SEC FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: LSU hangs on against Mississippi State

BATON ROUGE, La. — Quarterback Danny Etling completed 19 of 30 passes for 215 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown strike to D.J. Chark, and Leonard Fournette scored his first two touchdowns of the season as No. 20 LSU held off a furious fourth-quarter rally for a 23-20 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.

LSU raced to a 23-3 halftime lead and held Mississippi State to one field goal, a 37-yarder by Westin Graves, in the first 26 minutes of the second half to lead 23-6.

But after Fournette’s second fumble of the game, the Bulldogs caught fire behind backup quarterback Damian Williams. Mississippi State scored two touchdowns in 40 seconds — a 1-yard keeper by Williams and a 4-yard yard quick out to Fred Ross — to close the gap to 23-20 with 3:30 left.

The second touchdown came after Mississippi State recovered an onside kick at the LSU 32 and Williams hit Ross for 28 yards to the LSU 4.

Then, after LSU went three-and-out, the Bulldogs had one more chance. On third down from the Mississippi State 25, Key forced an incompletion. On fourth-and-8, Key raced in from the blindside to sack Williams, ending the game.

Fournette rushed for 147 yards on 28 carries but fumbled twice. His final fumble was critical because it stopped an LSU drive that moved the ball from its 1-yard line to Mississippi State 33, setting up the Bulldogs’ comeback.

With Etling at the controls, LSU’s offense looked transformed from the one that had sputtered through the first five quarters of the season.

It wasn’t only that the junior transfer from Purdue completed 14 of 20 passes for 172 yards in the first half. Etling also kept the chains moving, converting 6 of 10 third downs in the first half as LSU raced to a 23-3 lead.

The Tigers had converted only 43 percent of their third downs in the first two games.

After resting his sore ankle in last week’s 34-13 win over Jacksonville State, Fournette looked quick, sharp and powerful. He showed his brute force on a 5-yard score in the first quarter and then displayed his speed on a 25-yard dash around left tackle on a quick pitch.

LSU’s other touchdown of the half came on a perfect 37-yard post pattern, with Etling hitting wide receiver D.J. Chark in the back of the end zone. Etling’s best throw of the game had come a few plays earlier when he stood tall in the face of a blitz and threw a 15-yard out pattern to Malachi Dupre to pick up a third-and-9.

Mississippi State’s only points of the half came on Westin Graves’ 41-yard field goal. LSU’s Colby Delahoussaye matched that with a 27-yard field goal to cap a 68-yard drive just before halftime to stretch the Tigers’ lead to 20 points.

LSU outgained Mississippi State 282-80 in the first half and held a 16-5 edge in first downs.

No. 15 Tennessee 28, Ohio 19

Senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs threw two touchdown passes to junior receiver Josh Malone as Tennessee sidestepped an upset bid by Ohio to post a victory in non-conference play at Knoxville, Tenn.

Malone’s second touchdown grab early in the fourth quarter capped an 11-play, 90-yard drive that assured the Volunteers (3-0) wouldn’t become the first ranked team to lose to the Bobcats in the program’s 122-year history.

Dobbs was 19 of 27 passing for 203 yards and one interception. Malone caught five passes for 69 yards and junior running back Jalen Hurd added a rushing touchdown. Redshirt freshman Louie Zervos kicked four field goals for the Bobcats (1-2), who fell to 0-27 against Top 25 teams.

No. 23 Florida 32, North Texas 0

Florida’s defense is ready for the heart of its SEC schedule, but is the Gators’ offense — especially if starting quarterback Luke Del Rio misses time?

Del Rio left Saturday night’s win over North Texas in Gainesville, Fla., late in the third quarter. On a drop-back pass, Del Rio was hit from behind, around the knees by North Texas defensive end Devin O’Hara, who was flagged for a late hit on the play. Del Rio limped gingerly back to the locker room.

The play sent an angry Florida coach Jim McElwain out near midfield, where he barked at the officials and the North Texas sideline. Mean Green first-year coach Seth Littrell chirped back, and on an ensuing play, Florida offensive lineman Martez Ivey was ejected after roughing up a North Texas player after the whistle.

SEC officials said Ivey’s ejection will not impact his status for next week’s game at Tennessee. Del Rio’s status is unknown.

“(Del Rio’s) getting his leg looked at right now,” McElwain said after the game. “It doesn’t look great.”

McElwain said he took the hit on his quarterback personally and said he told Littrell that he didn’t think the late hit was intentional during the post-game handshake.

“You know what, I really care about these players,” McElwain told reporters. “I care about them in more ways than just as football players. When you see something like that, it’s my responsibility when their parents aren’t here to be their parents. Each and every guy on this football team knows how much I care for him. I got their back.”

Florida’s defense dismantled North Texas, accumulating seven sacks and holding the Mean Green to 53 total yards. That’s the fewest yards allowed in a game in school history.

Mark Thompson, Jordan Scarlett, Jordan Crockrite and Lamical Perine had rushing touchdowns for the Gators, who are 3-0 heading to Knoxville.

Florida has beaten the Volunteers 11 straight times, including coming from behind in the fourth quarter last year in the Swamp.

No. 24 Arkansas 42, Texas State 3

Arkansas jumped out big early and cruised to a victory over Texas State at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The Razorbacks (3-0) rolled up 467 yards of total offense, including 350 yards in the first half, and led 35-0 at halftime.

Junior quarterback Austin Allen completed 16 of 21 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns for the Razorbacks, who have won six consecutive games — and nine of their last 10 — dating to last season.

Sophomore running back Rawleigh Williams III had 121 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns, his third consecutive game with at least 100 yards rushing. Arkansas senior receiver Keon Hatcher had three catches for 93 yards, including a 73-yard reception which led to Arkansas’ second touchdown in the first quarter.

But perhaps the biggest statement of the game for the Razorbacks came defensively as the Razorbacks shut down Texas State’s fast-paced offense and senior quarterback Tyler Jones.

South Carolina 20, East Carolina 15

South Carolina forced three turnovers deep in its own territory to help freshman quarterback Brandon McIlwain win his first career start as the Gamecocks held on to beat East Carolina in Columbia, S.C.

East Carolina receiver Zay Jones caught 22 passes for 190 yards, coming within one reception of tying the NCAA record for a game.

He didn’t get another chance after South Carolina (2-1) recovered an on-side kick with 2:29 left and ran out the clock, thanks to running back David Williams’ 25-yard burst on fourth-and-1 from the ECU 40.

Kentucky 62, New Mexico State 42

Benny Snell tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns, and Stephen Johnson came off the bench to throw three scoring strikes to tight end C.J. Conrad as Kentucky posted a victory over New Mexico State in Lexington, Ky.

The Wildcats’ 692 yards marked the second-highest total in school history, and the most for a home game.

Snell scored on runs of 5, 1, 2 and 4 yards, getting extra playing time because starter Stanley “Boom” Williams suffered from neck spasms for part of the game. Williams, who scored on a 63-yard run in the first quarter, came back strong in the second half to finish with 181 yards on 18 carries.

Kentucky (1-2), which had scored seven points in its previous six quarters, kept pouring it on despite losing starting quarterback Drew Barker to a leg injury on its first possession.