SATURDAY’S STAR
South Carolina junior running back Rico Dowdle almost single-handedly kept his team in the game during the first half. Dowdle busted big runs on each of the Gamecocks’ first-half scoring drives, including a 21-yarder that set up a touchdown in the half’s final minute. He finished with 140 yards on 14 carries.
SATURDAY’S STAT
Tennessee and South Carolina entered as the 14th- and 12th-best rushing teams in the Southeastern Conference, respectively. South Carolina surpassed its previous season average of rushing yards per game (154) in the third quarter. Tennessee also ran effectively at times, but it was the Gamecocks’ surprising running game that kept them in the contest and set up rare but effective downfield strikes.
TURNING POINT