Tag Archives: South Carolina

Blake Lively DIDN’T Legally Marry On Her Wedding Day After All! Hold Up!

Leave a reply

Well this is confusing!!

So even though Ryan Reynolds made Blake Lively his blushing bride on September 9, they didn’t legally marry until September 14.

Cuz in South Carolina, you have to wait 24 hours from a license request for it to actually process. And they submitted it on the 13th.

Of course, this was all part of their master plan, we’re sure. They wanted to make sure this thing was as HUSH HUSH as possible.

And they succeeded!! Even the cake baker had no idea what was going on. They just thought it was a normal client order. Ha!

Oh and the lil kids who sung at their ceremony?? Their parents were made to sign non-disclosure agreements before they could participate. But now they have bragging rights that we’re sure are already on countless bumper stickers.

But bottom line is this — their technical anniversary is 9/14, not 9/9. But which will they honor in the years to come?? Hmm…

[Image via WENN.]

Blake Lively DIDN’T Legally Marry On Her Wedding Day After All! Hold Up!

Leave a reply

Well this is confusing!!

So even though Ryan Reynolds made Blake Lively his blushing bride on September 9, they didn’t legally marry until September 14.

Cuz in South Carolina, you have to wait 24 hours from a license request for it to actually process. And they submitted it on the 13th.

Of course, this was all part of their master plan, we’re sure. They wanted to make sure this thing was as HUSH HUSH as possible.

And they succeeded!! Even the cake baker had no idea what was going on. They just thought it was a normal client order. Ha!

Oh and the lil kids who sung at their ceremony?? Their parents were made to sign non-disclosure agreements before they could participate. But now they have bragging rights that we’re sure are already on countless bumper stickers.

But bottom line is this — their technical anniversary is 9/14, not 9/9. But which will they honor in the years to come?? Hmm…

[Image via WENN.]

Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively's Wedding: Secret Agent Style!

Leave a reply

These two lover-ly birds were practically pulling out secret service moves to make sure their wedding treasures remained undiscovered!

While we now all know Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds experienced the most romantic of weddings this past weekend amongst the sun dappled trees of Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, SC, such extensive measures were taken to make sure NO ONE except those involved would have any idea about the epic sounding occasion.

According to Blake’s older brother Jason, he had to hire car rentals from across the United States to avoid suspicion!

Jason reveals:

“It was amazing. I traveled all around the country and rented cars from out of state to keep it under wraps. I think they did a good job. It was spectacular.”

AND it seems all wedding guests were asked to surrender their phones upon arrival, and that the parents of the children from the local First Baptist Church who performed during the ceremony were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements!

HIGHlarious.

Ah well, the secret’s out now folks, and we’re just aching for more details!

Better yet, we wanna know about the honeymoon! Perhaps they’ll just stay at the Boone Hall Plantation and reenact the sopping wet sex scene from The Notebook over and over and over…

IT STILL ISN’T OVER! HA!

[Image via Mavrix Online.]

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynold's Wedding Stayed Under The Radar Because…

Leave a reply

…things in the South are muffled by the sounds of fans and cicadas! That’s why!

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds were able to enjoy their Charleston wedding without the hounding of paparazzi helicopters cuz “southern planners are used to being hush-hush.”

According to star wedding consultant Harmony Walton, that’s “just how they do things.”

Harmz goes on, explaining:

“Over the past few months, celebrities have been deliberately going with vendors, planners and locations that are outside of the typical Hollywood wedding game, as a way to keep their weddings secret. Smaller vendors know that celebrity events can make or break them, so they’re much more likely to keep their mouths shut.”

And that’s most likely a big part of why Blake and Ryan wed in South Carolina on Sunday night.

They were able to marry and eat sugary sweets in peace!

[Image via WENN.]

Pictures Of Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds’ Wedding Location!

Leave a reply

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are two gorgeous people, so naturally, they needed gorgeous scenery surrounding them while they exchanged marital vows.

