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This time it comes in the form of a C.J. Spiller fumble. The Clemson tailback gets decked at the end of a catch-and-run, and USC recovers at the Clemson 35.
Nice field position for the Gamecocks’ first drive of the second half.
Stephon Gilmore recovered the fumble, meaning the freshman has now touched the ball on offense, defense and special teams (returning punts.)
Want to know why South Carolina is winning? The three key stats:
1. USC 210 offensive yards, Clemson 101.
2. USC 1 turnover, Clemson 2.
3. USC 131 rushing yards, 4.7 yards per carry. Clemson 34 rushing yards, 2.3 yards per carry.
Basically, all Clemson has is the opening kickoff return by C.J. Spiller. After that, zilch. The Gamecocks have shut down the Tiger offense, and Spiller only has 20 rushing yards on seven carries, and one catch for zero yards.
That’s no way to make a finishing Heisman campaign. (Probably doesn’t matter, Colt McCoy may have sealed his bid the other night.)
The running game for South Carolina has been a revelation. The two who have lined up at quarterback – Stephen Garcia and Stephon Gilmore – have combined for 71 yards on 13 carries. Kenny Miles, once forgotten but now back, has 39 yards on six carries, and starter Brian Maddox has been solid with 29 yards on seven carries, plus a 15-yard catch.
We have arrived at halftime, and USC leads 17-7.The crowd cheers the Gamecocks as they go into the locker room.
It could have been more, as the Gamecocks drove into Clemson territory in the final minute. But the first sack of the game came at a bad time; DeAndre McDaniel came on a cornerback blitz and decked Stephen Garcia.
During an ensuing timeout, Steve Spurrier lit into Garcia about the play. Hey, it’s always the quarterback’s fault, apparently.
It also could have been a bigger lead for USC if Antonio Allen had not blown that shanked punt, allowing Clemson to extend the drive. The Tigers didn’t go on to score, but USC would have had the ball at the Clemson 27, already in field goal position.
All in all, however, the Gamecocks have to be happy to be ahead a couple scores. And they get the ball to start the second half.
I guess it was time for one to go against South Carolina. Although the Gamecocks have themselves to blame on this one.
Antonio Allen just did his best Leon Lett impression, handing Clemson another opportunity. It remains to be seen what the Tigers do with it.
Punting deep in its own end, Clemson shanked the punt, the ball dribbling to just beyond its own 25. That would’ve been prime field position fothe Gamecocks, who didn’t need to touch it. Evidently Allen didn’t know that, and he tried to jump on it. He didn’t grab it, and Clemson pounced.
Officially the punt was not tipped, it was just a bad, bad punt off the side off the foot. But it wouldn’t have mattered.
It also didn’t matter that it was recovered by Clemson beyond the first-down marker. Once Clemson punted, it was a change of possession.
Things seemed so bleak for South Carolina after the first few minutes: C.J. Spiller’s kickoff return, and the Stephen Garcia interception.
But everything turned. Spiller, for some reason, hasn’t been back returning kickoffs — and USC has had three of them, thanks to two big turnovers, the offense clicking and some breaks.
The latest came on this most recent offensive drive.
Brian Maddox dropped the ball on one carry, and the Tigers seemed sure to recover it. But instead Weslye Saunders emerged with the ball.
That’s two fumbles now that Clemson couldn’t hop on. Those are two big plays for South Carolina so far. Throw in the roughing-the-punter call that extended the field goal drive, and it’s all coming up Gamecock at this point.
There’s still plenty of time left. Like, seven minutes in the first half alone. But the Gamecocks have to like their combination of skill and luck right now.
The wireless here has been going in and out since the game started, so I’m sorry if some of the posts take awhile to go up.
It’s been a problem here all year, and believe me, it’s no fun.
First Spencer Lanning gets knocked down. Then he knocks one through.
South Carolina now leads 17-7 early in the second quarter, after Lanning sneaks through a 47-yard field goal.
It happened after it the drive continued thanks to a roughing the punter call, when Lanning was knocked down, creating a no-brainer call for the referee against Clemson. So instead of Clemson ball, USC’s drive continued in Tiger territory.
The offense looks a lot more imaginative. There’s a good mix of run and pass, downfield and short throws.
We haven’t see the Wild Cock since that second drive. So perhaps the formation isn’t quite ready enough to shuffle on and off the field.
By the way, EVERYTHING seems to be going right for Gamecock fans:
In promotions during timeouts, a fan just made a 20-yard field goal to win a free pizza, and another won something for catching a simulated punt.
Good times here in the W-B.
Well, how quickly has all of this turned.
Just like that, South Carolina now leads 14-7, thanks to defensive turnovers.
First it was a fumble. This time it was a pick and long return by a true freshman, leading to a Stephen Garcia touchdown pass to Weslye Saunders.
Fireworks, a Gamecock flag and lots of excitement from the assembled garnet here in the stadium.
DeVonte Holloman jumped the route, and returned it 54 yards. He looked gone, but Jacoby Ford showed that track speed and tracked him down at the 11.
The defense went four full games without forcing a turnover. In one quarter, it got two.
So, where was the Wild Cock all year?
South Carolina ties the game, after a quick drive run mostly by Stephon Gilmore in the Wild Cock.
Gilmore ran six plays in the Wild Cock, five of them rushes. That set the ball up at the 1.
Then Stephen Garcia came back in, and pitched it to Brian Maddox for a 1-yard touchdown run.
We heard all about the Wild Cock in the preseason, but never saw it until the first play of this drive. And you have to say, it looked great.
Clemson wasn’t quite ready for it, and Gilmore looked supremely confident for a guy who hadn’t played offense in a year.
The trick for South Carolina is that Garcia couldn’t stay on the field, since he and Gilmore each wear No. 5. But even without the possible trickeration of Garcia lining up at receiver, the Gamecocks ran the offense well.
The big play was a 39-yard completion to Alshon Jeffery, down to the Clemson 8. Gilmore’s throw, his first in a game since he was in high school last year, was dicey. But Jeffery did a great job of beating the defender to the ball.
So now the questions are twofold:
How much more of the Wild Cock will we see?
And how will USC kick off to C.J. Spiller?
Well, I’d say that was a much-needed play for South Carolina.
Clemson, driving downfield, had Jamie Harper fumble the ball after a good hit by Akeem Auguste.
Eric Norwood picked it up in the open field and started running. He was leg-tackled at the USC 40 by Thomas Austin, or else Norwood had a lot of open field ahead of him.
That’s a huge play for South Carolina, obviously. Clemson had first down at the USC 24.
And it was the Gamecocks’ first caused turnover in five games.
This after it all momentum and breaks were favoring Clemson. The drive had been helped by a late hit penalty against Cliff Matthews, coming after a first down loss of four on first down.
But now the Gamecock offense gets the ball back, down 7-0, with a chance to even this game up. And at a minimum, the fans are back in the game.