| Score | |
|---|---|
| Team | Score |
| South Carolina | 23 |
| Mississippi State | 19 |
| GamecockArchives.com Players of the Game | |
|---|---|
| Player | Unit |
| Game Summary |
|---|
| USC improved to 4-0, stunning #25 Mississippi State with a fourth quarter comeback and late heroics from an unlikely source. The Gamecocks, unable to move the ball on the ground - Derek Watson had 14 carries for minus-1 yard - threw for 330 yards in the game. The first USC score came through the air, as Phil Petty hooked up with Corey Alexander for a 58-yard touchdown to put Carolina up 7-6. Mississippi State made two field goals to USC's one (an 18-yarder by Reid Bethea) to take a 12-10 halftime lead and the Bulldogs further took control with an 11 yard run by Dicenzo Miller with a little over six minutes left in the third. Bethea got Carolina within six with a 26-yard field goal with eight minutes to go and then the real drama started. On the following possession USC linebacker Andre Offing stuffed MSU's Justin Griffin for no gain on a 3rd and one at the Bulldog 36, forcing a punt. Following a 13-yard punt return by Ryan Brewer USC took over at its 40 with 5:51 left. A 35-yard pass from Petty to James Adkisson put the Gamecocks in striking distance at the MSU 25, but the next three plays were incomplete passes and Petty suffered an injured ankle on the final one. Facing fourth and 10, Coach Lou Holtz turned to backup quarterback Erik Kimrey and asked what he felt comfortable with. 'He said Coach I can throw the fade. If a guy says he can do something I'm all for that' said Holtz after the game. Kimrey placed the ball in the left corner of the end zone where Jermale Kelly beat cornerback Kendall Roberson for the ball to tie the game at 19. Bethea's extra point gave USC a thin one-point lead with 4:41 left. The two teams had an exchange of punts, but State returner Dicenzo Miller was stripped by Sheldon Brown and the ball was recovered by USC defensive end John Stamper. The turnover resulted in another Bethea field goal for a 23-19 lead and MSU's final possession ended with Carolina DB Kevin House intercepting a pass in the end zone.; |
| Scoring Plays | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter | Game Time | Team | SC Score | Opp Score | Play |
| 1 | 10:33 | MST | 0 | 6 | Mario Haggan, 27-yd fumble return (kick failed) |
| 1 | 04:07 | USC | 7 | 6 | Corey Alexander, 58-yd pass from Phil Petty (Reid Bethea kick) |
| 2 | 10:31 | MST | 7 | 9 | Scott Westerfield, 23-yd field goal |
| 2 | 07:57 | MST | 7 | 12 | Scott Westerfield, 31-yd field goal |
| 2 | 02:34 | USC | 10 | 12 | Reid Bethea, 18-yd field goal |
| 3 | 06:20 | MST | 10 | 19 | Dicenzo Miller, 11-yd run (Scott Westerfield kick) |
| 4 | 08:08 | USC | 13 | 19 | Reid Bethea, 26-yd field goal |
| 4 | 04:41 | USC | 20 | 19 | Jermale Kelly, 25-yd pass from Erik Kimrey (Reid Bethea kick) |
| 4 | 01:39 | USC | 23 | 19 | Reid Bethea, 33-yd field goal |
| Team Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| USC | Mississippi State |
| USC Rushing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Phil Petty | 7 | 21 | 3.0 | 0 | Andrew Pinnock | 8 | 12 | 1.5 | 0 | Corey Alexander | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | Derek Watson | 14 | -1 | -0.1 | 0 | Erik Kimrey | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | 0 |
| Mississippi State Rushing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| USC Passing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Com | Yds | YPA | TD | Int | Phil Petty | 40 | 19 | 305 | 7.6 | 1 | 0 | Erik Kimrey | 1 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mississippi State Passing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Com | Yds | YPA | TD | Int |
| USC Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Rec | Trgt | Com% | Yds | BP | Avg | 34DTrgt | 34DConv | TD | Jermale Kelly | 9 | 12 | 75.0 | 123 | 4 | 13.7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | Brian Scott | 3 | 6 | 50.0 | 80 | 2 | 26.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Corey Alexander | 3 | 3 | 100.0 | 70 | 1 | 23.3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Derek Watson | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 16 | 0 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | James Adkisson | 1 | 8 | 12.5 | 35 | 1 | 35.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Ryan Brewer | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 4 | 0 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Andrew Pinnock | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mississippi State Receiving | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Rec | Yds | Int |
| Kickoff Returns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | KR | Yds | TD |
| Punt Returns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | PR | Yds | TD |
| Punting | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Punts | Yds | Avg | Net Yds | Net Avg | In20 | TB | Long |
| Game Defense | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | TKL | TFL | SK | FF | FR | PBU | QBH | IPL | CDPL | RZPL | SPP |
| Game Interceptions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Int | Yds | TD | Kevin House | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Game Participation (Starters in All Caps) | |
|---|---|
| Player | Pos |
| JAMES ADKISSON | WR |
| RYAN BREWER | WR |
| SHELDON BROWN | CB |
| SCOTT BROWNE | C |
| CECIL CALDWELL | DT |
| KALIMBA EDWARDS | DE |
| RASHAD FAISON | SPR1 |
| C.J. FRYE | RG |
| ANDRE GOODMAN | CB |
| KENNETH HARNEY | LB |
| JERMALE KELLY | WR |
| ANTIONE NESMITH | FS |
| ANDRE OFFING | LB |
| WILLIE OFFORD | SPR2 |
| MELVIN PAIGE | RT |
| PHIL PETTY | QB |
| CLEVELAND PINKNEY | DT |
| DENNIS QUINN | DE |
| BRIAN SCOTT | WR |
| DEREK WATSON | TB |
| TRAVELLE WHARTON | LT |
| CEDRIC WILLIAMS | LG |