ESPN College Football

Aaron Murray isn’t shy about his 2011 expectations.

Georgia’s sophomore quarterback isn’t looking to just make up for last season’s 6-7 record or slip into the SEC title game. Murray is looking for perfection. He wants a goose egg in the loss column.

And he’s very serious.

“Anything else is unacceptable,” Murray said. “Have the talent and the coaching.”

That’s a tall order for a team praying for health on the offensive line and looking for another playmaker at receiver and a starting tailback. But as Georgia’s unquestioned leader, Murray is setting the bar high because he has that much faith in his teammates, and they have even more in him.

Murray enters the fall leading all returning SEC quarterbacks with 24 touchdowns from last season, and he was a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and media this summer.

Last season, he also set Georgia's freshman record for passing yards with 3,049 (second in SEC history by a freshman). He also rushed 87 times for 167 yards and four more scores, giving him the school and conference record for most total offensive yards (3,216) for a freshman.

Yet, he admits he’s not even the most athletic child in his family. His older brother, Josh, who played professional baseball, and his younger sister, Stephanie, a standout in both flag football and softball, outrank him.

He’s cool with that. He’s also cool with getting tips from Stephanie, who passed for a Florida high school record 42 touchdowns during her sophomore season and rivals his arm strength and accuracy.

“She can probably throw the football farther than half of the guys on our team,” Murray said of his sister. “She can launch it 40, 45 yards.”

Murray’s skill is undeniable. Opposing quarterbacks have said as much, with Kentucky’s Morgan Newton and Florida’s John Brantley gushing over his footwork and his ability to sell the play-action.

“For a guy that may not be the biggest guy he really is successful with how he uses his body and how he uses his feet,” Newton said. “He’s got a great arm, he’s accurate. I always watch what he’s doing down there.”

But what he really wanted to improve was his leadership skills. As a true freshman, Joe Cox taught him the true way to a team’s heart was to provide comfort. That meant spending time outside of the offense with teammates he didn’t work as closely with.

“When you’re able to communicate with everyone and be able to motivate everyone on the team, that’s a great leader right there,” Murray said.

Murray organized workouts three to four times each week. After gym sessions ended at 5 p.m., Murray divided players up for 30-minute film sessions, then guided players through 30 minutes of drills and one-on-ones, and then another 30 minutes of 7-on-7 drills, in which Murray scripted 20 to 30 plays.

“He doesn’t act like a redshirt sophomore,” cornerback Brandon Boykin said. “He acts like he’s a fifth-year senior with the way he carries himself. He has the respect of every single player on this team just by the way he works and by the way he leads.”

Added coach Mark Richt: “He's really a coach's dream in how he approaches the game. He understands preparation. He understands team. His motivation is for Georgia to win. His motivation is to see his teammates have success. He's had a season to live through it. I think all those great habits are going to serve him well the rest of his career.”

Richt is no doubt hoping that motivation translates into more wins. It’s no secret that Richt’s seat in Athens is hotter than ever and though Richt might be the SEC’s coaching dean, his failure to make it back to the SEC championship since 2005 has some wondering how long he’ll survive.

You’d think that’d be extra pressure for Murray, but he pays it no mind. He believes 2010 was more about plays not made rather than coaching.

“There are 10 or less plays from last year that if you press rewind and redo those plays we could easily have a 10-win season and no one would be talking about Coach Richt’s job,” he said.

Ten wins will certainly keep Richt safe, and whether Murray acknowledges it or not, he could greatly impact Richt’s future.

Fortunately for Georgia, wins are all Murray’s concerned with. People are expecting impressive numbers from him, but Murray will gladly trade All-America status for wins, and he intends to get them this fall.

“I’m one of the most competitive guys you’ll meet,” he said. “I can’t play any sport without getting in a fight if I lose. If I lose a video game I’m throwing controllers and I’m not talking to you for a while.

“I hate losing more than anything and if I could go back [to last season] and throw five touchdowns, but we win every game, I’ll do that in a heartbeat. I just want to win and do whatever it takes to win.”

