Tigers look to maul Bulldogs in crucial SEC matchup

Records: LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC); Georgia (2-1, 1-0

SEC); Time: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday

Outlook: Quarterback Aaron Murray can’t imagine any school going through the sort of gauntlet Georgia has faced in the opening month of the season.

After spending most of his young life cherishing every moment in Georgia’s Sanford Stadium, LSU signal-caller Zach Mettenberger can’t wait until this visit is done and over with.

The No. 9 Bulldogs will become the fourth team in the BCS era to play three top 10 teams in the first four games as they face sixth-ranked LSU and Mettenberger, who left the Bulldogs in disgrace in 2010.

Georgia is looking to win two of three, having lost at then-No. 8 Clemson 38-35 in the season opener before knocking off South Carolina 41-30 at home when the Gamecocks were ranked sixth. The Bulldogs (2-1, 1-0 SEC) beat North Texas 45-21 last Saturday.

If the Bulldogs can knock off the Tigers (4-0, 1-0), they’ll likely be a serious national championship contender come late November.

No. 20 Florida is the only team among the last eight regular-season opponents currently ranked, and the Gators are hardly in a good place after losing quarterback Jeff Driskel to a season-ending injury last weekend.

Not that the Bulldogs are getting ahead of themselves, but the Tigers look like the last major stumbling block for a team that came oh-so-close to reaching the BCS title game last season.

LSU has top-ranked Alabama in its way as it tries to win the SEC West and visits the Crimson Tide on Nov. 9, but the Tigers are focused on Georgia -- especially Mettenberger, who is on pace to have one of the best seasons ever by an LSU quarterback.

Georgia coach Mark Richt watched Mettenberger grow up in the football operations building, where Tammy Mettenberger has worked since her son was 8 years old. He remembers a young Zach visiting his mom at work, often wearing Georgia red, being on the field on game days and meeting his players.

Richt later gave Mettenberger a scholarship, but then had to dismiss him when the redshirt freshman was embroiled in legal trouble over his treatment of a woman at a bar not long after 2010 spring practice.

When LSU last played Georgia in the 2011 SEC title game and won 42-10, Mettenberger was a third-string quarterback in his first year with the Tigers after transferring from junior college. He didn’t play a snap, but remembers a number of Bulldogs fans expressing their opinions about him in the Georgia Dome that night.

THE REST OF THE MATCHUPS

Records: South Carolina (2-1, 1-1 SEC); UCF (3-0); Time: 12 p.m. ET Saturday

Outlook: The No. 12 Gamecocks look to prevent UCF from achieving another milestone when they go for their fourth win in as many meetings.

UCF (3-0) stunned Penn State 34-31 in Happy Valley on Sept. 14 for its first win over a Big Ten opponent. The Knights are 3-0 for the first time since 1988 and fourth time in school history, and they’ve scored at least 30 points in the first three games of a season for the first time.

Steve Spurrier should remember the last time the schools met, as it marked his return to college coaching Sept. 1, 2005. South Carolina made a stop on fourth down at its 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter to hang on for a 24-15 victory.

After a bye, South Carolina will be looking for a better effort than it put together in a 35-25 win over Vanderbilt on Sept. 14. The Gamecocks scored on their first four possessions for a 28-0 lead but allowed the Commodores to get within 10 on a pair of fourth-quarter scores in a 13-second span.

Still, their 579 yards of offense was their second-highest output since Spurrier took over.

The school has announced that this will be the first sellout at UCF since Sept. 10, 2011, a 30-3 win over Boston College. The crowd will get to see one of the nation’s most high-profile players in South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who has been playing through right foot pain due to bone spurs.

