Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -
ALABAMA: The top-ranked Crimson Tide enjoyed their bye week following a
dominating 5-0 start (2-0 SEC). They will return to conference action this
Saturday when they travel to Columbia to take on SEC newcomer Missouri.
ARKANSAS: The Razorbacks halted their four-game losing streak on Saturday
afternoon, recording their first conference win of the season in a tough road
matchup with Auburn, 24-7. The defensive effort was the biggest story, as the
unit forced eight sacks, the most the team has recorded since the 2000 Cotton
Bowl versus Texas. Trey Flowers led the way with 3.5 sacks, and Ross Rasner,
Will Hines and Alan Turner all had interceptions. Tyler Wilson completed 20-
of-27 passes for 216 yards, but it was Brandon Mitchell who completed a 26-
yard touchdown pass to Javontee Herndon on a trick play in the fourth quarter.
Dennis Johnson paced the rushing attack with 17 carries for 76 yards and a
pair of scores. Cobi Hamilton grabbed five receptions for 72 yards, giving him
a catch in 28 straight games -- the longest active streak in the SEC. Arkansas
(2-4, 1-2 SEC) will attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time this
season this week when it hosts Kentucky.
AUBURN: The Tigers' nightmarish start to the 2012 season continued as they
lost at home to the struggling Arkansas Razorbacks, 24-7. Kiehl Frazier
started the game but was ineffective once again, completing 9-of-14 passes for
118 yards with an interception and he was sacked four times. Clint Moseley
(13-of-21, 163 yards, TD, two INTs) didn't fare much better under center.
Emory Blake was the lone offensive standout for Auburn (1-4, 0-3 SEC), hauling
in 10 balls for 118 yards and a touchdown. He caught his 100th career pass in
the game, becoming the eighth player in school history to accomplish the feat.
Jonathon Mincy tallied eight tackles to pace the defense. The Tigers will try
yet again for their first conference win this Saturday when they hit the road
to take on Ole Miss.
FLORIDA: The 10th-ranked Gators proved that they are indeed one of the top
teams in the nation as they pulled off a second half comeback to claim to a
14-6 win over No. 4 LSU. It marks the third time in four SEC games that they
have comeback after trailing at the half. Mike Gillislee was a beast on the
afternoon, rushing the ball 34 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns against
one of the nation's most feared defenses. Jeff Driskel did not pass much on
the day (8-of-12, 61 yards) and was sacked five times, but he otherwise kept
his mistakes to a minimal. The defense shutdown the Tigers, holding them to
200 yards of total offense, 1-of-13 on third down, and a lowly 1.7 yards per
carry. The unit also forced three turnovers. It was Florida's (5-0, 4-0 SEC)
first win over a top-five team since 2009, and it will attempt to stay perfect
on the year next week at Vanderbilt.
GEORGIA: The fifth-ranked Bulldogs put a serious damper on their national
championship hopes after falling to SEC Eastern Division rival South Carolina,
35-7. After putting up 40 or more points in a school-record five straight
games, the Georgia offense was stifled by the suffocating Gamecocks defense,
tallying just 224 total yards. Aaron Murray had a dreadful outing, completing
just 11-of-31 passes for 107 yards with an interception. Ken Malcome carried
the ball five times for 45 yards, and he scored the team's only touchdown late
in the fourth quarter. The rest of the Bulldogs combined for just 88 yards on
29 carries. Jarvis Jones recorded a sack, giving him a team-best 5.5 on the
year. UGA (5-1, 3-1 SEC) will have to wait until Oct. 20 for a chance at
bouncing back when it hits the road to take on Kentucky.
KENTUCKY: Without starting quarterback Maxwell Smith, the Wildcats managed to
muster just 228 yards of total offense in a 27-14 loss to No. 20 Mississippi
State. It was their third straight loss to an undefeated, nationally-ranked
team. Starting in the place of the injured Smith was freshman Patrick Towles,
who looked impressive before exiting prior to halftime with a sprained ankle
(5-of-6, 71 yards, TD). Jalen Whitlow played the rest of the way, and he
completed just 10-of-21 passes for 73 yards. He did rush for 26 yards and a
touchdown. La'Rod King (46 yards) caught two passes, one of which was Towles'
scoring strike. Raymond Sanders was the team's leading rusher with 43 yards on
13 carries. Kentucky (1-5, 0-3 SEC) will try once again to record its first
conference win this Saturday when it plays at Arkansas.
LSU: The fourth-ranked Tigers held a 6-0 lead at halftime on the road against
No. 10 Florida, but could not muster much offense in the second half as they
ultimately fell to the Gators, 14-6. The defense allowed just 237 yards of
offense to Florida, but 146 of those yards came from running back Mike
Gillislee, who scored the game's only two touchdowns. On the other hand, the
Tigers' running game could not get anything going, rushing a total of 25 times
for 42 yards (1.7 ypc). Zach Mettenberger could not make up for the slow game
on the ground, completing just 11-of-25 passes for 158 yards with no
touchdowns and an interception in what was his worst game as a starter.
