Florida State defeated South Carolina 26-17 at the Georgia Dome in Friday’s Chick-Fil-A-Bowl. The Seminoles never trailed against the 19th ranked Gamecocks in winning their first bowl game under head coach, Jimbo Fisher. South Carolina committed five turnovers, despite 400 yards of offense and a late fourth quarter rally. For FSU, it was program’s first ten win season since 2003. The Seminoles won for the tenth time this year behind backup quarterback, E.J. Manuel and defensive back, Greg Reid. Reid, the sophomore cornerback, forced two fumbles and Manuel was a solid and efficient passer throughout the game. Manuel finished 11-for-15 for 84 yards and a touchdown. Running back, Chris Thompson, gained 145 yards on 25 carries. Thompson scored one of two FSU touchdowns.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a pair of first quarter field goals to give the Seminoles a 6-0 lead. Thompson’s 27 yard rushing score increased the FSU advantage to 13-0 with 1:02 remaining in the first half. Manuel set up the touchdown with a 32 yard scramble on second down. It was a turnover-filled first half for the Gamecocks. South Carolina would not go into the break without scoring on Spencer Lanning’s 40 yard field goal as time expired. Junior signal-caller for the Gamecocks, Stephen Garcia, went 6-for-8 on the nine play scoring drive as South Carolina’s offense finally got into a rhythm.
Twenty-third ranked Florida State opened the second half with another field goal. Hopkins’ 35 yarder made it 16-3 in favor of the Seminoles. Stephon Gilmore picked off an FSU pass inside the Gamecock’s 10 yard line for Manuel’s only interception of the night. The Gamecocks used a Wildcat formation to mix things up on offense. Garcia keyed the attack, capitalizing on the pick by hitting Ace Sanders with a three yard touchdown catch to cut the Seminole lead to six. Florida State answered with Hopkins fourth field goal, a 45 yard kick with nine seconds left in the third quarter.
Brian Maddox found the end zone early in the fourth quarter to trim the FSU lead to 19-17. Maddox, filling in for the injured Marcus Lattimore, rushed seven yards for the score and finished with 53 on the day. FSU struggled on third down most of the game, but during their final touchdown drive, wouldn’t settle for three. Manuel went 7-for-7 during a 63 yard drive that set up Taiwan Easterling’s seven yard touchdown on third-and-goal. The 13 play drive also knocked about six and a half minutes off the clock as time began to run out on Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks. Reid deflected a fourth down Garcia pass with just over three minutes to finish off the turnover-plagued Gamecocks. The Seminoles celebrated, ringing in the New Year with a 26-17 Chick-fil-A-Bowl win.
Parting Points: Not a great way to start off 2011 for the Pitt Panthers. New hire, Mike Haywood, was charged with domestic violence. As if recruiting high school players from the Midwest wasn’t challenging enough…in the absence of a decent coach, it’s virtually impossible.
Other Friday bowl winners-Notre Dame, USF and UCF.
Showing posts with label South Carolina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Carolina. Show all posts
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Tigers Take Title
Cam Newton, Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers are headed to the BCS Championship game after winning the SEC title. The Tigers walloped 18th ranked South Carolina 52-17 in the Georgia Dome on Saturday to improve to 13-0 on the year. Auburn will face the Oregon Ducks, winners against Oregon State yesterday, in the national title game in Arizona. The Tigers’ controversial quarterback, Newton, fired six touchdown passes and raised his bid for the leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Newton pushed his season touchdown total to 28 passing and 20 rushing three days after the NCAA ruled him eligible to play. For Auburn, it was the seventh SEC title in school history. Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks finished with a 9-4 record.