South Alabama at Tennessee

Records: South Alabama (2-1); Tennessee (2-2, 0-1

SEC);

Time: 12:21 p.m. ET Saturday

Arkansas St. at Missouri

Records: Arkansas St. (2-2), Missouri (3-0, 0-0 SEC); Time: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday

#21 Ole Miss at #1 Alabama

Records: Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0 SEC); Alabama (3-0, 1-0

SEC); Time: 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday

Outlook: Alabama’s offensive woes have been partially masked by its ability to score in other ways, but coach Nick Saban knows improvement on that side of the ball is paramount to his top-ranked team’s success moving forward.

Alabama’s offense stalled at times and ran for only 66 yards -- its fewest on the ground since 2010 -- in a 31-6 victory over Colorado State last week.

Ole Miss is coming off a bye after beating Texas 44-23 on Sept. 14, as Jeff Scott ran 19 times for 164 yards and a touchdown. Bo Wallace was 17 of 25 for 177 yards and two TDs.

Alabama, however, has held two of its three opponents to fewer than 280 total yards and gave up 51 on the ground last week.

The Tide’s A.J. McCarron went 20 of 26 for 258 yards with one touchdown and one interception last week, and he doesn’t think it’s going to get any easier against the Rebels.

Ole Miss hasn’t beaten Alabama since a 43-28 home win Oct. 18, 2003, and the Tide have won 11 straight meetings at Tuscaloosa, though victories in 2005, ‘ 06 and ‘ 07 were vacated due to NCAA sanctions.

#10 Texas A&M at Arkansas

Records: Texas A&M (3-1, 0-1 SEC); Arkansas (3-1, 0-0 SEC); Time: 7 p.m. ET Saturday

Outlook: After playing four straight home games to open the season, No. 10 Texas A&M gets back to SEC play Saturday night with a trip to Arkansas.

The Aggies (3-1, 0-1) beat Arkansas 58-10 last season in their first meeting as conference rivals after losing their previous three against the Razorbacks (3-1, 0-0).

Johnny Manziel completed 29 of 38 passes for 453 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 14 times for 104 yards and another score to lead Texas A&M at home.

Texas A&M’s first-team defense held SMU to a pair of field goals before the Mustangs added a touchdown late against the backups. They hope the solid performance will build confidence as they head back into conference play.

Arkansas made the mistake of relaxing at Rutgers last Saturday after taking a 17-point lead in the third quarter. The Razorbacks allowed 21 unanswered points the rest of the way and fell 28-24 to miss out on their first 4-0 start since 2003.

Arkansas played without quarterback Brandon Allen, who hurt his right shoulder while diving for a touchdown in a 24-3 win over Southern Mississippi on Sept. 14. AJ Derby started and went 14 of 26 for 137 yards and a TD.

The Razorbacks hope to have Allen back this week as they try to match last season’s win total in their first year under coach Bret Bielema.

#20 Florida at Kentucky

Records: Florida (2-1, 1-0 SEC); Kentucky (1-2, 0-0

SEC); Time: 7 p.m. ET Saturday

Outlook: Florida’s Tyler Murphy will make his first career start Saturday night on the road against Kentucky, which has dropped 26 straight to the Gators. Driskel broke a bone in his lower right leg in last week’s 31-17 win over Tennessee.

He completed 8 of 14 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 84 yards and a score. It was a solid debut for a career backup who had thrown just one pass in four years.

First-year coach Mark Stoops is hoping to get Kentucky (1-2, 0-0) on track as his team begins a stretch of playing three ranked opponents to begin the SEC schedule, with No. 12 South Carolina looming next week and a meeting with top-ranked Alabama set for Oct. 12.

The Wildcats committed three turnovers last week and now will face a Florida defense that had six takeaways against Tennessee and is allowing just 212.3 yards per game, the second-best average in the nation.

The health of starting quarterback Maxwell Smith might be a concern, though, after he was knocked out of the Louisville game in the third quarter with a left shoulder injury.

Smith underwent rehabilitation over the weekend and has been back at practice this week.

UAB at Vanderbilt

Records: UAB (1-2), Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-2 SEC); Time: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday