2005 SEC Football - Week 13 Game Previews
11/21/2005
Arkansas at LSU
Tennessee at Kentucky
Ole Miss at Mississippi State
Florida State at Florida
Georgia at Georgia Tech
ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS at LSU TIGERS
2:30 p.m. CT * Baton Rouge, La. * Tiger Stadium (92,400)
LIVE TELEVISION: CBS Sports (Craig Bolerjack, play-by-play; Randy Cross, color analyst; Dwayne Ballen, sideline reporter)
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: LSU [127]
ARKANSAS (4-6, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Houston Nutt ( Oklahoma State, '81)
Overall/Yrs: 93-61 (.616) / 13th Season
UA/Yrs: 57-39 (.594) / 8th Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - Multiple
Internet Web Address: www.hogwired.com
Key Players
SE Marcus Monk (6-6, 224, So., Lepanto, Ark.)
With his 13-yard reception on the Razorbacks' second play from scrimmage against Mississippi State, Marcus Monk has now caught at least one pass in each of his 21 games in an Arkansas uniform...Monk has made at least three catches in 13 of his 21 career games as a Razorback including six of 10 games this season.
TB Darren McFadden (6-2, 210, Fr., North Little Rock, Ark.)
Darren McFadden became the seventh Razorback and the first freshman in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season with 165 yards on 21 carries against Mississippi State. McFadden has 1,056 on the season....The 1,056 yards rushing also makes McFadden just the seventh freshman running back in SEC history and the to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
LB Pierre Brown (6-0, 227, Sr., Birmingham, Ala.)
Brown has been able to pick up where he left off despite playing in only five of the Razorbacks' first seven games... He missed both the USC and Alabama games while nursing an ankle sprain... He earned a career-high 15 stops against Missouri State in the season opener...Totaled 11 tackles versus Auburn...He recorded his second sack of the year versus Ole Miss last week, giving him five for his career.
LB Sam Olajubutu (5-9, 227, Jr., LaGrange, Ga.)
Racked up a career high 18 tackles including 12 solo stops vs. Auburn with two tackles for loss (-10) including one sack (-9)... His sack helped stop the Tigers in the red zone and force a field goal...Has been added to the Rotary Lombardi Award watch list...Added two TFLs last week versus Mississippi State.
LSU (9-1, 5-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Les Miles (Michigan, '76)
Overall/Yrs: 37-22 (.627) / 5th Season
LSU/Yrs: 9-1 (.900) / 1st Season
National Rankings: 3rd - AP / 3rd - USA Today / 3rd - Harris / 4th - BCS
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.lsusports.net
Key Players
QB JaMarcus Russell (6-5, 248, So., Mobile, Ala.)
Russell continued with the hot hand against Ole Miss, completing 13 of 22 passes for 142 yards and 2 TDs... Over his last 4 games, Russell has combined to complete 62 of 95 passes for 823 yards, 6 TDs and only 2 interceptions...Russell has now thrown for at least 1 TD in 78straight games and he's gone over the 200-yard passing mark 7 times this year... In addition, Russell has been good for at least one completion of at least 30 yards in all but 2 games.
WR Dwayne Bowe (6-3, 213, Jr., Miami, Fla.)
Bowe had his streak of games with at least 1 TD reception snapped at 7 against Ole Miss... Prior to the Ole Miss game, Bowe had caught a TD pass in a school-record 7 straight games, a streak that broke the previous record of 6 held by Michael Clayton in 2003.
FS LaRon Landry (6-2, 187, Jr., Ama, La.)
Landry is one of 12 players from across the country that have been named as semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, which has been presented annually since 1986 to college football's top defensive back... Landry has started all 10 games for the fourth-ranked Tigers... He currently ranks third on the team squad with 55 tackles, including 2 tackles for losses and 1 sack.
WR Skyler Green (5-10, 195, Sr., Westwego, La.)
Green continues to rank second in school history in career punt return yards with 1,018 on 73 returns...Green with over the 1,000 career-yard mark for punt returns with 32 punt return yards against Ole Miss. This year, Green has returned 23 punts for 313 yards and 1 score. Domanick Davis holds the LSU record with 1,126 career punt return yards.
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: LSU, 31-17-2 * Last: LSU, 43-14 (11/26/2004 at Little Rock)
LSU and Arkansas meet on the Friday following Thanksgiving for the 10th straight year ... Friday's game will mark the 51st meeting between the teams with LSU holding a 31-17-2 advantage ... Since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992, LSU has an 8-5 mark against the Hogs ... LSU has won 2 straight and 3 of the last 4 against Arkansas, including a 43- 14 victory last year in Little Rock ... LSU is 7-1-1 vs. Arkansas in Baton Rouge ... LSU has won 5 straight against the Razorbacks in Tiger Stadium ... Arkansas' only win in Tiger Stadium came in 1993 by a 42-24 count ... LSU coach Les Miles will face Arkansas for the first time on Friday...LSU will put its eight-game winning streak on the line on Friday against Arkansas as the third-ranked Tigers look to clinch a berth in the SEC Championship Game for the third time in five years... A win over Arkansas gives LSU a share of the SEC Western Division title, along with Auburn, and the bid to the league's title game against Georgia on Dec. 3 in Atlanta...LSU beat Auburn 20-17 in overtime on Oct. 22...The Tigers lone loss on the season is a 30-27 overtime defeat to Tennessee in the home opener, which LSU led 21-0 at the half.
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TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS at KENTUCKY WILDCATS
12:30 p.m. ET * Lexington, Ky. * Commonwealth Stadium (67,606)
LIVE TELEVISION: Jefferson Pilot Sports (Dave Neal, play-by-play;Dave Rowe, color analyst; Dave Baker, sideline reporter)
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: Kentucky [Channel 126]
TENNESSEE (4-6, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee, '72)
Overall/Yrs: 127-37 (.774) / 14th Season
UT/Yrs: 127-37 (.774) / 14th Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.utsports.com
Key Players
TB Arian Foster (6-1, 211, Fr., San Diego, Calif.)
Foster has become the first Vols freshman to run for at least 100 yards in each of his first four starts since Chuck Webb did so in 1989 (in his first five starts)... Foster ran for 148 yards vs. South Carolina Oct. 29, 125 yards at Notre Dame Nov. 5 and 132 yards vs. Memphis Nov. 12...Last Saturday in Knoxville, the native of San Diego, Calif., broke loose for 223 yards on 40 carries (one carry shy of the UT single-game record)...On the season, Foster is averaging 4.9 yards on 157 carries.
DT Jesse Mahelona (6-2, 300, Sr., Kailua-Lona, Hawaii)
2005 Playboy Preseason All-America...2004 All-America selection by The Sporting News...Led SEC with 18.5 tackles for loss, resulting in minus-81 yards for Vol opponents...Also garnered All-SEC honors from AP and second-team selection by Coaches..Mahelona has two sacks and eight TFLs this season.
