South Carolina notebook

COLUMBIA - South Carolina turned to its ground game to beat Florida on Saturday.

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The formula included former Washington-Wilkes star Daccus Turman, who scored on a pair of short touchdowns in the Gamecocks' 30-22 win.

"That feels good to be able to score two touchdowns,'' Turman said. "The offensive line made the holes. Mike (Davis) had a couple touchdowns. We had 28 points in the backfield.''

Turman only carried the ball six times for 31 yards, but he made the opportunities count. His first score came on a 1-yard plunge up the middle, and then his second score came on a fourth-down play from the Florida 3. He took the ball and scooted through a hole in the line for the touchdown.

"I think they knew we were coming at them,'' he said of the play. "The offensive line came at them real hard.''

After a solid sophomore season in 2003 (646 yards, seven touchdowns), Turman was seldom used by the Gamecocks last season. He was relegated to a supporting role with star running back Demetris Summers' arrival in Columbia.

But with Summers' dismissal from the team in the off-season, Turman has had a chance to shine this year.

"It's a real good feeling to be on a team that makes history,'' he said. "We haven't beaten Florida in a long time. Being a senior out here, it's just fun.''

The Gamecocks made it a goal to beat Steve Spurrier's former team, Turman said.

"We really wanted to win for coach Spurrier. It was one of our goals,'' he said.

"I think all the guys came out and we practiced hard and we had it in our minds we weren't going to be denied.''

BOWL OUTLOOK: South Carolina became bowl eligible with last week's win against Arkansas, and it didn't take long for bowl representatives to make their way to Columbia.

Officials from the Capital One, Outback, Independence, Peach and Music City bowls were in attendance for Saturday's game.

The Gamecocks last went to a bowl after the 2001 season, beating Ohio State, 31-28 in the Outback Bowl.

South Carolina was eligible for a bowl after the 2004 season, but school officials nixed any invitations after a nasty brawl against Clemson.

The Gamecocks' win over Florida left at least one bowl scout hoping to land South Carolina.

"The Gamecocks look awful good today,'' said Stuart Farb of the Capital One Bowl. "They're going to need a little bit of help with the formula that the SEC and Capital One Bowl has.''

The Capital One Bowl will be played Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla. The bowl pits an SEC team against a Big Ten school.

"The issue is, we pick right after the BCS. And in our formula we're supposed to take the team with the best record,'' Farb said. "However, there's an out, in that we can take a team with one less win.''

South Carolina has a reputation for bringing thousands of fans to its bowl games, a fact that wasn't lost on Farb.

"South Carolina has never been there. We're sort of licking our chops,'' he said. "We'd love to be able to offer them an invitation.''

Overall, South Carolina has been to 11 bowl games. After losing their first eight appearances, the Gamecocks have won three bowls in a row.

BIG RETURN: Chris Tucker's 48-yard interception return set up South Carolina's first touchdown against Florida.

As ESPN's Chris Berman might say, Tucker went rumblin', bumblin', stumblin' toward the goal line after Chris Leak's pass was knocked into the air by Dustin Lindsey. Tucker, a 6-1, 288-pound lineman from Decatur, Ga., carried the ball in one hand as he weaved his way down the sideline.

He was finally brought down by the Gators at the 5, and two plays later Davis scored his first touchdown of the day.

"I didn't think I could run that far, to tell the truth,'' Tucker said. "I ran out of breath.''

But he also got some coaching from his peers on how to hold the ball if he should get another chance to run with it.

"Some of the players said you'd better hold that ball,'' he said. "I didn't even know I was doing it. I was happy I caught the ball.''