The couple wed on Sunday night at Charleston, South Carolina’s Boone Hall Plantation and after seeing pics of the place, we completely understand why they wanted to celebrate their love in that exact spot!

See the beautiful and serene setting for yourself!

Check out 8 pics of one of America’s oldest working, living plantations (below) where the hot Hollywood couple tied the knot.

So romantic!

[Image via Ramey Pix.]

Blake Lively And Ryan Reynold’s Mysterious Marriage Deets Revealed!

Leave a reply

At least one positive came from last year’s Green Lantern fiasco!

The film itself might’ve been a green-apple turd, but that’s where RyRey and Blakey-Poo met, and we are sooooo happy the lovebirds made it official Sunday with their shotgun surprise wedding!

We broke the news yesterday, but now we have even more info on their wonderful South Carolina ceremony!

The blushing bride Blake Lively wore a gorgeous Chanel gown while Ryan Reynolds was handsomely hunky in his Hugo Boss tux!

The couple spent a month planning their 70-guest Plantation wedding which included a $3k wedding cakecakecake that took EIGHT HOURS to deliver from Maryland via truck!

Whoa!! We bet the drive was totes afraid of hitting a pothole and ruining the whole delicious thing, LOLz!!

Manhattan jeweler Lorraine Schwartz designed their wedding bands and the minister who performed the services was flown in from Connecticut!

Wow!! They utilized the entire Eastern Seaboard to plan their perfect wedding!

We can’t wait to see how they’ll top it with their honeymoon!

[Image via Splash News.]

Steve Spurrier and South Carolina meeting with NCAA

Leave a reply

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Steve Spurrier and University of South Carolina officials will appear before the NCAA Committee on Infractions in Los Angeles on Friday.

The NCAA says the school received $55,000 in improper benefits for athletes — mostly football players — who stayed at a hotel for a reduced rate and for South Carolina’s involvement with a mentoring group in Delaware.

Spurrier, university president Harris Pastides and athletic director Eric Hyman are part of the 11-person contingent traveling for the meeting.

South Carolina agreed in its response to the NCAA in December that major rules violations did take place.

Spurrier bluntly summed up how he feels about the hearing when he said earlier this month: “Sometimes crap happens. You just have to deal with it.”

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

South Carolina will cut six scholarships

1 Reply

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)
South Carolina told the NCAA it agrees that major violations took place in its football program and will eliminate six football scholarships over the next three years as part of several self-imposed penalties.

The school released its response Wednesday, three months after the NCAA accused the Gamecocks of receiving $55,000 in improper benefits for staying at a Columbia hotel at a reduced rate and for its involvement with a Delaware-based mentoring group who’s president and treasurer with South Carolina graduates.

”The university does not contest the allegations” by the NCAA, said the second sentence of South Carolina’s 111-page response.

South Carolina also said it would pay a fine of $18,500 for four football players who played while ineligible in 2009 due to these violations and reduce its number of official visits for its football and track and field teams.

The university has disassociated itself from three boosters, including Student Athlete Mentoring Foundation president Steve Gordon and Kevin Lahn, and demoted former head of compliance Jennifer Stiles for her office’s role in signing off on the hotel arrangements.

The school also offered a three-year period of probation.

”We continue to work in full cooperation with the NCAA on this very serious matter,” President Harris Pastides said. ”As an institution, we established self-imposed penalties and Implemented corrective actions.”

The NCAA said last September that 10 South Carolina football players and two members of its women’s track team received $47,000 in improper benefits for staying at a Columbia hotel for a reduced rate that was about a quarter of what should’ve been charged. The NCAA said the school commited a second major violation when athletes or prospects received $8,000 in benefits from Gordon and Lahn of SAMF.

South Carolina did not dispute either allegation, although it called compliance’s decision to allow the hotel stays a ”good faith error in judgement.”