DE Jason Hall (6-3, 260, Sr., Marietta, Ga.)
Hall leads the Vols in both sacks and TFLs while ranking third in the SEC in both categories this season... Hall has at least one sack in five of the last six games and at least one TFL in eight of the last nine contests... His 48 tackles this season are a career-high, and he boasts 11 career sacks and 19.5 career TFLs.
DE Parys Haralson (6-2, 248, Sr., Flora, Miss.)
Haralson has 6.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs ... Haralson is the SEC's active career sacks leader with 19...The two-time co-captain trails only Reggie White (51 TFLs from 1980-83) and Leonard Little (53 TFLs from 1995-97)...Both White and Little went on to be top-three round NFL draft picks and NFL Pro Bowl selections.
KENTUCKY (3-7, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Rich Brooks (Oregon State, '63)
Overall/Yrs: 100-133-4 (.430) / 21st Season
UK/Yrs: 9-24 (.273) / 3rd Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple Sets * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.ukathletics.com
Key Players
SS Muhammad Abdullah (6-0, 205, Sr., Folkston, Ga.)
Second on the team in tackles with 79 and is second among SEC defensive backs with 7.9 stops per game ... First-team preseason All-America by CollegeSportsReport.com ... Named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, given to the nation's top defensive player, as well as the Jim Thorpe Award, awarded to the nation's top defensive back ... Preseason All-SEC selection by the league's coaches.
PK Taylor Begley (6-0 200, Sr., Danville, Ky.)
Has made 27 of 28 extra points and 10 of 12 field gaols ... Has made eight consecutive field goals, the longest streak of his career ... His long field goal of the season is 46 yards at Vanderbilt ... Also has handled some of the kickoff duties and has 19 touchbacks on 38 kickoffs, ranking third in the league in touchback percentage.
WR Glenn Holt (6-2, 195, Sr., Opalocka, Fla.)
Will be a game captain this week for the Tennessee game ... Has started seven games ... Scored a touchdown against Florida on a five-yard endaround run ... It was the second rushing touchdown of his career ... Had season- bests with four catches for 41 yards at Ole Miss ... Tied his season-best four catches and had 32 yards receiving vs. Auburn.
RB Rafael Little (5-11, 195, So., Anderson, S.C.)
On the Doak Walker Award Watch List for the nation's best running back ... Leads the team in rushing (1,002 yards), all-purpose yardage (180.6 yards per game), and pass receptions (35) ... Ranks fourth in the nation in allpurpose yardage ... Rates fourth in the league in rushing yardage with 100.2 per game ... Ranks No. 1 in the SEC in punt return average (17.3) and fifth in the nationreturn average (17.
and fifth in the nation.
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: UT, 68-23-9 * Last: UT, 37-31 (11/27/2004 at Knoxville)
Tennessee heads north on Interstate Highway 75 to Lexington, Ky., where it faces SEC Eastern Division rival Kentucky Nov. 26... The Volunteers lead the all-time series with the Wildcats 68-23-9, dating to 1893... Tennessee has played Kentucky more than any other opponent (100 times), and the Vols own a 20-game win streak in the series...Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer owns a 12-0 record against UK, and his squads haveaveraged 45.2 ppg vs. the Wildcats (while allowing just 12.3 ppg)...Tennessee's current 20-game win streak over Kentucky is the second-longest active winning streak over a major opponent in NCAA Division I-A (teams must have played every year)... Only Notre Dame's current streak of 42 straight wins over Navy is the only longer active streak...Tennessee and Kentucky meet for the 101st ...The Vols lead the all-time series 32-13-3 when the game is being played in Lexington...UK's last win in the series came in 1984, a 17-12 Kentucky win in Knoxville... UK's last win over the Volunteers in Lexington was a 21-10 decision in 1981...Two of the last four games with Tennessee have been decided by six points or less.. Last season, UK took a 31-22 lead before the Volunteers clawed their way back into the game in the fourth quarter, winning 37-31.
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OLE MISS REBELS at MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
1:30 p.m. CT * Starkville, Miss. * Davis-Wade Stadium at Scott Field (55,082)
LIVE TELEVISION: None
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: Ole Miss [11![0]](http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/alien.gif)
, Mississippi State [Channel 131]
OLE MISS (3-7, 1-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Ed Orgeron (Northwestern (La.) State, '84)
Overall/Yrs: 3-7 (.300) / 1st Season
UM/Yrs: 3-7 (.300) / 1st Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - Multiple 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.olemisssports.com
Key Players
LB Patrick Willis (6-2, 230, Jr., Bruceton, Tenn.)
Willis ranks first in the country in solo stops (8.78 per game) and leads the SEC in total tackles (12.7 per game) ...Willis led the Rebels against LSU, tying a career high with 15 tackles and setting a new career high with 11 solo stops.
RB Mico McSwain (6-1, 203, Fr., Richton, Miss.)
McSwain registered his fifth play of 40 or more yards with his 45-yard reception from Flatt in the first quarter versus Arkansas before leaving with injury ... For the first time this season, McSwain did not lead the Rebels in rushing against Arkansas ... McSwain ranks eighth in the SEC in rushing yards at 68.0 per game...did not play versus LSU.
DT McKinley Boykin (6-2, 285, Sr., Bessemer, Ala.)
Boykin notched a career-high three QB pressures at Auburn and matched his career-best for total tackles with seven, along with 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 QB sacks...Missed spring 2004 due to knee surgery...Two-time SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week in 2004 (5 tackles, 2 TFLs vs. Vanderbilt; 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack vs. South Carolina).
OT Tre' Stallings (6-4, 317, Sr., Magnolia, Miss.)
Stallings has started 47 consecutive games, which is the third-longest streak in the SEC and tied for fifth-longest in the nation. With a start against State, Stallings would tie the school record of 48 held by OL Marcus Johnson (2001-04).
MISSISSIPPI STATE (2-8, 0-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Sylvester Croom (Alabama, '75)
Overall/Yrs: 5-16 (.23 / 2nd Season
MSU/Yrs: 5-16 (.23 / 2nd Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple Pro-Style * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.mstateathletics.com
Key Players
HB Jerious Norwood (6-0, 204, Sr., Brandon, Miss.)
After gaining 91 yards at Arkansas last week, Norwood now has 3,018 yards rushing with one game remaining in his senior season...Norwood was held to 39 yards rushing on 18 carries by Alabama's defense, but in so doing, added to the Mississippi State all-time rushing record he set the previous Saturday...He surpassed Walter Packer (2,820; 1973-76) on his fourth carry of the third quarter at UK the previous weekend as MSU's all-time rushing leader...Norwood ranks fifth in the SEC in rushing at 93.2 yards per game...He has rushed for 932 yards and three touchdowns in 2005 as he looks for his second consecutive 1,000-yard season versus the Rebels.
