McCoy enjoys Williams-Brice

The Post and Courier

Sunday, September 16, 2007

USC-S.C. State Notebook

COLUMBIA — South Carolina State quarterback Cleveland McCoy said his first game at Williams-Brice Stadium was fun.

Huh?

That despite the fact that the former Baptist Hill High School star spent most of the night running away from the Gamecocks defenders.

McCoy completed just 9-of-18 passes for 62 yards and three interceptions. He was sacked once, but did rush for 72 yards on 17 attempts.

"It was a great atmosphere and that's what we've got to take from this game," McCoy said. "It was a fun game to play in and the crowd was great. The only thing I'm upset about is that we didn't score a touchdown.

"Honestly, this game doesn't mean a whole lot to us. In the scheme of things this game doesn't matter. We're going to focus on winning the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). This game was more for our fans."

McCoy said the Bulldogs blew several chances to score a TD.

"We squandered a bunch of chances," McCoy said. "Penalties and mental mistakes killed us all night long."

Pepper, Isaac hurt

South Carolina nose guard Nathan Pepper hauled in a deflected McCoy pass and ran 19 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Pepper, didn't get much of a celebration. The former Greenville High School star injured his knee just as he crossed the goal line and did not return to the game.

"Nathan could have torn his MCL," said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier. "When he ran across the goal line, he just kind of flopped down in the end zone. I thought he fell down just so everyone else could jump on him. But he hurt himself. We're just going to have wait and see on that one."

Pepper wasn't the only to get injured against S.C. State. Free safety Brandan Isaac left the game in the second quarter with a bruised right shoulder and did not return.

"Brandon's shoulder popped out and I think it's the same one he had surgery on," Spurrier said. "We're not sure he's going to be able to return this season or not, so that's disheartening."

Offensive tackle Gurminder Thind sprained his ankle.

Scoring defense

South Carolina's defense has allowed 29 points this season and has gone 10 quarters without giving up a touchdown.

Louisiana-Lafayette running back Chancellor Robertson, who scored on a 3-yard run midway through the second quarter of the season opener, was the last player to score a TD against the Gamecocks.

South Carolina's first three opponents have managed just three field goals in the second half against the Gamecocks' defense.

Carlos Thomas returns

South Carolina cornerback Carlos Thomas was suspended for the first half against S.C. State after receiving two personal foul penalties on the opening drive of the game against Georgia last week.

Thomas, who finished the game with two tackles, was back in the lineup for the Bulldogs' first offensive possession of the second half.

Largest crowd

The Gamecocks and Bulldogs drew a crowd of 73,095 at Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday night, which is the largest crowd to watch S.C. State play a football game in the school's history.

The previous high was 64,000 that were on hand to watch the Bulldogs take on Tennessee State in the Circle City Classic at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis in 2004.

Division I-A opponents

S.C. State had not played a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as the Division I-A, in the school's history until the Bulldogs faced Air Force in the season opener.

The Bulldogs managed just two field goals in their first two games against FBS teams.

The Bulldogs received $230,000 for playing the Gamecocks. The two teams will meet in four years on Sept. 27, 2011 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

S.C. State is scheduled to take on Clemson during the 2013 season.

Flags flying

In its first two games of the season, S.C. State had been called for 20 penalties for 211 yards. For those of you keeping score at home, that's an average of 10 penalties for 105.5 yards a game.

The Bulldogs nearly reached their season average in the first half against the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs were flagged 10 times for 73 yards in the first half. The Bulldogs finished the game with a season-high 14 penalties for 98 yards.

Flynn or Perrilloux?

Which LSU quarterback will the Gamecocks face next week in Baton Rouge, La. — Ryan Perrilloux or Matt Flynn?

Flynn sprained his right ankle last week in the second-ranked Tigers' victory over Virginia Tech and he was limited in practice during the past week.

Perrilloux was among the most highly regarded quarterback recruits in the nation coming out of East St. John High School in southeast Louisiana.

Perrilloux saw some mop-up duty as third-string quarterback last season, but nearly jeopardized his spot on the team over the summer when he was arrested for trying to get into a casino with his older brother's license. He was suspended from the team after the arrest but reinstated in time for preseason practice.

In the first two games of this season, both lopsided LSU victories, Perrilloux threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score.

Reach Andrew Miller at 937-5599 or apmiller@postandcourier.com.