Articles Celebrations Obituaries

Vols beat Gamecocks

By By Trey Williams
Press Sports Writer
twilliams@johnsoncitypress.com

 Printer-friendly version

 Email Article

KNOXVILLE -- South Carolina was in the Christmas spirit on Halloween.

Tennessee parlayed three South Carolina fumbles into a 21-0 lead in the opening 18 1/2 minutes and was never really threatened en route to a 31-13 victory Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.

Jonathan Crompton passed for two touchdowns and Montario Hardesty rushed for 121 yards and two TDs as the Volunteers improved to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the SEC while wearing black jerseys for the first time in nearly 90 years.

The soon-not-to-be No. 21 Gamecocks fell to 3-3 in the league and 6-3 overall.

Reserve fullback Austin Johnson opened the scoring with a 38-yard touchdown catch from Jonathan Crompton with 13:34 left in the first quarter. Johnson dashed out of the backfield up the middle of the field all but unnoticed while getting open for Crompton's accurate throw.

The score came on the second play after Janzen Jackson forced a fumble that Dan Williams recovered at the South Carolina 43-yard line.

On USC's ensuing drive, Tennessee linebacker Rico McCoy forced a Kenny Miles fumble, and the Vols' Wes Brown recovered at the South Carolina 27. Hardesty then rushed four straight times, the last one a 14-yard TD, to make the score 14-0 with 11 minutes left in the first quarter. Hardesty made safety Chris Culliver miss with a crowd-pleasing spin move on the scoring run.

McCoy forced another fumble early in the second quarter, and Dennis Rogan returned the recovery seven yards to the South Carolina 22. Five plays later, on a 4th-and-goal at the 2, Crompton completed a 2-yard TD pass to fullback Kevin Cooper which gave the Vols a 21-0 lead with 11:38 left in the second quarter.

Spencer Lanning's career-long 47-yard field goal, which barely cleared the crossbar, cut Tennessee's lead to 21-3 on the last play of the first half. Lanning added a 32-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 21-6 with 6:40 left in the third quarter, but the Gamecocks got no closer.

UT answered with a 5-play, 56-yard drive which Hardesty capped on a 7-yard score with 3:25 left in the third quarter.

Reserve tight end Jeff Cottam had a 21-yard catch to the South Carolina 30 on 2nd-and-17 during the drive. Hardesty ran for 23 yards on the ensuing play.

South Carolina's lone TD came on a 31-yard pass from Stephen Garcia to a diving Moe Brown with 2:05 left in the third quarter. It was the first touchdown Tennessee's defense had allowed in 11-plus quarters, and made the score 28-13.

Along with two forced fumbles, McCoy had a game-high 10 tackles.

Tennessee's Chad Cunningham had a 41-yard field goal blocked in the first quarter. It was the third straight field goal the Vols had had blocked.

Daniel Lincoln, who didn't kick due to a quadriceps injury, had two kicks blocked by Alabama defensive tackle Terrence Cody in the fourth quarter last week.

Cunningham made a 39-yarder with 4:23 left to conclude the scoring.

Tennessee hosts Memphis Saturday.