Lineman’s comments add flavor It might be a while before LSU defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois gets to do any more interviews.

Jean-Francois created a bit of a furor by telling the Orlando Sentinel the Tigers wanted to try and knock Florida quarterback Tim Tebow — last year’s Heisman Trophy winner — out of Saturday’s game.

“If we get a good shot on him, we’re going to try our best to take him out of the game,” Jean-Francois said. “With his size and his heart, it’s hard to get a clean shot.

“ If he does get hurt, there’s a trained medical staff at Florida, so you can go to the training room on Sunday.” Tebow gave Jean-Francois the benefit of the doubt when talking to reporters in Florida this week.

“I’m a competitor, so I think he wasn’t meaning it like a lot of people took it,” Tebow said. “I don’t think it’s ever a good thing to talk trash, because I think all it does is really fire your opponent up. At least I know that’s how it is for me.” LSU has issued a statement attributed to Jean-Francois through the sports information office and put him off -limits to any other interviews this week.

“We never go into any football game trying to hurt a player from the other team,” Jean-Francois’ statement read. “My comments in regard to [Tebow ] were misinterpreted and were intended to reflect the style of football that we play at LSU.

“ We have great respect for Tim as a player and competitor. By taking him out of the game, I meant as a defense we are going to try to make him ineffective. I’m sorry that my initial comments were interpreted another way.” Vandy getting close For the third time in four years, Vanderbilt is within one victory of being bowl eligible.

The No. 13 Commodores, who finished 5-6 in 2005 and 5-7 in 2007, look ready to make it over the hump this year with their 5-0 start.

A victory over 1-4 Mississippi State on Saturday would qualify Vanderbilt to play in a bowl game, though the Commodores might have to win another game to guarantee a spot.

“We want to go to a bowl just like everybody else does,” Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson said. “But we don’t point to six wins. We try to point to each week’s game, and this is our sixth game.

“ But our guys are smart. You can’t hide it from them. They know the situation, they know the deal.” Vanderbilt hasn’t played in a bowl game since 1982, when Air Force beat the Commodores 36-28 in the Hall of Fame Bowl. That was Ken Hatfield’s last game as the Falcons’ coach before he took the Arkansas job.

Halfway home Ole Miss, which has an open date Saturday, is 3-3 through the first half of its season. That equals as many victories as the Rebels had in going 3-9 in 2007, but their record could be better considering losses to Wake Forest, Vanderbilt and South Carolina were by a combined 13 points. “I’ve been proud of our team in a lot of ways, but I also feel like we’ve gift-wrapped some gifts to a couple of teams and really helped them,” Ole Miss Coach Houston Nutt said, referring to the Rebels’ 15 turnovers. “I really think we could be a little bit better than what we are right now, but the reality is that we’re not.” In an odd twist, the Rebels won at Florida but have lost at home to the Commodores and Gamecocks. “You’re hoping a game like Florida — to go to the Swamp and win — would really kick you into another level,” Nutt said. “But what makes it difficult is that every week [in the SEC ] is a 60-minute game of the team that makes the fewest mistakes... It can go so many different ways. There’s just not one game you can circle as a W.” Winning script When Alabama starts a game, the players are aware of the first 15 plays they’re going to run. The plays have been scripted during the week’s practices. The calls may vary based on down and distance and field position, but the Crimson Tide know what they’re going to run in certain situations. The scripts must be pretty good considering Alabama has outscored its opponents 88-0 in the first quarter through six games. “[Coaches ] see what we’re hitting good because we’re not going to put something in the [script ] that we haven’t really, really looked good on,” Tide senior quarterback John Parker Wilson said. “It comes together on that first drive.” Majors weighs in Johnny Majors usually hasn’t been shy about expressing how he believes Phillip Fulmer stabbed him in the back to replace Majors as Tennessee’s coach late in the 1992 season. You know Majors has to be glad with the heat Fulmer is feeling with Tennessee’s 2-3 start this year, but he initially declined to address that subject while speaking at the Huntsville (Ala. ) Quarterback Club last week. But pressed further, Majors couldn’t resist. “Frankly,” Majors told the Chattanooga Times Free Press, “I think [defensive coordinator ] John Chavis has saved [Fulmer’s ] job for 10 years.” Vols’ new QB Redshirt sophomore Nick Stephens wasn’t overpowering in his first start as Tennessee’s quarterback, competing 10 of 17 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown in the Volunteers’ 13-9 victory over Northern Illinois.

