Georgia Avoids Another Spurrier Loss

A decade later, Georgia finally got back at Steve Spurrier between the hedges.

Barely.

Thomas Brown scored on a five-yard run with 11 1/2 minutes to go, but South Carolina failed on a two-point conversion attempt and No. 9 Georgia held on for a 17-15 victory over Spurrier’s Gamecocks on Saturday in Athens, Ga.

The Bulldogs were no match for Spurrier when he was at Florida, losing 11 times in 12 years. The most embarrassing defeat came in 1995, when the Gators routed Georgia, 52-17, at Sanford Stadium.

Returning to the Bulldogs’ home in his first season as South Carolina’s coach, Spurrier came without the dynamic offense that symbolized his Florida teams. But the Gamecocks gave Georgia all it could handle.

Clinging to a 10-9 lead, Georgia finally wore down the Gamecocks with its running game, which piled up 238 yards while quarterback D.J. Shockley was struggling through the air. Brown finished with 144 yards in 20 carries, leading Georgia’s 238-yard effort on the ground. Shockley was eight for 17 for 112 yards.

No. 10 Florida 41, Louisiana Tech 3 -- DeShawn Wynn ran 16 times for a career-high 101 yards and scored three touchdowns for the Gators in Gainesville, Fla.

With the victory, Florida Coach Urban Meyer accomplished something that his predecessor, Ron Zook, never did: start 2-0. Zook was 1-1 in each of his three seasons. Zook’s losses were against Miami twice and Tennessee.

Chris Leak threw eight passes in the first half but connected with Chad Jackson on an 80-yard score in the third quarter. Leak also ran for two second-half scores.

Matt Kubik completed four of 18 passes for 56 yards with two interceptions for Louisiana Tech. Donald Allen was seven for 14 for 61 yards with one interception.

Auburn 28, Mississippi State 0 -- Brandon Cox passed for 202 yards and two first-half touchdowns and Will Herring recovered a fumble for a touchdown to lead Auburn at home.

The Bulldogs have now lost 16 consecutive games against SEC West opponents.

The Tigers held tailback Jerious Norwood to 39 yards in 10 carries and continually harried quarterback Omarr Conner.

Cox was nearly perfect in the first half, going eight for 10 for 132 yards with a 33-yard touchdown to tight end Cole Bennett and a five-yarder to Devin Aromashodu. He also completed long passes to tailbacks Tre Smith and Kenny Irons, who were largely non-factors in the opener.

Kentucky 41, Idaho State 29 -- Rafael Little rushed for a career-high 104 yards and returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, helping Kentucky avoid a potentially embarrassing defeat in Lexington, Ky., against a Division I-AA team.

The Big Sky Conference’s Bengals led, 16-14, at halftime, and 29-28 with 5:06 left after a 26-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown by Sterling Mennear.

Little, a sophomore running back with only three previous career kickoff returns, took the ensuing kick back for the decisive score.

Vanderbilt 28, Arkansas 24 -- Jay Cutler threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Marlon White with 26 seconds remaining to give Vanderbilt a come-from-behind win in Fayetteville, Ark.

The Razorbacks led, 24-21, after Bryant Hahnfeldt missed a 43-yard field-goal attempt with 2:46 remaining, but Vanderbilt regained possession on a punt after only 24 seconds. The Commodores then drove 76 yards for the winning score.

Cutler completed a 19-yard pass to Erik Davis on fourth and 10 from Vanderbilt’s 34, and a pass interference call on Randy Kelly gave the Commodores the ball on the Arkansas six. Cutler found White cutting across the end zone on the next play.

Alabama 30, Southern Mississippi 21 -- Brodie Croyle threw for two touchdowns and 330 yards to lead Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Alabama took control after the half, going ahead for good on a two-yard run by Tim Castille on its first possession and using an 85-yard, 12-play drive capped by another two-yard Castille scoring run to put the game away.

Southern Miss finished with nine yards rushing in 23 attempts.