THE BIG STORY

You could say South Carolina linebacker Dustin Lindsey is anxious to play at Georgia on Saturday.

The Gamecocks’ third-leading tackler in 2005, Lindsey failed out of school days after the Independence Bowl and sat out the ‘06 season. He returned last spring, only to tear the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the spring game. Now Lindsey is back, cleared to play in Saturday’s game.

“I’m already on starting kickoff team. I hope we kick off (the) first kick of the game, so we can go down there and blow somebody up,” Lindsey told The State newspaper in Columbia. “I’m ready to get out there and give it all I can. . .I’m ready to whip some Georgia butt.”

Carolina coach Steve Spurrier wasn’t happy when he hurt Lindsey’s “whip some Georgia butt” remark.

“I told him that it was him who did all the talking, so we’ll see if he can live up to it,” Spurrier said of Lindsey. “The guy hadn’t played in over a year and a half. I want those Bulldog people to know that he’s not our spokesperson.”

Lindsey has endured his own turmoil at USC, with two arrests sandwiched around his academic problems. Lindsey was charged with DUI in his hometown of Mobile, Ala., in the spring of 2005, although the charge was reduced to speeding. A year later he was arrested following a bar fight in Five Points when he was living in Columbia as a non-student. Lindsey re-enrolled at USC last fall and spent the season as a walk-on on the scout team. He was named USC’s most improved inside linebacker before he blew out his ACL in the spring game.

A look at the league:

ALABAMA

Look for Alabama to show more of its offense in Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt. Alabaa was able to stay basic in the opener against Western Carolina. “I think it’s going to be a little bit more difficult to get that same level of (offensive) execution in this game,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “We may have to do a few more things to try to get that level of execution.”

ARKANSAS

Arkansas’ last practice in an open date week on Thursday was lousy. “I thought our mindset was just horrible. . .that’s not how you practice,” Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. “There is only one way you practice and if you practice with a purpose to get better. I was hoping we’d have enough leadership right there and enough maturity to say, ‘You know what? We’re going to go so hard for 12 periods. Coach Nutt has kind of rewarded us right here, we’re going to go so hard.”. . .Arkansas’ coaches have used this week to improve its passing game and secondary.

AUBURN

Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox is back in an upright and locked position after being hammered in Saturday’s opening win over Kansas State. “He’s going to take a few more beatings during the year,” Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. “He’s taken them for the last few years. He’s pretty good at bouncing back.” . . .True freshman kicker Wesley Byrum (ankle) participated at full speed in Thursday’s practice, and is likely to play Saturday against South Florida. Also probable are linebacker Tray Blackmon (ankle), cornerback Jonathan Wilhite (hamstring) and safety Aairon Savage (ankle).

FLORIDA

Senior tackle Phil Trautwein, who missed the opener and could be lost for the season with a fractured right foot, should be eligible for a medical red shirt. That said, Florida coach Urban Meyer said he will not redshirt him or any other player if he doesn’t have to. “We don’t just say ‘We’re going to redshirt this guy’ because that’s not fair to him,” Meyer said. “The minute you say that to a player you don’t quite work as hard (on) academics as he should and then he works out on the football field. We don’t redshirt guys now. We may be down the road.”. . .Redshirt sophomore safety Dorian Munroe will start at the slot corner position at the nickel formation on defense against Troy on Saturday. . .Clint McMillan and Javier Estopinan will start at the defensive tackle spots, but Meyer said freshman Torrey Davis will see more playing time and is competing for one of the starting tackle positions.

GEORGIA

Freshman tailback Caleb King has been getting work with the first and second team offense. “We’re not going to be in a rush to play him right now, but I’m not counting it out,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said.. . .Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is giving quarterback Matthew Stafford more leeway to make checks to change plays at the line of scrimmage this season, and Stafford looked smooth doing it in the opening win over Oklahoma State. “He did a nice job checking,” Richt said. “It’s tough for me to see from the sideline, but I could hear Mike speaking out loud when we got a check-with-me-at-the line. They’re describing the front and where he should go, and that’s where he went.”

KENTUCKY

Junior free safety Marcus McClinton will not play Saturday against Kent State because of a sprained ankle. Sophomore Calvin Harrison will start in McClinton’s absence with sophomore strong safety Ashton Cobb also available. Junior Braxton Kelley will start in place of Micah Johnson at middle linebacker. Johnson bruised a shoulder in practice this week. He’ll be available for the game, but Brooks would like to limit his snaps. . . Placekicker Lones Seiber is in a slump. In the season opener against Eastern Kentucky, he missed a 40-yard field-goal attempt and two extra points. UK coach Rich Brooks might pull the plug on Seiber, but his other options — J.J. Housley or true freshman Ryan Tydlacka — haven’t been great in practice.

