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Gamecocks Win Despite Turnovers

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The Associated Press

Published: August 29, 2008

Columbia, S.C. - South Carolina overcame four interceptions by first-time starter Tommy Beecher to give Steve Spurrier his 16th consecutive opening-game victory, 34-0 over North Carolina State on Thursday night.
Mike Davis and Taylor Rank had rushing touchdowns, and Dion LeCorn and Jared Cook caught TD passes from backup Chris Smelley to keep alive Spurrier's streak that began in 1990 at Florida.
It was Spurrier's first taste of victory since October, when a win at North Carolina pushed the Gamecocks to 6-1 and had him cocky about bigger things ahead. Instead, South Carolina lost five straight games, the longest stretch of Spurrier's career.
The Wolfpack, shut out 37-0 by Maryland to end last season, were held scoreless in consecutive games for the first time since 1956.
N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson was taken off the field on a stretcher in the second quarter after taking a knee to the head on a sack. It was announced that Wilson had a grade-three concussion and was doing well, although he would undergo further tests at the hospital.
WAKE FOREST 41, BAYLOR 13: Riley Skinner tossed three touchdown passes, two to Chip Brinkman, and No.23 Wake Forest played up to its first-ever preseason ranking.
Skinner, whose 72 percent completion percentage last season led the nation, was coolly efficient, going 27 of 36 for 220 yards, adding a 43-yard TD strike to Ben Wooster in third quarter. He earned his 19th career victory, a school record for a QB.
GA. TECH 41, JACKSONVILLE STATE 14: Jonathan Dwyer and quarterback Josh Nesbitt each ran for two touchdowns, and Morgan Burnett intercepted two first-half passes by Ryan Perrilloux as Georgia Tech rolled.
Perrilloux was in line to start for LSU this season before being dismissed by the Tigers for disciplinary reasons. He was 22-for-37 passing for 136 yards, including two TDs to Maurice Dupree.
CINCINNATI 40, E. KENTUCKY 7: Dustin Grutza threw for three touchdowns and ran for another for Cincinnati. A few hours after Ben Mauk appealed to an NCAA committee for another season of eligibility, his backup had a career night. Grutza, a senior, threw TD passes 15 and 47 yards to Mardy Gilyard.
VANDERBILT 34, MIAMI (OHIO) 13: Quarterback Chris Nickson rushed for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns, and passed for another TD to lead Vandy.
UCONN 35, HOFSTRA 3: Donald Brown ran for 146 yards and four first-half touchdowns as Connecticut improved to 7-0 against Championship Subdivision teams since it started playing major college football in 2002.
AROUND THE NATION: Ohio State strong safety Kurt Coleman (ankle) likely will miss the season opener against Youngstown State. … Oregon quarterback Nate Costa is out for the season after surgeons repairing a torn meniscus in his left knee also found a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Justin Roper will start against Washington. … Tulane suspended sophomores Tyler Helm (two games) and Alan Mitchell (three games) for a violation of team policy.
LEGAL: A jury has found a former Virginia Tech student not guilty of shooting into the apartment of cornerback Victor Harris. The Montgomery County Circuit Court jury acquitted Anthony Lucas of Washington, D.C., of charges in the shooting in November in Blacksburg. The other man charged in the case, Augustus Peal, claimed in testimony Wednesday that former wide receiver Justin Harper was the target of the shooting. No trial date for Peal is set.

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