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Three key games this Saturday will set the tone for the final month of the SEC season. The winner of the Georgia at LSU game stays alive in their divisional race. A loss would not eliminate either team, but it would create a much harder mountain to climb.
Alabama travels to Tennessee hoping to continue an unbeaten season and stay at least a game up on LSU. Florida wants to at least hold serve with Georgia in the divisional race as they host Kentucky.
A Bulldog and a Gator victory create a huge game in Jacksonville on Nov. 1. Only once in the history of the BCS have the top two teams in the first poll finished the season in the title game-2005 USC and Texas.
The SEC has nine teams in the top 24 in the nation in total defense. They have none in the top 25 total offense.
ALABAMA AT TENNESSEE: The Tide is No. 2 behind Texas in the first BCS poll. Alabama scored 24 straight points in the first half and Ole Miss answered with 17 straight points in the second half. The Tide has had three straight games where they had to survive a second half rally. Alabama has outscored its opponents 171-23 in the first half, but they have been outscored 78-55 in the second half.
Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson completed 16- of -25 passes for a season high 219 yards and two scores. Wilson hit receiver Marquis Maze on a 26- yard corner route and receiver Mike McCoy on a 30- yard pass on a flea flicker for two touchdowns. Tailback Mark Ingram led the Tide with 73 yards and Glen Coffee added 53 yards. Coffee fumbled for the fourth time in three games. The Tide defense held Ole Miss on fourth- and- five at its 43- yard line to preserve the win in the last minute. Defensive backs Justin Woodall and Rashad Johnson both intercepted passes. Freshman linebacker Donta Hightower stopped Rebel tailback Enrique Davis on a crucial fourth- and- one at the end of the third quarter. The Tide defense held the "Wild Rebel" formation in check allowing only 13 yards on seven rushing plays plus an interception. Defensive back Rashad Johnson made nine tackles, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass. Johnson was named among the SEC defensive honorees of the week. Mike Johnson was named the SEC lineman of the week. Alabama has allowed one rushing touchdown, tops in the nation. Tennessee has allowed only two.
Alabama nose guard Terrance Cody is out for at least two weeks with a sprained MCL in his knee. Coach Nick Saban said he thought the injury was similar to what offensive lineman Andre Smith sustained earlier in the year when he missed two weeks. Lorenzo Washington will work at nose tackle backing up Josh Chapman. Alabama has not beaten Tennessee in consecutive games since 1991-92 and they have not won in Knoxville since 2002. Wilson has thrown for 521 yards and completed 60% of his passes in two games against Tennessee. Alabama head defensive coach Kevin Steele and Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis are close friends and grew up together in South Carolina.
TENNESSEE coaches might start using safety Eric Berry in a "Wild Berry" formation taking direct snaps from center. Coach John Chavis said he would not be afraid of using Berry on offense. Chavis said if he ever became afraid of playing Berry on offense that "I'm probably going to stay home and start cross-dressing." Berry leads the nation with five interceptions. Defensive back Demetrice Morley also returned a pick for a touchdown last year. The Vols are averaging 19 points per game. Tennessee's run defense is allowing only 96 yards per game. The Vols have been outscored 42-14 in the first quarter.
The Vols handled Mississippi State with ease outscoring the Bulldogs, 28-0, in the second half. Quarterback Nick Stephens, who is, 2-1, as a starter, was 10- of- 20 for 136 yards. He has yet to throw an interception. Tailback Lennon Creer led the Vols with 68 yards on 17 carries. Berry had 10 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups and a 72- yard interception return for a touchdown. He has 10 career interceptions in 21 games. Berry set a new SEC record for return yards in a career with 397. The old record was set by Ole Miss defensive back Bobby Wilson in 1949. It took Wilson 20 interceptions to set the mark. The Vol defense sacked Bulldog quarterbacks five times and picked off three passes. Tennessee leads the SEC with 14 interceptions. Receiver Gerald Jones and offensive lineman Anthony Parker left the game with high ankle sprains. They are questionable for Saturday. Defensive coordinator John Chavis coached from the press box for the first time since 2001. Coach Phil Fulmer won game No. 150 game in his career against Mississippi State. The Vols received a commitment from David Oku (5-10, 185), a running back from Midwest City, Oklahoma. His finalists were FSU, Tennessee, Clemson, Michigan and Nebraska. Tennessee is No. 7 in the Rivals.com rankings with eight four-star prospects. Receiver Denarius Moore has caught seven passes in seven games for 195 yards and he is No. 3 in receiving.
