THE COACHES
Urban Meyer is in his fourth season at Florida with a record of 34-8 (.791) and in his eighth season overall with a record of 73-17 (.811). The Gators' offensive coordinator is Dan Mullen and Charlie Strong serves as the defensive coordinator.
Bobby Petrino is in his first season at Arkansas and sixth overall with a record of 46-20 (.697). The Razorbacks' offensive coordinator is Paul Patrino and the defensive coordinator is Willy Robinson.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN FLORIDA HAS THE BALL
Tim Tebow has not thrown an interception in his last six outings, which is his longest streak as a starting quarterback. Tebow is Florida's active career leader in rushing yards with 1,489, which is a school record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Against Ole Miss, Percy Harvin had a career-highs in receptions (13) and receiving yards (186). His 13 receptions tied for the best in school history in a conference game and tied for the second best overall in school history. Harvin carried the ball 10 times for 82 yards and one touchdown and totaled a career-high 268 all-purpose yards.
Jerry Franklin is leading the way on the Razorbacks' defense. Franklin leads the Hogs with 35 tackles in the first four games. He has garnered 23 solo tackles and 12 assisted stops. He has 1.5 tackles for loss (-8), 0.5 sack (-6), two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. Franklin ranks sixth in the SEC and tied for 70th in the country (based on press box totals) with an average of 8.25 tackles per game. Elton Ford is pacing all SEC true freshmen in tackles per game with 4.5 stops per outing.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN ARKANSAS HAS THE BALL
Brandon Spikes leads the SEC in tackles per game this year and is seventh nationally with 11.3. Ryan Stamper leads the league in fumble recoveries per game (.67) and is tied for second nationally. Spikes led the Gators in tackles against Ole Miss with 13 stops. He has led the Gators in tackles in each of the last eight games he has played in. In addition, he has recorded 10-or-more tackles in each of his last five outings.
Casey Dick is second in the SEC and ranks 42nd in the nation in total offense per game with an average of 241.5 yards per outing. He leads the SEC in passing yards per game (242.2 ypg.). D.J. Williams ranks tied for 81st in the nation with 4.75 catches per game and tied for 86th with an average of 64.0 yards per game. Michael Smith ranks fourth in the SEC and 32nd in the nation with 96.67 yards rushing per game. He ranks third in the SEC and 36th in the nation in all-purpose yardage with 139.33 yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Brandon James is the only player in the nation to return two punts for touchdowns this season. James had a 74-yard return against Hawaii and an 78-yard return at Tennessee to increase his career total to four. James is tied for first nationally on the NCAA active leader chart for career punt returns for a touchdown (4). He is first nationally in punt return avg. (14.9) and third in punt return yards (879).
Jeremy Davis is averaging 42.5 yards per punt in his fi rst four games including a career long punt of 56 yards earlier this year against Alabama. So far this season, Davis has punted 17 times for 723 yards and has landed four kicks inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Davis ranks third in the SEC and 25th in the nation with his 42.5 yards per punt average. His best two games have come against nationally ranked opponents Alabama and Texas.
SERIES/GAME NOTES Record: UF, 6-1 o Last: UF, 38-28 (2006 at SEC Championship Game)
The Gators hold a 6-1 advantage in the previous seven meetings...Arkansas captured the first meeting with a 28-24 victory in the 1982 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston...In 1996, the programs met for the first time in a regular-season game, with the Gators posting a 42-7 victory in Fayetteville... One season later, and the Gators and Razorbacks played for the first time in Gainesville which saw No. 1 ranked Florida defeat Arkansas, 56-7...The two schools have met twice in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta... In 1995, UF defeated Arkansas, 34-3, for its third-consecutive SEC title. The last meeting in the series came in the 2006 title game, where the Gators won 38-28 for the seventh league title in school history.
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Steve Spurrier is in his fourth season at South Carolina with a record of 24-18 (.571) and in his 19th season overall with a record of 166-58-2 (.739). The Gamecocks' offensive coordinator is Spurrier and Spurrier Jr. and the defensive coordinator is Ellis Johnson.
Houston Nutt is in his first season at Ole Miss and in his 16th season overall with a record of 114-72 (.613). Kent Austin serves as the offensive coordinator and the defensive coordinator is Tyrone Nix.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SOUTH CAROLINA HAS THE BALL
The Gamecock offense is averaging 220.2 passing yards per game, and three different QBs have been behind center. Chris Smelley leads the pack with 77-of-125 passing for 844 yards, six TDs and six interceptions. Redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia saw the most action last time out, completing 13-of-20 passes for 131 yards and rushing for another 86 against UAB. The tandem of TE Jared Cook and WR Moe Brown are the top targets with 19 catches for 262 yards and 18 for 267, respectively. The leading rusher has been TB Mike Davis with 54 carries for 254 yards and a TD.
