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DESTE LEE | DAILY JOURNAL
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The Daily Journal’s weekly college football preview section | Saturday, October 27, 2012
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
Today MISSISSIPPI STATE
Record: 7-0 Today: At No. 1 Alabama (7-0) TV: 7:30 p.m., ESPN The buzz: Alabama hasn’t been invulnerable at home in recent seasons – can the Bulldogs break through in their biggest game of the season? Coverage starts: On Page 3
OLE MISS
Record: 4-3 Today: At Arkansas (3-4) TV: 11:21 a.m., SEC Network The buzz: A key game in the Rebels’ revived hopes for gaining bowl eligibility. Coverage starts: On Page 4
SOUTHERN MISS
Record: 0-7 Today: At Rice (2-6) TV: Noon, CSS The buzz: The Golden Eagles have seen their streak of 18 consecutive winning seasons ended. Now there’s nothing left but to play for pride. Read more: On Page 9
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DAILY JOURNAL
For elite teams, defense never rests
minored in coaching in college, mainly in hopes goosing up a somewhat lackluster grade point average – it worked, mostly – and the guy who taught basketball coaching had a saying: “You can shoot too much, you can pass too much, you can dribble too much … but you can never rebound too much.” Let me suggest today that the same general notion could be applied to football. You can never play too much defense, because that’s the truest path to success. The average fan would rather see a 47-44 game, I suppose, and Lord knows there are enough of those, and coaches with crazy offensive schemes are always in demand (See “Leach, Mike”). Yet the teams that can consistently assert their will on the defensive side are the ones that are built for the long haul. Alabama’s current run of suc|
cess, with two BCS titles in the past three years – and a third one most likely to be earned in January – is just Exhibit A. The Crimson Tide tops the list of national leaders in total deJOHN L. fense, but that top PITTS 10 also includes at least two teams on the rise – Florida and Notre Dame, both unbeaten and highly ranked. The list of the 10 most effective offenses, by contrast, includes a couple of teams (Marshall, Houston) that no one is going to lose sleep over outside Hattiesburg. The teams with the top 10 defenses are 59-15 this season, and five of those are 7-1 or better. The teams with the top 10 offenses are 48-22, with two 3-4 teams.
FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
AP
Kansas State’s Collin Klein was regarded as no better than the third-best quarterback in the Big 12 before the season began, but he’s getting national attention for the unbeaten WIldcats.
You can disguise an ineffective defense for a while, but eventually it will come back to bite you. Look at West Virginia, which seemed this season to have an offense so potent it could win any shootout. Yet after beating Baylor 70-63 and Texas 48-45 to improve to 5-0, the Mountaineers have given up 104 points in back-toback losses to Texas Tech and Kansas State. They’ve gone from the national championship discussion to being a team that will be hard-pressed to make a BCS bowl if they lose again. Mississippi State gets to measure itself today against the nation’s top-ranked defense, and no one will be able to suggest – win or lose – that the Bulldogs have not been tested this year after they stand in the fire against Alabama. John L. Pitts (john.pitts@journalinc.com) is sports editor of the Journal. He’s always on the defensive.
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MISSISSIPPI STATE AT ALABAMA: The 13th-ranked Bulldogs have quietly opened the season 7-0, mostly because the Bulldogs have played a weak non-conference schedule and defeated three SEC teams – Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee – that are a combined 0-14 in conference play. History buffs might know that Mississippi State shocked No. 1 Alabama in 1980 to snap the Crimson Tide’s 28-game winning streak. The world will discover how good MSU really is this weekend after a battle against the top-ranked Crimson Tide (7-0). TEXAS TECH AT KANSAS STATE: This probably was not a game anyone had circled on the calendar in the preseason, yet it has blossomed into one of the better games of the day No. 15 Texas Tech (6-1) suffered its only loss in Lubbock to Oklahoma, and fourthranked Kansas State (7-0) firmly positioned itself in the national title race after last Saturday’s dominating win at West Virginia. NOTRE DAME AT OKLAHOMA: Off to its best start since 2002, Notre Dame (7-0) hits the road in search of a signature victory that can keep the Fighting Irish in na-
tional title contention. Notre Dame has dominated Oklahoma historically, losing only once in nine meetings. The eighth-ranked Sooners (5-1) appear to have recovered from their home loss to Kansas State. FLORIDA VS. GEORGIA: The thirdranked Gators (7-0) and No. 12 Bulldogs (6-1) meet again in Jacksonville for what used to be known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Weather could play a factor as Hurricane Sandy moves up the Atlantic Coast, but there is no dampening the importance of this key matchup in the SEC East Division. Florida can clinch the East Division and a spot in the SEC title game with a victory. OHIO STATE AT PENN STATE: It’s billed as “The Probation Bowl” because both schools – the No. 9 Buckeyes (8-0) and unranked Nittany Lions (5-2) are in the midst of sanctions that prohibit them this season from postseason play. It’s too bad because they happen to be the only undefeated teams left in the Leaders Division and maybe the best two teams left in the Big Ten. Los Angeles Times (MCT)
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ON TV
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11 a.m. Tennessee at So.Carolina, ESPN Iowa at Northwestern, ESPN2 Kentucky at Missouri, ESPNU Texas at Kansas, FCSC Delaware at Old Dominion, NBCsn 11:21 a.m. Ole Miss vs Arkansas at Little Rock, SEC Network (Includes WCBI, WLMT) Noon Southern Miss at Rice, CSS 2 p.m. UCLA at Arizona State, FX BYU at Georgia Tech, FSS 2:30 p.m. Georgia vs. Florida, CBS Southern Cal at Arizona, ABC Mich.State at Wisconsin, ESPN2 Duke at Florida State, ESPNU Texas Tech at Kansas State, Fox 4:30 p.m. Ohio State at Penn State, ESPN 6 p.m. Texas A&M at Auburn, ESPNU UMass at Vanderbilt, FSS Baylor at Iowa State, FSN 7 p.m. Notre Dame at Oklahoma, ABC Michigan at Nebraska, ESPN2 West Texas A&M at West Georgia, CSS 7:30 p.m. Miss. State at Alabama, ESPN All times Central
GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
Sports editor: John L. Pitts Page design: Daily Journal staff, with assistance from Scott Burden Sports staff: Parrish Alford (Ole Miss beat writer), Brett Brown, Brad Locke (Mississippi State beat writer), Gene Phelps, Brandon Speck. On the cover: Bully, Mississippi State’s bulldog mascot, gets lots of face time on TV. (Photo by Deste Lee, Daily Journal)
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2F
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
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3F
Bulldogs confront mighty Tide defense DEPTH CHARTS: Page 6 KEYS TO THE GAME: Page 8 BY BRAD LOCKE DAILY JOURNAL
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – There’s nothing fancy about Alabama’s 3-4 defense. It’s just better than everyone else’s. No. 13 Mississippi State gets its shot at cracking the code tonight when it battles the No. 1 Crimson MISSISSIPPI STATE Tide at BryantAT ALABAMA Denny Stadium (7:30, ESPN). If MSU can find some way to run the ball on the nation’s best rushing defense – Alabama’s allowing just 58.7 yards per game – then an upset is possible. The talent and discipline of the players is what makes Alabama’s defense so effective. “It’s crazy how good they’re coached, how keen they are to doing everything to a T,” MSU center Dillon Day said.
a huge role, which means the offensive line will have to give tailback LaDarius Perkins a chance to get going. He leads the league in rushing (724 yards), and in his two previous meetings with Alabama has gained 54 yards on 13 carries. State netted only 12 rushing yards on 29 carries in last year’s 24-7 loss. “Perk has the heart of a lion,” right guard Tobias Smith said. “With his heart, there’s nothing you can tell him that he can’t do.” Perkins has gotten a bunch of yards between the tackles, because that’s where MSU’s strength lies up front. Smith, who’s AP been in and out of the lineup, is expected Jesse Williams is a 320-pound roadblock to start and play most of the snaps this for teams trying to run against Alabama. week. He’s a huge piece of the plan. There is a belief among the Bulldog “They’re great at doing it, and they don’t linemen that they can move the ball on do it with any flaws.” this defense, even though no one else Coach Dan Mullen said the key for his has. Alabama hasn’t given up more than Bulldogs will be maintaining the run80 rushing yards to a team this year. pass balance they’ve established through “Just because their stats are what they seven games. But the run game will play are, it doesn’t really mean anything,” left
guard Gabe Jackson said. “They’re a pretty good defense, No. 1 in a lot of stuff, so we’ve got to play real hard and fight for it.”
