South Carolina vs. Tennessee Football 2009
Gamecocks Seek 10-Win Season; Vols Aim for Bowl Berth
Oct 27, 2009
The No. 22 Gamecocks will gun for their seventh victory of the season when they meet Tennessee in a Southeastern Conference game on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Knoxville, Tenn.
South Carolina (6-2 overall, 3-2 SEC) has four games remaining in the regular season and is already bowl eligible. So a win Saturday would keep coach Steve Spurrier's in position to secure double-digit victories – something the Vols haven't done since going 10-2 under Joe Morrison in 1984.
Tennessee (3-4, 1-3) has some serious goals of its own. The Volunteers are striving to finish above .500 in their first season under head coach Lane Kiffin, and they'd like to return to a bowl game after missing out with a 5-7 mark in 2008.
Saturday's game is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. EST and will be telecast by ESPN. It will feature two top-notch defenses, which both excelled last week.
South Carolina pulled out a 14-10 win over Vanderbilt, while Tennessee dropped a 12-10 squeaker at No. 2 Alabama.
The Gamecocks and Volunteers will be meeting for the 28th time. Tennessee has dominated the series, going 21-4-2, but South Carolina has won two of the last four. Last year, the Gamecocks won 27-6 in Columbia, S.C.
Linebacker Norwood Stars for South Carolina
South Carolina boasts the No. 2 pass defense in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing only 141.2 aerial yards per game. The Gamecocks are also yielding just 288.9 total yards per game, and only 17.5 points.
Linebacker Eric Norwood continues to be the primary playmaker. The senior has come up with 48 tackles, including a team-high 8.5 for losses. He's also recorded six sacks, made two interceptions and blocked a pair of kicks.
Cliff Matthews has been a force at defensive end, with eight tackles for loss and five sacks among his 36 total stops. The junior has also forced three fumbles.
Sophomore linebacker Shaq Wilson leads the Gamecocks in tackles with 56, and free safety Chris Culliver has 45 tackles in addition to six pass breakups. Strong safety Darian Stewart (37 tackles) and cornerback Stephen Gilmore (1 interception, 5 pass breakups) also help solidify the secondary.
Gamecocks Managing More Miles
South Carolina, like virtually everybody else in the SEC, has had trouble establishing consistency on offense. The Gamecocks are scoring 23 points and gaining 366.4 yards per game.
Freshman Kenny Miles has emerged as South Carolina's top running threat, gaining over 100 yards in two of the last three games. He's rushed for a team-high 417 yards on the season, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Another freshman, Jarvis Giles has 256 yards in seven games, on 5.7 yards per attempt.
Swift-footed quarterback Stephen Garcia has rushed for three touchdowns, but he's also been under heavy pressure, as his team has allowed 22 sacks. The sophomore has still managed to complete 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,794 yards and 11 TDs, against only four interceptions.
Freshman Alshon Jefferey is the top receiver with 24 catches for 443 yards and five touchdowns. Moe Brown (22 receptions, 324 yards, 2 TDs) and freshman Tori Gurley (21 catches, 318 yards) are heavy contributors as well. But Brown is recovering from a concussion that kept him out of the Vanderbilt game.
A player South Carolina cannot afford to lose is Spencer Lanning, who handles both placekicking and punting chores. Lanning is 12-for-14 on field goal attempts and is averaging 42.3 yards per punt.
Vols Look to Recover from Heartbreaking Loss
It can't be denied that Tennessee's defeat at Alabama was devastating. The Vols were just 1-for-4 on field goal attempts, and hitting just one more would've won them the game.
Terrence Cody, Alabama's 6-foot-5, 355-pound defensive tackle blocked two attempts, including a 44-yard attempt on the final play. So Tennessee dropped back below the .500 barrier after suffering its second narrow conference defeat.
Still, the Vols had to get some satisfaction out of the game. They outgained, and for the most part, outplayed the No. 2 team in the nation. And they did it on the road.
Tennessee Offense Showing Progress
It's true that the Volunteers managed just one touchdown last week, but they were playing what might be the NCAA's best defense. And the one TD was more than Alabama scored.
While the Tennessee rushing game was halted, the Vols received a second consecutive strong performance from QB Jonathan Crompton. The senior, who started sluggishly in 2009, is now completing 57.7 percent of his passes for 1,475 yards and 14 TDs. He's been intercepted 10 times, but just twice over his last three games.
Injuries have slowed the receiving corps, but Gerald Jones has emerged to lead the Vols with 22 receptions for 281 yards and three TDs. Quintin Hancock has 17 catches for 194 yards and a TD despite missing two games. Denarius Moore has 16 catches for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
The Vols, nonetheless, will feed the ball repeatedly to running back Monatrio Hardesty. The senior has rushed for 720 yards and six TDs, gaining 5.0 yards per attempt. He receives solid backup help from freshman Bryce Brown (285 yards, 2 TDs, 4.3).
Tennessee is recording 28.9 points and 385.3 yards per game. The Vols are averaging two turnovers a contest on the season, but just one over their past three games.
Vols Defense Ranks 10th in FBS
Tennessee is 10th in the FBS in total defense at 269.7 yards allowed per game. The Vols are also giving up only 18.4 points, and rank sixth in pass defense at 155.9 yards
All-American safety Eric Berry has provided 55 tackles, five tackles for loss, an interception, six pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Linebacker Rico McCoy leads the Vols with 65 tackles, and 6-6, 327-pound Dan Williams paces the defensive line with 35 tackles.
The Vols also feature cornerback Dennis Rogan (33 tackles), linebacker Savion Frazier (31 tackles), defensive end Chris Walker (5.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions), and linebacker LaMarcus Thompson (6 tackles for loss).