Jamarca Sanford registered a game-high 11 total tackles, including four solos. The effort marked his ninth career double-figure tackle game. He is fourth in the SEC, averaging 8.6 stops per game, and is the league's active career leader in tackles with 248. Kendrick Lewis equaled his career high with nine total tackles along with a fumble recovery at Florida. He has posted nine tackles on three occasions this season. Greg Hardy has taken over the team lead in sacks with 2.5 and has three 3.5 TFLs.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN OLE MISS HAS THE BALL
The USC defense is No. 1 both in the SEC and nationally, allowing just 105.0 passing yards per game. Junior SS Emanuel Cook has been the top tackler with 37, including 33 solos. Darian Stewart led the USC defense last week versus UAB with seven tackles and two PBUs. Eric Norwood is second in tackles with 23, including two TFLs and one quarterback sack. He leads the team with six QB hurries.
Jevan Snead continues to be the SEC leader in TD passes, as his two against Florida raised his season total to eight scoring tosses. He also ranks third in the conference in passing average at 205.8 yards per game. Dexter McCluster led the team in rushing against Florida with 11 carries for 60 yards and his second rushing TD of the year. He averages 97.4 all-purpose yards including 62.4 receiving yards, which ranks sixth in the SEC. WR Shay Hodge cracked the century mark Saturday with a career-high 133 yards.
Ryan Succop connected on all four of his field goal attempts and on both extra points, accounting for 14 points in the Gamecocks' 26-13 win over UAB. He converted field goal attempts from 44, 48, 26 and 24 yards out. It was the most field goals in a game by a Gamecock player since the 1997 season. Succop has converted each of his last seven field goal attempts and is 10-for-12 on the season.
Ole Miss registered TDs in the return game on back-to-back Saturdays with Marshay Green's 77-yard punt return against Samford and Mike Wallace's 98-yard kickoff return against Vanderbilt. Wallace is second in the SEC in kickoff returns and is percentage points behind the leader (31.1 ypr to 31.2). He had five returns for 140 yards against the Gators, including a long of 40.
SERIES/GAME NOTES Record: UM, 8-5 o Last: UM, 31-28 (2004 at Columbia)
This game will be the 14th meeting between Ole Miss and South Carolina dating back to 1947, and the fifth since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992... The Rebels lead the series 8-5 and have won five straight dating back to a 20-13 win at Columbia in 1981... Ole Miss has won the four SEC meetings: 30-28 at Oxford in 1998, 36-10 in 1999 at Columbia, 43-40 in Oxford in 2003 and 31-28 in Columbia in 2004... The Rebels are 4-2 in home games against the Gamecocks, including one game each in Memphis and Jackson, and own a 3-1 mark in Oxford.
Rich Brooks is in his sixth season at Kentucky with a record of 29-35 (.453) and 24th overall with a record of 120-144-4 (.455). The Wildcats' offensive coordinator is Joker Phillips and the defensive coordinator is Steve Brown.
Nick Saban is in his second season at Alabama with a record of 11-6 (.647) and 15th overall with a record of 117-65-1 (.642). The Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator is Jim McElwain and the defensive coordinator is Kirby Smart .
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN KENTUCKY HAS THE BALL
Mike Hartline is in his first season as the starting quarterback. He had his best game against Middle Tennessee, completing 28 of 47 passes and two touchdowns, all career highs. Derrick Locke is the team's leading rusher with 190 yards, including a career-long 68-yard dash vs. Norfolk State. It was the longest TD run for UK since Quentin McCord's 80-yard TD in 1998. His 96 total yards were a career-high. Dicky Lyons leads the SEC in receptions per game, catching 6.25 passes per game.
Alabama is in the top 20 nationally in four defensive categories after five games this season. Junior college transfer Terrence Cody has also cast a large shadow for the Tide defense, the 6-5, 365-pound nose guard has 13 tackles on the season with 3.5 tackles for loss (-8) while also causing and recovering a fumble. Dont'a Hightower is fifth on the team in tackles with 19 stops - eight solo - in five games (3.8 tackles per game). Hightower has also forced one fumble and recovered two more to rank tied for third in the SEC at .40 per game.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN ALABAMA HAS THE BALL
Jeremy Jarmon leads the team and is sixth in the SEC in tackles for loss this season with 5.5. Jarmon sacked WKU quarterback K.C. Black on the first play from scrimmage, his 15th career sack. The Wildcats linebackers are led by Braxton Kelley, who has 210 tackles in his career. Trevard Lindley has three pass breakups and two interceptions this season, tied for the team lead in both categories. Lindley is also just one pass breakup shy of the school career record (27).
