SB Nation - Anthony Dixon

Rams vs Cardinals: Gameday notes & injury report

VanRam — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:23:26 -0000

by Dave Weaver - AP

Can this man single-handedly stop Texas...and just how would he look with Golden Horns on his helmet?

Don't count on injuries to give the St. Louis Rams a break today. The visiting Arizona Cardinals won't likely be sitting many player when they take drop into the Ed Jones Dome today.

RIght now, it looks like the only player out for Arizona is LB Chike Okeafor. The questionable list includes: CB Michael Adams (hamstring), LB Karlos Dansby (shoulder), T Mike Gandy (pelvis), LB Gerald Hayes (back), CB Bryant McFadden (ankle), WR Sean Morey (head), TE Ben Patrick (knee).

The Rams will be without DE Victor Adeyanju and OG Richie Incognito. As we've mentioned, the Adeyanju injury leaves them thin at defensive line. DE Chris Long is the only player listed as questionable, and Spagnuolo made it sound as though that would be a game time decision.

Continuing on the o-line theme form 3k's post yesterday, the PD has a look at the unit. No surprises there. This is a really strong group for the Rams now, with the potential to get better. One thing that's really helped the Rams this year is the depth. Adam Goldberg has started all but one game this season.

The Cardinals are kind of sneaky good again this season, winning five of their last six with the league's fifth best passing offense. It'll be a big day for our secondary.

Stray thoughts on college football

I watched the Mississippi State at Arkansas game yesterday, and three players really stood out. The obvious is Ryan Mallett. He's an accurate and strong QB, smart too, but needs to develop his ability to find other receivers when his guys are covered up too tightly. Surely, he stays in another season. Arkansas WR Cobi Hamilton, a freshman, is one helluva receiver. I was really impressed with Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon. He reminded me of Steven Jackson, similar moves and style. There's probably a reason for that: Sylvester Croom, the former Bulldogs head coach who was hired as the Rams running backs coach this season. Croom isn't getting enough credit for Jackson's big season, but he should be.

Les Miles, seriously?

Ndamukong Suh will get a national stage when Nebraska is sacrificed to Texas in the Big 12 championship game. I still think it could be a pretty interesting game, and I look forward to watching what he can do against one of college football's elite teams.

Michigan got beat by guys in sweatpants...Rodriguez has to go now.

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:10:12 -0000

More photos » by TONY DING - AP

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• After starting the season off slowly, Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham has become a big factor. On the season he has 17 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. Wisconsin's physical offensive line will be a big challenge for Graham. Against Wisconsin last season Graham burst onto the national scene with three sacks. If he does that again, some might start to consider him a first-round prospect.

Graham might not even be the best pass rusher at Camp Randall Stadium. That just may be Badgers junior O'Brien Schofield. On the year, he has 18.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Schofield has been consistent all season.

• Against Virginia Tech, the athleticism of Maryland left tackle Bruce Campbell will be tested. he could line up against Jason Worilds, who is as quick off the snap as any defensive end you'll find. Campbell has had some injury issues, but when he's healthy he's very good.

One Hokie to watch is senior linebacker Cody Grimm. It would be a shock if he was drafted, but don't be surprised if he makes an NFL roster as a special teams player. He's all effort and leads the Hokies in tackles with 79. He might be only 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, but he's tenacious.

• If you only watch one game of TCU's Jerry Hughes this season, make it today against Utah. Hughes may get a few snaps against Utah's best offensive lineman Zane Beadles. Most of Hughe's plays will come against Tony Bergstrom, a developing sophomore right tackle. Hughes is having another standout season but he hasn't been very active in his last two games.

• Washington quarterback Jake Locker could have a big day against Oregon State's 113th ranked pass defense. Locker has been pretty ordinary the last three weeks and needs a good showing to really cement himself as a top prospect.

