Sept 28, 2002

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By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Corey Jenkins ran for 97 yards, threw for 180 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown, leading South Carolina past Vanderbilt 20-14 Saturday night.

Vanderbilt (1-4, 0-3) has lost 12 straight Southeastern Conference games, but the Commodores had their chances to end that streak against South Carolina (3-2, 1-1).

The Commodores got the ball back with 1:41 left trailing 20-14 and drove near midfield before stalling. South Carolina clinched the victory when Jonathan Martin intercepted a Jay Cutler pass with 29 seconds left on fourth-and-17.

South Carolina has won three straight in this series and is 10-2 overall against Vanderbilt.

The Gamecocks didn’t take the lead for good until Jenkins took over just after Vanderbilt went ahead 14-10 in the third quarter.

Jenkins led an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with his 12-yard TD run up the middle for a 17-10 lead with 4:05 left in the third. He completed 5 of 5 passes for 42 yards and ran twice for 17 yards in the drive.

Vanderbilt couldn’t move the ball when it mattered most. They held on defense twice, but went three-and-out on offense after watching Daniel Weaver miss a 41-yard field goal wide right.

Jenkins ran off nearly six minutes of the clock before Weaver kicked a 29-yard field goal with 1:41 to go, his second field goal of the game.

Cutler, who threw two touchdowns, completed only two passes and had three go off the hands of South Carolina defensive backs before Martin’s interception.

The Gamecocks held the ball for more than 34 minutes, and the SEC’s worst offense rolled up 398 yards. South Carolina also held Vanderbilt to 241 yards total offense, including 136 yards rushing.