Hogs try to draw nearer a division crown against Vols

Posted 4:32PM on Thursday 9th November 2006 ( 18 years ago )

ATLANTA - Arkansas, riding an 8-game winning streak and featuring one of the nation's top running back duos, will try to take another step toward securing the Southeastern Conference West Division crown when it takes on Tennessee on Saturday. The 11th-ranked Razorbacks (8-1, 5-0 SEC) will have two conference tests left after the visit from the 13th-ranked Vols at Mississippi State and a game in Little Rock against No. 12 LSU. Florida has already nailed down the East Division spot in the championship game. No. 5 Auburn and LSU still have a shot at winning the West. Auburn has lost only one conference game to Arkansas and LSU has lost twice to Auburn and Florida. The Vols have lost only two games this season, surprisingly both on their home field to Florida and LSU. That means they're unbeaten on the road, a feat that will be hard to keep alive when the Vols run into Arkansas' strong two-headed running game. The Razorbacks have the SEC's No. 1 and No. 4 rusher. Darren McFaden leads the league with 115.3 yards per game and Felix Jones is fourth with 79.3 yards per game. ``They have just outstanding running backs and they do an excellent job of running the football,'' Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. ``Their offensive line is probably the best that we have played against this year. It's just a good-looking offensive football team.'' Tennessee has had a successful history with the Razorbacks, leading the series 12-2. ``I expect their best,'' Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. ``Whenever we play Tennessee, it's always a hard ball game. We have our work cut out for us again.'' Erik Ainge, the SEC's No. 2 passer, saw limited duty against LSU last week after spraining his ankle against South Carolina the previous week. Ainge is averaging 155 yards a game in the air and he's thrown 16 TD passes. Backup quarterback Jonathan Crompton will be ready to go if Ainge is unable to go. Arkansas, a 5.5-point favorite, has been on a roll. The Vols won't slow it down. Arkansas 24-17. Elsewhere around the SEC this weekend, with Mississippi and Mississippi State having open dates: Alabama (plus 18) at No. 12 LSU: The Tigers have won three in a row and five of the last six to chop 'Bama's series lead to 43-21-5. The Tide has won 24 of the 32 games played in Baton Rouge, and two others ended in ties. This LSU team is unbeaten at home. This Alabama team has been struggling and is in danger of finishing the season with a 6-6 mark. LSU hands them the fifth loss, with Auburn still waiting in the wings. LSU 31-21. Georgia (plus 13) at No. 5 Auburn: This will be the 110th meeting in a series Auburn leads 53-48-8. It's interesting that are almost even in points scored Auburn has 1,650 and Georgia 1,648. The Bulldogs won't square that total with a 2-point victory on The Plains. They won't even get the victory. Auburn 31-17. Vanderbilt (plus 2) at Kentucky: This is a dead even series 37-37-4. Football history buffs should note that Vandy was 16-0-1 at the start of the series, and didn't lose to Kentucky until 1946. That just happened to be the first year of Bear Bryant's 8-year tenure with the Wildcats. His teams were 3-1 against the Commodores, who enter this game having lost four of the last five meetings. Kentucky 21-17. South Carolina (plus 13.5) at No. 6 Florida: The Gamecocks snapped a 13-game losing streak in the series with last year's 30-22 upset of the Gators. Steve Spurrier would love to do in his alma mater again, but that won't happen. The Eastern Division champion Gators have too much talent, led by Chris Leak. Florida 28-17. Last week's totals: 5-2 straight, 5-1 vs. spread. For year, 69-9 straight, 40-28 vs. spread.

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