Linebacker Kevin Minter did all he could to help keep his team in the game,
recording 20 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. The road gets doesn't
get any easier for LSU (5-1, 1-1 SEC) this week as it entertains No. 3 South
Carolina on Saturday night.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldogs remained unbeaten as they went on the road to
defeat Kentucky, 27-14, moving to 5-0 for the first time since 1999, a season
in which they finished 10-2. They have also won seven straight games dating
back to last year -- the fifth-longest streak in school history. Chad Bumphis
caught nine passes for 104 yards and scored a touchdown, his record-setting
18th receiving score of his career, passing Eric Moulds and Justin Jenkins on
the program's all-time list. Tyler Russell completed 23-of-39 passes for 269
yards and a pair of touchdowns. LaDarius Perkins gained 110 yards rushing and
added a touchdown. His six TDs this season is already more than he had in his
career entering the campaign (five). The defense was stout as well, holding UK
to 228 yards while making nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage. MSU (5-0,
2-0 SEC) returns home this Saturday to host Tennessee.
MISSOURI: The Tigers came out on the losing end of a classic smash-mouth SEC
bout with Vanderbilt over the weekend, 19-15. The offense moved the ball
effectively with 395 total yards, but failed to cash in with touchdowns on
three trips to the red zone, instead having to settle for Andrew Baggett field
goals from 31, 28 and 22 yards. They also missed a PAT and bobbled a punt,
which led to a Vandy safety. James Franklin (5-of-9, 56 yards) had to leave
the game in the first quarter with left knee sprain and did not return. His
replacement, Corbin Berkstresser, was inefficient (9-of-30), although he did
throw for 189 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown strike to Bud Sasser in
the fourth quarter to pull the Tigers to within one. Kendial Lawrence gained
92 yards on 21 carries, but he was held out of the end zone. The defense
played well despite the loss, holding the Commodores to less than 300 yards on
the day. With a Kip Edwards interception, the team has now forced a turnover
in 24 straight games. Missouri (3-3, 0-3 SEC) appears unlikely to notch its
first SEC win this week as it hosts top-ranked Alabama.
OLE MISS: The Rebels held a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, but
surrendered a pair of touchdowns in the final seven minutes as they fell to
Texas A&M on Saturday, 30-27. They have now dropped 16 straight conference
games dating back to 2010. Bo Wallace completed 20-of-34 passes for 305 yards
and accounted for a pair of touchdowns (one passing, one rushing), but he also
threw two interceptions. Donte Moncrief hauled in six passes for 73 yards and
a touchdown, and he now has a score in five of the team's six games. Jeff
Scott made the most of his 21 carries, gaining 108 yards, which included a
one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The defense performed well
despite surrendering the lead late, forcing a total of six turnovers. Ole Miss
(3-3, 0-2 SEC) will try to rebound from the heartbreaker this Saturday when it
entertains Auburn.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Behind a tremendous defensive effort, the Gamecocks dismissed
SEC Eastern Division rival Georgia, 35-7. The defense held the potent Bulldogs
to a season-low 224 yards of total offense after they scored 40 or more points
in their first five games of the season. South Carolina (6-0, 4-0 SEC) scored
21 points in the first quarter and the game was never in doubt from there.
Connor Shaw completed just 6-of-10 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns,
while adding 78 yards and a score on the ground. Marcus Lattimore gained 109
yards on 24 carries and also found the end zone. Ace Sanders returned a punt
70 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. USC's 10-game win streak is the
longest in school history, and the third-ranked Gamecocks will try to extend
that number on Saturday night when they travel to Baton Rouge to take on No. 9
LSU.
TENNESSEE: The Volunteers (3-2) were idle this past week. After dropping their
first two SEC games against ranked foes in Florida (37-20) and Georgia
(51-44), they take aim at their first conference win of the season this
Saturday night when they play at No. 19 Mississippi State.
TEXAS A&M: The Aggies found themselves down by 10 points in the fourth quarter
at Ole Miss over the weekend, but went on a 14-0 run in the final six and a
half minutes to stun the Rebels in a 30-27 final. The comeback was
orchestrated by Johnny Manziel, who amassed 320 yards of total offense (191
passing, 129 rushing) and accounted for a pair of touchdowns, both a which
came in the fourth quarter. Ben Malena rushed for 152 yards, which included a
59-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the game. The defense also got
involved in the scoring attack with Steven Jenkins intercepting Rebels' QB Bo
Wallace and returning it 37 yards for a touchdown. Texas A&M (4-1, 2-1 SEC),
which enters the week ranked No. 22 in the country, managed to win despite
committing a season-high six turnovers, and it now turns its attention to No.
23 Louisiana Tech, which is will face in Ruston this Saturday night.
VANDERBILT: The Commodores claimed their first conference win of the season as
they squeaked by Missouri on Saturday, 19-15. The defense allowed nearly 400
yards of total offense, but it held the Tigers without a touchdown in three
trips to the red zone, which proved to be the difference in the game. Zac
Stacy was busy in the backfield with a career-high 29 carries, and while his
yardage output was less-than-stellar considering his workload (72 yards), he
scored the team's only two touchdowns of the game, and also completed a 24-
yard pass. Jordan Rodgers hit the mark on 14-of-24 pass attempts for 182 yards
with an interception, and Jordan Matthews (91 yards) matched a career-high
with nine catches. After falling behind 6-0 early on, Vanderbilt (2-3, 1-2
SEC) took back the momentum late in the first quarter by recording its first
safety of the year. Winning back-to-back games will be difficult for the
Commodores this week, as they welcome the red-hot Florida Gators to Nashville.
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