The Tennessee fans chanted at the South Carolina players as they exited the field through their tunnel: "Pump more gas, pump more gas!''
It was a reference to comments allegedly made by UT coach Lane Kiffin to Gamecocks receiver Alshon Jeffery during his recruitment.
South Carolina's players ignored the fans, but they no doubt heard their head ball coach loud and clear in the aftermath of the Gamecocks' 31-13 loss to the Vols (4-4, 2-3) on Saturday night.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was clearly upset with the 21st-ranked Gamecocks before a crowd of 96,263 at Neyland Stadium.
The Ol' Ball Coach was in and out of his postgame interview session about as quick as his offense was on and off the field after its first two possessions ended with fumbles.
"Like I just told the guys, if we want to win some of these games against good teams, we've got to play well,'' Spurrier said. "Had four turnovers, didn't get any, had a punt return called back, had some opportunities here and there, couldn't execute, dropped passes, a few penalties here and there, get your butt beat.
"Tennessee was good, give them credit, too. They were a lot better than us tonight.''
The Gamecocks (6-3, 3-3) outgained the Vols 365 yards to 341, but UT coach Lane Kiffin's offense converted fumble recoveries on South Carolina's first two possessions into touchdowns for a 14-0 lead four minutes into the game.
"We had two first downs on our first two possessions and fumbled right after that,'' Spurrier said. "That wasn't real smart.''
Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia, who was 25-of-50 passing for 300 yards with a touchdown and an interception, echoed his coach.
"We had two fumbles in five plays,'' Garcia said. "It's hard to beat a team when you spot them points.''
Spurrier said repeatedly that he felt like South Carolina's coaches had a good game plan and was clearly hung up on his team's inability to execute.
"We had a lot of bad plays and mental errors,'' Spurrier said. "(Punt returner) Stephon Gilmore made a heckuva play. Unfortunately one of our freshmen shoved a guy in the back.
"We talked about that all day today, just screening them off, but No. 36 (D.J. Swearinger) didn't do that.''
Gilmore's would-be 73-yard punt return for a touchdown with the Gamecocks down 21-0 late in the first half was canceled out by the illegal block in the back penalty.
Instead, South Carolina took over at its 15-yard line and drove to the Vols' 30 where it settled for a 47-yard field goal off the leg of Spencer Lanning to end the half.
"Four turnovers and a punt called back and a lot of careless play,'' Spurrier said, leaving the podium mere minutes after walking into the room. "We're 6-3, got a pretty good record for the way we've played.''
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Comments » 75
west_tn_volfan writes:
Two teams going in different directions. I think this will start SC's late season slide and our late season run. Ole Miss should be the only team left that will challenge us if we play our best ball. Go Vols win out!
ThurmondEppy writes:
Agree, however, Vandy gave no. 11 Georgia Tech all they could handle for a while tonight. They always play us tough and Memphis usually finds a way to do so. It makes their season to beat us. We can't rest against any of the remaining teams - not that this staff will allow them to do so. Go Vols! Great win!
BillVol writes:
Check the oil, too!
Wish we could have scored some more points -- for Bill Curry and Ray Goff and Jim Donnan and of course for Coach Fulmer. But it was sweet anyhow.
eutefan writes:
I hate to think what might have happened if SC had not been so eager to give up points. But they did, and the Vols won. Great job.
jcherrie#219531 writes:
Yeah more yards - they had 50 passing attempts - and only 65 yards rushing on 20 carries. Meanwhile we rushed for 199 yards while killing clock. That's being beat on both lines of scrimmage.
TennesseeTuxedo writes:
Fill it up with regular and clean the windshield.
Orangeblood13 writes:
no matter how you spin it, we beat em, period
caverunner writes:
BP,Exxon,and Shell officals will be at the South Carolina campus Monday getting ready for next semester's GAS PUMPING 101.
orangepridenation writes:
correct orangeblood, we beat em, fair and square, they didn't "hand us" 21 points, we knocked 21 points right out of their hands. and i just got back from their team site and ofcourse thats all they say is "well, tennessee still sucks, we gave em that game" which is complete BS. we dominated the line of scrimage on both sides of the ball all night and WE forced all of those fumbles with our lights out hitting. Great game vols, now lets thrash memphis for a homecoming treat (will be awesome to get back above .500). Then we'll duke it out with the other sec rivals, one thing i want to see us do though, before this season is over, is win a good old fashioned defensive slugfest. i want us to win a close game just to prove that we can do it. all 4 of our wins have been 12 points or higher. I think ole miss will be our best chance. not that i miss playing close like we did under fulmer, but it would just be nice to know that we can do it...against a good team.
