SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : Reserves Star as Florida Wins

It doesn’t seem to matter who’s throwing or catching the football for Florida. The fourth-ranked Gators keep rolling along.

Coach Steve Spurrier sent a wake-up call to his offense on Saturday by benching four starters, including leading receiver Jack Jackson, and giving third-string quarterback Eric Kresser a chance to star in a 55-17 homecoming victory over Southern Mississippi at Gainesville, Fla.

Jackson, a junior who has 10 touchdowns this season, watched from the sideline in a baseball cap as freshman Reidel Anthony scored on an 87-yard pass play and caught three passes for 149 yards in the first half.

Danny Wuerffel made his second start since replacing one-time Heisman hopeful Terry Dean at quarterback, but Kresser stole the show before a crowd of 85,448 at Florida Field.

The sophomore, whose arm strength makes him more of a threat than Wuerffel to throw deep, tossed the long scoring pass to Anthony on his first snap. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

Kresser entered the game in the second quarter and also completed scoring passes of 40 yards to Chris Doering and six yards to Sorola Palmer.

Florida, taking a break from the Southeastern Conference, improved to 7-1. Southern Mississippi, losing to a ranked opponent for the fourth time this season, is 5-5.

No. 24 Mississippi State 17, Arkansas 7--Eric Moulds caught two touchdown passes and Kevin Bouie ran for 142 yards as the Bulldogs won a fourth consecutive game for the first time since 1986.

Mississippi State, 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, has won six of its last seven games and is close to its third bowl bid in four seasons under Coach Jackie Sherrill. Arkansas (3-6, 2-5) will have its second consecutive losing season under Danny Ford.

Moulds had seven catches for 120 yards.

Memphis 17, Mississippi 16--Joe Borich completed a two-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Roskelly with four seconds left for the Tigers’ first victory at Oxford, Miss., in a rivalry dating back 73 years.

Memphis (6-3) came into the game with the nation’s top-ranked defense. But after giving up a season-high 287 yards, it was the offense that came up with two fourth quarter touchdowns.

Borich had completed only seven of 24 passes for 55 yards before the winning touchdown, which was set up by a penalty. After Memphis failed for the 11th time to convert on third down, Mississippi (3-6) was penalized for taunting.

Eight plays later, Borich converted on fourth-and-15, connecting with Frank Fletcher on an 18-yard pass.

His next pass bounced off the chest of receiver Joel Peschke near the end zone. After a second failed pass and a rush, he connected with Roskelly.

Vanderbilt 24, Kentucky 6--Jermaine Johnson ran for two touchdowns and Ronnie Gordon added a third for the Commodores at Lexington, Ky.

Vanderbilt (5-4, 2-4) also got a 23-yard field goal from Steve Yenner.

Kentucky (1-8, 0-7) avoided a shutout on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Speedy to Isaac Curtis III with 47 seconds remaining.