Nov. 12, 2010

GAMEDAY CENTRAL

Florida Gameday Information | Parking Information | South Carolina Game Notes | Florida Game Notes

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ON THE AIR
National TV: ESPN
Play-by-Play: Brad Nessler
Analyst: Todd Blackledge
Sideline: Holly Rowe
Also available on ESPN3.com

Gamecock Radio Network
Network Broadcast begins at 4 p.m. ET
Flagship: WNKT-FM 107.5 The Game
Play-by-Play: Todd Ellis
Analyst: Tommy Suggs
Sideline: Terry Cousin

Satellite Radio
XM Radio Channel (Florida Feed): 199
SIRIUS “Best of XM” Channel: 219

SportSouth Replay: 8 p.m., Nov. 14
Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra
Analyst: Brad Muller

SETTING THE STAGE
• No. 22 South Carolina will have an opportunity to win the SEC Eastern Division championship for the first time on Saturday as the Gamecocks travel to Gainesville, Fla., for a winner-take-all battle with No. 24 Florida. Kickoff is set for 7:21 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and ESPN will carry a national television broadcast.
• The Gamecocks are 6-3 (4-3 SEC) and are tied with the Gators – also 6-3 (4-3) – for first place in the SEC East with just one league game left for each team. South Carolina fell to No. 19 Arkansas at home last Saturday, 41-20, while Florida won on the road at Vanderbilt, 55-14.
• This is the first time the Gamecocks have ever been ranked higher than the Gators when the two teams met. Only three previous times have both teams been ranked at the time of their meeting (2000, 2001, 2008).

THE SERIES
• This marks the 31st game in the series between South Carolina and Florida that dates back to 1911. Florida leads the series, 23-4-3, including a 12-0 mark in games played in Gainesville. The Gators have won four in a row in the series.

THE COACHES

South Carolina: Steve Spurrier (Florida `67)

• Overall: 183-71-2 (21st season)
• at South Carolina: 41-31 (6th season)
• vs. Florida: 1-4 (all at Carolina)

Florida: Urban Meyer (Cincinnati ’86)

• Overall: 102-21 (10th season)
• at Florida: 63-13 (6th season)
• vs. South Carolina: 4-1

QUICK HITS
• Sophomore WR Alshon Jeffery leads the SEC and is fifth in the nation in receiving yards per game with 114.9 yards per contest. He also leads the league with 6.6 catches per game. With 99 yards against Arkansas, Jeffery passed Troy Williamson (1,754) for 9th all-time at Carolina; he now has 1,797 career receiving yards on 105 catches. He needs 79 more yards to move into 8th all-time (Fred Zeigler – 1,876 yards).
• With 1,034 yards this season, Jeffery is the third different SC player to amass 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, joining Sidney Rice (1,143 in 2005; 1,090 in 2006) and Sterling Sharpe (1,106 in 1986). He needs 110 more yards to set the all-time South Carolina single-season record.
• RB Marcus Lattimore has topped the 150-yard mark twice this season, rushing for 182 yards vs. Georgia and 184 vs. Tennessee. He has 13 touchdowns on the season, which equals Sidney Rice (2005) for the SC freshman record. He needs three more TDs to tie the SC single-season touchdown mark (Harold Green, 16 in 1987) and would tie the SEC freshman record with seven more touchdowns (Reggie Cobb, Tennessee – 20 in 1987).
• Junior QB Stephen Garcia currently has 5,759 passing yards for his career, passing both Phil Petty (5,652) and Anthony Wright (5,681) for fourth on the career passing charts with a 161-yard effort against Arkansas.
• The Gamecocks lead the Southeastern Conference and are ranked No. 3 in the nation with a school record-tying 32 sacks (3.56 per game).
• South Carolina has scored three defensive touchdowns this season – an 80-yard INT return by Stephon Gilmore vs. Furman, a 24-yard INT return by Devin Taylor vs. Tennessee, and a 1-yard fumble return by Byron McKnight vs. Arkansas. The last time Carolina had three defensive scores in a season was 2008.

