Auburn 27, Ole Miss 3
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- Brandon Cox passed for 205 yards and a touchdown, and Kenny Irons ran for 101 yards and another TD to lead No. 19 Auburn to a 27-3 victory over Mississippi on Saturday.
Auburn placekicker John Vaughn also hit a pair of field goals for the Tigers (6-2, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) after a nightmarish 1-for-6 performance in an overtime loss at LSU.
The Rebels (3-5, 1-4) managed just 209 total yards - 23 on the ground - and Ethan Flatt replaced Micheal Spurlock at quarterback in the fourth quarter. They had allowed only one TD in each of the last three games, but couldn't keep up that string against the league's top scoring offense.
Irons had 32 carries while Cox was 17-of-27 passing, including a 1-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Ben Obomanu on a fourth down play in the third quarter.
Obomanu caught the ball near the exact spot where he dropped a wide-open pass in the end zone late in a 24-20 loss to the Rebels two years ago.
The Tigers also scored on a trick play. Receiver Courtney Taylor took the ball on a reverse and heaved it to a wide-open Devin Aromashodu for a 28-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.
Spurlock was 10-of-18 for 105 yards with an interception that set up another Auburn TD. Flatt twice led the Rebels into Auburn territory in the fourth quarter, going 11-of-17 for 81 yards.
Tailback Mico McSwain gained only 48 yards on 18 rushes against the nation's fourth-ranked scoring defense.
Both teams failed to convert on fourth-and-goal situations in the first half after having numerous kicking problems last week.
The Rebels drove inside Auburn's 1-yard line on their opening drive. Then Brandon Jacobs couldn't handle the pitch from Spurlock on fourth down for a 12-yard loss.
The Tigers then went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 3 on the following possession but Cox's pass fell incomplete under pressure to end a 16-play drive.
Its no wonder both teams were wary of relying on their kicking games. Ole Miss had a pair of field goal attempts blocked and missed four against Kentucky last week.
Vaughn rebounded to hit a 35-yarder and a 39-yarder in the final 3 minutes of the first half, the second set up by Steve Gandy's 29-yard return of a Spurlock interception.
Matt Hinkle kicked a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter for the Rebels' only points.
That chance came after Ole Miss couldn't move the ball following Tre Smith's fumbled punt return at the 28.
Auburn converted another fourth-down chance on its next drive to set up Taylor's touchdown pass.
The Tigers were 2-of-4 on fourth-down tries and Ole Miss was 0-for-2.
Alabama 35, Utah State 3
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Brodie Croyle threw three touchdown passes and DJ Hall set an Alabama receiving record to keep the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide undefeated with a 35-3 win over Utah State on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide improved to 8-0 for the first time since 1994 and finished its nonconference season with an easy win that allowed the starters to rest in the fourth quarter after two straight dramatic, last-minute league wins.
Fifth in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings, the Tide starts its stretch run in the Southeastern Conference next week against Mississippi State, hoping it will lead to a berth in the SEC title game - and maybe a spot in the Rose Bowl after that.
Alabama grabbed control barely five minutes into the game as Croyle threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Ezekial Knight on the first possession and followed with a 1-yard scoring pass to Le'Ron McClain the next time the Tide had the ball.
The teams then swapped possessions, with six punts between them, until Hall caught a 13-yard TD pass from Croyle shortly before halftime.
On the bench after three quarters, Croyle completed 22 of 31 passes for 279 yards without an interception. Substitute John Parker Wilson threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Glen Coffee.
Hall finished with 11 catches for 157 yards, becoming the first Alabama receiver to have back-to-back games with at least 10 receptions. Hall caught 10 balls for 139 yards last week.
Kenneth Darby, who scored on a 38-yard run, led Alabama's ground game with 149 yards on 15 rushes. Utah State (2-5) had 150 yards rushing, led by Ryan Bohm with 95.
Utah State's lone score came on a 24-yard field goal by Justin Hamblin on the Aggies' opening drive after halftime, the first points Alabama has given up in the third quarter all season.
Both teams also missed field goal attempts: Hamblin from 41 and 43 yards and Alabama's Jamie Christensen - who beat Mississippi and Tennessee with clutch kicks the two previous weeks - from 37 yards.
Utah State dropped to 1-9 against SEC teams, with the sole victory coming against Kentucky in 1970. The Aggies, who play in the Western Athletic Conference, scored a $500,000 payday for making the nearly 1,900-mile trip to Alabama.
One of the biggest cheers went up before kickoff, when injured 'Bama receiver Tyrone Prothro emerged from the locker room in a wheelchair four weeks after suffering a gruesome leg fracture in the Florida win.
Prothro, who underwent surgery after breaking both bones in his lower left leg, developed an infection in the hospital and was released only last week.
Florida 14, Georgia 10
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Georgia left another Cocktail Party without anything to celebrate.
