South Carolina finally subdues Wofford

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- It wasn't as easy as most people expected, but No. 9 South Carolina can still finish the regular season 10-2 for the second consecutive year after the Gamecocks beat Wofford, 24-7, on Saturday in their home finale.

Coach Steve Spurrier collected his 64th victory in eight seasons with the Gamecocks, tying Rex Enright for the school record. Enright needed 15 seasons (1938-42 and 1946-55) to go 64-69-7. Spurrier is 64-37.

"I hadn't thought about this one too much," Spurrier said of tying the record. "The next one I think will be a little bigger. I'm just tied right now. Ties are whatever. But the next one will be maybe a little bit more special."

South Carolina finished the season 7-0 at home, its first undefeated home record since 1987, when it also went 7-0. The Gamecocks (9-2) will finish the regular season next Saturday at Clemson.

The Gamecocks went up, 10-7, with 11:57 left in the game on a 23-yard field goal by Adam Yates, which capped a 15-play, 68-yard drive that followed Wofford's second lost fumble of the game.

The Terriers had gone 68 yards in 15 plays, and used 8:40 on the clock, before running back Octavious Harden had the ball popped out by free safety D.J. Swearinger at the South Carolina 25 with 3:33 left in the third quarter.

Wofford couldn't answer South Carolina's field goal, and went four plays and out. The Gamecocks stopped Wofford's powerful fullback, Eric Breitenstein, for no gain on fourth-and-one at Wofford's 34-yard-line.

The Gamecocks then needed only five plays to score a touchdown, on an eight-yard pass from Connor Shaw to Ace Sanders, to take a 17-7 lead with 8:10 left.

South Carolina sealed the deal on a 31-yard fumble return for a touchdown by cornerback Akeem Auguste with 7:33 left.

The Gamecocks were sloppy in the first half, which finished in a 7-7 tie.

On their first possession, the Gamecocks drove 39 yards to Wofford's 33 before Shaw threw an interception.

On their third possession, they drove 79 yards to Wofford's six-yard-line, but true freshman tailback Mike Davis lost a fumble at the end of a 16-yard run.

Davis and Kenny Miles were in their second game as the replacements for Marcus Lattimore, who is out for the season because of a right knee injury.

Miles led South Carolina in the first half with 12 carries for 74 yards and a two-yard touchdown. Miles finished with 27 carries for 127 yards, both career highs.

"I picked my feet up, number one," Miles said. "I felt like I got a lot of yards after contact, which I thought I needed to do better. I felt like I was a little more patient reading my blocks."

Davis didn't carry after his fumble until the final snap of the game.

Wofford took advantage of South Carolina's mistakes by going 85 yards for a touchdown on its final possession of the first half to tie the game. Breitenstein got the touchdown on a two-yard run.

Breitenstein, who is the heart of Wofford's option offense, had 15 carries for 68 yards in the first half and finished with 28 carries for 125 yards.

"I thought we played really well," Breitenstein said. "Shooting yourselves in the foot, you can't turn the ball over, and that's on me, too."

If the Gamecocks beat Clemson and win their bowl game, they will tie last season's program-best 11-2 record. South Carolina already has tied its best Southeastern Conference record at 6-2, which was its record last season.

Before last season, South Carolina had never won 10 games in the regular season.

Wofford, which finished its regular season 8-3, went 6-2 in the Southern Conference, tying for the league's championship. The Terriers almost certainly will receive a bid to the Championship Subdivision playoffs when the pairings are announced on Sunday.

"Turnovers got us today," Wofford coach Mike Ayers said.

NOTES: Coach Steve Spurrier is 47-0 in his career against schools from outside the six major conferences, including 21-0 at South Carolina. ... South Carolina has won 15 straight non-conference games since a loss to Clemson in 2008. ... South Carolina has an 11-game home winning streak, the third-longest in school history. The Gamecocks won 13 straight at home from 1986-88 and 15 straight from 1978-80. ... South Carolina is 25-3 at home since the beginning of the 2009 season. ... Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina sat out the game because of a nagging right foot injury that has bothered him since the Sept. 29 game at Kentucky.