USC running game is a priority

USC running game is a priority
Miles, Anderson want USC's ground game to get more attention

By CHRIS DEARING
Special to The State

Much has been made about South Carolina having to stop the Connecticut rushing attack in the Papajohns.com Bowl on Saturday.

Little has been made about the Huskies having to stop a USC rushing attack that grounded out 223 yards in the victory over Clemson.

The Gamecocks are 6-1 when they rush for more than 100 yards in a game this season. Connecticut allows 137 yards rushing per game.

"We need to continue to try and run the ball," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Tuesday after the team's final practice in Columbia. "They are pretty good against the run. They've given up some pass yards throughout the year but we still got to run the ball."

Redshirt freshman Kenny Miles (team-high 602 yards) has taken it as a personal challenge when comparing the USC running backs to UConn's duo of Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon.

Todman finished with 1,152 yards while Dixon chipped in with 967 yards.

"You always can't wait for the game to see how the other running back does and see how he does so you can compete," Miles said. "Running backs always compete against each other in games wither they say it or not. You always want to do better than the other team's running backs."

Senior offensive lineman Garrett Anderson would like to see the Gamecocks continue how they played against Clemson.

"After the Clemson game a bunch of people said the line played better and that's something we definitely we want them to say after the bowl game," Anderson said. "We want them to say the line even improved more since the last game."

Fun in Birmingham. Spurrier wants his team to enjoy the activities surrounding the bowl, but he also wants them to remember the reason for being in Birmingham.

There are several team activities planned. The two teams will have a Welcome Dinner tonight at the StarDome Comedy Club. On Thursday morning there is an FCA breakfast at the Sheraton Birmingham hotel. That evening there is a team Bowling and BBQ Challenge.

But Spurrier has the Gamecocks on a short lease. Last night and tonight there will be a midnight curfew in place followed by 11 p.m. the two nights before the game.

"We're going to have controlled fun and don't get out of hand," Spurrier said. "We've got midnight curfew a couple of nights. That's plenty for our guys."

Help on the way. Spurrier said USC's special teams awareness may be handled differently next year. USC allowed three kickoff returns for touchdowns so far this season.

"We're going to give (special teams coordinator) Coach (Shane) Beamer a little more help hopefully next year by getting our very best players on special teams," Spurrier said. "I think we've sort of given our players a rest where as all the starters need to be on special teams."

More on bowl opponent, Ellis Johnson

A couple of items on a sunny Thursday in the capital city:

Some of you have not been too excited about going to Birmingham. Would a matchup against a top-25 team make the trip more tempting?

The Birmingham News’ Jon Solomon, former State sports writer and unofficial Papajohns.com Bowl historian, reports on his blog today that No. 15 Pittsburgh remains in the running for the Big East’s bid in Birmingham.

If Pitt loses to Cincy this weekend in what amounts to the Big East championship game, the Panthers look like they could be USC’s opponent Jan. 2 at Legion Field. If Pitt upsets the Bearcats and gets the conference’s automatic BCS berth, the South Florida-UConn winner likely would be the choice for the Papajohns.com.

–There have been a couple of online reports today saying Ellis Johnson is a candidate for the defensive coordinator openings at Florida State and Georgia.

It’s not surprising schools would be interested in Johnson, who has added to his already impressive resume during his two years in Columbia.

And while Johnson certainly will listen if other schools call, I’d be surprised if he were to leave. Johnson, a Winnsboro native whose wife is from Columbia, cited a desire to be closer to home and log more time in the South Carolina state retirement system when he left Arkansas after just a few weeks to join Steve Spurrier’s staff in January 2008.

Now, depending on what Georgia and Florida State are paying – Monte Kiffin money? – the salary increase might outweigh the retirement benefits.

Johnson has two years left on his deal that pays him $350,000 a year, the most among Gamecock assistants.

Even before Johnson’s name was mentioned in connection with the FSU and Georgia openings, Spurrier said earlier this week he wanted to get more money for his assistant coaches.

My guess is Johnson stays in Columbia, and gets an extension and a raise.

Gamecocks bound for Birmingham

Barring last-minute changes, team appears headed to Papajohns.com Bowl

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

South Carolina fans hoping to follow the Gamecocks to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta will have to keep trucking west on I-20 to reach USC's bowl destination.