Chris Leak threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score, and No. 16 Florida used an impressive defensive performance to take down the previously unbeaten Bulldogs 14-10 Saturday at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
The Gators (6-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) defeated their rivals to the North for the 14th time in the last 16 meetings, and kept alive their hopes of winning the SEC East and returning to the league title game for the first time since 2000.
No. 4 Georgia still controls the division race. The Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1) need to beat Auburn in two weeks or have Florida lose to Vanderbilt or South Carolina to advance to the conference championship game for the third time in four years.
The Bulldogs, however, probably lost their shot at the national title.
The annual game played out a lot like it did in 2002, when the three-loss Gators handed Georgia its first loss of the season as the Bulldogs tried to secure a spot in the SEC title game.
This one wasn't an upset, though.
Playing without injured quarterback D.J. Shockley, Georgia was an underdog in a series dominated by Florida since former coach Steve Spurrier took over in 1990.
Spurrier's successor, Ron Zook, also had success against the Bulldogs, winning two of three meetings. Now, it could be Urban Meyer's turn.
For part of the second half, though, it looked like Meyer might lose a third game in his first season at Florida.
Brandon Coutu, one of the best kickers in the conference, missed two field goals - one in the third quarter and another in the fourth - and Georgia couldn't mount a game-winning drive in the closing minutes.
Florida's defense had a lot to do with that, harassing Joe Tereshinski III in his first career start at quarterback.
The Bulldogs trailed 14-3 at halftime, then scored on a trick play in the third quarter. Tereshinski handed off to Thomas Brown as he was falling to the ground. The running back started right, then threw back across the field to Tereshinski, who made a nice catch in front of Todd McCullough and stretched into the end zone.
Florida recaptured the momentum on the ensuing drive when Meyer called a fake punt that gained 10 yards. But the Gators ended up punting.
Georgia moved the ball well, and Coutu's 52-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright. The Bulldogs still had another shot. But Tereshinski's final three passes fell incomplete. Jeremy Mincey batted one down at the line of scrimmage and then leveled Tereshinski as he tried to release a desperation pass on fourth down. All that was left was for Florida to run out the clock.
Tereshinski finished 8-of-21 for 100 yards. He also ran for 37 yards. Brown and Danny Ware combined for 125 yards on the ground.
Leak finished 15-of-20 for 108 yards. DeShawn Wynn ran 19 times for 109 yards.
Meyer retooled his much-maligned offense during the bye week, and the results showed - at least early.
Florida scored on its opening possession for the first time this season and made it 14-0 after two drives.
Georgia fans were stunned. Florida fans may have been, too.
The Gators struggled mightily to string together long drives and score points in conference games against Tennessee, Alabama and LSU.
But in the first quarter, Florida's offense looked more like the version fans envisioned when Meyer took over.
Wynn ran five times for 33 yards, Leak completed three third-down passes and Georgia had a costly pass interference penalty on a deep ball. Leak capped the 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 3-yard scamper around the right end.
Leak dived headfirst into the end zone, then showed the kind of emotion the Gators have missed since beating Tennessee in Gainesville in September. He jumped up and down and into the arms of teammates, then continued to celebrate on the sideline.
It got even better for the Gators.
Vernell Brown returned Georgia's first punt 29 yards, giving Florida the ball at the Bulldogs 41. Leak connected with Dallas Baker for a 20-yard gain, then Wynn ran 19 yards. Leak rolled out two plays later and found Tate Casey in the back of the end zone.
It was Casey's first TD catch this season.
Florida could have added to a 14-3 lead just before halftime. But Wynn fumbled a handoff on first-and-goal at the 6.
Kentucky 13, Mississippi State 7
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Arliss Beach and Rafael Little combined for 239 yards from scrimmage and Kentucky snapped a four-game losing streak with a 13-7 win over Mississippi State on Saturday night.
Little scored on an 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and Taylor Begley added field goals of 35 and 33 yards for Kentucky (2-5, 1-3 Southeastern Conference), which recorded its first win this season over a Division I-A opponent.
Mississippi State (2-6, 0-5) has lost eight straight SEC games and 20 straight conference road games, dating to a November 2000 win at Kentucky. The Bulldogs have lost five straight overall since beating Tulane on Sept. 17.
Jerious Norwood ran for 121 yards on 20 carries to become the school's leading career rusher, finishing with 2,888 yards. Walter Packer held the record with 2,820 yards from 1973 through 1976.
Norwood also tied another school record, held by Packer and James Johnson, with his 12th career 100-yard game. Four of those games have come against Kentucky, but Mississippi State won only one of those four.
Little rushed 24 times for 114 yards and caught four passes for 44 yards, and added 89 yards on six punt returns. Fellow tailback Beach had 81 yards rushing on 14 carries. Andre Woodson, battling the flu, completed 13-of-27 passes for 141 yards for the Wildcats.
