The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 01, 2001, Page 8, Image 8
GAME SCHEDULE
WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Clemson, 7 p.m. Tuesday
MEN’S SOCCER vs. Furman, 7 p.m. Wednesday
VOLLEYBALL vs. Kentucky, 7 p.m. Friday
WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Kentucky, 7 p.m. Friday
FOOTBALL vs. Kentucky, 1 p.m. Saturday
I
BY KENT BABB
THE GAMECOCK :
South Carolina knew it had
some changes to make after falling
behind 23-10 at halftime against
Alabama on Saturday.
Alabama quarterback Tyler
Watts had already run for more
than 100 yards, and USC had
forced the Crimson Tide to punt
just once. v
So after assigning spur safety
Rashad Faison to keep an eye on
Watts, USC coach Lou Holtz let the
Gamecocks offense go to work.
After outscoring Alabama 27-13
in the second half off a stellar per
formance by quarterback Phil Pet
ty, USC defeated Alabama 37-36
Saturday, Carolina’s first win over
the Crimson Tide.
“We had to change some things
after the first half,” Holtz said.
“(Offensive coordinator) Skip
(Holtz) and I just decided to let the
offense make some plays we had
steered away from this year.”
Watts scored two touchdowns
while running for 162 yards.
Holtz said after the game that
he called on his defense at half
time to regroup after allowing 308
yards in the first half.
USC had entered the game al
lowing 305 yards per game while
giving up an average of only 12
points.
The big plays came when South
Carolina went to a defensive pack
age in the second half that includ
ed three down linemen, two line
backers and six defensive backs.
That allowed the Gamecocks to de
fend the option with outside sec
ondary players.
“ The last two drives, we were
able to get it [the defense] under
control,” Holtz said.
But Holtz said the win had a lot
to do with luck, citing other lucky
wins that teams had on the way to
big seasons.
“Whenever you play a team like
Alabama, you have to be lucky to
win,” he said. “We were lucky to
day.”
Alabama’s success wasn’t lim
ited to the first half, though, as
Watts continued to confound
USC’s defensive front for big
gains. He"ran the option for a 9
yard touchdown with 9:01 left to
give the Crimson Tide a 36-24 lead.
After the Gamecock defense
forced Alabama to go three-and
out for only the second time that
day, the offense came in and
scored on a 2-yard touchdown by
Derek Watson to make the score
36-30.
What had once seemed to be a
normal defensive stand by the
Gamecocks was a big deal, and de
fensive coordinator Charlie
Strong knew it.
“We didn’t play well,” Strong
said. “We never quit, though. We
kept telling them somebody had to
make a play. At the end, we finally
did.”
Linebacker Kenny Harney and
defensive tackle Langston Moore
dropped Alabama tailback Ah
maad Galloway for a 3-yard run on
first down just before Antione Ne
smith popped Galloway for a 3
yard loss.
“When it came down to the end,
we were tired, but we couldn't let
the team down,” Deandre Eiland
said.
Safety Jonathan Martin echoed
that statement. y
“We never got down on our
selves,” Martin said. “We kept fight
ing and telling each other it was
crunch time and we had to step up.”
Following the punt, Petty led
USC 44 yards downfield and
capped it off with a seven-yard
touchdown to tight end Rod Traf
ford with 2:18 remaining.
"Really, there wasn't much
thinking involved,” Trafford said
of the catch. "I think that's when
the best things turn out."
Trafford’s game-winner culmi
nated the series that not only gave
USC the lead, but also took nearly
nine minutes off the clock. That
was only three minutes more than
fans took to tear down the goal
posts in the north endzone for the
third time in two years.
“They’re ranked, we’re not.
They’re undefeated, we’re not. We
come into their place, they beat us
and they tear down the goal
posts,” Alabama coach Dennis
Franchione said. “What does that
tell you? It tells you we’re Alaba
>»
ma.
Holtz just joked about tearing
down the posts.
“Do you realize how many
pieces of that thing I’m going to
have to sign?” he asked.
USC continues Southeastern
Conference play at 1 p.m. Satur
day when Kentucky visits
Williams-Brice Stadium. The
Gamecocks defeated the Wildcats
last year 27-17.
For more about Saturday’s games,
go to www.dailygamecock.com
Gamecock defensive end Jonathan Alston makes quick work of Alabama quarterback Tyler Watts, resulting in a fumble.
PHOTO BY TRAVIS LYNN
Men continue winning streak
Gamecocks end
3-game stand
at Graveyard
with 2-0 victory
over Cougars
BY KYLE ALMOND
THE GAMECOCK
The USC men's soccer team
won its fifth straight game Sun
day, defeating the College of
Charleston 2-0 at the Graveyard.
Jordan Quinn and Ray Fisch
er scored goals for the No. 17
Gamecocks (6-1), who have only
lost once to Charleston in 18 meet
ings.
