It certainly wasn’t a stylish offensive performance but South Carolina put up just enough points and rode an exceptional defense to a 14-10 victory over Vanderbilt in front of an announced crowd of 75,624 at Williams-Brice Stadium. Quarterback Stephen Garcia and the offensive unit piled up 434 yards but could only convert it into two touchdowns as the Gamecocks gave grey hairs to all in attendance.
Despite amassing 239 yards in the first half, Carolina could only muster a solitary touchdown as the teams went into halftime tied at a score apiece. The Commodores only score came on a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Carolina only allowed 273 total yards to Vanderbilt, which came into the game 11th in the Southeastern Conference in total offense.
“I was proud of our guys for hanging in there,” head coach Steve Spurrier said. “It was a good win for us. I know it wasn’t real pretty but it was a win over a pretty good, tough Vandy team. They don’t give up a lot of points. A lot of guys played pretty well.”
Garcia completed 22 of his passes 33 for 312 yards and freshman Alshon Jeffery again emerged as his target of choice. The duo connected eight times for 161 yards and one touchdown continually keeping the nation’s third-ranked pass defense on its heels.
Freshman Kenny Miles had his second 100-yard rushing performance of his career carrying 18 times for 102 yards.
The Gamecocks took the lead on a third down and 20 pass play from Garcia to Jeffery that resulted in a 43-yard touchdown with 12:51 left to play in the fourth quarter. However, the game wasn’t without some anxious moments down the stretch.
Garcia was stuffed on a fourth down and five with exactly four minutes remaining as the Commodores took over at their own 35-yard line. The visitors converted a fourth down near midfield and the ensuing first down play saw cornerback C.C. Whitlock drop a sure-fire interception.
“The fourth down play was a bad call,” Spurrier said. “I watched the Ole Miss quarterback fake that thing and go in untouched. We had it in the playbook and hadn’t run it all year. It was just not a good call. We should have run the ball but not that way. We didn’t think the field goal at that distance was the right (call).”
Three consecutive completions brought Vanderbilt to the USC 23-yard line but an intentional grounding sack set up 4th down and 32 from near midfield. Pressure by Clifton Geathers forced VU quarterback Larry Smith out of bounds acres short of the sticks as the Gamecocks took over in victory formation.
“It was a very close game,” Vanderbilt head coach
Bobby Johnson said. “I was proud of our players in coming down here in a tough situation and playing very well. We had a chance to win in the fourth quarter, which is the opportunity we wanted, but we just didn’t make it happen on the last drive. Give credit to South Carolina.”
The victory moves Carolina to 6-2 on the season and 3-2 in conference play. USC has now qualified for a bowl game each year since 2004.
South Carolina received a break on their opening drive of the game. After a penalty on the kickoff return pinned them deep, it was ruled that running back Kenny Miles fumbled with the Commodores recovering. However, video replays showed Miles on the ground so the Gamecocks got the ball back with enough yardage for a first down.
After driving into plus territory, penalties sent the Gamecocks backwards forcing the first punt of the day by Spencer Lanning. His shank gave the Commodores the ball just inside their own 30 yard line.
Both teams exchanged punts before the visitors went on their first sustained drive of the game. Utilizing a short passing attack, quarterback Larry Smith drove his team down inside the 10-yard line but a third down pass hit off tight end Brandon Barden’s hands setting up a chip shot field goal from 26 yards out.
Placekicker Ryan Fowler’s attempt was pushed right from the left hash mark and the game remained scoreless.
That missed kick seemed to give the Carolina offense some life as Garcia hit wide receiver Alshon Jeffery down the right sideline for 32 yards. However, the second trip into Vandy territory led to another stalled drive as Lanning’s third punt in the first 20 minutes sailed into the end zone.
Punt returner Stephon Gilmore’s 19-yard return set his offense up in prime field position at their own 49-yard line after the defense forced a three and out. A pair of rushes by freshman Jarvis Giles and a completion to wide receiver D.L. Moore brought the Gamecocks down to the ‘Dores 35.
“I happened to bobble it about three or four times but I got my foot in,” Moore said. “I would like to thank Garcia because it was a great throw. I knew the ball was coming to me. When it hit my hands, I kept my eyes on it the whole time and brought it in.”
The drive lasted four plays spanning just 1:24 on the clock. Moore’s 35-yard catch capped the scoring drive as the Gamecocks drew first blood.
The lead, however, was short lived – 14 seconds to be exact. Freshman playmaker Warren Norman returned the ensuing kickoff straight up the gut 99 yards to put the Commodores on the board.