The Whitney Hotel a few miles off campus charged a rate of $14.95 per athlete for two-bedroom suites. The NCAA found the rate should’ve been more than $57 per night for each athlete. One football player who spent more than year at the hotel, the NCAA said, received an extra benefit worth $19,280.

Stiles and the compliance office had said the hotel rate was comparable to other available off-campus housing. The NCAA called her assessment ”flawed” in correspondence from 2010 and said the school should’ve compared with rates given others who stayed at the Whitney long term.

”Had this good faith error in judgment not occurred, the university believes the violations in allegation one would have been minimized,” South Carolina said in its response.

Gordon and Lahn were found to have paid for several unofficial visits by Gamecocks freshman receiver Damiere Byrd.

Byrd was suspended for South Carolina’s first four games and made to pay back $2,700.

Lahn also paid for a $3,350 dinner cruise on nearby Lake Murray for several prospects that was also attended by track coach Curtis Frye and 16 members of his program.

Gordon has said he and his outfit did not steer athletes to South Carolina or any schools. Florida defensive end Sharrif Floyd, who was also involved with Gordon’s group, was suspended for two games and made to pay back $2,700.

The university acknowledged SAMF made more visits to South Carolina than other schools and those trips helped in recruiting Byrd.

The school said it will reduce football scholarships by one in 2012-13, by three in 2013-14 and by two in 2014-15. The football team will reduce its official visits from 56 to 30 in 2012-2013.

The NCAA will consider South Carolina’s self-imposed penalties at a hearing on the violations in February.

The 10th-ranked Gamecocks (10-2) will face No. 21 Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2. A South Carolina victory would be the program’s first-ever 11-win season. Head coach Steve Spurrier received a two-year contract extension through 2015 this past Tuesday.

Spurrier will be part of the South Carolina contingent facing the NCAA in two months.

Harrison Barnes leads No. 1 UNC past South Carolina

Leave a reply

Kendall Marshall scored four points, but had 14 assists and six steals with, with one turnover to help top-ranked North Carolina beat South Carolina 87-62 in the third round of the Las Vegas Invitational Friday night.

“Kendall, I thought was sensational,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. “Those are the kinds of stats that really important to our team.”

Harrison Barnes had 21 points and five rebounds, and P.J. Hairston had 19 to lead North Carolina (5-0), who will face will face UNLV (6-0) in the championship game Saturday night.

Story from ESPN.com

No. 1 RB Recruit Keith Marshall Sets Announcement Date

Leave a reply

Keith Marshall, the nation’s No. 1 running back, set an announcement date for his decision.
“Announcement date is set for December 6th,” Marshall said via twitter.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Marshall, who plays at Millbrook High in Raleigh, N.C., is making the announcement with the plan to enroll at a school in January.

He already made official visits to Georgia (9/10), Florida (10/1), Notre Dame (10/22) and Clemson (11/12). His final official visit is this coming weekend to South Carolina.

Story From Irish Eyes

No. 8 Arkansas eyes fast start vs No. 10 South Carolina

Leave a reply

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Bobby Petrino allowed his superstitious side to show a little this week.

The Arkansas coach, facing questions about his team’s first-half woes, put an end to the line of questioning before it could get started.

It was Petrino’s best attempt at a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy — one brought on by the fact the Razorbacks have been outscored 87-59 in the first half of their last four games.

“We’re not talking about that anymore,” Petrino said. “We’re going with the philosophy (of), you know when you have teams that are fumbling the ball and the more you talk about it, the more you fumble … So, silence. Nothing about fast starts.”

Arkansas (7-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) has made up for its recent slow starts by outscoring teams 82-17 in the second half of its last four games — all wins. However, the No. 8 Razorbacks can’t expect to keep living on the edge and surviving in the SEC.

