CFI: THE SEC REPORT

BY RAFAEL GARCIA
SEC INSIDER

FULLY ARMED

1. John Parker Wilson - 32-46 363 yards (career high) and three touchdowns: The Vols made him look like an NFL QB.
2. Mackenzi Adams - 8-16 123 yards: Not much, but he managed the game well for his first start.
3. Tim Tebow - 18-26 256 yards and four touchdowns: I think he is so big we ought to start calling him AT& Tebow.
4. Andre Woodson - 35-50 415 yards and five touchdowns: This guy is the real thing in case y'all didn't notice.

ROAD RUNNERS

1. Arkansas' two-headed monster of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones combine for 32 carries for 211 yards. Too bad that's all they have.
2. Tim Tebow 20 carries for 78 yards: Seems like he is this section every week.
3. Alabama Terry Grant 26-104: Helped his quarterback keeps the Volunteers off balance all day.

CATCH HAPPY

1. D.J Hall had 13 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns: It seemed like he had about twice that many yards as he caught anything and everything thrown his way.
2. LSU'S Early Doucet had 10 grabs for 182 yards: He showed how important he is the Tiger offense now that he is back.
3. Kentucky duo of Steve Johnson and Dicky Lyons each caught eight passes with Johnson getting 128 yards and Lyons getting 124 more.

BIG HITS

1. How bout them Commodores: The way they manhandled South Carolina and had seven sacks by seven players. They also had two interceptions both by D.J Moore. When they had every reason not to show up…they just outplayed Steve Spurrier’s highly touted defense by holding them to just 26 yards rushing on 22 carries on offense.
2. Heads up to the Bama defense: They may have allowed Tennessee to move the ball several times in the second half but they held them scoreless too.

AIN’T THAT SPECIAL

1. LSU kicker Colt David continues to come up big: He had three more field goals, but more importantly, started another LSU comeback with his sure foot

INTO THE MINDS

1. After a losing to Vanderbilt, Coach Spurrier said that the loss to Vandy should not be a surprise. I take it that he is giving them too much credit or not giving enough credit to his team. Before and during the season he kept preaching how his team was ready to compete for the East. Well make up your mind coach because I am sure you did not have the ‘Dores in mind when you said that. It is also the wrong message to send to his team if he wants to keep their confidence up the rest of the way. They have to go to Knoxville next week and Arkansas and they have not fared well there recently. On top of that, those games are followed by a visit from Florida. He better get that famous motivation speech ready, if he does not, what started as a promising season can sink fast.

2. What does it take to get Tennessee back to its winning ways? Definitely not the brand of football they are playing. When you are running the ball well you don't punt on fourth and one when you need points. You do not run a fourth stringer on third and two when you have guys in front of him getting the job done. At one point in the first half, the Vols had almost three times as many passes as they did runs. Didn't offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe say not too long ago that he would run more? Yet, he continues to pass. In the third quarter they were driving down when they faced third and eight and Erik Ainge made a huge pass for the first down. Next play is a run right? Not these days. Cutcliffe calls pass and the ball was picked off. That ended any hopes for the Vols. The Alabama players would later say they noticed the Vols had given up. Look folks this may be acceptable in other conferences but not in the SEC boys. Here is where the big boys play and if Phillip Fulmer and his staff don't put some fight into their troops the heat will come hard and fast. Rocky Top just ain’t taking it anymore and the call for his head is getting louder with each loss.

3. Last but not least let’s hear it for Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson. For so long the Vandy fans have suffered. They have been as patient as Chicago Cub fans. After losing in the closing seconds last week, Johnson put his teams’ character to the test. They could fold it up for the season or show themselves and the football world that winning ways at Vandy are here to stay. Johnson had it all when Jay Cutler took over and offered a glimmer of hope for a sorry program. Then they lose Cutler to the draft and instead of packing it in…the coach told his team that this was a new day. The Vanderbilt Commodores would no longer be the doormat of the SEC East. He worked tirelessly with his coaches and players so that they would believe in themselves. The results are clear. No longer can a team come to Nashville and just expect a win. He has taught his kids the art of winning and it's getting contagious. Four wins in the book with two more for a bowl game. Chances look good for Vandy and the future is now brighter thanks in part to a heck of a game day coach. So now the fans wait for what may be the best stretch run this school has ever seen and possibly that elusive bowl bid...................Hip Hip Hooray.

CFI: FROM THE NEWSLETTER ISS. #7: PART II

WHAT YOU MISSED: THE TEAM THAT IS ON THE CUSP THIS WEEK IS…

Alabama Hosting Tennessee (October 20, 12:30, ESPN2): After their dramatic win over Arkansas, the Tide lost a heartbreaker in overtime to Georgia. Those back-to-back slugfests took their toll as they struggled in a loss to FSU, which knocked them out of the polls. Now they play host to a ranked opponent in Tennessee and if Nick Saban can get a win in his first “Third Week in October” rivalry game, his Crimson Tide will find themselves among the top 25 once again. Both teams have had inconsistent running games this season and how they run the ball dictates how effective their offenses will be. Not that Erik Ainge and John Parker Wilson cannot throw the football -- they can -- but they are not nearly as efficient when their offenses are one-dimensional. It the Vols have to bring their safeties up in run support, D.J. Hall (pictured) could have a field day.

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Tide rolls over No. 20 Tennessee, 41-17

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- John Parker Wilson passed for a career-high 363 yards and three touchdowns, DJ Hall had a school-record 13 catches for 185 yards and Alabama rolled to a 41-17 victory over No. 20 Tennessee on Saturday.

It was a rollicking debut for Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban in the intense border rivalry that had been dominated lately by the Volunteers.

Alabama (6-2, 4-1 SEC) got its biggest win in the series since a 56-28 victory in 1986 and had lost 10 of the last 12 meetings.

Saban set the tone by opening the game with a successful onside kick that set up the first of four Leigh Tiffin field goals for a team missing three suspended starters, including offensive linemen Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis and No. 2 rusher Glen Coffee.

Even without two of his blockers, Wilson completed 32-of-46 passes, including touchdowns to Hall of 16 and 2 yards. He also ran six times for 28 yards.

Terry Grant carried 26 times for 104 yards and had six catches for 31 yards and a TD.

Defensively, Alabama mostly denied big plays to Erik Ainge, Lucas Taylor and the league's top passing team. Ainge was 22-of-35 for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Taylor, the Southeastern Conference's leading receiver, managed just two catches for 15 yards.

Arian Foster ran for 91 yards on just 13 carries and gained another 74 on four catches.

Source: ncaafootball; Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media