Southeast Roundup : Stacy Stars as Tide Beats Memphis State

It took Siran Stacy a long time to get back to Alabama, but when he arrived he made it “an emotional happening.”

A junior starting his first game at Alabama, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound halfback tied two school records in scoring four times as the 16th-ranked Crimson Tide defeated Memphis State, 35-7, Saturday at Birmingham, Ala.

“I’ve dreamed about playing here all my life,” said Stacy, who went from Geneva, Ala., to Coffeeville Junior College in Kansas, where he led all junior college players in scoring last season.

Stacy was the first Alabama runner since 1945 to gain more than 100 yards in his first game, winding up with 169, including scoring runs of 44 and 64 yards against the winless Tigers.

Stacy, who also scored from the six and one, tied the school record for most rushing touchdowns in a game and most points in a game.

Tennessee 28, Duke 6--Reggie Cobb ran for three touchdowns and 109 yards, including a career-high 61-yard run, to lead the 17th-ranked Volunteers to a victory over the Blue Devils at Knoxville, Tenn.

Duke (1-2) threatened several times using their vaunted passing attack, but could only manage two field goals.

Tennessee (3-0) stopped the Blue Devils with key interceptions by Darryl Hardy, Mark Fletcher and Earnest Fields.

Auburn 24, So. Mississippi 3--James Joseph rushed for a career-high 149 yards in 23 carries and Lamar Rogers led a relentless Auburn defense as the No. 5 Tigers defeated the Golden Eagles at Auburn, Ala.

The Auburn defense, one of the nation’s toughest in 1988, held its opponent without a touchdown for the second straight week as the Tigers improved to 2-0.

Southern Miss, which upset then-No. 3 Florida State to open the season, could not put together a touchdown drive as Rogers and Craig Ogletree continuously pressured quarterback Brett Favre, dropping the Golden Eagles to 1-2.

Georgia 15, Baylor 3--Quarterback Greg Talley scored on a four-yard run and John Kasay kicked three field goals to lead the Bulldogs to a win the Bears at Athens, Ga., making Bulldog Coach Ray Goff’s debut a successful one.

Baylor (0-2) took a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Jeff Ireland, but Georgia (1-0) scored 12 consecutive points to take a 12-3 halftime lead.

Florida 34, Louisiana Tech 7--Kyle Morris threw long scoring passes to three receivers as the Gators ended a streak of 10 consecutive games without a touchdown pass at Gainesville, Fla.

Ernie Mills and Tony Lomack scored on pass plays of 69 and 84 yards, respectively, and Morris threw 43 yards to Terence Barber for a third-quarter touchdown that helped the Gators pull away from a 10-7 halftime lead.

Florida (1-1) had not scored on a touchdown pass since beating Indiana State, 58-0, on Sept. 17, 1988.

The three that Morris threw Saturday equaled his total of all last season, when Gators lost five of their last six games.

Louisiana Tech is now 1-2.

Kentucky 13, North Carolina 6--Alfred Rawls scored a seven-yard touchdown on the opening series and the Wildcats’ defense dominated the Tar Heels at Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky (2-0) drove 72 yards in 11 plays with Rawls going around left end for the score with 10:03 left in the first period for a 7-0 lead.

Kentucky’s Ken Willis connected on a 33-yard field goal for a 10-3 halftime advantage and added a career-long 50-yard kick in the third quarter.

North Carolina is now 1-1.

Mississippi 34, Arkansas St. 31--John Darnell threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns as the Rebels rallied in the second half at Oxford, Miss.

Darrell had touchdown passes of 57, 42 and 46 yards to senior flanker Pat Coleman. With five receptions, Coleman had 200 yards--a school record.