SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : Barker Leads Alabama, 31-10

Jay Barker completed a career-best 25 of 39 passes for 285 yards as No. 4-ranked Alabama won its 18th in a row with a 31-10 victory over Mississippi Saturday in a Southeastern Conference game at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama, one of the nation’s better rushing teams, had to change its run-first, pass-second philosophy against a blitzing Ole Miss defense. But as Barker said earlier in the week, “You live by the blitz, you die by the blitz.”

After Saturday’s game, Barker said: “Mississippi was bringing about eight guys up to stop the run all day. We had lots of one-on-one coverage and when it’s like that, our talented receivers just make my job easier.”

Alabama, 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the SEC, put the Rebels off balance with a lot of short passes to both sides of the field.

“They kept our defense running from sideline to sideline with those quick passes,” Ole Miss Coach Billy Brewer said. “They had a good plan.”

The Crimson Tide moved within one victory of clinching at least a tie for the Western Division title and a spot in the first SEC championship game.

Ole Miss (4-3, 3-3) was eliminated from contention with its seventh loss in the last eight games against Alabama.

Alabama, which was averaging 241 yards per game rushing, 11th best in the country, was held to 83 yards by Ole Miss.

Barker, a sophomore who is undefeated in 12 college starts, more than made up for any shortcomings on the ground with his career day.

Barker threw a 22-yard scoring pass to David Palmer and accounted for most of the yardage on three other Alabama scoring drives. Barker’s previous career bests were 14 completions, 27 attempts and 192 yards.

Alabama’s defense, the best in the nation, allowed a touchdown in the first half for the first time this season. But it got to spend most of the second half on the sideline as the Crimson Tide held the ball for almost 22 minutes.

No. 20 Florida 31, Louisville 17--Shane Matthews completed 32 of 46 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns and became his school’s all-time passing yardage leader in directing the Gators to a homecoming victory over the Cardinals at Gainesville, Fla.

“Louisville is no homecoming patsy,” Matthews said. “They are a good team, and it feels better to beat them than to get an easy victory.”

Matthews, with 7,605 passing yards in 28 regular-season games, moved ahead of Kerwin Bell in the Florida record book. Bell threw for 7,585 yards while playing for Florida from 1984-87.

Willie Jackson scored on receptions of 22 and six yards, Tre Everett caught a 29-yard touchdown pass, and Errict Rhett rushed for 91 yards in 29 carries as the Gators (4-2) won their 16th in a row at home.

Louisville (3-5) overcame a slow start to give the two-touchdown favorite a scare before a fourth-quarter interception helped Florida put the Cardinals away.

Florida, which had four turnovers, struggled more than its 413 total yards would indicate.

No. 25 Mississippi State 56, Arkansas State 6--A back-to-basics approach was just what the Bulldogs needed to get their offense rolling. Sticking almost exclusively to the ground, Mississippi State’s option attack amassed 539 yards in this nonconference game at Starkville, Miss. The 56 points matched its biggest scoring output in 18 years.

In its two previous games, including a 21-6 loss a week ago to then-winless South Carolina, Mississippi State (5-2) managed only one long touchdown drive.

“We went back to our style of play,” said Mississippi State offensive coordinator Watson Brown.

Karl Williamson scored three touchdowns on short runs and Mississippi State managed 464 yards on the ground in 73 rushes before a near-sellout homecoming crowd of 39,566.

Winning for 14th consecutive time against Indians, Mississippi State took control early and never had to punt. Arkansas State (1-7) managed only six first downs and 18 yards rushing.

Auburn 25, Southwestern Louisiana 24--Scott Etheridge kicked a 30-yard field goal with 14 seconds left at Auburn, Ala., as the Tigers overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half.

Auburn (5-3) got the ball with 1:55 remaining and went 51 yards on the decisive drive.

Etheridge also had field goals of 43, 38 and 20 yards as Auburn ended a two-game losing streak by holding off the big-play attack of Southwestern Louisiana (2-6). The Ragin’ Cajuns fell behind, 10-0, early and then scored 24 consecutive points.

South Carolina 21, Vanderbilt 17--Quarterback Blake Williamson ran six yards for a touchdown and the Gamecocks forced two turnovers in the last 2 1/2 minutes as they rallied for an SEC victory at Nashville, Tenn.

Freshman quarterback Steve Taneyhill moved the Gamecocks (2-5, 2-4) to the 15, but he was forced out of the game after taking a hit to his right arm. Williamson, replaced by Taneyhill as starter a week ago, came in and capped a 71-yard drive with his run with 7:18 left.

A fumble and an interception killed two late drives by Vanderbilt (2-5, 1-4).