Random Thoughts from Week 10 Games

Florida rebounded nicely from its loss last week to demolish Vanderbilt on Saturday. QB Tebow set the SEC record for most rushing TDs by a QB with 14, and the Gators are still at least mathematically able to defend their SEC East crown. BMF Percy Harvin had his best all-around game of the season, rushing for 113 yds and catching 9 passes for 110 yds. The dynamic duo will have another opportunity to shine on the ground this weekend as they take on South Carolina and their beleaguered run defense. Tebow seemed to show improvement from last week in coping with a dinged up right shoulder.

As for the Commodores, their defense could hold the Gators early. By half, they’d surrendered 350+ yds, 19 FDs, and TDs on 5 of UF’s first 6 drives. Most discouraging though, should be their inability to get WR Bennett the ball against a Gator pass D that ranks last in the conference. Bennett did catch 5 balls, but totaled only 31 yds receiving. VU QBS combined to go just 18/35 for 162 yds and 2 INTs. Vandy needs only 1 win for bowl eligibility, but with remaining games against Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wake Forest, that 6th win is not a gimme. They’ll need Bennett to step up and make a play at some point to win any of those games.

Predictably, Georgia wasn’t able to match its intensity from the big win over Florida. The ‘Dawgs held a tenuous 7-pt lead early in the 4th after another Troy TD, but, as usual, they rode RB Moreno down the stretch to victory. Moreno joined the great Hercshel Walker as the only UGA freshmen to rush for 1,000 yds in a season. With a major drought affecting much of the southeast, the Georgia Athletic Department has adopted something of a Bernie Focker policy about toilet flushage.

Congratulations to the Ole Miss Rebels, who managed to score 30 points for the first time under HC Orgeron. Forget the fact it was against a 1-AA team, and the Rebel D surrendered 31 points and nearly 500 yds of offense themselves against Northwestern State, Orgeron’s alma mater. How disinterested is the Rebel Nation right now? An announced attendance of 23, 283? Wow. RB Green-Ellis, who somehow had only 2 rushing TDS going into Saturday’s game rushed 17 times for 120 yds and 3 TDs. I wonder if he wishes he would have stayed at Indiana, they wrapped up a bowl bid with a win over Testicle Tech Ball State Saturday afternoon…

Every week that goes by, LSU HC Miles decision making process gets more and more… um… interesting. A gimmick play on 4th and inches when you’ve got Jacob Hester in the backfield? Really? That’s what you deem the appropriate call to be? It’s a damn good thing for the Tiger Nation that their talent is superior to everyone else’s. Otherwise, LSU could legitimately have 2 other losses. ESPN’s Ivan Maisel brings up that point in his latest column. But kudos to QB Matt Flynn for shaking off one of the worst quarters in SEC history to finish that game like he did. Who knows if Perrilloux can stay out of trouble long enough to see the field again this season? The pressure is all on Flynn.

As for Alabama, they played admirably against a superior opponent, but without Doyle Jackson in the replay booth, came up a little short against the Tigers. You’d be hard pressed to convince anyone with a functioning brain cell that Nick Saban isn’t a better coach than Les Miles, but his post-game comment to Miles about “having a great team” was another one of those moments that make the Saban-haters ruffle. With the soapbox he’s climbed on this year regarding fan behavior and academics at opposing schools, his bitter in defeat act is falling on deaf ears. Something tells me Magic Man wasn’t dancing after this one.

It was merely 3 weeks ago that South Carolina was #6 in the country and the BCS poll and in control of the SEC East. But an injury-depleted defense and an inconsistent offense have led to 3 straight losses, including Saturday night’s loss to Arkansas in which they gave up 652 yds, including 541 yds rushing. It’s tough to compile those stats on PS or Xbox. HC Spurrier has turned the offense back over to SR QB Mitchell, as FR QB Smelley had been ineffective his last few starts.

While the Gamecocks have been stumbling as of late, the Hogs have been rolling. They’re averaging 50 ppg the last 3 weeks and the rumblings about HC Nutt have at least quieted somewhat. RB McFadden rushed for 323 yards Saturday night, then managed to lose 2 yds Sunday after film was reviewed and he was credited with on of RB Jones’ 3 yd carries, and was shorted a yd on one of his own runs. If there were any lingering questions about who the best offensive player in the country, they were certainly answered in front of a national audience Saturday night.