Both Alabama and LSU had health-related scares concerning starting quarterbacks in blowout non-conference wins over the weekend. Alabama QB Brodie Croyle got leveled on a clean blindside hit by Utah State cornerback Jarrett Bush. Croyle, who has had two season-ending knee injuries during his college and high school careers, suffered a cut throwing elbow and numbness in his throwing arm. "I was more frustrated we didn't pick up the blitz," Croyle said. "We hadn't picked it up all day. When people see that, they're going to start doing the same thing." At LSU, LSU QB JaMarcus Russell injured a wrist when North Texas defensive end Jeremiah Chapman hit Russell late and was flagged for a roughing the passer in the third quarter. Upset Tiger offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth got in Chapman's face. "I told him that if JaMarcus didn't get up, I was going to have issues with him," Whitworth said.

Remember November

Arkansas may be down with a 2-5 record, but Novembers have always been good to Hogs' coach Houston Nutt. Arkansas is 20-10 in November under Nutt, but has won 16 of its past 20 games during the season's final month. The Hogs won their final two games in 2000 to become bowl eligible, but they'll have to beat South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and LSU in the next four weeks to pull off that trick this season. Nutt has had at least one four-game win streak in three of his last four seasons. ... Auburn running back Kenny Irons has averaged more than 30 carries in the Tigers' last three games. His workload may not slack off Saturday at Kentucky, since two of Auburn's four prime ballcarriers will miss the game with injuries. Redshirt freshman Brad Lester injured his groin Oct. 15 at Arkansas. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said Irons is a better back when Lester is healthy. "Kenny needs Brad back," Tuberville said. "Kenny has obviously taken advantage of the situation with Brad out. He made the most of it. They both will be better when Brad gets back."

Gloom and Groom

Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom was so upset by his team's 13-7 loss at Kentucky on Saturday that he questioned if winning was important to the Bulldogs. Croom's frustration was aimed at State's focus, which seems to wane. "I was concerned with us not executing fundamentals we'd been working on for two seasons," Croom said. "There are no days off, no plays off." ... Hopefully, something good will happen the rest of the season for Ole Miss senior running back Brandon Jacobs. He has been in the hospital twice, once for a stomach problem and once for a spider bite infection. He's also had to handle Hurricane Katrina damaging his family home in Long Beach, which caused his displaced family to move into his Oxford apartment.