STRONG UP FRONT
Alabama’s front line is anchored by 320-pound nose guard Jesse Williams, and he’s flanked by ends Ed Stinson and Damion Square. The Tide averages 6.14 tackles-for-loss per game. It’s tied for 21st in sacks with 2.71 per game, and nine different players have at least one. MSU quarterback Tyler Russell likes to stand in the pocket until the last possible moment, and he’ll need time to work against a tough secondary. The offensive line has allowed only six sacks and opening holes for a ground game that’s averaging 181 yards. “We play like we’re supposed to play,” Jackson said, “we’re going to be moving the ball and have pretty good gaps.” brad.locke@journalinc.com
MISSISSIPPI STATE
TONIGHT’S GAME AT A GLANCE
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Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821), Tuscaloosa. Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Television: ESPN. Radio: MSU Network; XM 85; Sirius 85. Rankings: MSU 13th AP, 12th coaches, 11th BCS; Alabama No. 1. Series: Alabama 74-18-3 Last meeting: Alabama won 24-7 on Nov. 12, 2011, extending a 10-0 lead with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Coaches – MSU: Dan Mullen, 28-17 (4rth year); Alabama: Nick Saban, 148-54-1 overall (17th year), 57-12 at Alabama (6th year). Statistical leaders – MSU: QB Tyler Russell 122-203-1, 1,573 yards, 15 TDs; RB LaDarius Perkins 125-724, 8 TDs; WR Chad Bumphis 29-479, 6 TDs; LB Benardrick McKinney 55 tackles, 2.5 TFL; FS Nickoe Whitley 45 tackles, 2.4 TFLs, 1 INT. Alabama: QB A.J. McCarron 106-154-0, 1,476 yards, 16 TDs; RB Eddie Lacy 99-570, 7 TDs; RB T.J. Yeldon 83-565, 6 TDs; LB C.J. Mosley 58 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 2 INTs; LB Trey DePriest 30 tackles, 3.0 TFLs. Trends: Alabama has won the last four meetings by an average of 22.5 points. … Alabama has the nation’s longest winning streak (11 games), while MSU has the third-longest (9). … MSU has held each of its last three opponents to 174 yards or less passing. Notes: MSU ranks first in the country in turnover margin (plus-17), while Alabama is tied for third (plus-14). … MSU’s defense has not given up a play of 50-plus yards; Alabama’s has allowed 1. … MSU has played 19 freshmen (13 redshirt, six true), secondmost in the SEC to Kentucky. … Bama has scored on 30 of 31 red zone trips (23 TDs), tied for first in the nation. Summing it up: “People are going to say whatever they want to say, but we’re 7-0 going to play Alabama, the No. 1 team in the country. That’s all that matters.” – MSU tailback LaDarius Perkins, on questions about the Bulldogs’ schedule strength Prediction: Alabama, 24-13. Brad Locke
S1 S8 S15 S22 S29 O6 O13 O20 O27 N3 N10 N17 N24
www.hailstate.com Jackson State W, 56-9 Auburn W, 28-10 at Troy W, 30-24 South Alabama W, 30-10 Open date at Kentucky W, 27-14 Tennessee W, 41-31 Middle Tenn. W, 45-3 at Alabama, 7:30 p.m. Texas A&M at LSU Arkansas at Ole Miss
S1 S8 S15 S22 S29 O6 O13 O20 O27 N3 N10 N17 N24
www.rolltide.com Michigan W, 41-14 Western Kentucky W, 35-0 at Arkansas W, 52-0 FAU W, 40-7 Ole Miss W, 33-14 Open date at Missouri W, 42-10 at Tennessee W, 44-13 Miss. State, 7:30 p.m. at LSU, 7 p.m. Texas A&M, TBA Western Carolina Auburn
ALABAMA
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
DAILY JOURNAL
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
DAILY JOURNAL
Rebels will measure defensive progress today DEPTH CHART: Page 7 KEYS TO THE GAME: Page 8 BY PARRISH ALFORD DAILY JOURNAL
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – If the question gets too close to the game plan it will be met with firm, polite resistance. Dave Wommack is not a yeller and a screamer. But that OLE MISS doesn’t mean he’s not AT ARKANSAS a schemer. Since Texas scored at will and put up almost 700 yards against Ole Miss, the Rebels have shown steady defensive improvement, particularly in the second half of games. After pitching a shutout at Tulane, the Rebels limited Alabama to two field goals over the last two quarters in a 33-14 loss. They gave up 17 second-quarter points to Auburn but just a field goal and 60 yards after halftime to help Ole Miss snap a 16-game conference losing streak with
OLE MISS
‘I may not be the greatest coach in the world, but I know what I’m talking about ...’ Dave Wommack Defensive coordinator
a 41-20 victory. Ole Miss (4-3, 1-2 SEC) is hoping for similar success this morning against surging Arkansas (3-4, 2-2 SEC) and it’s high-powered passing offense. The embarrassment from Texas’ easy 66-35 win in Oxford was key in the turnaround of the defense, said Wommack, the Rebels’ defensive coordinator. “We went in there on that Sunday, about a month ago, and watched it. We
JUST LISTEN ...
“I’ve got 33 years of coaching experience. I may not be the greatest coach in the world, but I know what I’m talking about, and so do the assistant coaches, and if they’ll listen and make those adjustments, we’ll get them in the right place.” Wommack will green-light questions about “fits” and being in the right place. Interviews slow down or change course when questions get closer to specifics. Ole Miss has outscored foes 55-34 in the third quarter, 62-40 in the fourth. The defensive effort in Tuscaloosa had the Rebels with ball-possession in the third quarter and a chance to make it a one-possession game. “He’ll make a few adjustments. But most of the adjustments are either tackling or just believing in the defense. Once we do that, the second half looks a lot dif-
ferent than the first half,” cornerback Charles Sawyer said. Today the Rebels face the SEC’s top passing game. With senior quarterback Tyler Wilson, Arkansas is averaging 311.4 yards a game. The Razorbacks have struggled to run the ball and are scoring 27.0 points a game, 10th in the league. Pocket passers like Wilson have had success against Ole Miss, but Wommack believes his revamped secondary – with Sawyer from down from safety and Senquez Golson winning the other cornerback spot – is getting better. Wommack earned a master’s degree at Arkansas while serving as a graduate assistant coach for Lou Holtz. He later served as coordinator for Houston Nutt from 2001-2004. “He’s very calm. Nothing changes,” Sawyer said. “He just says this is what you have to do, and if you do it we’ll win.” parrish.alford@journalinc.com
TODAY’S GAME AT A GLANCE
Where: War Memorial Stadium (53,727), Little Rock Kickoff: 11:21 a.m. Television: SEC Network (WCBI, WLMT) Radio: Ole Miss Network; Sirius 138, XM 199 Records: Ole Miss 4-3 (1-2 SEC), Arkansas 3-4 (2-2) Series: Arkansas leads 31-26-1, Last year: Arkansas, 29-24. Coaches – Arkansas: John L. Smith 135-90 overall (19th season), 3-4 as Arkansas interim coach. Ole Miss: Hugh Freeze, 34-10 overall (fourth season); 4-3 at Ole Miss. Statistical leaders – Arkansas: RB Knile Davis 98-337 2 TDs. QB Tyler Wilson 124-of-205 passing, 1,957 yards, 14 TD, 5 INT. WR Cobi Hamilton 46 catches, 754 yards, 4 TD. LB Alonzo Highsmith 54 tackles, 4 TFL. Ole Miss: RB Jeff Scott 92-562, 5 TDs. QB Bo Wallace 107-for-168 passing, 1,371 yards, 9 TD, 8 INT. WR Donte Moncrief 31 catches, 480 yards, 5 TD. LB Denzel Nkemdiche 44 tackles, 9 TFLs, 2 sacks; S Cody Prewitt 44 tackles, 2 INT. Trends: The Rebels lead the series at Little Rock, 7-6-1. The teams ARKANSAS have not played there since 1992, a 17-3 Ole Miss win. www.arkansasrazorbacks.com S1 Jacksonville St. W, 49-24 Notes: Ole Miss is two wins away from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2009. … With 30 touchdowns scored, the S8 La.-Monroe, OT L, 34-31 Rebels have already surpassed last season’s total. … The Rebels S15 Alabama L, 52-0 are looking for their first SEC road win since playing at Vanderbilt S22 Rutgers L, 35-26 on Oct. 3, 2009. … Ole Miss snapped a 16-game SEC losing S29 at Texas A&M L, 58-10 streak with a 41-20 win over Auburn two weeks ago. … Rebels O6 at Auburn W, 24-7 running back Jeff Scott is fourth in the SEC in rushing with 93.7 O13 Kentucky W, 49-7 yards a game. He’s gone over the 100-yard mark three times this O20 Open date season. … Arkansas leads the SEC and ranks 12th nationally O27 Ole Miss, 11:21 a.m. with 311.4 passing yards a game. N3 Tulsa, 11:21 a.m. Summing it up: “The job coach Smith and his staff have done of N10 at South Carolina rallying them amid some difficult times speaks volumes for their N17 at Mississippi State character and the way they want to finish the year.” – Ole Miss N23 LSU, 1:30 p.m. coach Hugh Freeze Prediction: Arkansas, 29-26. Parrish Alford www.olemisssports.com S1 Central Arkansas W, 49-27 S8 UTEP W, 28-10 S15 Texas L, 66-31 S22 at Tulane W, 39-0 S29 at Alabama L, 33-14 O6 Texas A&M L, 30-27 O13 Auburn W, 41-30 O20 Open date O27 at Arkansas, 11:21 a.m. N3 at Georgia N10 Vanderbilt N17 at LSU N24 Mississippi State
didn’t holler and scream at them. We just said, ‘Hey look, this is why …’ And they took it and ran with it,” he said.