Barring any last-minute maneuvering - which occurred Tuesday when the Outback went with Auburn instead of Tennessee - the Gamecocks will face a Big East team in Birmingham in the Papajohns.com Bowl on Jan. 2.

An official announcement is not expected until Sunday, but the SEC's bowl lineup took shape Tuesday with reports that Auburn was headed to Tampa and the Chick-fil-A Bowl planned to take Tennessee.

"We don't know for sure how it's going to work out," USC coach Steve Spurrier said. "But if it is Birmingham, that's certainly fine with all of us."

An official with the Independence Bowl, which picks ahead of the Papajohns.com, said the bowl is considering Georgia and USC. But most bowl insiders believe the Independence will go with Georgia, which has not played in the Shreveport, La., bowl since 1991.

The Gamecocks lost to Missouri 38-31 in the Independence in 2005 in Spurrier's first season.

Spurrier coached his final game with Duke at Legion Field, site of the Papajohns.com Bowl, in the 1989 All-American Bowl. Spurrier took his Florida team to Legion Field to face Alabama in the first two SEC championship games.

ESPN owns the Papajohns.com Bowl, which is in its fourth year. This will be the first time an SEC team has played in the game. The conference was affiliated with the Papajohns.com last year, but did not have enough teams qualify for a bowl.

The winner of Saturday's Connecticut-South Florida game could get the Big East's spot in Birmingham.

South Carolina 34,Clemson 17

It was over when... Stephen Garcia hooked up with Weslye Saunders on a TD pass to end Clemson's comeback bid.
Gameball goes to... South Carolina's defense, which dominated Clemson's offense throughout the game.
Stat of the game... 7. C.J. Spiller set an NCAA record with his seventh career kickoff return for a touchdown.
Complete Top 25 Overview
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 14 21
Total Yards 260 388
Passing 212 165
Rushing 48 223
Penalties 2-20 4-39
3rd Down Conversions 3-13 6-16
4th Down Conversions 0-1 1-1
Turnovers 3 2
Possession 23:29 36:31
Air/Ground Leaders
Clemson Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Parker 22/42 212 1 1

South Carolina Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Garcia 10/21 126 3 1
Gilmore 1/1 39 0 0
Clemson Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Spiller 9 18 0 5
Parker 4 13 0 19

South Carolina Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Miles 17 114 0 22
Garcia 14 46 0 18
Clemson Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Palmer 8 106 1 26
Ford 5 49 0 23

South Carolina Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Jeffery 4 65 0 39
Gurley 2 50 1 36
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER CLEM SCAR
TD 14:41 C.J. Spiller 88 Yd Kickoff Return (Richard Jackson Kick) 7 0
TD 05:21 Brian Maddox 1 Yd Run (Spencer Lanning Kick) 7 7
TD 02:01 Weslye Saunders 9 Yd Pass From Stephen Garcia (Spencer Lanning Kick) 7 14
SECOND QUARTER CLEM SCAR
FG 10:44 Spencer Lanning 47 Yd 7 17
THIRD QUARTER CLEM SCAR
TD 07:47 Tori Gurley 14 Yd Pass From Stephen Garcia (Spencer Lanning Kick) 7 24
FOURTH QUARTER CLEM SCAR
FG 11:23 Richard Jackson 45 Yd 10 24
FG 05:22 Spencer Lanning 38 Yd 10 27
TD 03:46 Michael Palmer 22 Yd Pass From Kyle Parker (Richard Jackson Kick) 17 27
TD 02:40 Weslye Saunders 1 Yd Pass From Stephen Garcia (Spencer Lanning Kick) 17 34
Photo Wire

South Carolina's Weslye Saunders (88) scores a touchdown, while Clemson's DeAndre McDaniel (2) picks himself up...
(AP Photo/Richard Shiro)
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Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier still has a few of those Heisman Trophy moves.

Gamecocks captain Moe Brown and fellow senior Garrett Anderson chased an elusive Spurrier, the 1966 Heisman winner at Florida, with a water bucket and eventually doused their coach after beating rival Clemson (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP) on Saturday 34-17.

