Mississippi State 31, Kentucky 14
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Wesley Carroll threw for two touchdowns and Mississippi State forced a season-high six turnovers in a 31-14 victory over No. 14 Kentucky on Saturday.
Kentucky (6-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) has lost two straight since knocking off then-No. 1 LSU in triple overtime. A loss to Florida last Saturday dashed the Wildcats' national championship hopes, and the Homecoming loss to the Bulldogs likely knocks them out of the SEC title race, too.
Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson was sacked three times and threw three second-half interceptions.
A year after the Wildcats turned their season around with a victory in Starkville, the Bulldogs returned the favor in Lexington to put themselves one win away from bowl eligibility.
Coach Sylvester Croom led Mississippi State (5-4, 2-3) to its third road win this year, including another signature victory last month at Auburn. The Bulldogs hadn't won three road games since their Independence Bowl season of 2000, the last time they appeared in postseason play.
Carroll, a freshman, threw for 152 yards and doubled his career TD total. Christian Ducre rushed for a career-high 119 yards, and his 34-yard TD run in the fourth quarter was the Bulldogs' longest running play of the year.
Kentucky committed five turnovers in the second half, including two big special teams disasters.
Alfonso Smith fumbled the opening kickoff of the half, setting up a 31-yard field goal by Mississippi State's Adam Carlson.
Then, punter Tim Masthay dropped the ball while trying to compensate for a high snap by running toward the first-down marker. The fumble set up Anthony Dixon's 1-yard TD that put the Bulldogs up 24-7.
Woodson and receiver Steve Johnson answered with a dazzling scoring play. Faced with fourth-and-8, Woodson threw an arching 37-yard pass to the end zone, and Johnson leapt over a defender to bring it in.
It was Johnson's second TD reception of the game and team-leading eighth of the year.
That was one of the few highlights for the Wildcats. One week after his best statistical game of the season with 415 yards and five TDs, Woodson wasn't nearly as sharp.
He completed 24 of 42 passes for 230 yards, but threw several ugly passes. Among them was a wobbler that was tipped before Keith Fitzhugh grabbed it for the first interception.
The Bulldogs compiled six first downs during an 80-yard drive on their opening possession to take a 7-0 lead. Dixon accounted for nearly half of those yards on the ground before Carroll found Jason Husband for an 11-yard TD.
Woodson tied with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Johnson but Carroll led Mississippi State back down the field on its next possession. Dixon failed to score on three carries from inside the 2 but Carroll then used play action to find Dixon wide open in the corner of the end zone, putting the Bulldogs ahead 14-7.
The Bulldogs converted their first six third-down attempts. When Kentucky finally got a stop midway through the second quarter, Blake McAdams boomed a 55-yard punt over the head of DeMoreo Ford to pin the Wildcats inside the 10.
Kentucky had a chance to pull closer before halftime, but Lones Seiber missed a 34-yard field goal.
Arkansas 58, Florida International 10
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Darren McFadden scored on four short runs, and Arkansas took advantage of seven turnovers by Florida International in a 58-10 victory Saturday.
The Golden Panthers (0-8) lost their 20th straight game. They turned the ball over three times in the first quarter, each time giving Arkansas (5-3) possession inside the FIU 35-yard line.
McFadden, last year's Heisman Trophy runner-up, rushed for only 61 yards. All of his touchdowns were from 3 yards or closer. Felix Jones ran for 89 yards and a touchdown.
The Razorbacks were playing their third Sun Belt Conference foe of the year. They'll finish the regular season with four straight games against Southeastern Conference opponents, starting next weekend against No. 15 South Carolina.
Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick left in the second quarter with a concussion and sore ribs after being hit in the backfield. Nathan Emert replaced him and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Monk late in the half.
Monk, the Razorbacks' career leader in touchdown catches, caught his first two passes of the season. He had barely played to this point because of a preseason knee injury. The crowd, which appeared smaller than the announced 60,750, gave Monk a nice ovation after his first catch, a 6-yarder in the first quarter.
Dick was 4-of-6 for 36 yards with an interception, and Emert was 13-of-25 for 154 yards. Fullback Peyton Hillis caught six passes for 77 yards for Arkansas.