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4F
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EASTERN Florida Georgia South Carolina Vanderbilt Missouri Tennessee Kentucky WESTERN Alabama Mississippi State LSU Texas A&M Arkansas Ole Miss Auburn
SEC 6-0 4-1 4-2 2-3 0-4 0-4 0-5 SEC 4-0 3-0 3-1 2-2 2-2 1-2 0-5
SEC STANDINGS
PF 184 176 153 69 55 108 62 PF 171 96 65 124 124 82 60
PA 71 126 114 124 133 173 181 PA 37 55 64 81 81 83 122
All 7-0 6-1 6-2 3-4 3-4 3-4 1-7 All 7-0 7-0 7-1 5-2 5-2 4-3 1-6
PF 211 277 250 140 162 241 154 PF 287 257 248 301 301 229 110
PA 85 169 130 147 179 233 259 PA 58 101 117 155 155 186 176
2011 Home 4-3 4-0 5-2 4-0 7-1 4-0 4-3 2-2 3-4 2-3 3-4 2-2 3-5 1-4 2011 Home 7-0 3-0 3-4 5-0 8-0 5-0 4-3 2-2 4-3 2-2 2-5 3-2 5-2 1-2
Div. 4-0 4-1 4-1 1-3 0-3 0-2 0-3 Div. 2-0 1-0 2-0 2-1 2-1 1-2 0-4
T25 3-0 0-1 1-2 0-3 0-3 0-4 0-5 T25 2-0 0-0 2-1 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2
Str. W8 W1 L2 W1 L2 L3 L6 Str. W11 W9 W2 L1 L1 W1 L4
T25 = Games against teams in Top 25 (AP, USA Today, Harris) at time of matchup
LAST WEEK
(All game times converted to Central) Kickoff TV Sirius/XM 11 a.m. ESPNU 113/200 11 a.m. ESPN 85/85 11:21 a.m. SEC Network 138/199 2:30 p.m. CBS 91/91 6 p.m. ESPNU 94/201 6 p.m. FSN 132/190 7:30 p.m. ESPN 85/85
Series Kentucky, 2-0 UT, 22-6-2 Ark., 32-25-1 Geo., 48-40-2 A&M, 2-0 First Meeting Ala., 74-18-3
Sagarin says Missouri by 12 S.C. by 18 Ole Miss by 2 Florida by 14 A&M by 20 Vandy by 35 Alabama by 27
Note: The Sagarin ratings appear online at USAToday.com
Saturday, Oct. 20 Alabama 44, Tennessee 13 Vanderbilt 17, Auburn 13 Florida 44, South Carolina 11 Georgia 29, Kentucky 24 LSU 24, Texas A&M 19 Mississippi State 45, Middle Tennessee 3 Off: Arkansas, Missouri, Ole Miss
NEXT WEEK
Saturday, Nov. 3 Troy at Tennessee, 11 a.m. Vanderbilt at Kentucky, 11 a.m. Tulsa at Arkansas, 11:21 a.m. New Mexico State at Auburn, 11:30 a.m. Ole Miss at Georgia, TBA Texas A&M at Mississippi State, TBA Missouri at Florida, TBA Alabama at LSU, 7 p.m. Off: South Carolina
THE BUZZ: First place in the SEC’s Eastern Division is at stake. The Gators sit atop the division and can clinch a spot in the SEC title game with a victory. The Bulldogs would take command of the East with a win, likely needing to win remaining league games against Mississippi and Auburn to wrap up the division. KEY FACTS: Florida has won 18 of the last 22 in the series. ... The Gators are 3-0 against ranked opponents this season, joining Notre Dame as the only teams in the nation with that on their resumes. ... Florida has outscored SEC opponents 57-8 in the third quarter and 51-13 in the fourth, a significant turnaround from last season. ... The Gators are plus-11 in turnover margin this season. Georgia is even. ... Florida coach Will Muschamp graduated from Georgia and played four seasons for the Bulldogs (1991-94), and is now 0-5 as a player and coach in the Florida-Georgia series. ... Georgia’s Mark Richt is 3-8 in the rivalry.
TENNESSEE AT NO. 17 SOUTH CAROLINA
5F
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JOURNAL RANKINGS
Parrish Alford, Brad Locke and John Pitts rank the SEC after Week 8: Ranking (1sts) Last week 1. Alabama (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3. LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4. South Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5. Texas A&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6. Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7. Mississippi State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8. Ole Miss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 9. Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 10. Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 11. Vanderbilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 12. Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 13. Auburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 14. Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 three-interception game against LSU. Auburn has only three more chances to avoid going 0-8 in the league and will be a heavy underdog each time. KEY FACT: Auburn has totaled 60 points in five SEC games; Texas A&M has produced at least 58 three times this fall.
THE BUZZ: South Carolina is looking to get back to its winning ways after dropping a pair of top-10 matchups at LSU and Florida. The Gamecocks also hope to win KENTUCKY AT MISSOURI their ninth straight at home. THE BUZZ: The Wildcats put themselves KEY FACT: South Carolina is shooting for in a position to beat Georgia last week, so its third straight win over Tennessee, some- they haven’t thrown in the towel. thing that’s never happened. This is a huge game for Missouri, still seeking its first SEC victory.
NO. 22 TEXAS A&M AT AUBURN
THE BUZZ: The Aggies can get a nice start on a three-game SEC road swing that includes visits to No. 13 Mississippi State and No. 1 Alabama. It’s also a good chance for QB Johnny Manziel to rebound from a
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NO. 3 FLORIDA VS. NO. 12 GEORGIA
2 LOCATIONS
(Across from Big Lots)
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SEC games at a glance
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TODAY’S GAMES
Matchup Kentucky at Missouri Tennessee at South Carolina Ole Miss at Arkansas Florida vs. Georgia Texas A&M at Auburn Massachusetts (0-7) at Vanderbilt Mississippi State at Alabama Off today: LSU
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
UMASS AT VANDY
THE BUZZ: The Minutemen and Southern Miss are the last winless teams. UMass assuredly will remain that way today, while Vandy can get back to .500 with four games left – three on the road.
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
DAILY JOURNAL
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
Depth Chart: Bulldogs Based on the best pregame information available; subject to change.
OFFENSE
QB 17 15 RB 27 34 FB 23 35 LT 75 59 LG 61 66 C 63 55 RG 67 70 RT 77 78 TE 32 18 WR 19 16 WR 1 4 WR 8 3
Tyler Russell Dak Prescott LaDarius Perkins Josh Robinson Sylvester Hemphill Adrian Marcus Blaine Clausell Archie Muniz Gabe Jackson Ben Beckwith Dillon Day Dylan Holley Tobias Smith Justin Malone Charles Siddoway Damien Robinson Marcus Green Brandon Hill Arceto Clark Joe Morrow Chad Bumphis Jameon Lewis Chris Smith Brandon Heavens
(6-4, 220, Jr.) (6-2, 230, R-Fr.) (5-10, 190, Jr.) (5-9, 215, R-Fr.) (5-11, 235, Sr.) (5-10, 225, Jr.) (6-7, 305, So.) (6-5, 290, So.) (6-4, 320, Jr.) (6-3, 300, So.) (6-4, 285, So.) (6-3, 295, Jr.) (6-3, 305, Sr.) (6-7, 315, R-Fr.) (6-7, 300, Jr.) (6-7, 315, So.) (6-1, 240, Sr.) (6-2, 235, So.) (5-10, 180, Sr.) (6-4, 205, R-Fr.) (5-11, 200, Sr.) (5-9, 185, So.) (6-2, 205, Sr.) (5-10, 175, Sr.)
