NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- There's something distinctly missing from the impressive run South Carolina has put together in nine-plus seasons under veteran coach Steve Spurrier.
Sure, the Gamecocks have posted three straight 11-win seasons and, as a result, finished with a final top 10 national ranking each year, both school bests, including last year's No. 4 final ranking. That might have been good enough to land in this year's semifinals playoff of four teams vying for the national title, but instead relegated South Carolina to yet another secondary bowl (and win over Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl) last January.
Just once have the Gamecocks won the Southeastern Conference's East Division and played in the league championship game. That 2010 SEC title game was a loss to eventual national champion Auburn, but it did put South Carolina on the path for its current three-year run of unprecedented program success.
Even with the blowout home loss to Texas A&M to open the season, South Carolina has regained control of its own destiny in winning a second SEC East title. The No. 14 Gamecocks followed last week's stirring 38-35 win over Georgia with a 48-34 road victory over stubborn Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
But after falling behind 14-0 to Vanderbilt (1-3) and leading by only one possession late in the game, Spurrier didn't want to hear anything about how the Gamecocks (3-1) are positioning themselves for a run at winning the SEC East and, ultimately, a shot at a first SEC championship.
"It's embarrassing," Spurrier said, "but we are who we are. We are not a very good team, but we are 3-1 somehow. And we've got all the (national poll) voters fooled thinking we're pretty good, I guess, because we beat Georgia. I don't know exactly what all can help this team. I really don't."
With the win, Spurrier became the second all-time winningest coach in SEC history, breaking a tie with former Georgia coach Vince Dooley with 202 league victories. He now trails only legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant's 292 SEC wins.
"The way we played is embarrassing," Spurrier said. "And I am the head coach of this embarrassing group of guys. ... It was discouraging, but it is what it is. We have to almost score a touchdown every time or we're going to get our butts beat somehow or another it seems like."
South Carolina gave up a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns to Commodores sophomore Darrius Sims, who became the 18th player in college football history to return two kickoffs in the same game for a touchdown. He returned the opening kickoff 91 yards and later raced 100 yards on a return to pull the Commodores within 24-21 early in the second half.
The Commodores stretched the early lead to 14-0 late in the first quarter. Sophomore quarterback Patton Robinette guided an eight-play, 60-yard drive capped off by an 8-yard scoring pass to redshirt freshman C.J. Duncan on a slant across the middle, but Robinette was apparently injured on the drive and replaced by true freshman Wade Freebeck the remainder of the game.
South Carolina, meanwhile, chipped away at the lead, scoring 17 unanswered points in the second quarter for a 17-14 lead by halftime they would never relinquish. That included senior cornerback Brison Williams returning an interception 53 yards with only 23 seconds remaining in the first half.
Gamecocks senior quarterback Dylan Thompson completed 22-of-34 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns, including 10 catches for 144 yards by sophomore wide receiver Pharoh Cooper. Junior tailback Mike Davis had 84 rushing yards on 17 carries.
"We can't play like that," Thompson said of the win. "We have got to sharpen up every facet of the game. We come in here, it was a sloppy game, hard to watch as a fan, I'm sure. But we did get the win. And you appreciate wins, especially road wins in the SEC, but we have to sharpen up."
Coupled with Florida's loss Saturday at Alabama, South Carolina (3-1, 2-1 in SEC) can take another step toward Atlanta and the SEC title game when it hosts defending East Division winner Missouri next Saturday. From there, the Gamecocks have four SEC games remaining, including three of the last four on the road at Kentucky (Oct. 4), Auburn (Oct. 25) and Florida (Nov. 25). South Carolina hosts Tennessee on Nov. 1 seeking revenge from last year's upset loss.
"We're virtually giving games away," said Spurrier, who guided Florida from 1990-2001 to one national championship and six SEC titles, but has yet to have that kind of breakthrough at South Carolina, despite taking the program to unprecedented heights.
"But we haven't given one away yet," he added. "Something good keeps happening for us. So, maybe we can avoid catastrophe, which we have come close to the last three games. Something good keeps happening for us somehow, but hopefully we can tighten up."
With the two kickoff returns, Vanderbilt made the game interesting, even with Freebeck having to be called into duty at quarterback. He completed 11-of-20 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown, while redshirt freshman running back Ralph Webb had a game-high 98 yards on 19 carries.
"It was our best overall game," said Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason, whose team got its first win last week over UMass after embarrassing home losses to Temple and Ole Miss to open the season. "We are a young, good football team with veterans leading the way. We need to tighten down what we do."
Mason did not comment after the game on Robinette's apparent injury or his status going forward.
"I don't know that right now," said Mason, whose Commodores play next Saturday at Kentucky. "I'll have a better idea (Sunday)."
