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Bucs Turn Carolina Showdown Into A Rout

Tribune photo by JOSEPH BROWN III

Jimmy Wilkerson (97) tackles Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams in the second quarter.

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By AARON KNOX | TBO.com

Published: October 12, 2008

TAMPA - The Bucs expected a battle with the Carolina Panthers today at Raymond James Stadium. They delivered a blowout instead.

Tampa Bay scored a touchdown on the ground, through the air and on special teams to earn a 27-3 victory over the Panthers in the fourth quarter.

The win pulled the Bucs into a tie atop the NFC South Division, with both teams and Atlanta at 4-2. It also snapped a five-game winning streak by the Panthers at Raymond James Stadium.

Carolina contributed to its own demise with Jake Delhomme three interceptions and a generally inept offense, but the Bucs were quick to take advantage.

Warrick Dunn gained 115 yards on 22 carries, marking the first time Dunn had rushed for more than 100 yards since November 2004 when he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

Jeff Garcia, back in the starting quarterback spot, completed 15-of-20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown.

Earnest Graham scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 27-3 with 14:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, capping a 10-play, 56-yard drive.

Graham, normally the starting tailback and the Bucs' leading rusher, switched to fullback when Byron Storer went down with an injury.

"Although he didn't show up on the stat sheet, what he did today makes coaching worthwhile," Bucs head coach Jon Gruden said. "I've got a lot of respect for what he did, a lot of respect for what he did."

Aqib Talib's interception with 13:30 left to play was the third pick of the afternoon by Delhomme, who normally plays some of his best football at RayJay. Delhomme was 20-of-39 for 242 yards today and at least two other errant passes could have been intercepted.

Garcia threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alex Smith, helping the Bucs take a 17-3 halftime lead.

Smith's catch with 2:40 left in the opening period came five plays after safety Tanard Jackson intercepted a ball intended for Panthers receiver Steve Smith.

Delhomme appeared to hit Smith in stride, but the ball bounced free and Jackson made a difficult catch for the interception, which gave the Bucs the ball at the Carolina 26-yard line.

Delhomme and Smith hooked up for a 48-yard gain on the Panthers' next possession, setting up a 20-yard fiewd goal by John Casey that made the score 14-3 with 12:31 left in the second quarter.

Geno Hayes blocked a punt scooped up the ball and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bucs a 7-0 lead.

The Buccaneers had called a timeout because they had too many people on the field for their punt team with 13:19 remaining in the first quarter and Carolina at its own 41-yard line.

After the timeout, Hayes broke through the line of scrimmage and blocked Jason Baker's punt, then gathered in the ball on one bounce at the Panthers 22 and coasted untouched into the end zone with 12:25 remaining in the first quarter.

Matt Bryant added a 37-yard field goal for Tampa Bay midway through the second quarter, extending the Bucs lead to 17-3 with 8:58 left before halftime.

Jermaine Phillips intercepted a Delhomme pass in the end zone and returned it 54 yards to the Carolina 49 with 1:10 left until intermission. An usportsmanlike penalty on Jovan Haye -- for turning a cartwheel on the field after Phillips' pick -- pushed it back to the Bucs 36.

Graham took a screen pass 24 yards to the Panthers 40, but Bryant missed a 51-yard field goal try on the final play of the first half.

It was Bryant's first miss on 12 field goal attempts this season.

Bryant got back on track in the third quarter, making good on a 49-yard field goal that extended the Bucs' lead to 20-3 with 6:03 left in the third quarter.

The Panthers came into the game having beaten the Bucs five straight times at Raymond James Stadium.

Delhomme entered 8-1 lifetime as a visiting quarterback in Tampa, including 7-1 with Carolina.

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