Player Profile: Derek Pegues Mississippi St. S

Pros: Pegues shows good quickness and awareness on the field. He is a good centerfielder that reads the play before it develops. He has good hands and excellent ball skills—a true playmaker. Pegues is a versatile player that started at corner during his sophomore season before moving to free safety as an upper classman. He was also a good kick and punt returner with good vision and moves in the open field. Pegues has an excellent understanding of the game.

Cons: Pegues is a bit short and is not very strong. He is not a very physical player and struggles to tackle in the open field. He does not take good angles on runs. Scouts are not sure if he should be a corner or safety at the next level. Pegues is views by some as a ‘tweener—to small for safety, but not fast enough to play cornerback. If moved to corner, he will need to play in zone due to his inability to run with receivers. Despite being electric on punts, it is a question every time if he will catch it cleanly, and he often makes bad decisions while trying to field them. He had multiple off-the-field issues at Mississippi State, which will certainly bring up a red flag and prompt teams to further investigate.

Scouts Take: Pegues has made bad choices on and off the field. He needs to stop relying on his ability and become more aggressive at the next level, especially if he stays at safety, which he should. He does have the ability to make people miss when returning kicks but needs to learn to catch the kick more cleanly or there is no way an NFL coach will trust him to handle return duties. Bottom line—Pegues is a good football player that offers athletic ability and good instincts, but he will not be able to contribute unless he becomes more physical and discipline.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

Fan’s Weekend Guide

The Conference Title is on the Line When…

Auburn Hosts Tennessee (September 27, 3:30, CBS): Each team is coming off a loss, but as we learned last season, one, even two losses in SEC play does not rule one out from making the championship game. LSU repress-ented the West last year with two losses, as did Tennessee out of the East, and one of the Vols’ two losses was a 59-20 drubbing at the hands of the Florida Gators. Win or lose, if UT signal caller Jonathan Crompton does not play better, Tennessee could find themselves missing a bowl game for the second time in four years.

Conference Pride is on the Line When…

UCLA Hosts Fresno St. (September 27, 3:30, ABC): Two weeks ago, the Pac-10 conference went 0-4 when they took the “Mountain West Challenge”. TCU drubbed Stanford, New Mexico upended Arizona, UNLV upset Arizona St. and BYU absolutely undressed the Bruins 59-0. Last week, Oregon fell to Boise St., the Broncos first ever road win over a BCS conference foe. So, before the Pac-10 can talk about playing with the likes of the SEC and Big 12, (USC excluded) they need to show they can hang with the mid-majors west of the Mississippi. To some, Fresno St. is the ultimate BCS buster—anytime, anyplace. If they are to live up to that standard, a season-opening win over Rutgers won’t be enough. A loss to the Bruins would not only knock the Bulldogs out of the polls, but place the WAC clearly behind the MWC on the mid-major totem pole.

The Team That Can’t Afford to Look Ahead is…

Wisconsin Visiting Michigan (September 27, 3:30, ABC): Whoever thought the Badgers could look past a trip to the Big House? With the Wolverines reeling at 1-2 and a visit from the Buckeyes coming the following week, Wisconsin needs to be careful that they don’t put the cart before the horse. Michigan is a prideful bunch (really, they are) and would love nothing more than to get Rich Rodriguez his first marquee win with everyone counting them out. If Wisconsin is going to be in the running for a Big Ten title, they must put away the Maize and Blue.

Don’t Call it an Upset When…

Illinois Visits Penn St. (September 27, 8:00, ABC): Penn St. has dominated their opponents by an average margin of 53-10. Of course those opponents—Coastal Carolina, Oregon St., Syracuse ad Temple—have a combined record of 5-10, with three of those wins coming against FCS foes. So, we may not know as much about the Nittany Lions as we think. While the Illini have been lackluster in the early going, this is a major step up in competition. With quarterback Juice Williams and wide out Rejus Benn on offense and a defense that features star cornerback Vernon Davis and man-child Martez Wilson at linebacker, Illinois is not wanting for talent.

The Team on the Cusp is…

Colorado Visiting Florida St. (September 27, 3:30, ABC): The Buffs are undefeated and coming off a victory over a ranked foe (WVU). They could find themselves cracking the polls if Cody Hawkins (below) can lead them to another upset.

A Football Fan’s Four-Pack…

Purdue @ Notre Dame (September 27, 3:30, NBC): This will be the 80th all-time meeting between the two schools. Will Notre Dame bounce back from a loss last week? How will Purdue fare in their first contest away from home -- especially in the unfriendly confines of South Bend? In Joe Tiller’s final meeting with the Irish, one thing should be a certainty—the Boilermakers will play hard.

