NCAA Top 10 Capsule

(11) SOUTH CAROLINA 38, (8) KENTUCKY 23 ------------------------------------
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Ticker) -- Some things have changed this season in college football. Other things, like Steve Spurrier beating Kentucky, remain the same. Defensive end Eric Norwood returned a pair of fumbles for touchdowns and Chris Smelley threw two touchdown passes as No. 11 South Carolina handed the eighth-ranked Wildcats their first loss of the season, 38-23, on Thursday night.

South Carolina (5-1, 3-1 East) has now won eight in a row over Kentucky, but that is well short of Spurrier's streak. "The ol' ballcoach" improved to 15-0 against Kentucky, the last three wins coming with South Carolina. Kentucky (5-1, 1-1 SEC East) was one of the early surprises of the season. Led by quarterback Andre' Woodson, the Wildcats entered Thursday as the only undefeated team in the rugged SEC East. But they left the contest as they always do when they meet Spurrier - with a loss.

Norwood opened the scoring just under four minutes in. Woodson was sacked by Jonathan Williams and coughed up the ball. Norwood pounced on it and rolled into the end zone to make it 7-0. South Carolina led 17-10 at the half and extended the lead to two touchdowns after another miscue by Woodson early in the third quarter. Under pressure and about to be sacked, Woodson tried to dump the ball off in the flat but threw behind his intended receiver. Norwood scooped up the loose ball, ruled a lateral, and raced 53 yards for a TD with 13:17 left in the third to make it 24-10.

The Wildcats pulled within 31-23 with 7:03 to play in the fourth, but Smelley put the finishing touches on the win on the Gamecocks' next possession when he threw a 27-yard TD pass to Cory Boyd with 3:38 remaining. Smelley completed 17-of-30 passes for 256 yards. Woodson was 23-of-40 for 226 yards. He threw two TD passes but was sacked four times and intercepted once.