Greene leads Iowa past South Carolina in Outback

[January 02, 2009]  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- All-American running back Shonn Greene figures he's ready for the next level. After leading Iowa over South Carolina 31-10 Thursday in the Outback Bowl, the Big Ten's most valuable player said he'll skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft. "I don't think there's really a lot more I can do here," Greene said. "People talk about the Heisman, but I think that's a lot of politics. I don't like getting caught up in all of that, so I just figure I'll try my chances."

Greene ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for more than 100 yards in all 13 of Iowa's games and scored in all but one.

Greene finished with school single-season records of 1,850 yards and 20 TDs, after sitting out the 2007 season because of academic problems,

The 235-pound junior from Sicklerville, N.J., said this week that he planned to meet with his family and consider information from the NFL college advisory committee before making a decision this month on whether to turn pro.

His Outback performance sealed the deal.

Iowa (9-4) won for the sixth time in seven games since losing three straight to fall to 3-3. South Carolina (7-6) lost three straight down the stretch while being outscored 118-30.

Greene scored on a pair of 1-yard runs to help Iowa build a 21-0 halftime lead, then added an 11-yarder to make it 31-0 late in the third quarter. South Carolina scored on Chris Smelley's 10-yard TD pass to Jared Cook and Ryan Succop's 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

After struggling offensively in lopsided losses to Florida and Clemson, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier decided to start quarterback Stephen Garcia, a highly regarded redshirt freshman from Tampa who was the centerpiece of his recruiting class in 2007.

But Garcia, who nearly undermined his career by being arrested twice within his first month on campus, turned the ball over four times in the first half and was replaced by Smelley after going 9-for-18 for 79 yards and three interceptions.

The 20-year-old's homecoming turned sour in a hurry. His first pass was intercepted and returned 29 yards set up an Iowa touchdown, then the dual-threat quarterback fumbled on his first run to give the Gamecocks turnovers on two of their first four offensive plays.

The next two South Carolina possessions ended with interceptions. After Bradley Fletcher picked off Garcia in the end zone, Iowa drove 80 yards to take a 21-0 lead on Greene's second touchdown.

Ricky Stanzi was intercepted twice before halftime, but neither mistake really hurt the Hawkeyes. Iowa was trying to turn's Garcia's third interception into a quick TD when South Carolina's Chris Culliver made a leaping pick in the end zone.

Smelley, who started nine games for South Carolina this season, replaced Garcia at the start of the second half. Moe Brown fumbled on the quarterback's first completion to set up an Iowa field goal, but the Gamecocks did have some success moving the ball the rest of the game.

Stanzi was 13-for-19 for 147 yards, including a 6-yard TD throw to Trey Stross on the first drive of the game. Smelley finished 16-of-31 for 179 yards and no interceptions.

[Associated Press; By FRED GOODALL]

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