COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ East Carolina's history at South Carolina proved greater than Lou Holtz's.

David Garrard ran for a touchdown and passed for another as East Carolina ruined Holtz's home debut Saturday night with a 21-3 win over the Gamecocks.

East Carolina won for the fourth time in five trips to Williams-Brice Stadium this decade. South Carolina (0-3) has lost 13 straight, the country's second-longest streak behind Kent's 16 in a row.

Holtz hadn't opened with three losses since his second year as coach, in 1970 at William & Mary. He hadn't lost three in a row since 1987 at Notre Dame, when his team closed the year with losses to Penn State, Miami and Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.

Gamecocks fans had waited for Holtz to walk their sidelines since he accepted the job last December. But it was Garrard and runner Jamie Wilson, who gained 145 yards, who felt most at home.

Garrard had a 27-yard run and converted a 4th-and-13 play on a first-half drive, but fumbled while crossing the goal line. He didn't make the same mistake in the third quarter, scoring from 5 yards out to put East Carolina (3-0) up 14-3.

On that same drive, Wilson ran for 31 yards on 1st-and-29.

East Carolina made it 21-3 on its next drive when Garrard threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Corey Floyd. Garrard, a sophomore, was 10-of-19 for 82 yards.

The Pirates, who play host to No. 8 Miami next week, were outgained by South Carolina 302-274. But the Gamecocks have totaled only one touchdown and two field goals this season.

East Carolina, off to its best start since going 3-0-1 in 1989, also proved strong and timely on defense. The Pirates held South Carolina to 128 yards in the first half, had three interceptions and recovered a fumble in the end zone on Boo Williams' muffed punt return.

When Anthony Adams picked off South Carolina quarterback Phil Petty's third pass, the only chants heard were from the few thousand East Carolina fans in the crowd of 82,605, yelling, "Let's go Pirates."

East Carolina has a tradition of spoiling Gamecock parties. In 1994, South Carolina was 4-1 but returned home to a 56-42 loss to the Pirates. Two years later, the Gamecocks followed a home win against Georgia with a home defeat, 23-7, to East Carolina.