SEC ROUNDUP : Long Scoring Pass Lifts Alabama Over Arkansas

Jay Barker and Sherman Williams combined on a 73-yard touchdown pass play late in the third quarter and No. 12 Alabama stuffed Arkansas on six consecutive possessions Saturday in beating the Razorbacks, 13-6, at Fayetteville, Ark.

Williams’ touchdown made the score, 10-6, and Alabama was content to play safe, punt and wait on an Arkansas mistake. It came early in the fourth quarter when Matt Wait, who had a punt blocked in the third quarter, made a 12-yard punt into the wind. Alabama took over at the Arkansas 23, ran three plays and Michael Proctor kicked a 34-yard field goal.

After taking a 6-3 lead on Lance Ellison’s second field goal, Arkansas started from its 28, 10, eight, 20, four and 48 and made only one first down. Willie Gaston ended the last two possessions with interceptions.

Arkansas made 158 yards and nine first downs in the first half; 109 yards and three first downs in the second half, including one on a 66-yard run by Oscar Malone. That run led to Lance Ellison’s second field goal, a 31-yarder that gave the Razorbacks a 6-3 lead.

Alabama faced third and 10 at its 27 when Barker, out of the shotgun, sidestepped a defender and drifted toward the line of scrimmage. His pass cleared a receiver and a couple of defenders and was caught by Williams near the Alabama 45. He cut inside Mike Nunnerley and was gone.

Williams also carried 33 times for 142 yards.

Georgia 70, Northeast Louisiana 6--Greg Bright and Carlos Yancy returned interceptions for touchdowns in the first quarter and Eric Zeier passed for three touchdowns at Athens, Ga.

Bright’s 36-yard return broke a scoreless tie with 11:19 to play in the opening quarter and Yancy came back 2:10 later to score on an 81-yard return after the Indians had reached the Bulldog 30.

It was the third loss in a row for the Indians, a former Division I-AA national power moving into I-A this season. Georgia is 2-1.

It was Georgia’s most lopsided victory since 1958, when it defeated The Citadel, 76-0, and the worst loss for Northeast Louisiana since 1977, when it was defeated by Cincinnati, 63-0.

Larry Bowie scored touchdowns on runs of five, one and two yards and freshman Hines Ward, a quarterback making his first start at tailback, ran for 117 yards in 15 carries, including a 35-yard scoring run.

Zeier, who completed eight of 10 passes for 164 yards, had scoring passes of 71 and five yards to Brice Hunter and 24 yards to Hason Graham. On the 71-yard play, Hunter caught the ball on a crossing pattern on his own 40, crossed to the left sideline and outran the defense.

Marisa Simpson scored Georgia’s other touchdown on a three-yard run in the second quarter.

Northeast Louisiana avoided a shutout with an 80-yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended on Eric Foster’s six-yard run with 14:09 to play.

The Indians gambled at the start of the game with an onside kick that kicker Roger Miller recovered on the Indian 47. Their first series included a fake punt.