ESPN College Football

Making the rounds in the SEC:

• Michigan State respects Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, but the Spartans plan to challenge him.
• Will this be the final game for Georgia's hard-luck Trinton Sturdivant?
• Tennessee's senior class saved the season for the Vols, writes David Climer of The Tennessean.
• A healthy Denard Robinson will be a handful for Mississippi State, writes Rick Cleveland of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
• There hasn't been any kicking back for South Carolina senior kicker/punter and team captain Spencer Lanning.
• LSU is ready to go with a running back by committee approach if Stevan Ridley can't play in the Cotton Bowl.
• Will Florida's offense provide a New Year's Day surprise?

As we wind down the season and point toward the bowl games, I wanted to pay homage to the seniors in this league.

Yes, there are a ton of talented underclassmen in the SEC, many of whom are destined to leave early for the NFL.

But seniors are important in every program, and senior leadership is critical.

Here’s my tribute to the 12 seniors on each team in the league who rose above and beyond this season in terms of on-the-field performance, leadership and sacrificing for the good of the team.

We’ll call it our SEC’s Super Seniors, and it’s something we hope to do every season:

Ahmad Black, S, Florida: Not even Urban Meyer was sure Black was going to make it at Florida when he first arrived. He wasn’t very big, nor exceptionally fast. But he’s proven to be a staple in the Gators’ secondary for the last three seasons. Black led Florida with 102 tackles this season, leading all SEC defensive backs. He was third on the team with 10 tackles for loss and also had three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Josh Bynes, LB, Auburn: You talk about instant energy. Bynes was Mr. Pick Me Up all season for the Tigers, who fed off his intensity and his passion. He was the guy who rallied the defense all those times when Auburn fell behind by big margins, and he was an invaluable presence in the locker room. A three-year starter, Bynes led Auburn this season with 71 total tackles and also had three interceptions, including two big ones in the Arkansas game.

Jonathan Cornell, LB, Ole Miss: He’s not real loud. In fact, he’s pretty quiet. But Cornell did his talking with his play this season, putting up All-SEC numbers and winning the respect of everybody on his team by the way he went about his business each day. Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt called him the “backbone,” and Cornell was indeed a steadying presence in what was a tough season for the Rebels. He led the team with 80 total tackles and was fifth in the league with 14 tackles for loss.

Akeem Dent, LB, Georgia: Without a doubt, Dent was one of the more underrated players in the SEC this season. He was second in the league with 122 total tackles. First-year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will tell you that Dent was invaluable to that defense this season from his middle linebacker position. He called all the signals, made the checks and made one key stop after another for the Bulldogs.

Mike Hartline, QB, Kentucky: Despite his arrest early Friday morning, Hartline came through with the most productive season of his career and was a rock for the Wildcats both on and off the field. The first part of his career had been marred by injuries and inconsistency, but Hartline stayed the course and put up huge numbers this season. He was second only to Ryan Mallett in the SEC with 3,178 passing yards and also threw 23 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

Spencer Lanning, PK/P, South Carolina: Lanning was more than just a kicker for the Gamecocks. He was a strong voice in the locker room and demonstrated the kind of work ethic that was infectious. As a kicker, he was one of the best dual-threats in the country. He was 16-of-23 on field goals, ranking him fourth in the league, and was fifth in punting with a 44.2-yard average. Not bad for a guy who started his career without a scholarship and wound up becoming a captain.

Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama: One of the smartest guys you’re ever going to meet on a football field, McElroy had his most productive season of his career. His 19 passing touchdowns broke Alabama’s single-season record, and with 2,767 passing yards, he has a chance in the bowl game to break the single-season record for passing yards. McElroy has been a leader ever since he stepped into the starting quarterback role last season, compiling a 23-3 record as a starter.

Nick Reveiz, LB, Tennessee: Here’s another guy who started his career without a scholarship. But he quickly went from playing on the scout team to leading the Vols in tackles. A true inspiration with how he fought back from a serious knee injury last season, Reveiz piled up 94 total tackles this season and was the defensive quarterback on the field. He made big plays, got teammates in position to make plays and made a profound impact on everyone around him with the way he competed on every down.

Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU: The Tigers had a few veteran players to build around on defense, but they were also very young in a lot of spots. Sheppard was the centerpiece of the defense in every way. A fiery leader, he brought out the best in all of his teammates and wasn’t afraid to get in guys’ faces when it was warranted. His 108 total tackles ranked him third in the SEC. Included were 11 tackles for loss.

Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State: The names have changed in Mississippi State’s backfield the last two seasons, but the Bulldogs’ productivity in the running game just keeps churning along. Sherrod has been a big reason why. One of the best left tackles in college football, he was a multiple winner of SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors this season and is one of those guys everybody on the team looks up to for guidance.

John Stokes, LB, Vanderbilt: Headed to medical school, Stokes has been the quintessential student-athlete during his career at Vanderbilt. He also had the best season of his career on the football field. Injuries had plagued him in previous seasons, but he came fighting back to finish third on the team with 78 total tackles. With Vanderbilt being such a young team, Stokes was there every step of the way providing his senior leadership.

D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas: The recipient of the Disney Spirit Award as college football’s most inspirational player, Williams had a dream senior season. The Hogs are going to the Sugar Bowl, and he also won the Mackey Award as the top tight end in the country. He leads the team with 49 catches and has become a much more complete tight end over the last couple of seasons. Moreover, he’s been the consummate team guy and is a big reason Arkansas’ team chemistry has been so good.

The SEC league office has announced its top performers for Week 13:

OFFENSE

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton: He completed 13 of 20 passes for 216 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and rushed for 39 yards on 22 carries and another touchdown in leading Auburn from 24 points down to rally past Alabama for a 28-27 win.

DEFENSE

Arkansas linebacker Jerico Nelson: He led the Razorbacks with 11 total tackles, including two for loss, a sack for a loss of 5 yards and one quarterback hurry in Arkansas’ 31-23 win against LSU in Little Rock. The Hogs limited the Tigers to just 71 yards of total offense in the second half.

SPECIAL TEAMS

South Carolina punter/place-kicker Spencer Lanning: He was 3-of-4 on field goal attempts, hitting from 46, 25 and 37 yards, and punted seven times for a 42.7-yard average in South Carolina’s 29-7 win at Clemson. Four of his seven punts started Clemson drives inside its own 20-yard line.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Mississippi State tackle Derek Sherrod: He helped pave the way for the Bulldogs to amass 498 total yards, including 210 on the ground, in Mississippi State's 31-23 victory at Ole Miss. Sherrod graded out at 92 percent with six knockdowns, his eighth 90 percent score of the season.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Auburn tackle Nick Fairley: He finished with four tackles, including two sacks, in Auburn’s 28-27 win at Alabama. Fairley now has 20 tackles for loss on the season. He forced and recovered a fumble on the same play, which stopped an Alabama drive at the Auburn 8-yard line just before halftime.

Georgia tackle Abry Jones: He exploded for a career-high 16 tackles -- one of three Bulldogs with 16 -- and had two tackles for loss and forced a fumble in Georgia’s 42-34 win over Georgia Tech.

FRESHMAN

Mississippi State running back LaDarius Perkins: He tallied 319 all-purpose yards, the second-highest total in school history, in Mississippi State’s 31-23 win at Ole Miss. Perkins caught three passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 98 yards on 13 carries and had 65 kick return and 16 punt return yards.

Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray: He completed 20 of 38 passes for 354 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Tennessee’s 24-14 win against Kentucky. He threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Vols established a 14-7 halftime lead.

The SEC league office released its top performers for Week 11:

OFFENSE

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore: He carried a school-record 40 times for 212 yards and three touchdowns in South Carolina’s 36-14 win at Florida to win the Eastern Division title. Lattimore established a school freshman record for rushing yards in a season with 964.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton: He rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries and completed 12 of 15 passes for 148 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in Auburn’s 49-31 win against Georgia. Newton became the first player in SEC history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season.

DEFENSE

Alabama safety Robert Lester: He had two interceptions to go along with four total tackles in Alabama’s 30-10 win against Mississippi State. His first interception ended State’s first possession at the Alabama 6-yard line. Lester is now tied for the NCAA lead with seven interceptions.