“They have excellent person
nel, so to get a shutout against
them is an important accom
plishment,” USC head coach
Mark Berson said about the vis
iting team, who dropped to 1-4-1
with the loss.
USC dominated play for most
of the match and rarely looked to
be in danger. The Gamecocks out
shot the Cougars 16-5 and held a
9-3 advantage in comer kicks.
“I thought defensively we were
very sound,” Berson said. “There
really weren't too many break
downs. A couple of times we did
n't press out on their shooters, but
I thought defensively we were
well-organized.”
Quinn scored an opportunistic
goal at the 37:54 mark to open the
scoring.
Sophomore defender Jordan
Smith ripped a shot from 25 feet
that beat Charleston goalkeeper
Wes Martino but hit the left post.
Quinn was there to punch in the
rebound and give Carolina a 1-0
lead.
Fischer came in as a substitute
for Quinn late in the game and
scored his first goal as a
Gamecock in the 74th minute.
Smith and midfielder Chris Her
ron were credited with the assist.
Including Fischer and Herron,
Berson put seven substitutes in
the game. Also seeing playing
time were Ryan Barber, Tony
Vitagliano and freshmen Antho
ny Stovall, Jacob Cavanaugh and
Kolby Runager.
“We got to have a lot of guys get
on the field that have worked
hard, and I was really pleased to
see them come in and make a dif
ference,” Berson said. “I thought
they really made a difference to
ward the end of the game, keep
ing pressure on the College of
Charleston, and that was impor
tant for our win.”
Michael Bachmeyer recorded
his third shutout of the season
Sunday. He had two saves in the
match. Since the team's first two
games, Bachmeyer has only sur
rendered two goals.
Sunday's game concluded a
three-game homestand, and now
the Gamecocks hit the road to
face two more in state rivals. USC
will take on No. 22 Furman
Wednesday and then Clemson on
Sunday.
After the team's long layoff be
cause of the Sept. 11 tragedies,
USC has shown a renewed sense
of focus.
“We told the team (after the
tragedies) that this stretch of six
games is very important in defin
ing our season,” Berson said.
“Now, we’re 4-0 and have two very
important games next week. Both
are on the road, so those will be
big challenges.”
USC holds a 16-5-3 lead in the
overall series with Furman, but
it hasn’t beat Clemson since 1995.
The Tigers also have a 17-10-1 ad
vantage in the overall series.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Gamecock midfielder Jack Cummings keeps the ball away from a College of
Charleston defender during their game Sunday. PHOTO BY AARON HARK
Gamecock offense
steps up in victory
BY KENT BABB
THE GAMECOCK
For the first three games of the
season, it has been the
Gamecock’s defense that has
wowed crowds and stymied op
ponents.
Just look at their last two
games. The Gamecocks defeated
Georgia 14-9 and didn’t allow a
touchdown. And last week, USC
topped Mississippi State 16-14, al
lowing scoring drives on only the
first and last series.
But in Saturday’s thrilling 37
36 win over Alabama, it was the
offense that turned heads while
the defense struggled to get
things going.
“I said all week I was a little
worried defensively,” USC head
coach Lou Holtz said. “They had
tremendous success running the
option. The last two drives, we
were able to get it under control.”
Alabama’s offensive line blew
USC’s defensive front off the ball,
allowing quarterback Tyler
Watts to run for nearly 100 yards
before halftime.
But at the half, Holtz called a
defensive change that included
removing the second linebacker
and placing spur safety Rashad
Faison to watch Watts.
Watts was still able to find
holes in the second half, but for
the most part, Carolina halted the
charge that had put a scare into
the 84,100 in attendance.
Senior linebacker Kalimba Ed
wards wasn't surprised the move
worked.
“Everything coach Holtz does
works,” Edwards sqid. “We
stopped the run and the pass with
one defense. Coach Holtz's knowl
edge on football borders on ge
nius.”
The Crimson Tide had 16 plays
of 10 yards or more until the final
nine minutes of the game. Alaba
ma fumbled seven times but only
lost two.
“We forced them to put the ball
on the ground, but we couldn’t get
to it,” Strong said.
The Gamecocks scored on a
two-yard run by Derek Watson to
cut Alabama’s lead to 36-30, and
the USC defense stopped the
Crimson Tide the rest of the way.
Watts looked like a Heisman
Trophy contender in the first
three and a half quarters. He com
pleted 20-of-25 passes for 231 yards
and a touchdown.
But his running ability in the
option was what gave USC the
most trouble. He ran for a game
high 162 yards and two touch
downs. He's the first Crimson
Tide quarterback to run for 100
yards since 1982.
Strong said the Gamecocks’
main problem was with the play
ers covering their zones.
“You have to stay with your re
sponsibilities with the option,”
Strong said. “Sometimes, guys
tried to overplay or take someone
else's responsibilities.”
Even though the defense that
allowed only two touchdowns al
lowed five Saturday, defensive
tackle Langston Moore summed
things up best.
“They should’ve put us away,
but we have a great will to win,”
he said.
1