SEC Football Fans: Announcing SEC Sports Report, One Site for All 12 SEC Schools

New SEC Sports Web Site Launches Just in Time for Season Kick-Off

www.secsportsreport.com features breaking news, human-interest stories and links to major sports sites


ATLANTA, GA--August 30, 2007 - SEC sports fans no longer have to search all over the Internet for the latest information on their SEC team or to learn what the other SEC teams are doing. With the official launch today of www.secsportsreport.com, fans now have one source for up-to-the minute SEC sports news.

"We created this site because as SEC fans, we had to hunt through the clutter of the sports mega sites or jump from one SEC school site to another trying to find pure, timely SEC sports information," said Jay Holgate, editor of SEC Sports Report, an online sports news service based in metro Atlanta.

"With our SEC Sports Report web site, we have changed all that," Holgate said. "Now SEC fans have a central site that consolidates information on SEC football, men’s basketball and baseball programs."

SEC Sports Report covers breaking news, offers informative, positive features and serves as a highly targeted combination of the best stories of ESPN, SEC Sports and eighty five other local and school specific sports news sites.

"The demand for SEC sports news is huge," Holgate said. "Alabama fans want to know what Auburn is doing, if Tennessee is making big promises, and who the big threats are at rivals, LSU, Arkansas and Georgia."

"This is the type of information people will find on our site because our reporters research and cover all the latest SEC major sports’ news as well as report on coaches, star players, team rankings, quotes and activities of each SEC school," he added.

Another important factor about SEC Sports Report is that the site focuses on positive competition. "Our management team instructed our reporters to stay away from rumors and negative sports blogger stories about coaches and players, and we told our sales staff not to accept an inappropriate, negative advertising," said Holgate.

"Our goal is to be ultimate authority on SEC sports, the one that the tailgating, bragging-rites crowd quote when they talk SEC sports," he said. "To do this, we will report the news in a refreshing way as well as analyze and evaluate team leadership, management, culture, winning systems."


For more information on the SEC Sports Report, contact Jay Holgate, editor@secsportsreport.com or visit http://www.secsportsreport.com/

Houston Nutt Handling Pressure, Politics in Arkansas

by Jay Holgate
SEC Sports Report

ATLANTA, GA-- Nobody has more pressure than Houston Nutt of the Arkansas Razorbacks. When you are at the top, there is always more pressure. Houston is getting a ton of criticism from Arkansas fans. But let's keep this in perspective. Houston Nutt was last year's SEC Coach of the Year as voted on by his SEC coach peers. Houston Nutt led Arkansas to be the SEC West champions in a tough conference. Arkansas won 10 games in 2006. All four teams that Arkansas lost to were in the Top 5 in the final Coaches Poll (USC, LSU, Wisconsin, Florida).

The Story Line-So why is Coach Nutt under so much pressure? The fan pressure started in 2005 after a second losing season and no bowl game. Reportedly, there was a meeting with Athletic Director Frank Broyles that ended in replacing the offensive coordinator as part of a deal to keep Houston Nutt's job as head coach. Winning high school coach Gus Malzahn was brought in as offensive coordinator and he brought two stars with him. Enter star recruits Mitch Mustain as quarterback and Damien Williams as wide receiver. Mitch Mustain was one of the highest recruited quarterbacks in the country; so when he chose the Razorbacks, expectations went way up.

The Opportunity Came Early-Mitch Mustain became the starting quarterback for the second game of the season after the razorbacks were blown out by USC 50-14 at home in Fayetteville. Mustain had an 8 game winning streak going when he threw an interception early in the South Carolina game. The coach changed quarterbacks and Casey Dick led the Razorbacks to a 26-20 win over the Gamecocks.

Tipping Point-- A healthy Casey Dick would now get the starting job as quarterback. Arkansas proceeded to win over highly ranked #13 Tennessee. The winds had changed in Arkansas with the quarterback situation. The head coach went with Casey Dick. Mustain didn't like sitting on the bench. A lot of the fans wanted Mustain playing quarterback.

