensive lineman Sam Baker (ribs).

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.