Here’s a look at three keys for Georgia if the Bulldogs are going to beat Texas A&M today in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl:

1. Establish the run: Georgia shuffled things around in its offensive line late in the season, and the results in the running game were obvious. The Bulldogs moved the 6-5, 328-pound Cordy Glenn from left tackle to left guard, and he gave them a more physical run-blocking presence in the middle. Freshman running back Washaun Ealey also added a lot of pop once his carries increased. The Bulldogs rushed for at least 169 yards in their last four games and averaged 217 yards on the ground in their last six games. Not only will that kind of rushing effort open up some things for Joe Cox in the passing game, but it will allow Georgia to control the clock and keep Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson off the field.

2. Win the turnover battle: Georgia ranked 119^th nationally this season in turnover margin at minus-17. The Bulldogs forced just 10 turnovers, which tied for the fewest in the country, and turned the ball over 27 times. However, in its 30-24 win over Georgia Tech to end the regular season, Georgia turned the ball over only once and forced two turnovers. That’s the kind of ratio the Bulldogs will need today against the Aggies, who haven’t been very good at stopping anybody this season. The bottom line: If the Bulldogs can take care of the ball, they’re going to have a chance to score a lot of points.

3. Avoid giving up big plays: Johnson is one of the more versatile quarterbacks in the country, and he’s as good at scrambling around and making plays as he is at throwing for big gains. He has 28 passing touchdowns, which means the Bulldogs have their work cut out for them. They gave up 23 passing touchdowns this season and were vulnerable against everybody they played that could throw the football. Johnson is going to hit some plays. He’s that good. But if the Bulldogs can keep people in front of them, not allow the Aggies to hit them with a bunch of quick strikes and force them to drive the football, then Georgia ought to be able to score enough points to win this game going away.

Who’s the best quarterback in the SEC?

There are all sorts of variables to consider when you set out to answer that question, but the best place to start is how a guy has fared against SEC competition.

That said, we've pulled out the numbers of the SEC starting quarterbacks in league games. Only the quarterbacks who started more than half the games are included, which eliminates Kentucky’s Mike Hartline.

Vanderbilt’s Larry Smith was injured in the fifth game, and Mackenzi Adams finished the season for the Commodores.

A few things of interest when you’re looking at these numbers:

• Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett, Tennessee’s Jonathan Crompton, South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia and LSU’s Jordan Jefferson have all gone against both the Alabama and Florida defenses, the top two ranked defenses in the country.

• Florida’s Tim Tebow has eight rushing touchdowns to lead all quarterbacks and has also rushed for 532 yards in SEC games. That said, only Auburn’s Chris Todd (four), Mississippi State’s Tyson Lee (three) and Smith (two) have thrown fewer touchdowns this season in SEC games than Tebow’s seven.

• Georgia’s Joe Cox has thrown the most touchdowns (17), but he’s also thrown the second most interceptions (11). Ole Miss’ Jevan Snead has thrown the most interceptions (12).

• The best touchdown-to-interception ratios belong to Mallett, Alabama’s Greg McElroy and Crompton, in that order. Mallett has 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. McElroy has nine touchdowns and three interceptions, and Crompton has 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. All three players still have one more SEC game remaining this week.

• Mallett, who has 1,962 yards passing against SEC defenses, should surpass the 2,000-yard mark Saturday against LSU.

• Of the guys who’ve played at least seven games, Snead has the lowest completion percentage (51.5).

So, who’s the best quarterback in the SEC? Make up your own mind, but here are the hard numbers (Quarterbacks are listed in order of passing yardage in SEC play):

Albeit a day later, we take our weekly look at who’s hot and who’s not in the SEC:

En Fuego

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks: Let me preface this by saying I’m not trying to push Brooks out the door. He’s as classy as they come and a true pro, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the SEC is a better place as long as he’s a part of it. But if Brooks does decide to walk away after this season and turn the keys over to Joker Phillips, he can do so with his head held high and knowing that the Kentucky program is in exceedingly better shape than the way he found it. The Wildcats, coming off their first win at Georgia in 32 years, now get a chance to break a 24-year drought against Tennessee this Saturday. The Vols have won 24 straight games in the series, the longest active streak in the country among teams that play every year. Regardless of what happens this weekend in the Bluegrass, Brooks has accomplished something that hasn’t been done at Kentucky in nearly 100 years -- win at least seven games for four consecutive years -- and he’s turned in some of his best work in the twilight of what’s been a long and illustrious coaching career.