• Alabama might have the second-best rush defense in the nation, but the Crimson Tide haven't seen a running back like Mississippi State's Anthony Dixon. The bruising senior bounced back last week rushing for 252 yards against Vanderbilt after struggling versus Florida. When Dixon collides with Alabama defensive tackle Terrence Cody it will be a sight to see.

• Pittsburgh defensive end Greg Romeus has been somewhat overshadowed this season by the likes of Hughes, Graham and Georgia Tech's Derrick Morgan. But make no mistake about it, Romeus is a playmaker. He has nine sacks on the year and can hold up well against the run. Playing against Notre Dame will be a good challenge for Romeus to show he deserves to be mentioned with the best ends in college football.

• The single best matchup to watch today will be the Ohio State defensive ends against the Iowa offensive tackles. Last week, the Buckeyes' Cameron Heyward had a breakout game with three sacks against Penn State. Fellow end Thaddeus Gibson is quick and can get to the ball fast. Iowa's tackles -- Bryan Bulaga and Kyle Calloway -- might be the best bookends in the nation.

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State: Breaking Down the Bulldogs

Ken Howlett — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:05:20 -0000

With Kentucky sitting at 4-3 (1-3 in the SEC) and dates with Eastern Kentucky and Vanderbilt to follow, tonight's 7:00 p.m. EST game at Commonwealth Stadium versus the Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3) carries with it tremendous ramifications. A UK win will put the 'Cats clearly in the drivers seat to gain at least seven victories, which should translate into an upgraded bowl game (hopefully one not played in the state of Tennessee). Lose, and UK will be faced with having to beat Georgia on the road or Tennessee at home, in order to attain the magical seventh victory.

New Mississippi State head coach (and former Florida offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach) Dan Mullen has breathed much-needed oxygen back into the lungs of the Bulldog football program with an exciting brand of offense (he employs a spread-option look), and a defense that can most aptly be described as a work in progress. And after averaging only 15.2 points per game and 274.9 yards of offense in Sylvester Croom's swan song at State last season, Mullen has rewritten the playbook in 2009 to the tune of 100 more yards of offense per contest, and just over 11 more points per game.

For a closer look at what promises to be a nip-and tuck affair, and an examination of how the two contestants stand within the SEC, as well as a complete breakdown of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, join me after the jump:

Statistical Comparison -- UK vs. MSU (SEC rank in parenthesis)

UK MSU

Points Per Game -- 26.1 (9) 26.4 (8)

Scoring Defense -- 23.0 (8) 24.6 (9)

Total Offense -- 337.3 (9) 371.1 (7)

Total Defense -- 352.3 (8) 357.4 (9)

Rush Offense -- 186.3 (5) 203.1 (5)

Rush Defense -- 174.1 (12) 142.2 (7)

Pass Offense -- 151.0 (11) 168.0 (10)

Pass Defense -- 178.1 (8) 215.1 (10)

Kick Return Avg. -- 23.0 (7) 24.7 (4)

Punt Return Avg. -- 13.4 (3) 10.5 (5)

Interceptions -- 8 (7) 11 (2) Four returned for a touchdown

Punt Avg. -- 35.3 (6) 34.0 (9)

Kickoff Coverage -- 40.8 (7) 41.5 (6) Net Averages

Sacks By -- 12 (10) 13 (9)

Sacks Against -- 7 (2) 12 (7)

3rd Down Conversion -- 8.2% (9) 33.9 (10)

Opp. 3rd Down Conv. -- 43.1 (12) 33.6 (7)

Turnover Margin -- --1 (t7) -- 5 (10)

Red Zone Score% -- 86.4 (7) 78.6 (10)

Red Zone TD% -- 72.7 (2) 46.4 (9)

Red Zone Def/Scores -- 73.1% (4) 82.1% (8)

UK/MSU Players in SEC Top 10

Rush Yards Per Game -- MSU RB Anthony Dixon is 3rd -- 107.7; UK RB Derrick Locke is 5th -- 70.7.