DE Willie Evans (6-2, 267, Sr., Waynesboro, Miss.)
Senior DE Willie Evans recorded two quarterback sacks last week at Arkansas, pushing his total to 13.5 for the season - the third most in school history - and moving his career total to 23.0, fourth-most all-time at Mississippi State, passing Mike McEnany's 22.0 total posted from 1979-82...Evans 13.5 sacks on the year leads the Southeastern Conference, and is the third-highest total ever recorded by a Bulldog.
DB Kevin Dockery (5-9, 187, Sr., Hernando, Miss.)
Mississippi State senior cornerback Kevin Dockery (Hernando, Miss.) tallied seven tackles and his third interception of the season, returning it 42 yards, versus Arkansas...It was the sixth of his Bulldog career...He also intercepted a pass against Alabama in the Bulldogs' last home game ....He also tied for the team lead against the Crimson Tide with seven tackles, one and one-half for loss (minus 2 yards).
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: UM, 58-37-6 * Last: UM, 20-3 (11/27/2004 at Oxford)
This game will be the 102nd meeting of one of the nation's most-played rivalries. Ole Miss holds a 58-37-6 advantage in the series dating back to 1901...The Ole Miss-Mississippi State series is listed as tied for the 16th most-played in NCAA Division I-A history. The series is also listed as the 10th longest uninterrupted series, as the NCAA considers Saturday's game the 90th consecutive year that the two schools have faced each other... Neither team, however, fielded a squad in 1943 due to World War II... Saturday's game will be the 78th "Battle of the Golden Egg," as the two schools started playing for the trophy in 1927... Ole Miss holds a 52-20-5 advantage in the "Egg Bowl." ...The home team has won five of the last six games... Ole Miss has taken three straight in the series with an average margin of victory of 20.0 during the streak... The rivals have split the last 14 meetings since the series returned to campus sites in 1991, after being played yearly in Jackson from 1973-1990... Ole Miss is looking to become the first team in the series to win four straight Egg Bowls since the Rebels won four consecutive from 1983-1986... Ole Miss prevailed 20-3 last year in Oxford... The Rebels hold a 20-9-3 advantage in games played in Starkville.
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FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES at FLORIDA GATORS
3:30 p.m. ET * Gainesville, Fla. * Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field (88,54
LIVE TELEVISION: CBS Sports (Verne Lundquist, play-by-play; Todd Blackledge, color analyst; Tracy Wolfson, sideline reporter)
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: Florida [144]
FLORIDA STATE (7-3, 5-3 ACC)
Head Coach: Bobby Bowden (Samford, '53)
Overall/Yrs: 358-105-4 (.771) / 40th Season
FSU/Yrs: 285-73-4 / 30th Season
2005 Schedule: 9/5-MIAMI (W, 10-7), 9/10-CITADEL (W, 62-10), 9/17-at Boston College (W, 28-17); 10/1-SYRACUSE (W, 38-14), 10/8-WAKE FOREST (W, 41-24), 10/15-at Virginia (L, 26-21), 10/22-at Duke (W, 55-24), 10/29-MARYLAND (W, 35-27), 11/5-N.C. STATE (L, 20-15), 11/12-at Clemson (L, 35-14), 11/26-at Florida.
National Rankings: 23rd - AP / 21st - USA Today / 21st - Harris / 24th - BCS
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.seminoles.com
Key Players
TB Leon Washington (5-9, 202, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.)
Held out of the NC State and Clemson games with an ankle injury...10th all-time at FSU in rushing...Candidate for Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards....An All-America candidate as one of the nation's top running backs...one of the top all-around players in school history who led the Seminoles in rushing seven times as he gained a career-high and team- leading 951 yards...the leading returning rusher in the ACC for the 2004 season who averaged 95.1 yards per game as a junior.
QB Drew Weatherford (6-3, 220, Fr., Land O' Lakes, Fla.)
Weatherford is on pace to break Philip Rivers' ACC freshmen passing record through nine games this year. Rivers threw for 3,054 yards in 2000. At his current rate, Weatherford would throw for 3,172 yards in 13 games. Weatherford leads the ACC in passing yards per game (244.0) and is second in TD passes (15). He leads the ACC in 200-yard passing games with seven and 300-yard games with three. He has also rushed for three scores.
LB A.J. Nicholson (6-2, 235, Sr., Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Nicholson enters the Florida game with a team-leading 82 tackles... He has led the team in tackles in four of 10 games of the season including his best career outing in which he recorded 19 tackles in the Seminoles' victory over Boston College... Nicholson led the team in tackles against Boston College, Wake Forest, Virginia, and NC State.
FLORIDA (7-3, 5-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Urban Meyer (Cincinnati, '86)
Overall/Yrs: 46-11 (.807) / 5th Season
UF/Yrs: 7-3 (.700) / 1st Season
National Rankings: 19th - AP / 19th - USA Today / 19th - Harris / 23rd - BCS
Formations: Offense - Spread * Defense - Multiple, 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.gatorzone.com
Key Players
QB Chris Leak (6-0, 195, Jr., Charlotte, N.C.)
Entering the Florida State game, Chris Leak is fourth in the category of most touchdowns responsible for by a Gator...Leak has been involved in 71 (71 passing, 10 rushing) and is 11 behind Shane Matthews (74 pass, seven rushing, one receiving)...Chris Leak has a career completion percentage of 60.4, which is just behind Danny Wuerffel (60.5), who is third on UF's all-time chart.
LB Earl Everett (6-2, 224, Jr., Webster, Fla.)
Everett led the Gators in tackles against South Carolina with eight... His 60 stops this season are tied with Jeremy Mincey for the best total on the squad....Everett's 14 tackles against the LSU Tigers were a season and career high for the junior, as well as the most tackles in a single game by a Gator player this season.
WR Chad Jackson (6-1, 202, Jr., Hoover, Ala.)
Jackson is tied for 24th nationally in receiving touchdowns with eight... He has averaged a touchdown catch every nine receptions this season...Jackson's 72 receptions are tied for 15th nationally this season and rank second in the SEC... Jackson looks to become the fourth different UF receiver to lead the league in receptions since 2000.
LB Brandon Siler (6-2, 230, So., Orlando, Fla.)
Siler has recorded at least half a tackle for a loss in eight of the Gators' 10 games this season...The only games he did not record a tackle for a loss in were against Louisiana Tech and South Carolina...This season, Siler leads the SEC with six fumble recoveries... No other player in the league has more than three recoveries.