OLE MISS AT ARKANSAS: This game is not on television. Coach Bobby Petrino lost for the first time in his career to Kentucky last week. Tailback Michael Smith was one of the few bright spots gaining 191 yards. Smith, who has rushed for 791 yards, sustained a concussion in the game. He is probable for Saturday. The Hogs had an 87- yard, 20 play, 9:45 drive that resulted in a field goal early in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Casey Dick was only 11- of- 29 for 94 yards with one score and two picks. Dick has six touchdowns and nine interceptions on the year. Smith is averaging 132 yards per game. The Hog defense allows 35 points and 355 yards per game. Freshman Alfred Davis has five tackles for loss and three sacks. Arkansas allowed Auburn 56 rushing yards and Kentucky 88.
The Rebels have played better than their, 3-4, record. Against Alabama, Ole Miss scored on a fake field goal in the third quarter when Jason Cook took a shovel pass from punter Rob Parker. Quarterback Jevan Snead was 16- of- 31 for 192 yards. He threw a 24 yard scoring pass to receiver Shay Hodge. Davis had a 62 yard run early in the game. He led the Rebels with 70 yards. Turnovers-two picks and a fumble-- continues to plague the Rebels. Once again, Ole Miss is battling the injury bug with defensive end Greg Hardy (foot) and left guard Darryl Harris (elbow) and tight end David Traxler (back) missing practice time. Traxler could be out for several games.
KENTUCKY AT FLORIDA: Tailback Derrick Locke is out for the year with two torn knee ligaments. Defensive tackle Myron Pryor (ankle) is out with an ankle injury. Linebackers Micah Johnson and Johnny Williams, cornerback David Jones and safety Marcus McClinton are questionable. Quarterback Mike Hartline threw two touchdowns to receiver Randall Cobb in the final 4:15 to beat Arkansas by a point. Hartline was 17- of- 32 for 239 yards with three touchdowns and two picks. Cobb caught five passes for 73 yards. Tailback Alfonso Smith caught five passes for 107 yards and one score. The Wildcat defense forced four turnovers. Kentucky leads the SEC with 20 forced turnovers. They also lead the league in defensive scoring average-12 points per game. Johnson had 15 tackles and a sack. The Wildcats have allowed only 156 yards passing per game. Kentucky has not beaten a top ten opponent on the road since Penn State in 1977.
Florida's offensive line is starting to jell. Carl Johnson, who is being groomed for the starting left tackle job next year, has been solid the past two games. Johnson's play is even more important with Jim Tartt, arguably the team's best offensive lineman battling a chronic shoulder injury. Tartt will not play against Kentucky. Their play is vital since Kentucky leads the SEC in scoring defense. Chris Rainey (shoulder) and Emmanuel Moody (ankle) have a chance to play Saturday. Kestahn Moore is listed as the starter at tailback. Coach Urban Meyer has confirmed that Mon Williams will transfer. The Gators have beaten Kentucky 21 straight times.
Last season, quarterback Tim Tebow was 18- of- 26 for 256 yards including a career high four touchdowns against Kentucky. He also ran for 78 yards. George Edmondson, who is 86, is retiring this year from playing his role as Mr. Two Bits. He retired once before in 1998, but he continued to do his cheer for pregame. The Citadel game will be his last.
GEORGIA AT LSU: Under Mark Richt, Georgia is 27-4 in road games and 9-2 against ranked foes. Georgia has 14 wins under Richt when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was 13- of- 23 for 194 yards with two picks and two touchdowns in the win over Vanderbilt. Tailback Knowshon Moreno (108 ypg) ran for 172 yards, a season high. Moreno has rushed for over 100 yards a total of 10 times. Georgia ran for 213 yards. Receiver A. J. Green (81 ypg) caught seven passes for 132 yards. Georgia outgained Vandy 425 yards- to- 245. The offense continues to fight inconsistency. Vanderbilt had two chances to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
Bulldog defensive back Reshad Jones led the team with eight tackles and a pick. Three regular starters, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (knee), receiver Kris Durham (ankle) and tight end Tripp Chandler (shoulder) should return for LSU. Ellerbe will travel and suit up, but Darryl Gamble will start. Backup linebacker Akeem Hebron is out for the rest of the year with a fractured ankle. Tight end Aron White is also out for the game with a sprained shoulder. Bruce Figgins is the only healthy tight end. Defensive tackle Kade Weston missed most of the game with an injured ankle. After averaging 10 penalties for five straight games, the Bulldogs reduce their flags to five.