SPECIAL TEAMS

South Carolina kicker/punter Spencer Lanning: After missing an early extra point, Lanning was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, hitting from 49, 47 and 41 yards out, all in the first half, in South Carolina’s 36-14 win at Florida. He also punted six times for a 43.7 yard average with a long of 49 yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Auburn guard Mike Berry: He graded out at 95 percent, which led all Auburn linemen in the Tigers’ 49-31 win against Georgia. Berry did not allow a sack or a pressure while playing in all 73 offensive plays.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Kentucky end DeQuin Evans: He totaled three tackles against Vanderbilt, all for losses, in the Wildcats’ 38-20 win against Vanderbilt. Evans assisted on a tackle for loss from the UK 1-yard line which helped force a field goal attempt. He combined on a sack early in the third quarter, forcing the punt that led to UK’s go-ahead touchdown.

FRESHMAN

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore: He carried a school-record 40 times for 212 yards and three touchdowns in South Carolina’s 36-14 win at Florida to win the Eastern Division title. Lattimore established a school freshman record for rushing yards in a season with 964.

Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray: He led all SEC quarterbacks for the second straight week with 323 passing yards as Tennessee defeated Ole Miss 52-14. Bray completed 18 of 34 passes against Ole Miss with three touchdowns and no interceptions in his second consecutive start. He has eight touchdowns in his past two games.

Chris Low looks at former South Carolina walk-ons Garrett Chisolm and Spencer Lanning who have become big contributors.

There's no shortage of quality kickers in the SEC this season.

But it's hard to find a better kicker/punter combo anywhere in the country than Georgia's Blair Walsh and Drew Butler.

Walsh has connected from 52 and 47 yards Saturday on a pair of field goals for the Bulldogs. Butler has two punts covering 96 yards, one of those downed at the 11.

While Walsh and Butler are the best combo, what about South Carolina's iron man?

Spencer Lanning had a terrific opener against Southern Miss. He made both of his field goals from 42 and 36 yards and boomed his two punts for a 52.5-yard average.

Hey, we can’t kick off the season without acknowledging the walk-ons.

Even in a league like the SEC, where teams spend an obscene amount of money to go all over the country and recruit players, occasionally a few guys slip through the cracks and make big impacts as walk-ons.

South Carolina’s Spencer Lanning is a prime example.

He enters his third season as the Gamecocks’ punter. In fact, he punted his sophomore season without a scholarship before later earning one.

It’s one of the best investments the Gamecocks could have made. Lanning is now their place-kicker and punter, the only player in the league last season to handle both roles, and is an All-SEC candidate at both spots as he enters his senior season.

He’s also emerged as one of the most respected leaders on the team, and his head coach no longer has trouble remembering his name. When Lanning first showed up, Steve Spurrier was prone to refer to him as "Lanning Spencer."

Now, Spurrier simply refers to him as clutch.

“Spencer Lanning may be one of the toughest kickers you’ll ever see,” Spurrier said. “In the weight room, he’s one of the best lifters (strength coach Craig Fitzgerald) has seen. He’s kicked beautifully. He’s at the top of his game right now. Hopefully, he didn’t peak in preseason, but he makes virtually everything in practice each day.”

Lanning was 17-of-20 on field-goal attempts last season and also averaged 41.9 yards a punt. He made 12 straight field goals at one point without a miss.

He’s not the only former walk-on in the league poised to have a big impact this season.

Kentucky has had an incredible run of success with walk-ons, at least one regular starter for seven years in a row. Junior Luke McDermott is slated to start at defensive tackle this season. Nick Melillo was the Wildcats’ starting tight end until he was injured.

At Mississippi State, Patrick Hanrahan is listed as the starting fullback, and Emmanuel Gatling is pushing for a starting job at outside linebacker.

Nick Reveiz is Tennessee’s starting middle linebacker and one of the Vols’ most inspirational leaders. Garrett Chisolm is penciled in to start at offensive guard for South Carolina, while James Stampley is LSU’s starting fullback.