Kentucky led 13-0 midway through the third quarter after Begley's second field goal, which came at the end of a 12-play, 82-yard drive that started after Wesley Woodyard recovered a fumbled snap by Mississippi State quarterback Michael Henig at the Wildcats' 4.
The Bulldogs answered with their only scoring drive of the game, covering 76 yards. Fullback Bryson Davis scored on a 19-yard run with 4:47 left in the third quarter.
Mississippi State threatened again midway through the fourth quarter, driving from its own 1 to the Kentucky 9 before Adam Carlson pushed a 26-yard field-goal attempt wide right with 7:55 left. The Bulldogs had two more possessions but didn't cross midfield again.
Kentucky led 10-0 at halftime, the first time the Wildcats owned a halftime lead all season.
After two ineffective series to start the game by Omarr Conner, Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom switched to Henig, who completed 16-of-31 passes for 200 yards.
The Bulldogs never crossed the Kentucky 30 in the first half, recording only 99 yards of offense. They finished the game with 375 yards, 51 more than Kentucky.
South Carolina 16, Tennessee 15
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Steve Spurrier brought a different team to Tennessee and left with a familiar result.
Josh Brown kicked a 49-yard field goal with 2:45 left and South Carolina held on to beat the No. 23 Volunteers 16-15 on Saturday night.
The Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) snapped a 12-game losing streak to Tennessee and won for the first time ever in Knoxville.
Their coach had won here plenty of times with the Florida Gators.
But on a night when Tennessee great Peyton Manning was in attendance to have his No. 16 retired, the Vols (3-4, 2-4) continued their offensive struggles even against one of the worst defenses in the SEC.
Spurrier, not wearing his trademark visor, improved his record against Tennessee to 10-5, which includes a victory as Duke's head coach. It was his first visit to Neyland Stadium since 2000.
Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer had never lost to South Carolina. The last Tennessee coach who did, Johnny Majors, was forced out of his job six days later in 1992.
Blake Mitchell finished 22-of-36 for 242 yards, and Sidney Rice had eight catches for 112 yards for South Carolina.
The Gamecocks overcame two fumbles, an interception and being pinned inside their 5-yard line three times.
South Carolina scored first on Rice's 19-yard touchdown catch from Mitchell in the first quarter. The Vols tied it and then went ahead with a field goal and safety in the second quarter.
The Gamecocks regained the lead by one on Mitchell's second TD pass to Rice, a 5-yarder with 11:33 remaining. The pass attempt for two extra points failed.
After being replaced early in the game by Erik Ainge, Rick Clausen returned at quarterback and led the Vols to the South Carolina 26. James Wilhoit put Tennessee back into the lead, 15-13, with a 43-yard field goal with 7:39 left.
Tennessee's defense prevented South Carolina from moving past the Vols 32, but that was close enough for Brown's game-winning field goal.
Tennessee got the ball back with plenty of time, but Clausen could not save the Vols this time. His pass to Bret Smith on fourth down was knocked away by Ko Simpson.
Tennessee's Arian Foster had 148 yards on 25 carries.
LSU 56, North Texas 3
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Shyrone Carey ran for two scores and fellow backup tailback Justin Vincent added a TD run as No. 7 LSU rolled past North Texas 56-3 Saturday night in a game that had been postponed by Hurricane Katrina.
The Tigers (6-1) won their fifth straight and their 13th consecutive nonconference game.
The Mean Green (2-5) lost for the fifth time in six games. North Texas, which has won the Sun Belt Conference each of the last four seasons, dropped to 3-29 against SEC teams.
Vincent rushed for 70 yards on 12 carries and Carey finished with 44 yards on eight carries. Both received extended playing time as Joseph Addai, the leading rusher in the Southeastern Conference, left the game after two series in the first quarter. He had three carries for 7 yards and a touchdown.
Vincent, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman two years ago, scored on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter for his first touchdown since the second game of last season.
JaMarcus Russell completed 17 of 21 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown in three quarters. Backup Matt Flynn threw three touchdown passes, two to Early Doucet in the fourth quarter.
Flynn completed all seven of his passes for 139 yards.
North Texas, which came into the game third to last in the country in scoring with an average of 10 points per game, got its only points on Nick Bazalduas' 50-yard field goal, his longest of the season, just before halftime.
North Texas had a few other scoring opportunities denied by the Tigers.
Kyle Williams blocked Bazalduas' 24-yard attempt in the second quarter, and Craig Steltz intercepted Daniel Meager's pass after North Texas had reached the LSU 27-yard line on the first possession of the second half.
Jamario Thomas was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the Tigers' 1 late in the third quarter.
LSU opened a 28-0 second-quarter lead after Addais' 3-yard touchdown run, Carey's touchdown runs of 23 yards and 1 yard, and Russell's 15-yard pass to Dwayne Bowe.