Super Senior: Kory Sheets, RB, Purdue

Star of Tomorrow: Golden Tate, WR, ND

Mississippi St. @ LSU (September 27, 7:30, ESPN2): Will the Bulldogs be able to contend with the Bayou Bengals at home? LSU has held their opponents to a mere 55.3 yards per-game average on the ground so fat this season. But Mississippi State’s quarterback Wesley Carroll has thrown six interceptions this year and only three touchdowns. It’s a pick your poison type of theme for Sylvester Croom’s boys.

Super Senior: Derek Pegues, FS, Mississippi State

Star of Tomorrow: Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU

Arkansas @ Texas (September 27, 3:30, ABC): In a game postponed from Sept. 13, due to Hurricane Ike, the No. 7 Longhorns will look to have their stout run-defense ready and waiting for the Razorbacks. Through three games, Texas has held their opponents to a total of 199 rushing yards. Look for Arkansas to attack through the air, early and often.

Super Senior: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas

Star of Tomorrow: Jerry Franklin, MLB, Ark.

Virginia Tech @ Nebraska (September 27, 8:00, ABC): Will Virginia Tech be able to contain the Nebraska offense? Under first-year head coach Bo Pelini, the Huskers are averaging 189 yards-per-game on the ground and 261.3 through the air. Look for the Hokies to have a busy day on the defensive side of the ball. Linebacker Brett Warren, who had 15 tackles last week against Georgia Tech, better get a good night of sleep before this one.

Super Senior: Orion Martin, DE, Virginia Tech

Star of Tomorrow: Eric Hagg, CB, Nebraska

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media, University of Texas Athletics

Carlson's late kick lifts Mississippi State to 17-14 win

By CHRIS TALBOTT
Associated Press Writer

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Adam Carlson hit a 48-yard field goal with 18 seconds left and Mississippi State likely clinched its first bowl appearance since 2000 with a stunning 17-14 win over Mississippi on Friday in the Egg Bowl.

The Bulldogs looked as if their season would end on a downbeat after falling behind their fiercest rival 14-0 with a lackluster effort through three quarters. But Derek Pegues returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown to tie the score and Wes Carroll completed nine passes for 102 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Carroll set up Carlson's career-long kick with a key 11-yard run and a 17-yard completion in the final minute.

Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom capped the win by taking a victory lap around the field carrying a 10-foot school flag.

The win means a likely appearance in the Liberty or Independence bowls for the Bulldogs (7-5, 4-4), who clinched bowl eligibility two weeks ago. They needed another win because 10 Southeastern Conference teams have six or more victories and the conference doesn't have 10 guaranteed postseason slots.

The loss kept the Rebels (3-9, 0-8) winless in conference play for the first time since 1982.

Ole Miss had won four of five in the series and looked as if it had locked up the win after the SEC's worst defense stifled Mississippi State for three quarters. But coach Ed Orgeron decided to go for a fourth-and-1 at the Ole Miss 49 early in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs stuffed BenJarvus Green-Ellis for a 3-yard loss and Carroll finally began to move his team on the ensuing drive. He entered the quarter 4-of-12 for 28 yards and had even been yanked for two series.

He hit four of his next five passes for 37 yards, however, capping the drive with a 4-yard scoring toss to Anthony Dixon. Mississippi State was helped by an Ole Miss personal foul penalty on the drive.

The Mississippi State defense held Ole Miss on its next two series after receivers dropped three passes that would have been good for first downs.

Pegues then fielded Justin Sparks' 33-yard punt at his 35 and sprinted straight ahead, making one move around midfield before tying the game 14-14 with 2:38 left.

After a final three-and-out, the Bulldogs took over at their 35 with 43 seconds left. Carroll went 3-of-4 for 34 yards and picked up a first down on a designed run.

Carlson, on the verge of being replaced at the beginning of the year after starting his career 8-of-16 on field goals, capped an 8-for-11 season with the kick.

Green-Ellis rushed for 117 yards and scored a 14-yard touchdown on the opening drive. Brent Schaeffer threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Shay Hodge on Ole Miss' opening drive of the second half to put the Rebels up 14-0.

Dixon finished with 101 yards receiving and 29 rushing for Mississippi State.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

CFI: THE SEC REPORT

BY RAFAEL GARCIA
SEC INSIDER

FULLY ARMED
* AT&Tebow does it again. He was more than just Superman as he passed for a career high 304 yards going 22-of-32 with one interception and two touchdowns. He shows that he has the whole package when healthy. He reads the field well and can hit receivers on the numbers. What makes it so hard for defenses is this guy is too big to just go down. He continues to make his case for the Heisman.