Spurrier's rule is save such showers for championships. Even the head ball coach had to smile when Brown pointed out the Gamecocks won the Palmetto State title.

Fast Facts

• South Carolina ended a two-game losing streak against the Tigers and three-game overall losing streak.

• The Gamecocks are 6-1 at home this season, their best record since 1988. It also marked the second win over a ranked opponent for South Carolina this season.

• C.J. Spiller returned the opening kickoff for a TD, setting a FBS record with his seventh career kickoff TD return and became the fifth person in FBS history to go over 7,000 all-purpose yards.

• Clemson is 9-4 vs. South Carolina when the game is played the Saturday after Thanksgiving or on Thanksgiving Day.

-- ESPN Stats & Information

"I figured I only got one game left, he can't be too mad at me," Brown said. "We said we won the state championship and he gave me a hug."

"That was a big win," Brown said. "We needed it."

Besides short-circuiting another late-season swoon, the Gamecocks (7-5) most likely earned a bid to one of the Southeastern Conference's mid-tier bowls like the Music City or Chick-fil-A.

"It was a wonderful win," Spurrier said.

And it came mostly because South Carolina's defense slowed a Tigers attack that had averaged more than 40 points and 415 yards during its six-game win streak.

Clemson's run brought it an ACC Atlantic Division crown and a spot in next week's league title game against Georgia Tech. The Tigers (8-4) had few answers for South Carolina's rested and raring-to-go defenders.

Clemson star C.J. Spiller had his NCAA record-setting seventh career kickoff return touchdown to start the game. He managed only 18 yards on the ground after that.

Spiller battled an illness throughout, saying he felt sick to his stomach. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Spiller "tweaked" his groin but should be fine by next week.

By the end, backups Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper did most of the backfield work.

"It's better for another guy to be out there than for me to be out there not giving it my all," Spiller said.

Stephen Garcia threw three touchdown passes as South Carolina put a temporary halt to Clemson's series dominance.

Clemson had won two straight, six out of seven and 10 of 12 against the Gamecocks, who had only one victory over the Tigers in the last 10 games at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Clemson had just 260 yards of offense. Spiller finished with 18 yards rushing and 19 receiving.

South Carolina fans chanted "S-E-C" as the outcome became clear.

The Tigers head into next week's championship with several questions to answer. No. 1 among them: What happened to the offense?

Swinney says the team will respond with character and hard work.

"Our next goal is to try and win the ACC," Swinney said. "We will turn the page."

After Spiller struck for his 88-yard kickoff return just 20 seconds in -- it was his fourth such score this season -- the orange-clad fans among the 80,574 in the stands had little reason to doubt it'd be another day to celebrate.

But the Tigers had only 138 yards through three quarters.

There were interceptions, fumbles and penalties galore that helped South Carolina score 17 points in the opening half, more than it had in any of its last five games.

"We were moving the ball down the field and moving on their defense and then we would kill ourselves," Clemson tight end Michael Palmer said.

South Carolina made the Tigers pay.

Jamie Harper's fumble turned into a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Maddox to tie things.

Kyle Parker's first interception in three games followed on Clemson's next drive, with freshman DeVonte Holloman returning it 54 yards to the Tigers 11. Garcia connected with tight end Weslye Saunders for the go-ahead score from 9 yards out.

If you needed proof this was the Gamecocks' day, it came a series later.

Ricky Sapp had a roughing penalty on a punt to keep another Gamecocks drive going. That one ended with Spencer Lanning clanging a 47-yard field goal off the right upright.

Garcia clinched things in the third quarter with a 14-yard touchdown throw to a wide-open Tori Gurley.

Spiller fumbled on the Tigers' first possession of the second half, and Clemson got just one first down its next three series.

The victory ended what looked like another late-season swoon in Spurrier's fifth year as Gamecocks coach.

In 2007, South Carolina opened 6-1 and lost its last five. A year ago, a 7-3 start was ruined by three straight defeats down the stretch.

The Gamecocks were 6-2 a month ago after beating Vanderbilt 14-10. Losses to Tennessee, Arkansas and top-ranked Florida had Spurrier fielding uncomfortable questions about playcalling and his future.

Spurrier, testily at times, preached patience and reminded critics his team's best days were down the road. That showed against the Tigers.

