SEC Preview
By Paul Rockne
The most interesting game on this weekend’s SEC college football schedule has probably already been played – Thursday night when Auburn escaped the trap set by Steve Spurrier in Columbia, S.C.
No. 2-ranked Auburn managed to eek out a 24-17 lead over Spurrier’s Gamecocks, but needed some luck to do it. The luck came in the form of an onsides kick that the Tigers used to regain possession of the ball after scoring a field goal on a nine-minute drive to open the third quarter.
Auburn had held a slim 14-10 lead at the halftime intermission, with South Carolina claiming the momentum by scoring at the end of the half. After the opening drive in the second half produced just 3 points, AU’s Coach Tommy Tuberville must have figured his defense would have a hard time stopping the Gamecocks and felt a 17-10 lead was not sufficient.
The gamble was a big one and paid off big, with the War Eagles holding the ball for the rest of the third quarter and scoring their third TD on the first play of the fourth period.
South Carolina proved Tuberville’s fears correct by mounting two drives in the fourth period, the first one ending in a touchdown that moved the score to 24-17 and the second one ending with an Auburn interception in the end zone with seconds to play in the game.
South Carolina may have lost the game, but the Gamecocks served notice to the rest of their opponents. Spurrier’s magic is working and South Carolina showed that it will be able to move the ball against any opponent. And its defense held the Auburn offense in check most of the time. Carolina ended up with more yards, more plays and more first downs than the Tigers.
The next biggest game of the weekend has to be today’s CBS matchup between Alabama and Florida (2:30 p.m.)
Still smarting from last year’s 31-3 rout in Tuscaloosa, the Gators are fired up and foaming at the mouth as they await Bama and sweet revenge.
The trouble is that last year’s home win by the Tide was an anomaly. The Bama-Gators series is one of the upside down affairs in which the visiting team wins more often than the home team. Florida is just 1-8 in the last nine Bama trips to The Swamp.
Look for Alabama to go to the pass more this week if Ken Darby and the Bama running attack continues to falter. Sophomore quarterback John Parker Wilson has looked good throwing the ball so far this season and he also does not hesitate scramble for running yardage when he spots a seam in the defense.
Junior Keith Brown, who has been Wilson’s favorite receiver so far this season, said just that – while also throwing in a little criticism of the Bama coaching philosophy on offense – this week. “We can throw it on anybody if we want to – and as long as we make the play call,” said Brown.
Bama’s Coach Mike Shula has come under fire from fans and critics for what he termed “playing the percentages” in the late going against Arkansas. After carving up the Hogs through the air, Shula called runs on its finial seven plays of the fourth-quarter drive and on all three of its plays in the first overtime. Freshman kicker Leigh Tiffin missed field goals at the end of both possessions.
Florida will be a tough test for the Crimson Tide defense. The unbeaten Gators (4-0) are led by Heisman Trophy hopeful Chris Leak and sport some of the best overall offensive stats in the nation.
The Gators have the best passing offense (289.8 yards per game) and total offense (465.5 yards per game) in the SEC. They rank No. 9 nationally in both departments. Florida is scoring at a 30.9-per-game pace, second in the league behind LSU (35.5).
In addition to the tremendous personnel on the Gator squad, Florida runs a wide variety of sets, making it difficult to study and defend.
Saturday’s weekend TV lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:
• Tennessee at Memphis, 11 a.m., ESPN
• Wisconsin at Indiana, 11 a.m., ESPN2.
• Toledo at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m., ESPNU
• Colorado at Missouri, 11:30 a.m., FOXSS
• Mississippi State at LSU, 11:30 p.m., UPN
• Boise State at Utah, 2 p.m., VERSUS
• Tennessee State at Florida A&M, 2 p.m., TURNER SOUTH
• Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, 2:30 p.m. ABC
• Alabama at Florida, 2:30 p.m., CBS
• Purdue at Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m., NBC
• Rice at Army, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU
• Houston at Miami, 5 p.m., ESPN2
• Kansas at Nebraska, 6 p.m., FOXSS
• Louisiana Tech at Clemson, 6 p.m., ESPNU
• Michigan at Minnesota., 6:45 p.m., ESPN
• Ohio State at Iowa, 7 p.m., ABC
• Georgia at Ole Miss, 8 p.m., ESPN2