Here’s a sampling of walk-ons around the league who’ve gone on to become starters or will play key roles as backups or special teams players this season:

• Seth Armbrust, DB, Arkansas
• Garrett Chisolm, OG, South Carolina
• John Fairbanks, DS, Florida
• Reuben Faloughi, OLB, Georgia
• Ty Frix, DS, Georgia
• Emmanuel Gatling, OLB, Mississippi State
• Daniel Graff, DB, LSU
• Patrick Hanrahan, FB, Mississippi State
• Richard Kent, P, Vanderbilt
• Will Lowery, S, Alabama
• Luke McDermott, DT, Kentucky
• Craig McIntosh, K, Kentucky
• Nick Melillo, TE, Kentucky
• Spencer Lanning, PK, South Carolina
• Nick Reveiz, LB, Tennessee
• James Stampley, FB, LSU
• Carson Tinker, DS, Alabama
• Jay Wisner, WR, Auburn

Five of the SEC's 12 place-kickers have been named to the watch list for the 2010 Lou Groza Award, which goes annually to the top place-kicker in college football.

Making the list were:

• Wes Byrum, Auburn
• Josh Jasper, LSU
• Spencer Lanning, South Carolina
• Caleb Sturgis, Florida
• Blair Walsh, Georgia

Picking the first-team All-SEC place-kicker this season could be a chore. Among them, Byrum, Jasper, Lanning and Walsh missed just nine field goals a year ago. Sturgis misfired on eight, but was 6-of-9 beyond 40 yards and hit a 56-yarder against Georgia, the longest field goal in the SEC last season.

Coaches will tell you that shoddy special teams play will lose you a game quicker than anything.

At the same time, superior special teams play can be the difference in playing to get to a nice bowl game and playing for championships.

Here’s a look at the top special teams units in the SEC heading into the 2010 season:

1. Georgia: Try finding a better place-kicker/punter combination anywhere in the country than Blair Walsh and Drew Butler. You won’t. Walsh was 20-of-22 on field goals. Butler averaged 48.1 yards a punt. The Bulldogs also led the league in net punting, and Brandon Boykin is back after tying an SEC record last season with three kickoffs returned for touchdowns. He’s not the only dangerous return man on the roster, either.

2. Florida: The Gators have consistently had the best special teams in the league since Urban Meyer arrived in 2005. That's not a coincidence. They will be right there at the top again this season. Nobody’s better than Florida at blocking kicks or covering kicks. Caleb Sturgis has unlimited range on field goals, and senior punter Chas Henry is back after averaging 43.4 yards a kick last season. Chris Rainey will see his role expand in the return game.

3. LSU: The Tigers have one of those clutch senior place-kickers that proves so valuable in the tight games. Josh Jasper was 6-of-8 on field goals over 40 yards. After missing a 52-yarder against Auburn, he connected on his last seven attempts. LSU was also first in the league in kickoff coverage and third in the league in net punting with Jasper and Derek Helton sharing those duties. Trindon Holliday is gone, but watch out for Patrick Peterson and Russell Shepard in the return game.

4. South Carolina: The Gamecocks struggled in kickoff coverage last season, but they’re strong everywhere else on special teams. It starts with senior Spencer Lanning, who handles the place-kicking and punting chores. He only missed once inside 40 yards, that lone miss coming in the first game, and he averaged 41.9 yards a punt. Stephon Gilmore will return punts, and he’s one of the most electrifying athletes in the SEC.

5. Auburn: Senior place-kicker Wes Byrum took his game to another level last season, making 15 of his 16 field goals. He doesn’t have the biggest leg in the league, but inside 45 yards he was automatic. The Tigers also return the SEC’s top kickoff returner, Demond Washington, who averaged 31.1 yards to rank sixth nationally. Washington had a 99-yard return for a touchdown. Senior Ryan Shoemaker will battle true freshman Steven Clark for the punting job. Clark was one of the top punter prospects in the country .

6. Vanderbilt: Anybody who kicks the ball to Warren Norman this season had better beware. He returned three kickoffs for touchdowns last season as a freshman on his way to leading the league in all-purpose yardage. Sophomore place-kicker Ryan Fowler made a nice recovery after a rocky start a year ago and has range up to 50 yards. The Commodores were fourth in kickoff coverage last season, but have to replace dependable punter Brett Upson.

