SEC Notes

Gators vs. Volunteers Should Rock Rocky Top

Jamal Lewis hopes he can end the Volunteers' shame.

Starting in 1993, the Gators have won by scores of 41-34, 31-0, 62-37, 35-29 and 33-20. Overall, this is the 28th meeting between the teams that enter a CBS televised contest (7 p.m. Central) with high hopes for the 1998 season. Tennessee, which has had two weeks to prepare for this game since winning on the final play of the game at Syracuse, leads the overall series, 15-12. However, the Gators have won 10 of the last 12 meetings. Florida has had plenty of time to concentrate on the Vols after taking easy home field wins against overmatched teams from The Citadel and Northeast Louisiana.

Tennessee will be counting heavily on sophomore tailback Jamal Lewis to break the losing streak to Florida. He came through with 141 yards on 20 carries in UT's 34-33 comeback victory against the Orangemen. The game wasn't decided until senior Jeff Hall kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired for the win. The Vols will also be looking for a big game from new starting quarterback Tee Martin, who completed 9-26 passes for 143 yards vs. Syracuse.

Lewis will face a challenge running against what is expected to be one of Florida's toughest defensive teams. Last week, Northeast Louisiana was held to minus 36 yards rushing, 20 shy of the school record set last year vs. Arkansas. The Florida defense has held opponents to less than 50 net rushing yards in 14 of its last 27 games. Since 1990, the Gators are 51-1-1 when holding an opponent to less than 100 team rushing yards. Florida's offense has had plenty of success in recent years against Tennessee. In the past five meetings, the Gators have averaged 40.4 points per game vs. the Volunteers.

In other news

• After scoring 50 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1914, Kentucky is 2-0 for its best start since 1989 when UK opened with wins over Indiana and North Carolina. Tim Couch completed 32-41 passes for 372 yards and five TDs against Division I-AA Eastern Kentucky. Couch leads the SEC and is second in the nation in passing efficiency (217.1 rating). Couch has yet to throw an interception in 80 attempts this season.

• Mississippi State running back James Johnson rushed for 192 yards on 25 carries and a TD against Memphis, the fourth highest single game total in Bulldog history. Since transferring to Starkville from junior college last season, the senior has rushed for 100-plus yards six times. Defensively, end Larry Campbell is off to a hot start with four quarterback sacks in two games.

• Arkansas and SMU are familiar opponents as they meet for the 72nd time. Despite being an underdog in recent meetings, SMU has taken four of the last six match-ups and three straight against the Razorbacks going into Saturday's contest at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Last year's game was a real shocker as the Mustangs were makin' bacon with the Pigs in a 31-9 win at a neutral stadium in Shreveport, La. Arkansas had minus 22 rushing yards in that game.

• South Carolina has been hit hard with injury problems in recent years. In the conference-opening loss to Georgia, redshirt freshman defensive back Andre Goodman injured a knee in the first half and is not expected back this season. USC had previously lost star DB Arturo Freeman for the entire season to a knee injury. The Gamecocks drew 83,411 to the Georgia game, which is the second largest crowd ever at Williams-Brice Stadium.

• Georgia's Champ Bailey continues to perform well on both offense and defense. Against South Carolina, he had four tackles as a defensive back and three catches for 74 yards as a receiver.

• Florida has the nation's second longest home winning streak at 23 games. Nebraska is number one with 44.

• Marshall, which plays South Carolina for the first time ever, has never won in 10 tries against an SEC team although the Thundering Herd came close before losing 34-31 to Ole Miss last year in the inaugural Ford Motor City Bowl. However, the star of that team, wide receiver Randy Moss, is now terrorizing defensive backs in the NFL. Marshall head coach Bob Pruett is a former assistant coach at Florida under Steve Spurrier.