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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Erik Kimrey was there when Lou Holtz
needed him.
|  | | Eric Kimrey had not played all game, but he told coach Lou Holtz he could throw the fade, and he lobbed a TD on his first pass to lift South Carolina to victory. |
On his first play after replacing injured Phil Petty, Kimrey
threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to give South Carolina to a 23-19
victory over No. 25 Mississippi State on Saturday.
Kimrey, a sophomore who had thrown just eight passes this
season, came in on a fourth-and-10 after Petty injured his right
ankle with less than five minutes left.
Kimrey lofted the ball toward the left sideline for Jermale
Kelly, and Reid Bethea's extra point put the Gamecocks ahead.
"I only got a little bit of warm up. I wanted something that
didn't take too much precision," Kimrey said. "I said, 'Let's
throw the fade route.' The line did a great job of protecting me,
and Jermale made a great play."
Holtz said, "I looked at Erik Kimrey, and he said 'Coach, I can
throw the fade.' If a guy says he can do something, I'm all for
that."
The win gave South Carolina its first 4-0 start since 1988 and
first 2-0 Southeastern Conference start. The Gamecocks, who entered
the season with a 21-game losing streak, have never had a winning
SEC record and had not beaten Mississippi State since 1995.
After Kimrey's TD pass, the the Gamecocks preserved the win,
holding Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1) to three-and-out on the next
possession.
The Bulldogs did get the ball back, but Dicenzo Miller fumbled
the punt return and John Stamper recovered for the Gamecocks. Three
plays later, Bethea's 33-yard field goal put South Carolina up
23-19.
Mississippi State got the ball one more time, and Wayne Madkin's
36-yard pass to Larry Huntington brought the Bulldogs across
midfield. Madkin completed a pass to Clarence Parker inside the 10,
but it was ruled an illegal forward pass. Kevin House intercepted
Madkin's final attempt.
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Hot starts
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Year
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Start
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Finish
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1967
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3-0
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6-4
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1976
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3-0
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6-5
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1977
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3-0
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5-7
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1984
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9-0
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10-2
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1988
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6-0
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8-4
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1990
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3-0
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6-5
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1999
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4-0
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???
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"We struggled a little bit moving the ball down the field and
we couldn't execute," Huntington said. "When I caught that pass
and got out of bounds, I thought we could do it. We know what we
can do. We just have to play our game and execute."
Petty had a career-high 305 yards, completing 19 of 40 passes.
Kimrey's only completion was the go-ahead score.
Mississippi State took a 6-0 lead when Mario Haggan returned
Derek Watson's fumble 27 yards for a touchdown with 10:33 left in
the first quarter. Scott Westerfield missed the extra point.
Watson took the ensuing kickoff 92 yards into the end zone, but
the play was called back because a South Carolina player lined up
off sides.
The Gamecocks went up 7-6 with 4:07 left in the quarter when
Corey Alexander caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from Petty.
Petty, under pressure, pump-faked twice before finding Alexander
streaking down the left sideline. It was the first receiving
touchdown of the season for South Carolina and the longest
touchdown throw of Petty's career.
"We played well except for about three or four plays,"
Bulldogs coach Jackie Sherill said. "Unfortunately, those three or
four plays were all that they needed."
Twice in the second quarter Mississippi State's defense gave the
Bulldogs great field position, and twice the Bulldogs failed to
reach the end zone.
Julius Griffith blocked a South Carolina punt, then returned it
16 yards to set up Westerfield's 23-yard field goal that put the
Bulldogs up 9-7 with 10:31 left in the half.
Two plays later, Connor Stephens recovered Watson's fumble,
giving Mississippi State the ball on the 20. After gaining 6 yards
on six plays, Westerfield kicked another field goal to make it 12-7
with 7:57 left in the half.
"They got seven points on the fumble. I did not want to give
them a touchdown with their defense," Holtz said. "Then we fumble
it back, but we held them to a field goal. Then they block the
punt, and we held them to a field goal. That is what being a team
is all about -- one side bails out the other."
Bethea kicked an 18-yard field goal to bring South Carolina
within two going into halftime. Kelly, who finished with nine
catches for 123 yards, caught three passes for 58 yards on the
possession, bringing the Gamecocks within scoring position.
In the third quarter, Dicenzo Miller broke two tackles on an
11-yard touchdown run that put Mississippi State up 19-10.
Petty's 55-yard pass to Brian Scott set up Bethea's 26-yard
field goal with 8:08 left that brought the Gamecocks within six at
19-13.
Tropical Depression Helene had passed by game time, and although
skies were overcast, no rain fell during the game. Columbia
received more than 2 inches of rain Friday and Saturday, but
Gamecocks sports information director Kerry Tharp said the field
was covered overnight and was dry for kickoff.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Mississippi State Clubhouse
South Carolina Clubhouse
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