A SOUTH CAROLINA WIN OVER FLORIDA WOULD…

• Clinch the SEC Eastern Division championship and send South Carolina to its first SEC Championship Game.
• Be South Carolina’s first-ever victory over the Gators in Gainesville (0-12 all-time).
• Give South Carolina two straight SEC road victories for the first time since 2008, when the Gamecocks beat Mississippi and Kentucky on the road in consecutive weeks.
• Give the Gamecocks their fifth SEC win of the season, guaranteeing a winning SEC record for the fourth time since joining the conference in 1992 (2000, 2001, 2005).
• Give South Carolina victories over Tennessee, Florida and Georgia – the “Big Three” of the SEC East – in the same season for the first time in history.
• Give Steve Spurrier his 42nd win at Carolina, tying him with Paul Dietzel for third all-time in school history.
• Be South Carolina’s third win over a ranked opponent this season; would be third time in SC history (`00, `01).
• Snap a 16-game Florida winning streak over SEC Eastern Division opponents (Last loss: vs. Georgia, 42-30, Oct. 27, 2007).

THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT: FLORIDA
• The Florida Gators, at 6-3 overall and 4-3 in the Southeastern Conference, are in their sixth year under head coach Urban Meyer. Florida, at No. 24 in the national polls, will be the fifth ranked opponent that South Carolina has faced this season (Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas). Last year, Florida won the SEC Eastern Division and finished at 13-1 overall, falling to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game but then defeating Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl, 51-24.
• Florida has won three out of the last four SEC Eastern Division titles and won SEC and National Championships in 2006 and 2008. The Gators have won 16 in a row against SEC Eastern Division opponents, dating back to Oct. 27, 2007.

GAMECOCKS AND GATORS
• This is the 31st all-time meeting between South Carolina and Florida. The Gators hold a 23-4-3 advantage in the all-time series, including a 12-0 mark in games played in Gainesville.
• Florida has won the last four meetings in the series, including a 24-14 victory in Columbia last season. The Gators won the last meeting in Gainesville 56-6 on Nov. 15, 2008.
• The teams first met in 1911, playing to a 6-6 tie in Columbia. The Gamecocks beat the Gators in 1913 (13-0), 1936 (7-0), 1937 (6-0) and 2005 (30-22). All four wins came in Columbia. The teams have met three times at neutral sites – all in Tampa, Fla. – with Florida winning once and the teams playing to ties twice.

TIES WITH FLORIDA
• South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier was Florida’s head coach from 1990-2001, and played for the Gators from 1964-66, winning the 1966 Heisman Trophy. Spurrier was 122-27-1 as the head coach at Florida, compiling the most wins in school history.
• South Carolina has 18 players on its active roster from the state of Florida, the most from any state other than South Carolina. Five players hail from Jacksonville – Corey Addison, Eric Baker, Mike Triglia, Tramell Williams and Shaq Wilson – the most from any one municipality outside of South Carolina .
• Florida has one player from South Carolina on its roster – TE Desmond Parks from Greer.
• Quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus played at Florida from 1988-91 and graduated from UF in 1992. He was a graduate assistant for the Gators from 1992-94.
• Wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. was an assistant coach at Florida from 1994-98 and earned a master’s degree from UF in 1996.
• Director of football operations Jamie Speronis graduated from Florida in 1985 and served in several roles for the Gators, including strength and conditioning assistant (1982-88), graduate assistant (88-92), senior administrative assistant (1992-95) and director of operations (1996-02).
• Gamecock FB Patrick DiMarco is the nephew of PGA Tour golfer Chris DiMarco, who played collegiate golf at Florida.
• Florida quarterback John Brantley played on the same high school team as Gamecock defensive backs Antonio Allen and Dion LeCorn. Brantley was born in Columbia, S.C.

SPURRIER VS. FLORIDA
South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier is 1-4 all-time when facing his alma mater. He won his first meeting against the Gators in 2005, winning 30-22 in Columbia, but has lost the past four meetings.

SPURRIER VS. MEYER
Steve Spurrier is 1-4 all-time against Urban Meyer as a head coach. The five meetings have all come in each of the last five seasons since Meyer left Utah to become Florida’s head coach and Spurrier returned from a two-year stint in the NFL and a one-year absence from coaching to lead South Carolina.