Georgia offensive lineman Vince Vance was arrested over the weekend for not having a valid driver's license and defensive tackle Brandon Wood was also arrested for driving under the influence. Ten Bulldog football players have been arrested since January. Georgia defensive linemen have talked to Bulldog assistant coach Stacey Searels about the LSU offensive line. Searels coached the Tiger offensive line for four years from 2003-06. Georgia has the No. 1 rush defense allowing only 61 yards per game. The Bulldogs have allowed more passing yards than anyone except Alabama and Ole Miss.
LSU's offensive line has 118 starts compared to 49 for the Bulldog offensive line. LSU's defensive line has four seniors, three juniors, and a sophomore in the two-deep. In contrast, Georgia has three freshmen and two sophomores on their defensive line. Georgia's offensive line has not allowed a sack in the past two games. However, the LSU defensive line sacked South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia six times.
LSU Coach Les Miles is now, 7-0, after a loss following the win over South Carolina. Miles is 39-7 at LSU. Twelve of those wins came in when the Tigers were tied or behind in the fourth quarter. LSU has won six straight against top ten opponents. Both Mississippi State and Florida ran the ball well on the Tiger defense. Colt David is 9-of-10 in field goals. Blair Walsh is 11-of-15 in field goals. Defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois will play this week.
The Tigers outscored South Carolina, 14-0, in the second half and force three turnovers. Quarterback Jarrett Lee was 16- of- 26 for 189 yards with one pick. Tailback Keiland Williams led the Tigers with 72 yards rushing. Charles Scott added 61 yards. LSU outrushed South Carolina 164 yards- to- 39. In the second half, the Tiger defensive coaches made two key adjustments. Patrick Peterson replaced Jai Eugene at starting cornerback and the defensive line consisting of four defensive ends (Kirston Pittman, Tyson Jackson, Tremaine Johnson and Rahim Alem) were used to pressure Garcia. Another adjustment was to not abandon the run and move Charles Scott (105 ypg) to fullback while using Williams at tailback. Tiger players remember being beat down by Georgia in the 2005 SEC title game. This is the start of five straight home games for LSU.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE: An interesting rumor making the rounds pertains to former Auburn coordinator Al Borges going to Mississippi State at the end of season. Quarterback Tyson Lee, who was 12- of 23 for 114 yards and three picks, left the game in the second quarter with a sprained knee in the loss to Tennessee. He returned only to throw two picks that were returned for touchdowns. Tailback Anthony Dixon ran 14 times for 46 yards. State gained only 189 yards. Middle Tennessee, 2-5, lost to Louisville, 42-23, last Saturday. The Bulldogs are No. 117 in scoring offense averaging 14 points per game.
MTSU quarterback Joe Craddock is the bright spot of the offense. The rushing attack is among the worst in the conference. They are averaging only 18 points per game. MTSU beat Maryland and almost defeated Kentucky. They also had to rally to beat Florida Atlantic on the last play of the game.
DUKE AT VANDERBILT: Duke lost to Miami, 49-31, last week. Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis completed 12- of- 28 for 130 yards with two scores. Lewis and receiver Eron Riley is a nice combination. Duke, ranked No. 90 nationally in rushing, ran for 132 yards. The Blue Devil defense has picked off eight passes in the past four games.
Vandy is No. 118 in total offense. The Commodores have five more chances to become bowl eligible after losing to Georgia. Vanderbilt quarterback Mackenzi Adams completed 16- of- 32 for 131 yards with two scores and two picks in the loss to Georgia. Tailback Jared Hawkins ran 13 times for 63 yards. Vandy's secondary with corners D. J. Moore and Myron Lewis and safeties Ryan Hamilton and Reshad Langford could shut down the Duke passing game. Moore is No. 7 in punt returns.
SOUTH CAROLINA IS OFF: In 18 of Steve Spurrier's losses at South Carolina, 11 have come by seven points or fewer. All five of South Carolina's SEC games this season have been decided by seven points- or- fewer. The Gamecocks are 2-3 in those games. Garcia was 14- of- 26 for 215 yards with one touchdown and one pick. He was sacked six times. South Carolina has allowed 30 sacks, No. 1 in the nation. Coach Steve Spurrier said he wanted Garcia to throw the ball away sooner. South Carolina ran for only 39 yards. The Gamecocks were only 1- of- 9 on third down. South Carolina gained only 42 yards and five first downs in the second half.
