GoGamecocks.com
Tackling gets the runaround
Gators blaze 519 yards against nation’s third-ranked defense
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow No. 15 dives into the end zone on the left side of the line for a touchdown during the first quarter.
Rich Glickstein/rglickstein@thestate.com
CommentsGAINESVILLE, Fla. — Captain Munnerlyn walked over to a chair, picked up a box score and shook his head. He stared at the stats another 30 seconds or so, then left the room, still shaking his head.
“They just whipped our tail,” the USC cornerback said a few minutes earlier. “We came here, and they ran us out.”
“They” was Florida, which showed it has more than just the reigning Heisman Trophy winner on offense. Tim Tebow accounted for three touchdowns, but was almost an afterthought.
Florida has run up the score on the likes of LSU, Georgia and plenty others. South Carolina’s defense was the latest victim, breaking down in the second half of a 56-6 loss Saturday.
This was a Gamecock defense that entered ranked third in the nation and first in the SEC.
Not anymore.
The 519 yards allowed by USC pushed its average up to 280.4 yards per game, behind at least Florida, which entered fourth in the league but is now down to 274.9 yards allowed per game.
The defense held its own in the first half. Two interceptions and an ill-fated trick play on a kick return accounted for Florida’s first three scores.
“Our defensive players played their hearts out in the first half,” coach Steve Spurrier said.
The Gators used their speedsters to break a number of big touchdown runs: Percy Harvin’s dashes of 80 and 26, Jeffrey Demps’ 38-yard scamper (in which he switched direction) and Chris Rainey’s 36-yard run.
“Fastest team I’ve ever seen in my life,” Munnerlyn said.
But defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said it could have been contained.
“We just had three or four really uncharacteristic busted assignments, that against another football team it’s 15 yards, against them it’s four touchdowns,” Johnson said.
Linebacker Eric Norwood said they were ready for the Gators’ speed, but the Gamecocks failed too often to wrap up the ball-carrier.
“I think two or three of their touchdowns (there) were missed tackles,” Norwood said. “Even though the field was wet there’s no excuses.”
The Gamecocks played the first half without safety Chris Culliver, who was suspended for an ejection in last week’s game. But things in the secondary got worse in the second half, which may have been a result of fatigue, or what Johnson thought was too constant a shuffling of cornerbacks.
“It was musical chairs back there,” Johnson said. “Whether that affected what they did in terms of their play, we’ll have to see. Obviously we didn’t have our best crew intact playing together. But I certainly don’t think that made any difference in the ballgame.”
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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