Dec. 30, 2005
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery
South Carolina vs. Missouri
2005 Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium (Shreveport, La.)
December 30, 2005
South Carolina Post-Game Notes
• South Carolina’s appearance in the Independence Bowl marked the 12th bowl appearance in school history and the first since the 2002 Outback Bowl.
• Entering Friday’s game, South Carolina had won its last three bowl games (1995 Carquest Bowl vs. West Virginia, 2001 Outback Bowl vs. Ohio State and 2002 Outback Bowl vs. Ohio State.)
• In the only previous meeting between Missouri and South Carolina prior to Friday’s game, the Tigers claimed a 24-14 win in the 1979 Hall of Fame Bowl.
• Friday’s game marked the first time all season that South Carolina did not play on a natural field surface, as the playing surface at Independence Stadium is AstroPlay.
• Including Friday’s game, Steve Spurrier has compiled a 6-7 record in the 13 bowl games in which he coached.
• Sidney Rice finished Friday’s game with 191 receiving yards, marking the sixth time this season that Rice eclipsed the 100-yard receiving plateau. In doing so, Rice took sole possession of the school record for most 100-yard receiving games in a single season, breaking the existing tie with Sterling Sharpe.
• Sidney Rice made 12 receptions for 191 yards. Both figures established new Independence Bowl records. Rice’s 191 receiving yards stands as the fourth-highest total in school history.
• Freshman running back Mike Davis finished the game with 125 rushing yards, marking the second consecutive game in which Davis rushed for more than 100 yards. He rushed for 111 yards in the regular season finale against Clemson.
• With both Davis and Rice passing the 100-yard plateau, it marked the 20th time in school history, and the first since 2003, that Carolina had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game.
• Sidney Rice set a new single-season school record for receiving yards during Friday’s game. Rice finished the season with 1,143 receiving yards, passing Sterling Sharpe’s 1986 record of 1,106 receiving yards.
• Blake Mitchell hit Sidney Rice for a 23-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive, giving Rice his 13th touchdown reception of the year to extend his own school record. It also marked the third time this season that Carolina scored a touchdown on its opening drive.
• Lance Laury forced Missouri running back Tony Temple to fumble on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage. Ricardo Hurley recovered the fumble, which eventually led to a Carolina touchdown.
• Mike Davis scored two touchdowns in the first half, marking his third and fourth touchdowns in the last three games.
• Blake Mitchell hit Carson Askins for a 20-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, marking Askins’ second touchdown of the year.
• Jordin Lindsey intercepted a Brad Smith pass in the first quarter on a fourth down play. Smith’s pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage by Orus Lambert. The interception was the first of Lindsey’s career. Lindsey’s interception marked the third interception for a Carolina defensive lineman this year, as Lambert picked off a pass at Arkansas and Chris Tucker intercepted a pass against Florida.
• Missouri defensive back Marcus King intercepted a Blake Mitchell pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, marking the longest interception return against the Gamecocks in school history.
