Field Level Media
Oct 17, 2020
Jaycee Horn intercepted two passes that led to touchdowns and South Carolina made a fourth-down stop on the final play for a 30-22 win over visiting No. 15 Auburn on Saturday, the Gamecocks' first-ever SEC victory over the Tigers.
Auburn faced fourth-and-5 from the 12 with nine seconds to go, but quarterback Bo Nix's scramble came up short as time expired.
Horn, who also tipped a pass that led to another interception, stepped in front of a sideline pass from Nix late in the third quarter, returning it 34 yards to the 8. Kevin Harris ran for a touchdown on the next play for a 27-19 lead. South Carolina (2-2, 2-2 SEC) hadn't defeated Auburn (2-2, 2-2) since 1933 and had been winless in eight conference meetings.
Nix, who ran for 69 yards, was intercepted three times, all leading to touchdowns. He finished 24-of-47 passing for 272 yards with one touchdown.
South Carolina's Collin Hill was 15 of 24 for 144 yards, with an interception and a 10-yard score to a leaping Shi Smith that provided a 20-19 lead midway through the third quarter.
Auburn true freshman Tank Bigsby rushed 16 times for 111 yards, his second consecutive triple-digit effort. The Tigers held a 481-297 edge in total yards.
Auburn led 16-14 at halftime but was trailing 20-19 when Horn, a junior and third-year starter who entered with no career interceptions, grabbed his second pick of the game.
The Tigers leaned on their passing game early, with Nix completing 10 of 17 passes for 108 yards in the first quarter. He hit Eli Stove on an 11-yard slant with 4:33 to go in the quarter for a 9-0 lead. A two-point conversion failed.
The game began to turn on the first play of the second quarter as Nix, on the run, threw into traffic and was intercepted by Horn at the Auburn 29. Five plays later, Harris stretched across the goal line on a 3-yard run to cut the deficit to 9-7.
Auburn responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive, but another South Carolina interception -- this one by Jaylin Dickerson after a deflection by Horn -- set up a 49-yard drive, capped by Hill's 1-yard sneak to make the score 16-14 with 35 seconds left before the break.
--Field Level Media