Gamecocks Game Keys With Vols

New Mouth of the South

For a guy who has managed to offend an entire community in Florida to the SEC's officials, Tennessee first-year coach Lane Kiffin was surprisingly quiet this week on USC wideout Alshon Jeffery, whom he told would pump gas for the rest of his life if he signed with the Gamecocks. Likewise, Steve Spurrier said nothing about Kiffin. The more relevant matchup will be Spurrier's ability to find gaps in Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 defense.

Has USC caught Tennessee?

With a win tonight, the Gamecocks will be threatening to move past UT into the top half of the SEC East. USC enters the game with an 18-19 conference record in four-plus seasons under Spurrier, while the Vols have an 18-18 mark during that span. After Lou Holtz was 0-6 against UT, Spurrier is 2-2 against his home-state school.

Double trouble

Spurrier has been looking for a way to get Jeffery and Tori Gurley on the field at the same time. The two tall targets - Jeffery is 6-3, Gurley 6-5 - have combined for 45 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns, but play the same wideout spot. Jeffery missed a practice this week with a stomach bug, but should be fine for his first trip to Rocky Top.

Bring the 'wood

Gamecocks linebacker Eric Norwood is the SEC sack leader with six, but has gone four weeks without a sack. USC wants to force Tennessee into throwing downs, so the Gamecocks can go after Vols quarterback Jonathan Crompton (10 interceptions) and try to force him into mistakes. Norwood has been drawing his share of double-team blocks, but has to put his stamp on this game.

By a foot in Knoxville

USC's past two games at Tennessee have been decided by a field goal. Josh Brown made a game-winner for the Gamecocks in 2005, while Ryan Succop missed a 40-yarder in overtime in 2007 after the Vols' Daniel Lincoln connected from 27 yards. Lincoln is coming off a rough game at Alabama, where he had two field goals blocked and was short on another.

Game Within The Game

QB Stephen Garcia vs. S Eric Berry

About Garcia: The redshirt sophomore has exceeded expectations in his first full season as a starter. Garcia is second in the SEC in total offense (236.6 yards a game) and has done a good job limiting turnovers with one notable exception - an interception on his first pass at Alabama that Mark Barron returned 77 yards for a touchdown.

How he'll win:

Garcia will have to be mindful of where Berry is on the field and be sure not to telegraph his throws. Steve Spurrier will try to help Garcia by sending in audibles from the sideline after seeing where Berry aligns. It falls on Garcia to protect the ball, look off Berry and make plays against a Tennessee pass defense ranked sixth in the country.

Key number:

4, interceptions thrown by Garcia, who had eight in eight games last season.

About Berry:

Berry is the NCAA's active interception leader with 13 picks and is closing in on Terrell Buckley's NCAA record for career interception return yards. Berry picked off Garcia in last year's game in Columbia and returned it 45 yards before Kenny McKinley corralled him around midfield.

How he'll win:

Because of Berry's coverage and run-stopping skills, the Vols often will bring him closer to the line of scrimmage to give offenses a different look in Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 scheme. Other times, Berry will align deeper and try to get a jump on Garcia's downfield throws.

Key number:

7.9, Berry's average tackles per game, which ranks eighth in the SEC. He is the only defensive bank among the conference's top 17 tacklers

Gamecocks Beat Vandy

USC needs big stats to build small margin that erases slide against Vandy

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

From The State

South Carolina had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver - yet needed a late defensive stand to hold off Vanderbilt.

But after back-to-back losses to their new SEC East nemesis, the Gamecocks were not going to get too picky about any win against Vandy.

Freshman receiver Alshon Jeffery pulled in a 43-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and the 23rd-ranked Gamecocks defense turned back the Commodores' comeback attempt to take a 14-10 victory Saturday before an announced crowd of 75,624 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

"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," USC coach Steve Spurrier said. "They don't give up a whole lot of points. But we're happy to have won."

USC (6-2, 3-2 in SEC) won its seventh consecutive home game and set a school record with its fifth consecutive conference victory at home. The Gamecocks are bowl-eligible for the fifth time in as many seasons under Spurrier.

The win was Spurrier's 105th in SEC play, tying him with Vince Dooley for No. 3 all-time on the conference list. But the Head Ball Coach said he was more satisfied with the record-setting streak at home.

"I like that one better," he said. "Hopefully that other part will keep adding up as we go."

Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia threw for 312 yards on 22-of-33 passing, while Jeffery set career highs with seven catches for 161 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight catches. Tailback Kenny Miles added 102 rushing yards on 18 carries.

The last time USC had a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver was in a losing effort. Quarterback Anthony Wright, tailback Duce Staley and receiver Marcus Robinson - all of whom played in the NFL - pulled the trick in a 14-10 loss to Mississippi State in 1996.

