'We Did It' South Carolina upsets Alabama;South Carolina upsets defending champion Alabama,

Published Oct. 11, 2010 10:04 p.m. ET

foxsports

COLUMBIA - What's a top-ranked football team with a famous coach who

specializes in pass defense to do?

At times Saturday, acrobatic Alshon Jeffery amazed even himself.

"I had some good catches, but the last one that I caught one-handed, I don't know how I caught it," South Carolina's sophomore wide receiver said Saturday after the Gamecocks' 35-21 upset of No. 1 Alabama. "I mean, just reached up there at the last minute and caught it."

The 45-yard circus grab down the right sideline was the dagger, with the 6-4, 233-pound St. Matthews native zipping by Alabama players and head coach Nick Saban. He set up South Carolina's final touchdown with a first down at the 6-yard line midway through the fourth quarter in one of many frenzied scenes at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Quarterback Stephen Garcia could not contain his excitement. He rushed over to Jeffery before the next snap.

"I love throwing to you," Garcia yelled over the crowd noise.

The total Jeffery damage: Seven catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns, one game after a 192-yard performance with two touchdowns at Auburn.

Saw it coming

If Jeffery isn't the best wide receiver in the Southeastern Conference, he is right behind Summerville High School graduate A.J. Green of Georgia.

"He just catches everything," Garcia said of his favorite target.

Jeffery in vintage Randy Moss form gave Alabama's unusually tall defensive backs fits all day, so there isn't a college team in the nation with enough talent to stop him consistently.

He scored on a 26-yard touchdown pass just over the outstretched hand of stellar strong safety Mark Barron in the first quarter.

And caught a 15-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Ho-hum, the guy wearing garnet jersey No. 1 calmly told anyone willing to listen this week that the No. 1 team was going down.

"You have to be confident about it," Jeffery said with a smile when it was over. "That's how I feel about my teammates."

Thinking long-term

Appreciation runs both ways.

"Oh, man, he does a phenomenal job and definitely opens up the running game," running back Brian Maddox said, "because everybody backs up and just leaves open space for us."

It works best when Jeffery gets involved early, as he did in tormenting Alabama in the first half. He figured in South Carolina's only turnover on an oddly tipped ball intercepted by Will Lowery early in the fourth quarter.

But after Alabama failed to take advantage (botched fake field goal play), Jeffery made them pay with the 45-yard reception Garcia dubbed "the game-changer."

"All we had to do was just keep on putting on the gas," Jeffery said.

Head coach Steve Spurrier liked Jeffery's performance so much he already was thinking long-term.

"Alshon's a tremendous player," Spurrier said. "It's always neat to see a guy like Alshon have success, (and) Stephon Gilmore and all these guys. They could have gone anywhere in the country but they chose to come here and play for their home state university. "Hopefully, a lot of other home state kids will want to come here and participate in this atmosphere we have here at Williams-Brice."

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com or 937-5593.