COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Connor Shaw
threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns, including Alshon Jeffery's
first scoring catch in more than a month, and No. 14 South Carolina
defeated The Citadel 41-20 on Saturday.
The Gamecocks (9-2) and reached nine victories in back-to-back years for
the first time in school history and held out hope for even more
milestones.
A Kentucky win at Georgia later Saturday would send South Carolina back
to the Georgia Dome as Southeastern Conference Eastern Division
champions.
For now, though, the Gamecocks were happy to get their sluggish offense
moving again and bring back Jeffery into the mix. Jeffery caught a
32-yard scoring pass using just his right arm as Citadel defender Joseph
Boateng pinned him near the left sideline of the end zone.
Jeffery finished with five catches for 81 yards, his most productive
game since a 54-3 victory over Kentucky in early October. After
Jeffery's catch, the crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium chanted, "One
More Year." Jeffery, a junior, is considered one of the top
receiving prospects for next spring's NFL draft.
Brandon Wilds ran for 109 yards and South Carolina's first two
touchdowns. Shaw was 16 of 18 passing and added 90 yards on the ground,
including a 60-yard touchdown run right before halftime.
Shaw also had touchdown passes of 25 yards to Ace Sanders and 20 yards
to Rory Anderson.
It was a satisfying victory for South Carolina, especially for the
offense which had averaged just 18 points a game in its previous four
games after losing quarterback Stephen Garcia to dismissal and tailback
Marcus Lattimore to injury.
The Gamecocks had 473 yards, nearly double Citadel's total.
The victory improved South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier to 44-0 against
opponents from outside the BCS automatic qualifying conferences.
The Gamecocks get their first crack at a 10th victory when No. 7 Clemson
comes to Williams-Brice for the school's annual season-ending rivalry
game. South Carolina had only had three years with at least nine
victories in 118 seasons of football before now.
Things don't figure to be easy with the high-flying Tigers. Then again,
the Gamecocks figured to struggle against the Citadel's triple-option
attack.
But the Bulldogs (4-7), who entered as the third-leading rushing team in
the Football Championship Subdivision, wound up with just 249 yards.
Spurrier was fairly resigned to the idea that Georgia wouldn't stumble
at home against Kentucky and end the Gamecocks' hopes of returning to
Atlanta.
Spurrier didn't talk much to his players because there wasn't anything
South Carolina could do except hope. And the Gamecocks looked like a
team without a lot at stake against their FCS opponents.
South Carolina struck first, which was a little unusual since the
Gamecocks hadn't done that in 13 games dating back to last season. Shaw
completed two straight passes to Jeffery before Wilds took over, rushing
for 37 yards and ending the drive with a 1-yard TD run.
Shaw was intercepted by safety Rah Muhammad on the Gamecocks next
series. Darien Robinson recovered his own fumble in the end zone for a
tying touchdown five plays later.
After Wilds' second scoring run, the Citadel held the ball for more than
8 minutes against South Carolina's defense. The series ended in Ryan
Sellers' 32 yard field goal.
Shaw showed his speed when South Carolina got the ball back, breaking
off a 60-yard touchdown run and sprinting through three Citadel
defenders with 1:14 left in the half.
The Bulldogs recovered, though, moving 40 yards in 1:11 to set up
Sellers' 41-yard field goal, his longest of the season.
