SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : Dye Can’t Win, or Tie, and Auburn Loses

Trying to live down his nickname, Auburn’s Pat Dye went for the victory . . . and lost.

Southern Mississippi’s Brian Wood broke up a two-point conversion pass with 1:33 left Saturday and the Golden Eagles upset the 16th-ranked Tigers, 10-9, at Auburn, Ala.

Dye, known as “Pat Tie” because he has played for ties in the past, was thinking ahead to the bowl season when he called for the pass from Stan White to Tony Russell that would have given Auburn a victory instead of its second consecutive setback.

“We probably would have tried to tie if we had had time to get the ball back and win it,” Dye said.

“Losing a game like that doesn’t help you go to a New Year’s Day bowl. We moved the ball . . . but those stats don’t amount to much when you don’t get points.”

Auburn (3-2), which failed at crucial times all day, drove 58 yards for its only touchdown--a five-yard pass from White to Fred Baxter--before the missed two-point try.

Auburn failed to recover an onside kick and Southern Mississippi (3-2) ran out the clock.

“Our defense made the plays when they had to,” Southern Mississippi Coach Jeff Boser said.

The Golden Eagles, 12-point underdogs, beat Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium for the second consecutive season. Last season they rallied for a 13-12 victory.

Southern Mississippi, which never trailed, took the opening kickoff and went 77 yards in 11 plays for its only touchdown, a four-yard run by Roland Johnson.

Jim Von Wyl kicked a 30-yard field goal for Auburn with 1:27 left in the first quarter, and Lance Nations made a 20-yarder with 9:27 to go in the second to make it 10-3.

In the second quarter, Dye passed up a field goal and went for the first down on a fourth-and-four play at the Southern Mississippi 21. But White was pressured and his pass fell incomplete.

In the fourth quarter, Auburn misfired twice. Joe Frazier gained three yards on a fourth-and-four at the Eagles’ 31 and White fumbled on fourth and eight at the Southern Mississippi 35.

White had two passes intercepted by Rod Reed, one at the Golden Eagles’ eight-yard-line.

No. 20 Alabama 53, Tennessee Chattanooga 7--Siran Stacy ran for two touchdowns and Mark McMillian returned a pass interception a record 98 yards for a score as the Crimson Tide routed the Moccasins at Birmingham, Ala.

Stacy rushed for 109 yards, including scoring runs of one and 30 yards, and freshman David Palmer had 169 yards--81 on two catches, 46 on a kickoff return and 42 on five punt returns for Alabama.

Tennessee Chattanooga (3-2), an NCAA Division I-AA school, has lost all nine games it has played against Alabama (4-1).

Chattanooga scored first on a 14-yard pass from Kenyon Earl to Shoun Habersham.

Duke 17, Vanderbilt 13--Dave Brown connected with Brad Breedlove for a 36-yard go-ahead touchdown three minutes into the second half and the Blue Devils downed the Commodores at Durham, N.C.

Brown’s scoring pass gave Duke (3-1-1) a 10-7 lead, which Ray Wright increased to 17-7 with an 11-yard touchdown run with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

Mike Healey hit Clarence Sevillian on an 86-yard scoring pass play for Vanderbilt (1-4) with nine seconds left. Healey scored for the Commodores in the first half on a one-yard run.

Healey was sacked five times and threw three interceptions as Vanderbilt had five turnovers.

No. 13 Florida 16, Louisiana State 0--Shane Matthews passed for 220 yards and a touchdown, and Arden Czyzewski kicked three field goals to lead the Gators past the Tigers at Baton Rouge, La.

LSU (1-3, 1-2) was shut out for the first time since 1985, when Florida (4-2, 3-0) stopped the Tigers, 20-0.

Matthews hit Harrison Houston on a 35-yard touchdown pass play in the third quarter, the 37th scoring throw of his career--third-best in Florida history.

Mississippi 35, Kentucky 14--Russ Shows broke open the game with two touchdown passes and Darron Billings rushed for two scores as the Rebels beat the Wildcats at Lexington, Ky.

Shows hit Vincent Brownlee on a 28-yard touchdown pass to give Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1) a 21-7 lead with 6:26 left in the third quarter and connected with Tyrone Montgomery on a 60-yard scoring pass play with 9:11 left for a 28-14 margin.

Kentucky (2-2, 0-1) lost for the first time in its last 11 home games played at night.