BRAD LOCKE’S COMMENTS Ranks fourth in SEC in pass efficiency (148.6 rating). Leads SEC in rushing with 103.4 yards per game. Has a catch in each of last two games. Has 11 career starts under his belt. Hasn’t given up a sack this season. Has graded out “champion” every game this season. Expected to return to lineup after sitting last week. Got some quality snaps last week. Has five TDs, tied for third in nation among tight ends. Third on team with 216 yards on 15 catches. Eighth in SEC with 68.4 yards per game. Had career highs in catches (7) and TDs (2) last week.
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DAILY JOURNAL
SEC RANKINGS
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MISSISSIPPI STATE
5th
Scoring offense (36.7 ppg)
3rd
Scoring defense (14.4 ppg)
7th
Total offense (416.9 ypg)
5th
Total defense (327.7 ypg)
ALABAMA
2nd
Scoring offense (41.0 ppg)
1st
Scoring defense (8.3 ppg)
5th
ALABAMA OFFENSE QB 10 A.J. McCarron Jr. 6 Blake Sims So. RB 42 Eddie Lacy Jr. 4 T.J. Yeldon Fr. TE 89 Michael Williams Sr. 84 Brian Vogler So. LT 71 Cyrus Kouandjio So. 63 Kellen Williams Jr. LG 65 Chance Warmack Sr. 78 Chad Lindsay So. C 75 Barrett Jones Sr. 70 Ryan Kelly R-Fr. RG 61 Anthony Steen Jr. 77 Arie Kouandjio So. RT 76 D.J. Fluker Jr. 79 Austin Shepherd So. WR 9 Amari Cooper Fr. 80 Marvin Shinn R-Fr. WR 83 Kevin Norwood Jr. 7 Kenny Bell Jr. WR 22 Christion Jones So. 8 Cyrus Jones Fr.
Total offense (439.6 ypg)
1st
DEFENSE DE 49 Ed Stinson 8 Jeoffrey Pagan NG 54 Jesse Williams 62 Brandon Ivory DE 93 Damion Square 90 Quinton Dial LB 42 Adrian Hubbard 19 Jonathan Atchison LB 33 Trey DePriest 35 Nico Johnson LB 35 Nico Johnson 32 C.J. Mosley LB 47 Xzavier Dickson 30 Denzel Devall CB 13 Deion Belue 24 Geno Smith S 37 Robert Lester 3 Vinnie Sunseri S 6 HaHa Clinton-Dix 27 Nick Perry CB 28 Dee Milliner 10 John Fulton
Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. Fr. Sr. So. So. Jr. Jr. Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS K 5 Jeremy Shelley 43 Cade Foster P 29 Cody Mandell 5 Jeremy Shelley KR 22 Christion Jones 28 Dee Milliner PR 22 Christion Jones 8 Cyrus Jones
Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Fr.
Total defense (195.6 ypg)
DEFENSE
DE 92 91 DT 97 93 DT 98 74 DE 90 96 LB 51 12 LB 50 52 LB 10 22 CB 13 24 SS 25 30 FS 5 38 CB 9 37
Kaleb Eulls Preston Smith Josh Boyd P.J. Jones Curtis Virges
(6-4, 280, So.) (6-6, 245, So.) (6-3, 300, Sr.) (6-3, 280, So.) (6-3, 305, So.) Dewayne Cherrington (6-3, 325, Sr.) Denico Autry (6-5, 255, Jr.) Shane McCardell (6-5, 260, Jr.) Deontae Skinner (6-2, 245, Jr.) Chris Hughes (6-1, 225, Jr.) Benardrick McKinney (6-5, 235, R-Fr.) Ferlando Bohanna (6-0, 225, So.) Cam Lawrence (6-3, 230, Sr.) Matthew Wells (6-2, 215, So.) Johnthan Banks (6-2, 185, Sr.) Jamerson Love (5-10, 175, So.) Corey Broomfield (5-10, 180, Sr.) Jay Hughes (5-11, 190, So.) Nickoe Whitley (6-1, 205, Jr.) Dee Arrington (6-1, 215, So.) Darius Slay (6-1, 190, Sr.) Taveze Calhoun (6-1, 180, R-Fr.)
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK 40 53 P 39 KR 27 4 PR 13 1
Devon Bell (6-2, 185, Fr.) Brian Egan (5-11, 210, Jr.) Baker Swedenburg (6-0, 185, Jr.) LaDarius Perkins (5-10, 190, Jr.) Jameon Lewis (5-9, 185, So.) Johnthan Banks (6-2, 285, Sr.) Chad Bumphis (5-11, 200, Sr.)
Leads team with 3.5 sacks. Has 7 tackles over last three games. Has at least one tackle in each of his six games. Has 18 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks. Has 12 tackles over the last two games. Leads team with 55 tackles. Second in tackles (49), TFLs (4.0) and sacks (2.0). Tied for team lead with four INTs. Has 25 tackles, 2.5 TFL and one INT. Has 16 tackles over last two games. Has 23 tackles, four INTs.
Engine Specification
Has made 9 of 14 field goals. Averaging 40.6 yards per punt. Averaging 20.8 yards on nine returns.
Cylinder displacement - 55.5 cc Power output - 3.5 hp Maximum power speed - 9000 rpm
Averaging 9.8 yards on 10 returns.
MSU on area radio: Aberdeen, WWZQ-AM (1240), Amory, WAMY-AM (1580), Corinth, WKCU-AM (1350), Tupelo, WXWX-FM (96.3), West Point, WKBB-FM (100.9).
Sales and Service
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6F
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ARKANSAS OFFENSE WR 17 Brandon Mitchell Jr. 2 Julan Horton Jr. WR 11 Cobi Hamilton Sr. 19 Javontee Herndon Jr. WR 82 Mekale McKay Fr. 81 Demetrius Wilson Jr. TE 80 Chris Gragg Sr. 87 Austin Tate Jr. LT 69 David Hurd Jr. 70 Chris Springer So. LG 78 Tyler Deacon Sr. 75 Luke Charpentier So. C 64 Travis Swanson Jr. 65 Mitch Smothers So. RG 67 Alex Baily Jr. 75 Luke Charpentier So. RT 74 Brey Cook So. 71 Jason Peacock Sr. QB 8 Tyler Wilson Sr. 10 Brandon Allen R-Fr. RB 7 Knile Davis Jr. 33 Dennis Johnson Sr. FB 35 Morgan Linton So. 32 Jonathan Williams Fr.
DEFENSE E 86 Trey Flowers So. 41 Austin Flynn Jr. T 51 Alfred Davis Sr. 57 Jared Green Sr. T 54 Byran Jones Jr. 98 Robert Thomas Jr. E 42 Chris Smith Jr. 80 Colton Miles-Nash Sr. OLB 31 A.J. Turner Fr. 39 Jarrett Lake Jr. MLB 25 Terrell Williams Sr. 5 Otha Peters Fr. OLB 35 Ross Rasner Sr. 23 Kaelon Kelleybrew Sr. CB 8 Tevin Mitchel So. 13 Davyon McKinney R-Fr. S 14 Eric Bennett Jr. 38 Jerry Mitchell Jr. S 26 Rohan Gaines R-Fr. 27 Alan Turner So. CB 9 Will Hines Fr. 21 Darius Winston Sr. SPECIAL TEAMS K 18 Zach Hocker P 14 Dylan Breeding LS 53 Alan D’Appollonio KOR 33 Dennis Johnson 22 Nate Holmes PR 15 Keante Minor 22 Nate Holmes
Jr. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. Fr.
SEC RANKINGS
6th
Total defense (356.0 ypg)
10th 6th
Total offense (427.1 ypg)
12th 13th Scoring defense (31.0 ppg)
Total defense (434.6 ypg)
BROWNING BERETTA
OFFENSE WR 12 8 LT 70 61 LG 72 68 C 56 61 RG 76 74 RT 71 77 TE 83 17 WR 10 85 WR 85 28 QB 14 11 RB 3 1 E
DT NT E LB LB
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Donte Moncrief (6-2, 217, So.) Terrell Grant (6-2, 210, Jr.) Emmanuel McCray (6-5, 319, Jr.) Derrick Wilson (6-3, 305, Jr.) Aaron Morris (6-5, 325, So.) Justin Bell (6-3, 337, R-Fr.) Evan Swindall (6-2, 300, Jr.) Ben Still (6-4, 295, Fr.) A.J. Hawkins (6-3, 315, Sr.) Jared Duke (6-7, 335, Jr.) Pierce Burton (6-7, 290, Jr.) Patrick Junen (6-6, 320, Jr.) Ferbia Allen (6-4, 250, Sr.) Jamal Mosley (6-4, 260, Sr.) Vince Sanders (6-1, 190, So.) Ja-Mes Logan (6-2, 190, Jr.) Ja-Mes Logan (6-2, 190, Jr.) Korvic Neat (5-8, 160, Jr.) Bo Wallace (6-5, 210, So.) Barry Brunetti (6-0, 215, So.) Jeff Scott (5-7, 175 Jr.) Randall Mackey (5-11, 195, Sr.)
