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SEC roundup
SEC Game of the Week
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No. 11 Alabama 19, No. 8 Mississippi St. 7 |
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Mississippi State finally ran out of miracles and out of the national title chase. Andrew Zow threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Shamari Buchanan with 6:04 to boost the Crimson Tide (8-2, 6-1) into sole possession of first place in the SEC West and ended a three-game losing streak to the Bulldogs (8-1, 5-1). It ruined Mississippi State's chances at its first-ever undefeated season and will probably prevent the Bulldogs from a second straight trip to the SEC title game.
If Alabama beats Auburn next week, the Tide will earn a rematch with No. 4 Florida. Alabama handed the Gators their only loss of the season, 40-39, in October.
Mississippi State, which had rallied to win its last three games in the final minute, was never in position for another miracle finish. With Shaun Alexander and Zow back in the lineup and nearly 100 percent healthy for the first time since they both sprained ankles three weeks ago, the Tide took control of the defensive game in the fourth quarter. |
Other SEC action
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Arkansas 28, No. 3 Tennessee 24 |
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Clint Stoerner wiped away a year-old demon when he threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Lucas with 3:44 to play as Arkansas ended Tennessee's chances of repeating as national champion. It was Stoerner who fumbled in the final two minutes last year with Arkansas leading Tennessee, 24-22. The Vols turned the gift into a victory that was vital in their march to the national title.
Saturday's outcome knocked the Vols (7-2, 4-2 SEC) out of a chance to defend that championship and put Arkansas (6-3, 3-3) in position for a bowl game only a week after a horrendous performance against Mississippi. The Vols reached the Arkansas 17 with less than 90 seconds to play, but Tee Martin's fourth-down pass was too high for Cedrick Wilson.
As the final seconds ticked away, Stoerner took a couple of steps, bent over and put his hands on his knees. His solitude lasted just seconds before he was swarmed by more than 1,000 fans -- mostly students, as they tore down the goal posts. Tennessee held a double-digit lead -- 24-14 -- after Travis Henry's 28-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, but Stoerner and Boo Williams hooked up on a 53-yard touchdown pass that cut the lead to 24-21 and kept the pressure on the Vols. |
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No. 4 Florida 20, South Carolina 3 |
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Florida did no better with quarterback Jesse Palmer than with Doug Johnson, but the Gators still managed to push past South Carolina, which lost for the 20th game in a row. Palmer, brought in when Johnson couldn't move the club against Vanderbilt a week ago, was erratic and off target in his first start of the season. He threw a touchdown pass to Darrell Jackson and kept the Gators (9-1, 7-1 SEC) out of trouble the rest of the way.
Florida's victory meant an SEC Eastern Division crown and trip to the league title game for the sixth time in eight years. It also kept alive the Gators' national championship hopes, with No. 1 Florida State to close the regular season next week at The Swamp. Palmer was only 5-of-19 for 63 yards in the first quarter and looked lost at times. Receiver Travis Taylor dropped a pass in the end zone and Jackson let a ball go off his fingers after getting behind the defense. Palmer was 15-of-33 for 161 yards. |
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Auburn 38, No. 14 Georgia 21 |
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Ben Leard and Ronney Daniels put on a stunning offensive display for Auburn, which raced to a 31-0 halftime lead and went on to shock Georgia -- "between the hedges," no less. Leard set a school record by passing for 416 yards and tied another mark with four touchdown passes -- all in the first half. Daniels caught nine passes for 249 yards, the second most in Auburn history, and scored on two long plays. Auburn (5-5, 2-5 SEC) needs a victory over Alabama in its final game to qualify for an improbable bowl invitation in coach Tommy Tuberville's first season. The Tigers were 3-8 last season and had a five-game losing streak this year.
Georgia (6-3, 4-3) was hoping to win out and probably head to the Florida Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day. Now, the Bulldogs may have to be content with any bowl, having lost two in a row and facing their last two games on the road against No. 18 Mississippi and No. 13 Georgia Tech. Leard, who hails from Hartwell, Ga., and grew up a Georgia fan but was not recruited by the Bulldogs, was 24-of-32 in breaking Dameyune Craig's 3-year-old school record of 394 yards passing. |
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Kentucky 19, Vanderbilt 17 |
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Dusty Bonner threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Quentin McCord in the third quarter and Kentucky took advantage of a safety to beat Vanderbilt and likely sewed up a second straight bowl bid. The Kentucky defense, which came in ranked last in the conference, forced four turnovers and held the Commodores to just seven second-half points. The Wildcats clinched a winning season, and are expected to be invited to the Music City Bowl to fill the SEC's spot in Nashville.
Vanderbilt (5-5, 2-5 SEC) needs to beat Tennessee in its season finale in two weeks for its first winning season since 1982. The Wildcats (6-4, 4-3) took a 12-10 lead in the third quarter on a safety when Greg Zolman was called for intentional grounding in the end zone. Then Bonner hit McCord for 80 yards to put Kentucky up 19-10. McCord broke Jamie Winborn's tackle and outran Harold Lercius down the left side. Zolman hit Elliott Carson from 2 yards out to make it 19-17 with 5:20 left. |
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Houston 20, LSU 7 |
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Ketric Sanford, who broke the Houston school rushing record last week, rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown and had another 28 yards receiving as the Cougars kept their bowl hopes alive while extending LSU's misery. The loss was the eighth straight for the Tigers (2-8) -- their longest losing streak in the 106 years they have played football. |
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