South Carolina State Bulldogs QB Malcolm Long scores first TD against FBC competition in 2nd quarter.Long stays cool with the heat on
Malcolm Long has had his share of success at Williams-Brice Stadium, twice hoisting the Class 4A state championship trophy as the quarterback for Gaffney High School. But with South Carolina State 5 yards from the USC end zone, a place that had eluded the Bulldogs in their four prior meetings with FBS teams, even the 235-pound Long was shocked after being charged to chase down that feat, which he did. "I don't know what possessed him (coach Buddy Pough) to call that for me, but he did," said Long, who also rushed for 1-yard score to cap the scoring in the Bulldogs' 38-14 loss. "I'm not a speedy guy, but I have a lot of power behind me, where I can push for 10, maybe 15 yards."
And the Bulldogs gave the Gamecocks more than a playful shove during a closely contested first half. Much of that had to do with Long's pocket presence and his ability to avoid the pass rush. On four occasions, the junior escaped potential sacks, converting three consecutive third downs on a 75-yard scoring drive that cut USC's lead to 10-7. "I was just taking what the defense was giving me," Long said. "I was feeling good on that drive, and we were clicking as an offense."
Long scores first Bulldogs' touchdown against FBS school
COLUMBIA — Oddsmakers had South Carolina State listed as a 37½-point underdog Saturday night against the University of South Carolina. The odds were arguably even longer of Bulldog quarterback Malcolm Long using his legs to score the team’s first touchdown against a Division I school. Yet it’s exactly what happened with 17 seconds left in the first half when the Gaffney native once again wrote his name in the S.C. State history books with a 5-yard touchdown run. For Long, who won three state championships with the Indians in the same stadium – two as a starting quarterback – he found the achievement more surprising than how it was accomplished.
USC breaks free of SC State
COLUMBIA -- Steve Spurrier predicted a dogfight with South Carolina State. He was right. For a half. South Carolina turned a three-point halftime lead into a 38-14 rout Saturday night in front of a crowd of 77,066 at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks scored 28 consecutive points against their FCS counterpart before the Bulldogs punched a second score in with four seconds left in the game. Spurrier had warned all that would listen that the Bulldogs weren't to be taken lightly.
"South Carolina State is a good team," Spurrier said. "They played with us. They played just as well as we did in the first half -- maybe a little bit better." Despite being down a field goal, the Bulldogs (3-1) did in fact outgain the Gamecocks (4-1) 159-149 through two quarters. The word used to describe the first half for the offense -- by both quarterback Stephen Garcia and running back Kenny Miles -- was flat.
South Carolina State University RB Will Ford rushes away from USC Gamecock defender.South Carolina rolls past SC State, 38-14
COLUMBIA — Steve Spurrier predicted a “dogfight” with South Carolina State. He was right. For a half. The Gamecocks turned a three-point halftime lead into a 38-14 rout Saturday night in front of 77,066 at Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina scored 28 consecutive points against its FCS counterpart, until the Bulldogs punched a second score in with four seconds left in the game. Playing despite a bruised left side, Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia was needed for a good portion of the evening.
And his throws - mostly to senior Moe Brown - made the difference in the team’s third-quarter push. Garcia found Brown for a 40-yard score that pushed the Gamecocks ahead 24-7 at the 5:22 mark of the third quarter. On the following drive, facing third-and-5 inside the S.C. State 10, Garcia lobbed the ball over a Bulldogs defender for a 9-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 31-7. Garcia and Brown also hooked up for a 23-yard play earlier in that scoring drive.
Gillespie: Pough's gambling ways give game spark
SO WHO KNEW BUDDY Pough had so much riverboat gambler in his soul? Heck, the guy grew up in Orangeburg, a stone's throw from the South Carolina State campus where he now plies his trade as the Bulldogs' coach. Closest thing to "gambling" in his hometown back then was bingo on Wednesday nights - and that was the Episcopalians. But when you're coaching a lower-division team - even one coming in 3-0 and ranked No. 15 in the FCS - and going up against a South Carolina team fresh off a 16-10 manhandling of then-No. 4 Ole Miss, you figure: What have I got to lose?
So in the first half of Saturday night's 38-14 USC win, a game that all along figured to be a blowout - they don't do point-spreads for games involving FCS teams, but 35 points is a good number - Pough threw caution to the wind early and often. First, with S.C. State backed up on its own 2-yard line, quarterback Malcolm Long stepped back and heaved a 38-yard rainbow to receiver Tre Young, whose acrobatic catch got the Bulldogs out of the hole. In fact, "if (Long) puts more air under the ball, that's 99 yards for a touchdown, you know," Pough said. "It takes a pretty cool guy to stand in that end zone knowing he'd better hurry and get that sucker out of there."
Attendance: 77,066 @ William Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.
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