Crashing Down To Earth

Whether you believe in the “Chicken Curse” or not, rumors of its demise appear to be greatly exaggerated …

A week after the greatest victory in the 118-year history of the program – an epic upset of top-ranked, defending national champion Alabama – the University of South Carolina football team came crashing down to earth Saturday with a 31-28 loss to Kentucky in Lexington.

It was the unranked Wildcats’ first win over the Gamecocks (N0. 10 AP, 12 USA Today, 9 ESPN) in over a decade, dating back to former head coach Lou Holtz’s first season in Columbia in 1999. It was also head coach Steve Spurrier’s first loss to Kentucky in eighteen tries – and one that he’ll no doubt take considerable heat over given the 18-point lead USC squandered.

“I’m still shaking,” Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips said after securing the Wildcats’ first victory over a ranked team in four years. “We’d come off three pretty tough losses. Two of those losses by 10 points.”

They were well on their way to a fourth consecutive loss, too.

South Carolina (4-2, 2-2 SEC) stormed out to a 28-10 lead over Kentucky and appeared to have dodged the dreaded “hangover” following the big ‘Bama win. In fact, the first thirty minutes of this contest were a full-on garnet-and-black bludgeoning – spearheaded by true freshman phenom Marcus Lattimore and junior quarterback Stephen Garcia.

Lattimore exploded for 204 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the first half, while Garcia – coming off of the best game of his career – threw for over 280 yards and a pair of touchdown strikes prior to intermission. All told, the Gamecock offense amassed 369 total yards during the first half – and were it not for a pair of turnovers it’s doubtful the Wildcats (who were held to 140 first half yards) would have gotten on the scoreboard.

“Can South Carolina handle success?” SEC analyst Tony Barnhardt rhetorically asked earlier this week. For the first half against Kentucky, the answer was “yes.”

South Carolina was cruising, and visions of the school’s first-ever SEC East title were dancing in Gamecock fans’ heads. Meanwhile, after the Wildcat offense went three-and-out on its first series of the second half, streams of dejected Kentucky fans started heading for the exits at Commonwealth Stadium.

They should have stuck around …

On USC’s next offensive series, Lattimore suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the game – dealing a huge blow to Spurrier’s offensive game plan.

Then Phillips’ offense (which played the whole game without its starting tailback, Derrick Locke) finally found its groove, embarking on a 14-play, 95-yard drive that probably saved the Wildcats’ season. On that drive, Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline completed 8 of 9 passes for 80 yards, including a five-yard scoring strike to La’Rod King.

Hartline ended up completing 32 of 42 passes for a career-high 349 yards and four touchdowns – earning a measure of revenge against the team that knocked him out of last year’s game, basically costing him the second half of the 2009 season.

On Kentucky’s next possession, Hartline hooked up with wide receiver Chris Matthews for a 38-yard touchdown pass just one play after the Wildcats had converted a critical fourth-and-one play. Hartline’s two-point conversion attempt failed, but the Wildcats trailed by just five and had clearly seized the momentum.

Over on the rapidly-deflating USC sideline, Spurrier walked back to the trainer’s tables to check on Lattimore – and grimaced after being told that his star recruit would not be able to come back in the game.

After a pair of South Carolina punts, Kentucky marched the ball down to the USC 20-yard line. That’s when senior linebacker Josh Dickerson stuffed Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb for a four-yard loss on third down, forcing a critical fourth-and-seven play.

With a chance to win the game on defense, a busted coverage assignment in the USC secondary freed up Cobb for a wide open 24-yard touchdown pass. On the next play, Cobb galloped into the end zone from three yards out for the two-point conversion.

With just over a minute left to play, Kentucky had its first lead of the game, 31-28.

Even Lattimore-less, the Gamecocks weren’t done, though. After watching his offense amass only 36 yards on its previous four possessions, Garcia drove the Gamecocks 49 yards in just over a minute  – putting them in position for a game-tying field goal attempt from kicker Spencer Lanning. With the ball spotted at the Kentucky 20-yard line and only eleven ticks left on the clock – the game appeared to be headed for overtime.

After an ill-advised timeout, however, Spurrier decided to take one last shot at the end zone – with disastrous consequences. Garcia’s pass – intended for wide receiver Lamar Scruggs – deflected off of one Kentucky defender and into the arms of junior cornerback Anthony Mosley.

“Same old Gamecocks,” ESPN’s SEC analyst Chris Low wrote after the game. “If you’re going to take a shot there at the end zone in the final seconds, go ahead. But if it’s not there, throw the ball into the fifth row of the stands, kick the field goal and take your chances in overtime.”

With the loss, South Carolina drops to 4-15 over the last three seasons in games played after October 15. In games played prior to October 15, USC is 20-5.

Despite the defeat, South Carolina remains in first place in the SEC East after Florida lost to Mississippi State on Saturday. The Gamecocks can still earn a spot in the SEC title game by winning their remaining conference games – starting with next week’s trip to Nashville, Tennessee to take on Vanderbilt (2-4, 1-2 SEC).

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Pics: via Daylife

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