SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : Vanderbilt Gets Call; LSU Falls

Louisiana State’s celebration didn’t last long.

Just when it appeared a Hail Mary pass had given the Tigers a victory over Vanderbilt Saturday in a Southeastern Conference game at Nashville, Tenn., it was ruled that Todd Kinchen, who caught the pass, pushed cornerback Derek Wilham.

The offensive pass-interference call enabled the Commodores to pull off a 24-21 upset.

Marcus Wilson, a sophomore quarterback making his first start, scored on a four-yard run with 1:09 left, giving Vanderbilt the lead.

But Chad Loup brought the Tigers right back, moving LSU from its own eight to the Commodore 42. On fourth and 10 from the 42, the freshman lofted the ball into the air, and Kinchen came down with it between a pair of Vanderbilt defenders in the end zone.

But the apparent touchdown was wiped out by the pass-interference call, and Vanderbilt took over with three second left.

The victory allowed Vanderbilt, 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the SEC, to snap a 10-game losing streak. LSU is now 2-1 and 1-1.

Wilson rushed for 136 yards in 29 carries as he turned in a near flawless performance in guiding the Vanderbilt wishbone offense.

Wilson gave way to backup Mike Healey after LSU had grabbed a 21-17 lead on a 16-yard run by Odell Beckham with 3:34 left. Healey took the Commodores from their own 21-yard line to the LSU four.

Then Wilson returned and, on the first play, faked to Carlos Thomas off right tackle and followed his fullback into the end zone.

No. 19 Florida 27, Furman 3--The Gators methodically pulled away from the nation’s top-ranked Division I-AA team at Gainesville, Fla.

Errict Rhett rushed for 98 yards in his first college start and Shane Matthews passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns to pace Florida (3-0).

Furman, a perennial I-AA power that plays one game a year against a major college opponent, fell to 3-1. The Paladins averaged 41 points per game in their first three games but were limited to a first-quarter field goal.

Although the score was lopsided, Florida’s performance was sloppy. The Gators, with superior size, wore down the Paladins despite throwing two interceptions and losing two fumbles.

Mississippi State 13, Southern Mississippi 10--History repeated itself as Joel Logan kicked a 41-yard field goal with 3:01 left to give the Bulldogs (2-1) of the SEC a nonconference victory over the Eagles (2-2), an independent, at Starkville, Miss.

Last year, Logan’s field goal with four seconds left gave Mississippi State a 26-23 victory over Southern Mississippi, which still leads this series 14-12-1.

The Eagles got a chance to win Saturday night, but Jim Taylor’s 47-yard field-goal attempt with 1:15 left was wide left.

North Carolina 16, Kentucky 13--Clint Gwaltney kicked three field goals--the last a career-best 50-yarder with 4:31 left--and the Tar Heels (3-1) of the Atlantic Coast Conference won a nonconference game against the SEC Wildcats (1-3) at Chapel Hill, N.C.