DEFENSE
LB
REMINGTON
ROCKY LACROSSE NIKE NEW BALANCE RUSSELL UNDER ARMOR MOSSY OAK
4th
Total offense (440.7 ypg)
ARKANSAS
Scoring offense (27.0 ppg)
7F
Based on the best pregame information available; subject to change.
11th 7th Scoring defense (26.6 ppg)
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Depth Chart: Rebels
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OLE MISS
Scoring offense (32.7 ppg)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
CB
10 38 95 92 94 99 55 33 52 15 4 20 1 28 21 23 7 5 25 8 3 21
C.J. Johnson (6-1, 231, So.) Jason Jones (6-3, 255, Sr.) Bryon Bennett (6-2, 294, So.) Carlton Martin (6-2, 288, So.) Issac Gross (6-3, 270, Fr.) Gilbert Pena (6-2, 326, Sr.) Cameron Whigham (6-2, 255, Jr.) E.J. Epperson (6-3, 253, Sr.) Mike Marry (6-2, 248, Jr.) Joel Kight (5-9, 222, Sr.) Denzel Nkemdiche (5-10, 197, R-Fr.) Aaron Garbutt (6-2, 200, Sr.) Dehendret Collins (5-11, 175, Jr.) Mike Hilton (5-9, 175, Fr.) Senquez Golson (5-9, 188, So.) Anthony Standifer (6-0, 182, Fr.) Trae Elston (6-0, 190, Fr.) Frank Crawford (6-1, 180, Jr.) Cody Prewitt (6-3, 210, So.) Chief Brown (6-0, 195, R-Fr.) Charles Sawyer (5-11, 175, Jr.) Senquez Golson (5-9, 188, So.)
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK 81 P 82 KO 81 HO 94 LS 59 KOR 6 21 PR 28 22
Bryson Rose Jim Broadway Bryson Rose Chris Conley Will Denny Jaylen Walton Senquez Golson Korvic Neat Philander Moore
(5-11, 202, Sr.) (6-0, 183, Sr.) (5-11, 202, Sr.) (5-8, 190, Jr.) (5-10, 240, So.) (5-8, 167, Fr.) (5-8, 182, So.) (5-8, 160, Jr.) (5-9, 188, Jr.)
PARRISH ALFORD’S COMMENTS 4 catches, 27 yards vs. Auburn. Seven starts this season. Seven starts this season. Seven starts this season. Seven starts this season. Seven starts this season. 2 catches for 30 yards against Auburn. Second on team with 184 receiving yards. Recently moved to slot. Turnover-free game against Auburn. Last 2 games, 108 yards vs. A&M, 137 vs. Auburn.
Recovered end zone fumble for TD vs. Auburn. Did not record a tackle against Auburn. Leads interior linemen with 18 tackles. 2 tackles against Auburn. Six tackles, sack, INT against Auburn. Leads team in tackles, TFLs, sacks and forced fumbles. Back from 1-game suspension. Beat out Wesley Pendleton to start. 4 tackles, 1 PBU against Auburn. Lead team with 9 tackles against Auburn. Six tackles, 1.5 TFLs last week.
Shared SEC POW award after Auburn game. Four punts for a 41-yard average against Auburn. Has replaced freshman Nathan Noble. Gets the ball down quick and clean. Consistent with his delivery. Averages 26.0 yards, 10 returns. This will be his second game back from groin injury.
Ole Miss on area radio: Amory, WAFM-FM (95.7); Corinth, WXRZ-FM (94.3); Holly Springs, WKRA-FM (92.7); Oxford, WQLJ-FM (93.7); Oxford/Water Valley, WTNM-FM (105.5) Tupelo, WWMR-FM (102.9).
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
DAILY JOURNAL
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
DAILY JOURNAL
Scouting report: Mississippi State at Alabama KEYS FOR VICTORY
1. SLOW THE RUN: Alabama has a strong two-pronged rushing attack with Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon, a pair of big tailbacks. Those two have combined for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns, and the Crimson Tide is averaging 219.4 rushing yards per game, second in the SEC. MSU has had issues against the run. It gave up 223 rushing yards to Troy and 213 to Tennessee. There were tackling issues, with opposing backs getting a lot of yards after contact. State hasn’t racked up a lot of tacklesfor-loss, and it can’t afford to let Lacy and Yeldon reach the second level with a head of steam. 2. PASS IT AROUND: Coming into the season, several observers pegged Alabama’s secondary as a potential soft spot because of personnel losses. The Tide is allowing only 136.9 passing yards per game, and it’s come up with 13 interceptions. If there are any soft spots in that pass defense, MSU quarterback Tyler Russell might can find them. He’s done a superb job of spreading the ball around, and he’s got plenty of weapons at receiver, tight end and out of the backfield. If Alabama can’t cover the whole field,
Russell will exploit that. 3. BE PERFECT (OR CLOSE): A theme in Starkville this week has been the need to play flawless football, because Alabama will grab the slightest advantage and run with it. Players have to be in position, play solid technique and find consistency early. As cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith noted repeatedly, Alabama will “punish mistakes.”
WHAT TO WATCH
WHEN MSU HAS THE BALL The Bulldogs want to stay balanced, but they want to establish the run early like last week against Middle Tennessee. This is a chance for LaDarius Perkins, the SEC’s leading rusher, to show what he can do against a top-tier defense, and his speed of combination and power could challenge the Tide. Russell has been on a roll the last three weeks, showing a keen ability to make correct reads. He’s not forcing the ball but is taking what defenses have given him. Two weeks ago, the tight ends were getting open. Last week they weren’t, so Russell went elsewhere. WHEN ALABAMA HAS THE BALL Lacy and Yeldon, behind a big and expe-
rienced offensive line, fuel this offense. But quarterback A.J. McCarron steers it with the deftness of Tony Stewart. He doesn’t throw it a ton, but the junior is the nation’s leader in pass efficiency. He’s yet to throw an interception this season in 154 attempts. McCarron’s top target is a freshman, Amari Cooper, and Kenny Bell is a downfield threat averaging 22.9 yards per catch with a long of 85. Alabama is almost automatic in the red zone, scoring on 30 of 31 trips with 23 touchdowns.
CRUCIAL MATCHUP
MSU LINEBACKERS VS. ALABAMA QB A.J. MCCARRON MSU’s defensive front hasn’t generated a ton of pressure this year, but the linebackers have shown an ability to dial up effective blitzes. Thing is, MSU hasn’t called a lot of blitzes this season. The Bulldogs will need to find some way to disrupt McCarron’s game, otherwise he’ll surgically pick State apart a few yards at a time while the running game pounds away. Cam Lawrence, Bendardrick McKinney, Matt Wells and others need to be extremely active around and behind the line of scrimmage and make McCarron work. Brad Locke
AP
Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron is capable of picking a team apart if he’s not feeling the defensive heat.
Scouting report: Ole Miss at Arkansas KEYS FOR VICTORY
1. STICK TO RECEIVERS: Pass coverage has been spotty when the Rebels haven’t had a strong pass rush. Arkansas has been pretty good at protecting Tyler Wilson, who is an intelligent, pocket passer who could give the Rebels trouble the way Texas’ David Ash and Alabama’s A.J. McCarron did. Pass rush always makes things better for the defense. When it’s not there, the Rebels are going to have to find a way to cover the crossing routes and to turn around and play the ball on downfield throws. 2. SUCCESS IN THE GROUND GAME: Running the ball has been a staple of the Ole Miss offense. If the Rebels are to win they’re likely going to have to win a high-scoring affair. They’re going to have to be on top of their game with quarterback Bo Wallace and running back Jeff Scott – and others. Arkansas’ most success defensively has come against the run. The Rebels will pick their spots and try to challenge the Hogs’ young secondary. They’ll have more success doing that if they’ve first been successful on the ground.