Their latest challenge comes when No. 10 South Carolina (7-1, 5-1) comes to town on Saturday for only the second matchup of top-10 teams in Fayetteville since 1979. The Gamecocks have the No. 3 defense in the SEC, behind only powers Alabama and LSU, and — much to Arkansas’ dislike — they haven’t been outscored in the second half in any game this season.

Still, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is well aware of the Razorbacks’ passing attack, tops in the SEC, and their propensity for comebacks. It’s an easy trend for the coach to recognize, given that the Gamecocks have three fourth-quarter comeback wins of their own this season.

“If you get ahead of them, that doesn’t mean anything,” Spurrier said. “They’re such a good passing team and they believe they can come back and win the game. It will probably be a down-to-the-wire ball game, as most of ours are.”

South Carolina has won three in a row since a 16-13 loss to Auburn but has scored only 14 points in each of its last two games. The Gamecocks have struggled to find their rhythm in the passing game in each of those games, with sophomore quarterback Connor Shaw filling in following the dismissal of former quarterback Stephen Garcia on Oct. 11.

Making matters more difficult was the season-ending knee injury suffered by running back Marcus Lattimore against Mississippi State. Freshman Brandon Wilds stepped in last week in a 14-3 win over Tennessee, finishing with 137 yards on 28 carries.

Spurrier is counting on a similar performance against an Arkansas defense that is 10th in the SEC in allowing 188.1 yards per game on the ground.

“Brandon is an excellent runner with the ball, has good body lean, shakes some guys off, gets his pads down,” Spurrier said. “He’s a very good back and he was able to show it last week, and hopefully we can make a bunch of yards again. We’re not a great passing team, so we better run successfully.”

A win against the Razorbacks would move the Gamecocks one step closer to a second straight appearance in the SEC championship game.

Arkansas’ season has had a very similar feel to it. Wins haven’t always been pretty, but other than a 38-14 throttling at the hands of the Crimson Tide, the Razorbacks have found ways to win. They have faced deficits of 35-17, 17-0 and 21-7 in recent weeks — and have somehow found ways to come back in each game.

“When you look at our team right now, I don’t feel like we’re playing as well as I want to play,” Petrino said. “But I’ve had years where you play really well in a game and all the sudden you look up and you lost the game. So, although we haven’t played as well as we want to the last two weeks, we have found a way to win the game and there’s a lot to be said for that.”

Last week against Vanderbilt, Arkansas was on the verge of falling behind by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter when senior linebacker Jerry Franklin picked up a fumble and returned it 94 yards for a touchdown that tied the game. The Razorbacks eventually won on Zach Hocker’s 42-yard field goal — and were aided when Commodores’ kicker Carey Spear missed a 27-yard, game-tying attempt in the closing seconds.

It’s been that kind of charmed life recently for the Razorbacks. Somehow they have found a way — and they aren’t complaining about style points in the least.

“I feel we’re 7-1, so I feel like we’re doing a pretty decent job getting the job done,” Franklin said.

Marcus Lattimore done for the year

Leave a reply

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A turbulent week for No. 14 South Carolina closed with devastating news: Star tailback Marcus Lattimore is out for the year with a knee injury.

“Our worst fears were realized,” Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said Sunday.

Spurrier said Lattimore had a torn ligament in his left knee and also suffered some cartilage damage. Lattimore will require surgery, although doctors want to keep the knee braced and allow it to stabilze for several weeks before operating. Lattimore had been the main engine for South Carolina’s offense this season with 818 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing this season. He was leading the Southeastern Conference in rushing most of the season before getting overtaken by Alabama’s Trent Richardson.

Lattimore gained only 39 yards, but had a 4-yard touchdown run in South Carolina’s 14-12 win at Mississippi State on Saturday.

It was in the fourth quarter that Lattimore’s stellar year came to end. He was blocking for Bruce Ellington when a Bulldogs defender rolled up on Lattimore’s left leg. He was worked on for several minutes before getting help to the sidelines.