Hot

Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett: We might as well reserve a spot for Mallett in one of the “Hot” categories with the way he’s playing. He threw five touchdowns passes in the Hogs’ 42-21 win over Mississippi State and now leads the SEC with 28 scoring tosses.

Not

Georgia quarterback Joe Cox: It wasn’t the kind of Senior Day anybody dreams about. Cox threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter last Saturday, and Georgia lost for the first time in 32 years at home to Kentucky.

Hot

Janzen Jackson’s legal team: The Vols’ freshman safety had the attempted armed robbery charges against him dismissed Monday, paving the way for his return to the team. Jackson’s attorney, Don Bosch, is one of the more renowned criminal defense attorneys in Knoxville, a former swimmer at Tennessee and past member of the school’s athletics board.

Not

Drama at the top: Alabama and Florida are both coming off grueling, heart-stopping affairs. The Crimson Tide held on to win 45-0 over Chattanooga, while the Gators squeaked by Florida International 62-3.

Hot

Kentucky running back Derrick Locke: Randall Cobb has gotten plenty of pub this season, and deservedly so, but Locke has been one of the more underrated players in the conference. He accounted for 245 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the 34-27 win over Georgia.

Not

LSU’s offensive line: The Tigers simply haven’t gotten it done up front this season. They’re 11^th in the SEC in rushing offense and have given up 31 sacks, which is the second most in the league behind South Carolina’s 33.

Hot

Tennessee kicker Devin Mathis: He was down in Mexico studying earlier this year after leaving the Vols’ program, but returned to practice earlier this month, regained his NCAA eligibility and was 4-of-4 on kicks against Vanderbilt.

Not

Arkansas’ run defense: The Hogs had fared better against the run this season than they had against the pass. That is, until last Saturday. Mississippi State and Anthony Dixon rolled up 327 yards on the ground, including 231 in the second half.

Ice, Ice Baby

LSU coach Les Miles: The Mad Hatter can spend the next two months trying to explain what he was thinking and what the entire LSU offensive staff was thinking in that final minute against Ole Miss, and it’s only going to get more convoluted every time he tries to explain it. The best thing he can do is not talk about it any more. He said Monday the blame rested squarely with him and that he botched the Tigers’ chances of winning that Ole Miss game in the final seconds. “I understand the criticism from the fans. I’m critical of myself,” Miles said. One of the things he’s taken a beating for is not running his field goal team out there on the field for that final play. But with a second remaining, the Tigers probably would have never gotten off a kick before time expired. And even when Jordan Jefferson tried to spike the ball, the officials ruled that the clock had run out before the ball was ever snapped. Miles’ biggest mistake was not running the ball when the Tigers got a first down at the Ole Miss 32 with 1:04 to play. And then the unforgivable blunder was allowing 17 seconds to waste away after the third-down play. Unfortunately for Miles, it’s a chaotic final few seconds that they won’t soon forget on the Bayou.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Georgia coach Mark Richt said back in August that senior quarterback Joe Cox was the least of his concerns going into this season.

	AP Photo/Phil Coale
	Georgia quarterback Joe Cox isn’t to blame for all the Bulldogs’ problems.

Now that the Bulldogs’ season appears to be headed down a path nobody in Athens is happy about, Richt is refusing to pull the plug on Cox.

“It was unanimous among our staff that Joe gives us the best chance to win, and that’s where our focus needs to be,” Richt said in a statement Monday. “There’s still a lot of football left this season. We tell our players to finish the drill, and were are committed to doing that this week and each week the remainder of the season.”

In other words, Cox is hardly the root of everything wrong with Georgia’s program right now.

He’s just a part of the problem.

The fifth-year senior, who had patiently waited his turn to lead this offense, threw three interceptions last Saturday in Georgia’s 41-17 loss to Florida. He’s now thrown an SEC-high 12 interceptions for the season.