7. Ole Miss: The first order of business is replacing place-kicker Joshua Shene, a four-year starter. Sophomore Bryson Rose and junior David Hankins both have big legs, but Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt is looking for consistency. The Rebels are strong everywhere else. Tyler Campbell was one of the best freshman punters in the country last season, averaging 44 yards a kick, and Jesse Grandy took two kickoff returns back for touchdowns.

8. Kentucky: If the Wildcats had a proven place-kicker, they’d probably be ranked several spots higher. Junior punter Ryan Tydlacka will also do the kicking this season. He tied for ninth in the league in punting last season and has excellent hang time. He hopes to give the Wildcats some consistency on field goals after Lones Seiber’s up-and-down career. Where Kentucky will be outstanding is the return game with Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb, both of whom had touchdowns last season.

9. Alabama: Just about all the key components from Alabama’s special teams units last season are gone, including All-America kicker Leigh Tiffin and record-breaking return man Javier Arenas. It looks like the Crimson Tide will have both a true freshman place-kicker (Cade Foster) and true freshman punter (Jay Williams). Alabama wasn’t particularly good in kickoff coverage last season, finishing 10^th in the SEC. Julio Jones should give the Crimson Tide some pop in the return game.

10. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs still have a little battle going on as to whom will be doing their kicking and punting this season. There were times when they struggled in both departments last season and finished 11th in the league in net punting. However, junior Derek DePasquale took over the field goal duties midway through the season and ended up 10-of-12. The Bulldogs should be set in the return game with the Leon Berry-Chad Bumphis combo.

11. Tennessee: Tennessee and Arkansas were the only teams in the league to finish in the bottom four in both net punting and field goal kicking a year ago. The Vols were also next to last in kickoff coverage. Obviously, there’s a new staff in place, and Tennessee also has two new freshman kickers. More than anything, the Vols need to make a few field goals (or just keep them from being blocked), and that’s where high school All-American Michael Palardy comes in.

12. Arkansas: Inconsistency has plagued senior place-kicker Alex Tejada throughout his career, and it reared its head again this spring. The Hogs were also last in the SEC in net punting a year ago. The coverage units have improved with the addition of John L. Smith, the former Louisville and Michigan State head coach, to the staff. Dennis Johnson is one of the more dangerous return men in the league.

Having had a few days now to digest the 2009 bowl season, here’s a look at the All-SEC bowl team:

OFFENSE

QB Tim Tebow, Florida
Broke Vince Young’s record for total offense in a BCS bowl game with 533 yards in the Gators’ 51-24 rout of Cincinnati in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Completed 31 of 35 passes for a career-high 482 yards.

RB Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
Was there a better player in the SEC the second half of the season? McCluster rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the AT&T Cotton Bowl win.

RB Mark Ingram, Alabama
Despite cramping up in the Citi BCS National Championship Game, the Heisman Trophy winner showed his grit and led the Crimson Tide with 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

WR Riley Cooper, Florida
Led the Gators’ offensive explosion in the Sugar Bowl with 181 receiving yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. Cooper averaged 25.9 yards on seven catches.

WR Brandon LaFell, LSU
The Tigers didn’t put up much offense, but LaFell had five catches for 87 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown. LaFell led all SEC players with 19 touchdown catches over the past two seasons.

TE Aaron Hernandez, Florida
His nine catches led all players in the Sugar Bowl, and he finished with 111 receiving yards. Hernandez opened the Gators’ scoring with a 7-yard touchdown catch.

OL John Jerry, Ole Miss
Helped clear the way for Ole Miss’ 193 rushing yards against an Oklahoma State defense that finished ranked 11^th nationally against the run.

OL James Carpenter, Alabama
Combined with Mike Johnson to make the key block that helped spring Trent Richardson on his 49-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of the Citi BCS National Championship Game.

OL Justin Anderson, Georgia
The Bulldogs were playing without starting right tackle Josh Davis, and Anderson came off the bench in the second half to help give a much-needed lift to the running game.

OL Mike Johnson, Alabama
The anchor of an Alabama offensive line that paved the way for both Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to each rush for more than 100 yards against Texas’ vaunted defense.

C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
Spent more than five hours at Tulane Hospital with kidney stones and had several IV’s, but didn’t miss the start and led the way for the Gators up front.

