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THE CITADEL AT FLORIDA: The Gators have won six straight SEC games by 28 points or more, an SEC first. Florida has outscored its last six opponents 299-63. Jimmy Buffett was in the locker room after the game. Florida has outscored its opponents 101-0 in the first quarter. Florida has 13 players up for postseason honors. Florida's computer rankings will take a hit because of playing The Citadel, but playing FSU and Alabama might help. This year's Gator team is scoring 15 more points per game and allowing 2.2 less points per game than the 1996 national title team. Receiver Percy Harvin has scored in every game he has played this season. Quarterback Tim Tebow has seven touchdown passes, six touchdown runs and no picks in his last three games. Safety Ahmad Black has four picks in four straight games. Florida is the only team in the nation to be ranked in scoring offense and scoring defense.
ARKANSAS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Hogs were off last week. Because of quarterback Casey Dick's concussion, his brother, Nathan, is getting a legitimate shot at more playing time. Casey has 187 completions this season, a school record. The Hogs are averaging only 52 yards rushing in the last two games. Tailback Michael Smith is recovering from his stinger. Hog quarterbacks are being sacked on average of 3.8 times per game. This game features the Arkansas quick strike offense against a solid State defense. Arkansas needs wins over Mississippi State and LSU in order to become bowl eligible. Defensive ends Adrian Davis and Damario Ambrose are back at practice.
Bulldog defensive tackle Jessie Bowman is lost for the season with a torn quad muscle that he sustained in the Alabama loss. Quarterback Tyson Lee completed 11 of 28 for 132 yards. Arkansas has beaten Mississippi State nine straight times. Linebacker Jamar Chaney plans on returning next season after missing the majority of the year when he injured his leg in the opener. Chaney is expected to be granted a medical hardship. There is mounting criticism on Coach Sly Croom. Speculation remains that he will need to make staff changes at the end of the year.
OLE MISS AT LSU: The Rebels are bowl eligible for the first time since 2003 after a blowout win over Louisiana-Monroe. Ole Miss scored 31 points in the second quarter. Quarterback Jevan Snead ran for two scores and threw for three more. Tailback Cordera Eason ran 14 times for 106 yards. The Rebels ran for 350 yards. Receiver Mike Wallace caught two passes for 111 yards including an 88-yard catch that did not result in a touchdown. The defense held ULM to 131 yards on 52 plays and forced two turnovers. Defensive lineman Greg Hardy had three tackles, a quarterback sack and returned an interception 22 yards. The last time Ole Miss beat LSU was 2001. However, four of the six losses were by three points- or- less. Fullback Jason Cook (concussion) and receiver Shay Hodge (foot) have been cleared to practice. One of the big matchups of the game is Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher against LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson and Rahim Alem.
LSU's defense ended up with 17 pass breakups and 10 hurries in the win over Troy. The Tigers rallied with 37 unanswered points to prevent an embarrassing loss to Troy. After trailing 31-3, LSU gained 277 yards and 14 first downs. During that same time Troy gained 46 yards on 30 plays. The come back from a 28- point deficit was the greatest in LSU history. Tailback Charles Scott rushed for 90 yards to move past the 1,000 yard mark. He has 1,071 yards on the season. Quarterback Jarrett Lee rebounded from an awful first half to complete 24 of 30 passes for 216 yards with one touchdown and one pick. He led the Tigers on six scoring drives. Freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed 1 of 6 passes for 5 yards. He also ran seven times for 17 yards. Receiver Brandon LaFell caught 12 passes for 126 yards and a score. LSU's offense struggled in the first half. They had two first downs, and 63 total yards. Lee suffered his seventh pick six of the season. LSU recognizes 19 seniors this Saturday.
TENNESSEE AT VANDERBILT: The Commodores are going to a bowl game for the first time in 26 years. The Commodores finally broke a 17-game streak of failing to achieve bowl eligibility. The Commodores could win eight games in a single season for the first time since 1982. Tailback Jared Hawkins had 84 yards rushing and 49 yards receiving. Backup quarterback Chris Nickson completed 15 of 27 passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns. Nickson, who replaced starter Mackenzi Adams earlier in the week, also ran 20 times for 118 yards. Defensive back D. J. Moore intercepted two critical passes. He has six picks on the season. Moore's last pick came with 2:07 left in the game after Kentucky had trimmed the lead to seven points midway in the fourth quarter. He also caught two touchdown passes and three passes overall for 51 yards. Vandy's senior class has won 20 games the most since the 1972-75 teams won 25. A win over Tennessee would give the Commodores five SEC wins for the first time since 1935. The last time Vandy beat Tennessee was in 2005.
