THE SCOOP
Tennessee wide receiver Alton “Pig” Howard says he has received only positive feedback since fumbling in overtime while trying to stretch the ball across the goal line in the Volunteers’ loss to Georgia on Saturday. “Not one person came to me saying anything negative about it,” Howard said. “I’ve been getting all positive talk. I respect everyone for it. … I don’t think I’d do anything differently. If I was to, I’d probably lower my shoulder on the guy. … I wasn’t settling for no field goal. I was trying to win it for my team.”
ON THE DEFENSIVE
Here’s why the SEC is struggling on defense: Thirteen of the 20 SEC players selected in the first two rounds of April’s draft were defensive standouts. And now, nearly all the main contenders for the SEC title have at least one defensive starter just out of high school.
“When guys get thrown into the fire right away, we’re watching them mature right before our eyes, and it’s painful sometimes,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “They just have to keep their faith and keep banging away, so they can keep getting better.”
Georgia has had five freshman defenders start games this season and the seventh-ranked Bulldogs are allowing a league-worst 32.2 points per game. Texas A&M has played 17 freshmen, tied with UCLA for the most of any FBS school. Georgia and Tennessee have each used 14. Alabama and LSU have played 13 apiece.
AUBURN UPDATE
Auburn fans attending Saturday’s homecoming game against Western Carolina will be allowed access to the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium once the field has been cleared to take photographs or walk on the field. The SEC has granted a waiver of its rules on fans being on the field. Once the field has been cleared of all players and coaches, fans will be granted the opportunity to come to field level approximately 15 minutes after the game and will be allowed to remain on the field for 45 minutes. Fans will be allowed access to the field through field gates at Sections 1, 11, 15, 20, 24 and 34. They should not enter the field over the end-zone brick walls.
QUOTABLE
“I think it’s tough in this league, but there are many (freshmen) that are doing it right now, and some are having great success. The easiest position (on defense) to teach would be defensive line, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to play there with some of the offensive linemen we come up against. But that would be the easiest mentally to learn. And then the hardest is the secondary, unless you’re just going to play some base coverages and not get too far out on things” — Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, on freshmen playing in the SEC.
“He’s very, very strong-minded. He’s been through some tough times, and he’s overcome them.” — Texas A&M defensive back Toney Hurd Jr. on Isaiah Golden, a freshman who will start for the injured Kirby Ennis at nose guard at Ole Miss. Golden’s 2-month-old daughter, Avery, died unexpectedly during the week of the Alabama game.
