Gators settle for beating rival

— Florida did all it could Saturday to keep alive its hopes of playing in the BCS Championship Game.

Mike Gillislee ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns and the Gators, ranked No. 4 in the BCS rankings, scored 24 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to defeat Florida State 37-26.

The Gators needed a victory to remain in the hunt for a spot in the BCS title game, but Saturday’s victory wasn’t enough to get them there with Notre Dame defeating Southern Cal 22-13 later Saturday night.

The Gators’ lone loss was in late October to thirdranked Georgia, and that will keep them out of the SEC title game.

Florida (11-1, 7-1 SEC) regained the lead 23-20 Saturday on Gillislee’s 37-yard run with 11:01 left in the final period on the first play after Florida State’s EJ Manuel fumbled, his fourth turnover of the game.

Florida State (10-2, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) was hurt by five turnovers. The Seminoles will play Georgia Tech next week in the ACC title game.

Florida State was hoping to keep its own long shot national title hopes alive and restore a bit of respect for its conference with a third consecutive victory over the Gators but couldn’t.

Florida salted its victory away on a Jeff Driskel’s 14-yard touchdown throw to Quinton Dunbar with seven minutes left and Matt Jones’ 32-yard run with 2:33 left for a 37-20 lead.

Caleb Sturgis kicked three field goals for the Gators. Florida State’s Dustin Hopkins had field goals of 50 and 53 yards to tie former Georgia kicker Billy Bennett’s NCAA record of 87 career field goals.

Florida State scored 20 consecutive points to wipe out an early 13-0 deficit. Manuel threw a 6-yard TD pass to Nick O’Leary, and the quarterback bootlegged in from a yard out with 8:30 remaining. When Dustin Hopkins kicked a 53-yard field goal with 4:24 left in the third, the Seminoles looked as if they were on their way.

But Florida dominated the fourth quarter.

Gillislee’s go-ahead TD run came the first play after Florida’s Dominque Easley recovered the fumble by Manuel, who coughed up the ball after being nailed by Antonio Morrison. Manuel had to leave the game for a series but was unable to rally the Seminoles after returning to the game.

It was a tough game for Manuel for the second consecutive year against the Gators. He threw for only 65 yards in a 21-7 victory at Florida last season and was intercepted three times Saturday in addition to the costly fourth-quarter fumble. It was only the second time he was intercepted three times in a game.

VANDERBILT 55,

WAKE FOREST 21

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Jordan Rodgers threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns, and Zac Stacy ran for a season-high 180 yards and two scores as Vanderbilt (8-4) defeated Wake Forest (5-7).

It was Vanderbilt’s sixth consecutive victory, the school’s longest winning streak since 1955.

Vanderbilt scored touchdowns on four of its first five possessions to take a 28-7 lead at halftime and never looked back. Wesley Tate added two scores, and Jordan Matthews had 10 catches for 144 yards in the first half, including a 64-yard touchdown reception from Rodgers.

TENNESSEE 37, KENTUCKY 17

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tyler Bray threw four touchdown passes without an interception as Tennessee (5-7, 1-7) defeated Kentucky (2-10, 0-8) to assure that the Volunteers wouldn’t go winless in SEC competition for the first time in school history.

Bray went 20 of 34 for 293 yards and threw touchdown passes to four receivers. He passed for 3,612 yards and 34 touchdowns this season, the secondhighest yearly total by any Tennessee quarterback in either category. Peyton Manning threw for 3,819 yards and 36 touchdowns in 1997.

NO. 9 TEXAS A&M 59, MISSOURI 29

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Johnny Manziel threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores as No. 9 Texas A&M beat Missouri. The Aggies (10-2, 6-2 SEC) scored touchdowns on their first six drives to build a 42-7 halftime lead and coast to their first 10-victory season since 1998. Missouri (5-7, 2-6) won’t make a bowl game in its first SEC season.

NO. 12 SOUTH CAROLINA 27, NO. 11 CLEMSON 17

CLEMSON, S.C. — Backup quarterback Dylan Thompson threw for three touchdowns, Jadeveon Clowney had 4 1/2 sacks and No. 12 South Carolina won its fourth consecutive over 11th-ranked Clemson as Gamecocks Coach Steve Spurrier became the school’s victories leader.

Thompson got the call for the Gamecocks (10-2) because starter Connor Shaw sprained his left foot last week against Wofford. The Gamecocks sophomore responded with touchdown passes of 13 and 6 yards to Bruce Ellington and 34 yards to Ace Sanders.

The Tigers (10-2) were grounded by Clowney, the Gamecocks’ star defensive end who set his school’s single-season record with 13 sacks.

Spurrier won his 65th game in eight seasons, surpassing Rex Enright for most victories by a South Carolina coach.

MISSISSIPPI 41,

MISSISSIPPI ST. 24

OXFORD, Miss. — Bo Wallace threw for 294 yards and five touchdowns, Donte Moncrief caught three touchdown passes and Mississippi (6-6, 3-5) pulled away in the second half to beat Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4).

Ole Miss won the Egg Bowl for the first time since 2008, breaking Mississippi State’s three-game winning streak in the series. The Rebels also earned bowl eligibility for the first time since 2009.

Mississippi State made a field goal late in the second quarter to tie the game at 17-17 going into halftime. But the Rebels reeled off 24 consecutive points in the second half to push past the Bulldogs.

FRIDAY’S GAME

LSU 20, Arkansas 13

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Georgia 42, Georgia Tech 10 Tennessee 37, Kentucky 17 Alabama 49, Auburn 0 Vanderbilt 55, Wake Forest 21 Florida 37, Florida State 26 Texas A&M 59, Missouri 29 Mississippi 41, Mississippi State 24 South Carolina 27, Clemson 17

Sports, Pages 33 on 11/25/2012

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