All-Purpose Yards Per Game -- UK's Locke is 3rd -- 144.0; MSU WR Leon Berry is 8th -- 121.8; MSU's Dixon is 9th --112.1.

Touchdowns Scored -- UK ATH. Randall Cobb is 2nd -- 9; MSU's Dixon is 3rd -- 7.

Points Per Game -- UK's Cobb is 5th -- 7.7.

Reception Yards Per Game -- UK's Cobb is t6th -- 4.0.

Passing Yards Per Game -- MSU QB Tyson Lee is 10th -- 140.8.

Kick-Off Return Avg. -- MSU's Berry is 5th -- 26.3.

Punt Return Avg. -- UK's Cobb is 2nd -- 13.6.

Tackles Per Game -- UK LB Micah Johnson is t8th -- 7.9; MSU LB Jamar Chaney is 10th -- 7.2.

Tackles For Loss -- UK DL Corey Peters is t5th -- 7.5; MSU DL Pernell McPhee is t5th -- 7.5.

Sacks -- UK's Peters is t7th -- 4.0.

Interceptions -- MSU DB Jonathan Banks is 1st -- 4; MSU DB Corey Bloomfield is t4th -- 3; UK DB Calvin Harrison and LB Sam Maxwell are t8th -- 2.

Passes Defended -- UK's Maxwell is 2nd -- 9 (7 breakups and two interceptions); UK DB Randall Burden is 5th -- 8 (seven pass breakups and one interception).

Meet the Offensive Dogs

Tyson Lee -- 5'10", 200 lb senior quarterback: The diminutive signal-caller has thrown for 1,126 yards on 102-172 passing (59.3%). Lee has thrown only three touchdown passes, and has nine interceptions. He's also carried the ball 54 times for 163 yards, and two touchdowns -- Last season versus UK, Lee threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns (one interception) on 26 of 42 passing.

Lee threw three picks in Mississippi State's 29-19 loss to Florida last weekend. For his career, in 16 starts, Lee has thrown 14 interceptions and 10 touchdowns. He performed very well against a good Georgia Tech team, though, going 20-30 for 278 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Against Houston, Lee ran for 68 yards on 12 carries (5.7 yards per carry). Lee is highly mobile and is willing to take risks, whether it be with his arm or his legs.

Chris Relf -- 6'3", 235 lb sophomore quarterback: On the year Relf has completed 15 of 26 passes (57.7) for 213 yards. He's tossed three touchdown passes and two interceptions. He has also rushed 41 times for 232 yards (5.7 ypc), and one touchdown.

Relf, coming off an injury, has missed MSU's last two games. He will probably see some playing time tonight, though, if only as a change-of-pace for the Bulldog offense. As with Lee, Relf is adept at scampering away from pressure, and/or running the option game with aplomb.

Anthony Dixon -- 6'1", 235 lb senior running back: Dixon has rushed for 749 yards on 149 carries (5.0 ypc), and seven touchdowns. He's also caught seven passes for 36 yards (5.1 yards per reception).

Dixon, the No. 1 rusher in Mississippi State history, has run for 3,352 yards in his career, and 37 touchdowns. He also ranks 15th in SEC history in rushing yards. He's run for over 100 yards five times this season, with a season-high 135 yards (and two touchdowns) against Middle Tennessee State. Dixon nearly matched that output versus Houston, with 134 yards and another two touchdowns -- Last year against UK, Dixon rushed 15 times for 48 yards (3.2 ypc): In '07 versus Kentucky, he ran for 75 yards on 25 carries (3.0 ypc).

Dixon is a powerful, yet very quick running back. He can run through the middle, or, he'll beat you to the edges with his 4.5 - 40 speed. With UK giving up 174 ground yards per game, Dixon poses the biggest threat to 'Cat fans having a hauntingly good Halloween. If UK's middle linebacker Micah Johnson can't go this evening, backup Ronnie Sneed will have his hands full ... hopefully full of Dixon's jersey.