3. FORCE TURNOVERS: The Hogs are 112th in the nation, 13th in the SEC in turnover margin. They’ve been better in the last two games against Auburn and Kentucky. Not coincidentally they won both games. The Rebels have also improved in this gamechanging category. They were 95th in America three weeks ago but have been plus-6 in the last two games and were turnover-free against Auburn. Whoever continues their recent success today stands a great chance for another SEC win.
ceivers with most of the balls going to wide receiver Cobi Hamilton. Athletic tight end Chris Gragg returns this week, and that should give the Hogs a boost. Running back Knile Davis hasn’t performed to the level he did two years ago, but senior Dennis Johnson – who had a 100-yard game against Ole Miss last year – has been productive.
ple of weeks, and he played a turnover-free game against Auburn.
CRUCIAL MATCHUP
OLE MISS OFFENSE VS. ARKANSAS DEFENSE This is where the game will be won or lost. Arkansas isn’t the top 10 team many thought it would be before the season, but the Hogs are healthier, and when you have a quarterback like WHEN OLE MISS HAS THE BALL Tyler Wilson, you’re not going to completely lose Look for Ole Miss to run the ball, because it your way on offense. what the Rebels do best, even though that will The same can’t be said for defense. With key play to Arkansas’ strength. graduation losses from 2011, a new coordinator WHAT TO WATCH The Razorbacks have struggled on defense, but and injuries to key players, the Hogs have strugWHEN ARKANSAS HAS THE BALL that’s been largely with new cornerbacks defend- gled. They have young players in key positions. The return of quarterback Tyler Wilson from an ing the pass. Arkansas is No. 38 in the nation, fifth This is a team that following a 58-10 loss at Texas early-season concussion has sparked an offense in the SEC against the run. A&M was giving up 510 yards a game. They’ve that was shut out by Alabama and managed just The Rebels will try to get Jeff Scott involved gotten better, but the improvement has come 10 points at Texas A&M. early. He went for more than 100 yards against against two of the worst teams in the league, While the Razorbacks lead the SEC in passing both Texas A&M and Auburn. Auburn and Kentucky. offense with 311.43 yards a game, they’re still just They will also pick their spots with Bo Wallace The Razorbacks will get yards and points, and it 10th in the league and 68th in the country in scor- against an Arkansas team that ranks No. 107 in will be up to the Ole Miss offense to exceed the ing offense. pass efficiency defense. Arkansas production and win the game. Parrish Alford There hasn’t been much balance among the reWallace’s decisions have improved the last cou-
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8F
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
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9F
Golden Eagles again focus on stopping run BY BEN WELCH
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
The Golden Eagles of Southern Miss visiting the Owls of Rice in a Conference USA battle will be a bigger story come baseball season. SOUTHERN MISS Today, AT RICE however, the game will feature the only two league teams without a conference win this season. Southern Miss fell to 0-7 on the season and 0-3 in conference after its loss to Marshall last weekend. The Rice Owls come into the game with a 2-6 record overall and a 0-4 conference record. Rice upset Kansas earlier in the season, with their other win coming against future C-USA member Texas-San Antonio. The games they have lost include two road losses by four
points to Memphis and Tulsa. “They’ve already upset Kansas,” Southern Miss head coach Ellis Johnson said. “They had a very close ballgame with Tulsa, who seems to be playing as well as anyone on that side of the conference. They had an overtime loss to Marshall, a team that beat us handily. They are a really good football team that has just struggled on a couple of close ball games. “I feel like the core of their football team is a good, physical run game. That’s something we haven’t been very good at, so it’s going to be a challenge for us.” The Owls average 204.3 rushing yards. They are led by a tripleheaded rushing attack by quarterback Taylor McHargue and running backs Charles Ross and Turner Peterson. All three have over 80 carries on the season and average over
four yards a carry. Southern Miss has seen its share of run-focused offenses this season. The Eagles have only held one team to less than 100 yards rushing this season. They allowed 278 rushing yards to Nebraska, 369 yards to Western Kentucky and 275 yards to Marshall. Southern Miss was outscored 150-61 in those three games.
QUARTERBACK-GO-ROUND
The Eagles will face equal challenges on the offensive end. The quarterback position took another turn last weekend against Marshall. After starter Anthony Alford left the game in the third quarter with a toe injury, Ricky Lloyd lasted a couple of series before leaving with a knee injury. Last year’s backup quarterback, Arsenio Favor saw his first ac-
tion of the season when he replaced Lloyd. Favor, who was injured in spring practice, finished the game by completing 4 of 5 passes for 13 yards and added a rushing touchdown. He’s expected to get the start today. Whoever takes the snaps against Rice, they will have their hands full trying to get the Eagles’ offense in gear. Southern Miss ranks 119th in the NCAA in passing yards and is the 110th ranked team in points scored per game. This is the first time in 18 years that the Eagles, off to their worst start since 1976, will not finish with a winning record. Finding something positive in the last five games would help build some momentum for next season. Ben Welch is a writer for The Student Printz, the Southern Miss school paper.
RYAN MOORE | HATTIESBURG AMERICAN
Ellis Johnson has watched his Golden Eagles struggle in all phases of the game.
TODAY’S GAME AT A GLANCE
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Where: Rice Stadium (47,000), Houston Kickoff: Noon. TV: CSS Records: Southern Miss 0-7 (0-3 C-USA), Rice 2-6 (0-4) Series: Rice leads 2-1 Last year: Southern Miss 48-24 Coaches – Southern Miss: Ellis Johnson, 17-35 overall (fifth season), 0-7 at Southern Miss; Rice: David Bailiff, 25-44 at RIce (sixth season), 46-59 overall (ninth season). Statistical leaders – Southern Miss: RB Desmond Johnson 74449-2; QB Anthony Alford 39 of 89, 438 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs; WR Dominique Sullivan 13-179-1, WR Tracy Lampley 13-119-0; LB Jamie Collins 52 tackles (34 solo), 10.0 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, 4 pass breakups. Rice: QB Taylor McHargue 96-490-8 rushing, 124 of 219, 1,335 yards passing, 8 TDs, 4 INTs; RB Sam McGuffie 38-399-5, WR Jordan Taylor 35-454-0; S Paul Porras 68 tackles (48 solo), .5 TFL. Trends: Last week’s loss to Marshall ended an 18-season streak of winning seasons dating to 1994. The Golden Eagles had been to bowl games in 10 consecutive seasons and 14 of the last 15. Notes: The five remaining teams on the Southern Miss schedule are a combined 9-28. ... Southern Miss ranks 112th nationally in scoring defense (39.0) and 10th nationally in scoring offense (19.6). ... Rice quarterback Taylor McHargue is third in C-USA in total offense (260.7 ypg), and seventh in both passing (190.7 ypg) and rushing (70.0 ypg). ... According to the Rivals.com listing, Southern Miss ranks No. 3 in Conference USA recruiting for 2013 with 16 commitments, Summing it up: “The thing we told them the other day is that we need to have as much fun for those seniors as we can and it’s the first day of spring practice for 2013. Every day we’ll get better as a football team.” – Ellis Johnson, USM head coach. Prediction: Rice, 30-27 John L. Pitts
SOUTHERN MISS S1 S8 S15 S22 S29 O6 O13 O20 O27 N3 N10 N17 N24
southernmiss.com at Nebraska L, 49-20 Open date East Carolina L, 24-14 at Western Ky. L, 42-17 Louisville L, 21-17 Boise State L, 40-14 at UCF, 2OT L, 38-31 Marshall L, 59-24 at Rice, noon UAB, 6:30 p.m. at SMU UTEP, 7 p.m. at Memphis, 3:30 p.m.
A30 S8 S15 S22 S29 O6 O13 O20 O27 N3 N10 N17 N24
RiceOwls.cstv.com UCLA L, 49-24 at Kansas W, 25-24 at Louisiana Tech L, 56-37 Marshall, 2OT L, 54-51 Houston L, 35-14 at Memphis L, 14-10 UTSA W, 34-14 at Tulsa L, 28-24 Southern Miss, noon at Tulane, 2:30 p.m. Open date SMU, 2:30 p.m. at UTEP, 6 p.m.
RICE
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
DAILY JOURNAL
|
GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
DAILY JOURNAL
State colleges: At a glance ALCORN STATE
League: SWAC (NCAA FCS) Record: 3-5 (3-3 SWAC) Last week: Lost 52-37 to Prairie View Today: Off The buzz: The Braves have a bye week before their trip to Mississippi Valley State. ... Alcorn State scored 27 second-half points at Prairie View – more than in any other entire game this season.
