Sports

College football

Missouri rally denies Spurrier bowl win

Associated Press
Published December 31, 2005

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SHREVEPORT, La. - As Brad Smith goes, so goes Missouri.

South Carolina knew that, and the game plan of keeping Smith in check worked great - for a half, anyway.

Then the Missouri quarterback broke loose, as he has done so often in his career, rushing for three touchdowns - including a 1-yarder in the final minutes - and passing for another to rally the Tigers for a 38-31 victory over the Gamecocks in the Independence Bowl on Friday.

"It wasn't anything magical," Smith said. "We just played within our system."

Smith, who rushed for 1,151 yards and passed for 2,022 this season, accounted for 431 yards of Missouri's 504 yards as the Tigers staged their biggest comeback victory of the year.

Missouri (7-5) trailed 21-0 after the first quarter as Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks dominated the first half. South Carolina (7-5) outgained Missouri 312 yards to 174 in the first half and held the football almost 11 minutes longer (20:02-9:58)

"We knew he was an excellent quarterback," Spurrier said. "We had him hemmed in in the first half, but we weren't good enough to do it the whole game."

The Tigers didn't convert a third-down until the final 58 seconds of the half.

Smith completed 21 of 37 passes for 282 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He also ran for 150 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.

"I was trying to make too much," Smith said. "At the end of the second quarter I was able to make something happen and get my timing down."

The Gamecocks needed fewer than three minutes to go 80 yards for their first score. Blake Mitchell's 23-yard pass to Sidney Rice put Carolina up 7-0. Rice finished with 12 receptions for 191 yards.

Tony Temple fumbled on Missouri's first play and South Carolina's Ricardo Hurley recovered. Four plays later Mike Davis, who ran for 125 yards on 18 carries, scored on a 5-yard run for a 14-0 lead.

The Gamecocks' third scoring drive covered 69 yards in 1:59. This time Mitchell, who completed 20 of 38 passes for 266 yards, hit Carson Askins with a 20-yard scoring pass to make it 21-0. Mitchell passed for two touchdowns and was intercepted three times.

"Twenty-one-nothing is no safe lead for us," Spurrier said.

Marcus King gave Missouri its first points, grabbing Mitchell's pass at the goal line and returning it 99 yards to make it 21-7 in the second quarter.

After Davis' 2-yard run gave the Gamecocks a 28-7 lead, Missouri staged its first long drive of the game. The Tigers went 77 yards and Smith hit Chase Coffman with a 5-yard scoring pass to make it 28-14 at halftime. Coffman finished with eight catches for 99 yards.

Smith pulled Missouri to 28-21 with a 31-yard run with 2:41 left in the third quarter.

Another apparent Missouri touchdown was nullified by a 15-yard tripping penalty. Smith finally got the score on a 4-yard run that tied the score at 28 early in the fourth quarter.

Adam Crossett kicked a 50-yard field goal to put the Tigers up 31-28, but Josh Brown countered with a 30 yarder that tied it at 31.

Then, with 2:13 remaining, Smith sealed the Missouri win with a 1-yard touchdown run.

"It shows us no matter where we are or who we play, we can stay with them," Missouri safety David Overstreet said. "We spotted them 21 points. To go out and get the win is great for everyone's confidence."

[Last modified December 31, 2005, 00:48:13]

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