ATHENS, Ga. – After 45 minutes of defensive football, the offenses of No. 4 Louisiana State and No. 18 Georgia got their second winds in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium.
The Tigers, however, got the final blow when running back Charles Scott raced 33 yards for a touchdown with 46 seconds remaining to give his team a 20-13 victory in the Southeastern Conference showdown.
The victory – the Tigers’ first between the hedges at Sanford since 1986 – kept LSU undefeated at 5-0 and improved their SEC West Division record to 3-0 heading into next Saturday night’s nationally televised showdown on CBS with top-ranked Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC East), which was idle Saturday.
The touchdown run was one of determination by Scott, who appeared to have nowhere to go at the line of scrimmage. Instead, he found his way out of the pack, kept his balance by putting his hand down and raced into the end zone.
It came on a running play that LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson had begged his coaches to run over the pass play they wanted.
“That situation required a running play,” said Jefferson, who completed 18 of 27 passes for 212 yards with one interception. “I saw the hole, and once he hit it, I knew it was a TD.”
The winning score was aided by an excessive celebration penalty on Georgia’s A.J. Green, who caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Joe Cox with 1:09 left to play. The penalty yardage was assessed on the ensuing kickoff and Trindon Holliday, the LSU track star, returned Blair Walsh’s kick 40 yards to the Georgia 43 and another 5-yard penalty against the Bulldogs for illegal formation on the kickoff gave LSU a first-and-10 at the Georgia 38.
Trailing 6-0 late in the third quarter after field goals of 23 and 42 yards by LSU’s Josh Jasper, Georgia (3-2, 2-1 SEC East) took the lead on a 1-yard TD pass from Cox to Shaun Chapas 45 seconds into the final quarter and Walsh’s PAT kick.
It remained 7-6 until Scott, who rushed for 95 yards on 19 carries, scored on a 2-yard run to give LSU a 12-7 lead with 2:53 remaining in regulation. The Tigers’ two-point conversion attempt failed, however, giving the Bulldogs life.
Cox (18-34-1, 229 yards) brought Georgia right back with a 6-play, 79-yard drive that culminated with his touchdown pass to Green (5 receptions, 99 yards).
Following Scott’s second touchdown, LSU went for two and got the points when Brandon LaFell caught Jordan Jefferson’s conversion pass.
Since the Tigers also celebrated excessively, they were forced to kickoff from their own 15. But good coverage on the kickoff prevented Georgia from having good field position. On third-and-16 from his own 27, Cox was intercepted by LSU’s Perry Riley and the Tigers ran out the clock.
Next Saturday’s game with the Gators kicks off at 8 p.m. The Tigers have won 26 of their last 27 night games, the only loss coming last season when Florida prevailed 51-21 in Gainesville.
(3) Alabama 38, Kentucky 20: At Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky., Mark Ingram ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns as the Crimson Tide (5-0, 3-0 SEC West) survived a sluggish start against Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC East). Alabama turned four Kentucky turnovers into 17 points after leading just 7-6 following the first quarter. Ingram’s career yardage was gained on 22 carries including TD runs of 11 yards in the first quarter and 32 yards early in the third. Quarterback Greg McElroy (15-26-0, 148 yards) passed for a pair of touchdowns – 3 yards to Colin Peek with 0:40 left in the second quarter to complete and 7 yards to Darius Hanks in the third quarter. The backbreaker, however, was Courtney Upshaw’s 45-yard fumble return for a touchdown 19 seconds following Peek’s touchdown, which completed a 13-play, 97-yard drive. The two touchdowns in 21 seconds sent Alabama to the locker room with 21-6 lead that became 28-6 after Ingram’s 32-yard scoring run 77 seconds into the second half. Mike Hartline (17-31, 168 yards) threw three interceptions but completed a 45-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb.
(21) Mississippi 23, Vanderbilt 7: At Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead overcame three interceptions with three touchdown passes as the Rebels (3-1, 1-1 SEC West) turned up for next week’s showdown with No. 3 Alabama by beating the Commodores (2-3, 0-2 SEC East). Snead completed 19 of 34 passes for 237 yards as Ole Miss, despite his interceptions, ran out to a 23-0 lead. He had a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter – 2 yards to Shay Hodge and 12 yards to Brandon Bolden (16 carries, 89 yards). Snead hooked up with Hodge (8 receptions, 122 yards) again on a 7-yard scoring pass in the third quarter. Vanderbilt quarterback Larry Smith (10-of-27, 69 yards) threw a 7-yard TD pass to Udom Umoh. Warren Norman had 86 yards rushing for Vanderbilt, which was outgained 397-240 by Ole Miss.