Jonathan Crompton is the starting Vols quarterback for the Vandy game. B. J. Coleman is the second string quarterback and Nick Stephens has been demoted to third string. Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith and Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden both expressed no interest in the Tennessee job. Oregon State's Mike Riley was the hot rumor this weekend in Knoxville. Riley makes $1.1 million at Oregon State, who might be in the Rose Bowl. Tennessee has hired Chuck Neinas headhunter firm to search for a coach. He was helpful in Florida's coaching search. His fee is around $40,000. Butch Davis of North Carolina, Mike Leach of Texas and Brian Kelly of Cincinnati are among the names being mentioned as possible replacements. Coach Phil Fulmer admitted this week that safety Eric Berry has had a shoulder injury that has prevented him from playing more offense. The injury might require surgery at the end of the year. Tailback Arian Foster is taking a long time to heal from a quad injury.
SOUTH CAROLINA IS OFF: CollegeFootballTalk.com has an article posted about the possible retirement of Coach Steve Spurrier. The article also mentions that Spurrier would like his son, Bubba Spurrier, to take over for him. Spurrier rebuffed those reports in his presser Tuesday. The Gamecock offensive numbers against Florida were inept. South Carolina was only 1 of 15 on third down. They gained only 173 yards including 53 yards rushing. South Carolina committed nine penalties and four turnovers. Quarterback Chris Smelley was 13 of 24 for 92 yards and two picks. The Gamecock defense allowed 516 yards, easily the worst performance of the season. The Gamecocks do not play until the annual grudge match at Clemson next week. When rotating quarterbacks, Smelley and Garcia have completed 48% of their passes, averaging 170 yards per game. When not rotating quarterbacks, whoever is quarterback is averaging 59% of his passes for an average of 230 ypg. Spurrier said Smelley would take most of the snaps against Clemson. He added the Garcia is not ready for a starting role yet.
KENTUCKY IS OFF: In its last four games, Kentucky is allowing 37 points and 409 yards per game. Safety Marcus McClinton and defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin will miss the Tennessee game. The Wildcats rallied from a 24-7 deficit to pull within a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Vanderbilt. Kentucky was flagged three times for roughing the punter and once for roughing the passer. Quarterback Randall Cobb completed 11 of 26 for 144 yards and two picks. He also ran 15 times for 71 yards. The Wildcats were only 1 of 10 on third down and they committed two turnovers. Kentucky finishes the regular season at Tennessee next week. Defensive end Jeremy Jarmon will have his knee scoped and will likely miss the Tennessee game.
GEORGIA IS OFF: Seven projected starters have missed a total of 40 games this season. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins said he will return for his senior season because of the promise he made his mother. Atkins leads the team with 27 quarterback hurries. Defensive tackle Jeff Owens, a redshirting senior, said he might return also. Owens has until right before the NFL draft to decide whether or not to return. Redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Josh Davis graded out well after replacing the injured Justin Anderson (foot). Linebacker Marcus Washington said his shoulder is healing fine and he should be ready for spring drills. Tailback Caleb King admitted that a missed block in the Florida game caused him to be demoted to third string. Kicker Blair Walsh has only made four of his last 10 field goals.
Georgia was only 3 of 11 on third down in the win over Auburn. Coach Mark Richt is 30-4 on the road. The Bulldogs committed nine penalties for 95 yards. Stafford was 15 of 24 for 215 yards and two scores. Moreno rushed 22 times for 131 yards. He has rushed for at least 100 yards a total of 13 times. Moreno also caught four passes for 58 yards. Green caught five passes for 81 yards and one score. He has 51 catches on the season, two short of Terrence Edwards freshman record of 53 in 1999. The road team won for the 12th time in the last 17 games in the Auburn series. Kicker Blair Walsh had a line drive field goal blocked. Georgia has beaten Auburn three straight times for the first time since 1982. Linebacker Rennie Curran led the team with nine tackles and has 98 on the season. Georgia is likely headed to the Capital One in Orlando. The Bulldogs are idle until they host Georgia Tech next week.
AUBURN IS OFF: The Tigers had the ball deep in Georgia territory and ran out of downs when quarterback Kodi Burns overthrew tailback Ben Tate with one second left. Burns completed 16 of 30 passes for 179 yards and one score. Mario Fannin carried eight times for 59 yards. He also caught four passes for 48 yards. The Tigers fell to 5-6, the first time since 1999 that Auburn has lost six games. The Tigers were deep in Georgia territory four times, but scored only twice. Auburn has converted only 57% of its chances inside the red zone this season. Kicker Wes Byrum and tight end Tommy Trott are out due to knee injuries for the Alabama game. Morgan Hull will replace Byrum. The Tigers have had nine players have surgery since two-a-days. Fannin, the most effective back during the Georgia game, didn't play in the final two drives. Coach Tommy Tuberville blamed his absence on a lack of pass protection skills. Brad Lester didn't take an offensive snap the entire game. Tuberville said Lester had some injuries.
