Here it is, week 4 of college football, a pretty impressive week for the SEC versus non-conference opponents with seven SEC wins. Ole Miss was the only team that lost Saturday, to non-conference Tulane. Alabama has it's first loss of the season after a thrilling double overtime to Arkansas, and Kentucky put up a fight, losing to Florida on Saturday night. But we're talkin' about all of that in this week's 'Beat, so let's get it on!
Week 4 and Ridin' High: Auburn is the nation's number 2 team after this week's win over Buffalo 38-7. Without Kenny Irons, sidelined with a sprained toe and ankle, the Tigers were able to get two touchdowns late in the game to get a win, but were only ahead by 10 points late in the third quarter. Backup tailbacks Brad Lester and Ben Tate scored two of the final three touchdowns to seal up Saturday's win before travelling to Columbia Thursday night to face South Carolina in an ESPN game, kickoff set for 7:30 pm est.... Georgia fought off a scare from visiting Colorado after the 'Buffs stampeded their way between the hedges, led by Ralphie the Buffalo and QB Bernard Jackson, rollin' up 225 total yards with a touchdown. Then backup freshman quarterback Joe Cox stepped in for the 'Dogs with a 23 yard pass to fullback Brannan Southerland with less than 10 minutes to go. A 20 yard pass to tight end Martrez Milner initiated a mass sigh of relief through Sanford Stadium, the Dogs getting it's fourth win in a row, undefeated on the season so far....Florida remains a top 5 team after beating Kentucky 26-7 Saturday night. It wasn't easy for the Gators who were trailing 7-6 with just under 2 minutes to play in the first half, but star QB Chris Leak responded with some trickery, handing off to Andre Caldwell who pitched it to Dallas Baker, who pitched it back to Leak. In the meantime, Jemalle Cornelius got open in the end zone for a 33 yard score. The Gators get a visit from Alabama this Saturday, 3:30 pm kickoff on CBS.
Next Floor Down, Please: LSU is back on stride after last week's low-scoring loss to division rival Auburn, beating Tulane 49-7 Saturday night. Tulane also lost QB Lester Ricard after colliding hard with two of LSU's tacklers in the first half of the game, and could miss Tulane's home opener in the Superdome this Saturday. The 3-and-1 Tigers were all over the Green Wave, capitalizing on a fumbled first snap, then pretty quickly turning a 66 yard drive into points on a 12 yard touchdown catch by Early Doucet. LSU gets a visit from Mississippi State for a 12:30 pm kickoff Saturday afternoon....Tennessee took some frustration out from last week's heartbreaking loss to Florida by taking care of visiting Marshall on Saturday afternoon. Severe weather delayed kickoff for about an hour, but the Vols were ready to go, LaMarcus Coker and Montario Hardesty combining for 109 yards and two touchdowns and a 33-7 victory over the 1-and-3 Thundering Herd. The Vols are eyeing a scary trip to Athens on October 7th but must first travel to in-state rival Memphis for a matchup with the River City Tigers, an ESPN game kicking off at noon this Saturday....SEC fans have always wondered about scrappy Arkansas. You never know quite what to expect from Houston Nutt's bunch, but one thing is certain, they always seem to play Alabama hard. This week's thrilling double overtime win over the visiting Tide, 24-23 puts Arkansas at 2-and-0 in conference play for the first time since 1998. No one is celebrating this one harder than kicker Jeremy Davis, having missed an extra point attempt in the third quarter before kicking the game winning extra point after a Mitch Mustain TD pass to Ben Cleveland. Can Arkansas upset the nation's number 2 team Auburn at Jordan-Hare on October 7th? Time of kickoff has yet to be determined as of Monday morning....Alabama, a team many expect to compete realistically for the top spot in the West next season, lost it's first game of this season to Arkansas in double overtime, 24-23 in Fayetteville. We remind you of this only because we find it interesting that the Tide hasn't won an overtime game since 1999, winning only 2 of their last 6 decided in OT. Arkansas, on the other hand, is 6-and-1 in overtime games. The Tide travel to Gainesville on Saturday to play the Gators....South Carolina is 3-and-1 after beating Florida Atlantic on Saturday, 45-6. Head coach Steve Spurrier is hoping to get an offense going that up until Saturday night's kickoff was ranked 90th in the country. The Gamecocks amassed 492 yards with Sidney Rice setting a school record five touchdown passes, sealing a win only 5 days before Auburn comes to town for a Thursday night throw-down on ESPN. Saturday's game featured two coaching legends- the old ball coach Spurrier and the legendary coach Howard Schnellenberger who won a national championship at Miami in 1983.