ACC NOTES
FSU, No. 23, and Georgia Tech, No. 21, are the only ranked ACC teams.
BOSTON COLLEGE AT NORTH CAROLINA: After falling behind by 10 points, the Eagles scored 21 straight to pull ahead. Quarterback Chris Crane threw three picks and two were returned for touchdowns. However, Crane (6-1 as a starter) led three touchdown drives. Crane was 16- of- 32 for 218 yards. Rich Gunnell returned a punt for a 65- yard touchdown. Brandon Robinson caught four passes for 97 yards. Linebacker Brian Toal is out for the year with a broken fibula. BC is No. 1 in pass efficiency defense and has yet to allow more than 300 yards in a game.
NORTH CAROLINA led for 57 minutes of the Virginia game before losing in overtime. The Tar Heel defense has struggled on final drives. They were ahead 10-3 after kicking a field goal with only 2:22 remaining. North Carolina remains winless at Virginia since 1981. Virginia quarterback Marc Verica was 24- of -38 for 217 yards. He completed seven straight passes in the drive to tie the game. Quarterback Cam Sexton threw two interceptions. Receiver Brandon Tate, who is out with an ACL injury, was missed. UNC outrushed Virginia 166 yards to 58. UNC had three turnovers. Sexton was 16- of- 25 for 166 yards. Tailback Shaun Draughn ran 30 times for 138 yards. This was his third straight 100 yard game. Former tailback Greg Little moved to receiver to replace Tate. Receiver Hakeem Nicks caught six passes for 90 yards. North Carolina is tied for first in the nation with 14 picks.
WAKE FOREST AT MIAMI: Wake played well on offense against Clemson on Thursday night, but regressed in the loss to Virginia. They have gone to the spread offense with little success. They ran a "Wild Deacon" against Clemson and it worked. The running game is averaging just 2.6 yards per carry. Starting center Trey Bailey was lost for the year and freshman Joe Looney replaced him. Wake has scored only one touchdown in three ACC games.
Wake is allowing only 16 points and 306 yards per game. The Wake defense has 20 turnovers in six games. The defense led by nose guard Boo Robinson, linebacker Aaron Curry, and cornerback Alphonso Smith can hold their own against Miami.
MIAMI quarterback Jacory Harris, who was 18- of- 28 for 186 yards and two picks, led the team to six scores against Duke. He threw for four touchdowns and ran in another. Robert Marve started at quarterback, but he was replace after throwing a ball up for grabs that was picked. Marve will start this week. Tailback Graig Cooper had eight carries for 65 yards. Javarris James, who has been out with a high ankle sprain, saw some action. Receiver Aldarius Johnson had eight catches for 85 yards. A. J. Trump did a good job as starting right guard. Defensive lineman Joe Joseph did a nice job clogging up the line. Defensive back Anthony Reddick had 12 tackles. Linebacker Jordan Futch remains out. Seven true freshmen have scored touchdowns.
VIRGINIA TECH AT FSU: Maryland's win over Wake Forest opened up the divisional race. Receiver Preston Parker is getting more involved in the offense in the NC State win. He led the team with five catches for 56 yards in the win over N C State. Linebacker Dekoda Watson is battling a hamstring injury. Starting guard Will Furlong will have foot surgery. No idea yet on how long he will be out. David Spurlock will replace him. The staff utilized the bubble screens against N. C. State to playmakers such as Bert Reed, who is suspended for this week's game. Junior safety Myron Rolle led the defense with eight tackles. FSU officials met with the NCAA infractions committee on Oct. 18 to explain their corrective actions.
At the halfway point of the season, the Warchant.com staff had the following picks. The offensive MVP was quarterback Christian Ponder. Surprise player on offense were lineman Andrew Datko, and Taiwan Easterling the leading receiver with 18 catches. Defensive MVP candidates were linebacker Derek Nicholson with 35 tackles and defensive back Myron Rolle. Surprise defensive players were Kendrick Stewart, Kenny Ingram and Korey Mangum. Last week against N. C. State, Ponder, who is struggling with bruised ribs, was 23- of- 35 for 254 yards. Smith has run for 517 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ponder is second with 344 yards. FSU has run for at least 100 yards in its first six games for the first time since 2002. Tech allows 122 yards rushing and has forced 10 fumbles. Tailback Antoine Smith has gained 366 yards on 76 carries in the last three games. FSU, the No. 3 ranked defense, allow 79 yards rushing.
