Times wires
Saturday, November 24, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama left no doubt Saturday that it's tops in the state. Proving it's the best team in the SEC and, perhaps, the nation won't be nearly so easy.
AJ McCarron threw four touchdowns and Eddie Lacy rushed for two to lead No. 2 Alabama to a 49-0 victory against Auburn and a berth in the SEC title game Saturday.
With the most lopsided Iron Bowl since their 55-0 win in 1948, the Crimson Tide clinched the West Division and faces No. 3 Georgia in Atlanta for the conference championship. (It will be Alabama's eighth SEC title game but first against a team other than Florida.) The winner likely goes to the national title game.
"To me, in all those games that I've been a part of, they are about as good as any game in the country other than the national championship game," Alabama coach Nick Saban said of the SEC title game.
Auburn completed the worst season for any team within two years of winning an Associated Press national title in what might have been the last game for embattled coach Gene Chizik. University president Jay Gogue has said only he'll evaluate the program at season's end. That end came in a painful way.
Alabama outgained the Tigers 483-163 and had 25 first downs to Auburn's seven. It could have been worse. Saban played reserves for much of the second half. In addition, the Tide lost a fumble inside the Auburn 10 and ran out the final seconds after getting to the 5.
"I'm not going to go into all of the job situation with any questions," Chizik said. "This isn't about me. I've got a locker room of guys that are here that are very disappointed. That's my focus. I'm not going to entertain any of those questions. My focus is to be back in there with them."
Chizak called the Tigers' performance "sad."
"Obviously, that was a very disappointing loss, embarrassing loss to our state rivals," Chizik said. "It was obvious to everybody. It was a sad performance.
"The Auburn fans, the Auburn alumni, don't deserve that."
Auburn hasn't scored an offensive touchdown in the past two meetings since Cam Newton & Co. completed the rivalry's largest comeback in their last visit to Bryant-Denny Stadium two years ago. This one supplied another milestone of sorts.
It's the first time Alabama has scored 40-plus points in two straight Iron Bowls on the heels of last season's 42-14 win, when Auburn managed to score on a kick return and fumble recovery.
McCarron completed 15 of 21 passes for 216 yards in 21/2 quarters, including a pair of touchdowns apiece to Amari Cooper and Kevin Norwood.
Lacy ran 18 times for 131 yards, frequently pinballing off defenders from a defense that entered last in the SEC against the run.
Auburn's Jonathan Wallace completed 5 of 14 passes with two interceptions against the nation's top scoring defense. He became only the third freshman quarterback to start an Iron Bowl for the Tigers and first since former Rays outfielder Gabe Gross in 1998.
Alabama produced touchdowns on its first seven possessions until a fumble deep in Auburn territory ended the run. The Tide also converted its first 11 third downs.
Auburn pushed the ball across midfield only once, making it to the Tide 41 in the first quarter before punting. The Tigers have been outscored by 129 points in their past three SEC games, all against Top 10 SEC opponents Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama.
"We didn't take our foot off the gas," Lacy said.
"We kept playing in the fourth quarter."
Bulldogs easily remain in BCS title contention
ATHENS, Ga. — Aaron Murray threw two touchdowns as Georgia beat Georgia Tech 42-10 to keep its national title hopes alive.
Gov. Nathan Deal presented the Governor's Cup to the Bulldogs after they beat the Yellow Jackets for the 11th time in 12 seasons. He congratulated both teams on a "great game" before turning to Georgia's players.
"Keep up the good work," Deal said. "We're looking for a national championship."
First is the SEC title game.
"Atlanta. On to Atlanta. Alabama," receiver Malcolm Mitchell said. "On to the next game."
Tech didn't put up much of a fight. Georgia returned the opening kickoff 47 yards. Four plays later, it was 7-0 on Todd Gurley's 3-yard run. Jackets running back Robert Godhigh fumbled at the Bulldogs 1 on the ensuing series. Soon after, it was 14-0 on Gurley's 1-yard run.
Murray, a graduate of Tampa's Plant High, went 14-of-17 for 215 yards, becoming the first SEC quarterback to pass for more than 3,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.
"It was a pretty good thumping," Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "We could not slow them down at all, which has been a recurring theme the last few times we've played them."
Tennessee 37, Kentucky 17: Tyler Bray threw for 293 yards and four touchdown for the host Vols in a matchup of teams that entered winless in conference play. Bray finished with 3,612 yards and 34 touchdowns. Both are second in Tennessee history to Peyton Manning's 3,819 and 36 in 1997. The difference? Manning's Vols won the SEC title. "I thought we'd be going to a bowl game, but things didn't go our way this year," Bray said. "We didn't play well." Up 20-17 in the third, Bray hit Mychal Rivera for a 29-yard touchdown and Cordarrelle Patterson for a 21-yarder.