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Munnerlyn has breathtaking day
Junior cornerback runs wild on special teams with air to spare
South Carolina's Captain Munnerlyn answered Kentucky's first touchdown with this 84 yard kickoff return.
Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald-Leader
CommentsLEXINGTON, Ky. —- Most South Carolina players used halftime to get a little breather. Captain Munnerlyn felt like he needed an oxygen tent.
"I was so tired out there," Munnerlyn said. "I sucked it up and said, 'I've got a second wind.'"
The only thing the junior cornerback did not do in Saturday's 24-17 victory at Kentucky was play offense. And he still did more running than any other Gamecock in the first half.
Munnerlyn’s wacky first 30 minutes were as up-and-down as a player can have.
The big moment came early in the second quarter, when he scooped up a blocked field goal and ran 81 yards for the touchdown. It was his first college trip to the end zone, and turned what was almost a 10-7 Kentucky lead into a 14-7 USC advantage.
It also made up for the moment in the first quarter when Munnerlyn returned a kickoff 84 yards but was caught at the 16 by Kentucky's kicker.
Two weeks ago, he was dragged down inside the 10 by Alabama-Birmingham's punter.
"My teammates ain't gonna never let me live this one down. This is the second week now," Munnerlyn said, laughing.
So as he ran down the right sideline after picking up the blocked field goal, he said he kept thinking: "I can't let the kicker catch me. I can't let him catch me this time. So I just ran for it and said yes. When I got there, I said, oh, he didn't catch me this time."
Not everything went as well for Munnerlyn. He fumbled two punts, and had another nearly hit his foot.
"You can't bobble those balls," USC special teams coach Ray Rychleski said. "We're living right on that one. My mother must be saying some prayers up in heaven on that one."
Munnerlyn misjudged another first-half punt, a shank that he opted not to catch, only to have it get downed at South Carolina's 7-yard line.
Munnerlyn said he lost one in the sun, and credited Kentucky punter Tim Masthay (six punts averaging 46.7 yards) for confusing him with very high kicks.
He was so active on special teams Saturday it was easy to forget he played the whole game on defense, finishing with a couple tackles and two pass break-ups.
"Captain was on the way to having one of those 90-play games where exhaustion can be a factor," defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said. "That starts to affect you mentally and physically. He's had his moments where he hadn't been consistent, but he's certainly been a critical player for us and the plays he made for us today were absolutely critical."
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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