GO BIG ORANGE(and black)lol!!!
caverunner writes:
Good Ole cocky flop, cocky flop usc! GBO!!!
vol98champ writes:
It is great to win, but this is a hard game to judge. Alabama was easy to grade. We should have gotten a grade of B+ to A- last week except for special teams. We don't grade that high on this game. The question is how good is SC? For God's sake offensive line quit the illegal motion phooey. Dan Williams is awesome. Where is Eric Berry?
rab writes:
Lou Holtz was disappointed as well.
yeavols#228407 writes:
Stevie "Boy" Wonder couldn't come in and run his mouth in good ole fashioned Spurrier- esque style. His players got egged and kicked right in their cuck a doodle do. Spurrier is about to retire because his ego can't take too many more losses. South Carolina has been and will always be a mediocre team. No one wants to play for a weak school like SC. SC won't win many games at home or at Neyland. THey should have an stayed independent school.
All_Vol_in_GA writes:
You know what they say:
"You can't spell S-U-C-K-S without u-S-C"
Go Big Orange! Great win!
we3vols#281863 writes:
Lou is a homer, skaaruu Lou. Go Vols!
volunteer_cowboy writes:
take 3 turnovers away and look at score
bobbarbilly writes:
I think I hear the roosters coming unranked.
CrankE writes:
This was exactly what I'd hoped for. A big win drives nails into the coffin on Spurrier's coaching career. I don't think he'll endure too many like this before he heads off to the links for good.
Sovol writes:
Now that's funny I don't care who you are.
Cldvols1 writes:
We've got a really good chance of finishing the season 8-4, I'll def take that after watching the UCLA game! I just wish we could have played the Bruins and Auburn the second half of the season, we'd be 6-2 instead of 4-4:) Go Vols!!!
Southland writes:
Great Win. Total without class to cheer that to a bunch of young men going to college. Classless. It sounds like something LSU fans would do. We won. Celebrate that and not by being jerks.
JDX64 writes:
Do you watch much football? You play the game based on the situation at hand. When you get a 21 point lead, you change your defensive and offensive strategy as appropriate for the game situation. Defense plays more zone not chancing the quick score. Offensive calls are less aggressive to manage clock. Had the game been close, you'd have seen more blitzing, more man coverage, more aggressive gameplan. You can't just say, "take out the turnovers."
Liberal_Vol writes:
Well, ball coach, I hope it tastes real good 'cause it tastes like filet mignon to me bbbb buddy.
richvol writes:
Maybe...but it's also classless,and worse,to lie about the "gas pumping" incident to begin with. Kiffin never made that statement.
Fall_Creek_Vols writes:
I guess they tied us in the 2nd half.
Still...
tennezz writes:
Who cares what the little Gremlin thinks?
linebam writes:
That's phooey! Good teams force fumbles and take advantage. SC did NOT "give" UT the game! Even Todd Blackledge (with whom I don't always agree) had to correct his partner last night when he questioned if the game would be different without the turnovers. Blackledge acknowledged that the fumbles were "forced by tacklers" and NOT the result of SC's "sloppy play". Good call!
tennrich1 writes:
I must say..our defense hit as hard and played as physical a game as I've seen in a long time....sometimes those fumbles just happen due to carelessness...but not tonight...however the heavy hitting cost us some injuries...
arkyvol writes:
take it for what its worth. i'm happy, but i have nightmares about what would have happened had the turnovers been even.
navarrebeachvol writes:
oooook, lets go back and remove our turnovers from previous games and see what happens. it's part of the game. perhaps the most important. and its been drilled into our defense this year since the Spring. enjoy the win, sheesh.
rogatl2002#222395 writes:
who pumped all the class out of tennessee fans?
Good win. Go Vols!
pupvol writes:
why was the middle of the field wide open all night long? seems monte never adjusted this time. still great win GBO!
givehim6 writes:
We came out and slobberknocked the porch chickens last night, but I think the halloween look UT had had USC so scared they could not play till the 2nd half.
BluezVol writes:
I saw some of this too. I think the Rebs/Sneed will pay particular attention to this in 2 weeks.
Alphafemale writes:
Lou clearly isn't objective.
murrayvol writes:
They'll have to show more than they did vs Aubie.
