University of North Carolina Athletics
Gameday Blog: S. Carolina
October 13, 2007 | Football
Oct. 13, 2007
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Hail Mary Batted Down, South Carolina Wins 21-15
Posted at 6:55
One final heave by T.J. Yates was batted down near the goal line and South Carolina escapes Kenan Stadium with a 21-15 win. This was, in the eyes of the THB.com Blog, the most entertaining UNC football loss of all time. While the youth of the Tar heels showed at times, the potential was even more apparent. Greg Little introduced himself to the nation today as a big-time talent, and Hakeem Nicks confirmed what we all suspected about him - that he is an incredible wide receiver.
Thanks for joining us again this week, and we'll see you after next weekend's open date.
UNC Has One Shot At The Win
Posted at 6:51
Four seconds left, UNC ball on the South Carolina 31. After an injury delay, T.J. Yates will have one shot at the end zone.
Fourth Down South Carolina, :46 Left
Posted at 6:47
And South Carolina attempts a game-winning FG, and it hits the right upright! North Carolina will have one more chance with 41 seconds.
Onside Kick Touched By South Carolina, Gamecock Ball At The 38
Posted at 6:43
South Carolina has the ball, and it will take a quick three and out for UNC to get the ball back with 2:25 and counting to go.
White Goes For Big Yardage, Nicks Comes Up Big Again
Posted at 6:41
Johnny White just took a check-down pass for 36 yards that was immediately followed by a 23-yard reception by Nicks. First and goal from the 3, and it's a QB draw for six! Yates runs for the score and the two-point conversion fails, making it 21-15 with 3:03 left. Carolina has no timeouts, so it will take a quick stop if the onside kick is not recovered.
Last Chance For UNC
Posted at 6:35
After three conservative runs by South Carolina, North Carolina will start from its own 38 with 3:48 left in the game after a Gamecock punt.
Yates To Little, Incomplete
Posted at 6:33
Yates looked to Little on a fade to the right corner of the end zone, but the ball fell to the ground and South Carolina is back on offense with under six minutes to go. With no timeouts, UNC is up against it.
Fourth Down Play Upcoming
Posted at 6:31
It's fourth and 10 from the 11, and the UNC offense needs a big play coming out of its final timeout.
Paschal Pick Gives It Back To UNC
Posted at 6:26
Just when it looked like South Carolina was ready to put away the win, Mark Paschal makes a one-handed interception to give UNC the ball in Gamecock territory. Three straight strong runs by Johnny White have the Tar Heels inside the South Carolina 15.
Nicks With An Amazing Catch, South Carolina With An INT
Posted at 6:23
On 3rd and 8, Yates hit Nicks at the near sideline and Nicks made a great one-handed catch for the first down. On the next play, Joe Dailey took the ball on a trick play and was intercepted near the 10 yard line. After the runback and a first down, South Carolina is now in UNC territory with under 10 minutes to go.
Tar Heels Facing Fourth Down
Posted at 6:18
With 11:10 remaining, North Carolina is up against fourth and 2 from its own 36. The Tar Heels lined up with the regular offense on the field before calling a timeout, and now the offense is back on the field...and it's a first down! Nicks makes the catch on the play-action pass for a 27-yard gain. 1st and 10 from the South Carolina 37.
Kenan Stadium Is Rocking
Posted at 6:11
Sacks by E.J. Wilson and Hilee Taylor sandwiched around an incomplete pass has the Gamecock punting unit back on the field and the Tar Heel faithful alive once again. Down 12 with 13:15 to play, UNC will go back on offense from its own 28.
Little Dives For Six
Posted at 6:07
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Yates hit Greg Little on a slant and the freshman went the final 18 yards for the touchdown. Little covered the final three or four yards horizontally, as he laid out Superman-style to reach the goal line. A bobbled hold led to a failed PAT, so it's 21-9 with 14:47 to play.
Nicks Back With Authority
Posted at 6:01
Hakeem Nicks makes a splash in his first play of the second half, reeling in a 23-yard catch and run to put the Tar Heels in the red zone.
Defense Playing Well
Posted at 5:59
The North Carolina defense is doing its part to start a rally in the third quarter, picking up a three and out and giving the offense the ball at its own 39. Bruce Carter broke through the middle and nearly blocked the Succop punt.
Houston Running Strong
Posted at 5:52
Ryan Houston is now in at running back, and he has given the UNC offense a spark, rushing for 14 yards on three carries thus far. North Carolina has third and 8 from the Gamecock 46.
Yates is pressured, throws incomplete and Brown is on to punt once again.
UNC Fails To Capitalize On Second Chance
Posted at 5:44
A holding penalty on first down proved costly, as North Carolina was unable to pick up much yardage, resulting in another punt. South Carolina takes over on its own 21 with 8:39 left in the third.
