Saban's warning to Tide fell on deaf ears

A $4 million coach can only do so much.

All last week, Alabama coach Nick Saban stressed the threat of an upset against Louisiana-Monroe.

"I hit the gamut of everything you could talk about relative to respecting your opponent," Saban told the Birmingham News.

But it had no effect. The Tide and its high-paid coach were upset by Louisiana-Monroe 21-14.

It was the final home game for a senior class which will rank as one of the least distinguished in Alabama history.

Consider what Alabama's fifth-year seniors have gone through. In 2003, they lost nine games. Last year, their coach, Mike Shula, was fired. And none of them has ever won a game against in-state rival Auburn or played in an SEC championship game.

The seniors will have one more chance against Auburn on Saturday.

Glad Tidings: The Tide received some good news after Saturday's game. Five players, who had been suspended for four games, were reinstated by the NCAA.

Offensive guards Marlon Davis and Antoine Caldwell, running back Glen Coffee, and special-teams players Marquis Johnson and Chris Davis will be able to play against Auburn. They were suspended before the Tennessee game for violating the textbook-distribution policy.

Batter Up: Arkansas players were spotted carrying small baseball bats before their 45-31 victory over Mississippi State. That was a motivational ploy by coach Houston Nutt, who said he didn't think his team "brought the wood" the previous Saturday against Tennessee.

"So, I got everybody a baseball bat," Nutt told reporters after the Mississippi State game. "And I said, 'Don't walk out of this room unless you're going to bring the wood.' And I think these guys brought the wood."

Breakout Game: Mississippi State wide receiver Jamayel Smith had 10 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas. The 208 receiving yards were the most by a Mississippi State player since 1982.

"I was just talking to (Smith) in the locker room," Mississippi State freshman quarterback Wes Carroll told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. "Whenever we're on the same page, it's tough to defend that.

"It's just like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. When they're on the same page, you can't cover them."

Rowdy Rebel: The return of Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy worked wonders for the team's pass rush in a 41-24 loss to LSU. Hardy, who missed two games for violating teams rules, sacked LSU quarterback Matt Flynn twice.

Despite missing two games, Hardy is having an All-SEC-caliber season. He leads the conference with 10 sacks and is tied for the lead in forced fumbles with three.

Hurting Gators: Florida played without wide receiver Percy Harvin, who was hospitalized last week with a sinus infection and migraine headaches. The Gators also were without starting offensive guard Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) against Florida Atlantic.

Harvin is expected to return to practice today as Florida begins preparing for Saturday's game against Florida State.

More Gators were injured in their 59-20 victory. The list included defensive tackle Mike Pouncey (hyper-extended knee), cornerback Joe Haden (ankle sprain), and defensive end Lawrence Marsh (foot).

Latest Gator: Florida coach Urban Meyer continues to have success in getting recruits to enroll early. Earl Okine, a defensive end from Gainesville, is Meyer's latest coup.

Okine, the first verbal commitment in Florida's 2008 recruiting class, told the Gainesville Sun he will graduate from high school early and enroll for the spring semester at Florida.

Okine is 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, and is credited with a 4.8-second time for 40 yards.

Extra Points: Ole Miss rushed for 201 yards against an LSU defense that had been allowing only 66 yards rushing per game. … LSU placekicker Colt David kicked 48- and 43-yard field goals against Ole Miss to break the school's single-season scoring record with 122 points. … Florida star punt and kick returner Brandon James was held out of Saturday's game because he failed "to adhere to team policy," according to Meyer.

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