Spring football is considered another sport in the Deep South. And even though practices have been scaled back, the enthusiasm of SEC&160;football fans is strong as ever.

Anyway, just to whet the appetite of SEC&160;football fans, here are a few tidbits looking to the 2000 football season. I’ll have to check with Flop Thomas on the exact number of days and hours before Ole Miss kicks off its season.

In the SEC, seven of the top 10 leading rushers and passers return this fall. Five of the top 10 receivers return, while six of the top 10 leading tacklers will be back.

Seven of the 12 teams in the SEC&160;will return their leading rusher this year, while 8 of the 12 will return their leading passer, six have their leading receiver and seven return their leading tackler.

Ole Miss’ Joe Gunn is the top returning ball carrier after rushing for 951 yards on 182 carries. He had a 5.2 average per carry, scored five touchdowns and averaged 86.5 yards per game. And that’s sharing time with Deuce McAllister.

Dusty Bonner was just named starting quarterback at Kentucky by Hal Mumme, over redshirt freshman Jared Lorenzen following the Wildcats’ spring drills.

In two scrimmages this spring, Bonner has completed 69 of 101 passes for 913 yards and five touchdowns.

Lorenzen redshirted during the 1999 season, his first at UK,was an All-American and Kentucky Player of the Year as a senior at Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Ky.

Bonner completed 303 of 465 passes for 3,266 yards, 26 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. He had a rating of 137.0, which was tops in the SEC&160;and 19th in the nation.

Bonner also led the league in total offensive yards per game with 284.1.

The top returning receiver is LSU’s Jerel Myers, who caught 64 passes for 854 yards and two touchdowns. Myers averaged 5.82 catches per game, which was second in the SEC&160;and 27th in the nation.

Auburn Ronney Daniels was the top receiver in yardage per game with 97.1.

McAllister, who also returns to provide an explosive Rebel backfield, is the top all-purpose yardager per game returner. He averaged 1,692 yards per game, which was tops in the SEC&160;and seventh in the SEC.

Most Rebel fans remember best the touchdown run against Auburn and the 100-yard kickoff return to start the Arkansas game.

Georgia cornerback Cory Robinson returns after finishing second in the SEC&160;in interceptions with five.

Tennessee wide receiver Leonard Scott was the top kickoff returner in the conference with 27.0 yards per return.

Kentucky’s Kendrick Shanklin was tops in the conference with 13.5 yards each time he touched the ball.

Florida place kicker Jeff Chandler was second in the SEC&160;in scoring with 101 points (8.4 per game).

Vanderbilt linebacker Jamie Winborn totaled 141 tackles last year.

Georgia returns the most starters with 19 (eight on offense, 10 on defense and one on special teams), while Alabama has 18 (nine on offense, eight on defense and one on special teams) and Vanderbilt also has 18 (seven on offense, nine on defense and two special teamers).

LSU returns 17; Ole Miss and Kentucky 16; Florida 15; South Carolina 14; Auburn 13; Tennessee 12; Arkansas 11; Mississippi State 10

Joey Martin is sports editor of The Democrat. He can be reached by calling 446-5172 ext. 232 or at joey.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.