* Vanderbilt’s Mackenzi Adams continues to blossom in coach Bobby Johnson’s offense. He is managing the game better each week and that showed as he went 20-of-31 for a career high 193 yards and two touchdowns. Granted there is room for improvement as he made mistakes.

ROAD RUNNERS
* AT&Tebow again folks. He not only has a great passing day, but tops it off with 26 carries for 120 yards and five rushing touchdowns. You can see that this guy is for real as he goes head first into defenders with no fear. He knows that he is counted on to throw as well as run and he does both. No Percy Harvin was no problem for Tebow. Now all he needs is some help from other teams in the East to make it to Atlanta.

* Tennessee duo of Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty. The knew they had to control the ball and keep out of the hands of Arkansas’ two-headed monster of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. They combined for 33 carries and 148 yards and a Foster touchdown.

* Arkansas’ McFadden worked hard to get 117 yards on 22 carries. He was shut down to the tune of 25 yards in the first half but still managed to get over one hundred after his running mate Felix Jones was injured. Even though the bulk of those yards came after the game was about decided he still showed how good he can be.

BIG HITS
* UT had a defensive gem against Arkansas. Vols defensive coordinator John Chavis said his plan was what he called “probably the smallest package we’ve ever taken into a game since I’ve been here”. He told his players to buy into to the plan and they would come out winners. Then the defense went out and executed it to near perfection. The Hogs’ running game was shut down and they could never get into a rhythm. Give the defense an A on this day.

* The men in Georgia came out wearing black uniforms further showing that coach Mark Richt is not your laid back coach these days. He is trying to find every way to motivate his team as they find themselves at number nine in the BCS. They are fighting for an SEC East title as well as a BCS bowl berth. So when Auburn took a 20-17 lead in the third quarter the defense took over. They did not allow another score.

* The Mississippi State defense was just superb. They kept Alabama QB John Parker Wilson off balance all day as he finished a dismal 16-of-34 for 121 yards and two interceptions. Most importantly they held the ‘Bama offense out of the end zone. Anthony Johnson returned an interception 100 yards for a score on a bad pass by Wilson to close out the first half. The great effort made Mississippi State bowl eligible for the first time since 2000.

AIN’T THAT SPECIAL
* Alabama kicker Leigh Tiffin accounted for all of his team’s points in the loss to Mississippi State. He had field goals of 39, 51, 29, and 50 yards.

* UT’s is finding a return man in Denis Rogan, as he had a kickoff return for 78 yards as well as four punt returns for 32 yards. Kicker Daniel Lincoln continues his good season with two more filed goals and punter Britton Colquitt had five punts for 201 yards.

* Mississippi State special teams got 144 return yards in their win over Alabama.

INTO THE MINDS
* At Vanderbilt a win would make the ‘Dores bowl eligible for the first time in a quarter century. Mistakes cost them big in this one. They had eight penalties for 65 yards as well as two missed field goals and a missed point after. Then there was the sack late in the game followed by a spike instead of what most thought would be a timeout called. Finally it ended with an Adams pass that sailed over his receiver’s head on the final play. This was very discouraging for Coach Johnson as his team won the statistical battle but not the war. They out-gained the Wildcats, had more first downs, and controlled the time of possession.

* Down in Georgia Coach Richt is getting his team ready for the stretch run. They still need help in the East as Tennessee holds the tiebreaker but are also fighting for a BCS bowl berth. Richt has abandoned the laid back approach and is now using all kinds of tactics to fire up his team. First it was the celebration in the end zone against Florida and then they come out in black jerseys against Auburn. Let’s see what he comes up with next as his Dawgs try to bite and claw their way up the rankings.

* Tennessee controls their own destiny but they cannot afford to slip up. Coach Phillip Fulmer has installed an “us against the world” attitude and will need every bit of it if the Vols hope to play in Atlanta for the SEC title.

PHOTO CREDIT: SEC SPORTS MEDIA

Well Croomed: Miss. St. upsets No. 21 Bama, 17-12

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Anthony Johnson returned an interception a school-record 100 yards for a touchdown and Mississippi State became bowl eligible Saturday for the first time since 2000 with a 17-12 upset of No. 21 Alabama.

It was the second straight win over his alma mater for Sylvester Croom, whose resurgent Bulldogs have won six games for the first time since 2000.

It also was the second straight win over a ranked opponent for Mississippi State (6-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference), which beat then-No. 14 Kentucky two weeks ago. The win gave the Bulldogs a 2-2 record during a streak of four consecutive games against ranked opponents.