Holdin' On: Kentucky fell to 1-and-1 in SEC play Saturday night in Gainesville after leading the mighty Gators with only minutes left in the first half as time ran out before a Kentucky 54 yard field goal attempt. Coach Rich Brooks protested the call which negated any points and from then on, Florida held the Cats to 65 yards, winning the game. Kentucky hosts Central Michigan on Saturday, 6 pm kickoff from Lexington....Mississippi State beat UAB in a dramatic overtime win 16-10 in Birmingham on Saturday. Mistakes by the Bulldogs kept them from scoring at least three times heading into overtime when Omarr Conner dove into the endzone for a touchdown, sealing the win for the Bulldogs who won their first game on Saturday. They'll try for a miracle win number 2 when they travel to LSU on Saturday, 12:30 pm kickoff....Vanderbilt got it's first win of the season, beating Tennessee State 38-9 in Nashville, forcing three turnovers for touchdowns in the second half over it's Division I-AA rival, located only a few miles from Vandy's campus. QB Chris Nickson was 9-of-13 passing for 108 yards, two touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in Saturday night's win. Vandy tries for win number 2 versus Temple on Saturday, 7 pm kickoff.
'Round the Bowl, Down the Hole, Go Go Go'!: Mississippi is 1-and-3 after an
embarrassing loss at home to 4-and-0 Wake Forest, 27-3 Saturday night. The Demon Decons lead the ACC in rushing this season. De'Angelo Bryant rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown, getting Wake Forest off to it's best start since 1987. Ole Miss was held to just 26 yards rushing, 237 total. The Rebs host number 10 Georgia, kickoff on Saturday at 9 pm on ESPN 2
Conference Call: Congratulations for South Carolina QB Sidney Rice, selected as the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. The SEC Defensive Player of the Week is Arkansas Strong Safety Randy Kelly, whose 39 yard fumble return for a touchdown gave the Hogs a 17-10 lead in the third quarter.....Five SEC teams are in this week's AP Top 25, with Auburn and Florida at numbers 2 and 5 respectively while LSU and Georgia come in a number 9 and number 10. Tennessee stays at number 15.
News And Notes From 'Round The Nation: It may be hard to believe, but Rutgers is ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1976! That's right, the Scarlet Knights are 4-and-0 and are this week's Number 23 team....Missouri is ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since early in the 2004 season at Number 25. Georgia Tech is back on the charts at Number 24.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Greetings SEC football fans! Week 3 certainly provided some lively entertainment as Auburn and Florida have taken early leads in the league's Eastern and Western Divisions. Yes, friends, it certainly was an exciting weekend! Congrats to my friends Scott and Natalie, newly married on Saturday. And, even though Saturday was their day, it was nice of them to provide a big screen HD to watch evening games, including the Florida/Tennessee game and for ACC fans, how big was the Clemson win against Florida State in the Bowden Bowl? Congratulations to Clemson.
Sitting Atop The SEC: Despite only managing a touchdown against conference rival LSU, Auburn managed a 7-to-3 win over the Bayou Bengals Saturday night. The defensive showdown has major implications for Western Division title hopes, the winner of this game has gone on to win the division title five times in the last six years. Next up for Auburn is a match-up with Buffalo, a 2:30 pm kickoff this Saturday....Florida is the nation's new number 5 team thanks to a 21-20 win over the Tennessee Vols. Saturday night's game gave Urban Meyer his second straight win over UT thanks in part to a smothering defense which held Tennessee to minus-11 rushing yards. UT QB Eric Ainge struggled, going 17-of-32 for 183 yards. Florida hosts Kentucky on ESPN Saturday night beginning at 7:45 pm....Georgia has gone eight straight quarters without allowing a point, beating UAB 34-0 on Saturday. Freshman quarterback Matthew Stafford's starting debut was nothing spectacular, but a dive into the end zone in the fourth quarter for a touchdown was impressive. The youngster completed 10-of-17 for 107 yards. The Dogs play Colorado in Athens Saturday afternoon, kickoff set for 12:30 pm....The Alabama Crimson Tide has quietly gone 3-and-0 under the leadership of freshman QB John Parker Wilson who threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns Saturday in a 41-7 win over Louisiana-Monroe. Coming off an ugly win over Vanderbilt last week, Alabama had their best offensive performance of the season with the team's leading rusher Kenneth Darby working up 79 yards on 14 carries for the Tide. Alabama travels to Fayetteville to take on the Razorbacks Saturday, 2:30 pm kickoff and a CBS telecast.
