Road warriors

USC becomes bowl eligible with 4th win in a row

By Joseph Person
The State
Published: November 6, 2005

While his players celebrated along with USC fans in the corner of an opponent's stadium for the second week in a row, Steve Spurrier stood near midfield, clapping and taking in the scene.

It's a sight Spurrier and legions of long-suffering Gamecocks' fans could get used to.

USC's defense picked up its sputtering offense with several big stops, and freshman receiver Kenny McKinley caught the game-winning touchdown Saturday in the Gamecocks' 14-10 win in front of 65,837 at windy Razorback Stadium.

Given up for dead a month ago following a 48-7 loss at Auburn, USC (6-3, 4-3 in SEC) has won four in a row and is has become bowl eligible.

"It has been an amazing run," Spurrier said after the Gamecocks became bowl eligible. "I don't know the history too well. I don't want to know too much of the history. We've just got to keep going."

Quick history lesson: In his 12 years at Florida, Spurrier took the Gators to a bowl 11 times - the same number of bowl appearances USC had earned in the 111 years before Spurrier arrived.

Might Spurrier be starting a similar streak at USC? Jim Carlen (1975) and Brad Scott (1994) are the only other USC coaches to lead the Gamecocks to a bowl game in their first season in Columbia.

Meanwhile, Arkansas (2-6, 0-5) will not play in a bowl for the second consecutive year after going to bowls in the first six seasons of Houston Nutt's tenure.

"I really thought we'd be singing (the alma mater) today. I really did," Nutt said. "I thought we had momentum."

The Razorbacks rolled up big numbers and had their way against USC in the middle of the field. Behind freshman tailback Darren McFadden's 187 rushing yards, Arkansas outgained the Gamecocks 356-187 and had a 4-minute edge in time of possession.

But USC's defense did its best work when it was backed up. After Peyton Hillis' 4-yard touchdown catch pulled Arkansas even at 7 midway through the second quarter, the Razorbacks drove into USC territory on six of their next seven possessions.

All they had to show for it was a field goal.

"They don't get points for getting to the 1. That was our motto at Southern Miss and I guess we carried some of that over here," said USC co-coordinator Tyrone Nix, who called the defense for the second consecutive game. "Bottom line, you keep them out of the end zone you've got a chance."

USC set the tone for short-yardage situations early when Nutt decided to go for a fourth-and-1 from the Razorbacks' 29-yard line on their first drive. Hogs freshman quarterback Casey Dick, who was making his first career start, tried a sneak but was met in the backfield by USC defensive end Orus Lambert and a couple of his friends.

"Six inches, I thought we could get it," Nutt said. "But I probably shouldn't have done it. I know better than that."

Rover Ko Simpson said USC's defensive players were fired up when they saw Nutt keep his offense on the field on fourth down.

"I guess they thought they could get it, but we stuffed them," said Simpson, the game's leading tackler with 13 stops.

USC's defense had more drive-stoppers. After Simpson shoved McFadden out of bounds at the Gamecocks' 1 following a 36-yard run near the end of the first half, the Razorbacks tried unsuccessfully to get into the end zone before settling for Chris Balseiro's 19- yard field goal.

Arkansas kept the 10-7 lead for most of the third quarter as USC struggled to find an offensive weapon after the Razorbacks put two defensive backs on record-setting receiver Sidney Rice. The Gamecocks' first three second-half possessions produced minus-1 yard of offense and zero first downs.

So when Lambert got the ball back by intercepting a Dick screen pass in Hogs' territory, Spurrier decided to go for the big strike. "We were downwind and I figured, 'Hey, go ahead and go for it right then,' " he recalled.

With no safety in the middle of the field, McKinley had plenty of open space - 42 yards worth - after streaking past cornerback Matterral Richardson on a post route for the go-ahead touchdown on the final play of the third quarter.

Defensive stands gave the Gamecocks their fourth win a row, all of which came after they trailed or were tied at halftime.

The comebacks have given Spurrier a new appreciation for close victories after more than a decade of mostly lopsided scores in Gainesville.

"It is more fun winning this way than by winning by four or five touchdowns. It really is," he said. "I've been fortunate to have a lot of those kind of games in years back."

For USC fans more familiar with the Gamecocks' spotty history than Spurrier is, they'll take wins any way they can get them.

Reach Person at (803) 771-8496 or jperson @thestate.com.

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