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ALABAMA: Playing without a couple of their best players, the Crimson Tide
began defense of their national title on Saturday against San Jose State in
Tuscaloosa. Eddie Lacy and Trent Richardson each rushed for a pair of
touchdowns as top-ranked Alabama cruised to a 48-3 win. Greg McElroy and A.J.
McCarron each had a TD pass for the Crimson Tide, who were without two key
players. Heisman Trophy winning running back Mark Ingram sat out after
undergoing surgery on his left knee last Tuesday. Defensive end Marcell Dareus
was ruled ineligible for two games by the NCAA due to his dealings with sports
agents. McElroy connected on 13-of-15 passes for 218 yards, while McCarron
finished 9-of-15 for 116 yards. Lacy rushed for 111 yards. Alabama remains
home this weekend for a much-anticipated showdown with Penn State of the Big
Ten Conference.
ARKANSAS: On Saturday, the Razorbacks began the 2010 campaign with a home game
against Tennessee Tech, a team from the FCS. As expected, that game was
completely one-sided, as the Hogs had their way all afternoon in a 44-3
victory. Star quarterback Ryan Mallett was outstanding under center,
completing 21-of-24 passes for 301 yards with three touchdowns. Joe Adams was
tough to cover on the outside, as he hauled in six balls for 138 yards and two
touchdowns, including an 85-yarder. By the time the final second ticked off
the clock, the Razorbacks owned a 519-187 advantage in total yardage. Little
Rock will be the site of the second game of the season, as Arkansas hosts UL-
Monroe this Saturday.
AUBURN: The 2010 season began for the Tigers on Saturday, as they hosted an
underdog Arkansas State squad. Junior quarterback Cameron Newton was
impressive in his Auburn debut, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for
two more to lead his team to a 52-26 victory. Newton, a former Florida Gator
who made a stop at a junior college last season, completed 9-of-14 passes for
186 yards. He also rushed for 171 yards on 15 carries for the Tigers, who are
nationally ranked to start a season for the seventh time in the last eight
years. Michael Dyer carried the ball 14 times for 95 yards and a score. Mario
Fannin hauled in four passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers now
have a short week to prepare for Thursday's SEC opener against Mississippi
State in Starkville.
FLORIDA: Urban Meyer and his Gators began this new season with a home game
against Miami-Ohio on Saturday, and while the effort was far from pretty, the
result was a 34-12 victory. Janoris Jenkins returned an interception 67 yards
for a touchdown in the first half and Jeffery Demps rumbled 72 yards for a
score in the fourth quarter. John Brantley started at quarterback following in
the footsteps of Tim Tebow, who helped the Gators to a pair of national
championships in his standout career. Brantley completed 17-of-25 passes for
just 113 yards with two touchdowns. Florida put the game away with 13 points
in the fourth quarter to earn its 21st straight season-opening win. The Gators
remain home for this weekend's tussle with USF.
GEORGIA: The Bulldogs opened the campaign against Louisiana, formerly UL-
Lafayette, this past weekend in Athens. Aaron Murray threw for three
touchdowns and ran for another, leading his squad to a 55-7 triumph. Murray, a
redshirt freshman making his first collegiate start, completed 17-of-26 tosses
for 160 yards with one pick. Kris Durham benefited from Murray's big day,
catching five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs played the
game shorthanded, as their top receiver and rusher from a year ago in A.J.
Green and Washaun Ealey were missing from the lineup. Green, the team's
leading receiver with 53 catches and 808 receiving yards, was held out as the
NCAA investigates his alleged improper interaction with an agent. Ealey,
meanwhile, was suspended after being charged in late August with hit-and-run
and driving on a suspended license. SEC play starts this weekend for the
'Dawgs, as they will clash with the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road.
KENTUCKY: The Wildcats did battle with rival Louisville to open the 2010
campaign on Saturday, and that road affair resulted in a hard-fought 23-16
victory. Derrick Locke ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the triumph,
while Randall Cobb ran for 80 yards for Kentucky on just four carries and also
scored a touchdown. Mike Hartline, who missed much of last year with an
injury, was 17-of-26 through the air for the Wildcats for 217 yards. That
victory was the first for Joker Phillips as the head coach at Kentucky, as he
replaced the retired Rich Brooks. The Wildcats will play their first home game
of the season this coming weekend against Western Kentucky.