ALABAMA IS OFF: The Tide is off to its first 11-0 start for the first time since 1994. Special teams set the tone early for the Tide with defensive back Kareem Jackson blocking a punt that rolled out of the end zone for a safety. Alabama defensive back Javier Arenas gained 153 yards on six returns. Arenas returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. He has five career touchdowns on kick returns, which breaks the previous mark set by David Palmer. Linebacker Rolando McClain had surgery on his thumb laceration. He will be ready for the Auburn game. Tailback Roy Upchurch and Earl Alexander were working in white jerseys meaning they were recovering from their injuries.
Kicker Leigh Tiffin atoned for his two misses against LSU with three field goals against State. The Tide defense held State to only nine first downs and 167 total yards. Quarterback John Parker Wilson completed 10 of 17 for 148 yards. Mark Ingram led Alabama with 78 yards and Glen Coffee added 71. The Tide ran for 198 yards. Ingram scored his ninth rushing touchdown, which broke Terry Grant's freshman record. Alabama held Bulldog tailback Anthony Dixon to 26 yards on 11 carries. Linebacker Rolando McClain led the team in tackles with 11. He also sacked the quarterback twice. McClain has a team high 77 tackles.
MIAMI AT GEORGIA TECH: The Canes were on a five game winning streak before the loss to Georgia Tech. They were ranked for the first time in two years and on top of the Coastal Division. Miami could have clinched the division if it beat Tech and North Carolina loses to N C State. Offensive lineman Jason Fox is struggling with a sprained ankle. Receiver Sam Shields is playing well on special teams. Matt Bosher has been very consistent at kicker. Temperatures for the game were in the 30s. Miami was No. 19 nationally against the run, allowing 106 ypg. Tech ran for 472 yards, the second most ever allowed by Miami. Auburn ran for 536 in 1944. The Canes were No. 10 in total defense allowing 283 ypg. Miami's defense line rotates nine players throughout the game. Freshmen Marcus Fortson and Marcus Robinson are getting a lot of playing time. Steven Wesley and Allen Bailey are also seeing a lot of playing time. Eight Miami freshmen have scored touchdowns this season. The Canes are No. 100 in total offense. Jacory Harris and Robert Marve have a combined 15 picks and 17 touchdown passes. Harris was 13 of 18 for 162 yards with two scores and one pick. Marve was 10 of 20 for 121 with one touchdown and one pick. Miami's rushing defense has held Virginia's Cedric Peerman and Virginia Tech's Darren Evans well below average. Thursday night they allowed Jonathan Dwyer, the leading rusher in the conference, to run for 128 yards.
Tech is No. 8 nationally in rushing offense averaging 250 yards rushing per game. Georgia Tech is No. 2 in the league averaging 358 ypg. The Yellow Jackets are No. 115 in passing. Tech has lost 19 fumbles, No. 118 nationally in that category. Tech had two fumbles and a pick in the loss to North Carolina, but rebounded with only one lost fumble against the Canes. The Tech defense had 28 sacks going into the Miami game. Tech has beaten Miami four straight times. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt is struggling with a sprained ankle. Roddy Jones gained 97 yards and Nesbitt gained 93.
FLORIDA STATE AT MARYLAND: The all-black uniforms did nothing for FSU in the loss to B.C. FSU's defense had a lousy performance. B.C. drove 67 yards in 16 plays taking nearly nine minutes off the clock in a drive that ended in a field goal to seal the win. The drive was extended by a personal foul on Derek Nicholson at the BC 41-yard line. Penalties kept drives alive that resulted in 20 of BC's 27 points. Quarterback Christian Ponder threw three picks. He had a pick six in the game. FSU's punter Graham Gano led them in rushing. Coach Bobby Bowden said all five of the suspended receivers-Bert Reed, Corey Surrency, Cameron Wade, Taiwan Easterling and Richard Goodman-- are back at practice. Safety Darius McClure will miss the Maryland game with an injured knee. McClure injured his knee when he body-bumped a teammate and landed awkwardly. Jamie Robinson will take over for him. Kenny Ingram is back at safety is an effort to fill the void for Myron Rolle is he doesn't return on time. Freshman linebacker Nigel Bradham is getting increased playing time and responding well.