Still Alive, In Need Of Some Assistance Please: LSU is 0-and-1 in SEC play after starting 2-0 against non-conference Arizona and Louisiana-Lafayette. The loss to Auburn, 7-to-3 on Saturday marks the lowest scoring game LSU has played at Auburn since 1973. Since 1972, this is the first time the two teams have met when both were ranked in the Top 10. LSU tries to re-group heading into Saturday's game against Tulane, 7 pm kickoff....Tennessee is also 0-and-1 in the SEC and has fallen behind Florida and Georgia in the early race in the Eastern Division. Fans are hoping Saturday night's 21-20 loss to the visiting Gators will get their team fired up for a visit to Athens to face a surging Georgia Bulldogs on October 7th, where they are most certainly expected to be serious underdogs. Meanwhile, the Vols will likely take their frustrations out on visiting Marshall on Saturday, kickoff set for 4 p.m....You've got to give lowly Kentucky some props for going 1-and-0 in conference play for the first time in 19 years, beating Ole Miss 31-14 Saturday. Kentucky caught fire after a 47 yard score gave Mississippi an early lead. Kentucky legacy Dicky Lyons, Junior weighed heavily in the blowout victory, catching two passes for scores. Defensive tackle Myron Pryor intercepted a Brent Schaeffer pass that had originated at the 10 yard line, Mississippi threatening. Pryor also forced and recovered two seperate fumbles. Coming up for Kentucky is a road trip to Gainesville to take on number 5 Florida, 7:45 pm kickoff set for ESPN....Arkansas is undefeated in the SEC Western Division thanks to a missed 48 yard field goal attempt by Vandy's Bryant Hahnfeldt with less than minute to go, sealing the win for the Hogs, 21-19. Arkansas, the league's top rushing team, was held to only 170 rushing yards with Vanderbilt in possession of the ball for 32 minutes. Last year, Vanderbilt beat the Razorbacks in Arkansas. The Hogs welcome Alabama for a 3:30 pm nationally televised game on Saturday afternoon....South Carolina got a bit of a scare from Division AA Wofford Saturday with the Terriers rushing for nearly 300 yards on USC before falling to the Gamecocks 27-20. Tension mounted at Williams-Brice Stadium with less than 5 minutes left to play on a 25-yard TD pass to Wofford's Andy Strickland, leaving the score too close for comfort at 27-20. Florida Atlantic comes calling on Saturday, kickoff set for 7 pm.
Slipping Away: There were moments of promise on Saturday when Vanderbilt scored a touchdown, taking a 7-0 lead after driving 87 yards on the way to a 21-19 loss at home against Arkansas. Vandy's QB Chris Nickson threw for 124 yards and ran for 74, but it was not enough. Nickson's attempt at a two point conversion that could have tied it up at 21 failed after Nickson ran it in for his third TD of the game. Next up for Vandy is a visit from Tennessee State, 7 pm kickoff....It's getting ugly at Mississippi State who lost to Tulane on Saturday 32-29, dropping the Bulldogs to 0-and-3. A fourth quarter comeback for the 'Dogs was not enough, despite a successful 2 point conversion that pulled them to within three. Finding a positive, though, is what we do here at the Beat, so good effort from MSU QB Omarr Conner who completed 15-of-25 passes for 241 yards, 71 yards rushing and a TD against the Green Wave. Next up for MSU, a trip to see the UAB Blazers, kickoff set for 7 pm....After jumping out to an early lead on a Kentucky fumble for a score, Mississippi dropped Saturday's game at Lexington 31-14, moving the Rebs to 1-and-2 on the season. Ironically, it was fumbles and interceptions that ultimately doomed Ole Miss who has lost two straight to Missouri and Kentucky in consecutive weeks. Next up for the Rebs is a visit from Wake Forest on Saturday, 6 pm kickoff.
