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ALABAMA: In what was undoubtedly the most high profile and entertaining game
of the college football weekend, the Crimson Tide proved to have the heart of
a champion, fighting back to defeat Arkansas by a final of 24-20 on the road.
Mark Ingram ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner
with 3:18 left. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Ingram teamed up with
Trent Richardson, who gained 85 yards on eight carries, to help defending
champion Alabama remain unbeaten in its last 28 regular-season games after
scoring 17 unanswered points. Greg McElroy also stayed undefeated in his
collegiate career after throwing for 194 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-26
passing. McElroy, who is 18-0 as a starter, was also picked off twice. Another
tough test awaits the Crimson Tide this coming weekend, as they will play host
to the Florida Gators.
ARKANSAS: It is hard to imagine that the Razorbacks feel anything other than
bitter disappointment after allowing a golden opportunity to knock off top-
ranked Alabama slip away. On Saturday, Arkansas fell to the Crimson Tide in
Fayetteville by a 24-20 final. Ryan Mallett threw for 357 yards and a
touchdown on 25-of-38 passing, but was intercepted three times for Arkansas,
which fell to 4-12 all-time against the top-ranked team in the nation. Jarius
Wright was Mallett's main target, catching six passes for 131 yards, while
Ronnie Wingo hauled in a touchdown pass. Both teams had 421 total yards of
offense, and Arkansas's leading rusher was Knile Davis with 42 yards. The
Razorbacks will have an opportunity to rest a bit, as they will not be in
action this coming weekend.
AUBURN: Cameron Newton threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns and ran for three
scores as Auburn finished strong to upend South Carolina, 35-27, in a key
early-season SEC clash at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Newton took advantage of two
costly fumbles by South Carolina to hit Philip Lutzenkirchen for the go-ahead
score and Emory Blake with under seven minutes remaining to forge an eight-
point lead. The junior dual-threat signal-caller rushed for 176 yards on 25
carries and completed 16-of-21 passes for 158 yards for the Tigers. Of their
492 total yards of offense, 334 came on the ground. The Tigers will be heavily
favored on Saturday, as non-conference foe Louisiana comes to town.
FLORIDA: Trey Burton set a Florida single-game record by scoring six
touchdowns on Saturday, as the Gators rolled to a 48-14 win over Kentucky for
their 24th straight win over the Wildcats. Burton, a freshman, scored on each
of his five rushes and also caught a touchdown pass from John Brantley for the
Gators, who have won 24 straight regular-season games. Burton is the fourth
player in SEC history to have six or more touchdowns in one game and the first
since Cadillac Williams (2003). Brantley finished 24-of-35 for 248 yards with
one TD and an interception for the Gators, while Urban Meyer became the sixth
fastest coach in NCAA history to reach 100 career wins. Florida will
undoubtedly be challenged this weekend by the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide
in Tuscaloosa.
GEORGIA: This season has gotten off to a rough start Georgia, which fell to
1-3 overall after a 24-12 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday. Quarterback
Aaron Murray threw for 274 yards and one touchdown for UGA, which lost despite
outgaining MSU, 387-314. Georgia actually trailed 24-6 in the lopsided affair
before Murray tossed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Tavarres King in the fourth
quarter. Georgia has lost three games in a row for the first time since 1990
and is 0-3 in the SEC for the first time since 1993. Coach Mark Richt's team
steps outside of conference this coming weekend for a road matchup with the
Colorado Buffaloes of the Big 12.
KENTUCKY: The Wildcats were no match for Florida on Saturday, as they
permitted a Gator freshman to score six touchdowns en route to a 48-14 defeat.
Mike Hartline completed 21-of-39 passes for 242 yards with a touchdown and two
interceptions for the Wildcats, who suffered their first loss of the season
after three consecutive wins. Kentucky got 114 yards receiving and a pair of
scores from Chris Matthews, while Derrick Locke rushed 23 times for 103 yards
in defeat. The Gators compiled 466 yards of offense compared to 352 for
Kentucky. The Wildcats will play a road game against the Ole Miss Rebels this
Saturday.