Vandy (2-6, 0-5) did not go quietly, driving inside the Gamecocks' 25-yard line with two minutes remaining.

With the Commodores facing third-and-8 from the 23, USC safety Chris Culliver rushed quarterback Larry Smith into an intentional grounding that cost the Commodores 24 yards after the spot penalty.

On fourth-and-long, Eric Norwood and Clifton Geathers chased Smith out of the pocket and forced him out of bounds well short of the first down.

Jeffery provided the winning margin on the strike from Garcia to complete a 99-yard scoring drive at the start of the fourth quarter.

Facing a third-and-20 after a holding call and a sack, the Gamecocks spread the field and sent Jeffery on a crossing route. USC put the play in this week and had run it in the first half, but Garcia and Jeffery could not connect.

"The first time I was wide open, and I just dropped it," Jeffery said. "The second time I was wide open again, and he just threw a perfect ball. Once I caught it, I knew I was going to score."

The Gamecocks looked buried as the fourth quarter started. Trailing 10-7, USC started a drive at its 1-yard line for the second time in the half after Vandy punter Brett Upson again pinned the Gamecocks deep.

After USC was conservative on its earlier drive from the 1, the Gamecocks came out firing. Throwing from his end zone, Garcia went down the left sideline for Tori Gurley, who made a one-handed grab for a 43-yard gain.

Spurrier said the play was called with Jeffery in mind, but Gurley was in the game in his spot. In either case, Garcia was excited to hear the more daring play call.

"It was a great call and Tori made an excellent catch," Garcia said. "That's just something we need to do. I think as our team grows and our confidence grows, I think we're going to take a lot more chances."

Vandy defensive end Broderick Stewart said the Commodores liked their chances when USC began the final quarter in the shadow of its end zone. Garcia was 3-for-3 for 109 yards on the go-ahead drive.

"We can't give up the big play," Stewart said. "We had them pinned and where we wanted them."

The Gamecocks outgained Vandy 431-273 in total yardage despite running one fewer offensive play. Both teams punted eight times in a turnover-free game.

"Vandy plays us tough," Spurrier said. "We've got to find a way to score more points against them sometime soon."

"They're a very disciplined team. They fight very hard to the very end," Garcia added. "We knew it was going to be a dogfight. But a win's a win. We'll take it no matter what."

USC moves up in polls; Bama game time set

Whitlock fills in nicely for defense

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

The Gamecocks, now ranked No. 22 in both major polls, will face the Crimson Tide at 7:45 p.m. this Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

ESPN will televise the contest (which begins at 6:45 p.m. central time).

USC (5-1, 2-1 SEC) is No. 22 in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches' polls. Alabama (6-0, 3-0) leapfrogged Texas in the AP poll and is now No. 2; the team is third in the Coaches Poll. in the AP 3.

The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series, 11-2, but the Gamecocks have won two of the last three meetings.

Game ball for Whitlock? USC coach Steve Spurrier plans to review the video to see whether cornerback C.C. Whitlock is worthy of a game ball for his performance in Saturday's 28-26 victory against Kentucky.

Spurrier might want to do so with the volume turned down.

Whitlock made a loud statement Saturday with six tackles while filling in again for the suspended Akeem Auguste. Just as lively was the chatter between Whitlock and Wildcats receiver Gene McCaskill, Whitlock's teammate at Chester High, between plays.

"You know there was going to be a lot of trash-talking. There was a lot going back and forth," Whitlock said. "It was a great experience to be able to go out there and make a couple plays with one of the best corners being down."

Whitlock's biggest play might have been when Kentucky tried a fake field goal late in the third quarter with holder Randall Cobb. Whitlock and Darian Stewart were not fooled and forced Cobb out of bounds 9 yards short of a first down.

"I kind of had that in my head. I was just saying, 'Watch the fake,' because we were beating up on them so much," Whitlock said.

As for the game ball?

"He made a lot of tackles, didn't he? A lot of our guys were saying he was deserving of a game ball," Spurrier said. "It was nice to see Whitlock (play well). He may get a game ball."

Crowd control. The announced crowd of 68,278 was the smallest at Williams-Brice Stadium since 67,930 turned out for a 41-28 loss to Arkansas in 1998 during the Gamecocks' 1-10 season in Brad Scott's final year.

There were dozens of empty rows in the upper east stands and the student section had plenty of seats available.

USC president Harris Pastides said scheduling fall break during a home football weekend was a mistake and vowed it would not happen again.

"I think probably athletics and academics weren't as coordinated as we needed to be. We just need to take that one on us and not let it happen again," Pastides said. "Let me just say for the record, academics always comes first in the interests of the students. But I don't expect the fans will have this issue next year."

