Southeast Roundup : Vanderbilt Just Misses Upset Bid, and Settles for a Tie With Georgia

A 13-13 tie with 16th-ranked Georgia brought no tears of joy to Vanderbilt Saturday.

Instead, the Commodores wept for a lost opportunity.

“There isn’t anybody on our team that is happy or satisfied with a tie,” Vanderbilt Coach George MacIntyre said. “There wasn’t a dry eye in our dressing room, and that’s important. We must be teaching them the right ideas.

“I think Georgia is a fine football team and will have a great year. But we’re certainly not excited about just tying them.”

A homecoming crowd of 41,137 at Nashville, Tenn., held its breath in the final seconds as Vanderbilt kicker Alan Herline pushed a possible game-winning, 44-yard field-goal attempt to the right, allowing Georgia to escape with a tie. Herline had hit on attempts of 18 and 46 yards.

“I thought we played great and should have won,” said Vanderbilt freshman quarterback Tim Richardson. “We had a good chance to win.

“I think if you don’t win, it’s just the same as a loss.”

Richardson came off the bench and hit 17 of 24 passes for 181 yards after starting quarterback John Gromos, another freshman, was sidelined late in the second quarter with a bruised sternum. Gromos hit on 8 of 11 passes for 84 yards.

The tie leaves Georgia at 4-1-1 overall and 1-1-1 in the SEC, while Vanderbilt is 2-4-1 and 0-2-1.

Florida 45, SW Louisiana 0--Kerwin Bell completed 15 of 22 passes for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns at Gainesville, Fla., as the fifth-ranked Gators (5-0-1) extended the nation’s longest unbeaten streak to 16 games.

The loss dropped Southwestern Louisiana to 3-5.

Bell connected on touchdown pass plays of 70 yards to Neal Anderson, 55 yards to Ray McDonald and 12 yards to Eric Hodges.

He left the game late in the third quarter, and his backup, Rodney Brewer, teamed with Hodges on a 66-yard scoring play on his first pass attempt.

Auburn 17, Georgia Tech 14--At Atlanta, Bo Jackson rushed for 242 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth period, to give No. 8 Auburn a come-from-behind victory.

The underdog Yellow Jackets led, 14-10, going into the final quarter. But Jackson, the nation’s leading rusher with 1,233 yards in six games, broke loose on the fourth play of the final quarter.

Jackson became Auburn’s career rushing leader by raising his total to 3,750 yards. He began the day 16 yards behind previous record-holder James Brooks.

Georgia Tech (4-2) drove to Auburn’s 35 and later to its 34 after Jackson’s long touchdown run, but both times the Tigers (5-1) held on fourth-and-one and took over on downs.

Louisiana State 10, Kentucky 0--At Baton Rouge, La., junior quarterback Doug Powell replaced an ineffective Jeff Wickersham and guided the 17th-ranked Tigers to two fourth-quarter scores.

Powell entered a scoreless game midway through the final quarter. He completed two 10-yard passes to running back Garry James to set up Ron Lewis’ 43-yard field goal for the game’s first points.

After linebacker Michael Brooks returned an interception 15 yards to the Wildcat 100 in the final minute, Dalton Hilliard scored on a 10-yard run to clinch LSU’s fourth victory in five games. The Tigers are now 2-1 in the SEC, while Kentucky is 4-2 and 1-1.

Wickersham, booed frequently by his own fans, left the game with 6:17 left after completing 22 of 41 passes for 198 yards. He also threw two interceptions. Powell was 3 for 5 for 20 yards in his brief appearance.

Hilliard carried 24 times for 85 yards, leading all rushers.

For Kentucky, Kevin Dooley, starting in place of injured Bill Ransdell, completed 10 of 26 passes for 41 yards.

Mississippi St. 31, Tulane 27--Quarterback Don Smith scored from two yards out with two seconds to play as two-touchdown favorite Mississippi State drove 82 yards in 45 seconds to salvage a victory at Starkville, Miss.

Mississippi State (5-2) appeared to be an upset victim with the ball on its 18 and no timeouts left following a Tulane punt. But Smith connected on three long passes, the last 37 yards to James Bloodworth to put the ball on the Tulane two with seven seconds remaining.