COLUMBIA, S.C., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Stephen Garcia's scoring pass gave South Carolina a 13-point lead in the third quarter Thursday and the Gamecocks held on to shock No. 5 Mississippi 16-10.
South Carolina defeated a team ranked in the Top 5 for only the second time in school history and ended Mississippi's hopes of starting a season 3-0 for the first time in 20 years.
The Gamecocks improved to 3-1 for the year and to 1-1 in Southeastern Conference action. Mississippi had opened its season with wins over Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana and was playing its first conference game.
Spencer Lanning kicked field goals of 26, 20 and 30 yards to give South Carolina a 9-3 lead and Garcia boosted the advantage by hitting Patrick DiMarco with a 2-yard pass with 6:57 to play in the third quarter.
Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead led an 8-play, 83-yard march in the fourth period that resulted in a 45-yard throw to Markeith Summers -- cutting the deficit to six points.
The Rebels took over again at their own 39 with 4:03 to play and moved to a first down at the South Carolina 32. The Gamecocks then came up with a series of key defensive plays, including a sack of Snead by Cliff Matthews on 3rd-and-12. An incomplete pass on fourth down ended Mississippi's hopes.
Snead was limited to 7-of-21 passing for just 107 yards. Garcia was 16-of-34 for 220 yards.
