Week 12, 12 P.M.: The Sum Of Its Parts Is Greater Than The Whole

One would think that winning would lose its excitement after 21 consecutive victories, but SB Nation’s Florida blog, Alligator Army, isn’t bored yet. Check it out.

Gainesville, FL (Sports Network) – Tim Tebow ran for a touchdown and threw for a pair of scores, as top-ranked Florida extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 21 straight games with a 62-3 rout of Florida International at the Swamp.

Tebow ran for 102 yards, including a career-long 55-yard score, on just seven carries and completed 17-of-25 passes for 215 yards in just 2 1/2 quarters of action for Florida (11-0), which will host Florida State next week in the annual grudge match before heading to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game against Alabama.

Chris Rainey ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass in the victory, as Florida completely dominated with 584 yards to just 189 for FIU.

Paul McCall threw for 134 yards with an interception for FIU (3-8), which was coming off a victory against North Texas last week. The Golden Panthers also played Alabama back in September and suffered a 40-14 setback in Tuscaloosa.

The Florida defense struck first, as Brandon Spikes stepped in front of a McCall pass for an interception and returned it 41 yards untouched for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead just 1:50 into the contest.

Tebow made it 14-0 just under four minutes later on the first possession for the Florida offense, racing 55 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.

Florida’s next series ended with a 53-yard missed field goal by Caleb Sturgis, but Rainey found the end zone twice on the next two Gator possessions. He first took a shovel pass 27 yards for a score just over a minute into the second quarter, then added a 22-yard touchdown run off an option pitch for a 28-0 cushion with 9:41 left in the opening half.

The Panthers followed with a sustained march, but Dustin Rivest missed a 33- yard field goal try, and Florida tacked on another touchdown with just 1:38 to play before the break, when Jeff Demps scored on a three-yard run.

FIU got on the board just over a minute later, as Rivest kicked a 37-yard field goal.

A 34-yard kickoff return by Brandon James to start the second half set up the Florida offense at the FIU 41, and Tebow needed just five plays to again find the end zone. An 18-yard pass to Riley Cooper ended the quick set and extended the Gator advantage to 42-3.

John Brantley took over behind center on Florida’s next offensive series and finished with three touchdown passes. He hit Omarius Hines for 20 yards late in the third quarter and connected for 16 yards to Justin Williams and 31 yards to Frankie Hammond in the fourth.

Tebow notched his 54th career touchdown, breaking the previous SEC record set by LSU’s Kevin Faulk…Spikes registered his fourth career interception return for a touchdown and second of the season…Rainey finished with three catches for 61 yards and added 30 yards on four carries…Brantley completed 9-of-13 passes for 146 yards…Demps ran for 46 yards on nine carries…The 59-point loss matches the worst ever for the Panthers, who dropped a 59-0 decision at Penn State on September 1, 2007…FIU will take next week off, then concludes its season December 5 against Florida Atlantic.

- Via Sports Network.

Yes, yes, but why wasn’t the score 59-0, or 73-0? Discuss this question and more at our Alabama blog, Roll ’Bama Roll.

Tuscaloosa, AL (Sports Network) – Mark Ingram had 102 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in two quarters of action, as second-ranked Alabama thumped FCS foe Chattanooga, 45-0, at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Greg McElroy played only the first half, completing 6-of-11 passes for 80 yards and one touchdown for the Crimson Tide (11-0), who rested many first- stringers on the offensive side after building a 35-0 lead at the break.

Julio Jones had a touchdown reception in the win, and Javier Arenas set an SEC record with his seventh punt return for a touchdown, breaking the mark previously established by Kentucky’s Derek Abney.

“We were pleased to be able to play as many players as we played today,” said Alabama head coach Nick Saban. “It was great for the seniors who were acknowledged. I think that just about every senior on our team got to play in the game. It was good that the players came out and played Alabama football and got ahead in the game so that those players got an opportunity to play.”

B.J. Coleman struggled immensely for an overmatched Chattanooga (6-5) squad, throwing for just 36 yards and two interceptions on 7-of-25 passing.

