Oct. 10, 2009

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South Carolina

• Head Coach Steve Spurrier: Improves to 175-63-2 as a collegiate head coach, 33-23 in his fifth year at South Carolina. He is now 17-0 against Kentucky, his best record against any opponent. With his 33rd win at Carolina, he has tied Lou Holtz for sixth all-time in school history. Next on the list are Billy Laval and Joe Morrison, both with 39 wins at the Carolina helm.
• Above .500: With today’s win, South Carolina’s all-time football record is 532-531-44, moving the Gamecocks one game above .500 over 116 years of intercollegiate football competition.
• Hot Start: South Carolina is 5-1 on the year, the second time in three years to have that mark (2007) and only the third time since 2000.
• Close Call: The two-point Carolina victory is the smallest for a Steve Spurrier-coached team over Kentucky in 17 games; the previous closest call came on Sept. 11, 1993, when his Florida Gators beat the Wildcats 24-20 in Lexington.
• Streaking: South Carolina has now won 10 consecutive games against Kentucky, dating back to the 2000 season. It is the Gamecocks’ longest active streak against a Division I FBS opponent.
• Streaking, Part 2: South Carolina has won six consecutive games at Williams-Brice Stadium, dating back to the Tennessee win last year. In this stretch, the Gamecocks have also defeated Arkansas, Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss, South Carolina State and Kentucky. The last time the Gamecocks won six straight at home was from the 1986-88 seasons when they posted 13 straight home victories.
• Living Up to Our Billing: The Gamecocks, ranked 25th in the country, won their first game as a ranked team since Oct. 13, 2007, when they defeated North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Last year, South Carolina lost both games in which it was ranked in the top 25 (at Vanderbilt and at Florida).
• Premium Performance: Freshman Alshon Jeffery put together an amazing game in his sixth collegiate appearance, catching 7 passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns. It’s the first 3-touchdown receiving game for a Gamecock since Sidney Rice caught five scoring passes against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 23, 2006.
• By Ground and By Air: For the second time this season, South Carolina had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game. In addition to Jeffery’s 138 receiving yards, freshman Kenny Miles totaled exactly 100 yards on 17 carries, a career-high. Against Florida Atlantic, two more freshmen, Jarvis Giles (rushing) and Tori Gurley (receiving), each went over the century mark.
• Airing it Out: Stephen Garcia’s three touchdown completions to Alshon Jeffery marked his first three-touchdown passing performance of his career. On the day, he completed 16 of 23 passes for 233 yards, the second-highest passing yardage total of his career. Garcia also passed the 2,000-yard mark for his career; he now stands at 2,080.
• Culliver’s Travels: With a 61-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, Chris Culliver became the school’s all-time leader in kick return yardage, passing Dick Harris’ 38-year-old mark of 1,946 yards. With 130 yards on three returns today, Culliver now has 2,039 in his career, which moves him into sixth all-time in SEC history, passing Vanderbilt’s Tony Jackson (2,004).
• Milestone in Sight: Moe Brown caught 3 passes for 33 yards, giving him 949 for his career. If and when he gets that 51 yards to reach 1,000 for his career, he will be the 22nd player in Carolina history to reach that mark.
• First Start: Freshman Justice Cunningham made his first career start at tight end, replacing the injured Weslye Saunders. LB Josh Dickerson, a junior transfer, made his first start in place of Shaq Wilson. With today’s new starters, 15 different Gamecocks have made their initial career starts during the 2009 this season.
• And They Shall Receive: South Carolina has received the opening kickoff to begin all six games this season, whether by choosing the option or the opponent deferring to the second half. Today, Kentucky won the toss and deferred their option.

Kentucky

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 2-3 on the season, 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina is 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the league.
• South Carolina leads the series, 14-6-1. South Carolina has won 10 in a row.
• Kentucky travels to Auburn, Ala., to take on the Auburn Tigers. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised by ESPNU.

UK Team Notes

• Kentucky was 2-for-3 on fourth down conversions today to improve to 6-of-9 on the season.
• UK totaled 360 yards of total offense, the fourth time in the Wildcats have gained over 300 yards on offense through five games this season.
• The 360 yards were a season high allowed by South Carolina this season.
• Kentucky was 5-of-6 on scoring opportunities from the red zone going to increase the season conversion total to 14 of 17 on the season (82 percent) for 85 points (11 touchdowns, three field goals, two loss on downs and one end of half).
• Kentucky’s 19 third-down conversion attempts were a season high.

