’ (
LOU SAID IT
“I think this is one of our biggest wins because of this
It was on the road. It was a difficult environment. I
was a game where we had to stand up, and we honec
Pflg'e 12 together, and that’s why it was so big.’
Mondav October 4 2004 lou holts
iUUUUdy, WV.IUUC1 T, HEAD FOOTBALL COACt
NO. 2 5 SOUTH CAROLINA (4-1) 20 — ALABAMA (3 -2) 3
use rolls Tide in Tuscaloosa
STAT BOX
GAME 5
4
Interceptions by
USC defense
4 *
Completions
thrown by USC
quarterbacks
O-for-11
Alabama on third
down conversions
Number of times
USC has defeated
Alabama in
Tuscaloosa
BAMA SANDWICH
CHARLIE DAVENPORT/THE GAMECOCK
Ricardo Hurley, left, and Rodriques Wilson sack Alabama
quarterback Spencer Pennington in the fourth quarter.
By STEPHEN DEMEDIS
THE GAMECOCK
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For the first
time in team history, USC (4-1, 2-1)
went on the road and beat Alabama (3-2,
1-2) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in front
of a packed house in 20-3 fashion.
Coming into Saturday, the Crimson
Tide had won 83 percent of their games
when playing at home since 1929, but
the Gamecocks scored 17 unanswered
points to earn their fourth win of the
year.
“I think this is one of our biggest
wins because of this: It was on the road,”
USC head coach Lou Holtz said. “It was
a difficult environment. It was a game
where we had to stand up and we honed
together, and that’s why it was so big.”
Carolina went three and out on its
first drive. Alabama opened its offensive
campaign by driving down the field to
the Carolina 28, but on third down,
quarterback Marc Guillon was picked
off by Ko Simpson. Guillon, who
promised to pick apart the Gamecock
secondary, was pulled out early after
throwing for 63 yards on the game and
two interceptions.
That first Alabama drive set the tone
fot the USC defense. The unit held the
Tide to just 210 yards and once again
carried the team. Alabama had a chance
to tie the game at six just before the half,
but missed a 36-yard field goal after a
long injury timeout. It was the last time
the Tide threatened to score.
The defense also played a major role
in taking the Alabama crowd out of the
game. Linebacker Rodriques Wilson
said, “The atmosphere was tough, but
you know, [Williams]-Brice is like this.
So we just went out there like we were
use to the noise. Once we started playing
well, it really wasn’t that loud.”
Holtz’s team took a narrow 6-3 lead
into the locker room midway through a
physical defensive struggle despite
having several chances to get the ball
into the end zone.
“We come into halftime and we’re
thinking, ‘Three times we are down
there and come away with just six
points.’ But we came back the second
half, got pretty good field position and
played conservatively,” Holtz said.
After stuffing the Tide on their first
possession of the half, the offense started
to efficiendy move the ball into Alabama
territory. But on third and 10, Newton
threw his only interception of the game,
ending yet another scoring attempt.
The defense got the ball right back on
the next play with an interception and
the offense took back over on the
Alabama 20-yard line. From there, it was
all Newton, as the sophomore
quarterback ran three consecutive plays
before scoring a touchdown, giving
Carolina a 13-3 lead.
USC got the ball back in Alabama
territory again, this time on the 8-yard
line, after backup quarterback Spencer
Pennington threw an interception on
first down. Newton took the first play
into the end zone on a quarterback draw
to finish out the Gamecock scoring.
Newton finished with 53 rushing yards
and played with a considerable amount
of poise considering this was his first big
game on the road as a quarterback.
Carolina ran for 203 yards on 54
carries while passing for just 46 and
forcing four interceptions in the win.
The team was bolstered by the return of
running back Demetris Summers from
injury. The sophomore running back
ran for 61 yards, including a 39-yard run
that set up the first score.
Time at quarterback was split
between Newton and Dondrial Pinkins,
though Newton received the majority of
the snaps. Pinkins injured his shoulder
♦ Please see FOOTBALL, page 10
I
USC running
back Demetris
' Summers
breaks off a
39-yard run in
the first
quarter of
Saturday’s
game at
Alabama.
Summers
played his first
game since
M being injured
Sept. 11
against
Georgia .
Summers had
61 yards on
15 carries,
while the
passing game
suffered with
only four
completions.
CHARLIE
ill DAVENPORT/THE
M GAMECOCK
Summers,
linemen
lift offense
to victory
The Gamecocks had two bi]
pieces of their team return Saturda;
to lead them to a very convincin]
victory. One piece returned fron
injury, and the other piece returnei
to its old form. No one can den;
that Demetris Summers and ou
offensive line are critical to ou
success.
