COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Steve Spurrier finally delivered South Carolina’s biggest win ever.
Stephen Garcia threw three touchdown passes, two to Alshon Jeffrey, and Marcus Lattimore scored three times as the 19th-ranked Gamecocks stunned No. 1 Alabama 35-21 on Saturday.
The defending national champion Crimson Tide had won 19 straight game, including last week’s 31-6 rout against Florida, since losing the Sugar Bowl after the 2008 season to Utah. The Gamecocks (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) had never beaten a No. 1 team in four previous tries.
But the Head Ball Coach, in his sixth season at South Carolina, had the players to beat Alabama using the Tide’s own formula.
Garcia and Gamecocks cashed in chances when they got close to the goal line and shut down the best tailback duo in the country, making themselves a factor in the SEC title chase.