Southeastern Conference News and Notes

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - ALABAMA: Heisman Trophy candidate Mark Ingram had 102 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in two quarters of action, as the Crimson Tide crushed FCS foe Chattanooga, 45-0, at Bryant-Denny Stadium this past weekend. Greg McElroy played only the first half, completing 6-of-11 passes for 80 yards and one touchdown undefeated Alabama, which rested many first-stringers on the offensive side after building a 35-0 lead at the break. Julio Jones had a touchdown reception in the win, and Javier Arenas set an SEC record with his seventh punt return for a touchdown, breaking the mark previously established by Kentucky's Derek Abney. The Crimson Tide will take on Auburn next weekend in the annual rivalry game before facing Florida for the SEC championship on December 5th.

ARKANSAS: Standout quarterback Ryan Mallet threw for 313 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Razorbacks to a 42-21 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in SEC action this past weekend. Mallett became the first quarterback in Arkansas history to throw for over 3,000 yards in a single season. Cobi Hamilton only caught three passes for Arkansas, but still managed to score twice and finish the game with 131 yards in the win. While Arkansas did struggle against MSU's ground attack, the pass defense was solid. The Razorbacks will face a stiff battle this coming weekend, as LSU is the opponent.

AUBURN: The Tigers were idle this past weekend and will close out the regular season on Friday against mighty Alabama. Last time out, Auburn jumped out to an early 14-0 lead against Georgia and appeared to be on its way to what would have been a quality SEC victory. Unfortunately, Auburn was clearly outplayed from that point on and lost the game by a 31-24 final. The Tigers were paced by Chris Todd, who completed 20-of-28 pass attempts for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Desmond Washington had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the setback, but the Tigers suffered a pair of costly turnovers.

FLORIDA: Tim Tebow ran for a touchdown and threw for a pair of scores, as the top-ranked Gators extended the nation's longest winning streak to 21 straight games with a 62-3 romp over Florida International at the Swamp on Saturday. Tebow ran for 102 yards, including a career-long 55-yard score, on just seven carries and completed 17-of-25 passes for 215 yards in just 2 1/2 quarters of action for undefeated Florida, which will host Florida State this week in the annual grudge match before heading to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. Chris Rainey ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass in the victory, as Florida completely dominated with 584 yards to just 189 for FIU. Tebow notched his 54th career touchdown, breaking the previous SEC record set by LSU's Kevin Faulk.

GEORGIA: The Bulldogs have endured their fair share of disappointments this season, including Saturday's 34-27 loss to Kentucky. Joe Cox threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns to lead the way for Georgia, but the signal-caller completed just 12-of-31 passes with a pair of interceptions in the losing effort. Tavarres King caught three passes for 109 yards, and Caleb King and Washaun Ealey gained 77 yards apiece on the ground for the Bulldogs. The second quarter was all Georgia, as the Bulldogs rattled off 17 unanswered points to claim a 20-6 lead heading into the break. Unfortunately, the Wildcats were clearly the better team on both sides of the ball in the second half. The regular season comes to an end on Saturday for Georgia, as it will clash with non-conference rival Georgia Tech.

KENTUCKY: Morgan Newton threw for 137 yards and three touchdown passes to lead the Wildcats to a 34-27 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in an SEC battle at Sanford Stadium. Newton completed 9-of-17 passes under center for Kentucky in the win, and Derrick Locke grabbed two passes for 80 yards and a pair of scores while adding 80 yards on the ground in just 16 carries. Kentucky opened the final period of play with a 60-yard hookup between Newton and Locke that tied the contest at 27-27, and added a one-yard plunge from Randall Cobb midway through the stanza proved to be the difference. The victory marked the first win in Athens in 32 years for the Wildcats, who will close out their schedule on Saturday with what figures to be a highly competitive game against Tennessee.

LSU: The Tigers are undoubtedly disappointed after dropping a 25-23 decision to Ole Miss in Oxford this past weekend. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who missed last week's win over Louisiana Tech due to a right ankle sprain, connected on 19-of-37 tosses for 250 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for LSU, which lost for the second time in three weeks. Keiland Williams led the LSU running game with 40 yards on 11 carries before leaving with an ankle injury in the second half. Terrance Toliver finished with 107 yards on five catches, while LaFell added five grabs for 75 yards. The regular season comes to a close this Saturday for the Tigers, as they will collide with Arkansas.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldogs figured to have their hands full with a tough Arkansas team in Fayetteville this past weekend, and the result of that tilt was a 42-21 defeat. Anthony Dixon did the majority of the work for Mississippi State, as the tailback rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort. Less than two minutes into the contest Arnil Stallworth scored on a one-yard run to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. Unfortunately, the rest of the first half was dominated by the Razorbacks, who scored 21 straight points. On Saturday, Mississippi State and Ole Miss will collide in a storied rivalry game.

OLE MISS: Two weeks ago, Dexter McCluster was completely unstoppable against Tennessee in a victory for the Rebels. This past weekend, McCluster continued to shine, as he ran all over a stout LSU defense and also threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Shay Hodge early in the fourth quarter of a 25-23 home win. McCluster finished with 148 yards on 24 carries, Jevan Snead was an efficient 14-of-21 for 206 yards, and Hodge had seven catches for 117 yards for the Rebels, who outgained the Tigers, 426-290, in posting their third straight win. Snead joined Eli Manning as the only quarterbacks in Ole Miss history to throw for 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Expect plenty of emotion and intensity on Saturday, as the Rebels clash with the Bulldogs of Mississippi State in what has to be considered one of the best rivalries in the SEC.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks were idle this past weekend, and their final regular season game is scheduled for this Saturday against Clemson, the program's non-conference rival. In the most recent game for the Gamecocks two weeks ago, they put forth a solid effort against unbeaten Florida, but the result of that home clash was a 24-14 defeat. Stephen Garcia went 17-of-32 for 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Gamecocks, who have dropped three in a row and four of five. Brian Maddox rushed for 82 yards and a score on 17 carries, while Weslye Saunders added a touchdown reception and 62 yards on five catches for USC. Garcia was sacked six times in the loss to Florida, and the Gamecocks finished with just 247 total yards.

TENNESSEE: Jonathan Crompton threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tennessee Volunteers to a 31-16 triumph over the Vanderbilt Commodores in SEC action on Saturday. Montario Hardesty rushed for a career-high 171 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries in the win for Tennessee. The Commodores had the ball in the final minute with a chance to tie the score, but Wes Brown intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to seal the Vols' victory. Tennessee finished the game with a 422-297 advantage in total yards, and the team will close out the regular season this coming weekend against Kentucky.

VANDERBILT: A disappointing season came to a close this past weekend for Vanderbilt, as it played Tennessee on the road. The Commodores put up a fight, but the result was a 31-16 defeat. The Commodores had the ball in the final minute with a chance to force overtime, but Mackenzie Adams was intercepted, and the pick returned for a touchdown. Adams connected on 19-of-35 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown in the loss for Vanderbilt, which was outgained 422-297 in total yardage. Considering the fact that the Commodores won seven games last season, including a Music City Bowl victory over Boston College, the 2009 campaign has to be considered a major step backwards.