SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : Florida Pulls Away From Alabama, 35-0

Maybe Steve Spurrier should have gone out on a limb. Sixth-ranked Florida’s defense would have backed him up.

Still angry that a Birmingham columnist wrote he had predicted a 30-point victory over Alabama, the Gator coach refused to acknowledge the controversy even after watching his team pulverize the No. 16 Crimson Tide, 35-0, Saturday night at Gainesville, Fla.

“I didn’t predict a big margin,” Spurrier said after the Florida defense forced five turnovers and didn’t allow Alabama to advance closer than the Gator 25.

“I did tell a group of Golden Gators, some guys who are over 70 years old, that if we were able to beat them that we’d dedicate the game to them,” the coach added. “They had never seen the Gators beat Alabama here.”

Shane Matthews staggered Alabama with two third-quarter touchdown passes and then used a powerful running attack led by Errict Rhett to finish off the Crimson Tide.

Rhett ran for 170 yards and one touchdown and Matthews finished with 15 completions in 27 attempts for 251 yards and three touchdowns as the Gators beat their longtime Southeastern Conference nemesis for the first time in seven tries at Gainesville.

“It certainly was a lot closer than 35-0,” Spurrier said. “I have all the respect in the world for the defensive team at Alabama. It seemed like maybe they lost their enthusiasm when we got some points.”

Matthews broke up a defensive struggle with scoring passes of 23 yards to Tre Everett and 13 yards to Willie Jackson after Florida built a 6-0 halftime.

Alabama quarterback Danny Woodson, who lost two fumbles, suffered a bruised right elbow late in the second quarter and was replaced by Jay Barker.

No. 15 Auburn 23, Mississippi 13--Freshmen Thomas Bailey returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown and Joe Frazier ran 59 yards for a score to give the Tigers a Southeastern Conference victory over the Rebels at Auburn, Ala.

Bailey’s punt return, the third-longest in Auburn history, came with only 25 seconds left in the half and seemed to wake up the Tigers, who trailed, 6-3, at the time.

Auburn (2-0) put the game out of reach in the second half with Frazier’s touchdown and two of Jim Von Wyl’s three field goals. The Tigers have won nine the last nine games in the series since 1965.

No. 25 Mississippi State 48, Tulane 0--Sophomore quarterback Greg Plump, starting in place of injured starter William (Sleepy) Robinson, ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to lead the Bulldogs at Starkville, Miss.

With Robinson out with a severe ankle sprain. Plump stepped in and completed eight of 11 passes for 110 yards while rushing nine times for 63 yards. He had touchdown runs of nine and 19 yards and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Trenell Edwards as State took a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

The Bulldogs are 3-0 for the first time since 1986. Tulane is 0-3.

Vanderbilt 14, SMU 11--Carlos Thomas ran 32 yards for a touchdown and Rico Francis returned an interception 31 yards for a score as Commodores ended the nation’s third longest losing streak with a victory over Southern Methodist at Nashville, Tenn.

The victory marked the fifth consecutive season the Commodores (1-1) of the Southeastern Conference have won their home opener, and it ended an 11-game Vanderbilt losing streak.

SMU (0-2) has lost 12 games in a row. Cal State Fulleron has the longest Division I-A losing steak at 13.