Momentum Begins to Change--The Hogs lost their final game of the season to LSU 31-26. The Hogs next played the Florida Gators for the SEC championship and lost 38-28 with two plays removed, possibly changing the outcome of the game. Arkansas then proceeded to play Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day and lost again.

The House Starts to Crumble-- At the conclusion of the season, offensive coordinator Malzahn resigns and takes a similar position at the University of Tulsa. Malzahn's departure raised a lot of flags because the offense had been revived in 2006. Arkansas fans feared Houston Nutt would return to his preference of calling his own plays, again. Soon after, Malzahn's two star players decide to transfer to Southern California. Mustain left with a lot of fanfare and media attention.The events that followed from lawsuits to public accusations were detrimental to the Arkansas program. All the negative media attention was just a distraction and an unneccessary sideshow to embarass Coach Nutt.

Breaking it Down-- Arkansas fans are divided about Houston Nutt. Even though Coach Nutt was voted by his peers as the 2006 SEC Coach of the Year. And SEC Coach of the Year is a big honor with the kind of company Nutt is competing with week in and out in the SEC. Coach Nutt has recruited Darren McFadden who is a favorite for the Heisman Trophy. Nutt has six returners on offense and only four on defense, but the SEC coaches chose 12 Razorbacks as All-SEC players which leads the conference.

Unfortunately, in the spring game only 2000 fans showed to support the team. A divided fan base is a killer to programs, coaches and teams, regardless of the super talent. It doesn't send the best message to the players or recruits that Arkansas is a great place to play football. Lot of talent, lot of controversy. With so many off the field theatrics, most pre-season polls put Arkansas at #3 or #4 in the West. Anything can happen. I wouldn't count Arkansas out of the championship game just yet. Last time Arkansas was counted out, they won the SEC West.

Jay Holgate is an analyst and sports writer for http://www.secsportsreport.com Just SEC Sports!

SEC Media Days....DAY ONE

by Jay Holgate
SEC Sports Report


ATLANTA, GA-- The 2007 SEC football season is near. In Birmingham, Alabama at the Wynfrey Hotel, there are 12 Super Coaches and 800 registered football folks waiting to hear what the head coaches are going to say about football in 2007.

SEC Coaches Highlights- Only 1 new coach to the group, and he isn't all that new. It's Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The former LSU national champion is now wearing crimson.

Big Picture--As we approach the season, no coach is on the hot seat. That's not to say that somebody won't get fired at the end of the season. But as we approach 2007, it is a general consensus that all of the current coaches are doing a good job or building a program for a positive future. But the reality is somebody has to place 4th, 5th and 6th it makes for a long season when it's your team.

Let's break it down by the interview schedule in place by the SEC.

Day One:

Arkansas Razorbacks- Coach Houston Nutt was the 2006 SEC Coach of the Year as voted on by his SEC coaching peers. Arkansas was the SEC west champs in 06. The Razorbacks had a 10-2 regular season, lost to Florida for the SEC championship, and lost the bowl game to Wisconsin. Could have been better season but overall a great year for Arkansas in such a tough conference. In 07, Arkansas returns Heisman trophy candidate Darren McFadden and a total of 12 All-SEC players. Lot of talent, lot of controversy. With so many off the field theatrics, most pre-season polls put Arkansas at #3 or #4 in the West.

South Carolina Gamecocks-- Coach Steve Spurrier is in his 3rd year of building a program. The Gamecocks were 3rd in the East in 05 but moved down to 5th in the East after losing every SEC home game. The home schedule included Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas. The positives for the season included finishing strong including a bowl win and beating in-state rival Clemson. Spurrier has high hopes for 07 and has said his team could compete for the SEC east championship. The Gamecocks are returning a lot of starters and the defense has been beefed up with some playmakers. Most polls have the Gamecocks finishing at #4 but Phil Steele thinks they could win the East. It's Spurrier. Anything can happen.