The Mocs, who totaled 84 yards of offense, ended the regular season by dropping four of their last six games.

“Obviously it was a tough (loss) for us,” said Chattanooga head coach Russ Huesman. “We played a great football team. We’ll watch the film but I think our guys played hard. You could see they wanted to be in the game, even towards the end there.”

After going three-and-out to start the game, McElroy led the Crimson Tide on an 11-play, 51-drive on their second offensive series that culminated in a two-yard touchdown run by Trent Richardson.

Only two plays were required for Alabama to extend the lead to 14-0. The Crimson Tide got the ball at their own 31 following a punt. McElroy threw a 44-yard pass to Jones and the dynamic Ingram rumbled 25 yards for the score.

Chattanooga’s Jare Gault was picked off on the ensuing drive, and Jones caught a pass in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown with 54 seconds remaining in a productive first quarter for Alabama.

The Crimson Tide’s overwhelming defense limited Chattanooga to one yard on its next possession and Arenas returned the subsequent punt, sprinting down the right sideline for a 66-yard score 18 seconds into the second quarter.

A 40-yard dash by Ingram gave Alabama a comfortable 35-0 advantage at halftime.

Coleman threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. Alabama transformed the turnover in a 41-yard Leigh Tiffin field goal.

Roy Upchurch’s 21-yard TD run with four minutes to go in regulation accounted for the final margin.

Upchurch and Demetrius Goode both rushed for 70 yards for Alabama, which totaled 313 yards on the ground…Chattanooga recorded just five first downs…Alabama has won all 11 meetings with the Mocs…The Crimson Tide battle Auburn on Friday before facing Florida in the SEC championship game on December 5.

- Via Sports Network.

Read more about this low-scoring affair at SB Nation’s Iowa blog, Black Heart Gold Pants, and our Minnesota blog, The Daily Gopher.

Iowa City, IA (Sports Network) – Brandon Wegher scored the lone touchdown of the game, as 15th-ranked Iowa blanked the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the second straight season, 12-0, at Kinnick Stadium.

Redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, making his second start in place of injured starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi, completed 11-of-24 passes for 117 yards with one interception for the Hawkeyes (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten), who snapped a two-game skid and retained Floyd of Rosedale, a statue of a bronzed pig.

Adam Robinson had 72 yards on 12 carries for Iowa, which posted a 55-0 drubbing last year at Minnesota and has taken eight of the last nine meetings overall.

Adam Weber was 14-of-40 for 153 yards and fumbled twice for the Golden Gophers (6-6, 3-5), who lost two of three to end the regular season.

Iowa took the game’s opening kickoff and marched into the red zone before Daniel Murray drilled a 30-yard field goal.

The second quarter featured a bevy of offensive miscues. Weber lost the handle on successive drives in Iowa territory, botching the exchange on the snap and having the ball stripped by a Hawkeye defender while scrambling.

Vandenberg was then picked off by Marcus Sherels in the end zone following the second Minnesota turnover.

After a short punt by Minnesota resulted in positive field position for the Hawkeyes, Vandenberg was sacked by Gary Tinsley on third down to move Iowa out of field goal range.

The litany of mistakes continued when the Gophers’ MarQueis Gray was intercepted on the second play of the ensuing series.

Iowa finally capitalized on a blunder as Wegher took a handoff and leaped into the end zone for a one-yard score and 9-0 advantage with 52 seconds remaining in the first half after the extra point was blocked.

A 45-yard boot from Murray accounted for all the scoring in a third quarter dominated by the defenses.

Minnesota looked to finally dent the scoreboard, but failed to convert on 4th- and-goal from the two with just under 10 minutes remaining. The Gophers turned the ball over on downs on their next two possessions.

Iowa recorded its first 10-win season since 2004…Adams was sacked five times…Minnesota outgained the Hawkeyes, 201-171…Iowa converted 1-of-13 third downs, while the Gophers were 4-of-20…Derrell Johnson-Koulianos had 63 yards on seven receptions for Iowa.

- Via Sports Network.