COULD BE A FIRST
1,000-yard receiver in the same season. With WR Alshon Jeffery eclipsing the 1,000-yard plateau against Arkansas, the Gamecocks are halfway there for 2010. Freshman RB Marcus Lattimore, at 752 rushing yards for the season, needs 248 yards in the final three regular-season games (plus a bowl game and a potential SEC Championship game) to reach that milestone.
• The closest South Carolina has come to that achievement was the 1987 season, when Harold Green rushed for 1,022 yards and Sterling Sharpe amassed 915 receiving yards. Sharpe had racked up 1,106 receiving yards the previous season.

MOMENTUM CHANGERS
South Carolina has scored three defensive touchdowns this season, including a defensive score in each of the last two games. CB Stephon Gilmore had the first defensive score with an 80-yard interception return vs. Furman. DE Devin Taylor picked off a Tennessee pass and raced 24 yards for a score in the third quarter of that game, and DE Byron McKnight scooped up an Arkansas fumble (caused by a Gilmore sack) at the 1-yard line and stepped into the end zone for another score. LB Tony Straughter almost had a fourth score when he scooped up a Southern Miss fumble and returned it 52 yards before being tackled at the USM 29. The last time the Gamecocks scored three times on defense was in 2008 when Stoney Woodson, Nathan Pepper and Captain Munnerlyn all found the end zone.

GAMECOCKS IN THE POLLS
South Carolina is ranked in this week’s Associated Press Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll for the 10th consecutive week. Only two other times in school history have the Gamecocks stayed in the polls for that many straight editions:
• The Gamecocks appeared at No. 19 in the AP poll the week of Oct. 31, 1987, then proceeded to defeat NC State 48-0. Carolina climbed as high as No. 8 before losing the regular-season finale to No. 2 Miami, then dropping a 30-13 decision to No. 7 LSU in the Gator Bowl; Carolina finished 15th in the final poll. The Gamecocks were then ranked No. 19 in the 1988 preseason ranking and stayed in the poll nine straight weeks until a 59-0 loss at Florida State on Nov. 5, 1988. Total weeks in the rankings: 18.
• After defeating Ohio State in the 2001 Outback Bowl, Carolina finished at No. 19 in the final AP poll of 2000. The Gamecocks then stayed in the rankings every week of the 2001 season, climbing as high as No. 9 in the polls and finishing at No. 13 after another defeat of the Buckeyes in Tampa. Carolina was then ranked in the first two polls of the 2002 season before a 34-21 loss at Virginia dropped them from the rankings. Total weeks in the rankings: 18.

THE 100 CLUB
• In its 21-7 victory at Vanderbilt, South Carolina had a player rush for 100 yards and two players receive for 100 yards in the same game for the first time in school history. RB Brian Maddox came off the bench to rack up 146 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown, while WR Alshon Jeffery caught nine passes for 155 yards – including a show-stopping 72-yard touchdown – and WR Tori Gurley shattered his previous career highs wiith a school-record 14 catches for 112 yards and a score.
• One other time this season, Carolina has had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in the same game. Against Georgia, RB Marcus Lattimore carried 37 times for 182 yards while WR Alshon Jeffery caught seven passes for 103 yards.
• Jeffery has topped the 100-yard receiving mark five times this year, with a career- and season-best coming with 192 yards at Auburn. Lattimore has two 100-yard games – 182 vs. Georgia and 184 vs. Tennessee – and Maddox and Gurley have one apiece.

WINNING MORE OFTEN
With the win over Tennessee to improve to 6-2, the Gamecocks have assured themselves of posting seven consecutive seasons of at least a .500 record. Previously, the Gamecocks went 6-5 in 2004, 7-5 in 2005, 8-5 in 2006, 6-6 in 2007, and 7-6 in both 2008 and 2009. The team has now equaled a school-record stretch from 1928-34 in which the Gamecocks had seven straight seasons at .500 or better.