There’s no doubt in watching Cox play now for eight games that he’s limited, and when your quarterback is limited, so is your offense.

Richt said the Bulldogs do plan to play sophomore quarterback Logan Gray some against Tennessee Tech this weekend. And then come three games that will make the difference in this season being somewhat salvageable and it being a total disaster.

The Bulldogs (4-4, 3-3) get Auburn and Kentucky at home before facing Georgia Tech in Atlanta to end the regular season.

A 6-6 finish would put Mark Richt on serious hot-seat alert heading into next season, although there’s nobody at Georgia who counts who thinks he’s in any kind of trouble this season.

Richt will almost certainly have to make changes on his staff at season’s end, though, which could mean parting ways with some guys he’s been with for a long time.

Whatever happens, dumping most of the blame on Cox is unfair. The Georgia staff knew exactly what he was and wasn’t capable of coming into this season. If either of the true freshmen -- Aaron Murray or Zach Mettenberger -- were any better at this point, they would have already been in there. Remember, they both went through the spring.

And the truth is that not a lot of guys offensively (other than A.J. Green) have played well around Cox. The running game has been stagnant all season, and the offensive line hasn’t lived up to its preseason billing.

The defensive side of the equation has been the most troubling to Georgia fans. There’s talent on that side of the ball, the kind of talent you’ll see in the NFL down the road.

Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez has a proven track record, too, as a defensive coach. But for whatever reason, it just hasn’t been a good fit.

When you go a stretch of 17 games and give up 37 or more points in nine of those game (at a place like Georgia) there are going to be changes.

The only dilemma is how many changes.

Whatever Richt decides, he’s a smart enough guy and has been around this league long enough to know that the program needs some find-tuning.

Otherwise, the gap between Georgia and Florida is only going to grow wider.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

We have a change at the top this week in the SEC power rankings thanks to Florida’s most complete game of the season:

1. Florida: The Gators (8-0, 6-0) answered the mounting questions about their offensive shortcomings emphatically last Saturday with a 41-17 whipping of Georgia in Jacksonville. It’s the kind of complete performance Florida needed heading into the November stretch and was enough to push the Gators past the Crimson Tide into the No. 1 spot.

2. Alabama: Even though the Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0) dropped to No. 2, it was a productive week. They had a bye, which came at a perfect time with LSU coming to town this weekend. Ultimately, it’s not going to matter whether the Crimson Tide are No. 1 or No. 2 if they keep winning. They’ll get their shot to prove they're the SEC’s best team on the field.

3. LSU: The Tigers (7-1, 4-1) have come to life offensively the last two weeks and are coming off a 42-0 rout of Tulane. They get their chance Saturday to move to the forefront of the Western Division race with a win over Alabama. The Tigers have proven they’re good enough defensively to pull it off. Whether they’ve improved enough offensively remains to be seen.

4. Tennessee: The Vols (4-4, 2-3) just keep getting better and are one of those teams nobody wants to play right now. They followed up on their near upset of Alabama with a convincing 31-13 win over South Carolina last weekend. Their defense has allowed just one touchdown in the last three games, and quarterback Jonathan Crompton is playing the best football of his career.

5. South Carolina: The Gamecocks (6-3, 3-3) need to find a way to hold on after losing badly at Tennessee. This can still be a successful season, but it starts to head the other way in a hurry if they lose a second straight this Saturday at Arkansas. The Gamecocks turned the ball over three times in the first 16 minutes of their 31-13 loss at Tennessee. They have to play smarter and with more discipline.

6. Auburn: The Tigers (6-3, 3-3) stopped the bleeding with a much-needed 33-20 win over Ole Miss. Suddenly, winning eight games seems like a real possibility again. The most encouraging news about the win over the Rebels was the way the defense played. Chris Todd also returned to the form that made him one of the league’s most productive quarterbacks in September.

7. Georgia: There have certainly been better days for the Bulldogs (4-4, 3-3). They’ve now lost 17 of their last 20 meetings with archrival Florida and look like they might be limping to the finish this season. The defense continues to give up big numbers. The offense is limited, and the penalties and turnovers just won’t go away. Mark Richt sounds like he’s considering making a change at quarterback after Joe Cox threw three interceptions last week.

