Couch Ignites 31-Point Quarter

Tim Couch and Craig Yeast set passing and receiving records, and Kentucky scored 31 points in the third quarter of a 55-17 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday at Lexington, Ky.

Couch completed 44 of 53 passes for 492 yards and five touchdowns. With 3,938 passing yards for the season, Couch broke the Southeastern Conference record of 3,884 he set last year.

Yeast set a conference record for most receiving yards in a game with 269 and for most career catches with 201, one more than Vanderbilt’s Keith Edwards in the early 1980s.

Kentucky (7-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) has one regular season game left, next Saturday at Knoxville against top-ranked Tennessee. The Wildcats achieved seven victories for the first time since 1984.

Vanderbilt (2-8, 1-6) also has one game remaining, at home against Tennessee on Nov. 28.

Couch, who says he has not decided whether to return for his senior year or enter the NFL draft, left the game midway through the fourth quarter to a standing ovation from the Commonwealth Stadium crowd.

No. 4 Florida 33, South Carolina 14--Doug Johnson passed for 360 yards and four touchdowns at Gainesville, Fla., as the Gators (9-1, 7-1) won their seventh in a row and stayed alive for a national title with a big game at No. 5 Florida State next week.

Florida receiver Travis McGriff had 13 catches for 222 yards.

South Carolina (1-9, 0-8) lost its ninth consecutive game and, as usual, proved no match for Florida. The Gators have outscored coach Brad Scott’s Gamecocks, 244-84, since he arrived five seasons ago.

Florida Coach Steve Spurrier said he was waiting for Johnson to string three strong games together and the junior quarterback didn’t disappoint.

He has 1,118 yards, 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions in the last three games.

The Gators extended their home winning streak to 27 games and the seniors became the first class to go four years without suffering a home loss.

No. 17 Georgia 28, Auburn 17--Olandis Gary’s 11-yard touchdown run with 14:55 to play, his second score of the game, broke open a close game at Auburn, Ala., and kept the Bulldogs’ hopes alive for consecutive 10-victory seasons.

Georgia (7-2, 5-2) survived three Quincy Carter interceptions and a horrendous kicking game to defeat the Tigers (3-7, 1-6).

Georgia’s Champ Bailey was in the game for a career-high 119 plays.

Mississippi State 26, Alabama 14--James Johnson rushed for 237 yards and two touchdowns, becoming Mississippi State’s single-season rushing leader, and the Bulldogs beat the Crimson Tide at Starkville, Miss.

Johnson accounted for 312 of Mississippi State’s 456 total yards as the Bulldogs (6-3, 4-2) won their third consecutive game over Alabama (6-4, 3-4) for the first time since 1912-14.

Mississippi State ended a two-game losing streak and stayed within striking distance of No. 10 Arkansas for the SEC West title. The Razorbacks travel to Starkville next weekend.