| South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw dives over the goal line in the first quarter against Missouri on Saturday. The run was called back due to a penalty. Connor completed 20 consecutive passes in the 31-10 win. (US Presswire) |
SEC Scoreboard
Ole Miss 39, Tulane 0: The Rebels (3-1) had no problems in New Orleans. RB Jeff Scott had 11 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Ole Miss continued to rotate its QBs, using Barry Brunetti and Bo Wallace. Wallace was 7 of 16 for 101 yards and a touchdown, and Brunetti ran 13 times for 67 yards. Wallace injured his right shoulder in the fourth quarter and did not return.
No. 14 Florida 38, Kentucky 0: Florida (4-0, 3-0 SEC) didn't need much help to beat Kentucky (1-3, 0-1 SEC). The Wildcats gave it to them anyways. QB Morgan Newton, who started in place of Maxwell Smith (shoulder), threw three interceptions, one of which was returned by Florida CB Jaylen Watkins for a touchdown. Florida QB Jeff Driskel accounted for 238 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
No. 7 South Carolina 31, Missouri 10: South Carolina (4-0, 2-0 SEC) QB Connor Shaw showed no ill-effects from his injured shoulder in a convincing win. He completed 20 consecutive passes, finishing 20 of 21 for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Shaw added 39 yards on the ground, but that doesn't count an 80-yard touchdown run he had brought back due to a clipping call on the OL. RB Marcus Lattimore added 86 yards and two scores on the ground. Missouri is 2-2, 0-2 in SEC. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog here).
No. 1 Alabama 40, Florida Atlantic 7: The Crimson Tide (4-0) allowed one first down through three quarters. AJ McCarron threw three touchdown passes, including an 85-yarder to Kenny Bell, and Eddie Lacy ran for 106 yards in the first half. The Owls scored with 2:49 left in the game, ending Alabama's shutout streak at 192 minutes, 25 seconds.
No. 23 Mississippi State 30, South Alabama 10: LaDarius Perkins ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and the Bulldogs forced three turnovers in improving to 4-0 for the first time since 1999. Tyler Russell threw for just 171 yards with an interception, but Mississippi State (4-0) led 20-0 at halftime and was never threatened. The Bulldogs, who have scored at least 28 points in every game, are off next week before visiting Kentucky.
Rutgers 35, Arkansas 26: Cobi Hamilton caught 10 passes for an SEC record 303 yards and three touchdowns, but the Razorbacks (1-3, 0-1 SEC) could not stop Rutgers and lost their third straight. Gary Nova hit 25 of 35 throws for a career-high 397 yards and five TDs for the Scarlet Knights (4-0, 1-0 SEC), who are 4-0 for the first time in six years. Tyler Wilson returned from his concussion to go 20 of 40 for 419 yards. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog here).
Texas A&M 70, South Carolina State 14: Redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel threw for three touchdowns and ran for two as the Aggies (2-1) cruised past an FCS foe. Manziel has accounted for 11 touchdowns the past two weeks. Dustin Harris returned a punt 96 yards for a touchdown, finishing with an SEC-record 246 punt return yards. Texas A&M goes for its first SEC win Saturday vs. reeling Arkansas.
No. 2 LSU 12, Auburn 10: LSU outscored Auburn (1-3, 0-2 SEC) 3-0 in the second half to survive the upset bid. LSU (4-0, 1-0, SEC) has won 17 straight regular-season games, the longest streak in the nation, and is 4-0 for the sixth straight year. Spencer Ware led LSU with 90 yards on 16 carries and turned a screen pass into a 33-yard gain to convert a crucial third down late in the game. LSU had took the lead in the third quarter on Drew Alleman 's 30-yard field goal. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog here).
Tennessee 47, Akron 26: The Vols (3-1) were on upset alert into the fourth quarter before they finally were able to pull away from Akron (1-3). An interception by Tennessee CB Eric Gordon followed by a 19-yard touchdown pass from QB Tyler Bray to WR Justin Hunter gave the Vols their first two-score lead at the 9:02 mark of the fourth quarter. The Vols had 633 yards of total offense, but an interception returned for a score and a 70-yard run by the Zips kept the game interesting until late.
