Notebook: Moody makes impact before injury

COLUMBIA, S.C. — For a brief moment during the second quarter, it appeared that Emmanuel Moody didn't know where he was. Florida's junior running back had just taken an option pitch from quarterback Tim Tebow and wiggled past a South Carolina defender at the tail end of his 17-yard touchdown to give the Gators a 10-point lead, but when he reached the back of the end zone Moody didn't know how to react to his first touchdown of the season. There was no spike. No jumping. Nothing exciting. Moody simply lifted the ball into the air with his hand before getting bombarded by teammates. He should have been overjoyed because the play wasn't originally meant for him. Coach Urban Meyer said it was intended to go to tight end Aaron Hernandez on a shovel pass, but when he was covered by the Gamecocks' blitz, Tebow pitched it to Moody. "We called that same play about six times," Meyer said. That time it worked in Moody's favor, whose score with a little more than 10 minutes to play in the first half was only the second touchdown he's had with the Gators. His first came off a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter against The Citadel last year. "I looked at him in amazement," offensive lineman Xavier Nixon said of Moody's touchdown. "I looked at him, looked at my teammates and then looked at the crowd and I took it all in and tried to enjoy myself." Moody finished the night with three carries for 35 yards before leaving midway through the third quarter with a sprained ankle. <b>Nixon starts</b> Freshman offensive lineman Xavier Nixon started at left tackle Saturday. With Nixon at tackle, junior Carl Johnson moved inside to left guard. <b>Tebow No. 1</b> Tebow's 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was his 53rd rushing score of his career, tying him with LSU running back Kevin Faulk (from 1995-98) for the most rushing/receiving touchdowns in the SEC. Two weeks ago, Tebow passed Georgia great Herschel Walker to set the SEC mark for career rushing touchdowns with 50 in the win over the Bulldogs. <b>Sanders injury</b> Junior defensive lineman Terron Sanders was taken out in the second half because of a back injury he suffered earlier this week, Meyer said. <b>Wounded Warrior Project</b> The Gamecocks honored American troops Saturday by wearing specially designed black-and-desert camouflage uniforms featuring the Wounded Warrior Project logo. The players' names were replaced on their backs by core value embellishment — Duty, Honor, Courage, Commitment, Integrity, Country and Service. The Wounded Warrior Project serves as a program to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service members. Corporal Steven Diaz, Tech. Sgt. Michael G. Williams and Staff Sgt. Dan Nevins served as South Carolina's honorary team captains. A select number of game jerseys will be auctioned off on the university Web site, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. <b>Etc.</b> Saturday's attendance was 79,297. ... With the win, Florida extended its winning streak to 20 games — the longest in the nation, the longest in school history and the best in the SEC in the past 15 years. In those 20 games, they’ve won 19 by double-digit margins. ... The Gators have also won 12 straight against Eastern Division teams. ... Meyer is first all-time in winning percentage in conference games at .800 (32-8). ... Florida's defense collected a season-high six sacks. ... USC coach Steve Spurrier is now 1-4 all-time against his alma mater. ... Saturday marked the 30th meeting between the schools. UF leads the series 23-4-3. ... USC sophomore defensive lineman Melvin Ingram made his first-career start, and senior safety Darian Stewart started over freshman DeVonte Holloman. ... Sophomore kicker Caleb Sturgis entered Saturday's game 2-for-2 from 50 or more yards (including a long of 56), but missed kicks from 52, 54 and 29 against the Gamecocks. ... Brandon James' 49-yard punt return in the third quarter was his longest of the season. ... Saturday was the 21st game since 2005 in which the Gators did not turn the ball over.