BELHAVEN
League: Mid-South (NAIA) Record: 4-4 (3-1 MSC) Last week: Beat Lindsey Wilson 35-7 S1 S8 S15 S22 S29 O6 O13 O20 N3 N10 N17
ALCORN STATE (3-5) Grambling W, 22-21 at James Madison L, 42-3 Ark.-Pine Bluff* L, 24-6 at Arkansas State L, 56-0 Alabama State* (HC) L, 54-14 Southern* W, 20-17 at Alabama A&M* W, 21-20 at Prairie View A&M* L, 52-37 at MVSU* 1 p.m. Texas Southern* 2 p.m. Jackson State* 1 p.m. *–SWAC game
S1 S8 S15 S22 S29 O6 O13 O20 O27 N3 N10
Today: at Faulkner (5-3, 3-1) The buzz: Junior LB Calvin Lewis was named MSC Defensive Player of the Week for his effort last weekend. He matched a season-high with 13 tackles and had two interceptions, returning one 54 yards for a TD.
DELTA STATE
League: Gulf South (NCAA Division II) Record: 3-4 (1-2 GSC) Last week: Lost 59-41 to Valdosta St. Today: Homecoming vs. No. 15 West Alabama (6-2, 3-0) The buzz: DSU has won 8 of the last 9 in this series. ... West Alabama is
BELHAVEN (4-4) at Cumberlands (Ky.) L, 21-10 Louisiana College L, 24-13 at Cumberland (Tenn.)* L, 36-30 Campbellsville* W, 70-28 at Virginia-Wise W, 52-14 Kentucky Christian L, 13-10 Bluefield* (HC) W, 66-10 at Lindsey Wilson* W, 35-7 at Faulkner* 1:30 Pikeville 1:30 Bethel* 5 p.m. *-Mid-South Conference game
S1 S8 S22 S27 O6 O13 O20 O27 N3 N10
coached by former Amory standout QB Will Hall. His team can earn a share of the GSC title with a victory.
MILLSAPS
League: Southern Athletic (NCAA D-III) Record: 6-1 (3-0 SAA) Last week: Beat Rhodes 47-13 JACKSON STATE Today: At Trinity (4-3) League: SWAC (NCAA FCS) The buzz: QB Garrett Pinciott was Record: 4-4 (4-2 SWAC) named SAA Offensive Player of the Last week: Beat MVSU 14-7 (2 OT) Week after passing for a career-high Today: Off 463 yards and six touchdowns last The buzz: QB Clayton Moore earned his week. It was his second consecutive second consecutive SWAC NewSAA weekly honor. comer of the Week award. He accounted for 191 yards and two TDs MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE against Valley, including the gameLeague: American S’west (NCAA D-III) winning 1-yard run in the second Record: 2-5 (1-3 ASC) overtime. Last week: Beat Texas Lutheran 24-21
DELTA STATE (3-4) Fort Valley State L, 31-23 at Elizabeth City State W, 26-7 North Alabama* L, 20-12 Abilene Christian L, 34-28 at Tarleton State W, 35-35 West Georgia* W, 33-24 at Valdosta State* L, 59-41 West Alabama* (HC) 6 p.m. at Univ. of Indianapolis 5 p.m. at Shorter* 12:30 *-Gulf South Conference game
S1 S8 S15 S22 S29 O6 O13 O20 N3 N10 N17
JACKSON STATE (4-4) at Mississippi State L, 56-9 Tenn. State L, 38-12 at Texas Southern* W, 45-35 Southern* L, 28-21 Prairie View A&M* W, 34-13 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff* L, 34-24 at Alabama State* W, 37-34 MVSU* (HC) W, 14-7 at Grambling State* 4 p.m. Alabama A&M* 2 p.m. at Alcorn State* 1 p.m. *–SWAC game
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MILLSAPS (6-1) A30 Mississippi College W, 23-17 S8 at LaGrange W, 54-7 S15 at Point W, 54-28 S29 at Centre* W, 33-16 O6 Huntingdon L, 45-24 O13 Sewanee* W, 42-28 O20 at Rhodes* W, 47-13 O27 at Trinity (Texas) 1:30p.m. N3 Austin 1 p.m. N10 Birmingham Southern* 1 p.m. *-Southern Athletic Association game
Today: Homecoming vs. East Texas Baptist (2-5, 1-3) The buzz: The Choctaws snapped a four-game skid with the road victory.
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
League: SWAC (NCAA FCS) Record: 2-5 (2-3 SWAC) Last week: Lost 14-7 to Jackson State Today: At Ark.-Pine Bluff (5-2, 4-1) The buzz: “We’re headed in the right direction,” says Valley head coach Karl Morgan. ... DL Robert Simpson leads the SWAC with 19 tackles for loss, including 11 solo. From school reports
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE (2-5) A30 at Millsaps L, 23-17 S8 Webber International W, 31-24 S15 at West Alabama L, 41-3 S29 at Hardin-Simmons* L, 31-0 O6 Sul Ross State* L, 75-42 O13 at Howard Payne* L, 27-14 O20 at Texas Lutheran* W, 24-21 O27 E. Texas Baptist* (HC) 3 p.m. N3 Louisiana College* 1 p.m. N10 at Mary Hardin-Baylor* 1 p.m. *-American S’west Conference game
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (2-5) S1 Concordia College L, 20-19 S8 at Alabama State* L, 29-7 S15 at Southern* W, 6-0 S22 at Northwestern State L, 45-14 O6 Alabama A&M* (HC) L, 35-0 O13 Grambling State* W, 45-21 O20 at Jackson State* L, 14-7 O27 at Ark.-Pine Bluff* 2:30p.m. N3 Alcorn State* 1 p.m. N10 Prairie View A&M* 1 p.m. N17 at Texas Southern* 1 p.m. *–SWAC game
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Second-ranked Oregon will watch scoreboard schedule problem stems from a game it was supposed to play against Kansas State. This is a big week for Oregon’s The Wildcats and Ducks had BCS title hopes. agreed to play a home-and-home And not because the No. 2 Ducks series in 2011 and ’12. Oregon play hapless Colorado. asked to reschedule when it got a The teams ahead of Oregon in shot to play LSU in Texas last year. the BCS standings (Alabama, With the Big 12 headed toward Florida and Kansas State), and the playing nine conferences games, one right behind (Notre Dame), all Kansas State suggested to cancel playing ranked foes today. the whole thing. The Ducks agreed. So the Ducks, fourth in the BCS That left the Ducks with standings, could get the help they Arkansas State, Fresno State and need to move up – or they could Tennessee Tech to tune up with slip further back in the race to the this season. Oregon easily disnational championship game. patched all three, but two months There are 11 undefeated teams in into the season the Ducks still don’t major college football, but you can have a marquee victory. whittle that down to four serious After Colorado, the Ducks get contenders for the BCS title game. into the teeth of their conference Ohio State is ineligible. Ohio Uni- schedule with Southern Cal, Stanversity doesn’t play a tough enough ford and Oregon State all coming schedule. The Big East champion up, plus a possible Pac-12 title probably won’t be able to climb game – and maybe a rematch over the top teams from the SEC, against USC. Win all those, and the Pac-12, Big 12 ... and Notre Dame. computers will spit out some difAmong the top five, Oregon ferent numbers on these Ducks. seems to be the most likely to get left out of the national title game if RUSSO’S PICKS there are more than two unbeatens. No. 1 Alabama 38, No. 13 Miss. State 17 Here’s an example of the Ducks’ No. 2 Oregon 50, Colorado 14 problem: If Notre Dame wins at No. 3 Florida 31, No. 12 Georgia 23 Oklahoma, there’s a chance the No. 4 K-State 41, No. 15 Texas Tech 31 Fighting Irish could jump the No. 8 Oklahoma 28, No. 5 Notre Dame 17 Ducks in the BCS standings the Washington 31, No. 7 Oregon State 28 way Kansas State did last week. If Penn State 35, No. 9 Ohio State 31 Oklahoma wins, it makes K-State’s No. 10 Southern Cal 42, Arizona 28 victory at Oklahoma look even bet- No. 11 Florida State 45, Duke 14 ter and could push the Wildcats No. 17 South Carolina 35, Tennessee 24 further ahead of the Ducks. No. 18 Rutgers 31, Kent State 14 The Ducks’ problems come No. 19 Stanford 43, Washington State 14 down to schedule – Oregon’s oppo- No. 20 Michigan 33, Nebraska 27 nents so far just haven’t been parNo. 21 Boise State 28, Wyoming 14 ticularly good. The Ducks are No. 22 Texas A&M 35, Auburn 24 second in both human polls used No. 23 Ohio 37, Miami of Ohio 33 in the BCS standings, but sixth in No. 24 La. Tech 66, New Mexico State 24 the computer rankings. Last week: 18-3 And part of Oregon’s strength of Season: 134-26 BY RALPH D. RUSSO ASSOCIATED PRESS
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
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TODAY’S NATIONAL SCHEDULE EAST
Temple (3-3) at Pittsburgh (3-4), 11 a.m. Ball St. (5-3) at Army (1-6), 11 a.m. St. Francis, Pa. (3-5) at CCSU (1-6), 11 a.m. New Hampshire (6-2) at Rhode Island (0-7), 11 a.m. Monmouth, N.J. (3-4) at Duquesne (5-2), 11:10 a.m. Yale (2-4) at Columbia (1-5), 11:30 a.m. Princeton (4-2) at Cornell (3-3), 11:30 a.m. Maryland (4-3) at Boston College (1-6), noon Colgate (4-3) at Bucknell (1-6), noon Fordham (4-3) at Holy Cross (1-6), noon Brown (4-2) at Penn (2-4), noon Albany, N.Y. (6-1) at Sacred Heart (2-5), noon Robert Morris (2-5) at Wagner (4-3), noon Toledo (7-1) at Buffalo (1-6), 2:30 p.m. Kent St. (6-1) at Rutgers (7-0), 2:30 p.m. Towson (3-4) at Villanova (6-2), 2:30 p.m. Harvard (5-1) at Dartmouth (4-2), 4 p.m. Ohio St. (8-0) at Penn St. (5-2), 4:30 p.m. Georgetown (3-5) at Lafayette (5-2), 5 p.m.