The Crimson Tide (6-4, 4-3) has now lost two straight. The Bulldogs limited Alabama to four Leigh Tiffin field goals and extended their streak of holding the Tide offense out of the end zone to 12 quarters.

Titus Brown, a Tuscaloosa native, ended the game with a sack as Alabama edged into Mississippi State territory in the final seconds.

Mississippi State intercepted John Parker Wilson twice in the game and held him to 121 yards passing. Wilson rarely found receivers open and often had to throw the ball away under pressure in the second half.

The Bulldogs also were stiff against the run, allowing Alabama just 153 yards and holding starting tailback Terry Grant to 75.

The victory looked awfully similar to a 24-16 upset of the Tide in Tuscaloosa last year. In a game widely considered the beginning of the end of Mike Shula's coaching career at Alabama, Mississippi State used defense to take an early lead, then wore the Tide down with a power running game.

The games also featured goal-line stands by Mississippi State at the end of the first half that wrested momentum from Alabama.

Last year the Bulldogs built a 24-10 lead with the help of a 51-yard interception return for a score, then stuffed Alabama at the goal line to end the first half.

With first-and-goal from the 3 and 34 seconds left on Saturday, it appeared the Alabama offense would finally score a touchdown against Mississippi State. But the Bulldogs stuffed Grant twice and on third down, Wilson was hit as he threw and Johnson intercepted the pass.

He raced down the left sideline with just an offensive lineman to beat as a school-record crowd of 56,188 howled in delight. The return broke Jack Nix's 70-year-old mark of 97 yards and gave the Bulldogs a 10-9 halftime lead.

Mississippi State struck again on the first drive of the second half. Wilson threw deep into double coverage on third-and-8 and Derek Pegues intercepted the pass and returned it 40 yards to the Alabama 25. Anthony Dixon scored from 3 yards out five plays later to make it 17-9.

It was the seventh game of the season decided by a touchdown or less for Alabama, which lost 41-34 to No. 2 LSU last week.

Croom, who played for Alabama from 1972-74 and coached at the school from 1976-86 before moving on to the NFL, is now 2-2 against his old team. He played and coached for the Tide during its glory years, but was passed over for Alabama's head coaching job when Shula was given the job five years ago.

He was hired at Mississippi State the following year, but inherited a team run into the ground and on NCAA probation.

Last year's win at Alabama seemed to be the start of Mississippi State's turnaround and in Croom's fourth year the team could be headed to a bowl, though another win in games against Arkansas and Mississippi would help the Bulldogs' cause.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

Kansas is Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week

DALLAS (FWAA) - With their 19-11 win at Texas A&M, the Kansas Jayhawks (8-0) are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Oct. 27.

Brandon McAnderson rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries as Kansas forged a 19-0 lead after a scoreless first half.

The eight straight wins gives Kansas its best record after eight games since the 1909 team was 8-0. The winning streak is also KU's longest since a 9-game streak in the 1951-52 seasons.

"It's been extremely exciting," Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing said. "We're thrilled to be where we're at right now."

Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 27 included:

· Connecticut (7-1): Andre Dixon ran for a career-high 176 yards and the Huskies defeated a ranked team for the first time in school history with a 22-15 decision over South Florida.

· Mississippi State (5-4): Anthony Dixon scored two touchdowns as the Bulldogs upset Kentucky, 31-14, in Lexington.

The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the third season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Dog bites cat: Miss. State blasts No. 14 Kentucky, 31-14

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Wesley Carroll threw for two touchdowns and Mississippi State forced a season-high six turnovers in a 31-14 victory over No. 14 Kentucky on Saturday.

Kentucky (6-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) has lost two straight since knocking off then-No. 1 LSU in triple overtime. A loss to Florida last Saturday dashed the Wildcats' national championship hopes, and the Homecoming loss to the Bulldogs likely knocks them out of the SEC title race, too.

Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson was sacked three times and threw three second-half interceptions.

A year after the Wildcats turned their season around with a victory in Starkville, the Bulldogs returned the favor in Lexington to put themselves one win away from bowl eligibility.

Coach Sylvester Croom led Mississippi State (5-4, 2-3) to its third road win this year, including another signature victory last month at Auburn. The Bulldogs hadn't won three road games since their Independence Bowl season of 2000, the last time they appeared in postseason play.

Carroll, a freshman, threw for 152 yards and doubled his career TD total. Christian Ducre rushed for a career-high 119 yards, and his 34-yard TD run in the fourth quarter was the Bulldogs' longest running play of the year.

Kentucky committed five turnovers in the second half, including two big special teams disasters.