Lattimore’s mother, Yolanda Smith, rushed to her son’s side and several players came by the trainer’s table to check on him and pray. Lattimore left Davis Wade Stadium with a large brace covering most of his left leg and walking on crutches.

“Well, we’re all disappointed, but we all realize life’s got to go on and somebody has to fill his shoes,” Spurrier said.

That will be freshman Brandon Wilds, who considered redshirting because he was fourth tailback on the depth chart. “Now he’s the top guy,” Spurrier said, and will likely start at Tennessee on Oct. 29, South Carolina’s next game.

Spurrier saw Lattimore in the training room on Sunday morning and said the sophomore was taking it about as well as you might expect. Spurrier counseled him to keep his head up and concentrate on getting better.

“Like I told him, time heals all a lot of wounds. Give it time and get yourself ready to come back stronger next season,” Spurrier said. “You can’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself. That doesn’t help.”

Although, it wouldn’t be completely out of the question after what the Gamecocks went through this week.

South Carolina dismissed fifth-year senior quarterback Stephen Garcia for good for what his father said was a positive test for alcohol. Spurrier also drew outside criticism with his rant against a local sports columnist on the day Garcia was kicked off the team.

The Gamecocks offense continued to struggle at Mississippi State. Lattimore had just 39 yards and a 4-yard touchdown. It wasn’t until Alshon Jeffery’s leaping 4-yard pass from Garcia’s replacement, Connor Shaw, with less than four minutes to go that South Carolina (6-1, 4-1 SEC) escaped with the victory.

Spurrier might have to call on his star wide receiver more frequently down the stretch. With Lattimore and Garcia gone, Jeffery’s the last one left of South Carolina’s “Big Three” on offense who had hoped to carry the Gamecocks back to the SEC title game as Eastern Division champions.

Jeffery said the game-winning play will give Shaw and the rest of the offense confidence they can accomplish big things in clutch situations, the way Lattimore and Garcia had done in years past.

“It was great to see Connor do that. It gives him a lot of confidence to come back in the fourth quarter to win the game,” Jeffery said.

Maybe the best thing for South Carolina is its week off.

Spurrier said that might give more experienced runners dealing with injuries, like Kenny Miles and Eric Baker, the chance to heal and be a factor this season. Miles, the team’s top rusher in 2009, has a wrist injury while Baker had a bad ankle. The Gamecocks had also lost speedy freshman runner Shon Carson to a season-ending injury last month at Georgia. Backup fullback Matt Coffee also tore a ligament and is out for the year.

Lattimore’s scoring run was his 30th career TD, just three shy of South Carolina’s career record.

Spurrier expects Lattimore to show the same determination in his rehabilitation as he’s shown his two years with the Gamecocks.

“Marcus has always had a positive attitude. I’m sure he’ll approach this as positively as he possibly can,” Spurrier said.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

South Carolina dismisses QB Stephen Gracia

Leave a reply

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia has been dismissed from the No. 15 Gamecocks, a move that a source told ESPN.com’s Chris Low resulted from his testing positive for marijuana and alcohol.

Athletic director Eric Hyman said the fifth-year senior failed to meet agreed-upon guidelines put in place after Garcia’s fifth suspension this past spring. The source with direct knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com’s Low that Garcia’s agreement in returning stipulated he would not drink alcohol.

Garcia had started 34 games, including four this season before he was benched in favor of sophomore Connor Shaw. Shaw threw for four touchdowns and 311 yards in a 54-3 victory over Kentucky this past Saturday.

Full story at ESPN

No. 18 South Carolina goes with QB Shaw

Leave a reply

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Steve Spurrier hopes he’s finally got the pieces of South Carolina’s championship puzzle in place.

The defending SEC Eastern Division champs were supposed to have little trouble on their way back to the league title game — and maybe even take the next step.

But the 18th-ranked Gamecocks (4-1, 2-1 SEC) have struggled the first month, especially on offense where their lack of production was painfully obvious in a 16-13 loss last week to an Auburn defense that came in as the worst in the conference.

