Gamecocks fumble away hopes of topping Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — South Carolina mixed up its holidays here Saturday night.

It was Halloween. The Gamecocks thought it was Christmas.

No. 21 USC gift-wrapped a Tennessee victory with three first-half fumbles on its own end of the field, and the Volunteers took advantage on the way to a 31-13 win in front of 96,263 fans on a rainy night in East Tennessee.

'We just didn't play well,' Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said. 'They played a lot better than us. (They) coached better, I guess. We got our butts beat.'

The Volunteers (4-4, 2-3 SEC) scored three first-half touchdowns - including on their first two possessions - after the fumbles.

Talk about short fields. The Tennessee first-half scoring drives were 43, 27 and 22 yards.

South Carolina turned the ball over four times. Tennessee didn't have a turnover.

'We give (the players) percentages with how often you win given the turnover margin,' Vols first-year coach Lane Kiffin said. 'Plus-four, you always win.'

The Gamecocks (6-3, 3-3) had climbed back into the game, down 15 with the ball at midfield and 10 minutes to play.

But Stephen Garcia airmailed a dumpoff pass to Kenny Miles and Vols backup linebacker Greg King picked him off.

Chad Cunningham's ensuing 39-yard field goal made it a three-score lead with 4:23 to go.

The Vols scored 24 points off USC turnovers.

'You cannot win games turning the ball over,' said senior receiver Moe Brown, who caught USC's only touchdown. 'That's just being disciplined. That's Football 101. We learned that in rec league: Hold on to the ball, protect the ball.'

With nine turnovers in eight games, South Carolina championed its ability to care for the ball.

But, with a cold, steady rain falling early on, the Gamecocks were suddenly turnover machines.

'The ball was a little soaking wet,' Garcia said. 'That's not really an excuse. We've got to hang on to the ball.'

Freshman tight end Justice Cunningham was the first Gamecock to cough up the ball, fumbling on the third play of the game. Dan Williams recovered for the Vols.

Tennessee needed two plays to score, with Jonathan Crompton hitting wide-open backup fullback Austin Johnson for a 38-yard touchdown.

Not even 90 seconds into the game, and Tennessee was up 7-0.

The Gamecocks fumbled even faster on their second series, with Miles laying the ball on the turf on a second-down run. Wes Brown recovered for the Vols.

'It's something you never want to do as a running back,' Miles said.

Four Montario Hardesty runs, including a dazzling 14-yarder that included a spin around safety Chris Culliver, and Tennessee was up 14-0 four minutes into the game. Hardesty finished with 121 yards.

The third fumble came early in the second quarter, when Garcia was scrambling for yards. Dennis Rogan picked that one up, returning it to the USC 22.

Crompton found fullback Kevin Cooper for a 2-yard score on fourth down and Tennessee led 21-0.

It just wasn't the Gamecocks' half. Trying to dent that three-TD lead, freshman Stephon Gilmore returned a punt for a 73-yard score with a little more than three minutes left in the second quarter.

But freshman D.J. Swearinger blocked a Tennessee player in the back, even though Gilmore didn't need the help.

'You don't have to shove him when you're behind him,' Spurrier said.

On that drive, the Gamecocks still managed a field goal, Spencer Lanning's career long of 47 yards. Lanning hit a 32-yarder midway through the third quarter to make it 21-6.

Tennessee responded with its only touchdown drive that wasn't aided by a Gamecocks turnover.

The Gamecocks struck right back, with a three-play, 77-yard touchdown drive that lasted 1:12. Brown made a sensational 31-yard catch on a ball that appeared to be overthrown.

That was only the fifth play of 25-plus yards against Tennessee this season. It was also the first touchdown against the Vols in 10-plus quarters (175 minutes).

South Carolina actually finished with 365 total yards against Monte Kiffin's tough defense. Garcia finished with 300 yards on the number, hitting 300-plus for the second straight week and third time this season.

The Gamecocks ran for only 65 yards. Miles had 44 of them.

Spurrier is now 2-3 against Tennessee in his USC tenure. The Gamecocks were trying to win consecutive games in the series for the first time.

South Carolina is 0-3 on the road in the SEC, with a trip to Arkansas up next.

'We still haven't gotten over the hump yet,' Spurrier said.

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the South Carolina blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/gamecocks.