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‘Dog catchers
Spurrier earns first win in Starkville with ‘anti-ball plays’
By Joseph Person
The State
Published: September 1, 2006STARKVILLE, Miss.
— Steve Spurrier exorcised some Starkville demons Thursday night, although the USC coach did it in a most un-Spurrierlike
fashion.
Consider:
One of the Gamecocks’ longest runs was by their punter, a receiver threw their longest
pass, and the only touchdown came on a trick play.
Hey, whatever works.
USC’s supposed high-octane offense
had just enough gas, and received plenty of defensive help to take down Mississippi State 15-0 before a cowbell-clanging crowd
of 50,277 at Scott Field in the opener for both schools.
The win was the 150th of Spurrier’s career, but his
first in three tries in Starkville. The former Florida coach was 0-2 at Scott Field with the Gators.
“The first
time I’ve ever won here, so I’m a happy Gamecock. I can assure you that, even though our offense sputtered along,”
Spurrier said.
USC’s defense made sure Mississippi State sputtered worse, posting the Gamecocks’ first
shutout in six years (31-0 vs. New Mexico State in 2000) and their first SEC shutout in a decade (27-0 vs. Vanderbilt in 1996).
The
Bulldogs’ best scoring chance came on their opening possession after USC quarterback Blake Mitchell was picked off at
his own 26-yard line. But the Gamecocks held, Mississippi State missed a field goal attempt and the tone was set for a defensive
struggle.
Mississippi State, which would get no farther than the USC 38 the rest of the game, finished with 161 total
yards.
Leading 6-0, USC sealed the game with a two-play sequence early in the fourth quarter. First, the Gamecocks
held Mississippi State on fourth-and-1 near midfield when nose tackle Stanley Doughty knifed into the backfield and stuffed
Anthony Dixon for no gain.
It was the only snap Doughty took all night, but the 6-foot-1, 331-pounder from Louisiana
made the most of it.
“That was his only play,” defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said. “That’s
the only thing he can do right now.”
On the ensuing play, Gamecocks quarterback Blake Mitchell threw a lateral
to receiver Syvelle Newton, and the former quarterback rifled a strike to a streaking Cory Boyd for a 54-yard touchdown that
put USC up 12-0 with 13:43 remaining.
Newton, in his first action since a season-ending Achilles injury last October,
said he trusted his instincts. “I just caught the ball, knew what spot (Boyd) was supposed to be in and just threw the
ball,” said Newton.
Spurrier, who said he should have called more running plays, set up the double pass for Newton
with several hitch passes to the junior earlier in the game. After his defense had the big, fourth-down spot, Spurrier said
he thought the time was right for a little trickery.
“It just seemed like the right spot,” he said. “It
was at midfield (on the) right hash.”
Besides hitting all three of his field goal attempts and averaging 48.7
yards a punt, USC do-it-all specialist Ryan Succop also ran 16 yards for a first down on a botched punt to set up his second
field goal.
Mitchell endured a painful first quarter. The right-hander was intercepted on the Gamecocks’ first
play when he tried to force a pass to Kenny McKinley.
On the 10th play, Mitchell sustained a lacerated right leg when
a Bulldogs’ defender stepped on him. Freshman Chris Smelley relieved Mitchell for two series and set up the Gamecocks’
only score of the first half with a 42-yard strike to McKinley.
Mitchell returned with 6:30 left before halftime after
receiving stitches in his lower leg. He was not the only quarterback to get treated roughly.
USC knocked Bulldogs starter
Michael Henig from the game in the second quarter with a broken collarbone. Redshirt freshman Tray Rutland replaced Henig.
But regardless of who was under center, the Bulldogs had difficultly moving the ball against a Gamecocks’ defense that
featured 10 new starters.
“Tyrone Nix called a gutsy game,” Spurrier said, “and that’s the
way we need to play.”
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.
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