Tue Sep 2 14:30:27 2008

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Southeastern Conference News and Notes

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - ALABAMA: The Crimson Tide were the most impressive SEC team on opening weekend, as they knocked off ninth-ranked Clemson by a 34-10 final. It is absolutely staggering to see that Alabama held Clemson and its two NFL-caliber tailbacks to zero rushing yards. John Parker Wilson threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Tide, and he was 22-of-30 for 180 yards. Clemson managed a mere 188 yards, 403 yards shy of last season's average. The Crimson Tide will clearly be favored in this week's matchup with Tulane.

ARKANSAS: Bobby Petrino took over as head coach of Arkansas after seemingly abandoning his Atlanta Falcons team. There are many who would have liked to see Petrino's debut as Razorbacks' leader end in defeat, and that was almost the case against Western Illinois. Fortunately, quarterback Casey Dick scored on a four-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes remaining in the contest to propel the Hogs to a 28-24 victory. Dick connected on 25-of-41 passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns, and his receivers had several dropped passes. This Saturday in Little Rock, Arkansas will play host to UL-Monroe.

AUBURN: The Tigers had no trouble disposing of UL-Monroe in Saturday's season opener by a final of 34-0. Ben Tate was impressive for the winners, as he posted 115 rushing yards on only 13 carries. While the Tigers are featuring a new spread offense this season, the team relied almost solely on the run against Monroe. Also, Auburn scored touchdowns on both defense and special teams. Kodi Burns and Chris Todd alternated at quarterback, and it remains to be seen if that trend will continue. On the docket for Auburn this weekend is a home game with Southern Miss.

FLORIDA: The Gators scored on offense, defense and special teams en route to a 56-10 romp over Hawaii on Saturday. What makes the lopsided victory all the more impressive is that the team was forced to play without star wideout Percy Harvin and standout linebacker Brandon Spikes. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow had a quiet day statistically, passing for 137 yards and running for 37 more. There will certainly be plenty of eyes on Gainesville this weekend as the Miami Hurricanes blow into town.

GEORGIA: The Bulldogs began this season with the nation's number one ranking for the first time ever, and they knocked off Georgia Southern as expected by a 45-21 final. Knowshon Moreno ran for three touchdowns despite carrying the ball only eight times. He finished with 59 rushing yards and 53 receiving yards on two catches. The Bulldogs led 38-0 at one point before Georgia Southern managed to score some insignificant touchdowns. Matthew Stafford passed for a career-high 275 yards on only 13 completions. The opponent for the Bulldogs this weekend will be Central Michigan of the Mid-American Conference.

KENTUCKY: The Wildcats played tremendous defense in a 27-2 victory over Louisville to open the season. Kentucky scored two touchdowns on fumble returns, overshadowing a modest offensive effort. Rich Brooks' team forced five turnovers and limited Louisville to 205 total yards. New Kentucky starting quarterback Mike Hartline threw for 147 yards and did a solid job of managing the game. He was, however, called for intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in Louisville's only points. The Wildcats figure to have an outstanding chance of moving to 2-0 as they host Norfolk State this weekend.

LSU: The defending national champs began the season with an impressive 41-13 victory over a strong Appalachian State squad. Charles Scott was extremely impressive running the football, as he racked up a career-high 160 yards on 16 carries, including a pair of touchdowns. Andrew Hatch, a transfer from Harvard, started at quarterback and while he only completed 7-of-14 passes for 77 yards, Hatch did throw a touchdown and seemed capable of handling the pressure. The Tigers are slated to battle Troy on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldogs were the first SEC team to travel to Ruston, Louisiana since 1908, as they opened their season against Louisiana Tech. Much to the surprise of the Mississippi State faithful, the result of the game was a 22-14 loss. Five turnovers killed MSU, as Wesley Carroll tossed three interceptions. Tailback Anthony Dixon rushed for 91 yards in defeat. The hope for Mississippi State fans is that the Bulldogs will be able to knock off Southeastern Louisiana this Saturday.

OLE MISS: The Rebels have a new coach in Houston Nutt and a new quarterback in Texas transfer Jevan Snead. In the opener against Memphis, Snead tossed a pair of touchdowns to Shay Hodge as Ole Miss rolled to a 41-24 victory. Tailback Dexter McCluster was impressive, racking up 125 total yards. He often lined up as the quarterback in the new Wild Rebel formation, the same system that Darren McFadden excelled in under Nutt at Arkansas. Expect Ole Miss to have its hands full this weekend as ACC powerhouse Wake Forest comes to town.

SOUTH CAROLINA: First-time starting quarterback Tommy Beecher threw four interceptions for South Carolina. Still, the Gamecocks were completely dominant in a 34-0 romp over NC State. Chris Smelley came in after Beecher sustained an injury, and Smelley was much more effective under center. Tailback Mike Davis ran for 101 yards in the victory, exhibiting a strong combination of speed and power. Expect the Gamecocks to carry a great deal of confidence into Thursday's SEC battle with Vanderbilt.

TENNESSEE: The Vols entered this season with national title aspirations, but just one game into the campaign, that dream took a major hit. Tennessee was handed a 27-24 overtime loss by UCLA in Pasadena on Monday night. Daniel Lincoln nailed a 47-yard field goal as time expired in regulation that forced overtime, but he missed a 34-yarder in the extra session. Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton connected on 19-of-41 passes for 189 yards with one interception. The Vols have to wait two weeks to get back on the field.

VANDERBILT: The Commodores opened this new season on the road with a 34-13 romp over Miami-Ohio. Vandy got a tremendous performance from quarterback Chris Nickson, who ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 20 rushes. As a passer, Nickson completed 9-of-16 passes for 91 yards and a score. The Commodores registered three interceptions, key to the victory. Also, they were 8-of-15 on third down conversion attempts. On Thursday, Vanderbilt will take on Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks in an early-season SEC tilt.