Auburn Tigers--Tommy Tuberville begins his 9th season with Auburn. Auburn has lost only three SEC games in the last three years. In 2006, Auburn had a great season except for two games, Arkansas and Georgia. The Auburn-LSU game was one of the hardest hitting games in college football history with Auburn winning 7-3. Auburn was the only team to beat national champion Florida Gators by a score of 27-17 in Auburn. Tuberville beating Alabama five times in a row weighed in on Mike Shula's losing his job. In 07, Brandon Cox returns as a senior quarterback and offensive coordinator Al Borges has said they will open up the offense this year. Most polls pick Auburn at the #2 spot in the SEC West.

Kentucky Wildcats--Rich Brooks is in his 5th year with the Wildcats. His 2006 record was 8-5 placing Kentucky in the #3 spot in the SEC East. Two big games included Kentucky beating Georgia in Lexington and beating Clemson in the Music City Bowl. Kentucky finished the season at 4-4 in the SEC, winning 3 of 4 home games. In 2007, Andre Woodson is the highest rated quarterback in the SEC. Kentucky has seven returning starters on offense including all star running back Rafael Little and wide receiver Keenan Burton. The defense has eight returning starters including the top five tacklers. As always, Kentucky has a brutal schedule including LSU, Florida and Tennessee at home. Most polls have Kentucky finishing in the 5th position in the east. With all the returning skill players, don't be surprised when Kentucky has some upsets in 07.

Jay Holgate is an analyst and sports writer for http://www.secsportsreport.com
Just SEC Sports!

Nick Saban Brings New Life to Bama Football.....sec sports report

by Jay Holgate
SEC Sports Report


Atlanta, GA-- This week we travel down the road to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Average attendance for football games is 92,138 which is #7 largest college attendance in the country. When people think of Alabama, they think football.

From Glory to Gory. In 2005, Head Coach Mike Shula had taken Alabama to 9 straight wins and a #4 ranking in the polls. Then Bama lost to LSU in ovetime and to Auburn 18-28. In 2006, Alabama went 2-6 in the SEC and 6-6 overall. The ending for Mike Shula came with a fourth loss to in-state rival Auburn. Final score Alabama 15-Auburn 22. Losing to Auburn four times in a row was not acceptable even if Auburn was a top 5 team. Things had to change in Tuscaloosa.

There is a New Sheriff in Town. When Nick Saban came to town, he had one job. Win football games. Alabama had suffered through unacceptable defeats way too long. The Crimson Tide alumni told the athletic director to get a GREAT. Don't get an up and comer, an ex-quarterback or a good coach. We want a great coach and we will pay for it. Nick Saban became the highest paid football coach in college history when he signed a $32 million dollar, 8 year contract at Alabama.

Clear the Streets. We Need to Take Care of Business. Early on, Nick Saban made it clear he was the boss. Whenever there is a military takeover, first thing to get control of is the communication. Saban had gotten burned by the national media for saying he would not be the next coach at Alabama and then taking the job. In Saban's defense, he was trying to be loyal to his current employer. Then circumstances changed and he re-considered. No man in the entire country is exempt from making this same mistake given the pressure, the reality of the NFL and Saban's success in college coaching. If you were in his shoes, you could have done the same thing.

Shut Down the Communication. Saban is a military man at heart and he closed the practices and kicked the media out of practices so quick, it made people question who he thought he was. Saban apparently stood up a big time sports reporter who had flown in for an interview, and it shook the sports world. Nobody would do such a thing. Nick Saban would. Saban's next move was to dictate in his contract minimal public appearances. He made it clear that his job was to coach and win and to do that successfully. His time had to be purposeful in recruiting, building a team and breaking down film.