The Tigers compiled 21 points and 227 yards on offense by the end of the first quarter. Onterio Mccalebb sealed a 12 yard pass from Newton to give Auburn a 7-0 lead two minutes into the contest. McCalebb returned the opening kickoff and Newton’s threw a 61 yard bomb to Darvin Adams that set up the touchdown two plays later. The Gamecocks evened the score 7-7 by taking their first possession into the end zone. Patrick DeMarco hauled down a Stephen Garcia pass over the middle for a 25 yard score. Auburn’s flashy junior quarterback kept making plays, shuffling into the end zone from five yards out midway through the first quarter to give the Tigers a 14-7 advantage. Newton ran for 73 yards and a pair of touchdowns in guiding the Tigers to victory. He hit Adams in stride for a 54 yard touchdown with 2:09 remaining in the opening quarter to provide the Tigers a 14 point lead.
Alshon Jeffrey’s one yard touchdown reception with sixteen seconds left in the first half was the first scoring of the second quarter. Newton lost his first fumble of his college career and Garcia was intercepted in a sloppy second quarter on both ends. Wes Bynum, the reliable field goal kicker for Auburn, missed a 36 yard attempt and South Carolina’s defense held the Tigers’ offense to zero points until Newton found Adams as time expired in the half. Adams caught a tipped pass by S.C.’s Devonte Holloman in the end zone to give the Tigers a 28-14 edge at the break. The receiver finished with 217 yards and a pair of scores on the day.
Newton’s one yard touchdown run, his second rushing score of the day, opened the second half scoring for Auburn. T’Sharvan Bell followed the Newton run with an interception return for a touchdown to pad the Auburn lead. The eight yard pick-six gave the Tigers a sizable 42-14 advantage with 7:23 to play in the third quarter. Emory Blake, who finished with 63 yards on five receptions, caught a seven yard pass from Newton three minutes into the fourth quarter. Trailing 49-14, the Gamecocks finally answered back with a 33 yard field goal by Spencer Lanning. Lanning missed from 42 yards out early in the half. Running back for Auburn, Michael Dyer, wore down the Gamecock defense and carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards. It was the senior back for Chizik that scored the final touchdown of the game. Mario Fannin scurried into the end zone for a six yard score with 2:22 to play. Newton finished his storybook season with a career best 335 yards and completed 17 of 28 passes. Garcia was intercepted twice in tossing 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Gamecocks are possibly headed to the Outback Bowl after being blown out in Atlanta yesterday.
Parting Points: Derek Jeter is signed- three years for $51 million and a fourth year option. The BoSox deal for Adrian Gonzalez.
Congrats to the Connecticut Huskies for clinching a BCS Bowl game. I’m disappointed in the Seminoles for losing to VT.
The Tigers compiled 21 points and 227 yards on offense by the end of the first quarter. Onterio Mccalebb sealed a 12 yard pass from Newton to give Auburn a 7-0 lead two minutes into the contest. McCalebb returned the opening kickoff and Newton’s threw a 61 yard bomb to Darvin Adams that set up the touchdown two plays later. The Gamecocks evened the score 7-7 by taking their first possession into the end zone. Patrick DeMarco hauled down a Stephen Garcia pass over the middle for a 25 yard score. Auburn’s flashy junior quarterback kept making plays, shuffling into the end zone from five yards out midway through the first quarter to give the Tigers a 14-7 advantage. Newton ran for 73 yards and a pair of touchdowns in guiding the Tigers to victory. He hit Adams in stride for a 54 yard touchdown with 2:09 remaining in the opening quarter to provide the Tigers a 14 point lead.
Alshon Jeffrey’s one yard touchdown reception with sixteen seconds left in the first half was the first scoring of the second quarter. Newton lost his first fumble of his college career and Garcia was intercepted in a sloppy second quarter on both ends. Wes Bynum, the reliable field goal kicker for Auburn, missed a 36 yard attempt and South Carolina’s defense held the Tigers’ offense to zero points until Newton found Adams as time expired in the half. Adams caught a tipped pass by S.C.’s Devonte Holloman in the end zone to give the Tigers a 28-14 edge at the break. The receiver finished with 217 yards and a pair of scores on the day.