SOUTH
Tennessee (3-4) at South Carolina (6-2), 11 a.m. Butler (6-2) at Davidson (1-6), 11 a.m. Eastern Illinois (4-3) at Eastern Kentucky (6-2), 11 a.m. Delaware (5-2) at Old Dominion (6-1), 11 a.m. N.C. State (5-2) at North Carolina (5-3), 11:30 a.m. Campbell (1-6) at Morehead St. (1-6), noon Stony Brook (7-1) at Presbyterian (2-6), noon Edward Waters (4-4) at Charleston So. (3-4), 12:30 p.m. VMI (2-5) at Gardner-Webb (1-6), 12:30 p.m. Norfolk St. (2-6) at N.C. A&T (3-4), 12:30 p.m. Howard (5-2) at S.C. State (3-5), 12:30 p.m. The Citadel (4-3) at Wofford (6-1), 12:30 p.m. Savannah St. (1-6) at Hampton (1-5), 1 p.m. Tennessee Tech (2-5) at Tennessee St. (7-1), 1 p.m. Furman (2-6) at Elon (3-4), 2 p.m. BYU (4-4) at Georgia Tech (3-4), 2 p.m. Ala. A&M (6-1) vs. Alabama St. (4-3) at B’ham, 2:30 p.m. Liberty (3-4) at Coastal Carolina (3-4), 2:30 p.m. Navy (4-3) at East Carolina (5-3), 2:30 p.m. Duke (6-2) at Florida St. (7-1), 2:30 p.m. Florida (7-0) vs. Georgia (6-1) at Jacksonville, 2:30 p.m. Georgia St. (1-7) at James Madison (5-2), 2:30 p.m. North Texas (3-4) at Middle Tennessee (4-3), 2:30 p.m. UAB (1-6) at Tulane (1-6), 2:30 p.m. Appalachian St. (5-3) at W. Carolina (1-7), 2:30 p.m. Maine (2-5) at William & Mary (2-5), 2:30 p.m. N.C. Central (5-2) at Bethune-Cookman (5-2), 3 p.m. Murray St. (3-4) at Jacksonville St. (4-3), 3 p.m. SE Missouri (2-5) at Austin Peay (0-7), 4 p.m. Troy (4-3) at FAU (1-6), 4 p.m. Prairie View (2-5) vs. Southern (3-4) at Shreveport, 4 p.m. Georgia Southern (6-1) at Chattanooga (4-3), 5 p.m. Western Kentucky (5-2) at FIU (1-7), 5 p.m. Texas A&M (5-2) at Auburn (1-6), 6 p.m. South Alabama (2-5) at Louisiana-Monroe (5-2), 6 p.m. Nicholls St. (1-5) at Northwestern St. (3-4), 6 p.m. Syracuse (3-4) at South Florida (2-5), 6 p.m. UMass (0-7) at Vanderbilt (3-4), 6 p.m. UCF (5-2) at Marshall (3-4), 7 p.m. Stephen F. Austin (3-4) at McNeese St. (4-3), 7 p.m.
Central Arkansas (6-2) at SE Louisiana (3-4), 7 p.m. Mississippi St. (7-0) at Alabama (7-0), 7:30 p.m.
MIDWEST
Indiana (2-5) at Illinois (2-5), 11 a.m. Texas (5-2) at Kansas (1-6), 11 a.m. Kentucky (1-7) at Missouri (3-4), 11 a.m. Northern Illinois (7-1) at Western Michigan (3-5), 11 a.m. Iowa (4-3) at Northwestern (6-2), 11 a.m. South Dakota (1-6) at Indiana St. (6-2), 1 p.m. Western Illinois (3-4) at Missouri St. (2-6), 1 p.m. Marist (2-5) at Valparaiso (0-7), 1 p.m. Youngstown St. (4-3) at South Dakota St. (5-2), 2 p.m. Eastern Michigan (1-6) at Bowling Green (5-3), 2:30 p.m. Akron (1-7) at Central Michigan (2-5), 2:30 p.m. Texas Tech (6-1) at Kansas St. (7-0), 2:30 p.m. Ohio (7-0) at Miami, Ohio (3-4), 2:30 p.m. Purdue (3-4) at Minnesota (4-3), 2:30 p.m. Michigan St. (4-4) at Wisconsin (6-2), 2:30 p.m. Southern Illinois (5-3) at North Dakota St. (6-1), 2:37 p.m. Illinois St. (6-2) at Northern Iowa (2-5), 4 p.m. Baylor (3-3) at Iowa St. (4-3), 6 p.m. Michigan (5-2) at Nebraska (5-2), 7 p.m.
SOUTHWEST
Ole Miss (4-3) at Arkansas (3-4), 11:21 a.m. Southern Miss (0-7) at Rice (2-6), noon Utah St. (6-2) at UTSA (5-2), 1 p.m. Memphis (1-6) at SMU (3-4), 2 p.m. MVSU (2-5) at Ark.-Pine Bluff (5-2), 2:30 p.m. TCU (5-2) at Oklahoma St. (4-2), 2:30 p.m. Sam Houston St. (5-2) at Lamar (3-5), 3 p.m. UTEP (2-6) at Houston (3-4), 3:30 p.m. Grambling St. (1-6) at Texas Southern (1-6), 4 p.m. Notre Dame (7-0) at Oklahoma (5-1), 7 p.m.
FAR WEST
UCLA (5-2) at Arizona St. (5-2), 2 p.m. Colorado (1-6) at Oregon (7-0), 2 p.m. Eastern Wash. (6-1) at Southern Utah (3-5), 2:05 p.m. Southern Cal (6-1) at Arizona (4-3), 2:30 p.m. Idaho St. (1-6) at Montana (3-5), 2:30 p.m. Fresno St. (5-3) at New Mexico (4-4), 2:30 p.m. Boise St. (6-1) at Wyoming (1-6), 2:30 p.m. Northern Arizona (6-1) at Northern Colo. (2-5), 2:35 p.m. Texas St. (3-3) at San Jose St. (5-2), 3 p.m. North Dakota (4-4) at Montana St. (6-1), 3:05 p.m. Portland St. (2-5) at UC Davis (3-5), 4 p.m. Washington St. (2-5) at Stanford (5-2), 5:15 p.m. Hawaii (1-5) at Colorado St. (1-6), 6 p.m. Louisiana Tech (6-1) at New Mexico St. (1-6), 7 p.m. UNLV (1-7) at San Diego St. (5-3), 7 p.m. California (3-5) at Utah (2-5), 7:45 p.m. Dayton (4-4) at San Diego (4-3), 8 p.m. Cal Poly (7-0) at Sacramento St. (5-3), 8:05 p.m. Oregon St. (6-0) at Washington (3-4), 9:15 p.m. Times converted to Central
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GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
DAILY JOURNAL
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
GAMEDAY: WEEK 9
DAILY JOURNAL
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Document: F012DJS102712.eps;Page: 1;Format:(254.00 x 254.00 mm);Plate: Composite;Date: Oct 26, 2012 13:22:13;JPC 72 DPI
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