John Parker Wilson completed 13-of-16 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown in Alabama's 41-30 win at #3 Georgia. Wilson completed his first seven passes of the game and was 10-of-11 for 139 yards and a TD in the first half while the Tide built a 31-0 halftime lead. Glen Coffee has 70 rushing attempts for 493 yards and four touchdowns and averages 98.0 yards per game, which ranks second in the SEC and 27th nationally. Julio Jones leads the team in receptions (16), receiving yards (226 or 45.2 per game) and touchdowns (4). Mark Ingram leads team with five touchdowns.
Tim Masthay led the SEC last season with 23 touchbacks and is on pace to smash that total as a league-high 15 of his 27 kicks have been touchbacks already this season. Masthay also is the team's and SEC's leading punter, averaging 45.7 yards per punt. Locke had a 100-yard kickoff return vs. WKU. He became just the fifth Wildcat in history to return a kickoff the length of the field.
P.J. Fitzgerald is averaging a career-best 41.8-yard per kick to rank sixth in the SEC with three punts inside the 20. Javier Arenas ranks fourth in the SEC and 15th nationally with a 18.67 yards per return average. His has 224 punt return yards, is the second-most total punt return yards in the nation.
SERIES/GAME NOTES Record: UA, 33-2-1 o Last: UA, 45-17 (2004 at Lexington)
Kentucky and Alabama meet for the 37th time in school history … This is UK's first trip to Tuscaloosa since 2003 (UA 27-17) ... The last meeting between the teams was in 2004 in Lexington (UA, 45-17) … The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 33-2-1 … Kentucky is looking for its first win in Tuscaloosa in the series (0-8) ... The teams first met in 1917 and played annually from 1922- 1947 except for 1943 when Kentucky did not field a team because of World War II ... UK's two victories are 6-0 in 1922 and 40-34 in overtime in 1997.
Tommy Tuberville is in his 10th season at Auburn with a record of 84-34 (.712) and in his 14th season overall with a record of 109-54 (.669). The Tigers' offensive coordinator is Tony Franklin and the defensive coordinator is Paul Rhoads.
Bobby Johnson is in his seventh season at Vanderbilt with a record of 24-50 (.324) and in his 15th season overall with a record of 84-86 (.494). The Commodores' offensive coordinator is Ted Cain and the defensive coordinator is Bruce Fowler.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN AUBURN HAS THE BALL
Junior Ben Tate leads the team with 393 yards rushing and ranks 18th in Auburn history with 1,688 career yards. Senior Brad Lester had 174 yards this season and has pushed his career total to 1,574, which ranks 21st. Rodgeriqus Smith shares the team lead with 15 receptions for 166 yards this season, and now ranks in the top 10 in school history in both receptions and receiving yards. Chris Todd threw for a career-best 250 yards Sept. 20 against LSU.
Ryan Hamilton's three interceptions lead the SEC. He was named national defensive player of the week for his performance versus Ole miss. Patrick Benoist is averaging 9.3 tackles per game, which is No. 2 in the SEC. Reshard Langford has two interceptions this season, and 10 for his career. Chris Marve contributed a team-high 11 total tackles, including seven solo stops, against Ole Miss. Marve is tied for third on the team with 26 total tackles.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN VANDERBILT HAS THE BALL
Sen'Derrick Marks leads the SEC and ranks tied for 15th nationally with eight tackles for loss, including two sacks. Marks now has 28 tackles for loss during his career. Antonio Coleman has four sacks in Auburn's first five games to lead the SEC, and his seven tackles for loss ranks second behind Marks. Coleman, who also has a team-high seven quarterback hurries this year, now has 12.5 sacks during his career, and needs three more to crack Auburn's career top 10.
Jared Hawkins leads the Commodores with 314 rushing yards. He is second on the team to QB Chris Nickson with three rushing touchdowns. He enters the Auburn game as the SEC's sixth leading rusher, averaging 78.6 yards. Nickson averages 151 yards of total offense, and has rushed for a team-high five TDs while passing for three more. Nickson also ranks among the SEC Top 10 with a 67.5-yard rush average.
Robert Dunn currently ranks sixth nationally in punt returns, averaging 21.4 yards per return. In the season opener against Louisiana-Monroe, Dunn snapped an Auburn streak of 144 consecutive games and 374 punt returns without a touchdown, which was the longest streak in the nation, by returning a kick 66 yards for a score. Clinton Durst ranks second in the SEC and 18th nationally, averaging 43.7 yards per punt this year with nine punts placed inside the 20-yard line.