Tar Heel Offense Sputters, Roughing Penalty Extends Drive
Posted at 5:41
North Carolina loses three yards in three plays, but Terrence Brown was roughed for a 15-yard penalty giving UNC an automatic first down. The Tar Heels get no field position benefit, however, due to a post-play personal foul. 1st and 10 North Carolina from the UNC 25.
UNC Gets A Much Needed Stop
Posted at 5:32
Trailing by 18, North Carolina did what it needed to do coming out of the locker room. The Tar Heel defense forced a South Carolina punt, and UNC takes over on its own 16.
Second Half Injury Update
Posted at 5:28
Brandon Tate is out for the game with a head injury and Hakeem Nicks' return is questionable due to an ankle injury. We will update with more information if we get it.
State Tree Tale Of The Tape
Posted at 5:26
When South Carolina ran onto the field this afternoon, they were accompanied by two cheerleaders waving a Gamecock flag and the state flag of South Carolina. The flag prominently features a palmetto tree, the state tree of South Carolina. And that got us thinking - which state has the better state tree? The palmetto to the south or the longleaf pine to the north. Let's go to the tale of the tape.
State Nickname: Both states are often referred to by their tree, North Carolina as the "Land of the Longleaf Pine" and South Carolina as the "Palmetto State".
Edge: South Carolina - North Carolina is definitely more famous as the Tar Heel State.
Use: The North Carolina economy was once heavily dependent upon naval stores such as turpentine and timber that come from longleaf pines. Palmetto trees are resistant to the elements near the coast, but offer little practical day-to-day use.
Edge: North Carolina
Uniqueness: The palmetto tree is the state tree of both South Carolina and Georgia. The longleaf pine is the state tree of North Carolina and Alabama.
Edge: Push
Ability To Surround Kenan Stadium: The beautiful old stadium is still surrounded by centuries old pines.
Edge: North Carolina
North Carolina's longleaf pine edges South Carolina's palmetto by a score of 2-1-1.
Gamecocks Score Late, Lead 21-3 At The Half
Posted at 5:05
Despite being competitive for most of the half, North Carolina is on the ropes going into the break, as South Carolina leads 21-3. Smelley hit Jared Cook for his career-best third TD of the afternoon with 15 seconds left in the half.
Emanuel Cook picked off Yates with one second left, and Smelley handed to Cory Boyd to end the stanza.
South Carolina Converts On Fourth Down
Posted at 4:58
The Gamecocks miss another third down, but go for it on fourth and less than a foot, converting on the Smelley keeper. Smelley then hits McKinley for nine yards to the 21 before a timeout stops the clock with 45 seconds left in the half. It'll be second and 1 after the stoppage.
Nothing Doing On Third Down
Posted at 4:54
After another South Carolina sack on third down, the two teams are a combined 1-11 on conversion attempts. A big Gamecock punt return puts them into UNC territory with under two minutes to play in the half.
Timeout Gamecocks
Posted at 4:51
Facing 3rd and 4 from its own 30, South Carolina calls the game's first timeout. UNC is still dominating time of possession and gaining in the total yardage category...
And the defense holds, giving UNC the ball back at its own 34. Succop, who is also the South Carolina punter, prefers the rugby-style punting technique and gets 44 yards this time.
INT Gives It Right Back
Posted at 4:44
After a holding penalty on first down and a one-yard loss on a Little run, T.J. Yates is intercepted by Darian Stewart and South Carolina takes over on its own 24. Yates avoided pressure but threw into traffic, where UNC couldn't bat the ball away from Stewart.
Mapp Forces Fumble, Sturdivant Recovers
Posted at 4:41
North Carolina gets its first big play of the day, as Durell Mapp striped Mike Davis after a short completion and Quan Sturdivant pounced on the loose ball. First down UNC from the South Carolina 14.
UNC Takes A Shot Deep
Posted at 4:38
After another option play that featured Joe Dailey handing off to Johnny White, Yates went for the home run ball but just missed Brandon Tate near the three. After a short completion to Little on third down, Brown punts it back to the Gamecocks, who take a fair catch at the 7.
Tar Heel Defense Makes A Stand
Posted at 4:33
Freshman Marvin Austin forced a Smelley intentional grounding penalty, earning a sack for the third straight game. After a near interception by E.J. Wilson, South Carolina is forced to punt that ball back to UNC. The Gamecock punt is a poor one, and North Carolina will take over at its own 25.
Another Drive Stalls, Barth Good From 45
Posted at 4:23
A promising UNC drive can't get into the red zone, but Barth's kick is true this time, and North Carolina is on the board. Barth moves past Clint Gwaltney into second on the UNC career FG list. South Carolina 14, North Carolina 3, 13:30 left in the second.
