Garcia, Gamecocks go prime time

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia was bumped, bruised and delighted as the clock approached midnight Thursday, the victory yells still piercing the night around Williams-Brice Stadium.

Asked where the Gamecocks' 16-10 victory over fourth-ranked Misssisippi ranked on the list of South Carolina's most significant football victories, Garcia said, "(It's) probably the biggest win in forever but I don't know all the history. It's the biggest since I've been here by far."

Garcia, a redshirt sophomore, is in his third year at South Carolina so it's fair to say his perspective is rather narrow.

But it was a significant win for a program that needed one. On national television, the Gamecocks shut down Mississippi and quarterback Jevan Snead with a defensive performance that was relentless. Less than two weeks ago, the Gamecocks couldn't stop Georgia and quarterback Joe Cox when they needed to but they put the clamps on Snead.

It was only the second win over a top-five team in the school's history, a fact not lost on Garcia.

"It's huge," he said, nursing sore ribs from having a helmet stuck into them on a quarterback sneak.
"It's the No. 4 team in the country. It was pretty ugly but it was a win and we'll take it."
-- Ron Green Jr.