Conference Call: Kentucky quarterback Andre' Woodson has been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. The 6-5, 232 pound junior completed 22 of 34 passes for 293 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions Saturday in a win over Ole Miss.....Earl Everett, Florida linebacker has been named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his 11 tackles and his part in limiting the Vols to 11 yards rushing in the 21-20 win at Knoxville on Saturday.....Other conference honors go to Auburn punter Kody Bliss, SEC Special Teams Player of the Week; Georgia guard Fernando Velasco, named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week; LSU DT Glenn Dorsey, SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, and Arkansas QB Mitch Mustain, named SEC Freshman of the Week. Congrats, boys!.
News and Notes From 'Round The Nation: The AP Top 25 was reconfigured Monday, moving Boston College into the 20th position outright, which it had originally shared with Arizona State in a tie. A poll voter from the Charlotte Observer said he mistakenly sent a previous ballot in rather than the Sept. 17th ballot on Sunday....The officiating crew calling Saturday's Oklahoma/Oregon game, along with the replay crew has been suspended by the Pac-10 Conference for mistakes made near the end of the game involving an onside kick touched by a Ducks player after a late TD.
Hi college football fans! Hope everyone enjoyed week 2 action, setting up for week 3 when SEC fans will know who has an early lead in Eastern and Western division races. Tennessee and Florida face off in Knoxville while Auburn and LSU meet up as well. But Georgia is still in the race over on the east side and Alabama is 2-and-0 and not done yet, if they have anything to say about it. And congratulations to my buddy Scott and his lovely bride-to-be Natalie, getting married this Saturday. They've already got a TV hooked up so we can catch some games while celebrating some nuptuals. Sounds like a good time! I'll have a full update on that for you next week.
Ridin' High For Now: Auburn has won 18 of it's last 19 SEC games since 2004 and Saturday's 34-nothing win over Mississippi State was despite top runner Kenny Irons' measley 69 yards. Rusher Brad Lester picked it up and ran for 40 yards, scoring twice. Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox and Courtney Taylor hooked up for 9 catches and 103 yards. Mistakes, including a costly face-mask penalty early in the second half helped spell doom for Mississippi State. Auburn hosts the Tigers of LSU, a nationally televised 3:30 pm kickoff Saturday. A smothering defense helped LSU roll over Arizona 45-to-3 in Baton Rouge on Saturday. Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey, conferenceLineman of the Week, had four tackles and helped to limit the Wildcats to just 35 rushing yards. Congrats to the Tigers 'D' , who have the longest active streak in the nation for keeping an opponent out of the endzone- 14 straight quarters. Good job boys. Let's see what happens Saturday when it's head-to-head with the Auburn Tigers. Georgia is off to a 2-and-0 start with a decisive win over rival South Carolina, whipping the Gamecocks 18-0, perhaps inspired by the death of longtime defensive coordinator Erk Russell who passed away last week. The shutout was the first for the Dogs since beating Clemson 30-0 in 2003. Conference placekicker of the week Brandon Coutu had an impressive three good field goals , one of them following a 9 yard TD run from talented Danny Ware. The Dogs take fiesty UAB between the hedges on Saturday, 1 p.m. kickoff. Florida quarterback Chris Leak had a career-best 352 yards and four touchdowns over UCF Golden Knights Saturday in a 42-0 win at the Swamp. SEC Freshman of the Week Percy Harvin caught four passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, including the first TD of the game on a 58 yard reception from Leak in the first quarter. The Gators get a big test in Knoxville against the Vols this Saturday at 8 p.m. Tennessee gets some props again this week only because talented QB Eric Ainge is once again the SEC Offensive Player of the Week, completing 24-of-29 passes for 333 yards and a career high for the starter in last week's win over Air Force. But the Vols nearly slipped up after getting caught looking ahead to week 3 showdown with Florida. Then again, did Air Force really think they could convert that touchdown into two extra points in Neyland Stadium, the Big House? No, surely they did not. Tennessee seals the 31-30 win and can fully concentrate on a visit from the Gators Saturday night.