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: UF, 28-19-2 * Last: UF, 20-13 (11/20/2004 at Tallahassee)
The two Sunshine State schools first met on the gridiron in 1958 in a series that has become one of the nation's most spirited rivalries... Florida posted a 21-7 victory in the first showdown in 1958 and the two have met every year since that initial contest, with Florida holding an overall 28-19-2 lead in the series and a 17-8-1 advantage in Gainesville... Since 1979, this game has been scheduled as the regular-season finale for both universities... Both schools enter this year's contest with a 7-3 overall record and both went 5-3 in their respective conferences...The two teams have split the last four meetings in the series, with each winning one on its home field and one on its opponents' turf. UF is looking to win back-to-back games against Florida State for the first time since the 1996 National Championship game and the 1997 regular-season game... UF has not won back-to-back regular season meetings vs. FSU since the 1985-86 seasons...Florida head coach Urban Meyer looks to become the only first-year head coach in the history of the program to defeat Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State in his first full season with the Gators.
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GEORGIA BULLDOGS at GEORGIA TECH YELLOWJACKETS
8:00 p.m. ET * Atlanta, Ga. * Bobby Dodd Stadium at Grant Field (55,000)
LIVE TELEVISION: ABC Sports (Brad Nessler, play-by-play; Bob Griese, color analyst; Lynn Swann, sideline reporter)
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: None
GEORGIA (8-2, 6-2 SEC)
Head Coach: Mark Richt (Miami, Fla., '82)
Overall/Yrs: 50-12 (.806) / 5th Season
UGA/Yrs: 50-12 (.806) / 5th Season
National Rankings: 13th - AP / 13th - USA Today / 12th - Harris / 16th - BCS
Formations: Offense - Pro-Style * Defense - 4-3 Multiple
Internet Web Address: www.georgiadogs.com
Key Players
QB D.J Shockley (6-1, 206, Sr., College Park, Ga.)
Shockley, the SEC's top-rated passer, has made a solid return from his knee injury... He got injured in the first half against Arkansas and then missed the Florida game. Since returning to the lineup, Shockley is 37-of-67 for 463 yards, 6 TDs and no 0 INT...Leads SEC, 11th nationally in Pass Efficiency (152.2)...Finalist for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award; Semifinalist for Maxwell Award.
TE Leonard Pope (6-7, 250, Jr., Americus, Ga.)
The 6-8, 250-pound Pope, ranks 2nd on the team with 28 rec. (410 yards; 3 TDs); He could become the first Bulldog TE to lead the team in receiving since 1989 when Kirk Warner had 30 catches for 404 yards and 1 TD.
TB Thomas Brown (5-8, 177, So., Tucker, Ga.)
Brown has run the ball 116 times for 585 yards amd 3 TDs in 2005....For the last eight years, Georgia has had a different rushing leader...Thomas Brown could become the first Bulldog to end this stretch since Robert Edwards led the Bulldogs in 1996-97...Brown ran for a career-high 144 yards on 20 carries with 1 TD vs. USC. It was his fifth career 100-yard game.
MLB Jarvis Jackson (6-2, 208, Jr., Atlanta, Ga.)
Jackson returned to a starting spot versus #8 Tennessee and responded with eight tackles...Added nine tackles versus Arkansas... Jackson sustained a thumb injury versus USC on Sept. 10th, had surgery Sept. 13th and returned for some action against Miss. State on Sept. 24th...Jackson ranked among the team leaders in tackles through the first two games including a career-high 10 against USC....currently second on team in tackles with 58..
GEORGIA TECH (7-3, 5-3 ACC)
Head Coach: Chan Gailey (Florida, '74)
Overall/Yrs: 52-31 (.627) / 7th Season
GT/Yrs: 28-20 (.583) / 4th Season
2005 Schedule: 9/3-at Auburn (W, 23-14); 9/10-NORTH CAROLINA (W, 37-21); 9/17-UCONN (W, 28-13); 9/24-at Virginia Tech (L, 51-7); 10/6-North Carolina State (L, 17-14); 10/15-at Duke (W,35-10);10/29-CLEMSON (W, 10-9);11/5-WAKE FOREST (W, 30-17);11/12-at Virginia (L, 27-17); 11/19-at Miami (Fla.) (W, 14-10); 11/26-GEORGIA.
National Rankings: 20th - AP / 24th - USA Today / 22nd - Harris / 21st - BCS
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - Multiple
Key Players
QB Reggie Ball (5-11, 195, Jr., Stone Mountain, Ga.)
Passed for 174 yards and one touchdown to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 23-14 victory at 16th-ranked Auburn...Named ACC Offensive Back of the Week after career-high 320 yards passing in win over UNC. Threw two TD passes, rushed for a third score and had a 33-yard reception... Career-high 367 yards of total offense, including 88 yards rushing, against NC State...Threw two touchdowns and rushed for a third in win over Wake Forest.
WR Calvin Johnson (6-4, 230, So., Tyrone, Ga.)
With 89 yards receiving at Miami, Calvin Johnson raised his career total to 1,683 yards and moved into seventh place in Tech history after just 22 games. ...One of the nation's top receivers who is a preseason nominee for the Biletnikoff Award, preseason first-team all-America by ESPN.com and the preseason choice of several publications as ACC Offensive Player of the Year.
DE Eric Henderson (6-3, 265, Sr., New Orleans, La.)
With his first quarter sack, Eric Henderson became Georgia Tech's career leader in tackles for loss...Henderson entered the game with 57 tackles for loss, tied with his former teammate Greg Gathers (1999-02). Henderson also had another tackle for loss in the second quarter to raise his career total to 59. ..Henderson now has 25 career sacks. He ranks fourth in Tech history, trailing Gathers (31), Coleman Rudolph (28.5) and Marco Coleman (27.5).
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: UG, 56-36-5 * Last: UG, 19-13 (11/27/2004 at Athens)
On Saturday night, #13 Georgia (8-2) and #20 Ga. Tech (7-3) meet for the 98th time since 1893 with the Bulldogs leading the series 56-36-5... The winner of the game receives the Governor's Cup Trophy...Georgia has won four straight in the Mark Richt era. Prior to his arrival, Ga. Tech had a three-game winning streak when the Bulldogs were led by Jim Donnan who was the helm from 1996-2000...Last week, Georgia captured the SEC Eastern Division title with a 45-13 rout of Kentucky while the Yellow Jackets went on the road and upset third-ranked Miami 14-10... Georgia's defense held Kentucky to 199 yards, a season best... The Yellow Jackets registered seven sacks, held the Hurricanes to 11 first downs and shut them out in the second half...From 1912-14, the schools did not play each other because of a dispute caused from a Georgia parade float that ridiculed Ga. Tech for playing football during WWI...Georgia has the series at 56-36-5 and doesn't count two Yellow Jacket wins during WWII...Five games in the series have been decided by one point, four of them won by Georgia, most recently 18-17 in 1995 in Atlanta on a 34-yard field goal by Kanon Parkman with 47 seconds left.
