Returns Are In: LSU Wins

In a wild Southeastern Conference game that had all kinds of twists, No. 21-ranked Louisiana State upset No. 13 Auburn, 19-15, Saturday night.

Raion Hill, who earlier returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown, returned another interception all the way as Auburn was attempting to tie the score at 17-17 with a two-point conversion. Hill’s interception and ensuing run down the field gave LSU two points.

It was the first victory for LSU (2-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC) at Jordan-Hare since 1973. Auburn is 3-1 and 1-1.

The game’s first three quarters were played against the backdrop of flames from Auburn’s old Sports Arena shooting 30 feet into the air about 50 yards outside the northeast corner of the stadium. Nobody was injured and none of the 85,214 fans were ever in danger.

With Auburn trailing 17-9 after Hill’s 39-yard interception return, Jon Cooley led Auburn on a drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown run by Rusty Williams to make it 17-15. After two timeouts, Cooley threw the interception that Hill returned for two points.

No. 13 Alabama 17, Arkansas 7--Quarterback Freddie Kitchens struggled throughout but came through when it mattered for the Crimson Tide (4-0, 2-0) at Little Rock, Ark.

Kitchens, a 235-pounder who looks more like a fullback than a quarterback, connected on a 29-yard pass play to Michael Vaughn to set up Brian Cunningham’s 31-yard field goal and then completed three big passes in the final minutes.

Arkansas (0-2, 0-1) didn’t run a play from the Alabama side of the 50 until there was less than seven minutes left in the game.

Georgia 15, Texas Tech 12--Mike Bobo, booed much of the game, threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Juan Daniels with 1:45 remaining at Athens, Ga., to give Jim Donnan his first victory as the Bulldogs’ coach after two losses.

Texas Tech (1-2) lost despite 214 yards in 37 carries by Byron Hanspard. It was the ninth consecutive game he has broken 100 yards and the fourth time in five games he has gained at least 200. Hanspard scored both Texas Tech touchdowns, but the Red Raiders missed the conversion each time.

East Carolina 23, South Carolina 7--Despite playing in a blinding rain on a muddy field, Scott Harley ran for 291 yards, more than he gained all last season, to lead the Pirates (2-1) to a nonconference victory over the Gamecocks (2-1) at Columbia, S.C.

Harley, a sophomore, broke the school’s single-game rushing record of 282 yards set by Junior Smith against Tulsa three years ago.

Louisiana Tech 38, Mississippi State 23--Jason Martin threw four touchdown passes to set a Louisiana Tech (3-1) career record in a victory at Starkville, Miss. Martin now has 42 touchdown passes, which breaks the record of 40 by Matt Dunigan, set in 1982.

Martin completed 28 of 41 passes for 300 yards.

Mississippi State (1-1) scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes.

Mississippi 20, Vanderbilt 9--Artie Moore scored two touchdowns and the Rebels had nine sacks as the Rebels won at Nashville, Tenn.

Mississippi (3-1, 1-1) also forced two fumbles that resulted in 10 quick points in the third quarter the Rebels extended their winning streak over Vanderbilt (0-3, 0-2) to four straight.