8. Ole Miss: Just when you thought the Rebels (5-3, 2-3) were about to get on a roll, they lay an egg at Auburn in a 33-20 loss. It’s already been a disappointing year for a team that opened the season ranked in the Top 10, but it could really turn ugly if the Rebels don’t take care of their business down the stretch. Their resume to this point is pretty unimpressive.

9. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs (4-5, 2-3) are playing some of their best football right now, and senior running back Anthony Dixon has been off-the-charts good. He’s coming off a school-record 252 yards rushing in the 31-24 win over Kentucky. Dan Mullen’s club gets a week off before Alabama comes to town on Nov. 14.

10. Arkansas: The Hogs (4-4, 1-4) beat up on Eastern Michigan 63-27 in one of those name-your-score type of games. Of course, scoring hasn’t really been a problem for this team, which still has a lot to prove in SEC play. The Hogs played well in their 23-20 loss to Florida a couple of weeks ago, but need to come up with a few more league wins down the stretch to make this a successful season.

11. Kentucky: The Wildcats (4-4, 1-4) continue to play shorthanded, although middle linebacker Micah Johnson was able to come back from an MCL strain and play in the 31-24 loss to Mississippi State. Kentucky gets Eastern Kentucky this Saturday and will then need one more win against either Vanderbilt, Georgia or Tennessee to become bowl eligible. There aren’t any guarantees.

12. Vanderbilt: The Commodores (2-7, 0-5) played great for a half against Georgia Tech, but then the bottom fell out. The Yellow Jackets scored 28 unanswered points to turn a 31-28 Vanderbilt lead in the third quarter into a rout. The Commodores have now lost five straight and travel to No. 1 Florida on Saturday. They’re the only team in the league that’s been eliminated from bowl contenti$on.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia might have gotten away with one on Joe Cox's heave out of the end zone to avoid a sack.

He was being wrapped up by LSU's Rahim Alem in the end zone and chucked the ball away before going down. It wasn't ruled intentional grounding (and a safety) because the officials ruled that he was out of the tackle box. There was also a Georgia player near where the ball landed.

Replays showed that Cox took a couple of steps to his left and then actually moved back a step toward the pocket before being wrapped up by Alem.

Either way, a pretty close call.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia's finally on the board thanks to Joe Cox's 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Shaun Chapas early in the fourth quarter.

What sticks out about that drive, the Bulldogs' only one of the game, is that LSU couldn't get any pressure on Cox. Really, the Tigers haven't pressured him much all game. They did get close to sacking him right before the end of the third quarter, but Cox made the play of the game when he shoveled the ball off to Caleb King on third-and-6 for 10 yards down to the 1.

Four times in that drive, the Tigers were burned on third down, and one of those was a third-and-10 play.

A big part of LSU's inability to get off the field has been its inability to get to Cox.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

A.J. Green is bigger, stronger, faster and better this season.

So far, it hasn’t really mattered how much opposing defenses have shadowed Georgia’s sensational sophomore receiver.

	Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE
	Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green is even better in his sophomore season.

Sooner or later, he’s going to get you.

And, oh yeah, he’s a bit wiser, too.

The inevitable comparisons between Green and Alabama’s Julio Jones will no doubt endure. They both came into the SEC together a year ago, and they both dazzled as true freshmen.

So who’s better?

“I don’t know, man,” Green said with a slight laugh and not about to be drawn into that debate. “I’ll let everybody else decide that.”

This season, it’s been no contest. For that matter, few receivers nationally have been able to match Green’s production.

He has 25 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns heading into Saturday’s showdown with LSU at Sanford Stadium. To put those numbers into perspective, he’s almost halfway to his production from a year ago in four games.

And what’s more, he’s done his damage with defenses aligning their coverage to stop him. Single coverage has been a rarity for Green, especially with Mohamed Massaquoi now playing in the NFL.

“I’ve still got some things to work on, but I’m trying to make plays whenever my number is called,” said Green, who’s as humble off the field as he is explosive on the field.

