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COLUMBIA, S.C. - Daccus Turman had three short touchdown runs and South Carolina survived Kentucky's fourth-quarter rally to win 27-21 Thursday, its fourth straight over the Wildcats.
The Gamecocks (4-2, 1-2 SEC) looked on their way to an easy victory, ahead 27-7 through three quarters and with Wildcats senior quarterback Jared Lorenzen on the sideline after a helmet-to-helmet hit from defensive lineman Moe Thompson.
But Kentucky backup Shane Boyd led two touchdown drives in the final quarter. He hit Chris Bernard in the left front corner of the end zone on fourth and 7, and four minutes later broke free from an apparent sack for a 15-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 27-21 with 6:05 remaining.
"We were not ready for Shane Boyd. When Shane Boyd came in he had us scrambling," Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz said.
The Wildcats (2-4, 0-3) got the ball back a last time with 2:07 left, but Boyd overthrew Derek Abney on fourth down with 16 seconds remaining.
Kentucky opened 0-3 in the SEC for the third time in four seasons.
The Gamecocks had few problems with the Wildcats early. Kentucky had 26 yards total in the first quarter, didn't get a first down until 13:10 remained before halftime and Lorenzen was continually chased out of the pocket. He finished 10-of-18 for 129 yards and a touchdown.
Lorenzen left the field woozy after Thompson's hit at the end of the third quarter. He spent several minutes face down near the Kentucky sidelines surrounded by trainers. He was helped off the field and slowly stepped to the bench, where he sat with a towel over his head. He was diagnosed with a concussion, but said after the game he felt fine and didn't expect to miss playing time.
Kentucky coach Rich Brooks was angry that officials did not call a late hit on Thompson.
"There is no excuse for any official to miss that late hit to the head," Brooks said. "I'm not supposed to say those things. But I'm interested in protecting players from injuries and so should everybody in this game."
Demetris Summers led South Carolina with 66 yards on 16 carries. Dondrial Pinkins was 17-of-29 for 184 yards.
Boyd had 93 yards on seven carries in his replacement role.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 35, FIU 13: Quarterback Michael Williams gained 209 total yards and threw for a touchdown for visiting Stephen F. Austin.
Williams replaced Zeke Dixon in the starting lineup this week after Dixon fractured his right wrist. With Dixon out, Stephen F. Austin (3-3) turned to the ground game against FIU's last-ranked rush defense, gaining 337 yards and scoring four rushing touchdowns.
FIU (0-6) entered the game ranked last in defense out of 121 Division I-AA teams, allowing 285 rushing yards a game. It was Stephen F. Austin's first 300-yard rushing game since 1999.
MISSISSIPPI: School officials ended their search for a new mascot, citing lack of interest in the two proposed replacements for the ousted Colonel Rebel. Ole Miss will have no mascot at sporting events but will continue to license merchandise with Colonel Rebel, a white-haired old man who carries a cane and resembles a plantation owner, said school spokeswoman Barbara Lago. In a vote to gauge interest in the proposed replacements, the university received just over 2,400 votes from the 40,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, season-ticket holders and athletic boosters who were eligible to vote.
VANDERBILT: Former athletic director Todd Turner turned down another job at the university and criticized the radical reorganization of the athletic department. Turner sent former colleagues an e-mail saying he would not stay as chancellor Gordon Gee's special assistant for athletic and academic reforms. "I do not feel the strategy (Gee) has chosen for Vanderbilt will produce the results many of us have worked so hard to achieve," Turner wrote, according to the Tennessean newspaper. In a separate e-mail to the Associated Press, Turner said he was "surprised and disappointed" to see his comments in the newspaper because they were intended for his former staff.