The 39-yard run by Summers it
the first quarter really set the ton.
for our offense
nis preseno
seemed to set off;
confident wav<
through ou
(offense after
struggling start
That run kept the
Alabama defense
on its toes, and the
Tide lookei
worried about ou
running attack al
night and stil
couldn’t stop it
RYAN
CLARY
FOURTH-YEAR
ELECTRONIC
JOURNALISM
STUDENT
For the second time this season
our running game was very effective
The other time was agains
Vanderbilt, where Summers and th'
rest of the crew were all there. Don’
get me wrong — the other fou
running backs are very capable o
being our “guy.” But Summers ha
shown he is really something special
and it is very important for him tc
stay healthy.
I’ve always thought our offensivi
line has been capable of beinj
dominant every time it walks ontc
the field. I know it’s struggled so fa
this year, but it absolute!
dominated Alabama’s fron
Saturday night. That was the bes
they’ve looked as a unit all year,
can’t tell you how exciting it is tc
watch our line destroy someone else
But let’s be honest — our offens.
can be below average if it only has tc
score more than three points to win
Our defense is nothing short o
spectacular. Four interceptions give
our offense more than enougl
chances to score, especially when it’
first and 10 inside our opponent’
20 —TWICE!
Our defense is playing great as ;
unit, but let’s give it up to som.
individuals who deserve it. Ha
anyone else realized that Kc
Simpson will be one of our startinj
safeties for three more years? He i
always where the ball is and ha
three big interceptions for us thi
year. But the one Saturday night wa
♦ Please see CLARY, page 1(
Secondary dominates Alabama quarterbacks
By STEPHEN FASTENAU
THE GAMECOCK
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A testament to the
oddity of Saturday’s game — Alabama
quarterbacks completed just as many passes to
OSC players as Dondrial Pinkins and Syvelle
Newton did.
The Gamecock secondary came up with
four interceptions, with Fred Bennett having
two, while Pinkins and Newton completed
two passes apiece for 46 yards.
“We stayed in their passing lanes pretty
well,” USC coach Lou Holtz said.
“It was a little bit hard for them to see all
the time. We just made some good individual
plays."
In addition to the completions, the
secondary had almost twice the yardage from
its takeaways as the Gamecocks had passing.
The four interception returns were for a total
of 90 yards while Pinkins and Newton
combined to throw for 46 yards.
Bennett claimed the Crimson Tide
quarterbacks were telegraphing their decisions.
“When the quarterback was under center,
he was looking the way he was going the
whole time,” Bennett said. “We had an idea
of where he was going, and we were ready for
it.”
On a night when USC was not able to
make much progress throwing the ball, the
secondary was able to give the offense the
chances it needed to win.
Marc Guillon started the game for
Alabama in place of injured Crimson Tide
quarterback Brodie Croyle. Starting at its
own 42-yard line, Alabama drove into USC
territory on its first drive. Guillon’s pass on
third down and 4 was intercepted by
freshman safety Ko Simpson at the USC 16
yard line and returned 36 yards. It was
Simpson’s third interception in four games.
“I read it,” Simpson said. “It was a little
drag (route), and I came up with the pick.”
Simpson also added six tackles, including
one in which he lifted Crimson Tide
running back Ray Hudson off the ground.
Two plays later, Tremaine Tyler stepped in
front of a Spencer Pennington pass in the
left flat and returned it 40 yards to the
Alabama 8-yard line. Alabama’s defensive
line raised its arms to get the crowd
energized. The USC offensive line stood
straight up from its stances and did the
same. Newton ran up the middle for a
touchdown on the next play.
The impact of the secondary was evident in
the game. Besides the scores set up, Alabama’s
third-string quarterback, Spencer Pennington,
entered the game after Guillon was benched
for throwing his second interception with 8:42
remaining in the third quarter.
Bennett’s interception of Guillon might
have been the game’s most important. With
the Gamecocks leading 6-3, a Newton pass
was intercepted by Anthony Madison at the
23-yard line of Alabama. Dejected, Newton
trudged off of the field with his head down.
“I told (Newton) him, ‘Keep your head
up. I’m going to get it back,”’ Bennett said.
“Luckily that’s what happened.”
True to his word, Bennett intercepted
Guillon’s first pass on the ensuing drive and
returned it 14 yards to the Crimson Tide 20
yard line. Newton scored three plays later to
make the score 13-3, and Guillon was done
for the night.
Bennett added one more interception
with 11:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Pennington’s pass was underthrown badly
and Bennett adjusted — catching the ball
while falling to his back on the ground.
A unit that was once a question mark to
begin the season has shaped up to be among
the most dominant in the SEC. The four
interceptions were the most thrown by
Alabama since a 9-0 loss to Penn State in
1990. The Gamecocks have had at least two
interceptions in four of their five games,
totaling nine for the season.
“We came out and tried to disguise a lot
of things,” Bennett said. “We watched a lot
of film this week and kind of got a feel of
what (Alabama) did on certain downs. I
thought our coach prepared us real well.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu
CHARLIE DAVENPORT/THE GAMECOCI
Cornerback Tremaine Tyler returns an interception deep into Alabama territory after
picking off quarterback Spencer Pennington on his first pass attempt of the game.