October 10, 1998
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky coach Hal Mumme unexpectedly leavened his”Air Raid” offense with an old-fashioned ground attack and the Wildcats wontheir first Southeastern Conference game of the season, 33-28 over SouthCarolina on Saturday.
The balanced attack made halfback Anthony White into a double threat. Thejunior had 108 rushing yards on 18 attempts and 117 receiving yards on eightcatches.
The loss was the fifth straight for the Gamecocks (1-5 overall, 0-4 SEC).Coach Brad Scott went back and forth between starting quarterback AnthonyWright and backup Phil Petty with some success, but the Gamecocks were unableto catch Kentucky (4-2, 1-2) in the second half.
The game was delayed 10 minutes early in the fourth quarter by a neck injuryto South Carolina defensive end John Abraham. The junior was injured when hetook a helmet between the shoulder blades from Kentucky center Jason Watts ashe rushed Wildcats quarterback Tim Couch on a fourth-down play.
Abraham was removed from the field on a stretcher and taken to theUniversity of Kentucky Medical Center for X-rays. There was no immediate wordon his condition.
South Carolina trailed just 24-21 with 10 minutes left, but Couch extendedthe lead by capping a seven-play, 78-yard drive with a 29-yard scoring pass toKevin Coleman.
In his sixth 300-yard game this season, Couch was 29-of-42 for 315 yards andthree touchdowns.
Kentucky padded its lead on South Carolina’s next series when Wildcatslinebacker Marlon McCree tackled Petty in the end zone for a safety and a 33-21lead.
Petty led the Gamecocks downfield in the closing minutes, throwing a 13-yardtouchdown pass to Jermale Kelly with 56 seconds left. But the Gamecocks touchedthe onside kick attempt before it had gone 10 yards and Kentucky ran out theclock.
Mumme had complained about Kentucky’s run blocking after last week’s 27-20loss to Arkansas, when the Wildcats had just nine rushing yards. He had linecoach Guy Morriss spend the week going back to basics with the offensivelinemen, running simple blocking drills designed to emphasize technique.
Mumme, known for a wide-open passing attack, then scripted his most balancedattack of the season.
Kentucky made its intentions clear on its first offensive play, when Couchfaked a handoff to Derek Homer, then handed the ball to McCord on a reverse.The wide receiver sped around the left side and down the sideline for a 7-0lead.
Mumme has said in the past that running the ball is the Wildcats’ thirdpriority – after throwing short and throwing long. But the Wildcats finishedwith 210 yards on the ground, their most since getting 230 in a season-opening68-34 victory over Louisville.
South Carolina stayed close in the first half with big plays – a 70-yardfirst-quarter run by tailback Troy Hambrick and a 62-yard catch-and-run midwaythrough the second quarter by tailback Boo Williams that gave the Gamecocks a14-7 lead.