The Golden Panthers turned the ball over on their second offensive play. Wayne Younger's pass was caught by Moses Hinton, who fumbled, giving Arkansas the ball at the FIU 20. The Razorbacks settled for a field goal, but McFadden scored from 3 yards out on their next possession to make it 10-0.
Another FIU fumble gave Arkansas the ball at the 11, but Dick was intercepted in the end zone. Younger was then intercepted by Jerell Norton, who returned the ball 23 yards to the 32. McFadden scored on a 1-yard run, outrunning the defense to the left side. His third touchdown, from 2 yards out, was on a similar play but to the right.
Jones scored on a 16-yard run late in the third quarter, and McFadden added a 2-yard scoring run in the fourth. McFadden had never run for more than two touchdowns in a game.
The Razorbacks' Michael Smith broke free for an 81-yard touchdown run in the final minute, and FIU then used its remaining time outs on its final possession. The Golden Panthers didn't score, and when it was over, Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring appeared to gesture toward the FIU sideline while running off the field.
Younger was 9-of-26 for 93 yards with five interceptions, although he got loose for several impressive scrambles against the Arkansas pass rush. He ran for 110 yards in the first half - more than McFadden and Jones combined - and finished with 124.
Younger threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Greg Ellingson in the second quarter on fourth-and-10.
Vanderbilt 24, Miami (Ohio) 13
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Vanderbilt's defense allowed just three points and 86 total yards in the second half to lead the Commodores to a 24-13 victory over Miami of Ohio on Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium.
It was the second straight strong second-half showing by Vandy's defense, ranked No. 19 nationally. Last week, the Commodores blanked South Carolina in the second half en route to a 17-6 win.
Vanderbilt improved to 5-3 and one victory away from bowl eligibility. The Commodores have not played in the postseason since 1982. Miami fell to 4-5.
The RedHawks led 13-10 midway through the third quarter, but the Commodores surrendered just 86 yards of total offense after that. Miami rushed for only 26 yards for the day. Vanderbilt also recorded five sacks.
Vanderbilt took the lead for good at 17-13 with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter when reserve quarterback Chris Nickson capped a 70-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run.
Starter Mackenzi Adams left the game with a chest injury earlier in the quarter and did not return.
With the Vanderbilt defense in control, the Commodores put the game away with 6:46 left when tailback Cassen Jackson-Garrison scored on a 14-yard run, pushing the score to 24-13.
Three straight Vanderbilt turnovers in the second quarter helped allow Miami to grab a 10-7 halftime lead.
First, Adams was intercepted in the RedHawks' end zone by Jordan Gafford. Next Jared Hawkins fumbled at the Commodores 46-yard line. Then, Vanderbilt's Thomas Welch fumbled a kickoff return at his own 38.
The went up 10-7 with 6:16 left before halftime when quarterback Radabaugh connected with Jamal Rogers for a 40-yard touchdown pass on third-and-15.
Vanderbilt tied it on a 27-yard field goal by Hahnfeldt with 0:16 left in the half.
Georgia 42, Florida 30
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Georgia Bulldogs celebrated in the end zone early and on the sideline late.
They probably should have hoisted Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford on their shoulders for both.
Moreno ran for a career-high 188 yards and three scores, Stafford threw three touchdown passes and No. 20 Georgia upset ninth-ranked Florida 42-30 on Saturday in a game filled with big plays and momentum shifts.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) sacked Tim Tebow six times and contained the Gators' high-scoring offense most of the game. The result was a rare Bulldogs victory in one of the South's most heated rivalries.
Florida (5-3, 3-3) had dominated the series known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party since 1990, winning 15 of the last 17 meetings and eight of nine. Georgia turned it around Saturday, taking advantage of Tebow's bruised non-throwing shoulder and Florida's porous defense.
Bulldogs coach Mark Richt set the tone for before the game. Richt, who had been 1-5 against the Gators, uncharacteristically orchestrated an on-field celebration following his team's first touchdown.
``I told them if they didn't get a penalty for celebrating after the first score I would be mad at them,'' Richt told CBS Sports as he headed to the locker room.
