Sep 9, 2007, 16:07 GMT
Athens, GA - Fifth-year senior quarterback Blake Mitchell, who returned to the active roster after sitting out the season opener, completed 20-of-31 passes for 174 yards and Ryan Succop converted three field goals, as South Carolina upset No. 11 Georgia, 16-12, at Sanford Stadium.
Cory Boyd rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries and a score for the Gamecocks (2-0, 1-0 SEC), who started year three of the Steve Spurrier Era with a 28-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday. Mike Davis rushed for 56 yards on nine attempts, while Kenny McKinley caught seven passes for 102 yards.
Matthew Stafford completed 19-of-44 passes for 213 yards for the Bulldogs (1-1, 0-1), who pounded Oklahoma State 35-14 last week. Knowshon Moreno rushed for 104 yards on 14 carries, and Tripp Chandler had three receptions for 44 yards in the loss.
'We just have to make plays; that's what it boils down to,' Stafford said. 'We have to keep working hard and move on. South Carolina shut us down. They are a great team and we competed hard. It was tough. We just couldn't get into a rhythm. They did a good job of scheming for us.'
South Carolina brought a 13-6 lead into the fourth quarter after Georgia and the Gamecocks swapped third-quarter field goals.
Succop's 34-yard field goal with 9:22 remaining put the Gamecocks ahead by double digits, and Brandon Coutu converted a 39-yard field goal about two minutes later and a 34-yarder with 4:42 left for the final margin. Coutu's field goals accounted for all of Georgia's points in the upset.
The last time Georgia failed to score a TD in game came in a 14-9 loss to South Carolina in 2001.
'We missed too many opportunities to make plays that could have made the difference in the game,' Georgia coach Mark Richt said. 'In my mind, it was not a lack of effort at all. It was just a lack of ability to make plays when they were there.'
Georgia had a 3rd-and-25 opportunity at its 39-yard line in the final seconds, but Stafford's pass got intercepted by Jasper Brinkley at the Carolina 15, as the clock ran out on the Bulldogs.
Succop notched his third-quarter field goal at the 4:17 mark, converting from 35 yards to give the Gamecocks a 13-3 lead. Coutu pulled the Bulldogs to within 10 with 1:54 remaining in the third quarter as he connected from 44 yards out.
Coutu and Succop also had dueling field goals in the second quarter, Coutu converting from 33 and Succop from 41.
The Gamecocks scored first when Boyd scampered into the end zone from nine yards out. Succop added the extra point for the 7-0 lead with 3:25 left in the first quarter.
Game Notes
The win lifted the Gamecocks back to the .500 level with an all-time record of 517-517-44. The last time Carolina was at .500 was during the 1988 season when they were 467-467-44 following a loss to Vanderbilt...This was the 60th meeting between these two schools. Georgia holds a 44-14-2 lead in the all- time series, including a 25-7 advantage when the teams have played in Athens. The Bulldogs had won each of the previous five meetings with the Gamecocks, but three of those contests were decided by six points or less. Carolina's last win came by a 14-9 margin in Athens in 2001.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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