He’s been unstoppable the last two weeks, as Arizona State and Arkansas would surely attest. He’s caught 15 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns.

Not only did he set up the game-winning field goal with a 36-yard catch against Arizona State last week, but he also blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt with 4:31 remaining to keep the Sun Devils from going ahead.

“I’ve seen him do too many crazy things to be surprised at anything he does,” Georgia quarterback Joe Cox marveled.

The 6-4 Green is up to 210 pounds, which is about 20 pounds heavier than he was as a freshman, but he hasn’t lost any of his speed or agility.

“I can feel it in my body when guys try to wrap me up and with the arm tackles around the legs,” Green said. “I’m running through the tackles now and finishing plays.”

He also feels a step faster.

“I don’t know about running faster, but I’m playing faster,” Green said. “It goes back to being more of a student of the game. I’m more comfortable out there.

“Last year, I didn’t know how to read coverages and just ran my route basically against air, but I’m looking now at how the corner’s playing me, finding the open gaps in the zone and stuff like that. I was playing on raw talent a lot last year. Coach (Tony) Ball has helped me to be more fundamentally sound.”

That may be, but Green’s unlimited talent, his ability to go get the football and catch the football no matter who’s around him is what sets him apart.

“He doesn’t wait for the ball to come to him. He goes and makes a play on the ball a lot of times before the defensive back even knows the ball is coming,” LSU safety Chad Jones said. “Most receivers wait for the ball to fall in the bread basket, but not him. He goes and gets it.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Georgia has been the exception to the rule this season.

The Bulldogs (3-1, 2-0) have been one of the worst teams in the country in terms of eliminating their turnovers and penalties. Yet, they’re riding a three-game winning streak and already have two SEC wins heading into the LSU game this weekend.

Georgia is 115th nationally in turnover margin at minus-2.25 per game. The Bulldogs have lost 12 turnovers and gained only three. Quarterback Joe Cox has thrown five interceptions, and the Bulldogs have also lost seven fumbles.

The most disconcerting part for Georgia coach Mark Richt is that the turnover problems have been a constant. They’ve had three in every game and at least two more than their opponent in every game.

The penalty problems have been equally disappointing. The Bulldogs are 118th nationally in penalties with 41. The only team with more is Texas Tech with 44. Georgia is averaging 78.5 penalty yards per game, which is 112th nationally.

Richt said ball security has been a priority for the Bulldogs.

“There’s not a whole lot more you can do than what we’re already doing,” said Richt, pointing out that not all the fumbles have been by the running backs.

“Hopefully, the guys who’ve had the issues won’t have them again, and we’ll get it narrowed down.”

Several of the penalties in recent weeks have been on the offensive line, and Richt was not pleased with how the Bulldogs played up front in the 20-17 win over Arizona State last Saturday.

“We definitely have to get better up front,” Richt said. “We’ve just got to get after it and play smart.”

Sophomore Cordy Glenn made his first career start at left tackle against Arizona State, and Richt said he may be there to stay. The Bulldogs are already down two players in the offensive line after losing Trinton Sturdivant and Tanner Strickland for the year to injuries.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

The league office has announced its top performers for Week 3 in the SEC:

OFFENSE

Joe Cox, QB, Georgia: Tied a school record with five touchdown passes in Georgia's 52-41 win over Arkansas. Cox finished 18-of-26 for 375 yards. His 44-yard touchdown pass to freshman Orson Charles late in the third quarter put the Bulldogs ahead for good.

DEFENSE

Craig Stevens, LB, Auburn: Recorded a career-high 11 tackles in Auburn's 41-30 win over West Virginia. His 15-yard interception return for a touchdown sealed the game for the Tigers with 3:41 remaining. It was Stevens' first interception of his career.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Derrick Locke, RB, Kentucky: Coming back from a knee injury last season, Locke returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in Kentucky's 31-27 win over Louisville and finished with 191 yards in kickoff return yardage. Locke totaled 310 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the game.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida: Earned a 93 percent grade in Florida's 23-13 win over Tennessee, the third consecutive week he's graded out at 90 percent or higher. The Gators finished with 208 rushing yards against the Vols.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State: The junior college newcomer recorded two sacks in Mississippi State's 15-3 win over Vanderbilt. McPhee led a defensive front that allowed just 33 rushing yards on 29 carries. Vanderbilt's longest run from scrimmage was 9 yards.

