South Carolina vs. Georgia Post-Game Notes

Sept. 8, 2007

South Carolina Post-Game Notes

With today’s upset victory, Carolina is 5-11 in SEC openers, including a 2-1 mark under third-year head coach Steve Spurrier. Additionally, Spurrier’s all-time record against Georgia improves to 12-3 (1-2 at USC).

Tonight’s victory marks the highest ranked SEC opponent that Carolina has ever defeated on the road. The previous was a 1993 victory over No. 14 Georgia.

Tonight’s win over Georgia marks the first time the Gamecocks have defeated the Bulldogs since the 2001 season. (14-9 win in Athens).

Under the direction of head coach Steve Spurrier, the Gamecocks are 13-4 when scoring first in a game.

Freshman defensive tackle Ladi Ajiboye and sophomore free safety Darian Stewart each made their first career start in a Gamecock uniform against Georgia. In addition, junior linebacker Dustin Lindsey played in his first game since the Independence Bowl during the 2005 season.

With his 19-yard reception in Carolina’s first quarter touchdown scoring drive against Georgia, junior wide receiver, and Mableton, Ga., native, Kenny McKinley extended his streak to 23 straight games with at least one catch. Entering Saturday’s contest against Georgia, his streak (22 games) ranked as the eighth-longest in the nation.

McKinley also recorded a season best with seven receptions for 102 yards, including a season-long catch of 31 yards in the opening quarter. This is McKinley’s third career 100-yard reception game.

Junior kicker Ryan Succop connected on a successful 41-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter against Georgia, marking his first successful field goal attempt of the year. (Missed a 47-yard field goal attempt in the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette). Succop also extended the Carolina lead to 13-3 with four minutes remaining in the third quarter with a successful, 35-yard field goal attempt. His third field goal of the game, a 34-yard kick in the fourth quarter, matched his career high for field goals in a game with three (also kicked three in the season-opening win at Mississippi State in 2006). He has 19 career field goals.

Sophomore free safety Darian Stewart recorded 9.0 tackles on the night, including 6.0 in the second half. The mark was a team best for the night and career high for the Hunstville, Ala., native.

Sophomore Captain Munnerlyn returned four kick returns on the night, including a season-long 33 yard effort in the first half. The return was just five yards shy of his career high (38).

The mighty defensive duo of Casper and Jasper Brinkley combined for 11.0 tackles on the night. Casper added one sack for the Gamecocks.

Georgia Post-Game Notes

Before tonight, the last time Georgia failed to score a TD in game came in a 14-9 loss to South Carolina here in 2001. Tonight, the Bulldogs had four field goals in a 16-12 loss. Georgia had won five in a row over the Gamecocks since then. The Bulldogs fall to 1-1 (0-1 SEC) for the first time since 2001. South Carolina has served as Georgia’s SEC opening opponent now 16 times, and the Bulldogs lead 11-5 in these matchups. For the fifth time in the last seven meetings with USC, the margin of victory was six points or less, and tonight was the first time the Gamecocks came out on top in one of these close ones. Also of note, the Bulldog offense did not score a TD against the Gamecocks in the 2002 contest, a 13-7 win by Georgia in Columbia. The defense (David Pollack) scored Georgia’s lone TD that day.

In his second collegiate game, redshirt freshman tailback Knowshon Moreno tallied 104 yards on 14 carries. Midway through the third quarter, he recorded a 50-yard rush, which was the longest run for the Bulldogs since Thomas Brown’s 52-yard touchdown scamper in the 2006 Sugar Bowl against West Virginia at the end of the 2005 season. It was the first 100+-yard game of his career and first by a Bulldog since Kregg Lumpkin registered 105 yards on 21 carries in the 37-15 win at No.5 Auburn in 2006.

Senior Thomas Brown posted another fine night returning kicks, finishing with 112 yards on four returns (28.0 avg.). Last week, he averaged 26.7 yards on three returns (80 yards). Brown also gained 49 yards on 12 carries. On punt returns, senior Mikey Henderson finished with three for 53 yards.

Senior Brandon Coutu attempted the first five field goals of the 2007 season against South Carolina and made a career-high four. He missed his first attempt from 48 yards out and then returned to drill a 33-yard field goal midway through the second quarter, a 44-yard field goal with 1:54 remaining in the third quarter, a 39-yarder with 7:37 left in the final quarter and then 34-yarder with 4:42 left. Coutu was 5-for-5 for PATs during Georgia’s win over Oklahoma State to open the season. Last year, Coutu only missed one field goal attempt all year (in five games) – a 53-yarder against Colorado. He was 7-for-8 for field goals in 2006. Coutu had made three field goals in a game five times in his career.

Junior tight end Tripp Chandler finished with a career-high three catches for a career-high 44 yards against the Gamecocks. Chandler, who sat out the Bulldogs’ opener, picked up first downs for Georgia during all three of his catches. Also, he returned to the starting lineup.

For the second week in a rown, junior MLB Dannell Ellerbe led the Bulldogs in tackles as he has 6.5 including one tackle for a loss. Last week versus Oklahoma State, he had a career-high seven.