The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 01, 1984, Page Page 12, Image 12
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Page 12 ? October 1, 1984 Sports THE GAMECOCK
Raise record to 3-0
Gamecocks
By Tracy Mixson
USC's football team is off to its best start in seven years,
raising its 1984 record to 3-0 with a 17-10 upset over the
University of Georgia Saturday night.
"I've never been prouder or happier for a group than this
team," USC head coach Joe Morrison said of his Gamecocks
after the win. 441 can't think of a bigger victory off hand.
"(The Gamecocks) hung in there when it looked like things
started to turn against them."
Carolina dominated the first half on the strength of quarter
back Allen Mitchell, who led USC to a 10-3 lead at halftime.
BUT THE Bulldogs, ranked 12th in the nation last week by
The Associated Press, came back in the third quarter to even
the score at 10.
Georgia's comeback appeared to be a repeat of the previous
week, when the Bulldogs upset Clemson 26-23 in the game's
final seconds.
Head coach Vince Dooley said ho had hoped his squad
would weaken the Gamecocks in the second half, but soon saw
it wasn't possible.
"i wasn't surprised tnat we didn't wear tnem down because
they were well prepared and never let up," he said.
WITH THE scored tied late in the third quarter, punter and
backup quarterback Mike Hold came off the bench to replace
Mitchell, who had suffered an elbow injury.
"I don't know if Allen could have come back and thrown or
pitched the ball," Morrison said of Mitchell's injury.
"But when Mike came in and did so well, we decided to stay
with him."
Morrison said he made the right decision, because Hold
proceeded to lead USC downfield, connecting with wide
reciever Ira Hillary for 62 yards to set up the final score.
"WE WAITED until the right time, and it was a great
pass," the coach said.
Dooley agreed with Morrison, saying, "(Hold) looked like
he had been in the lineup all year. He came in and did a great
job when his team needed him. The pass to Hillary was
?beautiful and was thrown where it had to be."
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for 195 yards and one interception. Gamecock rushing contributed
165 more for 360 total yards, compared to Georgia's
272.
Big plays help in u
By Job Sitarz _ "if j would
T l -i r _ _ . i _ ii - i * * - * *
uov. neaa iooioan coacn joe Morrison nave oeen a
said it would take a strong defense and a wide open," 1
fired-up offense to beat the nationally- Hold had b<
ranked Georgia Bulldogs Saturday night. and "was rea<
And the Gamecocks did it, defeating the a long time. 1
"Dawgs" 17-10 on two big plays from both
sides of the ball. ON THE p
The first came from Carolina's defense as
Georgia threatened to score late in the second ^
quarter. USC linebacker Paul Vogel ended (
the Bulldog drive, recovering quarterback ^
Todd Williams' fumble on the Carolina two 1^,^
Vogel said the play was a fake dive with a
missed hand-off. The ball came lose and he 'mm. i
"just dove on it as quick as possible." 'J?
"WE NEVER gave them the opportunity BH?
to come in and make big plays," he said.
"We shut everything down. We had W,
everything to gain and nothing to lose." ar & !si
Starting quarterback Allen Mitchell said
Carolina's defense "did a great job.
"They made so many things happen," he |HiSb^HHr
said. Anytime they can play with the intensi- fflffilsHBr
ty that they played with, we've got a good
chance to win."
Praise for the defensive unit also came J
from receiver Ira Hillary. , 'M
"OUR DEFENSE really played well ' ' ? ifi
against a top-notch offense ? Georgia's," * IM H
he said. "I give them a lot of the praise and i it J[ jg
most of the credit, because they held them."
Vogel said it's the defense's job "to keep
turning over the ball and giving it back to the
offense, hoping they could do something."
Later, in the third quarter, it was defensive x'
back Chris Major's interception that gave
Carolina's offense the opportunity to score |
the winning touchdown. ' J
Back-up quarterback Mike Hold replaced . . ?<
Mitchell and led Carolina's final scoring w**
drive 01 trie game, capped oy Moid s one- M
yard touchdown dive.
IT WAS Hold's 62-yard pass to Hillary jk , urtri**.that
put the Gamecocks in scoring position at l
Georgia's six-yard line. t,h? 1^
The quarterback gave credit to Hillary for U5L lailDack
the reception. r'e^ /'nine times
i rt n-fr \ O # li " r
upoci i ?.111-1 car
Up and over
Gerogia tailback Lars Tate tries to jump over Gamecock defensive line
-settle for a field goal. Tate carried the ball 11 times for 35 yards.
Bulldog linebacker Knox Culpepper, who led all defenders
with 21 tackles, said Georgia's defense had difficulties con-,
taining Carolina's offense.
pset of nationally rc
n't have completed it, it would he saw me breaking open; he y
horrible pass because he was ball.
le said. "(The play is designed so) a
;en warming up on the sidelines straight down the field as hare
iy to play. I'd been waiting for couldn't have asked for a bette
did my job." Mitchell, who watched the p
sidelines said, "I was glad he (H
ass play, Hillary said, "I guess to contribute.
Quinton Lewis runs through a hole in the Georgia defense during the first h
for 28 yards in the Gamecocks 17-10 win over Gerogia.
iked Bulldogs
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Photo by Chip Low#*
during the 1st quarter of Saturday's game. Georgia was forced to
"YOU CAN stop them and stop them and stop them and
then all of a sudden they'll break a long one on you," he said.
See "Gamecocks," page 14
inked Georgia
ust threw the "We wanted to win. It's gotten to the
point where teams don't win on individual
ill I do is go plays, it doesn't matter who plays; we win as
I as I can. I a team with everyone contributing.
r throw."
ass from the "HE WAS able to get things going when 1
old) was able wasn't. That's just a good job on his part."
After the game, Hold said, "I was nervous
when I first went in. 1 was prepared for
anything. Things went my way; the teams
way."
filllilip^r Jj "1 wish I could do it again. This is not the
lil||||^F jjjm only time I hope it happens. The Cocks are
JBBl here to stay."
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f support throughout the game.
"ANYTIME WE can get our fans behind
i us it's a plus," Mitchell said. "Georgia had
some trouble a couple of times with the
Vogel added, "The fans got into it, the
band kept playing. They tried to get their
fans pumped up, but it never happened.
"When you got fan support behind you it
feels great. It's just a high emotion ? it
J keeps you going."
In addition to fan support, players said
they realized how important this victory was
% * | DEFENSIVE ENI) James Sumpter said,
0 * "You just don't go out and beat Georgia.
MIL Georgia has a tradition."
4* ^5 Hold said, "We went in with the attitude
that we're as good or if not better than them.
* v V^..' - ^ * - ? r
^ iuu vc goi 10. ii noi, you're gonna get your
"This is probably the key game in our
season," Mitchell said. "We've felt if we
could win against Georgia we could play with
* SL\ anybody on our schedule. It will probably be
a stepping stone for us for the rest of the
A Vogel said USC has had few big wins
while he's been a Gamecock.
Vv
"IT'S NOT often South Carolina gets to
talk about a big win," he said. "This will
be one to remember and go down in the
oto by JoMpti Gwnett ...
nooks lor a long time.
alf. Lewis car- ??1 hope people tMink twice when they
eome down here because we want to win."