Christian Ducre' -- 6'0", 200 lb senior running back: This season Ducre' has rushed 42 times for 254 yards (6.0 ypc), and one touchdown. He's also caught eight passes for 124 yards (15.5 ypr), and one touchdown -- Versus UK in 2007, Ducre' had a huge day, running for 119 yards on only 19 carries (6.3 ypc).

Arnil Stallworth -- 5'9", 205 lb senior running back: Stallworth has rushed 23 times for 92 yards (4.0 ypc), and caught eight passes for 112 yards (14.0 ypr) -- Versus Kentucky last year, Stallworth caught eight passes of 71 yards (8.9 ypr).

For his career, Stallworth has rushed the ball 81 times and caught 55 passes. A poor man's Rafael Little, he has amassed 550 receiving yards to 300 rushing yards. Obviously he's versatile, and UK's defense, especially LB's Sam Maxwell and Danny Trevathan, must know where Stallworth is on every play.

Robert Elliott -- 6'0", 210 lb sophomore running back: Elliott has run for 110 yards on 31 carries (3.5 ypc), and one touchdown.

Coming out of high school, Elliott was the No. 8 rated running back in the country by Scout.

Chad Bumphis -- 5'10", 195 lb freshman wide receiver: Bumphis, MSU's leading receiver as a true freshman, has caught 24 passes for 270 yards (11.2 ypr), and three touchdowns. He has also returned five kick-offs for a 25.4 yard per return average.

Bumphis was rated the No. 16 wide receiver prospect in the nation last year by Rivals, and the No. 109 ranked prospect overall. He was heavily recruited (including by UK) by such powers as Alabama, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. For his career at Tupelo High School in Mississippi, he had 2,034 receiving yards, 1,348 rushing yards, and 568 passing yards.

Since a six catch, 123 yard (one touchdown) performance against Georgia Tech earlier in the year (three game ago), Bumphis has made only eight catches for 78 yards.

Leon Berry -- 6'0", 195 lb junior wide receiver: The JUCO transfer has played quite well in his first year with the Dogs, making 14 catches for 170 yards (12.1 ypr). He also serves as MSU's primary punt and kick returner: Eight punts returned for 67 yards (8.4 ypr), and 28 kick-offs returned for a 26.3 yard average (one touchdown).

Berry, a Second Team JUCO All-America, caught 59 passes for 1,003 yards and nine touchdowns for East Mississippi Community College last season.

Brandon McCrae -- 6'4", 205 lb senior wide receiver: The Morehead State transfer has snagged 11 passes for 97 yards (8.8 ypr).

As a freshman at Morehead, McCrae led the team in receiving with 28 receptions for 361 yards (12.9 ypr) and one touchdown.

O'Neal Wilder -- 6'5", 215 lb redshirt freshman wide receiver: Wilder has caught 10 passes for 140 yards (14.0 ypr).

Coming out of high school, Wilder ran a 4.5 - 40, and ran a state (MS) best 48.3 in the 400 meters.

Marcus Green -- 6'1", 235 lb sophomore tight end: Green has made 21 catches or 258 yards (12.3 ypr) and two touchdowns.

Meet the Defensive Dogs

Jamar Chaney -- 6'1", 240 lb senior linebacker: Chaney is MSU's leading tackler with 58 (24 solo), to go along with 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, and two quarterback hurries -- Against UK in '07, Chaney, playing on a bum ankle, recorded three tackles; Versus Kentucky in '06, he made six tackles.

Released from his scholarship by Georgia prior to his freshman season, Chaney has made the most out of the change: For his career he's made 256 tackles, with 14.0 tackles for loss. He missed all but one game of the 2008 season because of a broken leg.

K. J. Wright -- 6'4", 215 lb junior linebacker: Wright has executed 55 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks -- Last season versus UK, Wright recorded seven tackles.

Pernell McPhee -- 6'4", 275 lb junior defensive lineman: McPhee leads the Bulldogs with 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and five quarterback hurries. The JUCO transfer from Itawamba (MS) CC, has recorded 33 tackles (21 solo).