UNC Showing Plenty Of Looks
Posted at 4:20
Despite a scoreless first quarter, the North Carolina offense cannot be accused of lacking creativity. The Tar Heels have shown a variety of formations, with Yates, Little and Dailey all taking snaps in the quarter. Carolina is dominating time of possession, with UNC holding a 10:18-4:42 advantage.
Elzy Breaks Free For 11
Posted at 4:14
After another block in the back, UNC started at its own 19. Elzy got his first taste of the open field, running hard for an 11-yard gain to the 30. Yates then hit Zack Pianalto for five before Elzy is stopped for a short gain. UNC is facing 3rd and two...and Greg Little takes another direct snap and runs for a first down.
South Carolina Offense Rolling
Posted at 4:09
In two plays, South Carolina chewed up 38 yards and is now in UNC territory at the 30.
And just as we type that, Smelley hits Kenny McKinley for a 30-yard touchdown. Succop nails the extra point, and South Carolina leads 14-0.
Barth's Streak Snapped
Posted at 4:03
After the UNC drive stalled at the South Carolina 32, Connor Barth came on to attempt a 49-yard FG. He missed wide left, ending his streak of 19 consecutive made field goals that dated back to the 2005 season, a school record. The Gamecocks will start from their own 32 with 4:43 left in the first.
Little Comes Up Big
Posted at 4:03
oy, that was a pun-a-rific headline (actually, more just corny, but whatever.) Greg Little comes in and takes a direct snap and runs for 23 yards in a very Darren McFadden-esque play. And now Joe Dailey is on to run an option play. That makes three straight plays where a different player took the snap.
UNC Starts From Own Nine
Posted at 3:59
The Tar Heels commit a block in the back penalty on the ensuing kickoff, pushing UNC back to its own 9. A South Carolina offside penalty gives UNC 1st and 5, and Yates hits Hakeem Nicks for 11 yards and the first Tar Heel first down of the season. Yates then hits Brooks Foster for a five yard gain on first down, and the UNC offense is showing signs of life.
TD South Carolina, 7-0 Gamecocks
Posted at 3:55
Smelley hits Dion Lecorn in the back of the right side of the end zone on second down, Ryan Succop knocks in the PAT and it's 7-0 South Carolina. It should be noted that the UNC defense held its opponent without a score on its opening drive for the second straight week after not doing that since the James Madison win.
Gamecocks Knocking At The Door
Posted at 3:51
After a long run by Cory Boyd, South Carolina has 1st and goal from the 3. Boyd is stopped for no gain on first down.
Pass Under Review - Update
Posted at 3:49
Chris Smelley's second down pass is ruled incomplete on the field, but the officials are reviewing the play to see if Deunta Williams intercepted the pass before going out of bounds.
And the call stands. 3rd and three from the UNC 21.
Advantage Defense
Posted at 3:44
An incomplete pass, an unsuccessful run by Elzy and a sack leads to Terrence Brown's second punt of the day. And we'll have to wait, because the Tar Heels are flagged for delay of game. Take 2 is not Brown's best effort, and South Carolina will take over in Tar Heel territory at the 48.
Carolina vs. Carolina - The Definitive Answer
Posted at 3:40
We at the THB.com Blog have grown tired of the discussion this week about which school is the "real" Carolina. Both schools are among the finest in their respective states, both have highly successful athletic departments and both enjoy beating Clemson. Besides, everyone knows that the "real" Carolina ceased to exist in 1729.
South Carolina is three and out, and it's UNC ball from its own 20 with 12:04 in the first.
Flyover And Kickoff
Posted at 3:36
We are underway from Kenan. If there's a better way to start a game than an F/A-18F Super Hornet flyover, we don't know it. Brandon Tate returned the opening kickoff to the 25 and the first two plays from scrimmage, Anthony Elzy runs, result in negative yardage. On 3rd and 14 from the 21, T.J. Yates is incomplete toward the near sideline, and Terrence Brown is on to punt it back to the Gamecocks.
Tar Heels Welcome Gamecocks To Kenan
Posted at 3:05
Coming off its biggest win of the season over Miami last Saturday, Carolina hosts No. 7 South Carolina today at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. At 2-4, the Tar Heels winning today would be big for a number of reasons. It would be a victory in a heated, albeit sporadically-played, rivalry, it would be UNC's first win over a top-10 opponent since Miami in 2004 and it would allow Carolina fans to think about bowl eligibility for the first time since losing at East Carolina.
The TarHeelBlue.com Gameday Blog returns as the Tar Heels host South Carolina today at 3:30. Fans are encouraged to send questions and comments to the Blog email address at uncblog@gmail.com. Keep refreshing this page for live updates during the game.
