NO. 9 FLORIDA 48, KENTUCKY 14
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Trey Burton scored six touchdowns, breaking former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow’s school record, and No. 9 Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC) beat Kentucky (3-1, 0-1) for the 24th consecutive time.
Burton became the fourth player in SEC history to score six times in a single game and the first since Auburn’s Cadillac Williams in 2003. His big night helped Florida end its firstquarter slump and gave Coach Urban Meyer a memorable milestone.
Meyer became the sixth fastest coach in NCAA history to reach 100 career victories. He improved to 100-18 at Florida, Utah and Bowling Green, hitting the mark faster than anyone except Gil Dobie (108 games), George Woodruff (109), Bud Wilkinson (111), Fielding Yost (114) and Knute Rockne (117).
Florida, which didn’t score in the first quarter of its first three games, gouged the Wildcats for touchdowns on its first two drives. The Gators cooled off in the second quarter, punting twice and throwing an interception, but were equally dominant after the break.
Burton did most of the damage from the Wildcat formation. He scored on a 10-yard run to make it 27-7, then ran in from 9 yards out. He added a 3-yard run in the fourth, making it 41-14 and sealing another lopsided meeting with Kentucky.
The Wildcats have been outscored 152-26 in the past three games, including 73-0 in the opening 15 minutes.
The Wildcats went three-and-out to open the game, and Florida marched 64 yards and took the lead on Burton’s 11-yard run. He added an 11-yard touchdown reception from John Brantley on the next drive.
Burton’s six scores broke Tebow’s record set in 2007 at South Carolina. Burton finished with 5 carries for 40 yards and 5 receptions for 37 yards.
Brantley completed 24 of 35 passes for 248 yards, eclipsing the 200-yard mark for the first time this season. Brantley also ended a streak of 156 passes without an interception.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 24, GEORGIA 12
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Chris Relf rushed for 97 yards and threw for 135 yards and a touchdown as Mississippi State (2-2, 1-2 SEC) beat Georgia (1-3, 0-3), breaking a nine-game losing streak in the series dating to 1974.
Mississippi State held Georgia to two field goals until the final minutes. Georgia’s Aaron Murray completed18 of 31 passes for 274 yards and 1 touchdown.
Georgia has lost three games in a row for the first time since 1990 and has started 0-3 in the SEC for the first time since 1993.
Mississippi State’s Vick Ballard rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs broke open the game with two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter to stretch a 10-6 lead to 24-6.
Georgia outgained Mississippi State 387 yards to 314 but lost two first-half fumbles, including one that was less than a yard from a touchdown.
MISSISSIPPI 55, FRESNO STATE 38
OXFORD, Miss. - Brandon Bolden rushed for a career-high 228 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown on the opening play of the second half, as Mississippi (2-2) defeated previously unbeaten Fresno State (2-1).
Ole Miss rolled up 578 yards in total offense, including 425 on the ground, in the first meeting between the schools.
The Rebels scored six times in the opening seven offensive series to build an insurmountable 41-10 lead early in the third period. Fresno State never pulled closer than 10 points again.
Enrique Davis, Rodney Scott and Bolden scored on runs of 8, 55 and 14 yards, respectively. Jeremiah Masoli connected with Melvin Harris for a 30-yard touchdown and with Bolden for a 2-yard score. Jesse Grandy (Pine Bluff) added a 50-yard punt return touchdown.
Ryan Colburn was 32 for 42 for 390 yards and 4 touchdowns for Fresno State.
TENNESSEE 32, ALA.-BIRMINGHAM 29 (2OT)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Matt Simms threw a 25-yard touchdown to Denarius Moore on Tennessee’s first play of double-overtime as the Volunteers (2-2) beat Alabama-Birmingham (1-3).
The Vols held a 23-7 lead at halftime, but the Blazers staged their second major comeback in two weeks as David Isabelle found Frantrell Forrest on a 27-yard touchdown strike and ran for 6 yards for another score, and Bryan Ellis hit Jeffery Anderson on two 2-point conversions.
UAB’s Josh Zahn, who missed four field goals in regulation, connected on a 35-yard field goal in the first overtime and a 21-yarder in the second to take a 29-26 lead. Daniel Lincoln kicked a 40-yard field goal for Tennessee in the first overtime.
The Blazers dominated in nearly every category. They picked up 544 yards compared to the Vols’ 287 yards, had 8 more first downs and converted 7 more third-down attempts.
NO. 15 LSU 20, NO. 22 WEST VIRGINIA 14
BATON ROUGE, La. - Patrick Peterson returned a punt 60 yards for a score and blocked a field goal as No. 15 LSU (4-0) held on for a victory over 22nd-ranked West Virginia (3-1).
The Tigers again had to rely heavily on defense and special teams play to remain unbeaten.
Jordan Jefferson had a third consecutive game throwing for fewer than 100 yards and no touchdowns. He also was intercepted twice and briefly pulled in the fourth quarter.
Jefferson’s second interception set up Geno Smith’s 13-yard scoring strike to Jock Sanders, which pulled West Virgina as close as 17-14 in the third quarter, but the closest the Mountaineers came to scoring after that was a missed 48-yard field goal.
Stevan Ridley had a 1-yard touchdown run for LSU, and Josh Jasper added field goals 49 and 23 yards.
Sports, Pages 30 on 09/26/2010