We Need to Deputize Some Men. Nick Saban wasted no time getting his head coordinators. For offense, Saban picked a man he barely knew in Major Applewhite, the 28 year old offensive genius. On defense, Saban got Florida State's Kevin Steele. Saban's offensive coordinator at LSU was Jimbo Fisher. Fisher had already moved to Florida State to be the offensive coordinator but the two friends will meet again when the Crimson Tide travels to Florida State on September 29th. The biggest games this year include LSU at home on November 3 and playing at Auburn November 24.

Fighting at Home on our Turf. Saban proved himself a street fighter to the Crimson Tide faithful. For the spring game, there wasn't an empty seat in Bryant-Denny stadium. Nobody fills up a stadium for a spring game. Nick Saban did. Somebody needed to shake things up in Tuscaloosa, and Nick Saban seemed like he did it. Alabama would need every possible advantage competing in the toughest confererence in football. Some things would work in Bama's favor. Everybody plays better at home. And Alabama plays their toughest SEC games at home this year. Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and LSU all have to endure 93,000 screaming Bama fans. These are four tough teams; but if you have to play them, it might as well be in front of a crowd that favors your team.

How Bama Wins in 07. We like Alabama in 07. First and foremost, they have a strong leader in Nick Saban. Winning organizations always have great leaders. Saban is focused, determined, and confident he will win. That always is a good starting point for picking winners. The Tide returns 9 starters on offense and 5 on defense. John Parker Wilson is a junior and a strong quarterback. The schedule is favorable with the toughest games at home. Preseason polls even have Auburn ranked much lower than previous years which makes beating Auburn possible. Anything is possible on Saturdays in the SEC. Roll Tide!



Jay Holgate is an analyst and writer for http://www.secsportsreport.com/ Just SEC Sports! Visit our site for more SEC sports stories. For comments on this article, email to editor@secsportsreport.com

In the SEC: The Gamecocks and Steve Spurrier are the Wild Card....

By Jay Holgate
SEC Sports Report

ATLANTA, GA-- For 2007, The SEC East is full of football talent and home to at least three Top 10 teams. The Florida gators, Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers have winning programs year in and year out. 2007 will be no different. With highly touted quarterbacks Tebow, Stafford and Ainge, the SEC East top three will be hard to beat. Every pre-season poll in the country has a different leader in the SEC East, but one thing is consistent. For the top spot, it's either Florida, Georgia or Tennessee.

And then there is South Carolina. Just under the radar are the Gamecocks. A half a step above Kentucky and Vandy but always under the big three. In 2006, if you take away a couple of plays, you have a young college football team that almost beat Florida (tipped extra point), Tennessee (dropped interception in end zone), Auburn (onside kick) and Arkansas (dropped pass) . It's true, whether the fans are willing to admit it, makes no difference. The 2006 Gamecocks defense couldn't stop a 3rd and 15 in the fourth quarter against a tough SEC foe, if their life depended on it. The offensive line looked like a rubix cube for most of the season, searching for a winning combination. The 2006 team was good but in the end, a team of missed opportunities including dropped touchdown passes, interceptions and an inexperienced defense that gave up too many big plays.

Keep the spot light, out of my eyes. Then, there is South Georgia high school graduate and quarterback Blake Mitchell. A typical street fighter. When Blake is the clear cut, first team quarterback, he gets distracted and just doesn't play that great. As the starter for the Gamecocks, Blake had difficulty getting his rhythm and drove his coach crazy. But when Blake Mitchell has been benched, humbled and has to prove his worth, Mitchell throws with near pin point accuracy. By the end of the season, Mitchell had his Gamecocks in position to win some big games. With a little more help, the Gamecocks almost pulled off some huge upsets.

And we have a Wild Card, Steve Spurrier. Nobody wants to play against him. Even when the big three had superior athletes, not one of the coaches wanted to see Spurrier across the field. In two years, with lesser talent, Spurrier has already beaten Tennessee and Florida once, nearly twice. Mark Richt has had the advantage of superior players but the gap is closing with Spurrier turning in a top 5 recruiting class and getting a handful from the state of Georgia. One thing that has been proven. With Steve Spurrier calling the plays, the Gamecocks will always have a chance to win.