LSU

Senior Jacob Hester may not be the fastest running back in the SEC. But LSU coach Les Miles loves him. “He’s a very bright, very talented, very tough, headsy, moxied player,” Miles said. “He makes most of the right calls and cuts. He has the unusual talent to transition from tailback to fullback to receiver very, very quickly.” In last week’s season opening win against Mississippi State, Hester led LSU in rushing with 68 yards on 14 carries. On five consecutive plays in LSU’s first touchdown drive, Hester rushed three times for 17 yards, then blocked on tailback Keiland Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run. On LSU’s second touchdown drive over three straight plays, Hester caught a 10-yard pass for a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line, then blocked for Williams on a 2-yard gain and on a 1-yard touchdown run.

OLE MISS

Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron thinks his team is physically better prepared to handle Missouri on Saturday, than the Rebels were last year when they lost 34-7 to the Tigers. “They handled us last year and we were not prepared,” Orgeron told the Jackson Clarion Ledger. “There’s no doubt we’re better. I think we have more talent along the offensive and defensive lines. It wasn’t a good feeling (last season). I don’t think we’re going to let that happen again.”

MISS. STATE

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger reported that Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton said he told Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson on Wednesday that he wants to discuss at some point this weekend adding a 2008 game to a four-year contract that the two schools already have. State plays at Tulane on Saturday. It’s an odd contract, what with the first of the four games scheduled for Saturday in New Orleans, but the final three aren’t until 2011 (Starkville), 2012 (New Orleans) and 2013 (Starkville). Templeton’s greater concern is finding a 2008 opponent. Home games with Central Michigan and Southeastern Louisiana are already set, as is a road trip to Georgia Tech. Since Southeastern Louisiana is a Football Championship Subdivision team, Templeton is only interested in a Football Bowl Subdvision foe for a home-and-home. “There’s some options out there,” Templeton said. “They’re either some really strong ones or some dates that won’t work.”

SOUTH CAROLINA

Strong safety Emanuel Cook, less than two weeks after an appendectomy, will play Saturday at No. 11 Georgia if USC’s medical staff clears him, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said. Cook, a sophomore who was USC’s third-leading tackler in 2006, practiced for the first time Thursday after getting limited work earlier in the week. Spurrier said Cook would make the trip to Athens and could be a game-time decision. Secondary coach Ron Cooper said Cook would have a limited role if he plays Saturday.Nathan Pepper, a starter at defensive tackle last season, will replace Travian Robertson at defensive end when Georgia is in running situations, with freshman Ladi Ajiboye taking Pepper’s spot at tackle. Robertson will be used as a pass-rusher. . .Sophomore strong safety Darian Stewart is set to make his first career start against the Bulldogs.

TENNESSEE

Punter Britton Colquitt (quadriceps) will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s home opener vs. Southern Mississippi. “Britton, I think, will be available,” Vols’ coach Phillip Fulmer said. “Just like last week, we really don’t know up until game time, but I believe he’ll be able to punt.” Backup punter Chad Cunningham will be the first to kick off Saturday, but placekicker Daniel Lincoln will also kick off. Walk-on kicker Devin Mathis will dress out Saturday, giving the Vols four kickers on the sideline. . .Tennessee defensive end Xavier Mitchell has responded well since returning to contact Wednesday and could play in Saturday. Mitchell sustained a concussion after colliding with teammate Eric Berry late in the Vols’ 45-31 loss at No. 10 California last week. True freshman defensive end Ben Martin (knee) will not play against Southern Miss, but is expected to return to practice on Monday in preparation for next week’s trip to defending SEC champion Florida.

VANDERBILT

Two Commodores starters, safety Reshard Langford (bruised ribs) and defensive tackle Theo Horrocks (foot) are likely to play in Saturday’s game against Alabama despite minor injuries suffered against Richmond. Linebacker Patrick Benoist (foot), offensive lineman Bradley Vierling (knee) and tight end Brandon Barden (ankle) are out. . .Vanderbilt quarterback Chris Nickson and his cousin, Alabama tight end Nick Walker starred on the Pike County High football team that won the Class 3A state championship in 2003, with Nickson accounting for a state record 67 touchdowns while Walker caught 67 balls for 1,028 yards and 15 touchdowns.