LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell couldn't have written a better script on Saturday, throwing the game-winning TD pass in overtime to beat No. 3 and unbeaten Alabama, 16-13. "I got my whole family up here," said Russell, a sophomore from Mobile, Ala., who has several relatives up the road in Birmingham. "Who knows what we would do?" Russell took over the game in the second half, completing 11-of-20 for 158 yards and the winning touchdown. "People say I can't play in a hostile environment," Russell said. "It feels great to come in and win like that in a place like this."... Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom said he still believes in his West Coast offense, which can't seem to find the end zone. "Our system isn't ever changing," Croom said. "The people who have questions about the system, don't even bring it up to me. We're very conservative, far more than I'd like to be. But when we get some big-play receivers in here, we'll air it out." Question: What year will that be? In the last 23 seasons, State has had just two receivers selected first-team All-SEC -- Danny Knight in 1982 and Eric Moulds in 1995.

Iron Bowl ahead

Alabama has no time to mope about the LSU loss since it has its annual Iron Bowl battle on Saturday against Auburn. Alabama's seniors have never beaten Auburn, and neither has third-year 'Bama coach Mike Shula. And Shula hasn't beaten Auburn since his hiring in the spring of 2003. "The thing I want to talk to our guys about is finishing on a high note," Shula said, "and finding a way to get our 10th win. it's our big rival game. and you don't know what else is going to happen out there in the sec."... This is how close the Auburn-Georgia rivalry has been over the years. After Auburn's 31-30 win over the Bulldogs on Saturday in the 109th meeting between the teams, Auburn's all-time scoring advantage over Georgia is a mere two points -- 1,650 to 1,648. The victory helped Auburn placekicker John Vaughn, who kicked the game-winning field goal, take some of the sting of missing five field goals at LSU in overtime on Oct. 22. "It has been a month since we played LSU and he hasn't had a night when he hasn't woke up and thought about it," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said of Vaughn. "That will never go away, but he always will have this night."

Mini-Matt

Casey Dick, Arkansas' freshman starting quarterback, is already being mentioned in the same breath as former Hogs' QB Matt Jones. Dick threw for three touchdowns in the last 18:33 to beat Ole Miss, 28-17, on Saturday. "Casey reminded me a little of Matt (Jones) the way he was running around and making plays back there," said Arkansas redshirt freshman center Jonathan Luigs. "You couldn't ask for more out of a quarterback than what Casey did for us." When Ole Miss crowded the line to stop Arkansas' SEC leading rushing attack, Dick completed his final 12 passes for 154 yards. The secret was short, quick throws. "In this league, you're going to get hit, and you've got to hang in there and throw it and make some plays," coach Houston Nutt said. "Casey was getting hit, but he had just enough time to get rid of it."