Arkansas travels to Mississippi State in hopes of getting bowl eligibility
Ole Miss @ No. 8 LSU, 3:30 p.m., CBS
After suffering a close loss to Vanderbilt last Saturday, Ole Miss will travel to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers. Sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace completed 31 passes for 403 yards and a touchdown in the losing effort against the Commodores. However, Ole Miss was stuffed on the ground, only gaining 55 rushing yards. The Rebels will be facing the SEC’s second-best defense in LSU. The Tigers are ranked first in the SEC against the pass and second only to Alabama at stopping the run. Last week, LSU defeated the then-No. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs 37-17. Junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger completed 63 percent of his passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns during the win. The rivalry between the Tigers and the Rebels dates back to 1894, and Saturday’s matchup marks the 101st meeting between the two schools. LSU holds a 57-39-4 edge against Ole Miss in the Magnolia Bowl.
Arkansas @ Mississippi State, 12:21 p.m., SEC Network/ESPN3
After a promising 7-0 start to the season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are coming off a three-game losing streak as they prepare to host Arkansas. The Bulldogs fell to LSU last week in Baton Rouge. Mississippi State was unable to stop LSU’s offense, surrendering nearly 400 yards of total offense and allowing the Tigers to convert 60 percent of their third-down situations. Offensively, the Bulldogs found some success through the air, passing for just over 300 yards, but it struggled on the ground with less than 50 yards rushing. Arkansas fell to 4-6 on the season last week, losing to South Carolina in Columbia. Senior receiver Cobi Hamilton had another impressive day, hauling in four passes for 72 yards. Although quarterback Tyler Wilson threw for more than 275 yards, the Gamecocks forced three turnovers, including two interceptions. The Razorbacks will need to win their last two games in order to be bowl-eligible.
Tennessee @ Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Tennessee will enter Saturday’s game still searching for its first SEC win of the season. Last weekend, the Vols lost to Missouri 51-48 in four overtimes. Junior quarterback Tyler Bray threw for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns as the Volunteers racked up 585 yards of total offense. Tennessee’s defense, however, struggled to contain Missouri’s balanced offensive attack. The Tigers ran for 228 yards, and quarterback James Franklin passed for 226 yards against the Vols. Vanderbilt is coming off of a one-point win over Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. Senior quarterback Jordan Rodgers completed 20 passes for more than 275 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Chris Boyd caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers with 52 seconds left to take the lead and win the game. The loss has sparked rumors that Tennessee coach Derek Dooley’s departure is only a matter of time.
Western Carolina @ No. 4 Alabama, 12:21 p.m., SEC Network/ESPN3
Alabama was dethroned from its No. 1 ranking last week by Texas A&M. After a close come-from-behind victory against LSU the previous Saturday, Alabama was unable to capitalize on opportunities late in the game to beat the Aggies. Redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel scorched Bama’s vaunted defense in the first quarter, as the Tide surrendered 20 points in the first 15 minutes of play. Alabama put up 17 unanswered points in the next two quarters, but it was unable to clinch in the win the fourth. After completing over 290 passes without an interception, junior quarterback A.J. McCarron threw two against the Aggies. Western Carolina will head to Tuscaloosa with a dismal 1-9 record. The Catamounts are winless in the Southern Conference.
Jacksonville State @ No. 7 Florida, 1 p.m., PPV/ESPN3
Florida escaped with a win against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend. With only seconds left on the clock, cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy blocked a punt and linebacker Jelani Jenkins returned the ball into the endzone to win the game 27-20. After completing 13 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, starting quarterback Jeff Driskel went down with an ankle injury, and he will be out for the upcoming game with Jacksonville State. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks will enter the matchup with a 6-4 record, coming off of a 38-23 win against Austin Peay. Jacksonville State ran for 214 yards and gained 436 yards of offense in the win.
Georgia Southern @ No. 5 Georgia, 1:30 p.m., PPV/ESPN3
Georgia clinched its berth to the SEC Championship game last week with a win over Auburn. Junior quarterback Aaron Murray completed 75 percent of his passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns. Running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall each ran for more than 100 yards as the Dawgs put up 38 points and 497 total yards against the Tigers. The defense held Auburn scoreless and limited the Tigers to only 57 rushing yards. Georgia Southern will enter Saturday’s matchup sitting at 8-2. Last weekend, the Eagles dismantled Howard 69-26. Georgia Southern’s triple-option attack burned Howard for 529 rushing yards.
Alabama A&M @ Auburn, 2 p.m., PPV/ESPN3
Auburn fell to 0-7 in the SEC last week after losing to Georgia. The Tigers converted only three first downs and gained just 238 total yards. Freshman quarterback Jonathan Wallace completed 15-of-22 passes for 181 yards in the losing effort. Alabama A&M will face Auburn with a 7-3 record. The Bulldogs fell by 14 points to Jackson State last weekend. Quarterback Daunte Mason completed just 17 of his 40 pass attempts but recorded three touchdowns and 193 yards through the air. An Auburn win on Saturday would be just the third victory for the Tigers this season.
Sam Houston State @ No. 9 Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m., PPV/ESPN3
Texas A&M sent shockwaves through the college football world last Saturday by knocking off then-No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Johnny “Football” Manziel completed 77 percent of his passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns against the SEC’s best defense. Manziel found ways to extend plays with his legs and ended the night with 92 rushing yards. Sam Houston State will enter the contest against the Aggies with an 8-2 record. The Bearkats pounded Northwest State last weekend, 52-17, and gained more than 500 yards of total offense.
Syracuse @ Missouri, 7 p.m., ESPNU
After an overtime thriller in Knoxville, Tenn., Missouri will attempt to become bowl-eligible this weekend against Syracuse. Missouri battled back from a 21-7 halftime deficit to beat the Volunteers. The Tigers both rushed and threw the ball for more than 200 yards to gain 454 yards of total offense. Quarterback James Franklin completed 59 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and one interception. Syracuse is also looking to earn its sixth win of the season and a potential bowl bid. Last Saturday, Syracuse upset then-No. 11 and previously unbeaten Louisville. The Orange produced more than 520 yards of offense as senior quarterback Ryan Nassib threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns.
Samford @ Kentucky, 7:30 p.m., CSS/ESPN3
Following a 40-0 loss to Vanderbilt, Kentucky coach Joker Phillips was notified that he would not return as head coach for the 2013 season. The Wildcats have a 1-9 record and are winless in the SEC. Against the Commodores, Kentucky was limited to just 101 rushing yards, and quarterbacks Jalen Whitlow and Patrick Towles combined to complete fewer than 50 percent of their passes. Samford will enter the game coming off of a 26-15 win over Elon. The Bulldogs gained nearly 400 yards of offense, and the defense held Elon scoreless for the first three quarters.
More Like This
