COLLEGE FOOTBALL : SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : Manning, Tennessee Jump on Alabama

For the first time since 1985, Tennessee knows what it feels like to beat Alabama.

The No. 6 Volunteers ended years of frustration Saturday as Peyton Manning threw for three touchdowns, including an 80-yarder on the first play of the game, as the Volunteers defeated the 12th-ranked Crimson Tide, 41-14, in a Southeastern Conference game at Birmingham, Ala.

Tennessee, 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC, hadn’t beaten Alabama (4-2, 2-2) since Oct. 19, 1985, when most of the current players were in elementary school.

“The frustration is off my back,” said Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer, who had never beaten Alabama.

Manning picked apart the Tide defense, completing 20 of 29 for 301 yards.

“Our offensive line gave great protection all night,” Manning said. “They held off Alabama’s good defensive line for me to find the receivers, and our receivers did a great job of getting open.”

The Volunteers knocked out Alabama early. On the first play of the game, Manning found Joey Kent alone on a slant route over the middle, and Kent raced 80 yards for the score.

Alabama Coach Gene Stallings said he wasn’t surprised by the call.

“We have seen the play a number of times,” he said. “They simply made a good play and we didn’t.”

“Coming out early and setting the tempo was very important,” Fulmer said. “I hadn’t anticipated that it would happen like it did, but when you have a talent like Peyton and our receivers and we protect him, that can happen.”

South Carolina 65, Mississippi State 39--Steve Taneyhill passed for three touchdowns as the Gamecocks routed the Bulldogs at Starkville, Miss.

Taneyhill completed 38 of 44 passes for a school-record 473 yards. He completed 15 consecutive passes during a first-half stretch in which the Gamecocks (3-3-1, 1-3-1) scored four touchdowns.

Mississippi State (2-5, 0-4) lost its fourth consecutive game. It is the first time in Jackie Sherrill’s 18-year coaching career that he has lost four in a row in the same season.

The 104 total points set an SEC record for the most in a game. The previous record was 98 points when South Carolina lost, 56-42, to East Carolina last season.

Taneyhill, who completed 20 of 24 in a 77-14 victory over Kent State last week, was 23 for 25 in the first half. His 86% completion percentage was a single-game SEC record.

He became the South Carolina career leader with 52 touchdown passes, surpassing Todd Ellis’ 49. He has thrown 20 this season, tying Ellis’ 1986 season record.

Kentucky 24, LSU 16--James Tucker caught a 29-yard touchdown pass and Ray McLaurin rushed six yards for another score in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats defeated the Tigers at Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky (3-3, 2-2) overcame four turnovers and an injury to Moe Williams in winning for the third time in four games. Williams, who rushed 25 times for 94 yards, bruised his ribs in the third quarter.

McLaurin, a junior, filled in for Williams by rushing 25 times for a career-high 107 yards and scoring his first touchdown.

LSU (3-3-1, 2-2-1) played without quarterback Jamie Howard, who was out because of a shoulder injury.

Arkansas 13, Mississippi 6-- Madre Hill broke loose on a 71-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter and the Razorbacks beat the Rebels at Memphis Tenn., to take over first place in the Western Division of the SEC.

Hill’s run came one play after Anthony Hicks recovered Dou Innocent’s fumble. Hill ran off left tackle, got into the secondary, split defensive backs Derek Jones and Walker Jones and was in the clear.

Arkansas (5-2, 4-1) gained only 29 yards rushing in the first three quarters.

Mississippi (3-3, 1-3) took a 6-3 lead midway through the third quarter on Tim Montz’s 47-yard field goal, but the Razorbacks got even on their next possession when Todd Latourette kicked a 39-yard field goal into the wind.

Auburn started the day tied with Arkansas atop the SEC West, but lost to Florida. Auburn plays Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 28.

Georgia 17, Vanderbilt 6--Brice Hunter scored on a 48-yard pass play and had 163 yards receiving as the Bulldogs beat the Commodores in an SEC game at Nashville, Tenn.

Georgia (4-3, 2-3) gained only 86 yards rushing.

Vanderbilt (0-5, 0-3), off to its worst start since 1980, managed 262 yards of offense.