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[ cppunus ? Ba^ :^^mBB8IMML y W T i i.^r i Gamecoa By Mike Chibbaro Sport* Editor ANN ARBOR ? The scoreboard at Michigan Stadium read: South Carolina 17 Michigan 14, time - 0:00. A deafening silence filled the hupp staHinm The over 100,000 Michigan fans that had jammed into the historic arena on this brisk Autumn afternoon stood quietly and watched the University of South Carolina football team celebrate one of its biggest football victories ever. The hush which loomed over the stadium following Saturday's game, was in essence a symbolic tribute to the USC football team. South Carolina and Michigan battled headtn-lionrl fr*r fiA minntpc Thp hotfpr fpam hafi won. In their stoic silence, the Michigan fans accepted their team's defeat and acknowledged the Gamecocks' victory. Enroute to th^^ third victory of the season, the Gsiftfecocks had to overcome a 14-3 halftimp "deficit. 11 a . "It was a great wfn for us, but I don't lik< to rate one win any bigger than another. USC head coach Jim Carlen said. "I told th kirk at halftirrw> that <mrif?thincr atuu\ \jl going to happen and I tuhl them to stick wit it and they'd win this game." 'Sumctliir" >* happen for II iiiinccook in li . half of Saturday contest, but Carolina was not assured of it victory until the final play of the game. AFTER MICHIGAN linebacker Robert Thompson picked off a Garry Harper pass with 2:35 remaining in the game, the Wolverines staged a dramatic offensive drive that fell just three yards short of victory. Behind the passing of quarterback Johi Wangler and the running of sophomore jF" III -1i,r:i^SBkg=ljJBIw^?88WHItr':::^&gfo... . JH^ J'.V^c: rmmwrn+mmam 1/ Mil ks leave Mic tailback Lawrence Ricks, Michigan drove deep into Gamecock territory. But once the Wolverines penetrated inside the Gamecock ten, the Carolina defense rose to the occasion and forced "something good" to happen. On iii*st and goal from the six, cornerback Mark Bridges made a driving deflection of a Wangler pass in the endzone. Two plays later, defensive end Hal Henderson broke through the Wolverine line and dumped Wangler for a seven yard loss with only eight seconds to play. On the final play of the game, Wangler fired a pass toward his favorite receiver Anthony Carter in the endzone, but sophomore Chuck Finney partially deflected the pass out of Carter's reach as time expired. DEFENSIVE TACKLE Chuck Allen, who led the Gamecock defense with eight solo hits andiour assists, summarized the play of the Gamecock defense during the crucial series. "It was a young defense playing like veterans," Allen noted. "We came up with the big play when we needed it." UonHorcnn mhn Hoc Knan m Kit* ril'n/ m >n i iV/iivtv>i Owiij vy iiv/ imo mvv.ii u uig piujr iiiuu for the Gamecocks all year long, explained his key quarterback sack. "When I saw they were going to pass, I just went after him," Hendersort said. "When he dropped back the only thing I could think of was just to get him. It was a great feeling for me when I got to him, not just for myself, but for the whole team." The Gamecocks got on the scoreboard first when Eddie Leopard connected on a 26yard field goal with 7:19 to play in the first quarter. The scoring drive was set ud bv the w r ^ running of George Rogers. The All American running back rushed for 142 yards on 36 carries in Saturday's game ? his 14th 'CfOtNQV*1 XJIkj'S : yBj ^hinar -higanfans s consecutive 100-yard performance. On the following nossession. Michigan unleashed an 80-yard scoring drive which was capped off by a nine-yard touchdown pass from Wangler to Carter. THE WOLVERINES added another score in the closing minutes of the first half when once again Wangler teamed up with the fleet-footed Carter for a scoring aerial. The score gave the Wolverines a 14-3 lead at the half. "When we got behind, we never stopped Kat mirinrt f um aauM l>? ^.1. J u^ii^viug uiai wu tuuiu tunic UdL'K dllU win," USC's Garry Harper said. "We knew we had to keep believing in ourselves." On their first possession of the second half, Harper and the Gamecocks used that magic of believing to mount a 80-yard touchdown drive. Harper fired a 14-yard nnac n.... 1i ? o.?; w .... iu lidimci uuiulc oiiiiin iu ^ivc uic Gamecocks a first and goal at the nine. Two plays later, Rogers bolted over from the two and Leopard's extra-point brought USC to within four at 14-10. Not to be outdone by the offense, the Gamecock defense came up with >.? nay have been the biggest play of t ime. Michigan faced a fourth and ir ? .. ' at their own 29-yard line. The A ii .'fines attempted a fake punt as t! . . center was taken by fullback S v > ds Not fooled by the diversion. stopped Edwards well shor' ? tirst down yardage. "When he (Edwards) got to me, it was jusi one-on-one, mere was no Diocmng, Finney said. "We had seen them use that play in the Michigan State game Wb< n our coaches called our defense, we knew they were looking for it because we btt! ten men playing the run or pass and onb playing the punt." FINNEY'S ALEKT defensive Be wv w M mum. Photo by Lisa Klausner ? The Michigan Daily * 1 peecniess out to be the catalyst for UCS's gamewinning touchdown. Behind the running of Rogers, Johnnie Wright, and Percey Reeves, the Gamecocks marched 30 yards into the endzone for the go-ahead score. Wright plunged over from the one for the score and Leopard's PAT gave USC a 17-14 lo'jH with A QQ fn nlov IVUVt till * . VV ptuj . After the game, Carlen downplayed the significance of beating the seventeenth ranked Wolverines. "I'd rather beat Clemson and Georgia than to beat Michigan and Southern Cal," Carlen said. "But coming up here to Michigan and beating thorn ic nr?t tn Ka cliflhfoH I'm nrnnrl nf tho UlVlli 1U IIVV W MV OllgllbVU, A p* VUV-* V7I V* IV way our players performed. Michigan's offensive line is as good as ar.y I've ever seen, but our people up front played extremely well." USC'S DEFENSIVE LEADER Chuck Allen viewed Saturday's win in a different perspective. "It was wha? this football program really needed ? vin against a national power," Allen sai<; U will help us gain some national respec td put us over that imaginary bump." USC's Rogers commis d wit' Allen calling the victory p< most significant of his career ' play teams like Michigan evei r> - vhole team I thought did a g< )gers added. Tight end Willie Scott, h d the sentiments of coach Cat v. ,n is a win," Scott said. "I'd i. rather beat Clemsonany day." For some of the Ga u:k flayers, Saturday's win over Mic*> m m have just been another victon ror ' mass of Gamecock fans that oia's Metropolitan Airport to greet the team, the , o er the Wolverines was obvious- ream come true."