Old Ball Coach Pulls It Out Against Wildcats  

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Final Score: South Carolina 24, Kentucky 17

Lexington, KY- Stephen Garcia came off the bench and threw for 169 yards and the game-winning touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, as the South Carolina Gamecocks upended the Kentucky Wildcats, 24-17, in SEC play at Commonwealth Stadium.

Garcia converted on 10-of-14 pass attempts in replacement of starter Chris Smelley, who passed for 105 yards and a score, but with two interceptions. Kenny McKinley hauled in seven balls for 88 yards and a touchdown, as the Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2 SEC) won their ninth straight meeting with Kentucky. Head coach Steve Spurrier is now 16-0 all-time against the Wildcats.

Mike Hartline had a rough game under center for the Wildcats (4-2, 0-2), completing just 23-of-43 tosses for 152 yards and two interceptions. Derrick Locke paced the ground game with 51 yards on 15 carries and he also had eight receptions for 57 more yards.

The Wildcats' defense scored the first points of the game, as Trevard Lindley returned an interception 28-yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter.

Following a long return on the ensuing kickoff, Smelley connected with Kenny McKinley on a 16-yard scoring strike to knot the score at 7-7.

The Gamecocks grabbed their first lead early in the second quarter, as Captain Munnerlyn took back a blocked field goal 81 yards for a touchdown.

Midway through the second frame Kentucky tied the score with a two-yard touchdown run by Tony Dixon.

Ryan Tydlacka drilled a 51-yard field goal with four seconds left in the half, giving the Wildcats a 17-14 edge at the intermission.

Following a scoreless third quarter, South Carolina tied the game with a Ryan Succop 42-yard field goal early in the final period.

With just over seven minutes left, the Gamecocks took a 24-17 lead behind a seven-yard scoring strike from Garcia to Weslye Saunders. South Carolina's defense would make that lead stand.

South Carolina limited Kentucky to just 218 total yards and only a 1-of-16 effort on third down chances.

Web Producer- Brett Haas
Copyright 2008 WAAYTV.com, The Sports Network contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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