from Sept. 23, 2000...
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;"> 1 2 3 4 F
- - - - --
#25 Miss. State 6 6 7 0 19
South Carolina 7 3 0 13 23 </pre><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">MSU - Haggan 27 fumble return (kick failed), MSU 6-0
SC - Alexander 58 pass from Petty (Bethea kick), SC 7-6
MSU - FG Westerfield 23, MSU 9-7
MSU - FG Westerfield 31, MSU 12-7
SC - FG Bethea 18, MSU 12-10
MSU - D Miller 11 run (Westerfield kick), MSU 19-10
SC - FG Bethea 26, MSU 19-13
SC - Kelly 25 pass from Kimrey (Bethea kick), SC 20-19
SC - FG Bethea 33, SC 23-19
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;"> Mississippi St South Carolina
First downs 16 17
Rushed-yards 37-94 32-30
Passing yards 224 330
Sacked-yards lost 3-17 3-14
Return yards 46 29
Passes 17-36-1 20-41-0
Punts 8-38.5 8-36.1
Fumbles-lost 3-2 2-2
Penalties-yards 10-54 5-25
Time of possession 31:54 28:06 </pre><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Mississippi St-D Walker 10-38, D Miller 9-37, J
Griffith 9-19, Huntington 1-8, Madkin 8-minus 8. South
Carolina-Petty 7-21, A Pinnock 8-12, Alexander 1-2, Watson
14-minus 1, Team 1-minus 2, Kimrey 1-minus 2.
PASSING: Mississippi St-Madkin 17-35-1-224, Team 0-1-0-0. South
Carolina-Petty 19-40-0-305, Kimrey 1-1-0-25.
RECEIVING: Mississippi St-T Grindle 5-68, Huntington 4-62,
Parker 2-27, D Miller 2-12, J Griffith 1-24, D Lee 1-14,
Jenkins 1-14, Williamson 1-3. South Carolina-Kelly 9-123, B
Scott 3-80, Alexander 3-70, Watson 2-16, Adkisson 1-35, Brewer
1-4, A Pinnock 1-2.
RECAP.....
An improbable play helped
South Carolina continue its improbable season.
Backup Eric Kimrey threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jermale
Kelly on fourth down with 4:41 remaining as South Carolina
remained unbeaten with a 23-19 victory over 25th-ranked
Mississippi State in a Southeastern Conference matchup.
On the play before Kimrey's touchdown pass, the Gamecocks lost
starting quarterback Phil Petty to a right ankle injury. A
junior who had thrown eight passes this season, Kimrey did not
have a chance to warmup.
But on 4th-and-10 from the Bulldogs' 25, Kimrey lofted a
beautiful pass down the left sideline that hit Kelly in stride,
giving South Carolina a 20-19 advantage. Kelly had a huge game,
catching nine passes for 123 yards.
"I threw one pass. Everyone else played 70 or 80 plays," Kimrey
said. "The defense played great. They kept us in the game."
"Kimrey said he could throw the fade," South Carolina coach Lou
Holtz said. "I like to hear guys say he can do it. If he says he
can do it, I'm all for it."
South Carolina (4-0, 2-0 SEC East), which snapped the longest
losing streak in the nation at 21 games with a win in its season
opener, is likely to move into the national rankings after its
latest upset win. Two weeks ago, the Gamecocks shocked
then-No.10 Georgia.
In his second season as coach, Lou Holtz has the Gamecocks off
to their best start since they opened the 1988 campaign with six
straight wins.
Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC West) was playing its first game
after moving into the rankings following a pair of wins to begin
the season.
"They made the plays and we didn't," Mississippi State coach
Jackie Sherrill said. "We should have had 21 more points but
didn't. Give South Carolina credit because they did a great
job."
Before leaving with his injury, Petty helped put the Gamecocks
in position by completing a 35-yard pass to James Adkisson that
moved the ball to the Mississippi State 25. After two plays
that went nowhere, Petty was hit hard by a pair of defenders on
third down and came down awkwardly on his ankle.
Petty completed 19-of-40 passes for 305 yards, including a
58-yard touchdown pass to Corey Alexander in the first quarter.
Trying to come back, the Bulldogs committed a costly miscue on
special teams. Dicenzo Miller fumbled a punt and defensive
tackle John Stamper pounced on the ball on the Mississippi State
20 with under three minutes left.
Reid Bethea converted that turnover into a 33-yard field goal
with 1:19 remaining, capping the scoring.
Mississippi State attempted to rally in the game's final minute.
Wayne Madkin drove the Bulldogs into South Carolina territory
and completed a long pass to Clarence Parker inside the 15. But
Madkin was ruled to be over the line of scrimmage when he threw
the ball, ending any chance for a game-winning drive.
Madkin completed 17-of-35 passes for 224 yards and an
interception.
One of the top defensive teams in the country, the Bulldogs
broke on top thanks to that unit in the opening quarter.
Defensive tackle Ellis Wyms drilled Derek Watson, who fumbled,
and Mario Haggan picked up the ball and returned it 27 yards for
a touchdown. Scott Westerfield missed the extra point.
Haggan's touchdown was the fourth by the Bulldogs on defense in
the last two weeks. The defense accounted for three scores in
last week's 44-28 victory at Brigham Young.
Watson did his best to redeem himself, returning the ensuing
kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. But that play was nullified
when South Carolina lined up offsides.
The Gamecocks did take a 7-6 lead with 4:07 left in the first
quarter when Petty capped a four-play, 68-yard drive with his
58-yard TD pass to Alexander.
Mississippi State received a big play from its special teams
early in the second quarter. Cornerback Julius Griffth blocked
a punt and the Bulldogs took over inside the South Carolina 20.
Westerfield kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 9-7 lead.
Another big defensive play by the Bulldogs helped extend the
lead. Conner Stephens recovered a fumble by Watson at the
Gamecocks' 20 and Westerfield booted a 31-yard field goal.
Watson, who rushed for 422 yards and seven touchdowns in his
first three games, lost a yard on 14 attempts today.
Bethea kicked an 18-yard field goal with 2:24 left before
halftime to pull the Gamecocks within 12-10.
Not known for their offense, the Bulldogs used a 12-play,
93-yard drive in the third quarter, capped by an 11-yard run
from Miller to open a 19-10 advantage.
Bethea's 26-yard field goal with 8:08 left in the fourth quarter
got South Carolina within six.
<small>[ July 25, 2002, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: JoltinJacket ]</small>
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USC-23, #25 Miss St.-19 (9/23/00)