OPENING STATEMENT
South Carolina has been at its best in the first half, outscoring opponents 155-89 in the first two quarters, including a 77-26 edge in the opening stanza. The Arkansas game marked the only two times this season that the Gamecocks have trailed at the half. This is a stark contrast from last season, when the Gamecocks were outscored 162-134 in the opening half, including an 81-65 deficit in the first quarter. In 2009, the Gamecocks’ best quarter was the third as they held an 87-39 scoring advantage; this year, the Gamecocks have controlled the third quarter by a 55-46 count.

GAMECOCKS AS A RANKED TEAM
Under Steve Spurrier, the Gamecocks have been a ranked team heading into 23 contests. Carolina is 11-12 in those opportunities when appearing in the national rankings. In home games, Carolina is 9-4 when ranked under Spurrier, including a 6-1 mark at home over the last two seasons. The Gamecocks are 2-8 in road contests as a ranked team under Spurrier.

• 2010 (4-3)
• Sept. 11 – #24 Carolina 17, #19 Georgia 6 (Columbia)
• Sept. 18 – #13 Carolina 38, Furman 19 (Columbia)
• Sept. 25 – #14 Auburn 35, #12 Carolina 27 (Auburn)
• Oct. 9 – #19 Carolina 35, #1 Alabama 21 (Columbia)
• Oct. 16 – Kentucky 31, #10 Carolina 28 (Lexington)
• Oct. 23 – #19 Carolina 21, Vanderbilt 7 (Nashville)
• Oct. 30 – #17 Carolina 38, Tennessee 24 (Columbia)
• Nov. 6 – #19 Arkansas 41, #17 Carolina 20 (Columbia)
• 2009 (2-2)
• Oct. 10 – #25 Carolina 28, Kentucky 26 (Columbia)
• Oct. 17 – #2 Alabama 20, #22 Carolina 6 (Tuscaloosa)
• Oct. 24 – #23 Carolina 14, Vanderbilt 10 (Columbia)
• Oct. 31 – Tennessee 31, #21 Carolina 13 (Knoxville)
• 2008 (0-2)
• Sept. 4 – Vanderbilt 24, #24 Carolina 17 (Nashville)
• Nov. 15 – #3 Florida 56, #24 Carolina 6 (Gainesville)
• 2007 (4-4)
• Sept. 15 – #17 Carolina 38, S.C. State 3 (Columbia)
• Sept. 22 – #2 LSU 28, #12 Carolina 16 (Baton Rouge)
• Sept. 29 – #16 Carolina 38, Miss. State 21 (Columbia)
• Oct. 4 – #11 Carolina 38, #8 Kentucky 23 (Columbia)
• Oct. 13 – #7 Carolina 21, North Carolina 15 (Chapel Hill)
• Oct. 20 – Vanderbilt 17, #6 Carolina 6 (Columbia)
• Oct. 27 – Tennessee 27, #15 Carolina 24 (OT) (Knoxville)
• Nov. 3 – Arkansas 48, #23 Carolina 36 (Fayetteville)
• 2006 – Not ranked
• 2005 (0-1)
• Nov. 19 – Clemson 13, #19 Carolina 9 (Columbia)

THE LAST TIME THEY MET: NOV. 14, 2009
Tim Tebow tied the SEC touchdown record and No. 1 Florida gained its first perfect league season in 13 years with a 24-14 victory over South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Columbia. Down 17-14, South Carolina drove 48 yards to Florida’s 22. But defensive lineman Justin Trattou intercepted Stephen Garcia and brought it back 53 yards. Tebow cashed in the touchdown four plays later, a 1-yard burst that was the 53rd of his SEC career to match LSU great Kevin Faulk. Ahead 24-14 after Tebow’s score, Florida’s defense got after the Gamecocks. The Gators sacked Garcia four times in the fourth quarter. Joe Haden’s interception with two minutes left sealed Florida’s 20th straight victory – and fourth in a row over its former head ball coach. Tebow ended 14 of 25 for 199 passing, including a 68-yard touchdown throw to Riley Cooper. Garcia was 17-of-32 for 186 yards with one touchdown, and Brian Maddox gained 82 yards on 17 carries, scoring the Gamecocks’ other touchdown.