Other Wins In The SEC: Alabama fans are ready for the return of their storied program of history and were probably disappointed in the ugly 13-10 win over conference doormat Vanderbilt on Saturday. It's a good thing Placekicker of the Week in the SEC, freshman Leigh Tiffin connected on a late, 47 yard field goal, sealing the win. Tiffin is 5-of-6 on field goal attempts of over 30 yards. Way to go, kid! Louisiana-Monroe comes to T-Town Saturday for a 6 pm kickoff. Kentucky rebounded on Saturday from a slap-down from in-state rival Louisville with a 41-7 whipping of Texas State after an early interception of Cats QB Andre Woodson. From that point, Kentucky looked surprisingly strong, scoring the next four times they had possession. Keep a watch out for RB Rafael Little, who accumulated 278 yards. 148 of those on punt returns with 91 yards rushing and 39 yards receiving. Arkansas has to be relieved that their little series with Southern Cal is over for now, so they can concentrate on winning, which they did on Saturday, beating Utau State 20-to-nothing in Fayetteville. Parade Magazine's top prep player Mitch Mustain made news last week when he was named this week's starter after the dismal loss to USC, but the star of the show was Darren McFadden, rollin' up 184 yards for the 'Hogs, including two touchdowns. Good work, Darren. The 1-and-1 Razorbacks travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt, kickoff scheduled for 12:30 pm Saturday.
Down But Not Out: As a Memphis boy, I like Mississippi, as in the Ole Miss Rebels. But I was disappointed in the flat performance Saturday, surrendering 472 yards overall in a 34-7 loss to Missouri. On the plus side, Mississippi's got some offense going with highly touted transfer quarterback Brent Schaeffer, accumulating 162 yards. Schaeffer threw three interceptions, however, but managed to connect with Marshay Green late in the first half for the team's only score. Could be interesting this Saturday as the 'Hogs travel to Kentucky to take on the 'Cats, 5 pm kickoff. South Carolina is, lucky for them, still in the race for the SEC East, but a crushing defeat Saturday at the hands of the surging Georgia Bulldogs means they've got a little extra work to do. USC got some good game out of DB Fred Bennett who had three solo tackles, an interception and a pass deflection Saturday night. The 'Cocks expect to take out frustrations on poor Wofford on Saturday for a 7 pm kickoff.
0-And-2 And Free Fallin': Things are so bad for Mississippi State that coach Sylvester Croom took frustrations from a 34-0 shutout at the hands of Auburn out on the fans, but later apologized. Although the defense has shown some improvement, fans are frustrated at two consecutive shutouts at home, something that hasn't happened at Starkville since 1904. Dwelling on the positive, however, DT Deljuan Robinson had seven tackles, five of which were for losses and a sack. MSU gets a visit from Tulane on Saturday, 6 pm kickoff. Vanderbilt is 0-and-2 so far and that probably wouldn't be a surprise to many, but keeping surging Michigan on the ropes for most of the first half, and a 10-3 lead at halftime against Alabama might give some folks hope. But then again, this is Vanderbilt and a visit from Arkansas could be ugly, 12:30 pm kickoff.
'Conference' Call: Two of Tennessee's key defensive starters are apparently gone for the season due to injuries. DT Justin Harrell and CB Inguoris Johnson suffered season ending injuries in Saturday's 31-30 win over Air Force. Johnson had surgery to repair blood vessels and is scheduled for more surgeries to repair an injured nerve. Good luck and get well soon, Inky! ... Georgia's Joe Tereshinski, III who started the first two games of the season, is out 4-6 weeks with an ankle sprain. We'll get to see if young Matthew Stafford can settle in this weekend against UAB after completing 8 of 19 passes Saturday for 171 yards.
News N Notes From Round The Nation: Could Texas be relieved that cornerback Tarell Brown and linebacker Tyrell Gatewood are back after being suspended in the ugly loss to no. 1 Ohio State? I would think so. The Longhorns play Rice on Saturday... Colorado quarterback Brian White is leaving school after falling to third on his team's depth chart. Colorado comes to Athens to play our Bulldogs on September 23rd.