11/21/2005
Arkansas at LSU
Tennessee at Kentucky
Ole Miss at Mississippi State
Florida State at Florida
Georgia at Georgia Tech
ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS at LSU TIGERS
2:30 p.m. CT * Baton Rouge, La. * Tiger Stadium (92,400)
LIVE TELEVISION: CBS Sports (Craig Bolerjack, play-by-play; Randy Cross, color analyst; Dwayne Ballen, sideline reporter)
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: LSU [127]
ARKANSAS (4-6, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Houston Nutt ( Oklahoma State, '81)
Overall/Yrs: 93-61 (.616) / 13th Season
UA/Yrs: 57-39 (.594) / 8th Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - Multiple
Internet Web Address: www.hogwired.com
Key Players
SE Marcus Monk (6-6, 224, So., Lepanto, Ark.)
With his 13-yard reception on the Razorbacks' second play from scrimmage against Mississippi State, Marcus Monk has now caught at least one pass in each of his 21 games in an Arkansas uniform...Monk has made at least three catches in 13 of his 21 career games as a Razorback including six of 10 games this season.
TB Darren McFadden (6-2, 210, Fr., North Little Rock, Ark.)
Darren McFadden became the seventh Razorback and the first freshman in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season with 165 yards on 21 carries against Mississippi State. McFadden has 1,056 on the season....The 1,056 yards rushing also makes McFadden just the seventh freshman running back in SEC history and the to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
LB Pierre Brown (6-0, 227, Sr., Birmingham, Ala.)
Brown has been able to pick up where he left off despite playing in only five of the Razorbacks' first seven games... He missed both the USC and Alabama games while nursing an ankle sprain... He earned a career-high 15 stops against Missouri State in the season opener...Totaled 11 tackles versus Auburn...He recorded his second sack of the year versus Ole Miss last week, giving him five for his career.
LB Sam Olajubutu (5-9, 227, Jr., LaGrange, Ga.)
Racked up a career high 18 tackles including 12 solo stops vs. Auburn with two tackles for loss (-10) including one sack (-9)... His sack helped stop the Tigers in the red zone and force a field goal...Has been added to the Rotary Lombardi Award watch list...Added two TFLs last week versus Mississippi State.
LSU (9-1, 5-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Les Miles (Michigan, '76)
Overall/Yrs: 37-22 (.627) / 5th Season
LSU/Yrs: 9-1 (.900) / 1st Season
National Rankings: 3rd - AP / 3rd - USA Today / 3rd - Harris / 4th - BCS
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.lsusports.net
Key Players
QB JaMarcus Russell (6-5, 248, So., Mobile, Ala.)
Russell continued with the hot hand against Ole Miss, completing 13 of 22 passes for 142 yards and 2 TDs... Over his last 4 games, Russell has combined to complete 62 of 95 passes for 823 yards, 6 TDs and only 2 interceptions...Russell has now thrown for at least 1 TD in 78straight games and he's gone over the 200-yard passing mark 7 times this year... In addition, Russell has been good for at least one completion of at least 30 yards in all but 2 games.
WR Dwayne Bowe (6-3, 213, Jr., Miami, Fla.)
Bowe had his streak of games with at least 1 TD reception snapped at 7 against Ole Miss... Prior to the Ole Miss game, Bowe had caught a TD pass in a school-record 7 straight games, a streak that broke the previous record of 6 held by Michael Clayton in 2003.
FS LaRon Landry (6-2, 187, Jr., Ama, La.)
Landry is one of 12 players from across the country that have been named as semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, which has been presented annually since 1986 to college football's top defensive back... Landry has started all 10 games for the fourth-ranked Tigers... He currently ranks third on the team squad with 55 tackles, including 2 tackles for losses and 1 sack.
WR Skyler Green (5-10, 195, Sr., Westwego, La.)
Green continues to rank second in school history in career punt return yards with 1,018 on 73 returns...Green with over the 1,000 career-yard mark for punt returns with 32 punt return yards against Ole Miss. This year, Green has returned 23 punts for 313 yards and 1 score. Domanick Davis holds the LSU record with 1,126 career punt return yards.
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: LSU, 31-17-2 * Last: LSU, 43-14 (11/26/2004 at Little Rock)
LSU and Arkansas meet on the Friday following Thanksgiving for the 10th straight year ... Friday's game will mark the 51st meeting between the teams with LSU holding a 31-17-2 advantage ... Since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992, LSU has an 8-5 mark against the Hogs ... LSU has won 2 straight and 3 of the last 4 against Arkansas, including a 43- 14 victory last year in Little Rock ... LSU is 7-1-1 vs. Arkansas in Baton Rouge ... LSU has won 5 straight against the Razorbacks in Tiger Stadium ... Arkansas' only win in Tiger Stadium came in 1993 by a 42-24 count ... LSU coach Les Miles will face Arkansas for the first time on Friday...LSU will put its eight-game winning streak on the line on Friday against Arkansas as the third-ranked Tigers look to clinch a berth in the SEC Championship Game for the third time in five years... A win over Arkansas gives LSU a share of the SEC Western Division title, along with Auburn, and the bid to the league's title game against Georgia on Dec. 3 in Atlanta...LSU beat Auburn 20-17 in overtime on Oct. 22...The Tigers lone loss on the season is a 30-27 overtime defeat to Tennessee in the home opener, which LSU led 21-0 at the half.
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TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS at KENTUCKY WILDCATS
12:30 p.m. ET * Lexington, Ky. * Commonwealth Stadium (67,606)
LIVE TELEVISION: Jefferson Pilot Sports (Dave Neal, play-by-play;Dave Rowe, color analyst; Dave Baker, sideline reporter)
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: Kentucky [Channel 126]
TENNESSEE (4-6, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee, '72)
Overall/Yrs: 127-37 (.774) / 14th Season
UT/Yrs: 127-37 (.774) / 14th Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.utsports.com
Key Players
TB Arian Foster (6-1, 211, Fr., San Diego, Calif.)
Foster has become the first Vols freshman to run for at least 100 yards in each of his first four starts since Chuck Webb did so in 1989 (in his first five starts)... Foster ran for 148 yards vs. South Carolina Oct. 29, 125 yards at Notre Dame Nov. 5 and 132 yards vs. Memphis Nov. 12...Last Saturday in Knoxville, the native of San Diego, Calif., broke loose for 223 yards on 40 carries (one carry shy of the UT single-game record)...On the season, Foster is averaging 4.9 yards on 157 carries.
DT Jesse Mahelona (6-2, 300, Sr., Kailua-Lona, Hawaii)
2005 Playboy Preseason All-America...2004 All-America selection by The Sporting News...Led SEC with 18.5 tackles for loss, resulting in minus-81 yards for Vol opponents...Also garnered All-SEC honors from AP and second-team selection by Coaches..Mahelona has two sacks and eight TFLs this season.
