Andrew Pinnock made the lead seemingly insurmountable when he rushed 10 yards for a touchdown, to put USC up 28–0, late in the third quarter.
Late in the third quarter, quarterback Steve Bellisari rushed 2 yards for a touchdown to put Ohio State on the board, 28–7.
Ohio State was driving again with 6 minutes left, when Belisari fumbled a snap at South Carolina's 23-yard line.
Steve Belisari threw a 22-yard pass to Michael Jenkins, and Jonathan Wells took a handoff 1 yard for a touchdown, bringing Ohio State to 28–21.
Daniel Weaver kicked the winning field goal for South Carolina as time expired, giving the Gamecocks a narrow 31–28 victory.