SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Stephon Gilmore and Walter Canty turned South Carolina's offense into a beast, leading their squad to 21 unanswered second-half points and a 24-16 victory over North Carolina in the 72nd annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas on Saturday.

Canty, who was named South Carolina's defensive MVP, also did a turn on offense and started the comeback with a 9-yard TD run out of the "beast" formation with 7:06 to play in the third quarter.

The formation had Canty (and Gilmore at times) lined up in the shotgun formation at quarterback with three blockers offset in a row to the right side of the offense line. The Sandlappers only used the formation maybe a dozen times but each time, it produced positive yardage while always running right.

"Coach [Mickey] Crocker [of Greenville Mann High] used it this season and we put it in," said South Carolina head coach Ted Lockadoo of Anderson Westside High. "I think all of us coaches will try to use it with our teams next year. Of course, we won't have the type of players we had to run it here."

And just as South Carolina started to find its offensive touch, North Carolina lost its. The Tarheels had a net loss of two offensive yards in the third quarter and ran just nine plays from scrimmage.

North Carolina had a chance to add to its lead after South Carolina fumbled on the Sandlappers' opening drive of the second half. But a couple of penalties and a sack took the Tarheels out of field goal range.

"The game kind of turned against us at that point in the third quarter," said North Carolina head coach Gary Fowler of Clayton. "If we could have got in there and just gotten three points, we'd have been up by three scores.

"But then South Carolina got better offensively and we missed a few tackles in key spots."

South Carolina reclaimed the lead - at 17-16 - on the first play of the fourth quarter when Jarrett Neely scored on a 13-yard end around run.

North Carolina couldn't move the ball on its next two drives but had just crossed midfield into Sandlapper territory when South Carolina cornerback Jerrodd Williams stepped in front a slant pass and raced away on a 59-yard return for a touchdown to run the lead to 24-16 with 5:19 to play.

North Carolina couldn't move the ball again on its next drive and was forced to quickly punt.

That's when Canty went to work out of the beast formation, breaking off a 29-yard run into Tarheel territory to start the drive. Gilmore hopped in the same spot on the next play for an 11-yard run and the Sandlappers were able to run out the clock.

The victory boosts South Carolina's lead in the all-time series to 40-28-4.

Gilmore, the South's offensive MVP, finished with 117 yards rushing on 18 carries, while Canty had 63 in his limited offensive work.

Chapel Hill standout Jared McAdoo led North Carolina in tackles with nine. Included in his afternoon were two tackles for losses and a sack.

"I just tried to give it my all every play," said McAdoo. "I did everything I could but it just wasn't enough. We just killed ourselves with mistakes and penalties in the second half; we just couldn't get anything good to happen."

North Carolina's roster also included Triangle-area standouts Kevin Fogg of Apex, Corey Gattis of Hillside, Taylor Hansen of Wake Forest-Rolesville, Tyler Howle of Bunn, Perry Simmons of Sanderson and Kendrick Wiggins of Southern Durham. Green Hope head coach Bob Blick was an assistant coach on the N.C. staff.

Spencer Shuey, who played more than half the game with a broken hand, was the North's defensive MVP. He finished with eight tackles.

North Carolina got a gift three-point lead early when South Carolina fumbled on the game's opening play. Richmond County's Justin Brewington covered the ball for the Tarheels, setting up a 29-yard field goal by Greensboro Page's Matt Millisor.

South Carolina pulled even with a 44-yard field goal by Grant Clayton on the opening play of the second quarter but ended up putting points on the board for North Carolina on its next field goal attempt.

The snap on the 38-yard attempt skidded low and by the holder. Before Clayton could cover the bouncing ball, South Stanly defensive back Terry Shankle scooped the ball up and raced away on a 59-yard fumble return for the game's first TD. The Tarheels' own snap problems prevented the lead from growing and North led 9-3 with 11:30 to play in the first half.

Both teams totaled four turnovers in the contest.

North Carolina quarterback Desmond Lowery added to his team's lead with a 54-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw for a 16-3 lead that held up until halftime. Lowery, of South Point High, joined the team late Monday afternoon after Fayetteville Britt quarterback Everett Proctor was ruled out because of a hamstring injury. Lowery finished with a team-high 75 yards rushing and was named the Tarheels' offensive MVP.

The Sandlappers did move the ball to the 5-yard line in the closing minutes of the first half but a penalty and McAdoo's sack pushed South Carolina back to the 21-yard line. That's where Clayton's kick from 38 yards sailed wide.