Game Summary

• 1st Quarter Summary
• • UK’s Lones Seiber made a 36-yard field goal; UK 3, USC 0 (4:43)
  • USC’s Chris Culliver returned the kickoff 61 yards to the UK 34-yard line (4:32)
  • USC’s Stephen Garcia passed to Alshon Jeffery for a 10-yard TD; USC 7, UK 3 (3:55)

• 2nd Quarter Summary
• • UK’s Mike Hartline passed to Gene McCaskill for 31 yards to the USC 11-yard line
  • UK’s Derrick Locke rushed for an 11-yard TD; UK 10, USC 7 (14:34)
  • Locke’s third rushing TD of the season and of his career.
  • USC’s Chris Culliver returned the kickoff 49 yards to the UK 39-yard line (14:16)
  • USC’s Stephen Garcia passed to Alshon Jeffery for a 28-yard TD; USC 14, UK 10 (13:06)
  • UK’s Mike Hartline passed to Randall Cobb for 55 yards to the USC 13-yard line
  • The connection was the longest pass and catch for both Hartline and Cobb.
  • UK’s Mike Hartline passed to Randall Cobb for 7-yard TD; UK 17, USC 14 (9:06)
  • USC’s Stephen Garcia passed to Alshon Jeffery for 30 yards.
  • USC’s Stephen Garcia was intercepted by UK’s Sam Maxwell and returned to the UK 34
  • The pick was Maxwell’s second interception of the season and third of his career.
  • UK’s Corey Peters sacked USC’s Stephen Garcia for a 6-yard loss at the UK 46

• 3rd Quarter Summary
• • UK’s Mike Hartline was injured on a QB hurry by USC’s Darian Stewart
  • UK’s Will Fidler in at QB for Kentucky.
  • UK’s Ryan Tydlacka punted 59 yards for a touchback. It was his career long.
  • USC’s Stephen Garcia passed to Alshon Jeffery for a 22-yard TD; USC 21, UK 17 (6:29)
  • UK’s Randall Cobb stopped on 4th and 6 on a fake field goal attempt. (3:56)
  • UK’s Calvin Harrison recovered USC’s Stephen Garcia fumble at the USC 23
  • UK’s Taylor Wyndham forced the fumble. Kentucky takes over at the USC 15.
  • UK’s Lones Seiber made a 35-yard field goal; USC 21, UK 20 (1:24)
  • UK’s Corey Peters sacked USC’s Stephen Garcia for a 14-yard loss at the USC 5
  • Peters’ 2.5 sacks on the day are a career-high

• 4th Quarter Summary
• • UK’s Will Fidler rushed for 2 yards on 4th and 1 at the USC 48
  • UK’s Ryan Tydlacka punted five yards to the USC 38.
  • USC’s Stephen Garcia rushed for a 1-yard TD; USC 28, UK 20 (8:22)
  • UK’s Randall Cobb rushed for a 2-yard TD, 2-pt conversion failed; USC 28, UK 26 (4:34)
  • USC’s Kenny Miles rushed for 14 yards on 3rd and 6 from the USC 35 for a first down

UK Individual Notes

• Randall Cobb rushed for a career-high 89 yards with one TD on 13 carries.
• Randall Cobb gained 229 all-purpose yards with 62 yards receiving including a touchdown, a career-high 89 yards rushing (2-yd TD), 59 yards on kickoff returns and 19 yards on punt returns.
• Cobb’s 55-yard grab in the second quarter marked a career-long reception.
• The 55-yard strike was also a career-long pass for Mike Hartline.
• Derrick Locke gained 89 yards with one TD on 13 carries. Locke now has 1.157 career rushing yards and ranks 25th on the UK all-time rushing list.
• Locke needs 11 yards to move into 24th all-time (Doug Kofar, 1,167 yards, 1971-73).
• Locke, the SEC’s leader in all-purpose yards, gained 155 all-purpose yards, with a season-high 89 yards rushing including a touchdown, 20 yards receiving and 46 yards on kickoff returns.
• Corey Peters totaled career-highs with seven tackles and 2.5 sacks for the game.
• Linebacker Sam Maxwell was the co-leader with seven tackles including an interception.
• Maxwell broke up a pass for the fifth consecutive game this season.
• Lones Seiber has now made five consecutive field goals and is 5-of-6 on the season.
• Lones Seiber, the UK career scoring record holder, has 262 career points after kicking a pair of field goals and adding two PATs.
• Sophomore Gene McCaskill tied a career-high with three catches for a season-high 51 yards.
• Mike Hartline was 9-of-14 for 139 yards and a TD before injuring his knee early in the 3rd quarter
• Freshman cornerback Martavius Neloms earned the first start of his career.