Alfonso Smith fumbled the opening kickoff of the half, setting up a 31-yard field goal by Mississippi State's Adam Carlson.

Then, punter Tim Masthay dropped the ball while trying to compensate for a high snap by running toward the first-down marker. The fumble set up Anthony Dixon's 1-yard TD that put the Bulldogs up 24-7.

Woodson and receiver Steve Johnson answered with a dazzling scoring play. Faced with fourth-and-8, Woodson threw an arching 37-yard pass to the end zone, and Johnson leapt over a defender to bring it in.

It was Johnson's second TD reception of the game and team-leading eighth of the year.

That was one of the few highlights for the Wildcats. One week after his best statistical game of the season with 415 yards and five TDs, Woodson wasn't nearly as sharp.

He completed 24 of 42 passes for 230 yards, but threw several ugly passes. Among them was a wobbler that was tipped before Keith Fitzhugh grabbed it for the first interception.

The Bulldogs compiled six first downs during an 80-yard drive on their opening possession to take a 7-0 lead. Dixon accounted for nearly half of those yards on the ground before Carroll found Jason Husband for an 11-yard TD.

Woodson tied with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Johnson but Carroll led Mississippi State back down the field on its next possession. Dixon failed to score on three carries from inside the 2 but Carroll then used play action to find Dixon wide open in the corner of the end zone, putting the Bulldogs ahead 14-7.

The Bulldogs converted their first six third-down attempts. When Kentucky finally got a stop midway through the second quarter, Blake McAdams boomed a 55-yard punt over the head of DeMoreo Ford to pin the Wildcats inside the 10.

Kentucky had a chance to pull closer before halftime, but Lones Seiber missed a 34-yard field goal.
SOURCE: NCAAFOOTBALL; PHOTO CREDIT: SEC SPORTS MEDIA

CFI PREVIEW: SEC

BY NEIL BISMAN
SEC INSIDER

This week serves as something of the calm before the storm, as next week there are quite a few marquee match-ups on the conference slate. Until then, enjoy the appetizers…

LSU at Tulane: If you have never heard of Matt Forte before, don’t feel bad because you are not alone. The Tulane running back ran for five touchdowns and 303 yards on 40 carries in the Green Wave’s victory over Southeastern Louisiana and was named this week’s Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week for the entire nation. Is this a sign of things to come for the Slidell, Louisiana product? Forte averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per carry last year before going down with a left knee injury. This game won’t be close so the only thing to keep an eye out for is how Forte does in a true test, such as going against the LSU defense.
Prediction: LSU 59 – Tulane 14

Mississippi State at South Carolina: This is your textbook “trap game.” South Carolina is coming off of a loss to LSU and has their sights set on their big match up with Kentucky next week. Throw into the mix the loss of star linebacker Jasper Brinkley and the benching of Blake Mitchell in favor of freshman Chris Smelley and this game is suddenly not the walk in the part that it should have been for the Gamecocks. With starting quarterback Michael Henig out due to a broken hand, Sylvester Croom has called out Mississippi State quarterbacks Josh Riddell and Wesley Carroll, tailback Anthony Dixon, free safety Derek Pegues and offensive lineman J.D. Hamilton as players who need to step up if the Bulldogs have any chance at pulling off the upset. Expect a close one down in Columbia, South Carolina with the Gamecocks barely coming out on top.
Prediction: South Carolina 24 – Mississippi State 20

Ole Miss at Georgia: Coming off of their dramatic overtime victory of Alabama, Georgia should come into this one flying high. On the other hand, Mississippi is coming off of a tough loss to Florida, although the word around the locker room is that the players took their near miss as a positive as opposed to a negative. No word on how the Rebels will feel after this week’s loss.
Prediction: Georgia 34 – Ole Miss 13

Florida Atlantic at Kentucky: Florida Atlantic may come into this one with a 3-1 record but they haven’t exactly beaten teams anywhere near the caliber of Kentucky. In their only tough game of the season, they got blown out by Oklahoma State. The Oklahoma State loss should come as no surprise though, because they are coached “BY A MAN!” Let the Andre’ Woodson for Heisman push continue…
Prediction: Kentucky 49 – Florida Atlantic 10

Alabama at Florida State: This one is not exactly a true home game for the Seminoles as it is taking place down Interstate 10 in Jacksonville, Florida. It should be extremely interesting to see how Alabama rebounds from their crushing loss a week ago. Florida State has a lot hanging over their head as well with an impeding academic scandal that hit the school this past week. On the field though, Alabama is just flat out better than a Florida State team that, surprise, is still struggling to find itself on offense. Saban Nation can breathe easy, or breathe again for that matter.
Prediction: Alabama 27 – Florida State 17