Sitting Atop The SEC: Despite only managing a touchdown against conference rival LSU, Auburn managed a 7-to-3 win over the Bayou Bengals Saturday night. The defensive showdown has major implications for Western Division title hopes, the winner of this game has gone on to win the division title five times in the last six years. Next up for Auburn is a match-up with Buffalo, a 2:30 pm kickoff this Saturday....Florida is the nation's new number 5 team thanks to a 21-20 win over the Tennessee Vols. Saturday night's game gave Urban Meyer his second straight win over UT thanks in part to a smothering defense which held Tennessee to minus-11 rushing yards. UT QB Eric Ainge struggled, going 17-of-32 for 183 yards. Florida hosts Kentucky on ESPN Saturday night beginning at 7:45 pm....Georgia has gone eight straight quarters without allowing a point, beating UAB 34-0 on Saturday. Freshman quarterback Matthew Stafford's starting debut was nothing spectacular, but a dive into the end zone in the fourth quarter for a touchdown was impressive. The youngster completed 10-of-17 for 107 yards. The Dogs play Colorado in Athens Saturday afternoon, kickoff set for 12:30 pm....The Alabama Crimson Tide has quietly gone 3-and-0 under the leadership of freshman QB John Parker Wilson who threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns Saturday in a 41-7 win over Louisiana-Monroe. Coming off an ugly win over Vanderbilt last week, Alabama had their best offensive performance of the season with the team's leading rusher Kenneth Darby working up 79 yards on 14 carries for the Tide. Alabama travels to Fayetteville to take on the Razorbacks Saturday, 2:30 pm kickoff and a CBS telecast.
Still Alive, In Need Of Some Assistance Please: LSU is 0-and-1 in SEC play after starting 2-0 against non-conference Arizona and Louisiana-Lafayette. The loss to Auburn, 7-to-3 on Saturday marks the lowest scoring game LSU has played at Auburn since 1973. Since 1972, this is the first time the two teams have met when both were ranked in the Top 10. LSU tries to re-group heading into Saturday's game against Tulane, 7 pm kickoff....Tennessee is also 0-and-1 in the SEC and has fallen behind Florida and Georgia in the early race in the Eastern Division. Fans are hoping Saturday night's 21-20 loss to the visiting Gators will get their team fired up for a visit to Athens to face a surging Georgia Bulldogs on October 7th, where they are most certainly expected to be serious underdogs. Meanwhile, the Vols will likely take their frustrations out on visiting Marshall on Saturday, kickoff set for 4 p.m....You've got to give lowly Kentucky some props for going 1-and-0 in conference play for the first time in 19 years, beating Ole Miss 31-14 Saturday. Kentucky caught fire after a 47 yard score gave Mississippi an early lead. Kentucky legacy Dicky Lyons, Junior weighed heavily in the blowout victory, catching two passes for scores. Defensive tackle Myron Pryor intercepted a Brent Schaeffer pass that had originated at the 10 yard line, Mississippi threatening. Pryor also forced and recovered two seperate fumbles. Coming up for Kentucky is a road trip to Gainesville to take on number 5 Florida, 7:45 pm kickoff set for ESPN....Arkansas is undefeated in the SEC Western Division thanks to a missed 48 yard field goal attempt by Vandy's Bryant Hahnfeldt with less than minute to go, sealing the win for the Hogs, 21-19. Arkansas, the league's top rushing team, was held to only 170 rushing yards with Vanderbilt in possession of the ball for 32 minutes. Last year, Vanderbilt beat the Razorbacks in Arkansas. The Hogs welcome Alabama for a 3:30 pm nationally televised game on Saturday afternoon....South Carolina got a bit of a scare from Division AA Wofford Saturday with the Terriers rushing for nearly 300 yards on USC before falling to the Gamecocks 27-20. Tension mounted at Williams-Brice Stadium with less than 5 minutes left to play on a 25-yard TD pass to Wofford's Andy Strickland, leaving the score too close for comfort at 27-20. Florida Atlantic comes calling on Saturday, kickoff set for 7 pm.
Slipping Away: There were moments of promise on Saturday when Vanderbilt scored a touchdown, taking a 7-0 lead after driving 87 yards on the way to a 21-19 loss at home against Arkansas. Vandy's QB Chris Nickson threw for 124 yards and ran for 74, but it was not enough. Nickson's attempt at a two point conversion that could have tied it up at 21 failed after Nickson ran it in for his third TD of the game. Next up for Vandy is a visit from Tennessee State, 7 pm kickoff....It's getting ugly at Mississippi State who lost to Tulane on Saturday 32-29, dropping the Bulldogs to 0-and-3. A fourth quarter comeback for the 'Dogs was not enough, despite a successful 2 point conversion that pulled them to within three. Finding a positive, though, is what we do here at the Beat, so good effort from MSU QB Omarr Conner who completed 15-of-25 passes for 241 yards, 71 yards rushing and a TD against the Green Wave. Next up for MSU, a trip to see the UAB Blazers, kickoff set for 7 pm....After jumping out to an early lead on a Kentucky fumble for a score, Mississippi dropped Saturday's game at Lexington 31-14, moving the Rebs to 1-and-2 on the season. Ironically, it was fumbles and interceptions that ultimately doomed Ole Miss who has lost two straight to Missouri and Kentucky in consecutive weeks. Next up for the Rebs is a visit from Wake Forest on Saturday, 6 pm kickoff.