Newton’s one yard touchdown run, his second rushing score of the day, opened the second half scoring for Auburn. T’Sharvan Bell followed the Newton run with an interception return for a touchdown to pad the Auburn lead. The eight yard pick-six gave the Tigers a sizable 42-14 advantage with 7:23 to play in the third quarter. Emory Blake, who finished with 63 yards on five receptions, caught a seven yard pass from Newton three minutes into the fourth quarter. Trailing 49-14, the Gamecocks finally answered back with a 33 yard field goal by Spencer Lanning. Lanning missed from 42 yards out early in the half. Running back for Auburn, Michael Dyer, wore down the Gamecock defense and carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards. It was the senior back for Chizik that scored the final touchdown of the game. Mario Fannin scurried into the end zone for a six yard score with 2:22 to play. Newton finished his storybook season with a career best 335 yards and completed 17 of 28 passes. Garcia was intercepted twice in tossing 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Gamecocks are possibly headed to the Outback Bowl after being blown out in Atlanta yesterday.
Parting Points: Derek Jeter is signed- three years for $51 million and a fourth year option. The BoSox deal for Adrian Gonzalez.
Congrats to the Connecticut Huskies for clinching a BCS Bowl game. I’m disappointed in the Seminoles for losing to VT.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Carolina (De)Claws Cats in Columbia
There are no more undefeated teams in college basketball. John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats, the last remaining unbeaten squad, were shocked in Columbia, South Carolina last night. The Gamecocks took care of Kentucky 68-62 days after the Wildcats reclaimed the number one ranking in the nation for the first time since 2003. The Gamecocks lost all seven of their previous games against number one ranked teams. Not last night. South Carolina snapped a three game conference losing streak Tuesday to improve to 3-3 in the SEC and 12-8 overall. Kentucky is now 19-1 following a 30 point posting by the SEC’s top scorer, Carolina’s Devan Downey. Downey delivered the deafening blow through sheer domination, defense and penetration.
South Carolina whipped Kentucky for the third consecutive time by exposing Kentucky’s youth. Second year coach, Darrin Horn, sent an undersized and undermanned Gamecocks crew to the hardwood at Colonial Life Arena. Horn’s 5’9” guard poured in 30 points in 38 minutes and was 10-for-11 from the free throw line. Senior Brandis Raley-Ross added 17 points for the Gamecocks. DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points to go along with 12 rebounds for the Wildcats. Player of the year candidate, John Wall, fired 19 points and was 6-of-16 from the field. Wall, the offensive juggernaut, was agonized after the Wildcats went on a 14-3 run and took a five point lead midway through the second half. The men in blue are now second in the SEC East, but have a chance to change things against Vanderbilt Saturday. Kentucky ended 38.6% shooting from the field and 25% from the arc. South Carolina was up 62-56 with less than two minutes remaining. Wall secured a pair of free throws and dropped a 3-pointer as Kentucky pulled within three points. Raley-Ross went to the line with 40 seconds left and later sealed the upset by converting a free throw with ten ticks on the clock.
The Cats had several matchup advantages over the Gamecocks. South Carolina earned the victory with sensational blocking and rebounding. They overcame a poor shooting night to defeat a more athletic Kentucky team. Defense has been a hallmark for the overpowering Wildcats. Kentucky didn’t have an answer for Downey, and it helped little that the Wildcats’ offensive stars were shutout of the scoring column. Downey raucously cut through Wildcat defenders and was aided by Sam Muldrow’s 11 rebounds. Johndre Jefferson picked up eight for a Gamecock’s defense that forced Kentucky to play half-court basketball most of the evening. South Carolina limited freshman, Eric Bledsoe, to four points after he finished in double digits in six straight games. Bledsoe and Wall missed key layups, and Patrick Patterson was stymied in his attempt at short jumpers. Carolina’s inspired defense spurred 20 blocks while executing an effective coverage strategy. The home team carried a three point deficit into the locker room but bested the number one team by nine points in the second half. Downey was terrific in outplaying Wall and Patterson. The All-American candidate was swift and consistent in the clutch. He had seven points in the final four minutes. With Downey at the helm, the Gamecocks are an unstoppable force in the SEC. But don’t rule out Calipari and his three freshman shooters. The lively Lexington boys will factor into the NCAA tournament’s number one seeding. South Carolina may have plucked a few of their whiskers Tuesday night, but there Cats are bound to claw their way back to the top.