LSU: The Tigers showed a great deal of toughness on Saturday by holding off
the West Virginia Mountaineers in Baton Rouge by a 20-14. With the victory,
LSU extended its home winning streak to 29 games over non-conference
opponents. Patrick Peterson returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown and the
Tiger defense held WVU to 177 total yards. Stevan Ridley ran for 116 yards and
a touchdown on 20 touches for LSU, which kept the nation's longest non-
conference winning streak intact at 31 games. LSU, which came into the game
fifth in the nation in scoring defense, blocked a field goal and forced WVU
into five three-down possessions in the first half. The Tigers are slated to
take on Tennessee in Baton Rouge this weekend, and a physical football game is
expected.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Dan Mullen and his team scored a big victory on Saturday,
as MSU knocked off Georgia by a 24-12 final in front of the home crowd. The
home team actually led 24-6 before Georgia scored a late touchdown to make the
game seem closer than it really was. Vick Ballard ran for 77 yards and two
touchdowns for the victors, while quarterback Chris Relf attempted only 13
passes for 135 yards and a touchdown for Mississippi State. Relf did carry the
ball 21 times for 97 in the victory. MSU won the game despite being outgained
387-314 in total yards. The Bulldogs have a great opportunity to add another
victory to their record this coming weekend as Alcorn State, an FCS squad,
visits Starkville.
OLE MISS: The Rebels were able to even their record at 2-2 this past weekend
with a 55-38 victory over Fresno State in Oxford. Brandon Bolden ran for a
career-best 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Jeff Scott added 74
rushing yards and a score. Ole Miss rolled up 425 yards on the ground, a
staggering statistic to say the least. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli tacked on
59 yards to the ground attack, while throwing for 153 yards and two scores on
8-of-12 pass attempts. The Rebels will battle Kentucky this weekend in what
many Ole Miss fans are considering a must-win game.
SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks certainly put forth a tremendous effort against
Auburn on the road this past weekend, but the result of that tilt was a 35-27
defeat. Stephen Garcia was 15-of-21 for 235 yards with three touchdown passes.
Two of the scoring strikes went to sophomore Alshon Jeffery, who racked up a
career-best 192 yards on eight receptions. Freshman running back Marcus
Lattimore scored on the ground, but the Gamecocks' rushing attack was bottled
up to the tune of 79 yards. USC led 20-14 at halftime and 27-21 after three
quarters, so it can be said that the team let an outstanding chance to move to
4-0 slip away. Coach Steve Spurrier and his Gamecocks will have an opportunity
to rest and regroup during this coming weekend's open date.
TENNESSEE: Matt Simms hit Denarius Moore with a 25-yard touchdown pass on
Tennessee's first play of the second overtime period to give the Volunteers a
32-29 win over the UAB Blazers in a non-conference game at Neyland Stadium
this past weekend. Simms was 19-of-34 for 245 yards and three touchdowns for
the Vols, and the young quarterback got through the day without an
interception while being sacked five times. Moore finished the day with five
receptions for 68 yards and two scores. UAB had a huge edge in total yardage,
outgaining the Vols 544-287, but the Blazers missed five field goals in the
tilt. It will be interesting to see if the Vols can knock off the LSU Tigers
in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
VANDERBILT: The Commodores were the only SEC team not in action this past
weekend, so their record stands at 1-2. After opening the season with back-to-
back losses, Vanderbilt managed to knock off Ole Miss in Oxford on September
18th. That victory was the first for Robbie Caldwell as the new leader of the
program. Vandy had three touchdown runs against the Rebels, including an 80-
yard scamper by Warren Norman. The squad managed to win the game despite
holding the ball for just 26:24 and finishing 3-of-14 on third-down conversion
attempts. The Commodores will do battle with Connecticut of the Big East
Conference this coming weekend.