Another major junior college talent, McPhee was heavily recruited by Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan and West Virginia. In his two-year JUCO career, he sacked the quarterback 33 times.

Chris White -- 6'3", 245 lb junior linebacker: Yet another JUCO transfer, White leads the team with 29 solo tackles (48 overall). He also has 3.5 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup.

White was First Team JUCO All-America last season out of Mississippi Gulf Coast CC. In his two years on the JC circuit, he recorded 204 tackles, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries (two returned for TD's).

Jonathan Banks -- 6'2", 170 lb freshman defensive back: Another true freshman contributor, Banks leads the SEC with four interceptions, with two "pick-sixes." He's made 16 tackles (11 solo).

Banks was considered the No. 63 "athlete" prospect out of high school by Rivals, and the No. 69 safety by Scout. He runs a 4.6 - 40.

Corey Bloomfield -- 5'10", 170 lb redshirt freshman defensive back: Bloomfield has made 13 tackles (9 solo), and picked-off three passes. He also has one pass breakup.

Bloomfield has some hops -- 34.1 inch vertical -- and some speed -- 4.5 - 40. He was rated the No. 56 cornerback prospect out of high school by ESPN.com.

Dog Biscuits

Florida ran for 249 yards against MSU last week ... Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was 12-22 with two interceptions ... Auburn's Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb rushed 36 times for 271 yards (7.5 ypc) against the Dogs in Auburn's 49-24 win versus State ... MSU held Auburn quarterback Chris Todd to only 10-23 for 186 yards ... Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer (2008 ACC Player of the Year) ran 16 times for 83 yards (5.2 ypc) in a 42-31 Jacket win versus MSU ... Yellow Jacket quarterback Josh Nesbitt threw for 266 yards and one touchdown, on 11-14 passing against the Bulldogs ... Houston Cougar running back Bryce Beall ran 15 times for 94 yards (6.3 ypc) and one touchdown in a 31-24 Cougar victory over State ... Cougar quarterback Casey Keenum threw for 434 yards and four touchdowns on 39-52 passing ... MSU lost to then-No. 7 LSU, then-No. 25 Georgia Tech, No. 1 Florida, and Houston, by an average of 8.0 points per game ... UK is 9-10 against MSU since 1990, but the 'Cats have won three of the last four contests ... MSU head coach Dan Mullen has coached No. 1 NFL pick Alex Smith (Utah), 6th round draft choice Josh Harris (Bowling Green University), former Florida quarterback Chris Leak, and current Gator QB Tim Tebow.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Tonights match-up promises to be a tight one -- Both team run the ball exceptionally well, yet neither defense stops the run with consistency. Both teams struggle with the passing game ... both offensively, and defensively. Both teams have an indispensable running back (Locke and Dixon), and both teams have indispensable hybrid athletes (Cobb, and a combination of Berry, Stallworth, and Bumphis).

Because of the "even-Steven" nature of the two combatants, turnovers and special teams could be the deciding factor in this most important of contests. UK Punter Ryan Tydlacka must (consistently) be on his game tonight, the 'Cat ball carriers must hold the pigskin smartly, and the coverage unit must fill their gaps, or risk costing the 'Cats the victory.

I'm sure coach Mullen has seen the tape of UK's victory over Auburn, and took note of the emasculation of the Tiger offense at the hands of the UK defense. So 'Cat fans, expect some Mullen creativity in an effort to foil the Wildcats' bid to shut down the State offensive attack. UK, as they did so well against Auburn, must "stay home" and fill the lanes, or it could be a long, cold, night of fear in Lexington.

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky 27 Mississippi State 24

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:15:35 -0000

More photos » by April L Brown - AP

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• Coming into this week’s games against Alabama, Ryan Mallett was the national leader in pass efficiency. As everyone knows, the Michigan transfer has a dynamite arm. As a freshman with the Wolverines, Mallett sometimes looked tentative in the pocket and strong-armed every pass he threw. Against Georgia, he showed good touch and looked like a future pro. Alabama is easily the best defense he’ll face all year.

