COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Mason Zandi was grateful his South Carolina teammates dug when it wouldve been easy to give in. The result has the Gamecocks back in the postseason after missing out last season.The Gamecocks (6-5) won for the fourth time in the past five games to become bowl eligible with a 44-31 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday night. Zandi always believed, even with his team at 2-4 and facing several big challenges, South Carolina would succeed.We came together as a team. Nobody points fingers at each other. Nobody says, `Oh, woe is me, Zandi, the left tackle, said. Im incredibly proud to play next to these people.And Zandi, a fifth-year senior, will have one additional game to savor.Deebo Samuel scored three touchdowns, including a 100-yard kickoff return, while Rico Dowdle ran for 226 yards and two scores in South Carolinas win.Samuel, the sophomore receiver, made his mark in the running game with a pair of 2-yard TD runs and with his dazzling return on a first-quarter kickoff as the Gamecocks (6-5) doubled their win total from a year ago.This is a huge relief for us, Zandi said. Its even bigger for the program moving forward.The Catamounts (2-9) of the FCS Southern Conference kept denting the Gamecocks defense and were within 41-31 after Detrez Newsomes 93-yard kickoff return touchdown with 9:13 to go.But South Carolina was able to hold on and avoid the embarrassment of a second straight FCS defeat after falling to Citadel 23-22 in their 3-9 season last fall.At the end of the day, we needed to get to a bowl game, first-year South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said . It was really important with where we were after our first games.Freshman tailback Dowdle had a 43-yard touchdown run on South Carolinas opening series, then a 1-yard TD rush on the teams next series. He has rushed for over 100 yards in three of the past four games.Dowdles total yards were the most since Gamecocks great Marcus Lattimore gained 246 in a win over Navy in 2011.A.J. Turner added 97 yards rushing for South Carolina, which ran for 422 yards, its highest total since gaining 352 yards rushing against Coastal Carolina in 2013.Western Carolina fell to 0-52 against Football Bowl Subdivision teams and 0-19 all-time against Southeastern Conference opponents.THE TAKEAWAYDespite an early flourish, Western Carolina was overrun by its quicker, stronger FBS opponent. But the FCS school, which received $400,000 to come to South Carolina, has several FBS teams on upcoming schedules. Next year, the Catamounts play Hawaii and North Carolina. In 2018, its the Tar Heels again before facing North Carolina State in 2019.South Carolina is still getting its feet wet under new coach Will Muschamp. Where more advanced SEC teams mightve run from the Catamounts at the start, the young Gamecocks needed some time to get going before securing the win. Thats a big reason the coach wanted his team to qualify for the bowl -- the extra weeks of prep, planning, film study and practice the postseason gives his building program.FCS BACKERWestern Carolina coach Mark Speir said he hears all the time that SEC teams should not take on FCS teams like the Catamounts. This was a great game, said Speir, whose team scored more points on the Gamecocks than any other this season. I think the fans had a great time. Thirty-three of our players got a scholarship to come to Western Carolina because South Carolina gave us the opportunity to come down here and play.SAMUELS SWEEPReceiver Deebo Samuel has been an effective scorer for South Carolina near the goal line. He had two touchdowns near the goal line, running a patented jet-sweep play. That jet sweep has been money for us, Samuel said, smiling.How long did it take Muschamp and the offensive staff to know Samuel could be effective in the red zone? After about the third day of spring practice, Muschamp said.UP NEXTWestern Carolinas season is finished.South Carolina plays at Clemson on Saturday, trying to end a two-game losing streak to its rival. Air Jordan 11 Cheap Online . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Air Jordan 11 Uk Salehttp://www.cheapairjordan11uk.com/ . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Cheap Jordan 11 Uk . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Air Jordan Retro 11 Wholesale . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. KINGMAN, Ariz. -- Four people died when their van turned left at a highway intersection in northwestern Arizona and collided with a bus carrying staffers but no players of the Dallas Cowboys football team, authorities said Monday.The vehicles heading in opposite directions Sunday on the main route between Las Vegas and Phoenix crashed as the van turned across U.S. 93 and onto a road, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.DPS spokesman Quentin Mehr said three females and one male in the van died, but he didnt release their ages or names pending notification of relatives.Nobody on the Cowboys bus was seriously injured, and the team said no players were on board. The group was headed for Las Vegas for a planned stop on a pre-season promotional tour.All on the bus came through OK with some bumps and bruises, Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said in an email.Additional information on the crash about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Kingman was not immediately available. The bus was seemingly intact and sitting upright in a field afterward, while the van appeared reduced to wreckage.Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called the loss of life tragic.We as an organization are deeply saddened, and our thoughts, prayers and concerns at this time are with the family members and loved ones of all who were lost, he said in a statement issued by the team.ddddddddddddMickey Spagnola, a columnist for the teams website, has been writing for the past week about traveling on a Cowboys bus with a driver, the team mascot and videographer. On his Twitter page, Spagnola tweeted before 2 p.m. Sunday that the bus was 80 miles (129 kilometers) outside Vegas.The bus was on its way to a Cowboys event with 50 to 75 fans set for the afternoon, said Charles Cooper, manager of GameWorks entertainment center in Vegas.People were waiting when the president of a local Cowboys fan club called about the accident. The event, which was supposed to feature the team mascot, was canceled, Cooper said.After the Las Vegas stop, the bus was scheduled to go to Oxnard, California, for the teams training camp. Members of the organization typically take a bus two weeks before camp starts and make stops along the way. ' ' '