If you judged the SEC on quarterbacks alone, the East and West rarely have been so far apart. The Pac-10 and Big Ten have more in common when it comes to quarterbacks.

The disparity was magnified last weekend when Alabama lost quarterback Brodie Croyle to a season-ending knee injury.

Look to the SEC East and you will see David Greene at Georgia, Chris Leak at Florida and Jay Cutler at Vanderbilt. Look to the East and you will see that the University of Tennessee has two quarterbacks -- Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer -- better than almost any quarterback in the West.

Arkansas' Matt Jones, who leads the SEC with 300.3 yards per game in total offense, is the best quarterback in the West. Auburn's Jason Campbell is second. That's the same Jason Campbell who has been regarded as the weakness of the Auburn offense ever since he started his first game.

LSU still can't make up its mind on a quarterback. Ole Miss started with Micheal Spurlock, then switched to Ethan Flatt.

Thanks to Jones, Arkansas leads the SEC in passing. The next four best passing teams are all from the East, and the fifth is Alabama, which just lost its starting quarterback.

From Zero To 51: After being shut out in the season opener against Louisville, Kentucky's offense looked hopeless. One game later, it looked unstoppable.

Quarterback Shane Boyd, who was ineffective against Louisville, completed 21 of 30 passes for 205 yards and rushed for 130 yards against Indiana. That's just the kind of production second-year Kentucky coach Rich Brooks was looking for when he hired former Kansas State offensive coordinator Ron Hudson before last season.

Hudson's offense, which requires a mobile quarterback, was poorly suited for former Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen. Although Boyd can't pass as well as Lorenzen, he's a running threat and can run the option.

Freshman running back Tony Dixon also played a key role in Kentucky's improvement. He carried nine times for 105 yards against Indiana.

"I told them if they give me the ball 15 times, they'd get 100 yards," Dixon told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "Well, I didn't even get it 15 times, but they still got 100 yards."

Dixon (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) was an all-state running back for Class A Parrish High School in Alabama. He rushed for 2,298 yards and 36 touchdowns his senior year and had 531 yards and eight touchdowns in one game.

Freshman firepower: The most startling early-season statistic in the SEC is Arkansas' 44-point-per-game scoring average. The Hogs have accomplished that despite having to replace 10 starters on offense.

Freshmen have contributed significantly to their success. Peyton Tillis, the prize recruit of the class, has scored four touchdowns while playing both fullback and tailback; Marcus Monk, a 6-6 wide receiver who made all-state in football and basketball, has caught three touchdown passes.

"These guys are extraordinary," Arkansas coach Houston Nutt told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "They're physically and mentally tough."

A revamped offensive line also has figured in Arkansas' efficiency. The Razorbacks haven't allowed a sack in three games.

Beware Of Bama Backup: Forgive the Arkansas Razorbacks if they don't get too excited over facing an Alabama backup quarterback Saturday.

Two years ago, Alabama quarterback Tyler Watts was injured against Southern Mississippi and unable to play the following week against Arkansas. Croyle, making his first college start, passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns as the Tide beat Arkansas in Fayetteville, 30-12.

Following Croyle's injury last week, Marc Guillon will make his first college start Saturday in Fayetteville.

Costly Loss: Nobody is better than Vanderbilt at taking losses in stride. It has averaged nine losses per season for the last four years and hasn't had a winning season in 22 years.

But Saturday's loss to Ole Miss was difficult even for Vanderbilt.

The Commodores blew a lead. They lost in overtime. And they lost two of their best players to injuries.

Neither offensive tackle Justin Geisinger (sprained left knee) nor wide receiver Erik Davis (dislocated toe) is expected to play this week against Navy.

Extra Points: Georgia freshman tailback Danny Ware, whose left lung was bruised against South Carolina, is expected to be ready for the LSU game Oct. 2. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry in the first two games but didn't play against Marshall on Saturday. ... Georgia defensive tackle Kedric Golston (hip) and tailback Michael Cooper (bruised thigh and shoulder) also are expected to be ready for LSU. ... Redshirt freshman nose guard Josh Thompson, who had four tackles against LSU and two tackles for losses against Mississippi State, has bolstered an Auburn defensive line that lost three starters.

John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.