|
Tip-ical defeat
Bounces go Vols' way in key SEC match
By Joseph Person
The State
Published: October 29, 2006Another game against
a top-10 team, another seven-point loss.
A month after losing at home to No. 2 Auburn by a touchdown, USC came up short
again Saturday, falling 31-24 to eighth-ranked Tennessee before a Williams-Brice Stadium crowd of 82,011.
Like the
Auburn game, the Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3 in SEC) lost despite finishing with more offensive plays, total yardage and first downs
than the Volunteers.
"It's kind of reminiscent of the Auburn game play a top-10 team and lose by seven," USC defensive
end Eric Norwood said. "It's like we just can't get over that hump, yet. But we'll get there."
USC dropped its ninth
in a row to a top-10 opponent, dating to a 21-10 win against No. 9 Georgia on Sept. 9, 2000. In doing so, the Gamecocks essentially
fell out of contention for the SEC East title.
The Gamecocks, who are 0-3 against ranked teams this year, will get
another shot next weekend when No. 13 Arkansas visits Columbia. The Razorbacks defeated Louisiana-Monroe 44-10 on Saturday
to improve to 7-1.
Tennessee (7-1, 3-1) used a time-consuming drive and two big plays in the fourth quarter to avenge
last year's 16-15 loss to USC, the Gamecocks' first win in Knoxville.
"Tennessee beat us ח no excuses," USC coach
Steve Spurrier said. "Last year when we beat 'em I said that we were just meant to win. But tonight I don't think we were
quite meant to win. The ball certainly didn't bounce our way and they turned them into scores."
Tennessee coach Phillip
Fulmer, who improved to 4-8 against Spurrier, downplayed his matchup with the former Florida coach.
"It didn't have
anything to do with it," Fulmer said. "Neither one of us played a snap."
Syvelle Newton's 1-yard touchdown run pulled
the Gamecocks to 31-24 with 2:24 left. After receiver Bret Smith recovered Ryan Succop's onside kick, the Volunteers ran three
plays and punted.
The Gamecocks took over on their 10-yard line with 1:06 left and out of timeouts. USC advanced to
the 17 before Demetrice Morley intercepted Newton's desperation pass near midfield as time expired.
A fourth-quarter
lull denied USC its first two-game winning streak against the Vols. After Noah Whiteside's 15-yard touchdown put USC up 17-14,
the Gamecocks managed 18 yards and one first down on their first two possessions of the final quarter.
Tennessee helped
put USC in a daze with the kind of momentum-turning drive that the Vols have become known for a 13-play, 79-yard scoring march
that spanned six minutes. Quarterback Erik Ainge, who was 21-of-29 passing for 254 yards and two touchdowns, capped the drive
with a 10-yard scoring strike to Bret Smith.
The Vols converted a third-and-15 when Ainge beat a blitz and hit Jayson
Swain, who played with a sprained ankle, for 21 yards to the USC 12. On the next play, Smith's second score put the Vols up
21-17 with 13:10 remaining.
"Bad call," USC defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said. "I wish I'd played coverage (instead
of blitzing)."
The Vols then showed off their quick-strike abilities with a 65-yard punt return by Jonathan Hefney
and a 62-yard reception by Robert Meachem, leading to 10 points and a 31-17 led with 5:09 left.
Newton rushed for a
season-high 85 yards and completed 16 of 29 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. But the senior was intercepted three
times, including a pick on the second play from scrimmage that gave Tennessee a 7-0 lead.
Newton threw a quick slant
to Mike West, who was hit by cornerback Jonathan Wade and could not hold on. Marvin Mitchell grabbed the carom and returned
it 17 yards for a touchdown.
The Gamecocks drove 74 yards to the Vols' 5 on their next drive before linebacker Ryan
Karl intercepted Newton in the end zone on a pass that was tipped twice ח by linebacker Ryan Karl and tailback Cory
Boyd.
Tennessee's offense took advantage of a tip on its next possession. On third-and-goal from the 5, Ainge rolled
to his right and threw back into the teeth of the USC defense, which had only 10 men on the field.
USC safeties Emanuel
Cook and Stoney Woodson went up for the ball, which glanced off Woodson's shoulder pads and was pulled down by Smith in the
back of the end zone for a 14-0 lead.
Nix said one of the defensive players had not heard the personnel call from the
sideline.
Said Spurrier: "We were OK then if we had 10. Twelve would have been bad."
The Gamecocks were not
bad. But as was the case against Auburn, they were not quite good enough.
"Once you keep coming up so close, you know
you can play with these guys," Newton said. "But you keep falling short."
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.
|