Conference Call: Kentucky quarterback Andre' Woodson has been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. The 6-5, 232 pound junior completed 22 of 34 passes for 293 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions Saturday in a win over Ole Miss.....Earl Everett, Florida linebacker has been named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his 11 tackles and his part in limiting the Vols to 11 yards rushing in the 21-20 win at Knoxville on Saturday.....Other conference honors go to Auburn punter Kody Bliss, SEC Special Teams Player of the Week; Georgia guard Fernando Velasco, named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week; LSU DT Glenn Dorsey, SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, and Arkansas QB Mitch Mustain, named SEC Freshman of the Week. Congrats, boys!.
News and Notes From 'Round The Nation: The AP Top 25 was reconfigured Monday, moving Boston College into the 20th position outright, which it had originally shared with Arizona State in a tie. A poll voter from the Charlotte Observer said he mistakenly sent a previous ballot in rather than the Sept. 17th ballot on Sunday....The officiating crew calling Saturday's Oklahoma/Oregon game, along with the replay crew has been suspended by the Pac-10 Conference for mistakes made near the end of the game involving an onside kick touched by a Ducks player after a late TD.
Hi college football fans! Hope everyone enjoyed week 2 action, setting up for week 3 when SEC fans will know who has an early lead in Eastern and Western division races. Tennessee and Florida face off in Knoxville while Auburn and LSU meet up as well. But Georgia is still in the race over on the east side and Alabama is 2-and-0 and not done yet, if they have anything to say about it. And congratulations to my buddy Scott and his lovely bride-to-be Natalie, getting married this Saturday. They've already got a TV hooked up so we can catch some games while celebrating some nuptuals. Sounds like a good time! I'll have a full update on that for you next week.
Ridin' High For Now: Auburn has won 18 of it's last 19 SEC games since 2004 and Saturday's 34-nothing win over Mississippi State was despite top runner Kenny Irons' measley 69 yards. Rusher Brad Lester picked it up and ran for 40 yards, scoring twice. Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox and Courtney Taylor hooked up for 9 catches and 103 yards. Mistakes, including a costly face-mask penalty early in the second half helped spell doom for Mississippi State. Auburn hosts the Tigers of LSU, a nationally televised 3:30 pm kickoff Saturday. A smothering defense helped LSU roll over Arizona 45-to-3 in Baton Rouge on Saturday. Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey, conferenceLineman of the Week, had four tackles and helped to limit the Wildcats to just 35 rushing yards. Congrats to the Tigers 'D' , who have the longest active streak in the nation for keeping an opponent out of the endzone- 14 straight quarters. Good job boys. Let's see what happens Saturday when it's head-to-head with the Auburn Tigers. Georgia is off to a 2-and-0 start with a decisive win over rival South Carolina, whipping the Gamecocks 18-0, perhaps inspired by the death of longtime defensive coordinator Erk Russell who passed away last week. The shutout was the first for the Dogs since beating Clemson 30-0 in 2003. Conference placekicker of the week Brandon Coutu had an impressive three good field goals , one of them following a 9 yard TD run from talented Danny Ware. The Dogs take fiesty UAB between the hedges on Saturday, 1 p.m. kickoff. Florida quarterback Chris Leak had a career-best 352 yards and four touchdowns over UCF Golden Knights Saturday in a 42-0 win at the Swamp. SEC Freshman of the Week Percy Harvin caught four passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, including the first TD of the game on a 58 yard reception from Leak in the first quarter. The Gators get a big test in Knoxville against the Vols this Saturday at 8 p.m. Tennessee gets some props again this week only because talented QB Eric Ainge is once again the SEC Offensive Player of the Week, completing 24-of-29 passes for 333 yards and a career high for the starter in last week's win over Air Force. But the Vols nearly slipped up after getting caught looking ahead to week 3 showdown with Florida. Then again, did Air Force really think they could convert that touchdown into two extra points in Neyland Stadium, the Big House? No, surely they did not. Tennessee seals the 31-30 win and can fully concentrate on a visit from the Gators Saturday night.