• Also worth checking out in the Arkansas/Alabama game will be Tide cornerback Javier Arenas. He's a little small at 5-foot-9, but he's a play maker. He shows great anticipation and is very quick. He plays with a good bit of physicality and can be a terror against the run.

• This is a big week for Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate. A junior, Tate has been overshadowed this season by sophomore Michael Floyd. Now that Floyd is out for the year, Tate has the opportunity to assert himself as a top playmaker, especially against a below-average Purdue defense.

• Miami defensive end Eric Moncur is a great effort player and could give the Virginia Tech offensive line plenty of trouble on the outside. After missing all of last season and the first game of 2009, Moncur has showed great awareness. He was a big reason Miami was able to take of care Georgia Tech. Moncur doesn't have great size at 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, but he makes a lot of plays.

• Taylor Mays might be back this week for Southern California. He began practicing more intensely Thursday. Injured two weeks ago against Ohio State, Mays has to start playing much better to maintain his lofty draft status.

• Penn State senior defensive tackle Jared Odrick really has a chance to cement himself as a top interior prospect this week. He's been disruptive all season, but the Nittany Lions have played marginal competition. Against Iowa, he won't face premier linemen but the Hawkeyes always have technically sound and disciplined players.

• After being suspended the first game of the season, Mississippi State's Anthony Dixon has shown a good burst the past two games. Against Auburn and Vanderbilt, he's combined for 215 yards. Playing LSU this weekend will really test the 235-pound senior's mettle.

• If you're recording the Oklahoma State game, you might want to reconsider what you DVR. Possibly missing this week's game is cornerback Perrish Cox, wide receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter.

• Jerry Hughes has been dominant for TCU, and expect that domination to continue this week against Clemson. It's likely he'll line up against left tackle Chris Hairston who is coming back from a sprained MCL. On the year, Hughes has 16 tackles, 5 1/2 for loss and 4 1/2 sacks. However, those stats have come against Texas State and Virginia. Clemson isn't great competition either, so Hughes' numbers are slightly deceiving.

• This weekend against Stanford, the mental toughness of Washington quarterback Jake Locker could be tested. Coming off the biggest win of his career, it will be interesting to see if Locker is mentally prepared for a Cardinal team that has deceptive toughness and athleticism on its defense.

• Thus far in 2009, Georgia defensive tackle Geno Atkins has been a non-factor. Arizona State doesn't have the best interior blockers, so this could be Atkins' best chance of the year to show his dominance from 2007 before heading into SEC play.

Is It an Upset If Everyone Sees It Coming? Ole Miss 31, LSU 13 and other Week 13 action

cocknfire — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:03:20 -0000

Sorry to upset you. Or not ...

And the Valley Shook recap (LSU)

The Mayor and I had a discussion earlier this week about whether Ole Miss-LSU was really an upset if the Rebels could manage to win. Many nonpartisan SEC observers, after all, chose Ole Miss to win the game, and the 31-13 waxing in the Bayou on Saturday was not a fluke in any way.

LSU's line play, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, was disappointing; Tiger backs almost always found themselves running into a swarm of red jerseys, and non-quarterbacks ran for 21 yards. Meanwhile, Jevan Snead made the Bengals' secondary resemble a California forest on a cable-news show, completing 16 of 25 passes for 274 yards and 2 TDs. Ole Miss WR Mike Wallace fell just short of his fourth 100-yard game, grabbing five passes for 99 yards and a pair of scores.

The most exciting play of the game, by far, was Houston Nutt at his finest: A fake punt that LSU saw coming, but with a twist the Bengals weren't ready for, namely fullback Jason Cook passing to safety Kendrick Lewis for a 33-yard gain that set up the Rebels' second score. A few minutes later, Ole Miss lead 21-3, and the game was practically over.

