Gamecocks Get Wright in a Hurry

Anthony Wright threw for three touchdowns and woke up South Carolina’s sleeping offense in a 38-24 victory over Kentucky in a Southeastern Conference game Saturday at Columbia, S.C.

The Gamecocks (3-3 overall, 1-3 in the SEC) came in with the league’s fourth-worst offense, far below the No. 1 Wildcats and standout quarterback Tim Couch.

But Couch, despite throwing two touchdowns, was held to lowest total of the year with 294 yards and couldn’t finish off drives the way he did a week ago in an upset of Alabama.

Despite the loss, Couch set school records for passing yards (2,078) and touchdowns (23) in a season.

With Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) trailing, 24-21, Couch drove the Wildcats to South Carolina’s five but threw two incompletions before Seth Hanson’s field goal.

After Wright passed to Jermale Kelly on a 26-yard touchdown play--the first of two between the players--Couch again got a first down at the three. However, two more bad throws left it to Hanson, whose 20-yard field goal was blocked by Lee Wiggins, his eighth career block.

Wright, poised and confident, converted three third downs on the drive that secured the victory, which ended with another 26-yard score to Kelly.

No. 8 Auburn 49, Louisiana Tech 13--Dameyune Craig became the first Auburn quarterback to surpass 300 yards in four consecutive games and matched a school record with four touchdown passes as the Tigers (6-0) routed the Bulldogs (4-2) at Auburn, Ala.

With a 355-yard performance, Craig also broke Pat Sullivan’s school record with his sixth 300-yard passing game. Craig reached the mark in 15 fewer starts than did the 1971 Heisman Trophy winner.

Craig’s Heisman candidacy will get a big test next week, when Auburn plays host to Florida.

Louisiana Tech, a Division I-A independent, came in with the nation’s leading passer in Tim Rattay and a wide-open offense that many said would be perfect to prepare Auburn for next week.

But other than similar looking uniforms--white jerseys with blue pants--Louisiana Tech looked nothing like the Gators as Craig frequently had six or seven seconds to find a receiver.

No. 9 Tennessee 38, No. 13 Georgia 13--The Volunteers played perhaps their best game of the season in handing the Bulldogs their first defeat at Knoxville, Tenn.

Tennessee (4-1, 2-1) rolled up 628 yards against Georgia, which had been the leading the conference in defense.

Freshman Jamal Lewis ran for 232 yards in 22 carries, the most ever by a Tennessee freshman.

Thus given adequate help by the rushing game for the first time all year, Peyton Manning completed 31 of 40 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns.

It was Tennessee’s seventh consecutive victory over Georgia (4-1, 2-1).

Mississippi State 24, Northeast Louisiana 10--Matt Wyatt came off the bench and threw two touchdown passes to lead the Bulldogs to victory at Starkville, Miss.

Mississippi State (4-2) trailed, 10-3, late in the third quarter when Wyatt, the lowest-rated starting quarterback in the SEC, replaced Rob Morgan. The Bulldogs scored on three of their next four possessions.

Northeast Louisiana (2-5), an NCAA Division I-A independent, is 0-5 against Division I-A teams.

Vanderbilt 17, Northern Illinois 7--Damian Allen passed for 175 yards and a touchdown but it took a 43-yard fumble return by Jay Stallworth with 3:37 left to ensure the nonconference victory for the Commodores (3-3) over the Huskies (0-6) at De Kalb, Ill.