Smith directs Tigers to comeback victory

~ Missouri fell behind South Carolina 21-0 and rallied for a 38-31 victory.

SHREVEPORT, La. -- As Brad Smith goes, so goes Missouri.

South Carolina knew that and the game plan of keeping Smith in check worked great -- for a half, anyway.

Then, the Missouri quarterback broke loose, as he has done so often in his career, rushing for three touchdowns -- including a 1-yarder in the final minutes -- and passing for another to rally the Tigers for a 38-31 victory over the Gamecocks in the Independence Bowl on Friday.

"It wasn't anything magical," Smith said. "We just played within our system."

Smith, who rushed for 1,151 yards and passed for 2,022 this season, accounted for 431 yards of Missouri's 504 yards, and the Tigers staged their biggest comeback victory of the year.

Missouri (7-5) trailed 21-0 after the first quarter as Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks dominated the first half. South Carolina (7-5) outgained Missouri 312 yards to 174 in the first half and held the football almost 11 minutes longer (20:02 to 9:58)

"We knew he was an excellent quarterback," Spurrier said. "We had him hemmed in in the first half, but we weren't good enough to do it the whole game."

The Tigers didn't convert a third-down until the final 58 seconds of the half.

Smith completed 21 of 37 passes for 282 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He passed for 200 or more yards for the 18th time. He also ran for 150 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.

"I was trying to make too much," Smith said. "At the end of the second quarter, I was able to make something happen and get my timing down."

The Gamecocks needed less than 3 minutes to go 80 yards for their first score. Blake Mitchell's 23-yard pass to Sidney Rice put Carolina up 7-0.

Rice finished with 12 receptions for 191 yards.

Tony Temple fumbled on Missouri's first play and South Carolina's Ricardo Hurley scooped up the ball. Four plays later Mike Davis, who ran for 125 yards on 18 carries, scored on a 5-yard run for a 14-0 lead.

The Gamecocks' third scoring drive covered 69 yards in 1:59. This time Mitchell, who completed 20 of 38 passes for 266 yards, hit Carson Askins with a 20-yard scoring pass to make it 21-0.

Mitchell passed for two touchdowns, and was intercepted three times.

"Twenty-one-nothing is no safe lead for us," Spurrier said.

Marcus King gave Missouri its first points, grabbing Mitchell's pass at the goal line and returning it 99 yards to make it 21-7 in the second quarter.

After Davis' 2-yard TD run gave the Gamecocks a 28-7 lead, Missouri staged its first long drive of the game. The Tigers went 77 yards and Smith hit Chase Coffman with a 5-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-14 at halftime. Coffman finished with eight catches for 99 yards.

On their first drive of the third quarter, Missouri faked a field goal at the Carolina 14. Martin Rucker ran to the 1-yard line, but the Tigers couldn't push it in, and Adam Crossett's 22-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.

Smith pulled Missouri to 28-21 with a 31-yard run with 2:41 left in the third quarter.

Another apparent Missouri touchdown was nullified by a 15-yard tripping penalty. Smith finally got the score on a 4-yard run that tied the score at 28-28 early in the fourth quarter.

Crossett kicked a 50-yard field goal to put the Tigers up 31-28, but Josh Brown countered with a 30 yarder that tied it at 31-all.

Then, with 2:13 remaining, Smith sealed the Missouri win with a 1-yard TD run.

"It shows us no matter where we are or who we play, we can stay with them," Missouri safety David Overstreet said. "We spotted them 21 points. To go out and get the win is great for everyone's confidence."

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Independence Bowl

MISSOURI 38, SOUTH CAROLINA 31

South Carolina 21 7 0 3 -- 31

Missouri 0 14 7 17 -- 38

First Quarter

SC--S.Rice 23 pass from Mitchell (J.Brown kick), 12:07.

SC--Mi.Davis 5 run (J.Brown kick), 9:37.

SC--Askins 20 pass from Mitchell (J.Brown kick), 7:11.

Second Quarter

M--King 99 interception return (Crossett kick), 6:49.

SC--Mi.Davis 2 run (J.Brown kick), 4:28.

M--Coffman 5 pass from Bra.Smith (Crossett kick), :20.

Third Quarter

M--Bra.Smith 31 run (Crossett kick), 2:41.

Fourth Quarter

M--Bra.Smith 4 run (Crossett kick), 14:22.

M--FG Crossett 50, 10:14.

SC--FG J.Brown 30, 4:16.

M--Bra.Smith 1 run (Crossett kick), 2:13.

A--41,332.

SC Mo

First downs 21 21

Rushes-yards 32-142 40-203

Passing 266 301

Comp-Att-Int 20-38-3 23-43-1

Return Yards 29 103

Punts-Avg. 6-40.0 5-45.8

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1

Penalties-Yards 5-52 8-87

Time of Possession 31:19 28:41

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--South Carolina, Mi.Davis 18-125, Wallace 7-14, Heffner 2-8, Team 1-0, Mitchell 3-(minus 1), Clark 1-(minus 4). Missouri, Bra.Smith 21-150, Temple 11-29, Kincade 2-12, J.Jackson 4-7, Daniel 2-5.

PASSING--South Carolina, Mitchell 20-38-3-266. Missouri, Bra.Smith 21-37-1-282, Daniel 1-4-0-6, Ekwerekwu 1-2-0-13.

RECEIVING--South Carolina, S.Rice 12-191, Mi.Davis 3-11, Wallace 2-12, Clark 1-20, Askins 1-20, McKinley 1-12. Missouri, Coffman 8-99, Rucker 5-83, Franklin 3-56, Ekwerekwu 3-29, Temple 2-16, T.Saunders 1-10, J.Jackson 1-8.