Everything Rolling the Tide’s Way

Mississippi State finally ran out of miracles and out of the national title chase.

Andrew Zow completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Shamari Buchanan with 6:04 to play Saturday, helping No. 11 Alabama to a 19-7 victory over No. 8 Mississippi State in a Southeastern Conference game at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The win gave the Crimson Tide, 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the SEC, sole possession of first place in the West Division and ended a three-game losing streak to the Bulldogs (8-1, 5-1).

No. 4 Florida 20, South Carolina 3--The Gators played this one at Columbia, S.C., as if they were trying to hide something from Florida State, their next opponent.

The victory gave Florida (9-1, 7-1) the SEC East title and put it in the conference championship game for the sixth time in eight years. It also kept the Gators alive for a national title.

The Gator offense, led by junior Jesse Palmer instead of regular starter Doug Johnson, struggled against South Carolina (0-10, 0-8). The Gators passed for 161 yards, three fewer than the Gamecocks.

South Carolina’s losing streak, the country’s longest, grew to 20 games a day after Coach Lou Holtz’s mother, Anne Marie, died in his hometown of East Liverpool, Ohio.

Auburn 38, No. 14 Georgia 21--Ben Leard passed for a school-record 416 yards and Ronney Daniels caught nine passes for 249 yards for the Tigers (5-5, 2-5), who raced to a 31-0 first-half lead against the Bulldogs (6-3, 4-3) at Athens, Ga.

Kentucky 19, Vanderbilt 17--Dusty Bonner hit Quentin McCord on an 80-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats (6-4, 4-3) beat the Commodores (5-5, 2-5) at Nashville.

Houston 20, Louisiana State 7--Ketric Sanford rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown at Baton Rouge, La., to help the Cougars (6-4) hand the Tigers (2-8) their eighth consecutive loss, the longest losing streak in the 106 years they’ve been playing football.