SOUTHEASTERN ROUNDUP : Barker Leads Alabama Over Georgia, 29-28

Jay Barker threw for a career-high 396 yards and Michael Proctor kicked a 32-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining to give No. 11 Alabama a 29-28 victory over Georgia, ruining a record-breaking night for Bulldog quarterback Eric Zeier on Saturday at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Zeier became the yardage leader in Southeastern Conference history, throwing for 263 yards and four touchdowns to give him 9,327 yards in his career. That eclipsed the career record of 9,287 set by Florida’s Shane Matthews from 1989-92.

But, as has happened so many times to Zeier, who finished 25 of 33, his individual achievements were overshadowed as Georgia, 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC, lost an important game that would have kept the Bulldogs in contention for the conference title they haven’t won since 1982.

Alabama (5-0, 3-0) came into the game with the worst passing offense in the SEC, but Barker, as he has done often in his career, rose to the occasion. He completed 26 of 34 for the second-best passing game in school history, to Scott Hunter’s 484-yard performance against Auburn in 1969.

Barker is 28-1-1 as the Tide’s starting quarterback, and his knack of finding a way to win was never more apparent than on Alabama’s game-winning drive. He scrambled 13 yards for a first down and hit Tony Johnson with a 22-yard pass play that put the Tide in position for Proctor’s third field goal.

Georgia still had plenty of time when Zeier got the ball back with 1:03 remaining on his own 22. He moved the Bulldogs out to the 40, but two incompletions in a row turned the ball over to Alabama on downs.

After Zeier’s final pass sailed over the head of receiver Juan Daniels, the senior quarterback stormed off the field, ripped off his helmet and began yelling at no one in particular.

“I do not know how we lost,” Zeier said. “I had no idea about the record during the game.”

Arkansas 42, Vanderbilt 6--Barry Lunney Jr. threw for 128 yards and three touchdowns in the first 15 1/2 minutes at Little Rock, Ark., and the Razorbacks had five touchdown passes in a game for the first time since 1936.

Arkansas (2-3, 1-2 in the SEC) had only one touchdown in its last three games but scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions in the first half to take a 35-0 lead.

Vanderbilt is now 1-3, 0-3.

Mississippi State 49, Arkansas State 3--Michael Davis rushed for 120 yards and Mississippi State’s big-play defense returned three interceptions for touchdowns at Starkville, Miss.

Avenging a 15-15 tie a year ago, Mississippi State (3-1) dominated on defense, particularly in a 21-point third quarter that featured Davis’ 58-yard touchdown run and a 41-yard pass interception return for a touchdown by Walt Harris.

Arkansas State (1-4) took a 3-0 lead on Jeff Caldwell’s 45-yard field goal five minutes into the game, but Mississippi State’s defense then took command.

South Carolina 18, Louisiana State 17--Stanley Pritchard’s one-yard touchdown run with 12:52 remaining gave the Gamecocks (4-1, 3-1) an SEC victory over the Tigers (1-3, 1-2) at Baton Rogue, La.

Steve Taneyhill completed 23 of 30 passes for 157 yards, with 24 coming on a touchdown pass to Toby Cates. Pritchard was South Carolina’s leading rusher with 90 yards in 18 carries.

LSU’s Jamie Howard, who was intercepted five times by Auburn in the fourth quarter two weeks ago, was intercepted twice by South Carolina.