Auburn 26, Tennessee 22: At Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., first-year coach Gene Chizik moved to 5-0 after quarterback Chris Todd threw for 218 yards and Ben Tate ran for 128 yards and a touchdown for the visiting Tigers (5-0, 2-0 SEC West), who have now won five straight from the Volunteers (2-3, 0-2 SEC East). Todd (19-32-0, 218 yards) connected with Terrell Zachery on an 11-yard scoring pass early in the fourth quarter to give Auburn a 23-6 lead. But Tennessee’s Jonathan Crompton (20-43-0, 259 yards) brought his team back with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Montario Hardesty (21-90 rushing, 3-56 receiving) and another drive that led to Daniel Lincoln’s 26-yard field goal with 4:19 remaining that cut the Auburn lead to 23-16. Wes Byrum’s fourth field goal of the night (29, 43, 19 and 22 yards) gave Auburn a 26-16 cushion with 39 seconds remaining, more than enough to offset Crompton’s 32-yard scoring pass to Denarius Moore on the last play of the game.
South Carolina 38, South Carolina State 14: At Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., Stephen Garcia threw for two touchdowns in a 21-point second quarter. Garcia (13-19-0, 132 yards) also had a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter that gave South Carolina a 10-0 lead. In the second quarter after Kenny Miles had run 22 yards for a touchdown, Garcia connected with Moe Brown (6 receptions, 100 yards) on scoring passes of 40 and 9 yards that gave the Gamecocks (4-1) a 31-7 halftime lead. Jarvis Giles led South Carolina with 74 yards on 11 carries, while Miles had 60 yards on 10 carries. South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood had a blocked field goal and an interception against brother Erin (a sophomore defensive back) and South Carolina State (3-1).
(25) Georgia Tech 42, Mississippi State 31: At Davis Wade Stadium/Scott Field in Starkville, Miss., quarterback Josh Nesbitt threw for a career-high 266 yards on 11-of-14 passing and added another 53 yards on 23 carries as the Yellow Jackets (4-1) won their first game in the state of Mississippi in 117 seasons of college football. Eight of Nesbitt’s completions went to 6-foot-3 wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who totaled 174 yards and a 23-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter that gave Georgia Tech a 35-17 lead. The Bulldogs (2-3), coached by former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, turned the ball over five times, with three of the miscues leading to 21 Georgia Tech points, including a 40-yard fumble return by Jerrard Tarrant in the second quarter. Tyson Lee (20-30-1, 278 yards) had a 69-yard scoring pass to Chad Bumphis (6 receptions, 123 yards), who also had a 10-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs also got an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Anthony Dixon rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries.
Arkansas 47, Texas A&M 19: At Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Ryan Mallett threw four touchdown passes after a slow start and the Razorbacks (2-2) used a 23-0 second quarter to hand the Aggies (3-1) their first loss of the season. Mallett, a 6-foot-6 transfer from Michigan, missed on his first three passes and was sacked twice as the Aggies took a 10-0 lead. Mallett (17-27-1, 271 yards) may not have won his shootout with Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson (30-58-0, 345 yards, 2 TDs), but he began his and Arkansas’ comeback with an 8-yard scoring pass to Broderick Green in the first quarter. He then threw a 5-yard scoring pass to De’Anthony Curtis and a 31-yard scoring pass to Jarius Wright in the 23-point second quarter by the Razorbacks, who also got an 85-yard fumble return by Jerry Franklin. Mallett’s final touchdown pass, a 29-yarder to Michael Smith, gave Arkansas a 37-13 lead after three quarters. Ronny Wingo Jr. (4 carries, 86 yards) closed out the scoring for Arkansas with a 62-yard scoring run.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
EASTERN DIVISION
SEC PF PA Div. All PF PA
Florida 2-0 64 20 2-0 4-0 182 29
Georgia 2-1 106 98 1-0 3-2 136 139
South Carolina 1-1 53 51 0-1 4-1 134 84
Kentucky 0-2 27 79 0-1 2-2 100 106
Tennessee 0-2 35 49 0-1 2-3 147 98
Vanderbilt 0-3 19 61 0-0 2-3 100 78
WESTERN DIVISION
SEC PF PA Div. All PF PA
Louisiana State 3-0 73 48 1-0 5-0 135 74
Alabama 2-0 73 27 1-0 5-0 200 72
Auburn 2-0 75 46 1-0 5-0 207 119
Mississippi 1-1 33 23 0-0 3-1 130 43
Mississippi State 1-2 65 82 0-2 2-3 141 131
Arkansas 0-2 48 87 0-1 2-2 143 116
RESULTS
Saturday, Oct. 3
(3) Alabama 38, Kentucky 20
(4) Louisiana State 20, (18) Georgia 13
(21) Mississippi 23, Vanderbilt 7
Auburn 26, Tennessee 22
South Carolina 38, South Carolina State 14
(25) Georgia Tech 42, Mississippi State 31
Arkansas 47, Texas A&M 19
Idle: Florida
SCHEDULE
Saturday, Oct. 10
Vanderbilt at Army, 12 p.m.