Too Many What-Ifs for the Gamecocks to be in the Top 3. If QB Mitchell plays well..... If the defense is what they say it can be..... if the receivers can catch.....if the defense can create some turnovers....Gamecocks have always been able to dream.

But now, Spurrier is at the helm. Spurrier has made it clear, he wants an SEC championship. For the Gamecocks, they will have one of the toughest road schedules in the country with Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas. Add home games with Florida and Clemson and you can see why rivals.com said Spurrier had the #2 toughest schedule in the country. If Spurrier gets the best of these six powerhouse teams, he will have arrived, again.

The Bar is Closed. When Spurrier beats a couple of big teams this year, every body is going to sober up quickly. Nobody except Spurrier and some loyal alumni believes the Gamecocks will win the East this year. Then again, being under the radar might be the best place to be.

Jay Holgate is an analyst and writer for http://www.secsportsreport.com

Mark Richt Leads Georgia Bulldogs Football Team to the Top of the SEC East

By Jay Holgate
secsportsreport.com

ATLANTA, GA-- Georgia Bulldogs Head Football Coach Mark Richt has life all figured out. Coach Richt has managed to put the excitement back into Georgia Bulldog football again. After six seasons, Richt possesses a 61-17 record in the toughest conference in football. Enough said.

There is more. Mark Richt manages to keep a healthy balance in his life with time spent with family, in church and with the Georgia faithful, Bulldog alumni. As other coaches grind it out worrying about upcoming seasons, Richt lives in a zone of confidence, knowing that his team will compete and can be in a position to win every game.

Why Richt Wins-- First Richt gets great players. No doubt about it, Georgia has recruited and listed some of the best players in the country for the last decade. When you have great players, obviously there is more margin for error.

The brilliance of Mark Richt is he is constantly working to do better. When he makes a mistake, he admits it, and tries to resolve it so it won't happen in the future. This understanding of leadership is what seperates Mark Richt from the rest of the pack. Coach Richt is constantly analyzing his own performance and trying to do better. These are traits of a strong leader and a winner.

Good People Make Better Team Players--Richt takes his great players and turns them into good people by having them do community service. He builds player character by encouraging responsible behavior. Coach Richt works very hard to explain to players the consequences of risky behavior. Richt knows good people make better team players.

It is all about Confidence--Confidence in the system will keep it close even when momentum in a game may be going against you. The Bulldogs always believe they can make the big play, and usually when one guy goes down, he is quickly replaced by another strong player.

The SEC is fortunate to have Mark Richt. He is a good person, a likeable leader and he is a winner on the football field.


Jay Holgate is a writer for SEC Sports Report. He can be reached at editor@secsportsreport.com

SEC FAN COMPETITION

By Ashley Reagan
secsportsreport.com

SEC Fans Go Head to Head...story

One of our main reasons for creating the SEC Sports Report was to foster competition between the sec schools. We do internal tracking every day to see who is reading our report. This helps us know how to better serve our fan base.

Regardless of who is reading, we will still keep an up to date account of all major happenings within the SEC and report it to you. But our tracking allows us to know which articles are most interesting and which SEC teams should be at the top of our page.

So here is the challenge. If you are a Tennessee fan, send us an email that says Go Vols to editor@secsportsreport.com and tell all your Vol friends to as well. One email per fan please. Florida fans send Go Gators! Georgia Fans send Go Dogs. Alabama, Auburn, LSU, USC, Vandy, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Miss State, you know what to do.

On the first day of the month, we will re-organize our teams based on emails and internal tracking #s. This will be fun and may the best team win.

Ashley Reagan is Marketing Advisor and Sports Writer for SEC Sports Report.