Southeast Roundup : Ellis, South Carolina Stun Georgia, 23-10

Todd Ellis was getting tired of slicing up Georgia’s defense and losing.

Ellis passed for more than 300 yards against the Bulldogs for the third straight season, but this time the No. 14 Gamecocks came away with a 23-10 victory over sixth-ranked Georgia Saturday at Columbia, S.C.

“This game to me means more than a lot of other games, just because of the nature of the games we’ve had with them the past couple of years,” Ellis said. “Because of the heartbreaks I’ve had the last few years, this one means a lot to me.”

Ellis completed 28 of 43 passes for 321 yards to give him 1,033 yards this season. The junior also threw for a touchdown and suffered his first interception in 117 attempts this season.

The Gamecocks (4-0) took command in the second quarter on a pair of long drives before 74,800--the fourth-largest crowd ever at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Fullback Keith Bing completed an 80-yard drive with a 4-yard run that gave the Gamecocks a 10-3 lead with 8:09 left in the first half.

Ellis hit 8 straight passes on the Gamecocks’ next possession, including a 36-yard touchdown throw to freshman Robert Brooks with 1:48 left in the half.

Collin Mackie added field goals of 23, 42 and 41 yards as South Carolina won its 12th straight game at home and beat Georgia (3-1) for the second time in their last nine meetings.

Auburn 38, Tennessee 6--Reggie Slack threw 2 touchdown passes and ran for another as the fifth-ranked Tigers trounced the winless Volunteers in an SEC game at Auburn, Ala.

Auburn (3-0, 2-0) converted 3 Tennessee fumbles into touchdowns in the third quarter to blow open what was a 10-6 halftime lead.

Tennessee (0-4, 0-3), off to its worst start in 25 years, scored on Chip McCallum’s field goals of 24 and 38 yards in the first half.

Kentucky 38, Kent State 14--Ivy Joe Hunter scored on touchdown runs of 19 yards and 3 yards as the Wildcats overpowered the Golden Flashes in a nonconference game at Lexington, Ky.

Glenn Fohr, one of four quarterbacks used by Kentucky (2-2), completed the Wildcats’ first touchdown pass of the season on a 10-yard screen pass to Andy Murray.

Kentucky scored twice more in the first quarter after a pair of fumbles by Kent State quarterback Patrick Young, setting up a 42-yard field goal by Ken Willis and a 7-yard touchdown run by tailback Alfred Rawls.

After Kentucky built a 17-0 lead, Patrick Young put Kent State (2-2) on a 15-yard run with 9:41 left in the first half.

Florida 17, Mississippi State 0--Emmitt Smith ran for 2 touchdowns, including a school-record 96-yarder, and the 20th-ranked Gators downed the Bulldogs in an SEC game at Gainesville, Fla.

Smith, who had 164 yards in 13 carries, has gained more than 100 yards in 7 consecutive games and 12 of 14 games in his career.

Florida (4-0, 2-0) racked up its third shutout of the season.

Florida’s defense, which has given up just 15 points this season, dominated the game. The Gators had 4 pass interceptions, 2 of which set up first-half scores, and blocked a punt.

Mississippi State (1-3, 0-3) watched its best scoring threat evaporate late in the game when Florida’s Louis Oliver intercepted Tony Shell’s pass at the goal line. The Bulldogs’ Joel Logan missed a 40-yard first-half field goal.