Kentucky at South Carolina, 12:30 p.m. (FSN)
Alabama at Mississippi, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
Florida at Louisiana State, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Auburn at Arkansas, TBA
Houston at Mississippi State, TBA
Georgia at Tennessee, TBA
Saturday, Oct. 17
Arkansas at Florida, TBA
South Carolina at Alabama, TBA
Kentucky at Auburn, TBA
Georgia at Vanderbilt, TBA
UAB at Mississippi, 2 p.m.
Mississippi State at Middle Tennessee, 4 p.m.
HOW THE AP TOP 25 FARED SATURDAY
1. Florida (4-0) was idle. Next: Saturday at No. 4 Louisiana State, 8 p.m.
2. Texas (4-0) was idle. Next: Saturday vs. Colorado, 7:15 p.m.
3. Alabama (5-0) beat Kentucky, 38-20. Next: Saturday at No. 21 Mississippi, 3:30 p.m.
4. Louisiana State (5-0) beat No. 18 Georgia, 20-13. Next: Saturday vs. No. 1 Florida, 8 p.m.
5. Boise State (5-0) beat UC Davis, 34-16. Next: Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Tulsa, 8 p.m.
6. Virginia Tech (4-1) beat Duke, 34-26. Next: Saturday vs. Boston College, 12 p.m.
7. Southern California (4-1) beat No. 24 California, 30-3. Next: Saturday, Oct. 17 at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m.
