Gamecock's Lattimore leads USC to SEC East title

The game had long been decided Saturday night as the final seconds fell off the clock, but Steve Spurrier was coaching until time expired. South Carolina’s sixth-year coach spent those last minutes orchestrating the celebration, tutoring his players on the proper way to hoist him onto their shoulders and carry him to midfield at The Swamp, site of so many of his previous triumphs. His players, he knows, are new to this. "We haven’t had many championships so we have to coach them up a little bit," Spurrier said. "But we didn’t talk about it obviously until the game was over."

The No. 22 Gamecocks can be forgiven for getting carried away. They had long since put away No. 24 Florida, 36-14, and had moved on to enjoying their first SEC East title.

"Me and some of my buddies thought we could come in and move the ball on them, but we had no idea it was going to come down like that," said senior captain Spencer Lanning, who hit field goals of 49, 47 and 41 yards. "It’s just a credit to coach Spurrier and all our coaches for getting us ready."

Not to mention Marcus Lattimore. The freshman tailback gained a career-high 212 yards and had three touchdowns on a school-record 40 carries, allowing the Gamecocks (7-3, 5-3 SEC) to play a punishing game of keepaway with the No. 24 Gators. Spurrier’s best bit of coaching this week and was not at the chalkboard.

"I saw Marcus Monday or Tuesday of this week and I said, ‘Have you got about 40 carries in you this weekend?’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir,’" Spurrier said. "That was the plan, and that’s how we beat them, running Marcus Lattimore and playing great defense."

By JOSH KENDALL