The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 25, 1982, Page 13, Image 13
-sports ___
Turnovers plai
By Dennis Switzer
BATON ROUGE, La. ? USC's football team was able to
bend a tough defense and ston a w..* *1
r ? r<'VVHV UllVlIO^, UUL LUl IX
interceptions, including one in the Gamecock end zone,
helped key the 14th-ranked Louisiana State University Tigers
to a 14-6 Homecoming victory Saturday night.
Carolina out-gained LSU in total yards^ 263 to 256, and total
offensive plays, 76 to 69, but turnovers again plagued the
Gamecocks.
USC's defense held the Tigers to 127 yards passing and 256
yards of total offense. In its first five games, LSU averaged
180 yards passing and 432 yards of total offense, scoring
oc ?- n '
an.iwi ou a game. sopnomore linebacker James
Seawright led the Gamecock defense with 16 tackles.
FRESHMAN RUNNING BACK Thomas Dendy accounted
for 97 of USC's 185 rushing yards. LSU previously allowed an
average of 64 yards rushing a game.
LSU remained unbeaten with a 5-0-1 record.while the 3-4
Gamecocks fell below .500 for the first time this year.
On its first possession, Carolina marched 45 yards in seven
plays to LSU's 26-yard line,before quarterback Gordon
Beckham fumbled the ball.
Beckham, in his first start this season, completed 10 of 26
passes for 188 yards with three interceptions. For the first
time this season, a USC quarterback played the entire game.
THE TIGERS srnrpH fi
--?. ?v. >?<. uiwi me lagui s iirbi interception.
Beckham dropped back to pass, started to
scramble and threw. The ball was tipped by LSU linebacker
Rydell Malancon and caught by A1 Richardson.
Five plays later, LSU quarterback Alan Risher connected
with Eric "E.T." Martin in the end zone to culminate the 23yard
drive with 2:10 left in the first quarter.
Martin, nicknamed "E.T." because of his long fingers,
finished the night with eight receptions for 81 yards and two
touchdowns.
Martin caught the second LSU touchdown on a 25-yard pass
from Risher, giving the Tigers a 14-0 lead with 1:42 left in the
first half.
Risher, a senior from Slidell, La., completed 12 of 22 passes
for 127 yards. He became the school's all-time total offensive
leader with 4,147 yards, passing the record set by former
running back Charles Alexander.
THE GAMECOCKS DROVE 55 yards in seven plays on
their next possession to the LSU 20-yard line. Beckham tried
to throw to Ira Hillary in the end zone, but the pass was short
BHbB& ^BBr, ? i / ?
'-?N-^i-^^^^-- ^^HHRffi|.v^dn f v^
Pile on
USC quarterback Gordon Beckham finds himself in the mic
LSU Tigers.
40-yard reception sets up Gamecock
Ira Hillary big-pla\
By Dennis Swifzer
BATON ROUGE, La., ? If USC classified one player as a
big-play man, it probably would be sophomore ?[>iit ^nd Ira
Hillary.
In Saturday's game against Louisiana State University,
Hillary cuaght four passes for 82 yards, including a 40 yarder
in the third quarter that set up the Gamecocks' only touchdown
of the night.
"Gordon put it on the money," Hillary said about the long
pass from USC quarterback Gordon Beckham.
Hillary downplayed his importance in the Gamecock offense,
although he accounted for 82 of the 118 aerial yardage.
"I just go out to play as best I can," he said. "I think I can
play a lot better."
Beckham praised the 5-11, 185-pound receiver from
Edgefield, S.C., and said Hillary is one of his favorite targets.
ira jusi made a great catch on that one ? he's a great
receiver, fie is young and fast and can catch it in a crowd,"
Beckham said.
Hillary has been effective as a runner also. He ran a
gue Carolina i
*^?3PB ?M5k
nllv wHffiwW^Mffirfcfti^^^ffiBBBliHliffiiWnS^^iM
USC quarterback Gordon Beckham looks downfield for open i
block LSU's pass rush Saturday night in Baton Rouge.
and Liffort Hobley intercepted it to end the USC scoring
1 A
unreal.
"It was thrown slightly behind me. I tried to come back for
it," Hillary said.
"I wish I could have that one back," Beckham said.
"I underthrew him. I wish I had led him a little more. I
made a mistake and you can't make mistakes against a team
like LSU," he added.
111^
ilMPIf1 jr**" awuBnwHi^y,
"1 j|p X ^ '. ' . 1 T?
Photo by Woody Alpem
Idle of a pile-up for a short gain Saturday against the
touchdown
t man fnr IISH
reverse against LSU for 14 yards to bring his total rushing
yardage to 35 on three carries.
Hillary was the intended target on two of the three passes
that were intercepted. Tiger free safety Liffort Hobley intercepted
a 20-yard, slightly underthrown pass intended for
Hillary on the edge of the LSU end zone for the most important
turnover of the game. That ended a 55-yard drive by
the Gamecocks.
"I wish I could have that one back," Beckham said. "I
underthrew him. I wish I had led him a little more."
"It was thrown slightly behind me. I tried to come back for
it." Hillarv said nhnut tho nnsc
Beckham felt the interception was a turning point of the
game. "We were going in for a score and they took it away,"
he said.
Hillary is second on the team in total receptions with 14,
behind Chris Corley with 17, but leads in yardage with 281, in
front of Chris Wade who has 2J>1 yards.
The 40-yarder against LSU is not his longest reception this
year. He nabbed a 57-yarder against Cincinnati.
i imiimii iiimiiiiiiiiiwiiiii i miiiuihiininiiwniiiiiimiiikiii himii iihiiiihhhh i i|"iinmhihiwhwimbitfiii'f
Photo by Woody Alpom
receivers while Rusty Russell (76) and Carl West (39)
USC SCORED its only touchdown on a two-play, 46-yard
scoring drive. Beckham passed the ball 40 yards to Hillary
along the left sideline to the LSU six-yard line. Dendy ran six
yards for the touchdown Mark irwfu/rwi'c
?. ...... ? A ivwttvv/u O ^All a [A/illl ctI"
tempt was blocked, ending his streak on 43 consecutive PAT
conversions.
After the touchdown, USC never moved the ball into LSU's
side of the field.
The Tigers had three opportunities for field goals, but
failed on all three attempts. The first, in the second quarter,
was blocked by Seawright. The other two, both in the
fourth quarter, were wide.
LSU Head Football Coach Jerry Stovall was not pleased
with his team's performance. exceDt for the intprr?f?ntinnc
"I think our bandits played superbly. I don't know that we
sustained a drive all night," he said.
"SOUTH CAROLINA is to be congratulated. This was a
very emotional game for them. If they played every game
like they did tonight, they would not be 3-4. South Carolina
has a fine football team. They're going to win a couple before
it's over. I'm very impressed with the team," Stovall said.
4'We feel we can run the football, and we did that," USC
Head Football Coach Richard Bell said.
"uur detense got after them and took away some of the
things they have done well. We controlled the line of
scrimmage. We've got some very physical players up front.
My hat's off to our defense. Our kids wanted to prove that we
are a good football team," Bell said.
"WE DIDN'T COME down here to play good. We came
down here to win," he added.
A crowd of 78,944, the largest in Tiger Stadium history, saw
the Homecoming game. USC feared crowd noise might be a
game factor, but Beckham said it was not a problem.
"It was loud, but we've played in louder places. The crowd
noise really wasn't a factor tonight."
I he Gamecocks travel to Raleigh, N.C., Saturday to meet
North Carolina State.
Sophomore split end Ira Hillary