SEC Wrap Up Week 6
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
Tennessee 45 Georgia 19
Well, an all points bulletin has been put out to find the real Jonathan Crompton, because someone had to be impersonating him Saturday. If this Is the real one, then all Volunteer fans want to keep him. Crompton showed up and had a career day going 20-27 for 310 yards with four touchdowns. He did have an interception run back for a score but that was on a tipped pass and It never hurt the team. He hit receivers short and long. His passes were dead on for the most part and he had three of those touchdown passes by halftime. When Georgia looked like they might get the momentum back, the Vols took It back. When Crompton’s pass was picked off Crompton came right back to lead his team on an eight-play 80-yard drive. The defense was outstanding allowing only a 52-yard field goal. The other two Georgia scores were from a 100-yard kickoff return and a safety. Georgia quarterback Joe Cox could not buy a chance to get the ball out of his hands. When he had a receiver the ball was jarred loosed or tipped away. On three straight possessions in the second half the Vols held the Bulldogs to -1 yard each time. Head coach Lane Kiffin got his first SEC win after he stressed all week that his team had to beat Georgia. There was a pep talk by one of the coaches about how the staff believed in the team and It hit home with most of the players. Montario Hardesty had another good showing running 20 times for 97 well earned yards. Receivers held on to the football. Mistakes were held to a minimum and they played with an energy not seen in Knoxville in quite some time. The fans still believe In their team as they came out 103,261 strong. Something good may have happened to this team in the past week but I would hold out before the celebrations start. The Volunteers have had a knack for letting their fans down. They will come up big one week and stink the joint up the next. They will come out of the shadows of adversity only to go into the depths of ineptitude. Just because they showed all this heart doesn’t mean they won’t break a few next time up. For now, It was an impressive game for a team in need of one. They looked like a team that believed in each other and played with confidence. They did It against an SEC foe, which Is a step in the right direction. Now let’s see what they come up with next.
(25) South Carolina 28 Kentucky 26
Kentucky scored and then South Carolina scored and then Kentucky scored and then, the story. It was a seesaw battle that wasn’t decided until the final minutes when the Wildcats failed on a two-point conversion that would have tied It at 28. Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia may have finally come into his own, as he was spectacular. He was 16-23 for 233 yards, three touchdowns passing, one rushing and one pick. He controlled the offense all day and impressed his coaches. Freshman wide receiver Alshon Jeffery had his best game with seven catches for 138 yards and touchdown catches of 10, 28 and 22 yards. Before the Gamecocks get to feeling too good they gave up 205 yards rushing and must face an Alabama team that can run a whole lot better than Kentucky. The Wildcats showed signs that their team Is getting to where It wants be but after they lost QB Mark Hartline to a knee injury they lost their rhythm. With both their starting cornerbacks out they looked weak on the secondary. There were scoring opportunities and mistakes that also cost them points. These are the things that Kentucky must improve on to take that next step up In the East.
(1) Florida 13 (4) LSU 3
Well It was the return of AT&Tebow and the Gators didn’t even have to use all of their weapons because they knew that LSU would have a problem throwing against them. All the talk was about the concussion suffered by Tebow and how It would affect him. Well I saw him lower his shoulder on one run. He was knocked to the ground, slightly hitting his head, while trying to pass. So if the Tigers were hoping to put a scare into the kid It didn’t work and Florida Is basically In the drivers seat now in the SEC East. Tebow avoided oncoming rushers and dodged them when he had to. He and the Gators played a bit conservative to protect their quarterback. Still he went 11-16 for 134 yards a touchdown pass and a pick. He also ran the ball 17 times for 38 yards. Hey those are not the stats of a player playing scared. LSU could not generate offense as Jordan Jefferson was sacked five times by a savage Florida defense. The Tigers got only 162 yards of offense when they weren’t making mistake after mistake. They came In ranked last in the SEC in total offense and it got so bad that fans were headed to the door with over two minutes left in the game. So once again the offense of LSU gets exposed and the Gators find another way to win. It sounds like two teams headed in different directions. The Gators hope that direction takes them to Atlanta for the SEC championship game and then the BCS title. LSU is just not sure which direction they are headed in at this time.
(3) Alabama 22 (20) Ole Miss 3
Now here Is an argument as to who should be the real number one. Some experts feel that the Tide should be the top ranked team in the country and they played like It, sacking Jevon Snead four times. They were relentless all game as they applied pressure to the Rebels offensive line until they gave. They took advantage of mistakes and scored off of them and head coach Nick Saban said” This was the most complete win we’ve had all year, in a difficult situation”. Ole Miss is losing some of that steam It started the season with and Is now 1-2 in the west. Alabama Is alone atop the West at 3-0 thanks to the LSU loss. Running back Mark Ingram was all the offense they needed as he ran over and around the Rebels for 172 yards on 28 carries. The Rebels offense could not surpass 200 total yards of offense and they had the ball for less than 22 minutes. Next week Alabama has another big one at home against South Carolina. As for Ole Miss, they will host UAB in a game they can win and need to win.
Arkansas 44 (17) Auburn 23
Wow was this a surprise on a day the SEC was full of surprises. The Razorbacks held the Tigers scoreless in the first quarter for the first time all season and never looked back. By halftime it was 27-3 and by the time Auburn scored three times in the third quarter the lead was too big to overcome. Michael Smith ran for 145 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Ryan Mallett continued to shine going 24-37 for 274 yards two scores and one pick. This was the Tiger’s first loss of the season leaving Florida and LSU as the only unbeaten now.
Houston 31 Miss. St. 24
Army 16 Vanderbilt 13 OT