No. 5 Georgia 48, Vanderbilt 3: Aaron Murray hit his first 12 passes and finished with 250 passing yards and two touchdowns, and freshmen Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall each ran for two scores for the undefeated Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 SEC). Marlon Brown caught five balls for 114 yards and a TD. It was 27-3 at halftime.Zac Stacy ran for 83 yards for the Commodores (1-3, 0-3 SEC), who were just 2 of 14 third downs in falling to 1-3. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog here).
Play of the day: South Carolina WR/PR Ace Sanders had one of the best punt returns of the season. He broke multiple tackles and outran the Missouri coverage unit down the right sideline for a 49-yard return that set the Gamecocks up at the 4-yard line.
Runner-up: Florida CB Watkins intercepted a pass from Kentucky's Newton and ran it back for a 26-yard score to put the Gators up 17-0 in the middle of the second quarter. It was one of three INTs for Florida.
He said what? “Just the way the ball came out of his hand. When you’re around a guy as much as I am, you know what it’s supposed to look like. When it’s not even close to that, you know the guy’s not healthy,” -- Kentucky offensive coordinator Randy Sanders on the decision to not play QB Maxwell Smith (shoulder). (via the Courier-Journal)
RapidReports defensive star of the day: LSU DE Sam Montgomery tackled Tre Mason in the end zone for a first-quarter safety and finished with 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack in LSU's 12-10 win over Auburn. LSU made 14 tackles for loss and held Auburn to nine first downs.
Runner-up: Ole Miss S Trae Elston made his presence felt against Tulane after he was suspended for the Rebels' game last week against Texas for an illegal hit he had the week before against UTEP. Elston led the Rebels this week with six tackles and a sack.
RapidReports offensive star of the day: South Carolina QB Shaw was almost perfect. He completed 20 consecutive passes, finishing 20 of 21 for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He added 39 yards on the ground, but he could've had more if his 80-yard touchdown run hadn't been called back due to a penalty.
Runner-up: Arkansas' Hamilton set an SEC record with 303 receiving yards on 10 catches in the 35-26 loss to Rutgers. He caught three TDs from QB Wilson, including an 80-yarder in the fourth quarter that cut the Hogs' deficit to 28-26.
2nd runner-up: Florida sophomore Driskel continues to show his growth as a QB. He was 18 of 27 for 203 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He added 35 yards and a score on the ground. He's becoming one of the best QBs in the league at buying time and completing passes on the run.
His seat is getting uncomfortable: Kentucky coach Joker Phillips shouldn't feel too secure after a 1-3 start. It's not his fault that starting QB Smith couldn't play with a shoulder injury, but the Wildcats looked completely inept without him.
A possible spot on the bench for: Kentucky QB Newton. He's the Wildcats' second-string QB, but he might fall even more on the depth chart after a three-interception performance against Florida. The Wildcats turned to freshman QB Jalen Whitlow in the fourth quarter, but the game was out of reach at that point.
Why you should care about these stat lines:
1. Florida allowed 158 yards rushing to Kentucky: It didn't affect the Gators on Saturday, but they will need to tighten up their rush defense with a game against LSU looming in two weeks.
2. Ole Miss allowed three sacks to Tulane: If the Rebels can't protect their QBs against the Green Wave, how bad could it get against Alabama next week? QB Bo Wallace also paid the price by bruising his right shoulder and leaving the game in the second half.
3. Reserve Missouri QB Corbin Berkstresser was 7 of 8: Could there be a QB controversy in Missouri? Franklin didn't get the job done, but Berkstresser, a freshman, looked crisp in mop-up duty.
Key number: 9.2. That's how many yards per carry Georgia's Gurley is averaging through four games. He's run for 406 yards and six TDs after getting 130 yards and two scores on 16 carries against Vandy.
For more up-to-the minute news and analysis from SEC bloggers Larry Hartstein and Daniel Lewis, follow @CBSSportsSEC.