Nov. 25, 2006

Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery

• Sidney Rice’s 20-yard catch on the first play of the game put him over the 2,000-yards receiving mark for his career. Rice entered the game with 1,991 receiving yards and became the sixth player in school history to eclipse the 2,000-yard receiving plateau and the first since Jermale Kelly, who racked up 2,181 receiving yards from 1997-2000.

• Sidney Rice finished with eight catches for 103 yards, marking his 10th career 100-yard receiving game. With 10 career 100-yard games, Rice matched Sterling Sharpe for the school record in that category.

• Sidney Rice has reached the 100-yard receiving mark in both of his two career games against Clemson, as he made seven catches for 122 yards in last year’s meeting with the Tigers.

• Blake Mitchell completed 23-of-36 passes for 268 yards. His 268 yards ranked as the fourth-highest total for a Gamecock signal-caller against Clemson and were the most since Steve Taneyhill passed for 307 yards in 1995.

• Cory Boyd carried the ball 16 times for 106 yards and one touchdown. His 106 yards marked the third time this season he has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark.

• South Carolina totaled 492 yards of total offense in Saturday’s win. Entering the game, the Clemson defense had limited opposing offenses to 249.9 yards per game.

• Blake Mitchell connected with Lanard Stafford for a nine-yard completion in the first quarter, marking Stafford’s first reception of the season.

• Mitchell punched in a one-yard touchdown run with a quarterback sneak, marking only the second rushing touchdown of his career, with the first coming at Kentucky in 2005.

• Cory Boyd capped a 96-yard second-quarter drive with a one-yard touchdown run. The 96-yard drive was the longest allowed by Clemson all season. The Gamecocks entered Saturday’s game with five scoring drives of 90 or more yards this season.

• Mike Davis capped a nine-play 68-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. The score was Davis’ fifth rushing touchdown of the year and was the 10th of his career.

• Emanuel Cook forced the first fumble of his career with a solid hit on Clemson tight end Thomas Hunter in the third quarter. The fumble was recovered by Jordin Lindsey, his first recovery of the year.

• Mike Davis punched in a nine-yard touchdown run following the fumble for his sixth touchdown run of the year. Davis had five touchdown runs as a true freshman in 2005.

• South Carolina’s offensive yardage total was the most allowed by Clemson all year.

• Saturday’s game marked the third consecutive game in which South Carolina piled up more that 400 yards of total offense. The last time the Gamecocks went for more than 400 yards in three consecutive games was against Kent, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt in the 1995 season.

• Saturday’s win over Clemson ensured that South Carolina will finish the 2006 season with a winning record, marking Carolina’s third straight winning season.

• Clemson quarterback Will Proctor hooked up with receiver Jacoby Ford for a 75-yard first-quarter touchdown pass, marking the longest touchdown reception allowed by South Carolina this year. The previous long was a 73-yard touchdown pass from Middle Tennessee’s Clint Marks to Desmond Gee.

• Clemson running back C.J. Spiller broke an 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, marking the longest run allowed by South Carolina this year.

• Clemson defensive lineman Jock McKissic returned an interception 82 yards for a touchdown with eight seconds remaining in the first half, marking the longest defensive touchdown allowed by Carolina this year and the longest since Missouri’s Marcus King took an interception back 99 yards in the 2005 Independence Bowl.

• Clemson entered the game ranked 24th in both the Associated Press and the Coaches Polls, marking the sixth top-25 opponent the Gamecocks have faced this year, an all-time high for Carolina.