Jarrett Lee was Jarrett Lee, though neither he nor Jordan Jefferson got much help from LSU's receiving corps. Jefferson came in after Lee actually completed a risky pass instead of having it returned for a pick-six; the interception machine was hit while throwing off his back foot, which is not an ideal position to be in when a very large defender tackles you.

Jarrett, are you okay? How many pick-sixes have you thrown this year?

The remainder of the game appeared to give LSU a quarterback of the future.

vs Mississippi / 11.22.08	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Jordan Jefferson	10	20	50.0	129	1	10	23	2.3	0

Jefferson also threw an interception, as did Lee, but the backup also threw several impressive passes, showed some accuracy and looks to have more mobility than the starter. If LSU's line doesn't improve, scrambilng ability could become a key factor in choosing who should play.

The loss makes the Bengals' showdown with Arkansas a must-win game; after all, a loss against the Hogs would leave LSU 7-5, a record more worthy of a Music City or Liberty Bowl contestant than an Outback or Peach Bowl visitor. The Cotton Bowl is out; upset or not, Mississippi won the right Saturday to play in Dallas.

AN IMPERFECT DREAM
Tennessee 20, Vanderbilt 10
Rocky Top Talk recap (Tennessee) :: Conquer and Prevail (Vanderbilt)

It's hard to know which game had more Tennessee Volunteer fans watching it -- this one or Texas Tech-Oklahoma, which featured a man some Rocky Top supporters hope will be the next coach of the Vols. Don't let the score deceive you; if they watched the Sooners demolish the Red Raiders, they watched the better football game.

The Vols-Dores contest, on the other hand, featured a combined six turnovers, 11 penalties and 456 yards of offense -- only 21 of those from Tennessee's passing, ahem, "attack." No one in this game played good football, and hardly anyone played football at all. (Eric Berry gave the game ball back to Fulmer and D.J. Moore wasn't much of a factor.)

Tennessee's offense was anemic, but Dave Clawson finally seems to have figured out that the best chance for the Vols is to run the ball, the run the ball and then run the ball. One could argue he discovered this about 10 games too late. Tennessee attemped nine passes, including four completions, and otherwise left things in the hands of Lennon Creer and Arian Foster, who combined for 153 of the Vols' 222 rushing yards.

For Vandy, the QB play was as mediocre as ever. Mackenzi Adams completed half his passes, and Chris Nickson's only completion of his five attempts netted -4 yards.

Of course, the Commodores will be going to a bowl game next month, and the Vols will stay home. But, for a day at least, Tennessee could still feel a bit better about itself than Vanderbilt.

MISSISSIPPI STATE? OFFENSE?!? WHO KNEW?
Mississippi State 31, Arkansas 28

Want to know how bad Arkansas' defense is? Just take a look at Tyson Lee's numbers from Saturday: 23-of-40, 219 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. Sure, you might have figured that Anthony Dixon had a 179-yard rushing performance in him -- but Tyson Lee?!? Really?

Not that the Bulldogs really shut down Arkansas' passing attack; Nathan Dick (brother of Casey) passed for 333 yards, completing 25 of his 43 attempts for three scores and a pick.

What sticks out about this game is the near-equality in most of the major stat categories: Mississippi State had 22 first downs to Arkansas' 20; the Bulldogs rung up 445 yards in total offense while Arkansas piled up 442; the time-of-possession edge for Mississippi State was a mere 70 seconds. Which is really what you would expect from a game between two bad teams playing out the string.

ELSEWHERE

Florida 70, The Citadel 19 :: Alligator Army recap (Florida)
This game officially became absurd when Chris Rainey hit 126 yards rushing with his fourth carry; he would end up with 142 on seven rushing attempts. Tim Tebow's nine completions gave him 201 yards passing, the most since the Oct. 11 demolition of LSU. When it was over, the Gators had 705 yards of total offense and their first 70-point effort since Steve Spurrier walked the sidelines.