Final
Garcia scores 3 TDs in South Carolina's 38-14 win
Oct 4, 2009 - 2:37 AM By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports WriterCOLUMBIA, S.C.(AP) -- Stephen Garcia threw two touchdowns, rushed for another score and South Carolina matched its best start of Steve Spurrier's five seasons with a 38-14 victory over South Carolina State on Saturday night.
The Gamecocks improved to 4-1, tying their opening mark of 2007. But it took more time than Spurrier would've liked to finally put away the Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
South Carolina's head ball coach has groused about his team's stuck-in-the-mud offense for much of the season. And after a slow start against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Bulldogs, Garcia and the Gamcocks finally got things going.
Garcia's 1-yard TD right before halftime put South Carolina ahead 10-0. In the second half, Garcia connected with Moe Brown on touchdowns of 40 and 9 yards to put things out of reach at 31-7.
Garcia finished 13 of 19 for 132 yards.
Spurrier improved to 38-0 against opponents not in the six conferences with Bowl Championship Series bids.
South Carolina State (3-1) fell to 0-5 against Football Bowl Subdivision.
South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood put on a show against his younger brother's Bulldogs with a blocked field goal and an interception. Erin Norwood is a sophomore defensive back at South Carolina State.
Spurrier hopes the Gamecocks can carry this start further than they did two years ago. Back then, they reached No. 6 in the country as they opened 6-1. But they lost their final five games and didn't even make the postseason.
Right before kickoff, Williams-Brice Stadium experienced a power outage that hampered ESPN Classic's planned broadcast and knocked out the video board midway through the second period.
There wasn't much power displayed by either team in the opening half, either.
South Carolina was outgained by its FCS opponent 159 yards to 149. The Gamecocks couldn't crack the end zone until Garcia's 1-yard run with 2:23 to go before halftime that made it 10-0.
South Carolina State responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with a milestone touchdown. Malcolm Long's 5-yard scoring run was the first time the FCS team had put up a touchdown in its five games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.
The Bulldogs swarmed Long as if they had just earned another league title instead of simply cutting things to 10-7 at halftime.
That was about all the celebrating South Carolina State would get to do. South Carolina struck for Kenny Miles' 22-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and the Bulldogs could not recover.
The only drama at the end came when South Carolina State broke through for a second touchdown, Long converting a 4th-and-goal from South Carolina's 1 with 4 seconds left.
- NCAAF FINAL
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
SOCARST 0 7 0 7 14
SOCAROLINA 0 10 21 7 38 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
2ND QUARTER: SOUTH CARO - FG, SPENCER LANNING 30 YD, 2:58.
SOCAROLINA 3-0
SOUTH CARO - TD, STEPHEN GARCIA 1 YD RUN
(SPENCER LANNING KICK),
12:37. SOCAROLINA 10-0
S CAROLINA - TD, MALCOLM LONG 5 YD RUN (
Oct 3 10:11 PM - NCAAF
SOCARST 14
SOCAROLINA 38 0:00 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Oct 3 10:11 PM
TD S CAROLINA ST MALCOLM LONG 1 YD RUN (BLAKE ERICKSON KICK)
South Carolina State 14, South Carolina 38 4th - 0:06Oct 3 10:09 PM
TD S CAROLINA ST MALCOLM LONG 1 YD RUN (BLAKE ERICKSON KICK)
South Carolina State 14, South Carolina 38 4th - 0:06Oct 3 10:09 PM- NCAAF
SOCARST 14
SOCAROLINA 38 0:06 LEFT, 4TH QTR
South Carolina State 14, South Carolina 38 4th - 0:06Oct 3 10:09 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA ALSHON JEFFERY 21 YD PASS FROM REID MCCOLLUM (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 38 4th - 5:39Oct 3 9:54 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA ALSHON JEFFERY 21 YD PASS FROM REID MCCOLLUM (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 38 4th - 5:39Oct 3 9:54 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA ALSHON JEFFERY 21 YD PASS FROM REID MCCOLLUM (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 38 4th - 5:39Oct 3 9:54 PM- NCAAF
SOCARST 7
SOCAROLINA 38 5:39 LEFT, 4TH QTR
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 38 4th - 5:39Oct 3 9:54 PM - NCAAF
SOCARST 7
SOCAROLINA 31 0:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Oct 3 9:32 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA MOE BROWN 9 YD PASS FROM STEPHEN GARCIA (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 31 3rd - 0:42Oct 3 9:27 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA MOE BROWN 9 YD PASS FROM STEPHEN GARCIA (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 31 3rd - 0:42Oct 3 9:27 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA MOE BROWN 9 YD PASS FROM STEPHEN GARCIA (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 31 3rd - 0:42Oct 3 9:27 PM- NCAAF
SOCARST 7
SOCAROLINA 31 0:42 LEFT, 3RD QTR
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 31 3rd - 0:42Oct 3 9:27 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA MOE BROWN 40 YD PASS FROM STEPHEN GARCIA (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 24 3rd - 5:22Oct 3 9:16 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA MOE BROWN 40 YD PASS FROM STEPHEN GARCIA (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 24 3rd - 5:22Oct 3 9:16 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA MOE BROWN 40 YD PASS FROM STEPHEN GARCIA (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 24 3rd - 5:22Oct 3 9:16 PM- NCAAF
SOCARST 7
SOCAROLINA 24 5:22 LEFT, 3RD QTR
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 24 3rd - 5:22Oct 3 9:16 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA KENNY MILES 22 YD RUN (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 17 3rd - 11:40Oct 3 9:02 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA KENNY MILES 22 YD RUN (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 17 3rd - 11:40Oct 3 9:02 PM- NCAAF
SOCARST 7
SOCAROLINA 17 11:40 LEFT, 3RD QTR
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 17 3rd - 11:40Oct 3 9:02 PM - NCAAF
SOCARST 7
SOCAROLINA 10 0:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Oct 3 8:28 PM
TD S CAROLINA ST MALCOLM LONG 5 YD RUN (BLAKE ERICKSON KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 10 2nd - 0:17Oct 3 8:24 PM
TD S CAROLINA ST MALCOLM LONG 5 YD RUN (BLAKE ERICKSON KICK)
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 10 2nd - 0:17Oct 3 8:24 PM- NCAAF
SOCARST 7
SOCAROLINA 10 0:17 LEFT, 2ND QTR
South Carolina State 7, South Carolina 10 2nd - 0:17Oct 3 8:24 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA STEPHEN GARCIA 1 YD RUN (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 0, South Carolina 10 2nd - 2:23Oct 3 8:13 PM
TD SOUTH CAROLINA STEPHEN GARCIA 1 YD RUN (SPENCER LANNING KICK)
South Carolina State 0, South Carolina 10 2nd - 2:23Oct 3 8:13 PM- NCAAF
SOCARST 0
SOCAROLINA 10 2:23 LEFT, 2ND QTR
South Carolina State 0, South Carolina 10 2nd - 2:23Oct 3 8:13 PM
FG SOUTH CAROLINA SPENCER LANNING 30 YD
South Carolina State 0, South Carolina 3 2nd - 12:02Oct 3 7:43 PM- NCAAF
SOCARST 0
SOCAROLINA 3 12:02 LEFT, 2ND QTR
South Carolina State 0, South Carolina 3 2nd - 12:02Oct 3 7:43 PM - NCAAF
SOCARST 0
SOCAROLINA 0 0:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Oct 3 7:35 PM
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