Southeast Roundup : A Turncoat Leads Kentucky Past Georgia

Alfred Rawls got the last word against 11th-ranked Georgia.

Rawls, a native of Pitts, Ga., ran 48 yards for a 3rd-quarter touchdown to lead Kentucky to a 16-10 Southeastern Conference upset Saturday at Lexington, Ky.

Rawls, a junior college transfer, signed with Georgia out of high school, but he failed to meet academic standards.

“They were saying I’m a traitor and all,” Rawls said of the Georgia players. “But I was saying talk is cheap.

“I’ve been waiting for this one a long time. I’m keyed up for every game, but this was a special game.”

Rawls rushed 15 times for 128 yards, and Kentucky’s defense did the rest.

Kentucky (3-4 overall, 1-3 in the SEC), finally got an upset victory after losing its 2 previous games to Alabama, 31-27, and Louisiana State, 15-12.

Kentucky’s victory ended a 10-game losing streak against Georgia (5-2, 4-1).

Kentucky’s swarming defense recorded 3 sacks and caused 2 fumbles.

Rawls went off right tackle and raced down the sideline on his scoring run to give Kentucky a 13-10 lead as time expired in the 3rd quarter.

Kentucky, which had lost 8 straight SEC games, took a 7-0 lead on Ivy Joe Hunter’s 2-yard run late in the first period.

Georgia cut the margin to 7-3 on John Kasay’s 20-yard field goal with 4:09 left in the half. The Bulldogs attempted the field goal after failing to score a touchdown on 3 running attempts inside the 9.

Tim Worley gave Georgia a 10-7 lead with a 1-yard, 4th-down dive with 11:24 left in the 3rd quarter. Worley also had a 31-yard run in the 6-play, 39-yard drive.

Ken Willis added a 29-yard field goal with 10:43 to play for Kentucky.

Georgia, which was averaging 300.3 rushing yards a game, gained only 175 yards.

Alabama 8, Penn State 3--David Smith’s passing set up 2 field goals by Philip Doyle that carried the Crimson Tide past the Nittany Lions at Birmingham, Ala.

Doyle kicked a 39-yard field goal in the second quarter for a 3-0 lead, and broke a 3-3 tie with a 35-yarder with 4:10 left in the 3rd quarter.

Alabama (5-1) added a safety early in the final quarter when Derrick Thomas sacked Tony Sacca for a safety. Penn State (4-3) had a net of minus 9 yards in the 2nd half.

Smith completed 5 passes for 41 yards in Alabama’s 48-yard drive to Doyle’s first field goal with 6:35 left in the 2nd quarter. Smith connected on 3 passes for 25 yards to set up the tiebreaking field goal.

Auburn 33, Mississippi State 0--James Joseph ran for 126 yards, and Shan Morris intercepted 3 passes as the 10th-ranked Tigers, the nation’s top defensive team, shut down the Bulldogs in an SEC game at Auburn, Ala.

The Bulldogs (11-6, 0-4) lost their 6th game in a row as quarterback Tony Shell tossed 5 interceptions and lost a fumble in the 1st half.

The Tigers (6-1, 3-1) have beaten Mississippi State 7 consecutive times.

Mississippi 36, Vanderbilt 28--Mark Young threw 4 touchdown passes, and the Rebels scored 22 points in the 4th quarter to defeat the Commodores in an SEC game at Nashville, Tenn.

Vanderbilt (3-4, 2-3) had a 28-14 lead before Young threw touchdown passes of 23 yards to Willie Green, 27 yards to Pat Coleman and 3 yards to Wesley Walls.

The Rebels (4-3, 2-2) also got an 18-yard field goal from Bryan Owen in the 4th quarter.

Tennessee 38, Memphis State 25--Sophomore Tony Thompson rushed for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns and the Volunteers broke a 6-game losing streak by beating the Tigers at Memphis.

Memphis State (3-4) has not beaten Tennessee (1-6) in 12 games since 1968.