An athletics department official said 5,500 students requested tickets - about half of the usual student orders for home games.

Streak ends. Stephen Garcia's interception-free streak ended at 124 passes when he was picked off by Kentucky linebacker Sam Maxwell in the second quarter. It was Garcia's first interception since the second quarter against Georgia on Sept. 12. He said he threw into double coverage on the play.

Taking on Tech. USC will play Georgia Tech in a home-and-home series in 2020 and '21, associate athletics director Charles Waddell said Saturday. Waddell said USC would have played the Yellow Jackets sooner, but Tech prefers to schedule SEC opponents every four years because of its annual rivalry with Georgia.

The Gamecocks are 9-12 all-time against Tech. The schools have not met since 1991, a year after the Jackets split the national championship with Colorado.

Waddell said he also has talked to Virginia about playing a future home-and-home series, although nothing is imminent.

Extra points. Counting victories last year against Tennessee and Arkansas, USC has won six consecutive home games - its best home stretch since a 13-game winning streak spanning the 1986-88 seasons. ... The Gamecocks failed to record a sack for the second consecutive week. ... USC improved to 5-7 as a top-25 team under Spurrier and moved over .500 all-time. The Gamecocks are 532-531-44 in 116 seasons.

Injuries force more defensive changes

From The State

Dickerson will start at middle linebacker; Auguste can return on Oct. 24

Written by JOSEPH PERSON

Rich Glickstein/rglickstein@thestate.com/

S.C. State running back No. 28 William Ford puts his head down before he hits South Carolina linebacker No. 41 Josh Dickerson with defensive end No. 96 Clifton Geathers and linebacker No. 44 Tony Straughter assisting on the play.

As usual, Ellis Johnson's weekly chat with reporters Thursday turned into another personnel update.

Because of injuries and suspensions, Johnson, USC's assistant head coach for defense, has fielded a different starting lineup in each of the Gamecocks' five games. Saturday's game against Kentucky will be the sixth lineup.

JUCO transfer Josh Dickerson will make his first career start at middle linebacker in place of Shaq Wilson, who practiced on a limited basis most of the week with a neck injury.

Wilson will be available to play against the Wildcats, but Dickerson will become the third player to start at middle linebacker. Rodney Paulk was lost for the year in the opener at N.C. State after tearing a knee ligament.

Dickerson, who transferred from Georgia Military in January and went through spring practice, has 19 tackles - the most among USC's reserves.

Defensive end Clifton Geathers will make his first start of the season in place of Devin Taylor, USC coach Steve Spurrier said on his call-in show Thursday. Geathers has 13 tackles in four games since missing the opener due to suspension.

Johnson is counting on a couple of backup cornerbacks to step in for suspended starter Akeem Auguste, who is sitting the second game of an expected three-game suspension.

Sophomore C.C. Whitlock will start at field corner for the second consecutive week, while freshman D.J. Swearinger will spell Whitlock and boundary corner Stephon Gilmore.

Though Kentucky is ranked among the country's worst passing teams, Johnson said Whitlock and Gilmore will be tested more than they were last week against S.C. State.

"I have full confidence in them. But you're going into the SEC slate and you've got the kind of depth problems we've got, you're always a little nervous," Johnson said. "But as far as those guys, I have a lot of confidence in them."

Auguste update. Johnson said Auguste will be eligible for the Vanderbilt game Oct. 24 as long as he complies with a number of university-imposed stipulations. Auguste's suspension stems from a non-academic violation of team and university policy.

"He's got a pretty good slate he's got to work on. If he hits all the right bases, we get him back. If he doesn't, there's no telling what happens," Johnson said. "He has certain things he has to comply with, or he'll never be back."

Bad break. After less-than-capacity crowds at the first three home games, Spurrier implored students to return from fall break for Saturday's game.

"We're on fall break here - a little unusual. We're out of school here Thursday and (today)," Spurrier said. "But hopefully all of 'em will come back and do their part cheering our guys on."

Purr-fect vs. the Wildcats. Spurrier's 16-0 mark against Kentucky is the third-longest undefeated streak by a FBS coach against one school. Penn State's Joe Paterno has the top two marks - 26-0 vs. Temple and 24-0-1 vs. Maryland.

Extra points. Quintin Richardson, who started the first four games at right tackle, lost 10 pounds - to 270 - while battling the flu last week. "He looks like a tight end trying to play tackle right now," Spurrier said. ... Spurrier said guard Heath Batchelor was out of the lineup last week because of missed classes. Batchelor is slated to start at left guard. ... Center Garrett Anderson, who missed a day with a back injury, returned Thursday. But fifth-year center Lemuel Jeanpierre still is expected to start.

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