“I felt like we moved the ball well at times, but at times I felt like we stopped ourselves,” Stephens said.

Stephens was good enough to earn another start Saturday at Georgia in relief of struggling Jonathan Crompton.

“Nick’s got an air of confidence about him, and toughness,” Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer said. “He’s handled himself pretty well in the one game against a fairly good Northern Illinois defensive football team at home.

“ We certainly realize that going on the road in the SEC against a much better football team [Georgia ] than he played the last time will be an even bigger challenge for him. But he handles himself well in the huddle, and the guys have responded to him.” Vols wide receiver Denarius Moore said he was impressed by Stephens’ leadership.

“He took control of the huddle,” Moore said. “We looked in his eyes in the huddle and could tell he had no fear in him.” No more Cutcliffe When Tennessee beat Georgia 35-14 last season, it marked the 10 th consecutive time the Volunteers had defeated the Bulldogs with David Cutcliffe on Tennessee’s staff during two stints as offensive coordinator.

Now Cutcliffe, who was Ole Miss’ coach in 1999-2004, is again running his own program at Duke.

Dave Clawson replaced Cutcliffe as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator this season.

“If it had been Coach Cutcliffe back again, we’d probably spend more time watching those games and thinking about those things. But we’re just looking at it as a brand new coordinator,” Georgia Coach Mark Richt said. “We’ve studied this year’s stuff almost exclusively.” Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer is 2-5 against Georgia without Cutcliffe on staff. 290-pound tight end Georgia sophomore Kiante Tripp, who started the first three games at left tackle, has moved to tight end, where the Bulldogs have been hit hard by injuries.

Tripp, 6-6 and 290 pounds, got in for one play in a two tight-end set against Alabama. He had more time to get used to his new position last week when the Bulldogs had an open date.

“When you’ve played offensive tackle, you’re right beside the tight end most of the time,” Georgia tight ends coach John Lilly said. “The run game and protection he already knew, and there were certain situations where he knew when the tight end released on a route.

“ He just didn’t know which route to run, and that’s the part we’re catching him up on. He’s caught the ball really well [in practice ] so far, so I’m anxious to see what he can do.” Georgia Coach Mark Richt said he also has been impressed by Tripp’s quick transition to tight end. “It’s amazing how well the big man does move,” Richt said. “The one thing that he has above all else is athleticism, but let’s not get carried away with how many balls might get thrown to him. We’re not building an offensive passing game around him.” McKinley back South Carolina All-SEC wide receiver Kenny McKinley returned against Ole Miss after missing three games because of a hamstring injury.

McKinley caught four passes for 58 yards to help the Gamecocks beat the Rebels 31-24.

“I’ve got to get back in game shape,” McKinley said. “I was out there tired. I’m going to do a little extra running this week.” McKinley said he never considered taking a redshirt this season.

“I knew I was going to be back,” McKinley said. “We’ve got a lot of big games this year, and I knew I’d be back to finish the season out.” McKinley now needs four catches and 241 receiving yards to surpass Sterling Sharpe as South Carolina’s career leader in both categories.

Two-minute drill Alabama has scored three touchdowns on defense, including two interception returns against Arkansas and a fumble return against Kentucky. Florida has scored on 17 of 18 possessions in the red zone. Vanderbilt is 3-0 in SEC play for the first time since 1950. The Commodores finished the season 3-4. Tennessee has allowed one rushing touchdown in five games. SEC beat writers contributed information for this report OVERHEARD “They know how to win games.” — Mississippi State Coach Sylvester Croom on facing Vanderbilt “I know it’s ugly, but we won.” — Alabama Coach Nick Saban after the Tide held on to beat Kentucky 17-14 BY THE NUMBERS 1943 8. 3 27-5 Average tackles for loss per game by Ole Miss SEC teams’ record in nonconference games Last time Vanderbilt was 5-0