A change of fortune

By Joseph Person
The State
Published: September 24, 2005

USC made some big changes Saturday to beat one of the "little guys" on its schedule.

The Gamecocks changed their starting lineup, their uniforms and their fortunes, pummeling an overmatched Troy squad 45-20 on Saturday to snap a two-game losing streak before an announced crowd of 79,125 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

USC, back in its traditional garnet home jerseys, trotted out seven new starters, including five on a defensive unit that was beaten up in losses to SEC foes Georgia and Alabama. The defense responded by forcing five turnovers that led to 28 points and holding the Trojans without an offensive touchdown until 3:16 remained.

USC (2-2) won its 11th consecutive game over a mid-major program, dating to a 21-3 loss to East Carolina on Sept. 18, 1999.

"Well, we got us another victory. We beat the two little guys and lost to the two big guys," said Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier, whose first win at USC came against Conference USA member Central Florida. "So that's where we are."

Troy (1-3) fell to 2-16 against schools from BCS conferences - including a 1-5 mark against SEC teams - since joining the Division I-A ranks in 2001.

The victory came at a cost for the Gamecocks, who lost starting quarterback Blake Mitchell to a high ankle sprain with 3:29 left in the third quarter. X-rays on Mitchell's left ankle were negative, but his status for next week's game at Auburn is uncertain.

Mitchell was injured when Troy's Johnny Faulk sacked him on a corner blitz.

"Blake didn't see the guy (blitzing) and twisted his ankle," Spurrier said. "I don't know how bad it is. He's on crutches, but they said there's no fracture or anything."

After watching the defense allow 839 total yards to Georgia and Alabama, USC co-coordinators John Thompson and Tyrone Nix benched four starters, including both sets of defensive ends and cornerbacks. A fifth starter - linebacker Lance Laury - missed the game with a staph infection in his elbow.

The changes seemed to invigorate the defense, which came up with four fumbles and an interception by Fred Bennett, one of the two corners to lose his starting job. The five turnovers were more than the Gamecocks forced in any game during the 2004 season and two more than their combined total through the first three games this year.

Nix figured the changes to personnel and scheme - USC dumped the stand-up technique used by its defensive linemen - had something to do with it.

"I'm sure it played a big part, because the guys were out on the field making things happen," Nix said. "The big thing tonight is they played more physical and with more emotion. They made some plays."

USC converted Troy's three first-half turnovers into touchdowns to take a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The Trojans pulled to 24-13 at the 11:08 mark of the third quarter on Greg Whibbs' second 32-yard field goal.

On the visitors' sideline, Troy coach Larry Blakeney felt the momentum shifting toward the Trojans, who were 20-points underdogs a week after getting drilled 52-21 by Missouri.

"If we get a stop and get something going, we could get back in it," Blakeney said. "We were 11 down at that time, and if we got another score you can start thinking maybe it's our night."

The Trojans got the stops Blakeney was looking for, forcing the Gamecocks to go three-plays-and-punt on successive series. But the game turned on - what else? -Troy's fourth and final turnover of the night.

On first down from the Troy 25-yard line, USC middle linebacker Ricardo Hurley hit tailback Kenny Cattouse with a textbook, helmet-on-ball tackle, jarring the ball loose. Reserve safety Brandon Isaac scooped up the fumble and ran in for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 31-13.

"Fortunately, their guys fumbled a lot," Spurrier said. "If they didn't fumble a lot, we may still be out there in overtime."

Hurley thought the Gamecocks were responsible for separating the ball from the Trojans' ballcarriers. Hurley and cornerback Tremaine Tyler each forced a pair of fumbles.

Said Nix: "We're going to take every one we can get."

Mitchell (11-of-14 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns) was impressive when not getting sacked. The Trojans' fourth sack knocked out the USC starter. Backup Antonio Heffner, a redshirt freshman from Memphis, scored his first career touchdowns, on a 1-yard run and then a 43-yard pass to Michael Flint for the Gamecocks' final score.

Heffner was happy with the win, but he echoed Spurrier's words in noting that there are no more Troys on the schedule. "You look at the headlines, and everybody expected us to beat Troy," he said. "We've got to take this game as a win and get ready for Auburn. They're going to be a bigger, better team than Troy."

The Gamecocks went undefeated against the "little guys." Now they're after big game.

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

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