Florida Completely Defends Its Ranking Against Razorbacks

Top-ranked Florida finally got a complete defensive performance, and Doug Johnson threw for three touchdowns Saturday night in a 56-7 Southeastern Conference victory over Arkansas.

The Gators (5-0, 3-0 in the SEC) had this one wrapped up when Bo Carroll returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and the defense held Arkansas to only one first down until its final possession of the first half.

Florida got a scare when Johnson took a late hit from linebacker Delancey Kent on the second play of the fourth quarter with a 35-0 lead. The preliminary report on Johnson, who was helped from the field, was a bruised right shin.

Clint Stoerner gave Arkansas (3-2, 1-1) its only points with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hubert Loudermilk. The drive was set up when Travis McGriff fumbled a punt return.

The Gators, who gave up late points and passing yards in wins over Tennessee and Kentucky, were looking for a strong showing-- and got it, at least from the defense--heading into a crucial stretch of the season. The next three games are at No. 13 LSU, at No. 8 Auburn and against 18th-ranked Georgia in Jacksonville.

Florida sacked Stoerner seven times for a loss of 66 yards, intercepted two of his passes and recovered two fumbles. It set a school record by holding Arkansas to minus-56 yards rushing. The previous mark was minus-22 yards rushing by Ole Miss in 1994.

Fred Weary tied a school record with his 14th career interception on the second play of the third quarter, setting up Johnson’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Jacquez Green.

Johnson was 18 of 30 for 237 yards, and his three touchdown passes gave him 20 for the season. He also hit Green in the corner of the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and threw a 15-yard score to Nafis Karim.

Noah Brindise and Jesse Palmer accounted for three touchdown passes for Florida in the fourth quarter.

Fred Taylor ran for 103 yards and tied Emmitt Smith as the only players in Florida history to start the season by rushing for over 100 yards in the first five games. Taylor also scored on a 3-yard run for a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Stoerner was 13 of 29 for 215 yards, becoming the first player for Arkansas to throw for over 200 yards in four straight games.

The scoring started and ended with Carroll, a freshman who finished 10th in the 100 meters in the NCAA outdoor track championships in the spring.

He split two defenders at the 20 on the opening kickoff and surged through five Razorbacks closing in at midfield. It was the first time Arkansas had allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown since Arthur Whittington of SMU returned one 92 yards in 1976.

Carroll also caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Palmer on a screen play with 1:07 left in the game.

Still, the Gators looked sluggish on offense, held up by holding penalties and a strong Arkansas rush that rarely gave Johnson much time to throw.

They also had two careless fumbles--one by Taylor after breaking through the line, the other by Johnson on a lazy pump fake while trying to escape the rush.

But the defense more than made up for it.

Until the late score, Arkansas had the ball four times inside the Florida 35. Jevon Kearse stopped two drives with sacks, one of which caused a fumble at the 19. Willie Cohens had another sack and Teako Brown had one of his two interceptions.

No. 8 Auburn 23, South Carolina 6--Dameyune Craig threw for two touchdowns and 321 yards to keep the Tigers undefeated and his Heisman Trophy hopes rising at Columbia, S.C.

Craig’s third consecutive 300-yard game matched the school record of Heisman winner Pat Sullivan. It also showed that when Craig starts passing, the Tigers (5-0, 3-0) start moving.

South Carolina (2-3), which had hoped to recover from blowout losses at Georgia and Mississippi State with a solid effort, is 0-3 in league play for the fourth time in six seasons.

The Tigers’ defense held the Gamecocks to only two yards in the third quarter.

No. 9 Tennessee 31, Mississippi 17--Peyton Manning passed for two touchdowns and 324 yards and freshman tailback Jamal Lewis ran for 155 yards and scored once as the Volunteers won at Knoxville, Tenn.

Manning was 25 of 44 with one interception in his fourth consecutive 300-yard game and Lewis, with 22 carries, gave Tennessee (3-1, 1-1) its first 100-yard game by a back this season.

Tennessee looked sluggish through the first half in its first action since losing two weeks ago to top-ranked Florida.

John Avery gained 106 yards in 20 carries for Mississippi (3-2, 1-2).

No. 13 Louisiana State 7, Vanderbilt 6--Kenny Mixon blocked John Markham’s 30-yard extra point kick with 12 seconds to play and the Tigers, who lost league rushing leader Cecil Collins because of a broken leg, escaped with a victory at Nashville, Tenn.

Damian Allen hit Tavarus Hogans with a 12-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left and Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-3) elected to gamble on victory by going for a two-point conversion.

Consecutive delay-of-game penalties ended that idea and the Commodores finally lined up for Markham’s ill-fated extra-point try. The Commodores haven’t won an SEC game since 1995.

Collins carried only three times for 13 yards before breaking his right leg in the second quarter. Kevin Faulk, back as the starting tailback, led LSU (4-1, 2-1) with 135 yards in 31 carries.

No. 18 Georgia 47, Mississippi State 0--Robert Edwards, recovered from a severely sprained ankle, slipped back into the Bulldogs’ offense with style, catching the first of Mike Bobo’s three touchdown passes and running for two more scores in an easy victory at Athens, Ga.

Edwards, back in the starting lineup after getting hurt on his first carry of his senior season, finished with 102 yards in 14 carries and 64 yards on five receptions.

Bobo, who began the day leading the Southeastern Conference quarterback ratings, completed 26 of 33 passes for 257 yards, with one interception.

Georgia is 4-0 and 2-0, the first time since 1982 it has started so well. Its first road game is next week at Tennessee. Mississippi State is 3-2 and 2-2.

Georgia Tech 42, Boston College 14--Joe Hamilton ran 61 yards for a touchdown and threw for another as the Yellow Jackets recovered from Quinton Lee’s 76-yard scoring run on the second offensive play and beat the Eagles at Boston.

The Yellow Jackets (3-1) led 28-7 at halftime and scored on all three of their series in the second quarter and their first in the third.