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m THE fiAMBfiOCiK SPOljlS ? Gamecocks Tracy Mixson A trick play and an interception in the game's final minute gave heavily-favored USC a 31-24 season-opening win over The Citadel Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium. After Quinton Lewis' halfback option pass to Chris Wade put the Gamecocks ahead mitk miniifp l#?ff tn r*lau Otic Mnrric in_ Willi V/iiv iiiiiiuiv ?v i i piu; ) \/h?j itivi i i?j ait tercepted a fourth-down pass by Citadel quarterback Robert Hill to seal the victory. Gamecock head coach Joe Morrison said mental mistakes and a tough Bulldog defense created a too-close-for-comfort contest. "WE WON the game, and that's about all I con cot/ 'ihnnt it " lip cairl "Wp rAallv JiqH o 1 v.UII Jttj uuv/ui 111 Iiv >nuu. ?? v vwiij nuv? u lot of things happen in that first half, turnovers and mistakes, but we showed a lot of character in the second half and came back. "Anytime you are in a tight ball game with four minutes to nlav and vou are able to cet into the end zone, you have to feel good." j| It looked as if the game was over for the 5 Bulldogs following USC's touchdown that broke a 24-24 tie. But The Citadel made one final effort, returning the kick off 77 yards to g the Gamecock 18. ^ HILL'S FOURTH down pass attempt was 1 picked off by Morris, a play Morrison said 1 "saved the day" for USC. ^ "We let them get right back in it on the I kickoff return. It took a great play on the in- R terception by Otis Morris to save the day." gj The Gamecocks drew first blood with run- | ning back Raynard Brown's 10 yard rush up ft the middle at 5:38 of the opening quarter. 1 TWO MINUTES later Gamecock running I back Quinton Lewis broke for a 41-yard scramble to USC's one yard line, but a clipp mg (jcucuiy idiicu iiic piay uaiiv.. The next play produced the first of three following fumbles by both teams. An errant 1 pitch from quarterback Allen Mitchell to Brown ended USC's drive at midfield. The Citadel then returned the favor with a fumble by Hill, but the Gamecocks couldn't nn ?/i tVio Kail Aifhpr Thnmac Hpnriv I 1U1U \JU IV/ lliv l/uil viiliv* a nviiiua coughed up the ball after four more plays, and the first quarter ended with USC on top, 7-0. rertecx pi Running back ^nppr. ^sHB J^^hWSMf?^b:xv'? ipMfiify' Hft^ fl 8L .? *^EraP^^?fii JwfV^^r mrv fiKSj^^-3 PPPPH^P^ JBBBf 4y^gV2ur-.:- ,19^ g *1,?^ >, - '' " |M,, ;p|jjBBipiy^"j%?^^B|| . ^ imr- #? Bfe ?SSg5 . Iw ^ Kill I - MHH - '-' :: Off to the races USC running back Quinton Lewis runs past two Ci called back because of a penalty. H1.I - - - - . ; escape wi t ^"-v fflUA *$wu^smBt ^HflHSf ^8S8 SJ^^w ' g ?&**. I . ^1$1 m |SI s ? WiSr ? iI lk^* 1QBHHIBHBk >i^BBI5i*MMSKETm&m?t&&$& *v ': \ -^4; Around the end USC running back Raynard Brown runs wide in Saturda ed for 74 yards and two touchdowns. THE CITADEL dominated the second ? oeriod. The Bulldog's drove 53 vards in i seven plays to even the score 7-7 with a 5-yard pass to Victor Frazier. 1 With 5:37 left in the half, USC scored on I Brown's 10-yard sweep to the left, and kicker I 1SS enjoys high school SfignsBsY |raaL wr? J? f I Ha $8 HnFTri 'M 'h* B1 i Wffl.m Mm - 1 ^"f^C "V"l?^. ^#v^TV>'?_ - -~^m^-'-*f- " -'"'-i.f y1 VV.?Jl -j-^'^f 7^i B M IMfefeSi^&tffetttt M '-ft& itadel defenders on his way to an apparent 41 yard touc ith narrow 1 passe; 21-14 ft AT (Jh mik ur,der BBaMfer ^ j||&^j^^5SP*| chanj. WMtSISM 3bL. - ? ? ^^&iP'J3Su?8"?H <?I PMlw nBar* their *% prof)'^ I^I^SllfSlB B jM||i?|||^ more ?5Bk| w*de ||A^te?S^ * mi :-?liiKm^L'"?1M touch 'V "^T.ZTl-.?'' Uffll^^^ ^ Ai/ilfi8^5^j#SiflP^MFtiiCT o H quart Bu Greg sever Gam Lewi perf< conr r a rr gooc Photo by Joseph Garrett Lt he h y's 31-24 victory over The Citadel. Brown rush- decu ing ! ? 