October 6, 2001
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Derek Watson ran for 135 yards and fullback Andrew Pinnock scored twice as South Carolina (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) beat Kentucky 42-6 on Saturday for its first 5-0 start since 1988.
The Gamecocks (5-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) also got another mistake-free game from quarterback Phil Petty and scored their most points in six years.
Kentucky (1-4, 0-3) has lost 12 straight SEC games.
South Carolina — with the Wildcats help — put this one away quickly with three first-quarter touchdowns on the way to its biggest scoring day since a 52-14 win over Vanderbilt in 1995.
Pinnock’s 1-yard touchdown run finished a drive kept alive when Kentucky cornerback Derrick Tatum swung at Watson and was called for a personal foul as the Gamecocks fumbled on third-and-1.
Watson’s 58-yard run, helped by a Kentucky face-mask penalty, on South Carolina’s next drive led to Petty’s 14-yard scoring run and a 14-0 lead.
On the following kickoff, Kentucky’s Octavius Bond fumbled after a hit by Rod Thomas. Brian Elam recovered and, two plays later, Petty found Corey Alexander for a 23-yard TD strike as time ran out in the opening period.
Pinnock, a 250-pound fullback with surprising speed, had 41 yards on a 51-yard touchdown drive. He finished it by powering through the line from a yard out and a 28-0 halftime lead.
Petty finished 10-of-16 for 112 yards and two touchdowns. He has not throw an interception in 117 attempts this season. Pinnock had 61 yards.
Kentucky opened strongly enough, converting two third downs on their first possession to get into South Carolina territory. But freshman quarterback Shane Boyd was hit by defensive back Rashad Faison and coughed up the ball.
The Wildcats’ mistakes kept coming. Artose Pinner broke a 57-yard run, but tripped on his own at the Gamecocks 28. Four plays later, kicker Seth Hanson had a field goal blocked by Jonathan Martin.
Boyd threw incomplete on fourth-and-16 in the second quarter and on fourth-and-15 in the third to end drives in South Carolina territory.
Kentucky finally scored on a 28-yard TD catch by Aaron Boone with 10:26 remaining. But Hanson missed the extra point.
The whole time, sophomore Jared Lorenzen stood on the sidelines in a baseball cap. Lorenzen had thrown for 304 yards in a 20-17 loss to South Carolina a year ago.
That was back when each Gamecocks win was met with surprise. Since ending the two-year losing streak, coach Lou Holtz has gone 13-4.
A win next week at Arkansas would match South Carolina’s best opening since 1988, the year Holtz won the national title at Notre Dame.
Perhaps that was on the mind of the 80,250 at Williams-Brice Stadium, who gave one of the loudest cheers of the second half when Georgia’s 26-24 last-second over Tennessee was announced.
South Carolina’s already beaten the Bulldogs with the Vols up on Oct. 27.
Holtz, who left the TV analyst booth for the Gamecocks in December 1998, hasn’t opened 5-0 since 1993 when the Fighting Irish finished 11-1.
