Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -
ALABAMA: The top-ranked Crimson Tide actually trailed Ole Miss at 7-6, their
first deficit in regulation since Oct. 22 of last year, but that lasted for
less than two minutes as they won, 33-14. Amari Cooper was the catalyst on
offense, catching a game-high eight balls for 84 yards, including two second-
quarter touchdowns. A.J. McCarron completed 22-of-30 passes for 180 yards and
two scores. He now holds the school record for most pass attempts without an
interception with 206 and counting. The running game, which has been nearly
unstoppable in the early going this season, was held in check to the tune of
125 yards on 34 carries (3.7 ypc), paced by 82 yards from Eddie Lacy. Jeremy
Shelley added four field goals. While the defensive effort wasn't the team's
most dominant in terms of points allowed, the unit still recorded three
interceptions and five sacks. Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) has off this week before
hitting the road to take on Missouri on Oct. 13.
ARKANSAS: The Razorbacks' nightmare season has gone from bad to worse as they
lost their fourth straight game following a 58-10 thrashing at the hands of
SEC newcomer Texas A&M. The defense had no answer for the Aggies, who piled up
an 716 yards of total offense. One bright spot for Arkansas (1-4, 0-2 SEC) was
an 11-catch, 162-yard performance from wideout Cobi Hamilton, and after his
SEC-record 303 yards last week, he has 465 yards over his last two games, a
program-record for consecutive games. He also became the eighth player in
school history to reach 2,000 career receiving yards. Tyler Wilson threw for
373 yards and a touchdown, but he finished with more incompletions than
completions (29-of-59) and also threw a pair of interceptions. The Razorbacks
will try again for their first conference win of the season this Saturday when
they hit the road to take on Auburn.
AUBURN: The Tigers were idle over the weekend, and they will try to recover
from a 1-3 start when they host struggling Arkansas this Saturday afternoon.
FLORIDA: The nationally-ranked Gators enjoyed a bye week after a fast 4-0
start to the season. They will try to prove that they are indeed a legitimate
contender in the SEC when they host No. 4 LSU this Saturday..
GEORGIA: The fifth-ranked Bulldogs' incredible start to the season continued
as they held off Tennessee in a 51-44 shootout. They have now scored 40 points
or more in all five games this season -- a program record. The Vols had no
answer for the Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC) running game. Keith Marshall ran the
ball 10 times for a career-high 164 yards while adding rushing scores of 75
and 72 yards. Todd Gurley was the workhorse in the backfield with 24 carries
for 130 yards and three touchdowns. Aaron Murray was impressive once again,
completing 19-of-25 passes for 278 yards with two touchdowns and one
interception. Both of his scoring strikes went to Michael Bennett, who
finished with five receptions for 70 yards, both team-highs. Although the
defense was suspect on the evening, the unit managed to intercept Tyler Bray
three times, including twice by Sanders Commings. UGA will attempt to stay
perfect next week, but faces a difficult task in traveling to Columbia to play
No. 6 South Carolina.
KENTUCKY: The Wildcats looked great in the first half against a ranked South
Carolina squad, as they went into halftime with a 17-7 lead, but they were
shut out in the second half as they eventually fell, 38-17. Despite the loss,
the defense for Kentucky (1-4, 0-2 SEC) was stellar, holding the Gamecocks to
348 yards of total offense. Maxwell Smith started the game but would attempt
only one pass before needing to leave with an injury. Jalen Whitlow saw his
first extended action of the year and was overmatched by the USC defense,
completing just 12-of-23 passes for 114 yards while throwing two interceptions
and being sacked six times. Raymond Sanders put together a solid game on the
ground, rushing the ball 14 times for 59 yards and a touchdown. UK returns the
action this Saturday afternoon when its hosts the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
LSU: It wasn't pretty, as LSU actually trailed FCS foe Towson late in the
first half, but the hometown Tigers managed to move to 5-0 by prevailing in a
38-22 final, extending the nation's-best non-conference regular season winning
streak to 41 games. LSU was sloppy throughout, losing three fumbles. Zach
Mettenberger lost one of the fumbles but made up for it with a nice game
through the air, completing 15-of-26 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns.
The primary beneficiary of those throws was Odell Beckham, who caught five
balls for 128 yards and two scores. The running game was on point yet again.
Michael Ford rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, while Russell
Shepard took his only carry of the game 78 yards for a touchdown in the first
quarter. Defensively, the Tigers surrendered their most points of the season.
