SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : For Alabama, No. 27 Is Easy Pickings, 56-3

Louisiana Tech’s Eric Redmon summed it up pretty well after No. 2 Alabama overpowered the Bulldogs, 56-3, in a nonconference game Saturday at Birmingham, Ala.

“I’m glad that it’s over,” he said.

Sherman Williams ran for three touchdowns and Brian Burgdorf and David Palmer connected on pass plays for two more as Alabama (4-0) extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 27 games.

Louisiana Tech (0-3) once again failed to score its first touchdown of the season. The Bulldogs have been outscored, 140-6.

“I’m tired of learning adversity,” Tech Coach Joe Raymond Peace said. “Games like these past three do not make us better.”

Alabama quarterback Jay Barker got his 21st straight victory as a starter but came out for good late in the first quarter with an abdominal injury. After that, Burgdorf and freshman Freddie Kitchens directed an Alabama offense that virtually moved the ball at will.

“We just had a whole lot more football players than Louisiana Tech,” Crimson Tide coach Gene Stallings said. “We’re in somewhat of a dilemma in a game such as this because that’s two games in two where our first unit didn’t play much in the second half.”

Williams rushed for more than 100 yards for the fourth straight game, finishing the day with 104. Williams sat out much of the third quarter, but Stallings put him back in so he would have a chance for the 100-yard mark.

Tech, playing the Tide for only the third time, scored its first points ever against Alabama on a 42-yard field goal by Chris Boniol with 2:09 remaining in the third quarter. The kick capped a nine-play drive that included an 18-yard run by Redmon.

No. 11 Tennessee 42, Louisiana State 20--Heath Shuler threw three touchdown passes and his brother, Benji, caught one from Jerry Colquitt as No. 11 Tennessee rolled to a Southeastern Conference victory at Knoxville, Tenn.

Shuler threw touchdown passes of eight yards to Cory Fleming, 11 yards to Billy Williams and 24 yards to Craig Faulkner as the Vols (3-1, 2-1) scored on four straight possessions around the halftime break to take control.

LSU fell to 1-3 and 1-2.

Shuler played just two series in the second half and finished 13 of 19 for 166 yards.

Tennessee also got short touchdown runs from James (Little Man) Stewart and Aaron Hayden. Benji Shuler’s score came on a nine-yard pass play.

No. 25 Auburn 35, Southern Mississippi 24--Auburn blew a 14-point lead before coming back to beat the Golden Eagles in an nonconference game at Auburn, Ala.

Auburn (4-0), off to its best start in five years, led 21-7 at halftime and appeared to be firmly in control. But Southern Miss, a heavy underdog, stunned the crowd of 83,476 by scoring two touchdowns and a field goal in the first nine minutes of the third quarter to take a 24-21 lead.

Auburn began a comeback of its own late in the third quarter after Southern Miss (1-2) punted. The drive started at midfield, and it took only three plays before Stan White connected with Thomas Bailey on a 40-yard touchdown pass play that put Auburn ahead to stay.

James Bostic of Auburn, who gained 116 yards in 25 carries, scored on touchdown runs of three, four and six yards.

Auburn has not won its first four games since 1988, when the Tigers also began 4-0 en route to a 10-2 season and a share of the SEC championship. The Tigers are on probation this season and ineligible for the league title.

Southern Miss sophomore Kevin Bentley, making his first start, passed for two touchdowns.

Mississippi 31, Georgia 14--Quarterback Lawrence Adams shook off the effects of three first-half interceptions and threw two touchdown passes to lead the Rebels in an SEC game at Oxford, Miss.

Georgia (1-3 overall and 0-3 in the SEC for the first time since 1956) turned two of the interceptions into scores, but Mississippi’s defense turned the tables.

Bulldog quarterback Eric Zeier was intercepted once and fumbled twice, one of which was returned by Abdul Jackson for a third-quarter touchdown that gave Mississippi (3-1, 2-1 SEC) a 24-14 lead.

Mississippi beat Georgia for only the second time in the last 16 meetings. It was the Rebels’ ninth straight victory at home.

Mississippi State 36, Tulane 10--Michael Davis, Kevin Bouie and Karl Williamson each rushed for more than 100 yards for Bulldogs in a nonconference game at New Orleans.

Davis had 124 yards and a touchdown in 21 carries, Bouie had 105 yards in 15 carries and Williamson had 12 carries for 102 yards.

Mississippi State (1-2) rushed for 348 yards. Tulane (1-3) managed minus-9 on the ground.

Memphis State 6, Arkansas 0--Joe Allison kicked first-half field goals of 37 and 35 yards as the Tigers (2-2) won a nonconference game at Little Rock.

The Tigers had thrown six interceptions and lost four fumbles in the past two games, both losses. They had only one turnover against Arkansas, an interception at the Razorback five.

Arkansas (2-2) started every possession at least 72 yards from the goal and rarely was able to move the ball against a defense that was giving up an average of 432 yards per game. The Razorbacks, who were shut out for the first time since a 14-0 loss to Texas A&M; in 1987, finished with 201 yards.