SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : Alabama-Miami Showdown Looms

The guys in the back of the Tiger Stadium press box, the ones wearing Sugar Bowl blazers, were smiling--and keeping their fingers crossed.

Within minutes of No. 3 Alabama’s 31-11 victory over Louisiana State on Saturday at Baton Rogue, La., top-ranked Washington fell to Arizona.

Alabama and No. 2 Miami are each poised to move up a notch in the polls and, under the new bowl alliance, could meet in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Alabama must win the Southeastern Conference’s West Division, which it can clinch next week against Mississippi State, and then the SEC title game against the East winner. It also must beat Auburn.

Miami also would have to win its last three games--against Temple, at Syracuse, at San Diego State--in order to retain its top ranking and set up the national championship game at the Superdome in New Orleans.

“We are a long ways away from thinking about anything else but getting in the (SEC) championship game,” Alabama Coach Gene Stallings said. “I tell you we had our hands full today.”

Chris Anderson ran for 149 yards in only 15 carries as Alabama, 9-0 overall and 6-0 in the SEC, won its 19th consecutive game--the second-longest winning streak in college football. Miami, idle Saturday, has won 26 straight; Washington had won 22 in a row before losing to Arizona.

Anderson’s 56-yard run in the opening drive of the second half set up a touchdown that made it 24-5.

Sherman Williams had 69 yards in 10 carries and added his second touchdown on a 24-yard run to clinch the game with 4:04 left.

It was the seventh consecutive loss for LSU (1-8, 1-6) and eighth of the season, both school records.

No. 19 Mississippi State 10, Arkansas 3--The Bulldog defense prepared for its SEC showdown against Alabama next Saturday by shutting down the Razorbacks at Starkville, Miss.

A week earlier, Mississippi State (7-2, 4-2) gave up 36 points to Kentucky in a one-point victory, but the defense redeemed itself against Arkansas (2-6-1, 2-4-1).

After kicking a field goal on its opening drive, Arkansas ended its remaining possessions with two turnovers, six punts and two losses on downs.

The defense even scored Mississippi State’s only touchdown. On Arkansas’ second possession, Jeff Savage fumbled at his 10. Charlie Davidson picked it up and waltzed in untouched for a 7-3 Bulldog lead.

Mississippi 17, Memphis State 12--Russ Shows passed for one touchdown and ran for one at Oxford, Miss., and the Ole Miss defense had eight sacks as the Rebels snapped the Tigers’ five-game winning streak.

Michael Lowery’s interception at the 31 with 1:56 left stopped a Memphis State drive and secured a winning season for Ole Miss (6-3).

Memphis State (5-4) held the ball for all but three plays of the third quarter. But the Tigers could manage only field goals of 24 and 51 yards by Joe Allison.

South Carolina 14, Louisiana Tech 13--Frank Adams scored on a 91-yard kickoff return and stopped Louisiana Tech’s last drive with an interception as the Gamecocks (4-5) squeaked past the Bulldogs (5-4) in a nonconference game at Columbia, S.C.

South Carolina had only 118 yards of offense, and got the game-winning points on a 37-yard interception return by Ernest Dixon late in the third quarter. The interception was initially grabbed by 290-pound freshman nose guard Mike Washington, who handed off to Dixon on the left sideline.

Vanderbilt 20, Kentucky 7--Linebacker Brad Brown returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter at Lexington, Ky., and the Commodores (3-5, 2-4) held the Wildcats (4-5, 2-5) to a season-low 123 yards.