DEFENSE

DE Marcell Dareus, Alabama
Had the hit that knocked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game and also returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown right before halftime.

DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
Came back strong from his suspension in the SEC championship game with two sacks in the Gators’ Sugar Bowl romp.

DT Geno Atkins, Georgia
Pressured Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson relentlessly. Atkins finished with a sack and also blocked a field goal attempt in the second quarter.

DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
A rock all season long in the middle for the Vols, Williams ended his career with nine tackles, including a half a sack in the 37-14 loss to Virgina Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

LB Patrick Trahan, Ole Miss
His 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown sealed the game for the Rebels with 3:12 remaining. Trahan also had an interception on Oklahoma State’s next possession.

LB Jerry Franklin, Arkansas
Finished with 10 tackles and had a third-quarter interception that turned the game around for the Hogs. East Carolina was leading 10-0, but Franklin intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards to set up an Arkansas field goal.

LB Eric Norwood, South Carolina
Wrapped up a record-setting career at South Carolina by leading the Gamecocks with 10 tackles in their 20-7 loss to Connecticut in the Papajohns.com Bowl.

DB Walter McFadden, Auburn
Intercepted two passes in Auburn’s Outback Bowl win. McFadden’s first pick set up a touchdown, and he did the honors himself on the second one – returning it 100 yards for a touchdown.

DB Tramain Thomas, Arkansas
His 37-yard interception return for a touchdown tied the game in the third quarter. Thomas also tipped away a pass at the goal line in the final minutes that might have saved the game.

DB Kendrick Lewis, Ole Miss
Intercepted two passes in Ole Miss’ 21-7 Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma State. His big hit in the fourth quarter also forced the fumble that Patrick Trahan returned 34 yards for a touchdown to break the game open.

DB Chad Jones, LSU
Did a little bit of everything in his final game at LSU. Led the Tigers with eight tackles, including one for loss, while also forcing a fumble, breaking up a pass and blocking a kick.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Alex Tejada, Arkansas
His 37-yard field goal in overtime was the difference in Arkansas’ 20-17 victory over East Carolina in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

P Spencer Lanning, South Carolina
In extremely cold conditions, Lanning punted seven times for a 42.3-yard average and had a long of 48 yards. He also doubles as the Gamecocks’ place-kicker.

KR Brandon Boykin, Georgia
Tied an SEC record with his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season, taking one back 81 yards to answer Texas A&M’s first touchdown.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Scanning the list of semifinalists for the 2009 Lou Groza Award is pretty telling when you start rating the quality of place-kickers in the SEC.

In short, this league has a few guys who can kick the ball.

Five of the 12 SEC place-kickers made the semifinal cut for the Lou Groza Award, which goes annually to the nation's best place-kicker. There are 20 kickers on the list.

Representing the SEC were Auburn's Wes Byrum, South Carolina's Spencer Lanning, Florida's Caleb Sturgis, Alabama's Leigh Tiffin and Georgia's Blair Walsh.

Byrum and Walsh each have missed only one field goal this season. Walsh is 7-for-7 from 40 yards or longer and 3-for-3 from 50-yards or longer.

Tiffin is tied with UCLA's Kai Forbath for the national lead with 20 field goals made, while Sturgis has the SEC's longest field goal this season at 56 yards.

Lanning may be the neatest story of the five. He didn't even have a scholarship prior to this preseason and has handled the Gamecocks' place-kicking and punting duties and has also kicked off some.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

It’s Monday, which means it’s time to find out who’s hot and who’s not in the SEC:

En Fuego

Alabama: As soon as they start playing games, it’s the most popular question I get: Who do you think is the best team in the league? While I’m still not ready to pick an SEC champion (too much can happen in the way of injuries, weird bounces, etc.), the best team I’ve seen in the league through the first month of the season is Alabama. The Crimson Tide really have it going on right now, and there’s a chemistry on the team that’s unmistakable. Quarterback Greg McElroy is spreading the ball around to everyone. The running game back stable is deep, talented and diverse, and the defense is one of the nastiest in the nation. Alabama also has Nick Saban standing over there on the sideline. This is a physical football team playing with a lot of confidence and a team capable of beating you in more ways than the Crimson Tide could a year ago.

