1995 Carquest Cup
The one thousand nine hundred ninety four Gamecocks etched their names forever in the school’s football record books by winning the very first cup game in school history with a stirring 24-21 win over West Virginia at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami.
Carolina took advantage of an early West Virginia fumble on the game’s very first play from scrimmage. Steve Taneyhill’s two-yard touchdown pass to taut end Boomer Foster with 12:34 remaining in the very first quarter staked USC to an early lead that it never relinquished.
The lead grew to 10-0 in the 2nd period when Reed Morton was successful on a 47-yard field purpose – the longest in both the Carquest Cup and Carolina’s cup history. The Mountaineers then marched sixty seven yards on five plays, with tailback Robert Walker running it in from twenty four yards out to make the score 10-7.
Carolina retaliated with a 66-yard, 13-play drive of its own. Taneyhill, the game’s MVP, avoided the sack and ran four yards for the score, leaping into the end zone with Two:36 to play in the half to give the Gamecocks a 17-7 halftime lead.
West Virginia scored on its very first possession of the 2nd half. After a Carolina punt, the Mountaineers began to drive again. On third-and-14 from the USC 29, Gamecock free safety Ben Washington made the defensive play of the day when he picked off Chad Johnston’s pass at the nine and returned it forty two yards. Seven plays later, Stanley Pritchett dove into the end zone and USC led 24-14.
WVU’s Johnston found taut end Lovett Purnell for a 2nd touchdown, and the third quarter concluded with Carolina clinging to a 24-21 lead.
WVU threatened late in the fourth quarter before being held on downs with Trio:52 left. While attempting to run out the clock, Carolina’s Stanley Pritchett broke free and was heading in for a score when Aaron Beasley came from behind and stripped the ball. Following a mad scramble, WVU took possession at its own three with 1:14 left. However, two incompletions and a sack were all the Mountaineers could muster.
Scoring Summary
USC Foster 2-yard pass from Taneyhill (Morton kick); (6 plays, thirty five yards, TOP Two:16); 12:34
USC Morton 47-yard field objective (7 plays, forty yards, TOP Two:07); 12:34
WVU Walker 24-yard run (Baumann kick) (Five plays, sixty seven yards, TOP Two:44); 9:50
USC Taneyhill 4-yard run (Morton kick) (13 plays, sixty six yards, TOP 7:14); Two:36
WVU Purnell 6-yard pass from Johnston (Baumann kick) (Four plays, forty five yards, TOP Two:08); 11:09
USC Pritchett 1-yard run (Morton kick) (7 plays, forty nine yards, TOP Three:15); Two:40
WVU Purnell 7-yard pass from Johnston (Baumann kick) (7 plays, seventy yards, TOP 1:56); 0:34