The Bulldogs came through for their coach in a big way, when the entire team ran on the field and into the end zone to celebrate Moreno's first TD run. The Bulldogs bounced around and drew two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
Georgia was forced to kickoff from the 8-yard line and the brazen show of emotion drew the ire of Florida coach Urban Meyer.
Just two weeks ago, Richt chastised his players for jumping on Vanderbilt's midfield logo following a 20-17 victory.
Meyer huddled his players on the sideline and had them jumping up and down. The Gators may have felt dissed but that wasn't enough to make up for defense that's struggled all season.
The defending national champions were exposed in losses to LSU and Auburn, and Kentucky's Andre Woodson picked them apart in a close game last week.
Georgia was even better, gouging every aspect of Florida's defense.
Stafford was 11-of-18 for 217 yards with an interception by that was returned for a touchdown early.
Moreno did most of the damage on 33 carries, picking up yards inside and out, breaking tackles and outrunning defenders all over the field. Stafford took advantage, using play-action passes to make Florida's secondary look silly. The Gators' pass rush rarely got close to Stafford.
The Bulldogs sealed the victory when Tebow fumbled a snap with 2:23 remaining. The turnover started a raucous celebration on the Georgia sideline, then at midfield and again in the same end zone.
Georgia finished with its most points in the series since a 44-0 win in 1982.
Florida simply wasn't as effective as it had been on offense. Tebow injured his shoulder last week against the Wildcats and was clearly favoring it Saturday. He ran very little in the first half, and the Gators just weren't the same.
Tebow finished 14-of-22 for 236 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
Percy Harvin picked up the slack, running for 97 yards and catching two passes for 41 yards. A fumble by Kestahn Moore and another fumbled snap by Moore helped Georgia build an early lead.
Stafford never let the Bulldogs relinquish it.
He connected with Mohamed Massaquoi for an 84-yard score that made it 14-7. He flipped a 1-yarder in the flat to Brannan Southerland to make it 28-17 early in the second half. Stafford's 53-yarder to Mikey Henderson was the topper, making it 35-24 with about 11 minutes remaining.
Florida also dropped to 7-1 in rivalry games under Meyer, losing its first game against Tennessee, Georgia or Florida State.
Auburn 17, Ole Miss 3
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- Brandon Cox threw a 34-yard scoring pass to Rod Smith in the final minutes and Brad Lester rushed for a career-high 96 yards, helping No. 23 Auburn hold on for a 17-3 victory over Mississippi on Saturday and avoid another down-to-the-wire finish.
Patrick Lee set up the drive with an interception in the end zone for the Tigers (6-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference), who were coming off a last-second loss at No. 3 LSU.
They got a scare from the Rebels (2-7, 0-6), double-digit underdogs still seeking their first league win.
Down 10-3, Ole Miss had the makings of an impressive tying drive. Starting from their own 1, the Rebels surged from the goal line with three consecutive rushes. Quarterback Seth Adams was hurt on the third play on a hard hit by Tray Blackmon at the end of a run.
Backup Brent Schaeffer, who nearly led Ole Miss to an upset in last season's meeting, completed his first three passes and had a 7-yard run to keep the Rebels moving downfield. Then, he hurled a pass into the end zone with Antonio Coleman rushing toward him.
Lee stood alone waiting for the ball with no receiver within several yards of the play.
That gave Cox and Auburn the ball with 7:03 to go and a chance to put the game away. Cox converted third-down plays with a 23-yard pass to Smith and a 12-yarder to Montez Billings.
His biggest throw came on third-and-8 when he again hit Smith, who spun away from a defender and sprinted into the end zone with 3:15 to play. The TD pass ensured Auburn wouldn't have a seventh game decided in the final 2 minutes.
Smith finished with a career-high 111 yards on eight catches.
Lester had 23 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Auburn got a scare late in the first half when Cox headed for the locker room with more than 3 minutes left with what turned out to be a bruised right, nonthrowing shoulder.
It didn't appear to affect him. Cox completed 16-of-26 passes for 189 yards. Ben Tate rushed for 72 yards and the Tigers opened with nine straight running plays.
Adams, who returned for the Rebels' final drive, completed 11-of-24 passes for 89 yards and was sacked three times, twice by Coleman.