Spurrier felt he had no choice but to swap out fifth-year senior quarterback Stephen Garcia for little-used sophomore Connor Shaw when South Carolina takes on Kentucky (2-3, 0-2) on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.

“Stephen is trying as hard as he can and it just hasn’t worked out for him,” Spurrier said. “And the other guy, Connor, now is going to get his chance, and that’s about all I need to say about that.”

Shaw had a chance earlier this season, starting South Carolina’s opener with East Carolina and lasting only a quarter as the Pirates took a 17-0 lead. Garcia entered in the second quarter and immediately sparked the Gamecocks’ offense, the team eventually rallying to a 56-37 win. Garcia had started the past four games, giving him 34 in his career under Spurrier.

But South Carolina’s head ball coach couldn’t stomach another performance like last Saturday, especially when a just another play or two might’ve meant victory. Garcia was 9 of 23 for 160 yards and two interceptions. Throw out a 50-yard TD toss to Alshon Jeffery and Garcia’s numbers plummet.

Shaw was a highly regarded recruit out of Flowery Branch, Ga., a coach’s son whose older brother, Jaybo, played at Georgia Tech before moving on to Georgia Southern.

“I think I’m ready to play. I’m excited and we’ll see how it goes this Saturday,” Shaw said.

Shaw won’t face Spurrier’s notoriously quick hook, the coach swears, unless he’s injured. Spurrier said Garcia has handled the demotion well and would be ready if called on.

The Gamecocks pledge to have Shaw’s back the same way they supported Garcia.

“We believe in anybody coach Spurrier puts back there,” offensive lineman Terrence Campbell said. “Apparently, coach Spurrier put him back there because he has faith in him. If he has faith in him, then the whole team is going to rally behind him.”

If Shaw works out, it could be just what the Gamecocks — and Jeffery — need. Garcia has been off target all season, his completion percentage dropping from 64 last year to 51 so far in 2011. Jeffery, who set school records with 88 catches and 1,517 yards last season, has not come close to that production this season, often watching balls fly over his head or never get out to him. He has just 19 catches for 332 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Kentucky coach Joker Phillips doesn’t expect much to change in Spurrier’s offense with Shaw instead of Garcia. Spurrier will continue to attack downfield, Phillips said, and go to the SEC’s rushing leader Marcus Lattimore.

“You could go in there and hand it off to (Lattimore) and still have success,” Phillips said.

The Gamecocks are third in the conference in rushing yards (197 per game) and are scoring nearly 32 points a game, both levels Phillips would love to have. The Wildcats are averaging 116 yards on the ground and scoring just 15 points a game.

“I don’t know what shaking up needs to be done (at South Carolina) when you’re putting up the numbers that they’re putting up offensively,” Phillips said.

Lattimore has 677 yards, second nationally to Pittsburgh runner Ray Graham’s 724 yards. But Lattimore was held to season lows with 66 yards and 17 carries in the Auburn loss.

The Gamecocks could be without defensive playmaker Melvin Ingram, an end who had not practiced this week because of a left foot injury. Ingram was named the SEC defensive player of the week for the past two weeks. “You see Ingram all over the place,” Phillips said.

The Wildcats ended Spurrier’s 17-0 mark against them with last year’s 31-28 victory. Then Kentucky had standouts like quarterback Mike Hartline and do-it-all weapon Randall Cobb. This time, it’s the Gamecocks who have the game-changers, particularly Lattimore.

Spurrier called on Lattimore to control tempo, wear down opponents and win the game as the passing game faltered. The coach couldn’t afford another late loss in which another completed pass or two might’ve meant victory.

“We feel like Connor deserves a shot and see if he can perform at a higher level and get our offense going a bit,” Spurrier said. “So that’s where we are on offense.”

