COLUMBIA, S.C. - Tim Tebow couldn’t have come up with a more satisfying way to wind up a chapter of his Southeastern Conference career, in front of a fellow Florida Heisman Trophy winner and a coach he respects. Today, Tebow and the No. 1 Gators face South Carolina and coach Steve Spurrier, a Florida alum, star player and national championship coach. It’s the last regular-season SEC contest for Florida’s current star passer and an opportunity for the Gators’ (7-0, 9-0) first perfect season in league play since Spurrier’s team did it in 1996.

When: 1 p.m. Radio: WXGI (950), 12:30 p.m.  Records: UR 8-1; Georgetown 0-9.
  Players to watch: UR—QB Eric Ward, Sr., became program’s all-time leading passer last week and now holds every major school QB record; RB Justin Forte, Jr., averaged 105.5 rushing yards over past six games. GU—QB Scott Darby, Soph., made first career start last week; WR Brandon Floyd, Fr., 4 catches for 110 yards last weekend.

When: Noon
  TV: The Comcast Network; Radio: WREJ (1540)
  Records: JMU 2-4, 4-5; Massachusetts 3-3, 5-4
  Players to watch: JMU—QB Justin Thorpe, 60-111 passing, 881 yards, 3 TDs, 6 int., 653 yards rushing; DE Arthur Moats, 72 tackles, 21 for loss, LB Pat Williams, 65 tackles; UMass—QB Kyle Havens, 136-244 passing, 1,820 yards, 9 TDs, 14 int., WR Victor Cruz, 46 catches, 702 yards, 5 TDs, LB Tyler Holmes, 87 tackles, 4 int.

Andrew Howard, a senior from Hermitage High, will continue as Richmond’s placekicker and has the team’s support, according to UR coach Mike London. Howard missed a 35-yard field goal with 5 seconds left in last Saturday’s 21-20 loss to Villanova. He is 2 for 6 on FG attempts of 30 or more yards, 5 for 5 from less than 30 yards. “He’s a veteran player. He’s got to get himself together,“ London said. “It’s a one-kick opportunity and he knows that. He’s got to perform when it’s his opportunity to do so.“

The team has a losing record, the coach is perceived as a lame duck, and the offense just can’t seem to score points. Is it the Washington Redskins or the Virginia Cavaliers? And perhaps more important, does it matter? It’s been a trying season for Cavs and Skins fans. Neither team figures to be slotted into a postseason game. The similarities don’t end there. The same problems fans watch on Saturday seem to haunt their Sundays as well.

Steel beams and concrete now complemented with brickwork, revealing a structure in harmony with architectural style of the campus.

After nine consecutive weeks at No. 1, the University of Richmond dropped to No. 4 in the Sports Network’s Football Championship Subdivision poll, released yesterday. The Spiders (8-1) last Saturday were beaten 21-20 by Villanova at UR Stadium. That ended Richmond’s 17-game winning streak. Moving up to No. 1 was Southern Illinois (8-1). Four of the top eight are from the Colonial Athletic Association: Villanova at No. 3, UR at No. 4, William and Mary at No. 5, and New Hampshire at No. 8.

*-Following this season, construction will begin that is planned to eventually increase capacity of stadium to 25,000.
**-Opening next season
  Note: Old Dominion begins CAA football competition in 2011. The Monarchs play at Foreman Field (cap. 19,782).

Viewers who stuck with Comcast SportsNet’s television coverage of the University of Richmond’s football game with Villanova until the end Saturday heard profanity and a crack about Spiders kicker Andrew Howard. With 5 seconds left in Villanova’s 21-20 win, Howard missed a 35-yard field goal attempt. As announcers Bob Picozzi and Scott Brunner described and recapped the play, the voice of a production assistant could clearly be heard.

BATON ROUGE, La.—LSU running back Charles Scott has a fractured collarbone and will miss the rest of the regular season. LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette announced the injury yesterday. Scott was injured in the second half of the Tigers’ 24-15 loss to Alabama on Saturday. IOWA CITY, Iowa—Talk about a tough day for the Hawkeyes.

HARRISONBURG - Justin Thorpe threw one touchdown pass and ran for another, helping James Madison score the game’s first 22 points en route to a 22-14 win over Maine yesterday. Thorpe was 9 for 13 with 133 yards and two interceptions for the Dukes ( 2-4 CAA, 4-5), and he added 83 yards rushing on 17 carries. The James Madison quarterback rushed for a 42-yard touchdown to put the Dukes up 9-0 midway through the second quarter after a getting a safety earlier in the frame. Dixon Wright kicked field goals of 23 and 38 yards to put the Dukes up 15-0 with 16 seconds before halftime.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns and ran for another, and N.C. State snapped a four-game losing streak by holding off Maryland 38-31 yesterday in a matchup of the ACC Atlantic Division’s worst teams. Wilson was 25-for-38 for 343 yards and the Wolfpack (1-4, 4-5) made just enough plays to secure their second win against a Bowl Subdivision opponent. The teams combined for 752 total yards.

BRIDGEWATER—Austin Faulkner rushed for two touchdowns, and Drake Sanders had 24 carries for 155 yards as Randolph-Macon (4-1 ODAC, 6-3) outlasted Bridgewater, 33-23. Christian Stahl recorded a game-high 12 tackles for the Yellow Jackets, and Joe Pricone added 10. Bridgewater’s Chris Wholey led the defense with eight tackles, and Tyler Beiler snagged four catches for 123 yards and a touchdown for Eagles (3-2, 6-3).

For championship contenders, goals set in summer sun come into focus when the leaves fall. The University of Richmond and Villanova meet today in a Colonial Athletic Association game that will have a major bearing on the league title and, probably, location of postseason games for both teams. “It’s the pink elephant that’s in the room. You’ve got to acknowledge it,“ UR coach Mike London said of the game’s implications.

When: 3:30 p.m.  On the air: TV—CSN; radio—WXGI (950), WLFV (93.1), 3
  Tickets: $22, $10 for youths.
  Records: Richmond 6-0 CAA, 8-0; Villanova 4-1, 7-1
  Players to watch: Richmond—QB Eric Ward, Sr., needs 34 yards to become program’s all-time leading passer; DT Martin Parker, Jr., 12.5 tackles for losses. Villanova—WR/KR Matt Szczur, Jr., leads CAA in all-purpose yards (133.6 ypg); LB Osayi Osunde, Sr., 2008 all-CAA first team.