The Series: With the 20-7 victory, the Buccaneers ended a three-game losing streak against the Panthers, who lead the all-time series 12-8. Carolina and Tampa Bay will meet again this season at Raymond James Stadium on Nov. 14.
For Starters: Everette Brown started at defensive end for Tyler Brayton, who was out with an ankle injury. It marked Brown's second career start after starting once as a rookie in 2009. Rookie wide receiver David Gettis made his first NFL start, opening in place of Brandon LaFell, who was inactive with a hamstring injury. He posted his first career reception for 14 yards in the second quarter and finished with two catches for 18 yards.
Inactives: The following eight players were inactive for the Panthers: defensive end Tyler Brayton, wide receiver Armanti Edwards, wide receiver Brandon LaFell, defensive tackle Louis Leonard, tackle Jeff Otah, quarterback Tony Pike, linebacker Jordan Senn, and cornerback C.J. Wilson.
Smith Catches TD Record: Wide receiver Steve Smith scored on a 37-yard catch in the second quarter to tie the team record for the second-most consecutive games with a touchdown reception with five, previously accomplished twice - most recently by Muhsin Muhammad in 2004. He caught touchdowns in his final three games last year - at New England (12/13/09), versus Minnesota (12/20/09) and at the New York Giants (12/27/09) - before being placed on injured reserve (1/1/10) and began this season with a touchdown at the New York Giants (9/12/10). Patrick Jeffers holds the team record of six consecutive games with a touchdown reception in 1999.
Smith finished the game with a team-high 66 receiving yards on three catches. He leads the Panthers with eight receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns this season. Smith ranks first in team history with 60 total touchdowns [52 pass, 6 return, 2 run], 52 receiving touchdowns and 32 games with 100 or more receiving yards and stands second with 582 catches, 8,471 receiving yards, and 362 points scored.
Quarterbacks: Panthers quarterbacks combined to complete 13-of-29 passes for 184 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions to generate a 48.6 quarterback rating.
Matt Moore started and completed six-of-16 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown with one interception to produce a 60.7 quarterback rating. He also lost one fumble and was sacked four times. Moore has completed 20-of-49 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions this season.
Rookie Jimmy Clausen relieved Moore in the fourth quarter and completed seven-of-13 passes for 59 yards with one interception to generate a 33.8 quarterback rating. After throwing two incompletions in his debut at the New York Giants (9/12/10), he completed his first NFL pass for 10 yards to running back Mike Goodson.
Double Trouble: Running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined to rush for 97 yards on 25 attempts. Williams led the way with 54 yards on 16 carries and added three catches for 20 yards. He leads the Panthers with 116 yards on 33 attempts this season. Stewart gained 43 yards on eight carries and has totaled 55 yards on 13 attempts this season.
Takeaway/Giveaway: Carolina did not force any turnovers but turned it over three times on two interceptions and one fumble to finish with a minus-three turnover ratio. The three giveaways led to three points for Tampa Bay. The Panthers have a negative-four turnover ratio this season.
The Specialists: Kicker John Kasay connected on his only point after touchdown. He has been successful on all three of his field-goal attempts and perfect on both of his extra-point opportunities for 11 points this season. Kasay ranks seventh in NFL history with 411 made field goals and eighth with 1,742 points scored. He is the Panthers' all-time leader with 1,401 points scored and 329 field goals.
Punter Jason Baker generated a gross average of 41.0 yards and net average of 36.8 yards with two inside the 20, no touchbacks and long of 53 yards on five punts. His gross average fell to 42.0 yards and his net average improved to 36.7 yards with two punts inside the 20, no touchbacks, and long of 53 yards this season.
Kickoff specialist Rhys Lloyd placed one-of-two kickoffs in the end zone with one touchback, helping limit the Buccaneers to an average kickoff drive start of their own 23-yard line.
Claw Marks: The Panthers manufactured an 18-play, 78 yard-drive in the fourth quarter that ended when Stewart was stopped short of the end zone on fourth down. The 18 plays equaled the second most on a drive in team history, previously accomplished twice - most recently versus Indianapolis (10/28/07)...Tight end Dante Rosario tied for the team lead with three catches for 47 yards, two of which resulted in first downs. Of his 55 career receptions, 38 (69.1 percent) have yielded a first down or touchdown.
Bank of America Day: The Panthers want to thank fans who contributed to Bank of America's "Text to Donate" program, which raised money for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries.
!Fans entering the stadium received bookmarks with the Panthers' 2010 schedule on one side and information about the "Text to Donate" program on the other. Throughout the season, fans can continue to text READ to 27722, and a $10 donation will be added to their mobile phone bill.
Bank of America Day capped a week-long kickoff to a season-long fundraising effort between the Panthers and Bank of America to support the Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries, which have recently endured staff reductions, branch closings and reduced hours of operation because of the economy.
On Tuesday, the Panthers and Bank of America held a Book Swap at Founders Hall in uptown Charlotte. Reading enthusiasts brought a book they no longer needed, donated $5 and swapped the book for a different one. During the event, Bank of America made a $100,000 donation to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries.
To learn about additional ways to support the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, visit www.cmlibrary.org.
