Southeast Roundup : Florida’s Defense Shuts Down Mississippi State

A standout second-half defensive effort was just what 11th-ranked Florida needed Saturday to complement a big passing night by Kerwin Bell.

And that’s exactly what the Gators got to topple Mississippi State, 36-22, in a Southeastern Conference opener at Starkville, Miss.

“We came after them a bit more in the second half and I think that made a difference,” Florida Coach Galen Hall said. “The defense did what it had to do in the third quarter.”

Bell’s passing provided the offensive spark with three touchdowns, one an 83-yarder on the second play of the second half for the go-ahead score.

“Kerwin started slowly, but he stepped up into the pocket pretty well,” Hall said. “Mississippi State had a good defense and pressed us well.”

Mississippi State Coach Emory Bellard, who had boldly predicted his Bulldogs would win the conference championship, said Florida’s third quarter was the big difference.

“Florida jumped right out there in the second half and blistered us with the long touchdown pass,” he said. “But we just didn’t make any big plays in the second half. Give them credit on defense. They did a good job with their blitz.

In running its unbeaten string to 13 games over two seasons, Florida (2-0-1) shut down Mississippi State in the third quarter and scored 13 consecutive points. Mississippi State fell to 3-1.

Bell, who came into the game as the nation’s most efficient passer, finished with 302 yards passing while hitting 15 of 25 attempts. He was intercepted once.

Running back Neal Anderson had touchdown runs of 1 and 7 yards for Florida and finished with 134 yards in 23 carries.

Alabama 40, Vanderbilt 20--Mike Shula ran for one touchdown and passed for another as he guided the 15th-ranked Crimson Tide to victory in a Southeastern Conference game at Nashville, Tenn.

“An awful lot of our success is Mike,” Alabama Coach Ray Perkins said. “He has the kind of leadership we need. He works at it and he’s very conscientious.”

Shula hit 9 of 12 passes for 147 yards as Alabama (4-0) exploded for 17 points each in the second and third quarters to run its SEC record to 2-0 in avenging a 30-21 homecoming loss last year.

Vanderbilt (1-3) was playing its first SEC game.

Alabama’s Van Tiffin set an NCAA team record for consecutive extra points when he kicked his fourth of the game in the third quarter. The kick was the 136th straight by Alabama dating from the 1981 season. The record was set by Oklahoma from 1976-79.

Shula ran 6 yards for a touchdown in the second period and threw a 14-yard pass to Al Bell in the third. Other Crimson Tide scores came on a 5-yard run by Bobby Humphrey in the second quarter, a 10-yard run by Gene Jelks in the third, and a 3-yard run by tailback Craig Turner as time expired.

Tiffin added field goals of 21 and 40 yards.

Georgia 35, South Carolina 21--Freshman Tim Worley scored three touchdowns, and freshman Keith Henderson added another to lead the Bulldogs at Athens, Ga.

Worley, a 210-pound tailback, scored on runs of 28 and 6 yards in the first quarter and 16 yards early in the third. Henderson, a 210-pound fullback, ran 40 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to kill a comeback effort by the Gamecocks.

Georgia (3-1) got its other touchdown midway through the second quarter on a 39-yard pass from sophomore James Jackson to split end Cassius Osborn.

Henderson was the game’s leading rusher with 97 yards, while Worley, who had several good gains wiped out by penalties, gained 72.

Jackson, who didn’t become a starter until last week, completed 8 of 13 passes for 131 yards.

South Carolina (2-2) scored on a 1-yard run by quarterback Mike Hold, a 33-yard pass play from Hold to Sterling Sharpe and an 8-yard run by Thomas Dendy.

Hold finished hitting 17 of 26 attempts for 238 yards.

Mississippi 27, Tulane 10--Nathon Wonsley revived Mississippi’s anemic running game, rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown at New Orleans.

Mississippi had averaged just 41 yards a game net rushing as a team going into the game. Wonsley had a season total of 46 yards in the three games.

Mississippi is 2-1-1. Tulane is 0-4.

Wonsley’s touchdown clinched the game with 10 minutes left in the final quarter. It came on a 33-yard run.

Kentucky 27, Cincinnati 7--Bill Ransdell passed for two touchdowns and Joe Worley kicked field goals of 44 and 42 yards at Lexington, Ky., as the Wildcats (2-1) handed Cincinnati (3-2) its second straight loss.

Ransdell hit Eric Pitts on a 28-yard pass with 7:13 left in the first quarter and hit Chris Derby on a 25-yard pass with 10:21 left in the third quarter.