8. Oklahoma (2-2) lost to No. 17 Miami (Fla.), 21-20. Next: Saturday vs. Baylor, 3:30 p.m.
9. Ohio State (4-1) beat Indiana, 33-14. Next: Saturday vs. Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m.
10. Cincinnati (5-0) beat Miami (Ohio), 37-13. Next: Thursday, Oct. 15 at South Florida, 7:30 p.m.
11. Texas Christian (4-0) beat Southern Methodist, 39-14. Next: Saturday at Air Force, 7:30 p.m.
12. Houston (3-1) lost to UTEP, 58-41. Next: Saturday at Mississippi State, TBA.
13. Iowa (5-0) beat Arkansas State, 24-21. Next: Saturday vs. No. 22 Michigan, 8:05 p.m.
14. Oklahoma State (3-1) was idle. Next: Saturday at Texas A&M, 12:30 p.m.
15. Penn State (4-1) beat Illinois, 35-17. Next: Saturday vs. Eastern Illinois, 12 p.m.
16. Oregon (4-1) beat Washington State, 52-6. Next: Saturday at UCLA, 3:30 p.m.
17. Miami (Fla.) (3-1) beat No. 8 Oklahoma, 21-20. Next: Saturday vs. Florida A&M, 7 p.m.
18. Georgia (3-2) lost to No. 4 Louisiana State, 20-13. Next: Saturday at Tennessee, TBA.
19. Kansas (4-0) was idle. Next: Saturday vs. Iowa State, 12:30 p.m.
20. Brigham Young (4-1) beat Utah State Friday, 35-17. Next: Saturday at UNLV, 10 p.m.
21. Mississippi (3-1) beat Vanderbilt, 23-7. Next: Saturday vs. No. 3 Alabama, 3:30 p.m.
22. Michigan (4-1) lost to Michigan State, 26-20 OT. Next: Saturday at No. 13 Iowa, 8:05 p.m.
23. Nebraska (3-1) was idle. Next: Thursday at Missouri, 9 p.m.
24. California (3-2) lost to No. 7 Southern California, 30-3. Next: Saturday, Oct. 17 at UCLA, TBA.
25. Georgia Tech (4-1) beat Mississippi State, 42-31. Next: Saturday at Florida State, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY’S SCORES
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
Maryland 24, Clemson 21
(6) Virginia Tech 34, Duke 26
Virginia 16, North Carolina 3
Boston College 28, Florida State 21
Wake Forest 30, North Carolina State 24
(25) Georgia Tech 42, Mississippi State 31
(17) Miami, Fla. 21, (8) Oklahoma 20
BIG 12 CONFERENC
Kansas State 24, Iowa State 23
Texas Tech 48, New Mexico 28
Baylor 31, Kent State 15
Arkansas 47, Texas A&M 19
(17) Miami, Fla. 21, (8) Oklahoma 20
Thursday
West Virginia 35, Colorado 24
BIG EAST CONFERENCE
South Florida 34, Syracuse 20
(10) Cincinnati 37, Miami (Ohio) 13
Thursday
West Virginia 35, Colorado 24
Friday
Pittsburgh 35, Louisville 10
BIG TEN CONFERENCE
Michigan State 26, (22) Michigan 20, OT
Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 28
Northwestern 27, Purdue 21
(13) Iowa 24, Arkansas State 21
(15) Penn State 35, Illinois 17
(9) Ohio State 33, Indiana 14
CONFERENCE USA
East Carolina 21, Marshall 17
Tulane 17, Army 16
UCF 32, Memphis 14
Tulsa 27, Rice 10
(11) Texas Christian 39, Southern Methodist 14
UTEP 58, (12) Houston 41
Thursday
UAB 30, Southern Mississippi 17
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Toledo 37, Ball State 30
(10) Cincinnati 37, Miami (Ohio) 13
Temple 24, Eastern Michigan 12
Central Michigan 20, Buffalo 13
Northern Illinois 38, Western Michigan 3
Ohio 44, Bowling Green 37
Baylor 31, Kent State 15
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
Idaho 31, Colorado State 29
Navy 16, Air Force 13, OT
Texas Tech 48, New Mexico 28
Wyoming 30, Florida Atlantic 28
Nevada 63, UNLV 28
San Diego State 34, New Mexico State 17
(11) Texas Christian 39, Southern Methodist 14
Friday
(20) Brigham Young 35, Utah State 17
PACIFIC-10 CONFERENCE
Stanford 24, UCLA 16
Notre Dame 37, Washington 30, OT
Oregon State 28, Arizona State 17
(7) Southern California 30, (24) California 3
(16) Oregon 52, Washington State 6
SUN BELT CONFERENC
(13) Iowa 24, Arkansas State 21
Louisiana-Monroe 48, Florida International 35
Wyoming 30, Florida Atlantic 28
WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Idaho 31, Colorado State 29
Nevada 63, UNLV 28
San Diego State 34, New Mexico State 17
(5) Boise State 34, UC Davis 16
Wednesday
Louisiana Tech 27, Hawai’I 6
Friday
(20) Brigham Young 35, Utah State 17
INDEPENDENTS
Notre Dame 37, Washington 30, OT
Tulane 17, Army 16
Navy 16, Air Force 13
MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Morgan State 24, Bethune-Cookman 13
Howard 7, Winston-Salem 3
North Carolina A&T 23, North Carolina Central 17, OT
South Carolina 38, South Carolina State 14
PIONEER LEAGUE
Jacksonville 27, Davidson 21
Butler 25, San Diego 24
Marist 34, Campbell 13
Dayton 30, Morehead State 15
Drake 34, Valparaiso 14
IVY LEAGUE
Pennsylvania 30, Dartmouth 24
Lafayette 31, Yale 14
Brown 28, Rhode Island 20
Harvard 28, Lehigh 14
Colgate 45, Cornell 23
Columbia 38, Princeton 0
FLORIDA SCHOOLS
North Carolina Pembroke 30, Webber International 3
North Greenville 28, Edward Waters College 0