Other Wins In The SEC: Alabama fans are ready for the return of their storied program of history and were probably disappointed in the ugly 13-10 win over conference doormat Vanderbilt on Saturday. It's a good thing Placekicker of the Week in the SEC, freshman Leigh Tiffin connected on a late, 47 yard field goal, sealing the win. Tiffin is 5-of-6 on field goal attempts of over 30 yards. Way to go, kid! Louisiana-Monroe comes to T-Town Saturday for a 6 pm kickoff. Kentucky rebounded on Saturday from a slap-down from in-state rival Louisville with a 41-7 whipping of Texas State after an early interception of Cats QB Andre Woodson. From that point, Kentucky looked surprisingly strong, scoring the next four times they had possession. Keep a watch out for RB Rafael Little, who accumulated 278 yards. 148 of those on punt returns with 91 yards rushing and 39 yards receiving. Arkansas has to be relieved that their little series with Southern Cal is over for now, so they can concentrate on winning, which they did on Saturday, beating Utau State 20-to-nothing in Fayetteville. Parade Magazine's top prep player Mitch Mustain made news last week when he was named this week's starter after the dismal loss to USC, but the star of the show was Darren McFadden, rollin' up 184 yards for the 'Hogs, including two touchdowns. Good work, Darren. The 1-and-1 Razorbacks travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt, kickoff scheduled for 12:30 pm Saturday.
Down But Not Out: As a Memphis boy, I like Mississippi, as in the Ole Miss Rebels. But I was disappointed in the flat performance Saturday, surrendering 472 yards overall in a 34-7 loss to Missouri. On the plus side, Mississippi's got some offense going with highly touted transfer quarterback Brent Schaeffer, accumulating 162 yards. Schaeffer threw three interceptions, however, but managed to connect with Marshay Green late in the first half for the team's only score. Could be interesting this Saturday as the 'Hogs travel to Kentucky to take on the 'Cats, 5 pm kickoff. South Carolina is, lucky for them, still in the race for the SEC East, but a crushing defeat Saturday at the hands of the surging Georgia Bulldogs means they've got a little extra work to do. USC got some good game out of DB Fred Bennett who had three solo tackles, an interception and a pass deflection Saturday night. The 'Cocks expect to take out frustrations on poor Wofford on Saturday for a 7 pm kickoff.
0-And-2 And Free Fallin': Things are so bad for Mississippi State that coach Sylvester Croom took frustrations from a 34-0 shutout at the hands of Auburn out on the fans, but later apologized. Although the defense has shown some improvement, fans are frustrated at two consecutive shutouts at home, something that hasn't happened at Starkville since 1904. Dwelling on the positive, however, DT Deljuan Robinson had seven tackles, five of which were for losses and a sack. MSU gets a visit from Tulane on Saturday, 6 pm kickoff. Vanderbilt is 0-and-2 so far and that probably wouldn't be a surprise to many, but keeping surging Michigan on the ropes for most of the first half, and a 10-3 lead at halftime against Alabama might give some folks hope. But then again, this is Vanderbilt and a visit from Arkansas could be ugly, 12:30 pm kickoff.
'Conference' Call: Two of Tennessee's key defensive starters are apparently gone for the season due to injuries. DT Justin Harrell and CB Inguoris Johnson suffered season ending injuries in Saturday's 31-30 win over Air Force. Johnson had surgery to repair blood vessels and is scheduled for more surgeries to repair an injured nerve. Good luck and get well soon, Inky! ... Georgia's Joe Tereshinski, III who started the first two games of the season, is out 4-6 weeks with an ankle sprain. We'll get to see if young Matthew Stafford can settle in this weekend against UAB after completing 8 of 19 passes Saturday for 171 yards.
News N Notes From Round The Nation: Could Texas be relieved that cornerback Tarell Brown and linebacker Tyrell Gatewood are back after being suspended in the ugly loss to no. 1 Ohio State? I would think so. The Longhorns play Rice on Saturday... Colorado quarterback Brian White is leaving school after falling to third on his team's depth chart. Colorado comes to Athens to play our Bulldogs on September 23rd.
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