Munnerlyn, Garcia,
and defense overcome turnovers, Wildcats 24-17
LEXINGTON, Ky.
(AP) -- Captain Munnerlyn returned a blocked field goal 81 yards for a
touchdown and set up another score with an 84-yard kickoff return as South
Carolina defeated Kentucky 24-17 Saturday, improving Steve Spurrier's record
to 16-0 against the Wildcats.
South Carolina (5-2, 2-2) won its ninth
consecutive meeting against Kentucky (4-2, 0-2), which came in with momentum
after nearly upsetting Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Instead, the Wildcats' string
of futility against Spurrier is the longest by any team against a single
coach other than two losing streaks against Penn State's Joe Paterno.
The game, billed as a field position
showdown between two of the Southeastern Conference's top defenses, lived up
to that hype, at least until midway through the third quarter. That was when
Spurrier, always quick with the hook on his quarterbacks, made a change that
paid immediate dividends.
Stephen Garcia replaced a struggling Chris
Smelley and led four consecutive drives into Wildcat territory, which the
Gamecocks turned into 10 points. It could have been more if not for three
missed second-half field goal attempts by Ryan Succop.
With the game tied at 17, South Carolina
took the lead for good when Garcia found Weslye Saunders open in the end
zone off a playaction pass from 8 yards out. The play was set up by a
37-yard post pattern from Garcia to Jason Barnes. Garcia completed 10 of 14
passes for 169 yards in limited duty.
Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline got the
ball back with an opportunity to tie the game, but an interception by Chris
Culliver clinched it for the Gamecocks.
The teams combined for six turnovers.
Kentucky's defense got three of its four takeaways in the first quarter yet
still trailed by a touchdown at the beginning of the second.
First, Smelley appeared to connect with
Kenny McKinley for an 8-yard gain, but Kentucky's Trevard Lindley ripped the
ball out of his hands and took it 28 yards to put the Wildcats ahead 7-0.
It didn't take long for South Carolina to
respond. Munnerlyn returned Tim Masthay's kickoff 84 yards and was stopped
only when Masthay shoved him out of bounds at the Kentucky 16.
Given new life, this time Smelley threw the
ball to a place only McKinley could get it -- the corner of the end zone,
tying the game at 7.
It was one of few highlights for Smelley,
coming off an SEC offensive player of the week performance at Ole Miss. He
completed 9 of 23 passes for 105 yards and two interceptions.
Hartline wasn't much better, completing 23
of 43 passes for 152 yards and two interceptions. But he was forced to play
most of the game without the team's top receiver, Dicky Lyons Jr. Lyons
injured his leg and was in a walking cast and using crutches on the
sideline.
On South Carolina's next drive, McKinley
broke Sterling Sharpe's South Carolina record with his 170th career
reception but immediately coughed up the ball up again. It was recovered by
Kentucky's Marcus McClinton.
After the teams combined for three
turnovers, the Wildcats had a chance to grab momentum. But Ryan Tydlacka's
29-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Jordin Lindsey and returned 81
yards for a score by Munnerlyn.
Tydlacka later connected on a 51-yard
attempt -- the Wildcats' longest since 2004 -- to put Kentucky ahead 17-14
at halftime.
