The 2014 South Carolina Game

After a week off after the State loss the 5 and 1 Tigers face South Carolina at home on the SEC Network.  Here we go with the last half the regular season.  Auburn is something like a 19 point favorite.  Auburn has yet to lose against Spurrier's Gamecocks.

FIRST QUARTER

The Gamecocks receive and drive 75 yards for the touchdown.  The score comes on a 32 yard pass.  This is not the start we wanted.  USC moves the ball with short passes just like most teams do on our defense.  I do not understand why our defense is good against the run but porous against the pass.

Auburn 0  South Carolina 7

From the 25 the Tigers have to punt from their 46.
The punt goes out of bounds at the Gamecock 26.
The Tigers don't look ready in this game.  There is no intensity so far.
Quentin Riggins says we must get pressure on their QB with our front four.
South Carolina drives at will to the Auburn 10 before Cassanova McKinzy intercepts at the 8.
We sure needed that!  The Tigers did get pressure on that play with Martravious Adams.
The Tigers march 92 yards for the tying score mixing the run and pass.
The score comes on a 3-yd. pass to Brandon Fulse.
THAT looked like the Gus Malzahn offense.  That was great pace.

Auburn 7  South Carolina 7

The first quarter ends with USC facing 4th and 2 from their 33.

SECOND QUARTER

The Gamecocks go for it and on an an Auburn misalignment they are all the way to the Auburn 49.
The Gamecocks score on a 16 yard pass.
If it were not for the turnover Auburn would be in a world of trouble.
Their offense looks unstoppable by our inert defense.  This game looks like big trouble.
So much for our defense improving from last year.
10 plays 75 yards.

Auburn 7  South Carolina 14

After a block in the back on the runback Auburn starts on their 7.
Just like the last possession the Tigers march smartly 93 yards for the tying score.
CAP barrels over from the 1 for the touchdown.
Roc Thomas and CAP do most of the damage.  Nick Marshall is making smart reads.
At the moment with 8:19 to go in the half we are in a track meet.

Auburn 14  South Carolina 14

Whew!
South Carolina has had the ball three time.  They have scored 2 TDs.  We have stopped them with the interception at our 7 for our only stop.
Our defense is getting scorched with their passing.
After one first down the Gamecocks are punting.
Bray makes a great punt return BUT he fumbles at the Auburn 42 and they recover.
Boy, oh boy.
We hold them on third down but there is facemask call against us.
We are killing ourselves with mistakes.
Next play there is the TD pass on a wheel route of 27 yards. 
Our defense should have been off the field twice but we fumble the punt and then give them a first down after holding them on third down with a discipline penalty and there is the touchdown pass.

Auburn 14  South Carolina 21

We gave them a touchdown on their last possession.
Can our offense respond once again?  So far we cannot stop their offense and so our offense has to keep up.
The offense responses again as we drive 75 yards for the score.  Nick Marshall keeps on a 37 yard scamper for the score.  At least our running game is alive and well tonight.

Auburn 21  South Carolina 21

Our defense has to step up.  Must step up for us to win this game.
The half ends with USC letting the clock run out.
Which side will make the best adjustments at the half?
South Carolina has dominated thru the air and Auburn has dominated on the ground.
Whew!

THIRD QUARTER

Corey Grant brings the kickoff out of the end zone and is dropped at the 12, but not to worry.
The Tigers march smartly down the 88 yards in 13 plays for the touchdown.  Our run game is in high gear.
We do not have to throw the ball.
Marshall walks in from the 5 for the score.
Auburn leads for the first time in this football game.

Auburn 28  South Carolina 21

What will our defense do this half?
The Gamecocks score quickly with a long pass from around midfield.  51 yard completion.
Our defense simply has no answer for their passing.  Spurrier is calling the right plays time after time.
First USC possession is our same old first half defense.
5 plays 72 yards. 

Auburn 28  South Carolina 28

BOOM!
First play Ricardo Louis sweeps 75 yards around left end for the touchdown.
A one play drive.  11 seconds.  Wow!

Auburn 35  South Carolina 28

We cannot stop their offense.  They convert a 4th and 6 on their 35 and continue their march.
The TD pass comes from the 10.
Their offense is drilling our defense.
They are making our pass defense look silly.  The Gamecocks make one pass play after another.
South Carolina has yet to punt in this game.  They have scored every time except for the one turnover.

Auburn 35  South Carolina 35

South Carolina executes the onside kick.  Our receiving team is not ready.
Auburn challenges the call but to no avail.  The replay shows that USC did not touch the ball before it went 10 yards.
We are in trouble now.  USC is taking to Auburn.
South Carolina can take the lead now starting from their 45.
USC gets a first down when a takedown on an Auburn player is not called.
Our crowd boos lustily.
The quarter ends with the Gamecocks driving.

FOURTH QUARTER

As the final quarter begins I would say that Auburn is in deep trouble.
The team that has the ball last may win this game.
This is NOT the type of game that I like.
Our defense has yet to show up.
The Gamecocks are calling and executing all of the right plays.
We surrender the initiative by giving up the onside kick.
On 2nd and 8 from the 18 Jones intercepts in the end zone!
There is the turnover we needed.
Auburn needed a turnover in the WORST way and we finally get it.
We had pressure finally on that play and that was what did it.
The TIGERS march 80 yards quickly for the touchdown.
Marshall strolls in from the 9 for the go-ahead score.
Nick Marshall is a wonder to watch when he is on his game.  That was a great fake on the scoring run, faking to Thomas and keeping the rock.

Auburn 42  South Carolina 35

This game is far from over early in the 4th quarter.
The visitors move the ball down the field on the way converting a 4th and 7 from their 35.
They are now 5 for 5 on 4th down conversions.
I've never seen anything like this.  Their offense plays with total confidence.
The Tigers are victimized by a terrible interference call in the end zone.  The pass was clearly uncatchable.
USC is on the Auburn 15 first down.
USC moves to 4th and 14 needing the 5 yard line for the first.
The pass in the end zone is incomplete.
Big mistake by Spurrier.  Why not the field goal???
Spurrier gets greedy and pays for it.
We have the ball back on our 19.
We move out to midfield but with 1:18 to go we have to punt.
Oh, my, is this nerve-racking or what?
With 1:08 left USC starts on their 15 after a good punt.
On the next to the last play of the game the Gamecocks gets another gift from the refs with a call of hands in the face or something like that which gives them a chance at the Hail Mary from our 41.  The ball hangs up in the air in the end zone and we get the interception on the last play of the game.
Whew!
 We beat South Carolina 42 to 35.  LSU beat Ole Miss 10 to 7.
Next Saturday night in Oxford somebody will be eliminated in the SEC race.

FINAL SCORE

Auburn 42  South Carolina 35