Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Kentucky completes comeback
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Alvin Dupree’s 6-yard interception return for a touchdown off a pass deflection with 2:29 remaining gave Kentucky a 45-38 comeback victory over South Carolina on Saturday.
Trailing 38-24 with 11:45 remaining, Jojo Kemp rallied the Wildcats with touchdown runs of 1 and 5 yards before Mike Douglas’ game-changing block of Dylan Thompson’s pass. Dupree grabbed it out of the air for the easy touchdown that sent the crowd of 62,135 into a frenzy.
Ashely Lowery’s interception with 1:31 left sealed it, sparking an on-field celebration as Kentucky (4-1, 2-1 SEC) won back-to-back SEC games for the first time since 2009. The Wildcats also matched their combined victory total the past two seasons and ended a three-game losing streak to the reeling Gamecocks (33, 2-3).
Running out of the Wildcat formation, Kemp rushed for a career-best 131 yards on 17 carries and 3 touchdowns.
Kemp also had a hand in a flea-flicker-style play that helped give Kentucky its first lead of the game as Patrick Towles found Ryan Timmons for a 48-yard touchdown and 24-17 lead in the third quarter.
South Carolina roared back with 21 unanswered points and appeared to have Kentucky on the ropes. But the Gamecocks’ league-worst defense couldn’t stop Kemp before turnovers sent them to their second consecutive SEC loss.
South Carolina outgained Kentucky 500-447, but all the Gamecocks had to show for it was another loss that had a familiar look.
They allowed Missouri two fourth-quarter touchdowns last week and lost 21-20. Losing to Kentucky was even more painful for South Carolina because running back Mike Davis positioned the Gamecocks to win with a career-high 183 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns on 23 carries.
Kentucky got just its second victory against South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier in 22 tries and just their second victory over the Gamecocks in 15 games.
Though South Caroli- na still has the bulk of its SEC schedule remaining, its chances of contending in the Eastern Division that it was favored to win took another hit.
The Gamecocks started off with a smashmouth, clock-chewing approach for a 14-0 lead that temporarily quieted some of the crowd on a cool night.
Davis carried much of the load literally, starting South Carolina’s 79-yard, 19- play touchdown drive with 2 runs for 24 yards before capping it with a 1-yard run. The Gamecocks rushed 17 times for 70 yards on a possession that used 7:56, following up with a 72-yard TD drive ending with Davis scoring from 2 yards out early in the second quarter.
Elliot Fry added a 31-yard field goal for South Carolina, but by then Kentucky was responding well enough to forge a 17-17 tie at halftime.
NO. 13 GEORGIA 44, VANDERBILT 17
ATHENS, Ga. — Jeb Blazevich succinctly summarized Todd Gurley’s latest entry in his Heisman Trophy campaign. “And he can pass,” Blazevich said. Gurley ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns, but his 50-yard pass was the biggest surprise in No. 13 Georgia’s victory over Vanderbilt.
Gurley had scoring runs of 4 and 14 yards in the first quarter as Georgia (41, 2-1 SEC) built an early 21-0 lead.
Vanderbilt (1-4, 0-4) remained winless in the SEC.
Hutson Mason threw two touchdown passes to Chris Conley, but Gurley now owns the Bulldogs’ longest completion of the season.
Gurley’s pass wobbled before reaching Blazevich, but a relieved Coach Mark Richt said it was a thing of beauty when compared with some of the tailback’s throws during practice this week.
“I wasn’t like, ‘Man, I can’t wait to call that play,’” Richt said, smiling. “I just didn’t know.”
Gurley’s 5-yard scoring run was out of the Wildcat formation (called Wild Dog in Georgia’s playbook).
Another direct snap to Gurley in the second quarter produced the unexpected twist. Instead of keeping the ball for a run as Vanderbilt’s defense expected, Gurley stopped and launched the wobbly left-handed pass to Blazevich, the tight end who was wide open for the big gain.
“We have a saying at Georgia: Spirals are optional — if you hit your target,” Richt said with a smile.
The Commodores were caught offguard.
“They kind of just threw us off,” Vanderbilt linebacker Nigel Bowden said. “Everybody was coming downhill, so they got us off balance and got their tight end to go downhill.”
Georgia began the day leading the SEC in rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards, and he had made his mark on special teams with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Clemson. His first career pass attempt was a special thrill.
“I was hoping,” Gurley said. “We worked on that a little this week. … We kept running a little power play. Eventually, it opened up room for the pass.”
Gurley, who also was a standout hurdler at Tarboro (N.C.) High School, used his track background in a big run for the second consecutive week. He soared over Vanderbilt cornerback Taurean Ferguson on a 26-yard run to close the third quarter.
Georgia freshman Nick Chubb had 78 yards rushing, including a 33-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds remaining.
The Commodores, trailing 27-10, still had comeback hopes as they drove in Georgia territory in the third quarter. Those hopes were crushed when Devin Bowman intercepted Stephen Rivers’ fourth- down pass from the Georgia 29 and returned the ball 63 yards for a touchdown.