Hot

Auburn receiver Terrell Zachery: Several different threats are emerging in the Tigers’ passing game, and Zachery showed off his playmaking skills in the 54-30 win over Ball State with five catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns.

Not

LSU’s running game: It’s difficult to explain the Tigers’ woes in the running game. Their tailbacks were held to 35 yards on 16 carries in the 30-26 win over Mississippi State. LSU is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry in its first four games.

Hot

Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty: Shaking off the questions about his durability, Hardesty has already carried the ball 84 times in four games and is eighth nationally in rushing at 121.2 yards per game.

Not

Mississippi State’s goal-line offense: It doesn’t matter where you’re playing or who you’re playing. When you get four cracks from the 2 (and two cracks with only a foot to go), you’ve got to get the ball into the end zone.

Hot

Georgia receiver A.J. Green: The Bulldogs’ sensational sophomore receiver is answering all those questions about who’s the best receiver in the league. He had eight catches for 153 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown, in the 20-17 win over Arizona State.

Not

Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead: After the way he finished last season, who saw Snead struggling like this? He looked uncomfortable and downright jittery in the 16-10 loss to South Carolina, finishing 7-of-21 for 107 yards.

Hot

South Carolina kicker/punter Spencer Lanning: Not only has he made nine straight field goals after missing one in the opener against North Carolina State, but Lanning made a picture-perfect tackle in the open field on Ole Miss’ Marshay Green to save a touchdown.

Not

Arkansas’ confidence: When a coach says publicly that his team didn’t believe it could win the game on the heels of a second straight loss, you can’t help but wonder where that team goes from there. The Hogs are going to find out with a schedule that doesn’t get any easier.

Ice, Ice Baby

Special teams: While realizing that a return for a touchdown or a blocked kick can constitute quality special teams play depending on your vantage point, some of the gaffes we’ve seen around the league in the kicking game four weeks into the season are spoiling the positives. Name it, and we’ve seen it – snaps sailing over punters’ heads, blocked extra points, mishandled snaps on field goals, shoddy tackling on coverage units, fumbled kickoffs, kickoffs out of bounds and shanked punts.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Nobody likes short field goals.

But that’s what you get when you’re last in the league in red zone offense.

If South Carolina loses this game, the Gamecocks can thank a red zone offense that continues to lag behind.

After botching a couple of good touchdown opportunities in the first half, South Carolina comes out in the second half and gets the play it’s looking for -- a 69-yard completion from Stephen Garcia to Moe Brown.

But first-and-goal from the Ole Miss 9 leads to another short Spencer Lanning field goal. The Gamecocks simply can't make any plays (or avoid penalties) near the goal line.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina leads No. 4-ranked Ole Miss 6-3 at halftime in a battle of field goals. Both teams have made a ton of mistakes.

Here’s a halftime analysis from the game:

Best player of the half: South Carolina senior outside linebacker Eric Norwood raised his SEC-leading sack total to five with a first-quarter sack of Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead. Norwood spearheaded a South Carolina pass rush that kept Snead bottled up and limited him to just 30 passing yards in the first half.

Turning point: South Carolina punter Spencer Lanning saved a touchdown when he tripped up Ole Miss’ Marshay Green in the open field in the second quarter. It looked like Green was gone as he cut back across the field, but Lanning made a shoe-string tackle at the South Carolina 31. The Rebels ended up not getting any points after a fake field goal was snuffed out by the Gamecocks.

Stat of the game: The Gamecocks have six penalties for 45 yards in the first half, and all of them were costly. They had their fourth touchdown pass of the season called back on an ineligible man downfield penalty. Prior to that penalty, they had the ball first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 2, but senior center Lemuel Jeanpierre was called for holding, moving the ball back to the 12.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

ATHENS, Ga. -- South Carolina place-kicker Spencer Lanning has come back with a vengeance.

After missing a 27-yarder in the opener, Lanning just booted his fifth field goal of the game to pull South Carolina within 38-31 early in the fourth quarter and tie the school record for most field goals in a game.

Lanning, who also handles the Gamecocks' punting, had never made a field goal in a college game prior to Saturday night.