LSU Gets Defensive and Wins

Defensive end Marcus Spears and linebacker Cameron Vaughn combined for the go-ahead touchdown Saturday night to help No. 17 Louisiana State defeat Alabama, 26-10, at Baton Rouge, La.

With the Tigers trailing, 10-6, in the third quarter, Spears hit Alabama quarterback Spencer Pennington on the Crimson Tide eight, forcing a fumble. Vaughn picked up the ball and scampered in for the score.

“I saw him hanging out there and I thought he was going to throw it before I got to him,” Spears said. “He still had it hanging, so I just swiped for it and was fortunate to get it on the ground. Then I looked, thinking it was going out of bounds and there goes Cameron.”

It was the ninth consecutive home victory for Tigers, 7-2 and 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference, and a rare victory over the Crimson Tide (6-4, 3-4) in Tiger Stadium.

Since Louisiana State’s 20-15 victory over Alabama in 1969, the Crimson Tide is 15-2-1 in Baton Rouge.

Florida 48, South Carolina 14 -- Chris Leak threw a career-high six touchdown passes in Gainesville, Fla., as the Gators (6-4, 4-4) defeated the Gamecocks (6-4, 4-4) for the 14th consecutive time.

Ron Zook, who was fired last month after an embarrassing loss at Mississippi State but agreed to stay on as coach, received a standing ovation as he left Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, walking by a banner that read: “Win one more for The Zooker.”

“It felt good,” Zook said.

Florida is bowl eligible for the 14th year in row and Athletic Director Jeremy Foley said he planned to ask Zook to coach the team in a postseason game.

Leak, a sophomore, completed 18 of 31 passes for 319 yards and didn’t give way to backup Gavin Dickey until there was less than two minutes to play.

Arkansas 35, Mississippi 3 -- Matt Jones ran for 126 yards and a touchdown in five carries and passed for two more scores at Fayetteville, Ark., and the Razorbacks (4-5, 2-4) broke a four-game losing streak by routing the Rebels. Mississippi (3-6, 2-4) got its points on a 33-yard field goal by Jonathan Nichols.

Kentucky 14, Vanderbilt 13 -- Shane Boyd threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Glenn Holt with 1:39 left, lifting the Wildcats (2-8, 1-6) past the Commodores (2-8, 1-6) at Lexington, Ky.