Top 25: Spurrier defeats Kentucky again

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Kentucky’s perfect start was spoiled by the one football coach who knows better than almost anyone how to humble the Wildcats.

South Carolina defensive end Eric Norwood tied an NCAA mark with two touchdowns on fumble returns and Steve Spurrier remained unbeaten against No. 8 Kentucky in the 11th-ranked Gamecocks’ 38-23 victory Thursday night.

This was supposed to be the Wildcats’ chance to prove themselves worthy league contenders and finally give the sharp-tongued Spurrier some long overdue payback.

While at Florida, Spurrier beat Kentucky 73-7 in 1994, then 65-0 two years later. Even this summer, Spurrier rankled Kentucky fans with his words: “We thought we did something big beating Clemson, then Kentucky beat them also.” The Wildcats defeated Clemson 28-20 in the Music City Bowl last December.

With both teams ranked for the first time when facing each other, Spurrier got the best of Kentucky for the 15th time – and has the Gamecocks (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) in the thick of the SEC Eastern Division race.

It was the poorest performance of the season for Kentucky (5-1, 1-1), which was held to half its SEC-leading average of 46.6 points a game.

Andre Woodson, the hero of the Wildcats’ surprising start, was pressured into several errors.

He fumbled after Jonathan Williams’ sack on Kentucky’s first series, and Norwood picked it up for a 2-yard TD return that put the Gamecocks ahead 7-0. Then tied at 10-all in the second quarter, Woodson drove Kentucky to the Gamecocks 9, but threw his second interception of the season to end the threat.