LSU: While most teams from major conferences begin the season against
overmatched opponents from small conferences or the FCS, LSU was matched up
with North Carolina of the ACC in Saturday's opener. The Tigers jumped out to
a huge lead against the short-handed Tar Heels and were fortunate to hold on
for a 30-24 victory. Jordan Jefferson completed 15-of-21 passes for 151 yards
with a pair of touchdowns and was picked off once for the Tigers, who won
their eighth straight season opener. They've won 30 straight non-conference
games in the regular season -- the longest streak in the nation. Patrick
Peterson set an LSU record for combined return yards with 257. His 244 return
yards in the first half was an SEC record for a half. The SEC season begins
this coming weekend for the Tigers, as they travel to Nashville to take on
Vanderbilt.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Second-year head coach Dan Mullen led his Bulldogs into
Saturday's season opener against Memphis, and the result was an impressive
49-7 victory. Tyler Russell threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns to lead
the way. He completed 13-of-16 passes, while Vick Ballard gained 60 yards on
the ground and scored a pair of touchdowns on just seven carries. Brandon
Heavens caught five balls for 112 yards and two touchdowns, while Chad Bumphis
gained 100 yards through the air and scored twice as well. When the dust had
settled, MSU had racked up 569 total yards and permitted just 237 yards to the
overmatched Tigers. The Bulldogs remain home for Thursday's SEC opener against
Auburn.
OLE MISS: The Rebels opened the season on Saturday against Jacksonville State,
and the result of that seemingly lopsided matchup was shocking. Ole Miss led
31-10 at intermission but completely fell apart in the second half. The club
went on to lose the game in double-overtime by a 49-48 final in the most
thrilling and surprising game of college football's opening weekend. Nathan
Stanley threw three touchdown passes for the Rebels, while fellow quarterback
Jeremiah Masoli, who won a late appeal to regain eligibility, connected on 7-
of-10 passes for 109 yards with no scores and one interception. Brandon
Bolden, the club's top tailback, rushed for 104 yards on 17 carries in defeat.
Ole Miss will attempt to even its record at 1-1 this coming weekend, as the
club battles Tulane in New Orleans.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Last Thursday, Stephen Garcia threw for 193 yards and scored
twice on the ground as he led the Gamecocks to a season-opening 41-13 win
over Southern Miss in a non-conference matchup. Garcia converted 16-of-23
passes for the Gamecocks and also gained 38 yards rushing for a team that
piled up 224 yards and four TDs on the ground. Running back Marcus Lattimore
added a team-best 54 yards and another two rushing touchdowns for the home
team. The 41 points scored by South Carolina were the most since the team
defeated Houston in the Liberty Bowl by a score of 44-36 back in 2006. Last
season, the Gamecocks ranked 11th in the SEC and 102nd in the country in
scoring with a mere 20.6 ppg. USC opens SEC play this Saturday at home against
Georgia.
TENNESSEE: The Volunteers were led into their season opener against UT-Martin
by first-year head coach Derek Dooley on Saturday, and the result was a
thorough 50-0 beating of their overmatched FCS opponent. Matt Simms took the
majority of snaps for the Vols and connected on 14-of-24 passes for 181 yards
and one touchdown with no interceptions. Tyler Bray had one of his six passes
intercepted, and it seems that Simms may be better suited to run Dooley's
system. Tauren Poole rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while Gerald
Jones posted 86 receiving yards on six grabs. The Vols allowed only 142 total
yards and limited UT-Martin to 2-of-17 success on third-down conversion
attempts. Expect coach Dooley to learn a great deal about his team this coming
weekend, as the Vols play host to the highly-regarded Oregon Ducks.
VANDERBILT: On Saturday, Northwestern was the season-opening opponent for
Vanderbilt, and despite an outstanding effort in front of the home crowd, the
Commodores fell in a 23-21 final. Larry Smith threw for 240 yards and one
score on 19-of-33 passing, and the quarterback added 48 rushing yards in the
matchup. Zac Stacy led the way with 69 yards and a score on 7.7 yards per
carry. Vandy actually finished the game with a 432-365 advantage in total
yardage, but that edge simply wasn't enough to earn a win. The loss spoiled
the debut of Robbie Caldwell, the team's first-year head coach. The Commodores
will play host to LSU this coming weekend in the SEC opener for both teams.