South Carolina rolls past S.C. State, 38-14

Steve Spurrier predicted a “dogfight” with South Carolina State.

He was right. For a half.

The Gamecocks turned a three-point halftime lead into a 38-14 rout Saturday night in front of 77,066 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

South Carolina scored 28 consecutive points against its FCS counterpart, until the Bulldogs punched a second score in with four seconds left in the game.

Playing despite a bruised left side, Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia was needed for a good portion of the evening.

And his throws - mostly to senior Moe Brown - made the difference in the team’s third-quarter push.

Garcia found Brown for a 40-yard score that pushed the Gamecocks ahead 24-7 at the 5:22 mark of the third quarter.

On the following drive, facing third-and-5 inside the S.C. State 10, Garcia lobbed the ball over a Bulldogs defender for a 9-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 31-7.

Garcia and Brown also hooked up for a 23-yard play earlier in that scoring drive.

It was a nice turnaround for Brown, who fumbled after making a short catch on the second play of the game.

Garcia, who gave way to Summerville’s Reid McCollum with nine minutes to play, finished 13-for-19 for 132 yards, with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score from a yard out.

McCollum filled in nicely, leading a 78-yard touchdown drive in his first legitimate playing time. He lobbed a ball up for fellow freshman Alshon Jeffery, who made a sensational adjustment to leap and snag the 20-yard touchdown for a 38-7 USC lead.

Brown had a 21-yard run on a reverse to get McCollum’s drive started. The captain finished the night with six catches for 100 yards and two scores.

South Carolina’s defense had held the Bulldogs in check until a nine-play, 75-yard drive just before the half.

Malcolm Long’s 5-yard scramble was S.C. State’s first touchdown - ever - against an FBS team.

The Bulldogs converted three first downs on the scoring drive, which cut the lead to three at the half.

Long scored the S.C. State touchdown with four seconds to go, on a 1-yard dive on fourth-and-goal.