Parting Points: South Carolina was fined $25,000 for allowing fans onto the basketball court following last night’s win.
Andre Dawson is heading into the HOF as a Montreal Expo. Today’s the anniversary of the Giants-Bills Superbowl 19 years ago. Tsonga edged Djokovic at the Australian Open, but Novak has some of the crispest, most formful strokes in tennis.
Song of the day- “Yellow” by Coldplay
Great paperback pickup- “Odd Man Out” by Matt McCarthy
South Carolina whipped Kentucky for the third consecutive time by exposing Kentucky’s youth. Second year coach, Darrin Horn, sent an undersized and undermanned Gamecocks crew to the hardwood at Colonial Life Arena. Horn’s 5’9” guard poured in 30 points in 38 minutes and was 10-for-11 from the free throw line. Senior Brandis Raley-Ross added 17 points for the Gamecocks. DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points to go along with 12 rebounds for the Wildcats. Player of the year candidate, John Wall, fired 19 points and was 6-of-16 from the field. Wall, the offensive juggernaut, was agonized after the Wildcats went on a 14-3 run and took a five point lead midway through the second half. The men in blue are now second in the SEC East, but have a chance to change things against Vanderbilt Saturday. Kentucky ended 38.6% shooting from the field and 25% from the arc. South Carolina was up 62-56 with less than two minutes remaining. Wall secured a pair of free throws and dropped a 3-pointer as Kentucky pulled within three points. Raley-Ross went to the line with 40 seconds left and later sealed the upset by converting a free throw with ten ticks on the clock.
The Cats had several matchup advantages over the Gamecocks. South Carolina earned the victory with sensational blocking and rebounding. They overcame a poor shooting night to defeat a more athletic Kentucky team. Defense has been a hallmark for the overpowering Wildcats. Kentucky didn’t have an answer for Downey, and it helped little that the Wildcats’ offensive stars were shutout of the scoring column. Downey raucously cut through Wildcat defenders and was aided by Sam Muldrow’s 11 rebounds. Johndre Jefferson picked up eight for a Gamecock’s defense that forced Kentucky to play half-court basketball most of the evening. South Carolina limited freshman, Eric Bledsoe, to four points after he finished in double digits in six straight games. Bledsoe and Wall missed key layups, and Patrick Patterson was stymied in his attempt at short jumpers. Carolina’s inspired defense spurred 20 blocks while executing an effective coverage strategy. The home team carried a three point deficit into the locker room but bested the number one team by nine points in the second half. Downey was terrific in outplaying Wall and Patterson. The All-American candidate was swift and consistent in the clutch. He had seven points in the final four minutes. With Downey at the helm, the Gamecocks are an unstoppable force in the SEC. But don’t rule out Calipari and his three freshman shooters. The lively Lexington boys will factor into the NCAA tournament’s number one seeding. South Carolina may have plucked a few of their whiskers Tuesday night, but there Cats are bound to claw their way back to the top.
Parting Points: South Carolina was fined $25,000 for allowing fans onto the basketball court following last night’s win.
Andre Dawson is heading into the HOF as a Montreal Expo. Today’s the anniversary of the Giants-Bills Superbowl 19 years ago. Tsonga edged Djokovic at the Australian Open, but Novak has some of the crispest, most formful strokes in tennis.
Song of the day- “Yellow” by Coldplay
Great paperback pickup- “Odd Man Out” by Matt McCarthy
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