North Texas at Arkansas: The one positive that Arkansas has going for it this week is that they shouldn’t blow another 4th quarter lead. If they do, Houston Nutt might want to start looking at the classifieds.
Prediction: Arkansas 49 – North Texas 3

Eastern Michigan at Vanderbilt: Once upon a time, Vanderbilt was Eastern Michigan. The overmatched team, going into the lion’s den and just hope that the defeat was quick and painless. The Commodores should have a good time in their new role as a heavy favorite.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 38 – Eastern Michigan 13

Auburn at Florida: Auburn sure has managed to take a lot of the excitement out of this game with their lackluster play this season. Florida comes in looking to avenge their only loss from a season ago and has the added incentive of coming off of a close one with Ole Miss a week ago. Don’t let Brandon Cox’s improved performance last week against New Mexico State fool you, he is still extremely mistake prone and heading into arguably the toughest place to play in the nation; which spells bad news for the Tigers.
Prediction: Florida 42 – Auburn 24

THE ROAD TO ATLANTA: THE SEC WEST

BY RAFAEL GARCIA
SEC INSIDER

LSU- The Tigers are not only the favorites to win the SEC West but also the SEC Championship. To top that off, they are a favorite to make the BCS Championship as well. First, they must replace JaMarcus Russell – that task falls on senior Matt Flynn. The young backs get a change after Alley Broussard abruptly quit the team. Wide receiver Early Doucet gets to start and the Tigers are expecting big numbers from him. He also happens to be a good return man. The offensive line needs to give Flynn the time to make good decisions when passing and they need to improve on the run game. All- American DT Glenn Dorsey -- the top player at stopping the run in the conference, leads the defense. He likes to bring it on every play and will be a first round pick in the 2008 draft. They are strong at the linebacker position, but they are looking to replace All-American safety LaRon Landry. Put it all together and the Tigers look like the beast of the SEC and maybe the college football world.

Auburn- The Tigers enter this season trying to win their sixth West title in Coach Tommy Tuberville’s nine years (a few were co-champs). Brandon Cox has a career 59 percent completion rate but has only one returning starter on the offensive line. Brad Lester was supposed to give the Tigers a solid running game, but his status is in question. On defense, they return future pro defensive end Quentin Groves, who is four sacks shy of the school record. They will be a bit soft at linebacker with Tray Blackman the only proven talent. The secondary is one of the best at covering the field. They did lose their punter and place kicker, from an important special teams. The Tigers led the SEC and placed fourth in the nation with a 26-yard average on kick returns. This team may not win the division but they won’t go out without a fight.

Alabama - Alabama and Nick Saban together at last. He is expected to win and win now. Say what you want about the guy but make sure you say he’s a winner, his track record proves it. Quarterback John Parker Wilson has bought in to the system, while Jimmy Johns and Terry Grant take over for Kenneth Darby in the backfield and DJ Hall is set to become the school’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. The defense makes the switch from 4-3 to the 3-4. It will all depend on the middle to see it work with the ends also doing their part as well. All-SEC corner Simeon Castille anchors the secondary. Saban is trying to implement a new mindset of consistency and domination on every play. Let’s see how long it takes them to turn the tide.

Arkansas- They are the defending West champs, still they lost to Florida in the SEC title game and to Wisconsin in the Liberty Bowl. Quarterback Casey Dick tries to develop under offensive coordinator David Lee and his new NFL style offense. Making that easier will be Heisman runner up Darren McFadden, who has all the skills from blocking to receiving. Oh by the way, his running mate Felix Jones had 1168 yards on the ground last year. The offensive line comes back strong and ready to help McFadden become the first Heisman winner in school history. They will feel the loss of end Jamaal Anderson, as they lack experience on the defensive side of the ball. The chances of a repeat in the West don’t look bright, but they weren’t supposed to win it last year either.

Ole Miss- Down in Rebel country the theme is offense baby. This unit was ranked 111th in the nation (261.5 yards per game) and that will keep you at or near the cellar in the West. Rumor has it that Brent Schaffer will move from quarterback to receiver, either way the job is Seth Adams to lose. They have a 1,000-yard back in BenJarvus Green-Ellis, yet that didn’t get them too many points in 2006. On defense, they lost all three starting backers, the secondary had only three interceptions last year, which all adds up too another long season for Ole Miss.

Mississippi State-The Bulldogs have won less than 20 games the last six years. Now their hopes rest on quarterback Michael Henig. He came on strong in the second half of last year fighting through injuries. Anthony Dixon provides stability in the backfield. The defense lost some key players and may not have enough to make an impact this season. The schedule does not help with only six home games. The goal is to get to .500 and build from there.