Tech really struggled in the B.C. loss. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for only 90 yards. Taylor has one touchdown pass in his last 97 attempts. Open receivers dropped passes. Tailback Darren Evans averaged less than two yards per carry. Tech's Brett Warren took back a Crane pass 36 yards for a score. Macho Harris took another back 55 yards for a score. Harris and defensive end Orion Harris can give Ponder some trouble. Tech also blocked a field goal. Only seven seniors started against BC. Seven more were either sophomores or freshmen. The Tech offense is averaging only 298 yards per game. Tech leads the nation in turnover margin. Last year, Tech blew out FSU ending Bobby Bowden's 15-0 run.
VIRGINIA AT GEORGIA TECH: The Yellow Jackets are ranked No. 21 in the latest poll. Tech has won four straight games. The Tech defense has allowed only 300 or more yards once (Mississippi State) this season. Tech's defense is ranked in the top ten in eight categories. The Yellow Jackets, under defensive coordinator Dave Womack, have 12 picks. They lead the nation in tackles per loss per game with nine. Tech is No. 5 in scoring defense allowing only 11 ppg. Demaryius Thomas caught a 24- yard touchdown pass from Josh Nesbitt for the go-ahead touchdown in the Clemson win. Defensive back Dominque Reese took an interception back for a touchdown early in the game. Tailback Jonathan Dwyer, who has 706 yards, ran for 109 yards. Nesbitt had 77 yards rushing.
VIRGINIA has also played well defensively. They have shut out two teams and held UNC to only 10 points. Clint Sintim leads the ACC with eight sacks. Lineman Jon Copper had 16 tackles against UNC. UVA has outscored its last three opponents 82-33. Virginia has beaten Maryland, East Carolina and North Carolina in consecutive weeks.
N C STATE AT MARYLAND: The Terps are 3-0 against ranked foes and 2-2 against unranked teams. Maryland shut out Wake Forest last week. They gained 330 yards passing and 22 first downs. It was the first shutout against a ranked team since 1955. Maryland has won four of its last five games. Maryland has 19 seniors on the two- deep depth chart. Quarterback Chris Turner is No. 1 in the ACC in pass efficiency. Starting cornerback Kevin Barnes is out with a shoulder injury. Quarterback Jordan Steffy is out with a wrist injury. Maryland is 3-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less. Darrius Heyward-Bay has 563 yards and five scores on 30 touches.
N C STATE has lost three straight games. Linebacker Nate Irving has a bad ankle.
CLEMSON: Athletic director Terry Don Phillips said the search for a new coach has begun. He said interim coach Dabo Swinney is a possibility. He also has a list of coaches that he is using to gather information. Tailback C. J. Spiller said he will return for the BC game. The offensive line that includes eight freshmen and redshirt freshmen continue to struggle. Quarterback Cullen Harper, who had shoulder surgery, said he will be ready for B.C. Willy Korn said he is hopeful to return to practice from a shoulder injury he sustained in the Georgia Tech game. Junior right guard Barry Humphries is back from injury. He had nine knockdown blocks against Tech.
PENN STATE AT OHIO STATE: Penn State, who averages 418 yards per game, scored 32 unanswered points in the win over Michigan. The Lions are in the top ten in scoring offense and scoring defense. Penn State is healthy except for safety Anthony Scirrotto. The Penn State defense has to pressure Terrelle Pryor early and getting enough stops from Maurice Evans, and Aaron Maybin to limit Beanie Wells. Penn State is 9-20 against Ohio State and Michigan since joining the conference. Ohio State has won 12 of 13 conference games at home against ranked opponents. Penn State's schedule so far is ranked No. 100. Penn State is allowing only 104 yards rushing.
Ohio State's defense forced five takeaways against Michigan State. The Buckeyes need to pressure Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark, who has accounted for 19 touchdowns. Ohio State also must get receivers Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie involved. Wells has run for 508 yards in four games. Penn State hasn't won in Columbus since 1978. They have the secondary to match up with the Penn State receivers. Can the Ohio State offensive line protect Pryor?
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.
E-MAIL BRENT AT brentbeaird@comcast.net
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