DE Jason Hall (6-3, 260, Sr., Marietta, Ga.)
Hall leads the Vols in both sacks and TFLs while ranking third in the SEC in both categories this season... Hall has at least one sack in five of the last six games and at least one TFL in eight of the last nine contests... His 48 tackles this season are a career-high, and he boasts 11 career sacks and 19.5 career TFLs.
DE Parys Haralson (6-2, 248, Sr., Flora, Miss.)
Haralson has 6.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs ... Haralson is the SEC's active career sacks leader with 19...The two-time co-captain trails only Reggie White (51 TFLs from 1980-83) and Leonard Little (53 TFLs from 1995-97)...Both White and Little went on to be top-three round NFL draft picks and NFL Pro Bowl selections.
KENTUCKY (3-7, 2-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Rich Brooks (Oregon State, '63)
Overall/Yrs: 100-133-4 (.430) / 21st Season
UK/Yrs: 9-24 (.273) / 3rd Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple Sets * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.ukathletics.com
Key Players
SS Muhammad Abdullah (6-0, 205, Sr., Folkston, Ga.)
Second on the team in tackles with 79 and is second among SEC defensive backs with 7.9 stops per game ... First-team preseason All-America by CollegeSportsReport.com ... Named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, given to the nation's top defensive player, as well as the Jim Thorpe Award, awarded to the nation's top defensive back ... Preseason All-SEC selection by the league's coaches.
PK Taylor Begley (6-0 200, Sr., Danville, Ky.)
Has made 27 of 28 extra points and 10 of 12 field gaols ... Has made eight consecutive field goals, the longest streak of his career ... His long field goal of the season is 46 yards at Vanderbilt ... Also has handled some of the kickoff duties and has 19 touchbacks on 38 kickoffs, ranking third in the league in touchback percentage.
WR Glenn Holt (6-2, 195, Sr., Opalocka, Fla.)
Will be a game captain this week for the Tennessee game ... Has started seven games ... Scored a touchdown against Florida on a five-yard endaround run ... It was the second rushing touchdown of his career ... Had season- bests with four catches for 41 yards at Ole Miss ... Tied his season-best four catches and had 32 yards receiving vs. Auburn.
RB Rafael Little (5-11, 195, So., Anderson, S.C.)
On the Doak Walker Award Watch List for the nation's best running back ... Leads the team in rushing (1,002 yards), all-purpose yardage (180.6 yards per game), and pass receptions (35) ... Ranks fourth in the nation in allpurpose yardage ... Rates fourth in the league in rushing yardage with 100.2 per game ... Ranks No. 1 in the SEC in punt return average (17.3) and fifth in the nationreturn average (17.
and fifth in the nation. SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: UT, 68-23-9 * Last: UT, 37-31 (11/27/2004 at Knoxville)
Tennessee heads north on Interstate Highway 75 to Lexington, Ky., where it faces SEC Eastern Division rival Kentucky Nov. 26... The Volunteers lead the all-time series with the Wildcats 68-23-9, dating to 1893... Tennessee has played Kentucky more than any other opponent (100 times), and the Vols own a 20-game win streak in the series...Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer owns a 12-0 record against UK, and his squads haveaveraged 45.2 ppg vs. the Wildcats (while allowing just 12.3 ppg)...Tennessee's current 20-game win streak over Kentucky is the second-longest active winning streak over a major opponent in NCAA Division I-A (teams must have played every year)... Only Notre Dame's current streak of 42 straight wins over Navy is the only longer active streak...Tennessee and Kentucky meet for the 101st ...The Vols lead the all-time series 32-13-3 when the game is being played in Lexington...UK's last win in the series came in 1984, a 17-12 Kentucky win in Knoxville... UK's last win over the Volunteers in Lexington was a 21-10 decision in 1981...Two of the last four games with Tennessee have been decided by six points or less.. Last season, UK took a 31-22 lead before the Volunteers clawed their way back into the game in the fourth quarter, winning 37-31.
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OLE MISS REBELS at MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
1:30 p.m. CT * Starkville, Miss. * Davis-Wade Stadium at Scott Field (55,082)
LIVE TELEVISION: None
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: Ole Miss [11
, Mississippi State [Channel 131] OLE MISS (3-7, 1-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Ed Orgeron (Northwestern (La.) State, '84)
Overall/Yrs: 3-7 (.300) / 1st Season
UM/Yrs: 3-7 (.300) / 1st Season
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - Multiple 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.olemisssports.com
Key Players
LB Patrick Willis (6-2, 230, Jr., Bruceton, Tenn.)
Willis ranks first in the country in solo stops (8.78 per game) and leads the SEC in total tackles (12.7 per game) ...Willis led the Rebels against LSU, tying a career high with 15 tackles and setting a new career high with 11 solo stops.
RB Mico McSwain (6-1, 203, Fr., Richton, Miss.)
McSwain registered his fifth play of 40 or more yards with his 45-yard reception from Flatt in the first quarter versus Arkansas before leaving with injury ... For the first time this season, McSwain did not lead the Rebels in rushing against Arkansas ... McSwain ranks eighth in the SEC in rushing yards at 68.0 per game...did not play versus LSU.
DT McKinley Boykin (6-2, 285, Sr., Bessemer, Ala.)
Boykin notched a career-high three QB pressures at Auburn and matched his career-best for total tackles with seven, along with 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 QB sacks...Missed spring 2004 due to knee surgery...Two-time SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week in 2004 (5 tackles, 2 TFLs vs. Vanderbilt; 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack vs. South Carolina).
OT Tre' Stallings (6-4, 317, Sr., Magnolia, Miss.)
Stallings has started 47 consecutive games, which is the third-longest streak in the SEC and tied for fifth-longest in the nation. With a start against State, Stallings would tie the school record of 48 held by OL Marcus Johnson (2001-04).
MISSISSIPPI STATE (2-8, 0-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Sylvester Croom (Alabama, '75)
Overall/Yrs: 5-16 (.23
/ 2nd Season MSU/Yrs: 5-16 (.23
/ 2nd Season National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple Pro-Style * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.mstateathletics.com
Key Players
HB Jerious Norwood (6-0, 204, Sr., Brandon, Miss.)
After gaining 91 yards at Arkansas last week, Norwood now has 3,018 yards rushing with one game remaining in his senior season...Norwood was held to 39 yards rushing on 18 carries by Alabama's defense, but in so doing, added to the Mississippi State all-time rushing record he set the previous Saturday...He surpassed Walter Packer (2,820; 1973-76) on his fourth carry of the third quarter at UK the previous weekend as MSU's all-time rushing leader...Norwood ranks fifth in the SEC in rushing at 93.2 yards per game...He has rushed for 932 yards and three touchdowns in 2005 as he looks for his second consecutive 1,000-yard season versus the Rebels.
