Here is the latest SEC sports news from The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Christopher Smith returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown and No. 5 Georgia turned in a defensive effort for the ages, toppling third-ranked Clemson 10-3 on Saturday in the opener for both teams. The Bulldogs held the Tigers to 2 yards rushing and sacked D.J. Uiagalelei seven times to position themselves for a run at the College Football Playoffs. Uiagalelei finished 19 of 37 for 178 yards with one interception. He bobbled snaps, was out of sync with his receivers and spent most of the day under heavy duress against a relentless Bulldogs pass rush.
Georgia is trying to bring defense back. In the centerpiece game of the opening weekend of college football, the fifth-ranked Bulldogs put on a relentless, ferocious, smothering display of defense against No 3 Clemson. In the age of offense, when Nick Saban’s Alabama dynasty has turned into QB U., Kirby Smart has built a devastating defensive machine built of blue-chippers.
ATLANTA — Top-ranked Alabama looks very much like a team capable of making another run at a national title. Bryce Young became the first Crimson Tide quarterback to throw four TD passes in his starting debut, leading a 44-13 rout of No. 14 Miami. Young finished off the Hurricanes with a 94-yard touchdown pass to transfer Jameson Williams early in the third quarter. The Tide defense also turned in a stellar performance. Alabama sacked D'Eriq King four times, forced three turnovers and came up with a goal-line stand that snuffed out Miami’s last gasp at making a game of it.
PASADENA, Calif. — Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, Zach Charbonnet added 117 rushing yards and a score and UCLA upset No. 16 LSU 38-27 Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. It is the first time in 13 years a Pac-12 team has defeated a ranked SEC squad. Coincidentally, UCLA was the last to do it, when it beat Tennessee in 2008. The Bruins are 2-0 for the first time since 2017 and could be ranked for the first time since 2015 when the AP Top 25 is released on Tuesday.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Leon O’Neal Jr. had two interceptions, returning the second one 85 yards for a touchdown, and Devon Achane added two scores to help No. 6 Texas A&M pull away in the third quarter and cruise to a 41-10 win over Kent State Saturday night. It’s Texas A&M’s ninth consecutive victory after ending last season with an eight-game winning streak. O’Neal and Achane’s big performances helped make up for a mistake-riddled night by quarterback Haynes King, who threw three interceptions in his first career start.
NASHVILLE — Linebacker Stephen Scott returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown, and East Tennessee State upset Vanderbilt 23-3 to ruin the head coaching debut of Clark Lea at his alma mater. The Buccaneers also became the sixth FCS team to beat a FBS team to open this season and third of the day joining Holy Cross and Montana. The victory was ETSU’s first over a Power Five program since upsetting North Carolina State on Nov. 7, 1987. Lea left a job as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame to take over the challenge of rebuilding his alma mater. Vandy now has lost 11 straight.
AUBURN, Ala. — Bo Nix passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns in just over a half and Auburn gave new coach Bryan Harsin a 60-10 cakewalk in his debut against Akron in the season opener for both teams. It was a promising beginning even if it came against five-touchdown underdogs, especially for an offense and quarterback that had drawn some criticism the past couple of years. Nix was nearly flawless his first time running the offense of Harsin and coordinator Mike Bobo, going 20-of-22 passing while hitting a couple of wide-open receivers for touchdowns.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Dan Mullen insists he has no quarterback controversy: Emory Jones is the starter, and Anthony Richardson remains the backup following a 35-14 victory against Florida Atlantic on Saturday night in which one clearly outplayed the other. Jones was far from sharp in the Swamp, finishing with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first career start. Wearing the No. 15 that Tim Tebow made popular in Gainesville, Richardson looked more ready for the spotlight. He ran seven times for 160 yards, including a 73-yard score late in the game and an 11-yarder in which he broke three tackles and hurdled another defender.
