College football

Spurrier team is back in AP poll

By wire services
Published November 14, 2005

Steve Spurrier has South Carolina in the Top 25.

The Gamecocks made it to No.19 in the Associated Press poll Sunday, the first time they have been in the rankings under their new coach.

South Carolina ended a 14-game losing streak to Spurrier's old school Saturday, beating Florida 30-22 in Columbia, S.C.

"Well, that's wonderful," Spurrier said Sunday of the ranking. "That was one of the goals, for the team to finish the regular season ranked."

The 20th-ranked Gators dropped eight spots.

Southern California and Texas remained 1-2, as they have been since the preseason. USC received 56 first-place votes and extended its record stay at No.1 to 30 straight polls. Texas received the remaining nine first-place votes.

With Alabama losing to LSU 16-13 in overtime on Saturday, the Trojans and Longhorns are major college football's only unbeaten teams. The Crimson Tide dropped four spots to No.8.

Miami was No.3, followed by LSU and Penn State. Each has one loss.

"I think Miami's clearly playing the best of the three," Neill Ostrout of the Connecticut Post said. "I've had them as top one-loss team for several weeks."

No.22 Florida State has its lowest ranking of the season after losing its second straight, to Clemson. The Seminoles were last unranked in 2001. The last time they were this low in the Top 25 was 2002, when they were 23rd.

Boston College and UTEP joined South Carolina in moving into the rankings this week.

The Gamecocks have their highest ranking since 2001, when they ended the season No.13 under Lou Holtz.

No.25 Wisconsin lost its second straight and dropped six spots. Georgia Tech, Colorado and Northwestern fell out.

HOUSTON 27, SO. MISS. 24: Kevin Kolb threw for 315 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns and Ryan Gilbert rushed for a career-high 144 yards for the host Cougars, who ended a six-game losing streak to the Golden Eagles in a game rescheduled from September because of Hurricane Rita.

VIRGINIA: Safety Nate Lyles, carried off the field Saturday after apparently taking a knee to the chin while trying to make a tackle, will not play this week and likely won't play again this season, coach Al Groh said.

Late Saturday

AUBURN 31, GEORGIA 30: For all the thrilling plays, flip-flops of control and debatable decisions, the latest entry in this rivalry didn't change a lot in the SEC race.

The host Bulldogs lost one of the most exciting games in the Deep South's longest-running series, but they're still in good shape to play for the SEC championship on Dec.3.

Though the Tigers prevailed with a memorable fourth-down play and John Vaughn's chip shot field goal with six seconds left, they'll need help to play for their second straight conference title.

"We still control our destiny in the SEC East," said Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley, who returned from a knee injury to throw for 304 yards and two touchdowns. "We still have a lot to play for."

The Bulldogs can wrap up the division title by beating Kentucky at home Saturday.

Devin Aromashodu went 62 yards on a fourth-and-10 pass, setting up Vaughn's 20-yard field goal. Earlier, LSU beat Alabama and moved into position to clinch the West with wins over Mississippi and Arkansas.

OREGON 34, WASH. ST. 31: Ducks backup quarterback Brady Leaf grew up in the stands of Martin Stadium, watching older brother Ryan set records for the Cougars.

Saturday, the younger Leaf was on the field, where he helped Oregon beat Washington State while his brother watched from the sideline as Paul Martinez made a 19-yard field goal with a second left.

"It's great to get a win out here," Brady Leaf said. "I've come to a lot of games here and dreamed about playing in this stadium since I was a little kid."

[Last modified November 14, 2005, 01:04:15]