Things get much more difficult this week as they travel to Gainesville to
tangle with No. 10 Florida.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: After a bye in week five, the Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 SEC) will
attempt to stay perfect on the season when they travel to Lexington to face
off against Kentucky this Saturday afternoon.
MISSOURI: It was a struggle, but the Tigers got back over .500 after they
pulled out a tough road win at UCF, 21-16. Missouri (3-2) showed once again it
can bounce back nicely following a loss as it has now won five straight games
coming off a defeat. It was able to recover from a first-half deficit thanks
in part to a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown by Marcus Murphy midway
through the third quarter, his national-best third return for a score this
season. James Franklin completed 19-of-30 passes for 257 yards, including an
80-yard scoring strike to Dorial Green-Beckham in the second quarter, the
longest pass of Franklin's career and the biggest play from scrimmage for the
Tigers on the season. Kendial Lawrence carried the ball a season-high 19
times, rushing for 104 yards and a score in the process. Missouri returns home
this Saturday to face Vanderbilt.
OLE MISS: The Rebels hung tough against Alabama, even becoming the first team
this season to hold a lead against the nation's top team, but it eventually
fell, 33-14. The defense was strong, allowing just 305 yards of offense and
forcing the Tide into kicking four field goals, but the Ole Miss (3-2, 0-1
SEC) offense couldn't capitalize, putting up just 218 yards itself. Bo Wallace
couldn't do much, completing 15-of-26 passes for 123, throwing two
interceptions and getting sacked four times. The team found some success on
the ground, with rushing scores from Jeff Scott (19 carries, 49 yards) and
Randall Mackey (four carries, 32 yards). Vince Sanders set career-highs in
both receptions (seven) and receiving yards (46). Denzel Nkemdiche had three
tackles for a loss, a sack and two forced fumbles. Ole Miss will try for its
first conference win on Saturday when it hosts Texas A&M.
SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks erased a 10-point halftime deficit by scoring 31
unanswered points in the second half to roll to a 38-17 lead over Kentucky,
giving them their ninth straight win, which is tied for the longest in school
history. For the 10th time in his career, Marcus Lattimore eclipsed the 100-
yard plateau, carrying the ball 23 times for 120 yards and a pair of scores.
Connor Shaw continues to be an effective dual-threat, completing 15-of-18
passes for 148 yards and two scores while rushing for another 76 yards. The
defense tightened up after halftime, allowing just 70 total yards to the
Wildcats in the third and fourth quarter combined. USC (5-0, 2-0 SEC) will try
to win its 12th straight game against an Eastern Division rival this Saturday
night when it hosts No. 5 Georgia.
TENNESSEE: The Volunteers hung tough with the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs
over the weekend, matching them score-for-score for most of the game, but
ultimately fell short in the shootout, 51-44. The 95 combined points made for
the eighth-highest scoring non-overtime game in SEC history, and the loss
snapped the Vols' 25-game win streak when putting up 28 points or more. Tyler
Bray threw for 281 yards and two scores, but completed just 24-of-45 passes
and was picked off three times. Tight end Mychal Rivera led the team with 82
receiving yards, while Zach Rogers (51 yards) and Raijon Neal (53 yards)
caught Bray's touchdown passes. Neal also added 104 yards and a score on 23
carries. Tennessee (3-2, 0-2 SEC) had no answer for the Georgia offense, which
piled up 560 yards of total offense. The Vols are idle this week, and they
will try to get back on track at Mississippi State on Oct. 13.
TEXAS A&M: The Aggies exploded to the tune of 716 total yards as they returned
to SEC play with a convincing 58-10 win over hapless Arkansas. 557 of those
yards came from freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel -- an SEC record. The
rookie signal-caller continued to impress, completing 29-of-38 passes for 453
yards, tossing three touchdowns and no interceptions, and he was just as big a
threat outside the pocket, rushing for a team-high 104 yards while adding a
score on the ground. Ryan Swope (141 yards, TD) and Thomas Johnson (108 yards)
each topped the century mark in the receiving game, while Mike Evans led the
team with six catches for 83 yards and touchdown. Since scoring only 17 points
in its season-opening loss to Florida, Texas A&M (3-1, 1-1 SEC) has now scored
a combined 176 points in its three victories. The Aggies will play their first
SEC road game this Saturday night when they travel to Oxford to take on the
Ole Miss Rebels.
VANDERBILT: The Commodores (1-3, 0-2 SEC) enjoyed a bye this past weekend.
After a disappointing start to the season, the road doesn't get much easier,
as they are set to play SEC newcomer Missouri in Columbia this Saturday night.
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