Bryant Hahnfeldt has become the team's all-time leading scorer, earning national attention in the process. At Ole Miss, Hahnfeldt provided the winning points, scoring the team's last nine by hitting field goals from 34, 31 and 40 yards in the 23-17 victory. D.J. Moore leads the nation in punt returns, averaging 29.0 yards per return. The only player four-way player in the SEC (WR, CB, PR, KR), Moore accumulated 206 all-purpose yards on just seven touches vs. Rice.
SERIES/GAME NOTES Record: AU, 20-19-1 o Last: AU, 35-7 (2007 at Auburn)
Auburn has won 13 straight in the series since Vanderbilt's last victory in the 1955 Gator Bowl ... The Tigers have won the last six meetings in Nashville since Vanderbilt's last win in 1950 ... VU won eight consecutive games in the series from 1929 to 1950 ... Auburn has averaged 36.4 points during its 13-game winning streak against Vanderbilt ... The Tigers have held Vanderbilt to 10 points or less in nine of the 13 victories ... Auburn has rushed for over 200 yards in nine of the last 13 meetings, and had at least four rushing touchdowns in six of those 13 games, including the last two ... Vanderbilt has averaged just 106.6 yards passing per game in the last 10 meetings.
Jerry Kill is in his first season at Northern Illinois and 15th overall with a record of 106-59 (.642). The Huskies' offensive coordinator is Matt Limegrover and the defensive coordinator is Tracy Claeys.
Phillip Fulmer is in his 17th season at Tennessee and overall with a record of 148-48 (.755). The Volunteers' offensive coordinator is Dave Clawson and the defensive coordinator is John Chavis.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN NORTHERN ILLINOIS HAS THE BALL
Offensively last week, the Huskies got a 100-yard rushing game from true freshman Me'co Brown, who earned 111 yards on 17 carries, as NIU averaged 5.5 yards per rush in the game with 235 total yards. Quarterback Dan Nicholson completed 11-of-15 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, with five of those going to senior Greg Turner.
DT Dan Williams posted eight tackles and two TFL at Auburn. Wes Brown is one of only two defensive linemen with 10 tackles this season (Williams). He has 10 tackles and one for a loss this season. Ellix Wilson has led the team in tackles in three of four games (12 at UCLA, 7 vs. UAB, 10 at Auburn). Rico McCoy led the Vols with 10 stops vs. Florida. Wilson has 4.5 TFL this season and one sack. Eric Berry has seven career interceptions (two this season). He has 21 tackles this season after leading the team with eight vs. Florida and posting three at Auburn.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN TENNESSEE HAS THE BALL
Defensive end Larry English is one of 30 student-athletes chosen as a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for football. English, who has 3.5 TFLs and one sack this season, won the 2007 Vern Smith Award as the Most Valuable Player in the Mid-American Conference. The senior led the MAC in sacks last season and ranked 11th nationally. He is a member of the Bronko Nagurski Watch list for the second consecutive season. Melvin Rice led the way with eight tackles versus EMU.
Arian Foster boasted 196 yards on 25 carries in his first two games, but gained 37 yards on 14 carries vs. Florida and 30 yards on eight carries at Auburn. He is 421 yards from being UT's all-time leading rusher. Lucas Taylor leads the team with 15 catches for 199 yards. Taylor became only the fifth Vol ever to reach 1,000 yards in a season in 2007. He posted 24 vs. Florida and six at Auburn. Gerald Jones has emerged as a go-to receiver with 13 receptions for 133 yards this season.
Versus EMU, Andy Dittbenner punted four times for a 47.2 yard average with all four of his punts pinning the Eagles inside the 20 yard line. None of his four punts in the game were returned and only one of his 13 punts on the season has been returned, giving NIU a number five ranking nationally in net punting with a 41.69 average. Dittbenner's punts last Saturday included a season-long 54-yard effort that put EMU at the nine-yard line in the first half.
Daniel Lincoln is 3-of-6 this season after making 21 of 29 a year ago. The Vols had not attempted a field goal since the UCLA game but converted twice at Auburn. Chad Cunningham is averaging 38.7 yards per punt this season after averaging 46 yards per punt last season. The Northern Illinois game will likely be his last as the starter due to the return of Britton Colquitt. Gerald Jones is averaging 13.8 yards per punt return.
SERIES/GAME NOTES Record: First Meeting
Saturday marks the first-ever gridiron meeting between Tennessee and Northern Illinois...The Volunteers have previously played just three games against current members of the Mid-American Conference... UT posted a 52-9 home win over Akron in 1989 and recorded a pair of home victories over Temple in 1944 (27-14) and 1990 (41-20)... Current Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer was UT's offensive coordinator for the Akron game and the 1990 Temple triumph...Fulmer has never faced a current MAC opponent during his head-coaching tenure (1992-present).