After another pair of punts, the Gamecocks looked to have something going in the waning minutes of the half. Starting at their own five, Miles rushed for 15 yards over the left side. Garcia completed a pair of passes to Jeffery into Vandy territory at the 46 yard line.
However, two straight rushes resulting in short gains and a pair of incompletions turned the ball over on downs and the ‘Dores ran out the clock on the half.
Despite the tied score, Carolina dominated the half statistically. While the offense only punched the ball in the end zone on one occasion, it racked up 239 yards of total offense, including 186 through the air. The VU defense ranked third in the country in pass defense allowing just over 133 yards per contest.
“We had to punt eight times,” Spurrier said. “I feel like we were getting stuffed and stuffed and struggled making first downs. We had some big passes and they didn’t. That’s probably the difference (in the game) right there.”
The defensive performance was strong holding Vanderbilt to only 112 yards of total offense. Vanderbilt did sustain some drives converting four of eight third down attempts while holding the ball 13:27 of the 30 minutes in the half.
Vanderbilt had to punt after their first drive of the second half but Upson pinned the Gamecocks at their own one. After a three and out, Lanning’s punt only traveled 37 yards giving the Commodores great field position at the 43-yard line.
A seven play drive brought Vandy down the four but the defense stood tall forcing Fowler to attempt a 21-yard field goal. His kick was true as Vanderbilt took their first lead of the game 10-7 with just under nine minutes left in the third quarter.
After another three and out for the Carolina offense, the defense looked like they were going to put the offense in great field position again with Upson punting from his own end zone. However, the senior launched a 64-yard punt and only Gilmore’s return of 13 yards gave the Carolina offense a good starting point.
Garcia was able to lead his offense to one first down in the waning minutes of the third quarter but the drive stalled when a sure completion to Stephen Flint sailed right through his hands. Lanning’s punt took a great sideways bounce inside the five but a pair of gunners knocked the ball into the end zone for a touchback.
The miscues for the Gamecocks continued.
“There were a few plays I wish we had back,” Garcia said. “We have to play much better to beat Tennessee though. We have to play a lot better.”
A blown coverage on third and 11 led to a 43-yard completion by Bardon down the right sideline. The defense picked right back up forcing a punt but Upson’s kick bounded out of bounds at the one.
“(Upson) did a great job and we did a great job of covering,” Johnson said. “We knocked it back one time that put them in a tough situation. We let them get out of that one situation and that led to the final touchdown.”
That ended up being perfect field position for the Gamecocks.
Garcia let loose on a go route from the back of his end zone for wideout Tori Gurley. After juggling it with one hand, the freshman hauled in the pass as he was going to the ground just in front of the Vanderbilt coaching staff.
“We thought we’d give Alshon a chance and I looked out there and Tori was out there. Tori made a heck of a catch,” Spurrier said.
Gurley finished the game with three catches for 62 yards.
“When Coach found out that I was in, I found out he wasn’t too happy about it,” Gurley said with a smile. “But after the catch was made, we were best friends again.”
On the next play, Jeffery took a screen pass and perfectly used the block of Jason Barnes to scamper up the sideline for a gain of 23. With the ball at the 33 yard line, the offense proceeded to go in the wrong direction again. A holding penalty, sack, and one-yard rush put USC in a third down and 20 situation.
Apparently, that’s just what USC needed.
Coming out of a timeout, Garcia found Jeffery on a post route just past the first down marker. However, the freshman dodged a pair of tacklers and scampered 43 yards into the end zone for a Carolina touchdown.
“That was one of our best plays all year,” Spurrier said. “That was Stephen’s best throw right there. (Alshon) was not that open. He hit him on a dead run cutting across the middle on a little diagonal. That was a play we put in this week and Stephen hit it perfectly on third and long.”
That was Jeffery’s eighth catch of the game giving him 161 yards and put his team ahead 14-10 after Lanning’s extra point.
The defense continued its strong play forcing another three and out, their third of the game. Upson finally mis-hit a punt traveling only 35 yards. The crowd, which was then (generously listed) about two-thirds capacity, bounced up and down to Sandstorm trying to rally its team to a two-score lead.
The offense couldn’t figure out a way to put any more points on the board but the defense was there to bail them out. Vanderbilt was able to drive deep into USC territory in the closing seconds of the game but Culliver forced an intentional grounding call all but sealing the victory.
“We could have won,” Johnson said. “It was hard fought. They played well, we played well. We got the ball down to the 25-yard line or so with two minutes to go in the game and a first down, so we thought we had a pretty good chance to win.”
Linebacker Shaq Wilson led the team with 12 tackles on the game. Defensive lineman Cliff Matthews had to be escorted off the field after receiving a hit to the head on a tackle on the game’s final drive.