FRESHMAN

Jarvis Giles, RB, South Carolina: Led South Carolina with 113 yards rushing on 11 carries in the Gamecocks' 38-16 victory over Florida Atlantic. Giles also scored on a 12-yard touchdown run. It was the first 100-yard rushing game for South Carolina since Mike Davis opened the 2008 season with 101 yards against NC State.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Could it be that the SEC isn’t Florida’s own little playground this season?

The league race looks a bit more wide open than it did this time a week ago after seeing the Gators struggle at home against Tennessee.

One game certainly doesn’t make a season, but what happened in the Swamp on Saturday was eye-opening to say the least.

Here’s a look at what we learned in Week 3 in the SEC:

1. No champagne bottles just yet: Contrary to what Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said leading up to the game last week, Florida isn’t ready to challenge the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers or the 1985 Chicago Bears as the greatest football team to ever play. The Gators have some obvious holes, the kind of thing that wasn’t going to show up in their first two exhibition games. With Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy gone, there’s nobody who really scares you at receiver, and the running game without Tim Tebow is hit and miss. Tebow is the great equalizer because he wills the Gators to first downs whenever they need them, but he can’t be expected to carry that kind of burden all season long. Moreover, how many more hits can he take? The guy is simply amazing. But in this league, taking on that many linebackers and safeties is playing with fire. Defensively, the Gators had better hope the 23-13 win over Tennessee was just an off day tackling, because they’re going to face offenses this season that will throw far more talent at them from the skill positions than the Vols did Saturday.

2. Monte’s the man: Now that Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has faced a real spread offense, I think it’s safe to say that he knows a thing or two about scheming up any offense -- spread, pro-style, wishbone, draw it up in the sand and go. Hey, Kiffin has been around the block a few times. While it’s true they don’t run a lot of the single wing in the NFL, there’s a reason that he arrived at Tennessee as one of the most renowned defensive minds in the game. Outside of that third quarter, his defense really did a number on Tebow and the Gators. They were able to get pressure from several different spots on the field, came up with key turnovers and stayed aggressive the entire game. Tennessee’s defense is for real, and as long as the Vols stay healthy, they’re only going to get better with Kiffin calling the shots.

3. No defense for Hogs’ defense: They love to squeal a certain chant in Hog Land. They’re just plain squealing right now. That defense doesn’t look any better than a year ago, maybe even worse. And the pass defense? Yeah, I hear you, Hog fans. What pass defense? Seriously, Arkansas is as bad on defense as it is good on offense. In losing 52-41 at home to Georgia, the Hogs were torched for 530 yards of total offense and 20 first downs. All six of Georgia’s touchdowns were 20 yards or longer, and three of them were at least 40 yards. Arkansas’ pass rush rarely got close enough to Georgia quarterback Joe Cox to breathe on him, as he had time to sit back there and throw to open receivers all game. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is really good and is going to put up some big numbers this season. But how many shootouts are you going to win in this league? One thing's for sure. It looks like the Hogs are going to be in a lot of them.

4. Don’t forget about McElroy: As we look around the league the first three weeks and pick out the most impressive performers, Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy is right there at the top of my list. He’s been much better than I thought he would be at this point after not playing any meaningful snaps in college until this season, and he can make any throw. His passes are always on time, right where the receiver likes them, and he has great touch on the deep ball. He admits that he was a little shaky to start that game against Virginia Tech to open the season, and that’s understandable. But once he got rolling in that fourth quarter, he’s been as good as any quarterback in the league. In his last nine quarters, starting with the fourth quarter against Virginia Tech, McElroy is 44-of-57 for 502 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s spreading the ball around, using his running backs and the tight end and hasn’t really had the benefit yet of throwing to Julio Jones, who’s been slowed by a bruised kneecap. All in all, just a terrific start for the guy who threw 56 touchdown passes as a high school senior.