DE Willie Evans (6-2, 267, Sr., Waynesboro, Miss.)
Senior DE Willie Evans recorded two quarterback sacks last week at Arkansas, pushing his total to 13.5 for the season - the third most in school history - and moving his career total to 23.0, fourth-most all-time at Mississippi State, passing Mike McEnany's 22.0 total posted from 1979-82...Evans 13.5 sacks on the year leads the Southeastern Conference, and is the third-highest total ever recorded by a Bulldog.
DB Kevin Dockery (5-9, 187, Sr., Hernando, Miss.)
Mississippi State senior cornerback Kevin Dockery (Hernando, Miss.) tallied seven tackles and his third interception of the season, returning it 42 yards, versus Arkansas...It was the sixth of his Bulldog career...He also intercepted a pass against Alabama in the Bulldogs' last home game ....He also tied for the team lead against the Crimson Tide with seven tackles, one and one-half for loss (minus 2 yards).
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: UM, 58-37-6 * Last: UM, 20-3 (11/27/2004 at Oxford)
This game will be the 102nd meeting of one of the nation's most-played rivalries. Ole Miss holds a 58-37-6 advantage in the series dating back to 1901...The Ole Miss-Mississippi State series is listed as tied for the 16th most-played in NCAA Division I-A history. The series is also listed as the 10th longest uninterrupted series, as the NCAA considers Saturday's game the 90th consecutive year that the two schools have faced each other... Neither team, however, fielded a squad in 1943 due to World War II... Saturday's game will be the 78th "Battle of the Golden Egg," as the two schools started playing for the trophy in 1927... Ole Miss holds a 52-20-5 advantage in the "Egg Bowl." ...The home team has won five of the last six games... Ole Miss has taken three straight in the series with an average margin of victory of 20.0 during the streak... The rivals have split the last 14 meetings since the series returned to campus sites in 1991, after being played yearly in Jackson from 1973-1990... Ole Miss is looking to become the first team in the series to win four straight Egg Bowls since the Rebels won four consecutive from 1983-1986... Ole Miss prevailed 20-3 last year in Oxford... The Rebels hold a 20-9-3 advantage in games played in Starkville.
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FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES at FLORIDA GATORS
3:30 p.m. ET * Gainesville, Fla. * Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field (88,54
LIVE TELEVISION: CBS Sports (Verne Lundquist, play-by-play; Todd Blackledge, color analyst; Tracy Wolfson, sideline reporter)
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: Florida [144]
FLORIDA STATE (7-3, 5-3 ACC)
Head Coach: Bobby Bowden (Samford, '53)
Overall/Yrs: 358-105-4 (.771) / 40th Season
FSU/Yrs: 285-73-4 / 30th Season
2005 Schedule: 9/5-MIAMI (W, 10-7), 9/10-CITADEL (W, 62-10), 9/17-at Boston College (W, 28-17); 10/1-SYRACUSE (W, 38-14), 10/8-WAKE FOREST (W, 41-24), 10/15-at Virginia (L, 26-21), 10/22-at Duke (W, 55-24), 10/29-MARYLAND (W, 35-27), 11/5-N.C. STATE (L, 20-15), 11/12-at Clemson (L, 35-14), 11/26-at Florida.
National Rankings: 23rd - AP / 21st - USA Today / 21st - Harris / 24th - BCS
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.seminoles.com
Key Players
TB Leon Washington (5-9, 202, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.)
Held out of the NC State and Clemson games with an ankle injury...10th all-time at FSU in rushing...Candidate for Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards....An All-America candidate as one of the nation's top running backs...one of the top all-around players in school history who led the Seminoles in rushing seven times as he gained a career-high and team- leading 951 yards...the leading returning rusher in the ACC for the 2004 season who averaged 95.1 yards per game as a junior.
QB Drew Weatherford (6-3, 220, Fr., Land O' Lakes, Fla.)
Weatherford is on pace to break Philip Rivers' ACC freshmen passing record through nine games this year. Rivers threw for 3,054 yards in 2000. At his current rate, Weatherford would throw for 3,172 yards in 13 games. Weatherford leads the ACC in passing yards per game (244.0) and is second in TD passes (15). He leads the ACC in 200-yard passing games with seven and 300-yard games with three. He has also rushed for three scores.
LB A.J. Nicholson (6-2, 235, Sr., Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Nicholson enters the Florida game with a team-leading 82 tackles... He has led the team in tackles in four of 10 games of the season including his best career outing in which he recorded 19 tackles in the Seminoles' victory over Boston College... Nicholson led the team in tackles against Boston College, Wake Forest, Virginia, and NC State.
FLORIDA (7-3, 5-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Urban Meyer (Cincinnati, '86)
Overall/Yrs: 46-11 (.807) / 5th Season
UF/Yrs: 7-3 (.700) / 1st Season
National Rankings: 19th - AP / 19th - USA Today / 19th - Harris / 23rd - BCS
Formations: Offense - Spread * Defense - Multiple, 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.gatorzone.com
Key Players
QB Chris Leak (6-0, 195, Jr., Charlotte, N.C.)
Entering the Florida State game, Chris Leak is fourth in the category of most touchdowns responsible for by a Gator...Leak has been involved in 71 (71 passing, 10 rushing) and is 11 behind Shane Matthews (74 pass, seven rushing, one receiving)...Chris Leak has a career completion percentage of 60.4, which is just behind Danny Wuerffel (60.5), who is third on UF's all-time chart.
LB Earl Everett (6-2, 224, Jr., Webster, Fla.)
Everett led the Gators in tackles against South Carolina with eight... His 60 stops this season are tied with Jeremy Mincey for the best total on the squad....Everett's 14 tackles against the LSU Tigers were a season and career high for the junior, as well as the most tackles in a single game by a Gator player this season.
WR Chad Jackson (6-1, 202, Jr., Hoover, Ala.)
Jackson is tied for 24th nationally in receiving touchdowns with eight... He has averaged a touchdown catch every nine receptions this season...Jackson's 72 receptions are tied for 15th nationally this season and rank second in the SEC... Jackson looks to become the fourth different UF receiver to lead the league in receptions since 2000.
LB Brandon Siler (6-2, 230, So., Orlando, Fla.)
Siler has recorded at least half a tackle for a loss in eight of the Gators' 10 games this season...The only games he did not record a tackle for a loss in were against Louisiana Tech and South Carolina...This season, Siler leads the SEC with six fumble recoveries... No other player in the league has more than three recoveries.
