Gamecocks seek upset of undefeated Crimson Tide

Sports Network | October 16, 2009

Tuscaloosa, AL (Sports Network) - The second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will attempt to remain unbeaten as they battle the 22nd-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in SEC play this Saturday.

South Carolina is an impressive 5-1 thus far, and the club is currently riding a four-game win streak. Last Saturday, the Gamecocks managed to squeak by Kentucky in a 28-26 final, and all four wins during the current streak have come at home. Steve Spurrier's team is 2-1 against SEC competition, and three of the next four tilts will take place on the road, including this affair against Alabama.

"We didn't play perfectly," said Spurrier after the Kentucky game. "We had some errant plays here and there, but on the other side we had some big plays. We had enough to win the game."

Last year, Alabama was undefeated during the regular season, and at 6-0 in 2009, the Tide are on their way to replicating that feat. All six of their victories have come by double figures, proof of their dominance. Last weekend, the defense played perhaps its best game of the season in a 22-3 romp over a good Ole Miss squad in Oxford. Alabama received 10 first-place votes in the most recent AP poll, and the club appears to be on a collision course with Florida for a rematch of the 2008 SEC Championship Game, barring a letdown by either club.

"We cannot get complacent because that is the key to the drill," says head coach Nick Saban. "The passion to want to do it, the passion to stay with it, the passion to continue to go through the grind, and there are numerous teams every week that have a difficult time with that and don't play well."

Alabama has won 11-of-13 all-time meetings with South Carolina, and the Crimson Tide won the most recent matchup back in 2005.

South Carolina is an above average offensive team, as it is scoring 27.3 ppg while generating 370.3 total ypg. In recent years, Spurrier has used multiple quarterbacks during games, but this year the job belongs solely to Stephen Garcia. He has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 1,268 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions. Garcia has three rushing scores to his credit as well, and he brings a great deal of leadership to the club. Moe Brown leads a lackluster group of receivers with 21 catches for 316 yards and two scores, while Kenny Miles has 268 rushing yards to pace the club.

The fact that the Gamecocks are only allowing 280.3 total ypg to opponents suggests that the defense has played quite well. Foes are scoring 18.3 ppg against South Carolina, which is permitting only 3.5 ypc. Eric Norwood is not only the best defensive player on the team, but the defensive end/linebacker is one of the truly elite players in all of college football. Norwood leads his team in tackles with 38, including six sacks, and he has intercepted two passes. Adding to his impressive stat line, the leading sack master in school history has blocked two kicks this season and forced a fumble.

In the two-point victory over Kentucky last time out, Garcia threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns, and Miles rushed for 100 yards on 17 attempts. Alshon Jeffery had the game of his young career, as he hauled in seven balls for 138 yards and three scores. The freshman wideout, who is 6-3 and 217 pounds, has the size and talent to be a dominant player, and it will be interesting to see if the huge performance against Kentucky will carry over to this game.

"Any time you can just throw the ball up and the guy comes down with it makes my job easier," said Garcia of Jeffery. "He went up three times today and just caught the ball over everybody. That was good to see. We need that a lot."

The Gamecocks surrendered three touchdowns to the Kentucky offense on some fairly long drives, so Norwood and company are eager to get back on the field and improve on that effort. Norwood did lead the team with eight tackles in that tilt, but he was held without a TFL.

Alabama isn't known as an explosive offensive team, but the club is averaging 37.0 ppg and 444.7 total ypg. The ground attack has been sensational, accounting for 223.5 ypg at a clip of 5.2 ypc. Of the 25 touchdowns that the offense has generated, 16 have come on the ground. Mark Ingram is just a sophomore, but the bullish tailback has proven the last two years that he is a star. Ingram has rushed for 659 yards and seven touchdowns through six games, and he has 17 catches for 163 yards and three scores as well. Greg McElroy is the team's starting quarterback, and he has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 1,233 yards and nine touchdowns against one interception. The first-year starter has exceeded expectations thus far.

It is hard to find a defense nationally better than the group from Tuscaloosa. Alabama is only allowing 12.5 ppg and 220.5 total ypg, sensational numbers by any standards. But when considering the strength of schedule that 'Bama has endured thus far, the defensive stats become all the more impressive. Running the ball against the Tide has proven to be futile, as the club is yielding a mere 65.7 ypg and 2.3 ypc. The pass defense has been stellar as well, as opposing quarterbacks have completed fewer than 50 percent of their passes with nine interceptions against four touchdowns. Rolando McClain is the best player for the UA defense and one of the nation's elite performers. He has 42 tackles to his credit, including 5.5 TFLs, and the linebacker has two interceptions as well.

Against Ole Miss last week, Leigh Tiffin provided 16 of the 22 points for Alabama with five field goals and an extra point. McElroy completed fewer than half of his passes for just 147 yards, but Ingram torched the Rebels for 172 yards and one score on 28 attempts. The defense was tremendous for Alabama, as it held Ole Miss star quarterback Jevan Snead to 11-of-34 passing for 140 yards and four touchdowns. While Alabama was a pitiful 4-of-20 on third-down conversion attempts, the Tide limited Ole Miss to 0-of-9 success on third down.

"The defense getting five turnovers today was probably the difference in the game relative to field position," said Saban after the victory.