Auburn limited BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the league's No. 4 rusher, to 62 yards on 13 carries.
The Tigers outgained Ole Miss 420-193 and held a nearly 13-minute advantage in time of possession.
The Rebels had cut the halftime deficit to 7-3 on a 51-yard field goal by Joshua Shene as time expired. He first made a 41-yarder but Ole Miss was called for holding, forcing him to try an even longer one. The kick capped a 13-play drive for an offense that had only 8 yards in the first quarter.
The Tigers missed scoring chances on their first drives of the game and the second half with a fumble and a missed 42-yard field goal attempt by Zach Kutch. Kutch was subbing for Wes Byrum, who would come in and kick a 36-yarder later in the quarter despite an injured quadriceps muscle for the 10-3 lead.
Tennessee 27, South Carolina 24 (OT)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- All those complaining about Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer will have to quiet down for a while. The Volunteers are in position to play for a conference title again.
Daniel Lincoln kicked a game-tying 48-yard field goal with 5 second left, then provided the only points in overtime, and Tennessee recovered after blowing a big lead to beat No. 15 South Carolina 27-24 Saturday night.
The victory, coupled with No. 20 Georgia's victory over ninth-ranked Florida earlier Saturday, puts the Volunteers (5-3, 3-2) atop the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division. The Vols are tied with Georgia but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after beating the Bulldogs earlier this month.
Lincoln got two chances to force overtime. He hooked a 43-yarder wide left, but a false start penalty on the Vols gave him another chance. This time, Lincoln sent the 48-yarder through to tie the game at 24.
Then he won it with his 27-yarder in overtime.
Steve Spurrier came in with his Gamecocks (6-3, 3-3) in charge of the East and needing to win out for South Carolina to become the first SEC team other than Tennessee, Florida or Georgia to win the division title.
But Ryan Succop, who gave South Carolina its only lead of the game at 24-21 with 1:24 left with his own 49-yard field goal, was wide right on a 40-yarder on fourth-and-8.
Fans filled talk radio shows calling for Fulmer's firing after the Vols were embarrassed in a 41-17 loss to Alabama last week. Fulmer's in his 16th season at Tennessee, but his last SEC title was in 1998, when the Vols also won the national championship. Their last SEC East title was 2004.
The Vols have been good, but that's not good enough for many in Knoxville.
Georgia gave the Volunteers a fresh opportunity in the SEC East before they took the field Saturday night and Fulmer's guys came through - barely.
South Carolina came in looking for its best start since 2001. But two of its four turnovers came in the final 6:52 of regulation. Spurrier threw his headset to the turf in disgust after Blake Mitchell, who came off the bench in relief of Chris Smelley, overthrew Kenny McKinley on third down.
That forced the Gamcocks to settle for Succop's field goal.
Tennessee had gained only 70 yards in the second half, but got a huge lift from LaMarcus Coker on special teams after South Carolina took the lead. He took the kickoff up the right sideline to the 31, stopped and went back across the field to the left to set up a struggling Erik Ainge at the 47.
It didn't help.
Three plays later, Caspser Brinkley sacked Ainge after the Vols used their last timeout. Ainge spiked the ball to stop the clock with 9 seconds left.
Lincoln came in and made the longest kick of his career when it counted most.
South Carolina chose to start on defense in overtime, and the Gamecocks held Tennessee to Lincoln's field goal.
But Mitchell bobbled the snap on the Gamecocks' first play, and his pass to Cory Boyd resulted in a 5-yard loss. He found Freddie Brown for a short pass, then Mitchell overthrew McKinley in the left corner of the end zone.
South Carolina outgained Tennessee 501-317 and held the ball for more than 36 minutes. Boyd finished with 20 carries for 160 yards and a 29-yard touchdown run.
Mitchell was 31-of-45 for 288 yards, and he ran for a TD and threw for another, an 8-yarder to McKinley that tied it at 21 in the fourth quarter.
Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty each ran for touchdowns, and Ainge threw for a TD and 216 yards on a night where he bounced a handful of passes and overthrew others.
The Vols improved to 6-1 in overtime. This was South Carolina's second overtime game and first since Sept. 27, 2003. Both were in Knoxville, and the Gamecocks now have lost both.