So as we can see this is a league of speed, agility as well as ability. It’s where NFL players are made. In this league there are no weeks off – here you man up and fight to the last yard. Welcome to the SEC ya’ll!

FROM THE DEEP SOUTH: THE SEC REPORT

BY NEIL BISMAN
SEC INSIDER

All twelve teams in the SEC were in action for the opening weekend of the season and they have only two losses to show for it. Unfortunately, for the conference, two of those losses were on television and they were not pretty. A third team who won in the national spotlight, made things a lot harder on themselves than it should have been.

-LSU may have gotten off to a slow start in their romp over Mississippi State but talk of them not looking very impressive are a little premature. The team was breaking in a new quarterback, a new offensive coordinator and had to deal with some bad weather. Add all of that together and suddenly hanging 45 points on the road doesn’t look too bad, even if it was over Mississippi State.

-Speaking of Mississippi State, perhaps it wasn’t in their best interest to wear white at home and force LSU to wear purple instead of their traditional white jerseys. Sometimes its best to let sleeping dogs, or in this case sleeping Tigers, lie.

-Florida picked up right from where they left off a season ago with a 49-3 rout of Western Kentucky in a contest shortened due to lightning. The young Gators’ defense looked shaky at times but that’s to be expected at this point of the season. Luckily for them, the offense looked to be in midseason form because this team is going to have to win quite a few shootouts if they hope to repeat as SEC Champions let alone National Champions.

-Alabama looked impressive in Nick Saban’s debut but they are going to need a lot more than they got out of John Parker Wilson if they hope to be playing in Atlanta on the first weekend of December. On the bright side, at least he didn’t look as bad as the Western Carolina helmets. It’s never a good sign when your logo matches that of a Broadway play.

-The Gamecock faithful had better hope that Blake Mitchell does not miss any more time because the South Carolina offense really struggled to get off the ground without him. Good thing this game was against a school from Lafayette, Louisiana and not Baton Rouge, Louisiana or else it may have gotten ugly.

-Earl Bennett continues to put up numbers normally seen in a video game. It may have been against Richmond but Vanderbilt looked impressive in the blowout victory as they look to make their first Bowl appearance since 1982. They are going to need a lot more though out of their running backs if they hope to make that dream a reality.

-A huge win for Ole Miss this past weekend on the road against Memphis. With the exception of a blowout loss at Arkansas, Mississippi played extremely competitive football down the stretch last season and should be able to build on some of that momentum. A win at home against up-and-coming Missouri next week could be just what this team needs to propel itself out of the SEC cellar. For that to happen though, they are going to need a much better performance out of BenJarvus Green-Ellis than the one they got in Memphis.

-Perhaps the most impressive performance of the week for the conference took place in Athens when the Georgia Bulldogs rolled over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys were a very trendy upset pick due to their high-octane offense but the Georgia defense did a tremendous job of shutting them down. Matthew Stafford continues play beyond his years and this Bulldog team may have a lot more bite than people give them credit for.

-The Kentucky offense looks extremely impressive with their three-headed monster of quarterback Andre Woodson, running back Rafael Little and wide receiver Keenan Burton but they need to get more out of their defense if they hope to replicate last season’s win total of eight. The defense did not look all that bad against in-state opponent Eastern Kentucky but that effort won’t cut it against in-state rival Louisville.

-Darren McFadden and Felix Jones continue to look like the best backfield in America but Casey Dick’s 11-of-20 effort against Troy, is not going to get the job done against conference opponents. Dick was without his favorite target in Marcus Monk but there is no guarantee that Monk will be back for the Hogs’ September 15 trip to Alabama. Houston Nutt and company had better have a Plan B.

-There is no truth to the rumor that Brandon Cox was injured during the typing of this SEC report but it would not be much of a surprise. The injury-plagued quarterback looked rather unimpressive and running back Ben Tate looked rather pedestrian filling in for the suspended Brad Lester. It wasn’t pretty but Auburn did prevail in the end over a young Kansas State team. K-State may be pesky, but what will Auburn do when they get an even peskier South Florida at Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday?

-Last and certainly least are the Tennessee Volunteers who apparently forgot to pack their defense for the trip to Berkeley, California. Cal deserves a lot of credit as they are an extremely fast and extremely talented football team but Tennessee looked flat-out terrible. The offense was able to expose an equally weak Bears defense and Erik Ainge did not appear to miss a beat with his broken pinky but the poor defense was just too much to overcome. If you feel something warm in Knoxville that isn’t one last summer heat wave, that would be the seat of one Phillip Fulmer.

