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riof onco holnc I Ml/IUIIUU ll/IUw \ By Andrew Miller An aggressive defense, a change of dress and turnovers at key moments were just a part of USC's 31-27 football victory over interstate rival North Carolina State University at Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday night. For many of the fans, it was a case of deja vu as this game closely resembled the 1981 State game held in Columbia that saw the Carolina defense force 13 turnovers. The Gamecocks were not immune to the turnover cvnHrnmp as they committed four interceptions and three fumbles Saturday. "WITH ALL the turnovers I'm just happy that we won," USC coach Joe Morrison said. "It wasn't the prettiest win in the world, but it was a win. "I told our team that a win is a win and we'd take them anyway we could. The defense played well. They made the big plays when we needed them." N.C. State head coach Tom Reed said, "We just made too many mistakes to win against a team of that caliber out there. I can't fault our players'effort because they all played a gutty performance." Reed said he was puzzled by his teams play so far this season. "1 just can't put my finger on what the problem is." A RECORD-BREAKING Homecoming crowd of 69,400 had something to cheer about early when reserve running back Todd Berry took a short kick, broke a few tackles and raced 85 yards on the opening kickoff for the all-garnet clad Gamecocks' first score. It was Berry's first attempt at a kickoff return and the longest for the Gamecocks this season. "I saw a big hole and then it closed," the 6-0, 212-pound senior said. "A guy hit me, and when I bounced off of him, I saw another hole open up and 1 took off." An enthusiastic Carolina defense didn't allow the Wolfpack a first down during the first quarter. On State's first five possessions, the Gamecock's 4fire ant1 defense forced two in lercepuorvs ana tnree punts. HOWEVER, WITH the two turnovers Carolina had to settle for a 53-yard Mark Fleetwood field goal. Fleetwood's field goal was his eighth this season and the second longest of his career. "When we made a couple of those interceptions and the offense didn't score, it kind of dropped our intensity," USC defensive back Hinton Tayloe said. "But we didn't fold and we came through. Our motto for this week was find a way to win. After an exchange of punts, USC quarterback Allen Mitchell pitched left to running back Kent Haeood. and. after some high stepping, he found himself in the end zone for his fourth touchdown in five games. THE SECOND quarter was dominated by the Wolfpack as - v W ^ ^ v , ^ wwiimmimnn 11 <?;* (BT Checking off (JSC quarterback Allen Mitchell looks over North Carolina State's d Wolfpack marked the first time the Gamecocks wore an all-garnet ui Spoir t $ I I Q O nunvnrtmri \i LJUU UVCI UUIIIC V i^^HHRIIHk^HB ; -~ ^3 MB --~ ";"~~KSP^ uuiiijj iwi mo u*hm (JSC tight end Chris Corley stretches for the ball as Dwayne Greene State quarterback Tim Esposito- completed six passes for 80 yards, and ran for State's only touchdown of the half. "We jumped out to an early lead," Morrison said. "When you get out to a lead like that we tried to put them away early, but we let them back in it. Morrison said the only thing on his mind during halftime was the momentum. "We really didn't make any major changes at halftime." After a State punt and a John McRorie interception, the Wolfpack drove 58 yards to the Gamecock one-yard line only to have Joe Mcintosh fumble the chance away. I lcr1 w iMr'n A k iviiKe uurran, Carolina's leading tackier, was on the spot to recover it. With the Gamecocks' offense still sputtering, State recovered a Thomas Dendy fumble, and one play later Joe Greene burst through the line to tie the game at 17-all. But it was Dendy's 47-yard touchdown run with 9:35 rejEj?jj^| Gamecoc "WIMk Carolina's "fire-ant defeni ^ mfBBMP resembled its namesake Saturi WC llllr Gamecocks took on the North < Wolfpack in USC's annual , Carolina paired its garnet | matching home jerseys to add t x\ -N^ |n^ % *^l|p Homecoming festivities. * jjralf The idea, borrowed from i jPvlA jpflpfp Clemson Tigers who break c ^ Jill lit uniforms for their biggest gamt , a psychological edge over the jilP while firing up the home team AND USC head coach Joe I fe. the attempt was successful. _ "I thought with Homecomin The 70,000 people on hand < B Saturday night were not the on ^ M IIP" \ game warmup, the Carolina & r wr also unaware of the plan to chai %0F X v "We had no idea we were j, mm \ them," senior running backTot * * \v who returned the game's openi f yards for a touchdown. "We warm up in our regular white p? when we got back the garnet ] ?., A our lockers and coach Morris* -? put them on." rroiu muw? Vo??i. MANY PLAYERS said the f which are usually worn on awa lefense. Saturday s win over the white jerseys, were an added i niform. win Carolina's Homecoming gi Volfpack 31-17 ':' ? v";:~-"" . . ' . .-*r - '"i , ' iJ?bBBR..M^^BBKBUKB!B ^ws>^v .Jim S ^ ^ N ^ Phota by Richard Vogel i defends in the Gamecocks' win Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. maining in the fourth quarter that finally gave USC the decisive edge. "IT WAS the lead option," Dendy said. "Hagood made a key block that got me free. Really the blockers did all the work. It didn't take a good back to run through that hole." With the game still in doubt, Esposito threwa pass intended for Greene, but Tayloe stepped in front to pick it off and run for a 35-yard touchdown. AFTER THE game, Esposito said he was upset with tne Gamecocks' sportsmanship. "There were a lot of late hits out there tonight," the California native said. "There's no excuse for that. "If they can't play fair, they shouldn't play at all. The cheap shots just proves that they are just a bunch of chickens who could only hurt with illegal hits." Seawright responded to Esposito's accusation by saying, "If he can't take the heat then he should get the hell out of the kitchen." ks switch colors :oming victory "It really fired us up," junior defensive if Halloween, back Hinton Tavloe said. "We knew what se" actually we had to do to win, and we did." day when the Junior linebacker James Seawright said, Carolina State "We really got the intensity. No one was goHomecoming ing to come in here and beat us on our Homecoming." cock history, "We had been thinking about changing pants with its the pants or the jerseys before," senior o the spirit of defensive tackle Rickey Hagood said. "When coach Morrison told us to put on our the archrival garnet pants it made us feel really good, >,, .,n ? ? " ... mi an-uiau&c uccausc oeiore we Had always played in the ;s, was to gain same colors. competition, "I HAD been mellowed out before the game until he told us to change. That's really S/Iorrison said what we wanted to do, and I was ready to play then." g and all that Senior tight end Dominique Blasingame i said. "Our said he was pleasantly surprised at the and came out change. "We came off the field from pregame and back into the locker room before the game, and still more The next thing we knew we were wearing ation WTBS garnet pants. That's what we were looking ly people sur- for, because it definitely added some spirit to , During pre- the game. players were "If Clemson could do it, I guess we decidnge uniforms. ed we could do it too. 1 just hope we have a joing to wear surprise for them when we play, and come id Herry said, out with something that will freak them ng kickoff 85 out." went out to ints, and then COULD IT be all-black uniforms when pants were in ^ey meet the Tigers Nov. 19? Morrison, who on told us to has a reputation for wearing all black along the sidelines, didn't suggest any possibilities, but said, "We came out in all garnet and I garnet pants, think things worked out we!! for us. Our ly games with young men were very enthusiastic about the inspiration to change. And it really was a good looking time. uniform."