MONDAY SPORTS: Tigers, Gamecocks in polls; NFL week 10; Incognito defends himself

Clemson and South Carolina had the weekend off from football, but the Gamecocks still managed to move up two spots to 11th in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll. Clemson held steady at number eight in the ranking. Alabama has a firm grip on the top spot after an impressive home win over LSU. Florida State moved to the number two spot. Ohio State, Baylor and Stanford round out the top five teams. In the BCS standings released Sunday night, the Gamecocks move to #10, Clemson falls to #8. Baylor, Stanford, and Ohio State all move up. Alabama and Florida State remain #1 and #2.

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South Carolina’s final SEC game of the season against Florida will be a night game at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks and Gators will kick off at 7:00 PM Saturday on ESPN2. Georgia’s game at Auburn will kick off at 3:30 on CBS. The Gamecocks need Georiga to lose to Auburn or Kentucky to have a shot in the SEC East. They also need Mizzou to lose to either Ole Miss or Texas A&M.

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Highlights from week 10 in the NFL:

Seattle Seahawks 33, Atlanta Falcons 10

Philadelphia Eagles 27, Green Bay Packers 13 — Third-string Packers QB Scott Tolzien played most of the game after backup Seneca Wallace suffered a groin injury on the first series. Starting QB Aaron Rodgers is out with a collarbone injury.

Jacksonville Jaguars 29, Tennessee Titans 27 — Titans QB Jake Locker left the game late in the first half with a foot injury. ESPN reported it’s likely he’ll be out the rest of the season.

St. Louis Rams 38, Indianapolis Colts 8 — Rams rookie receiver Tavon Austin had 310 total yards and 3 TDs, including a 98-yard punt return.

Carolina Panthers 10, San Francisco 49ers 9

New Orleans Saints 49, Dallas Cowboys 17 — The Saints had an NFL-record 40 first downs and a franchise-record 625 total yards.

Tonight’s Monday Night Football game on ESPN:

Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8:30 p.m. ET)

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Suspended Miami Dolphins player Richie Incognito defended himself in a Fox Sports interview that aired Sunday against the charge that he bullied teammate Jonathan Martin. Incognito said Martin sent him a text threatening to kill his family as an apparent joke only a week before the harassment story erupted, but said he never took it seriously. While saying he regrets the racist and profanity-filled language he used with Martin, Incognito — who described himself as Martin’s best friend on the team — said it wasn’t about bullying, but came from a culture of locker-room brotherhood, citing the text Martin sent him in explaining, “That just puts in context how we communicate with one another.” Incognito said Martin also sent him a friendly text four days after leaving the team to undergo counseling for emotional issues and after a Dolphins win, saying: “Wassup man? The world’s gone crazy lol. I’m good tho congrats on the win. Yeah I’m good man. It’s insane bro but just know I don’t blame you guys at all. It’s just the culture around football and the locker room got to me a little.” The NFL is investigating the case.