Overall, a good week for the conference in terms of victories but many teams do have their problems. That’s what early-season cupcakes on the schedule are for; better to sort out the issues now than during the grind that is conference play.
Ala

45-0: FINAL SCORE DOES NOT TELL THE WHOLE STORY

BY WALTER ANARUK
NFL DRAFT BIBLE
SEC SCOUT
In the first SEC match-up of the 2007 NCAA football season, the score belies what happened in the game. The Louisiana St. Tigers topped the Mississippi State Bulldogs 45-0. While the Tigers did finally take control midway through the third quarter, Mississippi State’s defense played exceptionally well for most of the game. If not for the poor job of protecting the football by the MSU offense, LSU might not have scored a touchdown the entire first half. It took four interceptions from Mississippi State quarterback Michael Henig for the Tigers to squeeze out two touchdowns before halftime.

The LSU offense looks nothing like the top scoring unit it was last season. Some of that can probably be attributed to the loss of offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. Nevertheless, a SEC team ranked second in the country needs to be able to run the ball. Quarterback Matt Flynn was the leading rusher at the half with 29 yards on four carries. While he did not get many passing attempts, his passing efficiency was solid (seven of ten for 67 yards at the half).

Part of the LSU scoring problems came from inspired play by the Bulldogs defense. However, penalties put the Tigers offense in long yardage situations way too often. There were far too many false starts, including one from wide receiver Early Doucet. While crowd noise can claim a few of the penalties, wide receivers should be watching the snap rather than listening for the snap count and chronic false starts indicate a lack of mental focus. LSU’s offense cannot continue to make those kinds of mental errors – not if they are going to win the SEC this season.

Mississippi State’s defense played with tremendous heart. The unit took excellent pursuit angles and employed solid gap control to neutralize the Tigers’ team speed. Late in the second quarter, the Bulldogs switched from a 4-3 alignment to a 3-4 and 3-5 look and became very aggressive. At one point, the defense forced LSU into a 3rd and 28, pushing their heels to the goal line, nearly earning a safety.

However, Mississippi State’s offense looked sluggish against LSU’s lightning quick defense. LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey repeatedly shed double teams and disrupted the running and passing games. Henig was 5-of-10 for 37 yards with four interceptions by the half, adding two more picks by the end of the game. Mississippi State’s running backs combined for 30 yards by halftime – only one yard more than Flynn had.

The most obvious and glaring problem for Mississippi State was their offense’s utter failure to capitalize on the play of their defense. Henig made poor decisions with the football. He could easily have had six interceptions by halftime. On two other errant passes, there were defenders in the vicinity and not a Bulldog receiver in sight.

State’s running back Anthony Dixon is 6’1”, 240 pounds and is touted as the Bulldogs thumper. However, Dixon is not fast enough to turn the corner on the LSU defense. Dixon was hyped before the season for his speed and size. However, he runs with a poor pad level neutralizing the advantage his size should have given him on LSU’s smaller, faster defenders. Dixon runs upright, which allowed LSU’s defenders to bring the contact to him instead of vice versa. He outweighs every linebacker on the LSU roster, however his technique does nothing to levy his size advantage.

Mississippi State linebacker/defensive end Titus Brown was both an assent and a liability. Brown’s speed and explosiveness enabled him to blow by defenders into the backfield where he earned a sack and numerous quarterback hurries. However, Brown’s eagerness to get up field, resulted in some LSU opportunities.

Here is an example: Early in the game, Brown pushed up into the backfield where he was supposed to play containment. But trying to pursue and make a play, Brown pinched inside allowing a long run to break outside of his containment. Brown was excellent most of the game but has to stay in position when it is not his turn to attack.

By the end of the third quarter, LSU wore the Mississippi State defense down. The Bulldog’s stop unit played with tremendous fire all game long but their offensive woes kept the tiring defense on the field too much. LSU alternated a punishing running game between the tackles featuring big back Jacob Hester, with a speed game employing a running back by platoon approach to attack the edges.

After a quick strike at the start of the third quarter, LSU rolled up 21 more points to finish off the Dawgs. Flynn finished the game 12-of-19 for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Doucet hauled in nine passes for 78 yards and a touchdown, while safety Craig Steltz had a career day, hauling in three of the six interceptions.

The Bayou Bengals may look exceptional in the box score, but Mississippi State’s unranked defense gave the Tigers a much tougher game than the stats illustrate. To keep their lofty ranking, LSU must find their offensive stride. Their defense and special teams look fast and aggressive. However, without the slew of Mississippi State turnovers to help the LSU offense, the scoreboard might have told quite a different story.

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