Trotter rallies Auburn against No. 10 South Carolina

Leave a reply

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Barrett Trotter threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Lutzenkirchen with 1:38 left to lift Auburn to a 16-13 victory over No. 10 South Carolina on Saturday.

The Tigers (4-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) had struggled to move the ball against South Carolina’s defense. Trotter had thrown two interceptions and was sacked four times by the Gamecocks (4-1, 2-1). But down 13-9, Barrett led Auburn on a 12-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a pass to wide open Lutzenkirchen in front of the goal line.

The junior fumbled the ball into the end zone, then recovered it just before sliding out of bounds to put Auburn ahead.

South Carolina advanced to Auburn’s 29 on its final possession before time expired, though Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier argued that clock should have stopped with 1 second left after a completed pass for a first down.

Michael Dyer ran for 141 yards on a career-high 41 carries and had a 1-yard TD for Auburn, which has won its past 11 SEC games.

It looked like South Carolina’s defense would be enough to bail it out of trouble as quarterback Stephen Garcia again had problems putting up points against an Auburn defense that was ranked dead last in the SEC.

Instead, the Tigers D rose and held the Gamecocks to 54 yards and one first down in the final period. And Trotter and the Tigers found their groove just in time. They converted four third downs in the go-ahead drive, including the touchdown to Lutzenkirchen.

Auburn also did a good job on Marcus Lattimore, who came in as the SEC’s leading rusher. He finished with 69 yards on 17 carriers. Still, when Lattimore broke through for a 15-yard TD run midway through the third quarter, it appeared it might hold up the way South Carolina’s defense was playing.

Melvin Ingram had 3 1/2 sacks and one of four South Carolina interceptions.

Trotter was 12 of 23 for 112 yards with two interceptions.

This one looked like a contest of who’d crack first: Auburn’s last-in-the-SEC defense or South Carolina’s can’t-move-the-ball-too-well offensive attack that has struggled to score the past two weeks.

In the first half, it was the Tigers’ D that came up bigger than it had this season. They held Lattimore to 36 yards on nine carries and the Gamecocks managed only four first downs on nine first-half possessions.

Garcia, a lightning rod for Gamecock criticism for his inconsistency, was at it again early on. An interception by Demetruce McNeal – Garcia’s eighth of the season – ended one promising drive. When Garcia was short on a sideline play to Nick Jones, Spurrier stomped around in frustration.

Usually, it’s Lattimore who bails the Gamecocks out but even he didn’t look like himself. He fumbled on one drive and could not fight his way through Auburn’s charged up defense.

Not that the Tigers had much success with South Carolina’s defense, led by Ingram and safety Antonio Allen. Ingram had two of the Gamecocks three first-half sacks and picked off Auburn’s chance to extend a 9-6 lead right before halftime.

The Tigers’ reliable kicker Cody Parkey was lined up for a 32-yard field goal try with 1:06 left when holder Ryan White took the snap, rolled right and threw toward Lutzenkirchen near the goal line. But defensive end Ingram had dropped back in coverage to end the threat.

Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina’s all-SEC receiver, had the one offensive bright spot the first 30 minutes with a 50-yard touchdown catch as he outmuscled defender T’Sharvan Bell for the ball. But that was just Jeffery’s second TD grab of the year.

Dyer answered with his touchdown run to put Auburn up 9-6.

© 2011 The Associated Press

Auburn WR Trovon Reed out for South Carolina game

Leave a reply

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn coach Gene Chizik says wide receiver Trovon Reed won’t play Saturday at No. 10 South Carolina.

Reed sustained a shoulder injury on a late punt return against Florida Atlantic. Chizik says he’ll be monitored on a week-to-week basis but did not elaborate on the extent of his injury.

Reed has caught 13 passes for 91 yards, mostly on screens, and also returns punts.. He’ll be replaced by freshman Quan Bray in both roles.