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: UF, 28-19-2 * Last: UF, 20-13 (11/20/2004 at Tallahassee)
The two Sunshine State schools first met on the gridiron in 1958 in a series that has become one of the nation's most spirited rivalries... Florida posted a 21-7 victory in the first showdown in 1958 and the two have met every year since that initial contest, with Florida holding an overall 28-19-2 lead in the series and a 17-8-1 advantage in Gainesville... Since 1979, this game has been scheduled as the regular-season finale for both universities... Both schools enter this year's contest with a 7-3 overall record and both went 5-3 in their respective conferences...The two teams have split the last four meetings in the series, with each winning one on its home field and one on its opponents' turf. UF is looking to win back-to-back games against Florida State for the first time since the 1996 National Championship game and the 1997 regular-season game... UF has not won back-to-back regular season meetings vs. FSU since the 1985-86 seasons...Florida head coach Urban Meyer looks to become the only first-year head coach in the history of the program to defeat Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State in his first full season with the Gators.
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GEORGIA BULLDOGS at GEORGIA TECH YELLOWJACKETS
8:00 p.m. ET * Atlanta, Ga. * Bobby Dodd Stadium at Grant Field (55,000)
LIVE TELEVISION: ABC Sports (Brad Nessler, play-by-play; Bob Griese, color analyst; Lynn Swann, sideline reporter)
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO: None
GEORGIA (8-2, 6-2 SEC)
Head Coach: Mark Richt (Miami, Fla., '82)
Overall/Yrs: 50-12 (.806) / 5th Season
UGA/Yrs: 50-12 (.806) / 5th Season
National Rankings: 13th - AP / 13th - USA Today / 12th - Harris / 16th - BCS
Formations: Offense - Pro-Style * Defense - 4-3 Multiple
Internet Web Address: www.georgiadogs.com
Key Players
QB D.J Shockley (6-1, 206, Sr., College Park, Ga.)
Shockley, the SEC's top-rated passer, has made a solid return from his knee injury... He got injured in the first half against Arkansas and then missed the Florida game. Since returning to the lineup, Shockley is 37-of-67 for 463 yards, 6 TDs and no 0 INT...Leads SEC, 11th nationally in Pass Efficiency (152.2)...Finalist for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award; Semifinalist for Maxwell Award.
TE Leonard Pope (6-7, 250, Jr., Americus, Ga.)
The 6-8, 250-pound Pope, ranks 2nd on the team with 28 rec. (410 yards; 3 TDs); He could become the first Bulldog TE to lead the team in receiving since 1989 when Kirk Warner had 30 catches for 404 yards and 1 TD.
TB Thomas Brown (5-8, 177, So., Tucker, Ga.)
Brown has run the ball 116 times for 585 yards amd 3 TDs in 2005....For the last eight years, Georgia has had a different rushing leader...Thomas Brown could become the first Bulldog to end this stretch since Robert Edwards led the Bulldogs in 1996-97...Brown ran for a career-high 144 yards on 20 carries with 1 TD vs. USC. It was his fifth career 100-yard game.
MLB Jarvis Jackson (6-2, 208, Jr., Atlanta, Ga.)
Jackson returned to a starting spot versus #8 Tennessee and responded with eight tackles...Added nine tackles versus Arkansas... Jackson sustained a thumb injury versus USC on Sept. 10th, had surgery Sept. 13th and returned for some action against Miss. State on Sept. 24th...Jackson ranked among the team leaders in tackles through the first two games including a career-high 10 against USC....currently second on team in tackles with 58..
GEORGIA TECH (7-3, 5-3 ACC)
Head Coach: Chan Gailey (Florida, '74)
Overall/Yrs: 52-31 (.627) / 7th Season
GT/Yrs: 28-20 (.583) / 4th Season
2005 Schedule: 9/3-at Auburn (W, 23-14); 9/10-NORTH CAROLINA (W, 37-21); 9/17-UCONN (W, 28-13); 9/24-at Virginia Tech (L, 51-7); 10/6-North Carolina State (L, 17-14); 10/15-at Duke (W,35-10);10/29-CLEMSON (W, 10-9);11/5-WAKE FOREST (W, 30-17);11/12-at Virginia (L, 27-17); 11/19-at Miami (Fla.) (W, 14-10); 11/26-GEORGIA.
National Rankings: 20th - AP / 24th - USA Today / 22nd - Harris / 21st - BCS
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - Multiple
Key Players
QB Reggie Ball (5-11, 195, Jr., Stone Mountain, Ga.)
Passed for 174 yards and one touchdown to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 23-14 victory at 16th-ranked Auburn...Named ACC Offensive Back of the Week after career-high 320 yards passing in win over UNC. Threw two TD passes, rushed for a third score and had a 33-yard reception... Career-high 367 yards of total offense, including 88 yards rushing, against NC State...Threw two touchdowns and rushed for a third in win over Wake Forest.
WR Calvin Johnson (6-4, 230, So., Tyrone, Ga.)
With 89 yards receiving at Miami, Calvin Johnson raised his career total to 1,683 yards and moved into seventh place in Tech history after just 22 games. ...One of the nation's top receivers who is a preseason nominee for the Biletnikoff Award, preseason first-team all-America by ESPN.com and the preseason choice of several publications as ACC Offensive Player of the Year.
DE Eric Henderson (6-3, 265, Sr., New Orleans, La.)
With his first quarter sack, Eric Henderson became Georgia Tech's career leader in tackles for loss...Henderson entered the game with 57 tackles for loss, tied with his former teammate Greg Gathers (1999-02). Henderson also had another tackle for loss in the second quarter to raise his career total to 59. ..Henderson now has 25 career sacks. He ranks fourth in Tech history, trailing Gathers (31), Coleman Rudolph (28.5) and Marco Coleman (27.5).
SERIES/GAME NOTES
Record: UG, 56-36-5 * Last: UG, 19-13 (11/27/2004 at Athens)
On Saturday night, #13 Georgia (8-2) and #20 Ga. Tech (7-3) meet for the 98th time since 1893 with the Bulldogs leading the series 56-36-5... The winner of the game receives the Governor's Cup Trophy...Georgia has won four straight in the Mark Richt era. Prior to his arrival, Ga. Tech had a three-game winning streak when the Bulldogs were led by Jim Donnan who was the helm from 1996-2000...Last week, Georgia captured the SEC Eastern Division title with a 45-13 rout of Kentucky while the Yellow Jackets went on the road and upset third-ranked Miami 14-10... Georgia's defense held Kentucky to 199 yards, a season best... The Yellow Jackets registered seven sacks, held the Hurricanes to 11 first downs and shut them out in the second half...From 1912-14, the schools did not play each other because of a dispute caused from a Georgia parade float that ridiculed Ga. Tech for playing football during WWI...Georgia has the series at 56-36-5 and doesn't count two Yellow Jacket wins during WWII...Five games in the series have been decided by one point, four of them won by Georgia, most recently 18-17 in 1995 in Atlanta on a 34-yard field goal by Kanon Parkman with 47 seconds left.
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