Clevername writes:
ROTFLMAO ... nice one !
jet writes:
Fulmer had class...was always gracious in defeat....and extremely grateful for a victory.....unfortunately he grew more gracious than grateful with age. Give me victory or give me class...Hummmmmm????? I'll take victory!!!!!
Pompey writes:
Lou Holtz is "granny Clampett" in butch!
InertGas writes:
The beginning of the end for the Old Ball Coach ?
chaos001 writes:
turnovers don't equal points either. we could've gone 3 and out on each turnover, however we executed our offense and scored.
plus, SC could've gone 3 and out on those same drives instead of turning it over. you can't have a coulda/shoulda/woulda mentality.
lastlap writes:
Anyone notice the Ole Ball Coach tripping on the sidelines last night? Talk about PRICELESS!!!!!! BTW, we finally have a coach with a winning record against the Ole Ball Coach.
VolinCalif writes:
Rich You are correct. I wanted to thank Griff for being one of, if not the only, sports to use the phrase "allegedly said". Few appear to remember that the kid later said Kiffin never said that.
ULTIMATEVOLUNTEER writes:
It's not that we just forced turnovers...we CAPITALIZED on them. We got the turnover and marched down the field each time for points. Sc needed to stop us after the fumbles but couldn't. P.s. is no. 17's jock still on the 15 yard line?
537081 writes:
It is always good to beat The Ole Ball Coach, but we must go into every game with a good attatude we have to beat them one at a time. We do not need to take any thing for granted.
tovolny writes:
We know you are a SC Cowboy because you have lots of posts on their site. I kept looking through the post hunting for your user name because I wanted to have a private laughing moment at your crying from the "whooping" your Choking Chickens received from Black Jacketed Orange football players called the UT Volunteers. Fumbles happen...it is because of careless play plus getting the snot knocked out your ears from a better football team. Would you like high test or regular...SC has lots down I 26.
jet writes:
I started watching the Vols probably before I could walk. We would go to my Grandma's house cause she had a color TV. Eat popcorn, and cheer our Vols on. Then I carried my kids to Knoxville and watched their faces as they stood in awe in Neyland stadium. Now my grandkids are running around as we grill ribs, eat, and watch the VOls on a 52" flat screen. (In another year or two, we'll have the grandkids walking the hills on Rocky Top.) I've got to tell you, I've been through the Spurrier hate feelings, but you know why? He beat us and he was cocky about it.
In retrospect, we have been very blessed to witness some of the greatest teams of all time play some of the greatest games of all time. The Vols came out the winner sometimes, but sometimes losers. The agony of defeat made the thrill of victory so sweet. The old ball coach was part of all of that. Love him or hate him, he added to the richness of Volunteer history and tradition.
At the end of the day, Spurrier has been a legend in the game. At the end of the day, he continues to coach for the love of the game. At the end of the day, he is a Tennessee boy who has done good. I'm just grateful for my life as a TN fan and it is kind of sad to see the past fade away, but yes, the torch is passing.
Spurrier, with the handshake at the end of the game last night, in my mind, passed the torch to Kiffin. They are made out of the same cloth. We now have the brazen ol ball coach at UT. Thanks to the spirit of ol ball coaches my grandchildren will know the joys of SEC FOOTBALL....AND the Vol miracle lives on.................Thanks to General Neyland, Doug Dickey, Johnny Majors, Phil Fulmer and all the men who have given their all for us....and oh, thank you Steve Spurrier as well......
dowhatsright writes:
Good point about the fumbles. On TV you could tell that 2 of the fumbles were caused by hits on the ball. On another subject, yards gained don't always tell the story. Except for the one fantastic pass and catch, we took away the long ball, let them have the short stuff and forced a field goal.
stratocaster54 writes:
"Spurrier said repeatedly that he felt like South Carolina's coaches had a good game plan and was clearly hung up on his team's inability to execute."
You gotta love this guy throwing players under the bus! What an ego. Truth is... HE is responsible for the team and HE got out coached by Lil' Kiffin, who had his team fired up, and Monte Kiffin, who had Sc's O not knowing if they were coming or going! Spurrier is suppose to be the O Gru.
Spurrier is like Fulmer, the game has passed him by. Time to retire.
dowhatsright writes:
In reply to the article, it isn't smart to give an opponent bulletin board material that will motivate them to play harder next time - the "fans" who were taunting the Sough Carolina players about pumping gas should think about that. You aren't being a good fan when you do that sort of thing. All you are thinking about is yourself. It might make you feel good to taunt an opponent, but it is classless and conterproductive.
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