GAMECOCKS FALL SHORT TO
VOLUNTEERS 31-24
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Tennessee
didn't give Steve Spurrier anything to joke about Saturday night.
Erik Ainge threw two touchdown passes to Bret
Smith and the eighth-ranked Vols ended a year of ugly memories from last
year's loss to South Carolina with a 31-24 victory.
Spurrier has largely had his way with
Tennessee (7-1, 3-1) through the years. The coach won at Neyland Stadium with
Duke in 1988, then took eight of 12 games from the Vols as Gators coach from
1990-2001. And when Rocky Top supporters gleefully planned for revenge after
the ball coach took over at South Carolina, he led the Gamecocks to their
first win in Knoxville last fall.
That last defeat was particularly
embarrassing to the Big Orange. The Vols had retired the jersey of star
quarterback Peyton Manning, then outplayed South Carolina throughout, falling
on Josh Brown's improbable 49-yard field goal - a victory even Spurrier
described as a ``miracle.''
It looked like Spurrier's hex was in effect
again at Williams-Brice Stadium after South Carolina (5-3, 3-3) overcame a
two-touchdown deficit to lead 17-14 after three quarters.
But Ainge found Smith on a 12-yard TD pass to
put the Vols (7-1, 3-1) ahead for good with 13:10 left. After forcing South
Carolina to punt on its next possession, Jonathan Hefney had a 65-yard punt
return to South Carolina's 5 and Arian Foster had a touchdown run on the next
play.
The Gamecocks closed to 31-24 on Syvelle
Newton's 1-yard TD run with 2:24 to go. Tennessee was forced to punt - Ainge
was out with a bad ankle on the series - and South Carolina had one final
chance. However, Newton's desperation heave was intercepted by Demetrice
Morley as time ran out.
Spurrier's always loved picking at Tennessee.
He once quipped, ``You can't spell Citrus without U-T,'' and this week
couldn't keep himself from again having a little fun at the Vols expense.
He was explaining how since the winners are
usually the ones who tell such jokes and how Tennessee didn't win too many of
its matchups with Spurrier's Gators, ``maybe they weren't telling too many
up'' in Knoxville.
Now, it's the Vols and coach Phillip Fulmer
who can laugh it up - at least for this year. The victory pushed Fulmer one
ahead of the ball coach in SEC wins after the two came in tied at 134 each.
The Vols road to the SEC championship game
doesn't get much easier the next two weeks. They take on No. 14 LSU and No. 13
Arkansas before closing the SEC against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Even if
Tennessee wins out, it would need help from an SEC team to knock off Florida -
perhaps Spurrier's Gamecocks who go to Gainesville on Nov. 11? - to represent
the Eastern Division.
Tennessee looked like it would make quick
work of the Gamecocks.
Marvin Mitchell picked off Newton's pass on
the second play of the game and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.
Then after the Vols ended a long drive by
South Carolina with Jonathan Wade's interception in the end zone, Ainge took
them 80 yards for a touchdown of their own.
Ainge found Smith with a 5-yard scoring pass
that caromed off South Carolina defenders Emanuel Cook and Stoney Woodson
before Smith grabbed it for the TD and a 14-0 lead.
South Carolina rallied on Ryan Succop's
50-yard field goal - his third of at least 49 yards or longer this year - and
an 18-yard touchdown pass from Newton to Mike West.
THE GOOD
The Gamecocks fought hard even though they
were quickly down by 14 points early in the game. USC even took the lead in
the 3rd quarter but fell short in the 4th.
THE
BAD
The ball was not
bouncing the Gamecocks way defense with tipped passes falling into the hands
of the Vols unlike last year. The Gamecocks will need some breaks to win
against Arkansas, Florida, and Clemson.
THE
UGLY
The Gamecocks
special teams gave up large chunks of easy yards to the Vols and had
problems returning kicks all night long.
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