5. Dogs ain’t dead yet: Here’s hoping the Georgia players have torn up all the schedules. Looking ahead could really get depressing, because there’s no such thing as a break. Unbeaten Arizona State comes to town this weekend. But here’s the refreshing part for the Bulldogs: they’re still swinging. Sure, parental guidance is suggested for that pass defense, but this is a team that had every chance to hang its head coming out of that season-opening loss to Oklahoma State. But the Bulldogs have fought back to outlast South Carolina two weeks ago and beat Arkansas at its own game Saturday night in Fayetteville in a wild shootout. Cox has been a rock for this team, and coach Mark Richt obviously knew what he was talking about when he said there was a special blend of leadership on this club. It’s not a great team by any stretch, but it’s a team that’s had the resolve to claw out a 2-1 start when it just as easily could have been 0-3.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

No matter how you slice it, a pretty wild weekend in the SEC. Let’s hand out some helmet stickers:

Georgia quarterback Joe Cox: Boy, were they down on Cox in the Peach State after that season-opening loss at Oklahoma State. Then it really got crazy that next week with all kinds of rumors swirling. All he’s done since then is lead the Bulldogs to 40 or more points and a pair of wins the last two games. He tied the Georgia school record with five touchdown passes Saturday night in a 52-41 win over Arkansas. His arm strength looks fine to me.

Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin: We rarely give out helmet stickers to somebody on the losing end. But Kiffin had his Vols ready to play in some of the toughest circumstances imaginable at the Swamp, and they outplayed Florida for much of the game. If the Vols play with that kind of pride and that kind of toughness the rest of the way, they will win a lot of games this season.

Mississippi State’s defense: A week after being shredded for 589 yards of total offense by Auburn in a 49-24 loss, Mississippi State’s defense came back swinging against Vanderbilt and held the Commodores to one field goal and 157 total yards. In the first half, Vanderbilt managed just one first down against Carl Torbush’s bunch.

Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb: It’s hard to find a more versatile playmaker anywhere in the country. Cobb made a couple of unbelievable plays Saturday that saved Kentucky in its 31-27 win over Louisville. His leaping 12-yard touchdown catch was the game-winner for the Wildcats. But his catch and run on a 28-yard gain on a third-and-10 play earlier in the quarter may have been the play of the game. It was an outside screen, and Cobb was swarmed by Louisville defenders. Somehow, he broke out and kept alive a key touchdown drive for the Wildcats.

Auburn quarterback Chris Todd: He looks so much better throwing the ball than he did this time a year ago that it’s hard to believe he's the same player. Todd’s offseason shoulder surgery has given him a new lease on his football life, and he’s been a big part of the Tigers’ hot start. He passed for career highs of 284 yards and four touchdowns in the 41-30 win over West Virginia. In his first three games, Todd has six touchdown passes and just one interception. But what was so important about Saturday was that the Mountaineers dared him to beat them throwing the football, and he made them pay.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

If you're watching the Arkansas-Georgia game, you better be good with math. These two teams are trading big plays and touchdowns.

Arkansas' Ryan Mallett just threw his fifth touchdown pass, and the Hogs lead 35-34 in the third quarter. Georgia's Joe Cox has thrown three touchdown passes.

Can anybody get a defensive stop.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Some SEC linkage to munch on:

• Mike Organ of The Tennessean has a touching story on Vanderbilt freshman running back Zac Stacy and his relationship with his younger brother, Justin.

• It's been a tough start to the season all the way around for Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead.

• Like it or not, Tennessee is stuck with Jonathan Crompton, writes David Climer of The Tennessean.

• Ron Morris of The State newspaper has a really nice piece on Bob Fulton, the 88-year-old former "Voice of the Gamecocks."

• Georgia spent more than $6,000 on a flight to get a flu-stricken Joe Cox to Oklahoma State for the opener.

• Louisiana-Lafayette heads to LSU this weekend flying high after taking down Kansas State last week.

• Florida's Tim Tebow aims to respond (on the field) to Lane Kiffin's offseason smack talk, writes Robbie Andreu of The Gainesville Sun.