FSU has the top scoring offense (34 ppg), total offense (385 ypg) and total defense (274 ypg). Gano leads the nation with 18 field goals and Michael Ray Garvin leads the nation with a 32 ypr average on kickoffs. Ponder is No. 5 in total offense averaging 191 ypg. FSU leads the ACC with 29 sacks. Everette Brown has 16 TFL and nine sacks. Antone Smith has yet to run for more than 57 yards in his last four games. Ponder has four picks and only one touchdown in the past two games. Gano and Smith are trying to become the first Noles to lead the ACC in scoring since Warrick Dunn, Scott Bentley and Andre Cooper were the top three leading scorers in 1995.
Maryland is the only team in the nation with four wins over ranked teams. The Terps are 3-3 against unranked teams, 0-3 at night and 6-0 at home. Maryland can clinch the Atlantic division if it beats FSU and Wake beats B.C. The Terps are going for win No. 600. If Maryland beats FSU and B.C. in its final two games then it will play in the ACC title game. In last week's win over North Carolina, quarterback Chris Turner was 16 of 31 for 141 yards and no scores. However, he led a 19- play drive that resulted in the winning field goal. Da'Rel Scott gained 129 yards. Scott has 897 yards rushing. Saturday is the home final for 30 seniors. Maryland has won the past two home games against FSU. Offensive coordinator James Franklin deserves a lot of credit for retooling the offense.
BOSTON COLLEGE AT WAKE FOREST: Josh Haden and Montel Harris, who is from Jacksonville, gained nearly 150 yards rushing (176 yards total rushing). Harris has rushed for at least 120 yards in both the last two games. B. C. had the ball for 38 minutes, while FSU controlled it for only 22 minutes. The B.C. offensive line manhandled the FSU defensive front. BC converted 56% on third down (9- of- 16). FSU was allowing only an 18% conversion rate. FSU converted 2 of 10 on third down.
Wake Forest is ranked No. 101 in rushing. They average 2.8 ypc. Tailback Brandon Pendergrass has rushed for 182 yards in his last two games. BC is No. 9 in rush defense with defensive tackle B. J. Raji and Ron Brace.
CLEMSON AT VIRGINIA: Tailback C. J. Spiller said he will return for his senior season if Dabo Swinney is named the head coach. Spiller is averaging nearly 150 all-purpose yards per game. James Davis is 396 yards away from breaking Raymond Priester's career mark. Clemson's offense gained 466 yards against Duke, a season high. The offensive line continues to struggle allowing 13 sacks in the past three games.
N C STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA: Quarterback Russell Wilson is developing in every game. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in the win over Wake Forest last week. Wilson has 12 touchdowns and one interception. He has 12 touchdown passes in the last six games without a pick.
North Carolina quarterback T. J. Yates is healthy again after recovering from a broken ankle. There is talk that he might replace Cam Sexton, who has won four of six starts. Against Maryland, Sexton was 10 of 24 for 166 yards with a touchdown and pick. UNC has lost three games by a field goal or less.
OTHER GAMES
TEXAS TECH AT OKLAHOMA: Tech had the week off. Red Raider quarterback Graham Harrell is averaging 433 ypg passing. Tech averages 47 points per game. They have gained nearly 421 yards in every game. Coach Mike Leach has never won in four trips to Norman. Can the Tech defensive front get a stalemate with the Sooners offensive line? Can the OU secondary handle Tech receiver Michael Crabtree? The Tech offensive line has allowed five sacks in 499 pass attempts. Texas Tech Ruffin McNeill has done a solid as defense coordinator since he took over last September. Tech safeties Darcel McBeth and Daniel Charbonnet have 11 picks combined.
Oklahoma leads the nation averaging 51 ppg. Quarterback Sam Bradford is averaging 355 ypg. In 10 years under Bob Stoops, the Sooner are home 59-2. Since losing to TCU in the 2005 opener, OU is 23-0 winning by a combined score of 1,020 to 392. Oklahoma is capable of running the ball on Tech with DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. The Sooners will play without linebacker Ryan Reynolds and defensive end Auston English on defense. Key defensive backup Alan Davis is also out.
COACHING POSSIBILITIES
- Clemson-Bobby Johnson
- Tennessee-Butch Davis, Mike Leach, Lane Kiffin, Brian Kelly, Jim Leavitt
- Kansas State-Dan McCarney in some capacity maybe as coach-in-waiting with Bill Synder
- San Diego State-Dan McCarney
- Washington-Gary Pinkel; Notre Dame OC Mike Haywood
- Missouri-Jim Leavitt
- Syracuse-Turner Gill
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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