Vanderbilt Stuns South Carolina, Goes 2-0

The South Carolina Gamecocks weren't going to stay in the Top 25 for long, at least if the Vanderbilt Commodores had anything to say about it. Unlike last week, where quarterback Chris Nickson ran for a career-high 166 yards against Miami of Ohio, the Commodores used a balanced run-pass attack to overcome a 10-3 halftime deficit, scoring 17 unanswered points to defeat the Gamecocks, 24-17. The stout Vandy D held the Gamecocks scoreless for 26 minutes in the second half, but tired out late to make the game close. After Chris Smelley was spot-on on the final couple of drives, leading the Gamecock charge, the Commodore defense held the Gamecocks on the last drive to turn the ball back over to Nickson and Co. The real hero of tonight's game was Jared Hawkins, who ran for 84 yards and secured the victory for Vanderbilt by scampering for a first-down with under a minute to play. Virtually, no one thought Vandy would win this game, but it shows that in the SEC there are surprises each and every ... (link)