4 1 - all I Scott Hagler's extra point put the wid< Damecocks ahead, 14-7. The drive was Carolina's last score of the M lalf, while The Citadel produced back-to- opti< jack scoring drives. Brown's fumble on the succ cick off allowed consecutive touchdown flashback on winn By Bob Lang After he complete* Wade against The < d Quinton Lewis remer xRjtfl 1 1 'iacl a sc U quarterback at Bradvs in place of injured ri lllllm * MMftai J Lewis was surprise) ' x Wfti ed. "1 had been thin but I didn't think we ^^^WnHTiffirar"^inflnT ^ac* t^ie ?Pt>on 1 mJt going to run it all thi ^9| X M time. It was a matter ' :. m flft Gamecock quarter! on the play. ^ . ^H|KH "Quinton did a gr< enine to run." Mitrh jfc Lewis's part. He mai remembered a 'sigh < "S^S^ supposed to be thro> : El 83-vard drive becun Moore said. Photo by Joseph Ganwtt South Carolina he. ed with the drive, hdown run. Lewis s run was "Anytime you are victory >, and the Bulldogs led at halftime, THE half, Morrison told his players to own on mistakes such as their three les and seven penalties for -75 yards, gave the team my opinion of how we d in the first half, and I think they stood," he said. >rrison said the Gamecocks' had dify adjusting to the Bulldogs' ever?tnr? rlafancnfo fArmatiAti in firct ,1115 U^1VII3IVV I Ul I 1 lul IV/11 111 IIIV IllOl r WAS difficult to run our option with eight-man front. We weren't really ired for that." t after adjusting to the Bulldogs' defentyle in the third quarter, USC managed ive within field goal range, and Hagler's -point effort was successful, e Gamecocks enjoyed success once near the quarter's end, as Mitchell hit receiver Ira Hillary for a 50-yard idown pass on a one-play drive. ITH THE seven-second play, South lina led 24-21 at the end of third ter. t USC's lead was short-lived as Bulldog Davis' field goal tied the score with \ minutes left in the game. le deadlock set the scene tor the ecocks' final-minute comeback. After drove the ball to Citadel's 40-yard line, s executed his halfback option play to :ction. iE 6-0, 200-pound athlete rolled out and lected with Wade in the end zone to put >lina up for good. Hagler's PAT was 1 for the final score, 31-24. jwis, who rushed for 97 total yards, said lad both run and pass options, and he ded to fake Citadel's defense into thinktie would rush. I worked it out to make it look like a run :he way," he said. "Then I saw Chris ? open and completed the pass." ORRISON SAID the team practiced the on play often, and is almost "100 percent essful" executing it. See "Citadel," page 12 ing throw d the 40-yard touchdown pass to Chris Citadel Saturday, senior running back nbered his days in high school. hool flashback," said Lewis a former c /ell Institute in Ga. who started Saturday inning back Kent Hagood. d when the 'halfback pass' play was callking about it (the play) the whole game, were going to have to use it," he said. to run or Dass. I made it look like I was e way, and I let go at the last minute, cored on that in a two-a-day practice one of executing, and we did that." back Allen Mitchell complemented Lewis sat job being an actor, acting like he was lell said. "It was a great play on Quinton de that play." /e wide receiver from Athens, Ga., of relief' after catching Lewis' pass with -called play by the coaching staff," he give credit to Quinton - it was the most have ever seen. He threw it like it was vn." >roke a 24-24 tie, was the climax of an with 4:12 remaining in the game. L T 1 M !J 1 1 - PC cuacii luui iv^uurc saiu nc <tnu nis siau the touchdown play. tg something a little different at that stage a gutsy call, and they executed it well," ad coach Joe Morrison said he was pleasin a tight ball game with four minutes to See "Lewis," page 13