SEC Report

Dukes get Williams in trouble

Auburn wide receiver D'haquille Williams (1) celebrates with fans after Auburn defeated LSU 41-7 in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Former Auburn wide receiver D'haquille "Duke" Williams, who was kicked off the team Monday by Coach Gus Malzhan, apparently went out swinging.

Malzahn declined to be specific about the reasons for Williams' dismissal, but AL.com reported that Williams punched four people at a bar last Saturday night after the Tigers' 35-21 victory over San Jose State in which he had one catch for 17 yards.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Leonard Fournette

Running back, LSU

Herschel Walker didn’t do it. Neither did Bo Jackson, Darren McFadden, Emmitt Smith, Mark Ingram or any other SEC running back prior to this season.

LSU sophomore tailback Leonard Fournette is the only SEC player ever to rush for 200 or more yards in three consecutive games, and he might make it four in a row Saturday when the Tigers play South Carolina.

Fournette is averaging 216 rushing yards per game to lead the nation. That’s enough to rank him 38th among the 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in rushing yards per game, and more than Alabama (204), Clemson (194), Nebraska (193.2) and Auburn (190).

Fournette’s SEC-record run includes 19 carries for 238 yards against Auburn, 26 for 244 at Syracuse and 26 for 233 against Eastern Michigan.

Through 4 games, he has 99 carries for 864 yards and 11 touchdowns.

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 11 Florida at Missouri

6:30 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network

Florida’s 38-10 victory over Ole Miss last week vaulted the Gators from No. 25 to No. 11 in The Associated Press poll.

It’s the Gators’ highest ranking since the 2013 season, when the Gators opened at No. 10 after finishing 11-2 in 2012.

Florida fell out of the rankings in 2013 after a 36-17 loss at Missouri. The 4-1 Tigers will try to knock the 5-0 Gators down again when the teams meet Saturday night at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. Florida is favored by five points.

Missouri won 42-13 at Florida last season.

“Based on history I’m sure they’ve got pretty good confidence that they’ll put it on the Gators,” Jim McElwain, Florida’s first-year coach, said Wednesday. “It’s one of those deals where I’m sure based on that history they feel pretty good about us being their homecoming [opponent].”

Yes, Saturday is Missouri’s homecoming game, but the date was selected because it’s in October, when homecoming traditionally is held, not because of the opponent.

Missouri freshman quarterback Drew Lock will make his second consecutive start in place of suspended junior Maty Mauk. Lock completed 21 of 28 passes for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Tigers’ 24-10 victory over South Carolina last week.

BY THE NUMBERS

202 SEC-record extra points kicked by Georgia senior Marshall Morgan. His extra point in the Bulldogs’ 38-10 loss to Alabama broke the record of 201 by LSU’s Colt Davis from 2005-09.

27.1 Average yards per punt return by Texas A&M freshman Christian Kirk, who has seven returns for 190 yards.

2010 The last season Tennessee won against an SEC West team. Since beating Ole Miss 52-14 on Nov. 13, 2010, the Vols have lost 10 consecutive games to West opponents, including a 24-20 loss to Arkansas last week.

An employee of the Skybar, who spoke to AL.com on condition of anonymity, said Williams punched two security guards, a bartender assistant and an unidentified patron.

The employee told AL.com a friend of Williams was kicked out of the bar for violating a dress code policy by wearing sunglasses.

Williams, who according to the employee appeared to be drunk, attempted to get his friend back in the bar. After that failed, Williams began throwing punches.

One of the people Williams punched wanted to press charges, the employee told AL.com, unless he was disciplined by Auburn. Police and court records show no charges against Williams, AL.com reported.

Williams had 43 receptions for 730 yards and 5 touchdowns last season, including 9 for 154 and 1 touchdown in Auburn's 42-21 opening victory over Arkansas. He was projected as a first-round pick for the 2016 NFL Draft by some analysts.

Prior to Williams' dismissal, Malzahn twice had suspended him -- for the Outback Bowl last season and for six days in fall camp -- for disciplinary reasons.

Williams had 12 catches for 147 yards and 1 touchdown this season.

Home on the road

South Carolina officially will be the home team Saturday against LSU, but the game will be played at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge instead of Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

The venue change, announced Wednesday, was the result of heavy flooding in South Carolina.

"In the spirit of supporting our South Carolina community that is so supportive of Gamecock Nation, we have decided to move the game to Baton Rouge," South Carolina President Harris Pastides said in a statement. "The stress on law enforcement and first responders is too great.

"Moreover, we've had many in the Carolina family directly impacted by the flooding."

Gamecocks Coach Steve Spurrier isn't complaining about having to play at LSU.

"Moving the game is best," Spurrier said after the announcement. "The governor, our president, law enforcement, they all think this is the right thing to do. We're just not ready for a [home] ballgame Saturday afternoon."

South Carolina Athletic Director Ray Tanner thanked LSU's administration for agreeing to host the game.

All proceeds generated from ticket sales, after LSU's expenses, will be given to South Carolina. The American Red Cross is collecting donations at Tiger Stadium gates for victims of the flooding.

Moving the game means LSU again will have seven games in Tiger Stadium this season. The Tigers' opener against McNeese State was cancelled because of lightning and heavy rain.

Despite the relocation of Saturday's game, when the teams next are scheduled to play in 2020, the game also will be at LSU.

More trouble for Jones?

Things are bad enough for Tennessee Coach Butch Jones with the Vols starting 2-3 and blowing leads of 13 or more points in losses to Oklahoma, Florida and Arkansas.

Now Jones is dealing with Internet rumors that he had a physical altercation with senior offensive lineman Mack Crowder in a practice earlier this season.

Jones was asked about it Monday during his weekly news conference.

"Absolutely ridiculous," Jones said.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel contacted Crowder's father, Michael, who told the newspaper he had no comment and didn't want to give validation to message boards.

Rebels linebacker out

Ole Miss senior middle linebacker C.J. Johnson is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

The injury makes Johnson questionable for the Arkansas-Ole Miss game Nov. 7 in Oxford, Miss.

Johnson, injured during the Rebels' 38-10 loss at Florida last Saturday, has 17 tackles and 2 interceptions in 4 games this season. He missed the opener against Tennessee-Martin because of a suspension.

Junior Terry Caldwell is expected to start Saturday in Johnson's place against New Mexico State.

Make it 13

Georgia sophomore tailback Nick Chubb had 146 rushing yards in the Bulldogs' 38-10 loss to Alabama, including an 83-yard touchdown run, marking the 13th consecutive game in which he's rushed for more than 100 yards.

Chubb is tied for the longest streak of 100-yard games for Georgia along with Herschel Walker, who had 13 in a row beginning with the last game of the 1980 season through the end of the 1981 regular season.

Sports on 10/08/2015