Chizik says guard John Sullen and linebacker Jonathan Evans will have a chance to play against the Gamecocks. He said injured cornerback Chris Davis (leg) is “day-by-day.” All three players missed the Florida Atlantic game.

2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 4 – AP Top 25 Poll

Leave a reply

2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 4 – AP Top 25 Poll

RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Oklahoma (37) 2-0 1471
2 LSU (14) 3-0 1424
3 Alabama (7) 3-0 1402
4 Boise State (2) 2-0 1309
5 Stanford 3-0 1212
6 Wisconsin 3-0 1170
7 Oklahoma State 3-0 1092
8 Texas A&M 2-0 1043
9 Nebraska 3-0 911
10 Oregon 2-1 899
11 Florida State 2-1 896
12 South Carolina 3-0 891
13 Virginia Tech 3-0 830
14 Arkansas 3-0 781
15 Florida 3-0 669
16 West Virginia 3-0 579
17 Baylor 2-0 521
18 South Florida 3-0 496
19 Texas 3-0 402
20 TCU 2-1 273
21 Clemson 3-0 272
22 Michigan 3-0 266
23 USC 3-0 260
24 Illinois 3-0 106
25 Georgia Tech 3-0 59

Dropped from rankings: Michigan State 15, Ohio State 17, Auburn 21, Arizona State 22, Mississippi State 25

Others receiving votes: Michigan State 42, Auburn 29, Houston 25, Miami (FL) 23, Iowa State 19, Utah 19, Ohio State 16, Maryland 15, Mississippi State 14, Missouri 10, Arizona State 9, San Diego State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Notre Dame 8, Georgia 7, Florida International 4, California 3, Navy 3, North Carolina 2, Tennessee 2

2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 4 – USA Today Poll

Leave a reply

2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 4 – USA Today Poll

RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Oklahoma (50) 2-0 1463
2 Alabama (4) 3-0 1402
3 LSU (5) 3-0 1373
4 Boise State 2-0 1212
5 Stanford 3-0 1208
6 Oklahoma State 3-0 1126
7 Wisconsin 3-0 1121
8 Texas A&M 2-0 1033
9 Nebraska 3-0 966
10 South Carolina 3-0 876
11 Virginia Tech 3-0 852
12 Arkansas 3-0 851
13 Oregon 2-1 804
14 Florida State 2-1 801
15 Florida 3-0 670
16 West Virginia 3-0 529
17 South Florida 3-0 485
18 Texas 3-0 464
19 Baylor 2-0 391
20 TCU 2-1 310
21 Michigan 3-0 243
22 Clemson 3-0 181
23 Michigan State 2-1 119
24 Georgia Tech 3-0 118
25 North Carolina 3-0 99

Dropped from rankings: Ohio State 16, Arizona State 18, Auburn 19, Mississippi State 25

Others receiving votes: Ohio State 92, Illinois 90, Houston 60, Miami (FL) 39, Iowa State 27, Missouri 22, California 21, Penn State 19, Utah 17, Arizona State 16, Auburn 14, San Diego State 14, Florida International 11, Vanderbilt 11, Mississippi State 8, Tennessee 5, Texas Tech 3, Notre Dame 3, Washington 3, Ohio 2, Northwestern 1

Gamecocks sights set on 1st SEC title

Leave a reply

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Mark Richt needs a win in the worst way.

Steve Spurrier is in no mood to help a rival coach.

No. 12 South Carolina (1-0) has its sights on a second straight trip to the Southeastern Conference championship game, and Spurrier’s Gamecocks can take a giant step toward that goal with a win Saturday over Richt’s Georgia Bulldogs.

Georgia (0-1) is coming off a 35-21 loss to No. 4 Boise State, which knocked the Bulldogs out of the Top 25 and turned up the heat on Richt even more. The coach who won a pair of SEC titles early in his career and led his team to a No. 2 finish in the national rankings just four years ago desperately needs a big victory to show his program is still relevant in the mighty SEC.