When the number one Florida Gators rolled into Alabama to face the unranked Auburn Tigers this weekend, Florida coach Steve Spurrier and quarterback Rex Grossman figured they could easily dispose of their conference rival. The Gators hoped for a victory that would place them first in both national polls, but in overlooking their opponent suffered an unexpected 23-20 loss.
In fact, the 4-1 Tigers have been overlooked all year, mostly because prior to Saturday they had not played any ranked teams.
But with a chance to show off their skills, Auburn did not miss the opportunity, winning a tight contest when Damon Duval kicked a game-winning 44-yard field goal with just ten seconds left.
Auburn stayed with Florida throughout the game, and even led 10-6 at halftime. Though 21-point underdogs, the Tigers controlled Florida's high-octane offense, intercepting Grossman four times, and came away with an important SEC win. Spurrier's Gators, meanwhile, were put in the unenviable position of having to right a fallen ship, one which had its sights set on a national championship.
Back in the state of Florida, the top-ranked University of MiamiHurricanes played at the number 14 Florida State Seminoles.
Miami took advantage of special teams play to spark its 49-27 victory, which should help to solidify its shaky claim atop both national rankings. Early in the game, the Hurricanes blocked an FSU punt and returned it five yards for a touchdown. Later, they turned a botched field goal attempt into a touchdown.
FSU redshirt sophomore quarterback Chris Rix threw four interceptions and lost two fumbles, making a difficult game impossible for the Seminoles. The only bright spot was the Seminoles' ability to run against the Hurricanes' defense. When the running game picked up speed, however, it was too little, too late for Florida State.
Miami earned respect with this victory. Despite the team's undefeated record, the knock on the squad was that it had not faced any quality opponents. And while Florida State is having an off year, the Seminoles are regardless a formidable opponent - indeed, the Hurricanes snapped FSU's 54-game unbeaten streak at Doak Campbell Stadium with the win.
While Miami-FSU was a match-up of powerhouses, perhaps the weekend's most anticipated game was the seventh-ranked UCLA Bruins' bout with the number eight Washington Huskies. But instead of a great game, the Bruins jumped out to 21-0 first-quarter lead over their Pac-10 Conference rivals.
In the end, the Bruins completed the route, winning 35-13. The main component to their victory was running back DeShaun Foster's 301 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Huskies had not allowed a rushing touchdown all season.
In addition, Washington, a clock-controlling team, was held to 16 rushing yards including minus 18 yards for leading rusher Rich Alexis. Playing from far behind throughout the game, the Huskies were forced to pass more then they like. Moreover, the team gave Taylor Barton his first collegiate start in place of injured quarterback Cody Picket. While Barton did pass for 316 yards, he fumbled twice and was intercepted once.
Now, UCLA has a legitimate shot at playing for the National Championship. Two of the team's remaining six games come against ranked opponents Stanford and Oregon, and with wins in those contests, UCLA would make a legitimate case for a one or two ranking in the Bowl Championship Series rankings at the end of the year.
In other news around the country: Lou Holtz' South Carolina Gamecocks are no longer undefeated nor ranked in the top ten. They lost 10-7 to unranked Arkansas. . . . Fresno State did stay unbeaten, squeaking a 25-22 overtime victory over Colorado State. Quarterback David Carr continued his stellar season, leading Fresno to a last second game-tying touchdown. . . . In a classic Big-10 matchup, the Wisconsin Badgers upset the Ohio State Buckeyes 20-17. The Badgers were down 17-0 in the second quarter but rallied behind quarterback Brooks Bollinger and a defense that was able to hold the Buckeyes without a score for the remainder of the game.
