COLUMBIA, S.C.
(AP) -- Steve Spurrier shuffled things up again Saturday, alternating
quarterbacks Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley most of the way in South
Carolina's 34-21 victory over Arkansas.
The Gamecocks (7-3, 4-3) have won four of
their past five Southeastern Conference games since starting 0-2 in the
league, snapped a two-game losing streak to Arkansas (4-6, 1-5) and put
themselves in position for a New Year's Day bowl game.
And they did it through one of the South
Carolina coach's quirkiest trademarks.
The former Heisman Trophy winner is known
for being tough on quarterbacks. Only a short time after freshman Stephen
Garcia threw two touchdowns to bring South Carolina its first home win over
Tennessee in 16 years last week, Spurrier complained that Garcia wasn't
ready to run the offense.
Spurrier kept everyone guessing about the
quarterbacks this week, only saying he planned to play both. No one figured
he meant every other snap.
Smelley got first chance, overthrowing
receiver Jason Barnes. Then Garcia entered and hit Kenny McKinley with a
30-yard pass to the Arkansas 14. After Smelley was incomplete on the next
play, Garcia rushed past the Razorbacks for a touchdown.
Spurrier kept up the pattern much of the
opening period: Smelley, a sophomore, would start the sequence, with Garcia
coming in every other play.
The two shared time in leading a drive
that ended with Ryan Succop's 54-yard field goal -- missing the senior's
career mark by a yard.
It was Smelley who found tight end Jared
Cook for a 66-yard touchdown pass and a 17-7 lead.
It's far from the first time Spurrier's
gone through such QB issues. The most famous coming the season after
Florida's national title in 1996, when Spurrier rotated Gator passers Doug
Johnson and Noah Brindise. The result? A satisfying 32-29 victory over rival
Florida State.
Down 20-7, Arkansas got back into it with
a 15-play, 8 minute drive that ended with Casey Dick's 4-yard TD throw to
Mitchell Bailey.
Dick had the Razorbacks driving again
moments later when defensive end Jordin Lindsey stretched up to snag the
interception and take it 40 yards to the Arkansas 15.
On Garcia's play, he lofted a pretty pass
into the waiting hands of McKinley to put the Gamecocks up 27-14.
Smelley was more productive at 9 of 19 for
148 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Garcia was 4 of 11 for 71
yards and an interception for South Carolina's lone turnover.
McKinley had seven catches for 130 yards
and, with 2,602 yards, surpassed Sterling Sharpe as the school's career
yardage leader.
South Carolina was run over by Arkansas
and its backfield stars of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones the past two
years. McFadden had one of last season's top performances, rushing for 321
yards in Arkansas' 48-36 win over the Gamecocks.
But with McFadden and Jones both gone to
the NFL, South Carolina's SEC-leading defense bottled up Arkansas.
Dick had three interceptions and Arkansas
was sacked six times. The Razorbacks rushed for 54 yards.
It didn't help when Michael Smith, the SEC
leader at 123 yards a game, left with a shoulder injury right before
halftime. He had just 25 yards on seven carries.
The Razorbacks, who
upended 19th-ranked Tulsa a week ago, have lost six of their past eight
games in coach Bobby Petrino's first season.
