Chick-fil-A Bowl Postgame Notes

Dec. 31, 2010

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Chick-fil-A Bowl Postgame Notes
December 31, 2010 â€¢ Georgia Dome â€¢ Atlanta, Ga. (Att: 72,217)

GENERAL NOTES

Head Coach Steve Spurrier: Falls to 186-73-2 (.716) as a collegiate head coach, 44-33 in his sixth year at South Carolina. He falls to 5-9-1 all-time against Florida State; this was his first meeting with FSU as head coach at Carolina. Spurrier is now 7-10 in bowl games, including a 1-4 mark at South Carolina.
Records: South Carolina finishes 9-5 overall; Florida State improves to 10-4 for the season. The Gamecocks fall to 3-16 all-time against Florida State and have lost the last seven meetings.
In Bowl Games: South Carolina falls to 4-12 all-time in bowl games and has lost three straight. This was Carolina’s second appearance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl; the other came in 1969 (then known as the Peach Bowl). Carolina is 0-2 in this game.
As a Ranked Team: The Gamecocks are 14-14 when ranked in the top 25 under Spurrier, falling to 8-5 this year. The Gamecocks are 0-2 at neutral sites while ranked this year (both games in the Georgia Dome).
We Prefer Playing Outdoors: South Carolina has only played three indoor games in its 117-year history, all three ending in losses. The Gamecocks lost 27-19 to Houston on Sept. 21, 1973, at the Astrodome, then fell to Auburn 56-17 in this year’s SEC Championship Game here at the Georgia Dome on Dec. 4.
Turnover Trouble: The Gamecocks had a season-high five turnovers in tonight’s game and equaled the team’s bowl record in that category, matching five-turnover games in the 2009 Outback Bowl (Iowa), 1987 Gator Bowl (LSU) and 1980 Gator Bowl (Pittsburgh).
FB/TE Patrick DiMarco played in his 52nd career game for South Carolina tonight, giving him the all-time South Carolina lead in games played.
DE Cliff Matthews made his 47th career start, which sets the all-time Carolina record.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

WR Alshon Jeffery, with 9 catches for 130 receiving yards tonight, tied the school record with his 11th career 100-yard receiving game, tying Sidney Rice for the Carolina mark. He finishes his sophomore campaign with 1,517 yards, further extending what was already a school record.
Jeffery moved up to 4th all-time in South Carolina receiving yards as he now has 2,280 for his career. He passed Jermale Kelly (2,181), Robert Brooks (2,211) and Sidney Rice (2,233) on the all-time list. He only stands behind Zola Davis, Sterling Sharpe and Kenny McKinley in Gamecock history.
WR Ace Sanders passed for his first career touchdown as he hit QB Stephen Garcia on a trick play in the third quarter for the Gamecocks’ first score. Sanders also caught one pass for 16 yards.
RB Kenny Miles rushed for a season-high 70 yards on 10 carries, including a season- and career-long 28-yard rush in the third quarter. Miles nearly equaled his season total of 82 yards coming into the game.
QB Stephen Garcia scored his first touchdown in a bowl game when he caught Sanders’ pass in the third quarter. He finished the night 19-of-34 for 243 yards. His three interceptions matched a career-high, equaling his output in the 2009 Outback Bowl vs. Iowa. Garcia finishes the year with a 61.5% completion percentage, which ranks fifth among single-season marks at South Carolina.
RB Marcus Lattimore left the game after absorbing a hard hit on the team’s first offensive possession, leading to his first fumble of the season. He was taken to a local hospital where he received sutures in his mouth. Before his injury, he had three receptions for 48 yards, including a career-long 53-yard catch (the play with the fumble, yards are measured to the spot of the recovery).
CB Stephon Gilmore saw his first extended action at quarterback this season as he took four snaps in the formation designed for him during the game. He rushed once for three yards and completed his first pass of the season for 29 yards to Alshon Jeffery.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Florida State was held to 90 passing yards, the lowest passing total by a Gamecock opponent this season and the lowest since giving up 74 yards to NC State on Sept. 3, 2009. It was the first time this season for Carolina to lose when holding an opponent under 200 passing yards (5-0 coming into tonight’s game).
CB Stephon Gilmore had his team-leading third interception of the season in the third quarter, FSU’s only turnover of the game. The interception led to a 92-yard Gamecock scoring drive. Gilmore also tied for the team lead with eight tackles tonight.
LB Quin Smith had a career-high eight tackles to tie for the team lead tonight; DB DeVonte Holloman also recorded eight stops in the game.
DE Cliff Matthews had 1.0 sacks in his final contest as a Gamecock, moved into a tie for fourth place all-time at South Carolina with 15.5 career sacks, matching Cecil Caldwell. He finished the season with 5.5 sacks. He had six tackles, including 2.0 for loss, in tonight’s game.
DE Melvin Ingram moved to a five-way tie for second at South Carolina in single-season sacks with 9.0 after recording 1.0 sacks tonight.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

Spencer Lanning hit his only field goal attempt of the night, finishing the season 17-of-24 (.708) in field goal tries. He also finished the year with 102 points, which ranks third in school single-season history. He ends his career 34-of-44 (.773) in field goal attempts and scored 182 points, which ranks ninth in school history.
Lanning also punted twice for a 43.5-yard average; he finishes the season with 54 punts for an average of 44.1 yards, a career-best that ranks second-best in school history (Daren Parker, 44.3 in 1989).

UP NEXT
The annual Garnet and Black Spring Game is tentatively set for early April (date/time TBA) at Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina opens the 2011 season on September 3 against the East Carolina Pirates at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.