Hollomon's game-changing interception was the first of his career. Defensive back Stephon Gilmore, Holloman's teammate at South Pointe High last fall, was used successfully in a wildcat look that set up Maddox's tying touchdown.

Senior linebacker Eric Norwood reminded everyone how important it is to beat your rival.

"It feels good," Norwood said, smiling. "It feels like we're 10-0."

USC ground game, stingy D smack Clemson

USC rides momentum of a Palmetto Bowl victory into its bowl game
By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

As they walked out of Williams-Brice Stadium following South Carolina's 34-17 win Saturday, USC tight end Weslye Saunders and tackle Jarriel King stopped in the southwest corner and held the Hardee's Trophy aloft and gave Gamecock fans a chance to snap pictures and soak in the moment.

Clemson (8-4) will be playing for a bigger, shinier trophy next week when the 15th-ranked Tigers face No. 7 Georgia Tech for the ACC championship in Tampa, Fla.

But USC (7-5) took away something more important than the hardware - salvation of a season following a rare win against its Upstate rival.

The Gamecocks rediscovered their running offense and overcame C.J. Spiller's NCAA record-setting touchdown return on the opening kickoff to win for the third time in the past 13 games against the Tigers.

USC had dropped three in a row entering Saturday's game and was in danger of limping into its bowl game in the midst of another late-season skid. Instead, the Gamecocks are guaranteed a winning season and will take momentum - and likely more fans - to their bowl destination.

"I feel like we accomplished something. We could easily be down on ourselves after those three games. But now we did something," said Saunders, who had two short touchdown receptions. "A lot of people have been telling us all year, 'As long as you beat Clemson.' We just beat Clemson."

But do not expect Steve Spurrier to sell commemorative Clemson game balls on the Gamecock Club circuit in the spring, as he did three years ago following his only other win against the Tigers at USC.

"I think sometimes we celebrate too much when we beat 'em, to tell you the truth," Spurrier said. "I think when Clemson beats us, they don't celebrate wildly. But I think we overdid it three years ago, and I was probably guilty also."

The Tigers barely resembled the team that had won six in a row entering the game.

Clemson gave up 223 rushing yards, matched a season high with three turnovers and did little offensively until the fourth quarter. With USC doing its best to surround Spiller, the Tigers managed 48 rushing yards on 19 carries - the second time since 1980 Clemson has run for fewer than 100 yards against USC.

"It's been a long time since we've lost a game. That's a very sick feeling," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "And we had an opportunity to achieve one of our goals today, and we failed to do it."

Spiller also felt sick, battling a stomach ailment throughout the game. He looked healthy enough when given a mulligan when USC was offsides on the opening kickoff.

The Heisman Trophy candidate took the re-kick 88 yards for his seventh career kickoff return for a touchdown, an NCAA record.

But the Gamecocks recovered to hold Clemson to 138 yards over the first three quarters.

"He didn't score on us. They scored on special teams. They didn't score on the defense," senior linebacker Eric Norwood said. "We wanted to go out there and shut 'em out, and I think that's what we pretty much did for the majority of the game."

USC kept Spiller hemmed in the rest of the game, holding him to 18 yards on nine carries - a 2-yard average that was nearly 6 yards below his career average against the Gamecocks.

"We kept him caged up pretty good," USC assistant coach for defense Ellis Johnson said.

But there was no caging the Gamecocks' ground game. Spurrier called 58 run plays - the most in his five seasons at USC - and unveiled the "WildCock" formation with freshman cornerback Stephon Gilmore at quarterback.

The results were a 13-minute edge in time of possession and what USC quarterback Stephen Garcia called a "statement" in a rivalry that has been largely one-sided.

The Gamecocks gained much of their rushing yards up the middle on read-options by Garcia and runs by tailback Kenny Miles, who finished with 114 yards on 17 carries.

"I believe at one stretch towards the end of the game, we ran the same play maybe six, seven times. The first two or three times you're like, what in the world?" USC receiver Moe Brown said.

"But you see it keeps getting five yards, and by the fourth time it was kinda funny. Like, y'all aren't gonna stop this (expletive). So we kinda got a laugh out of that."

The Gamecocks and their fans figure to be laughing for a while.

When USC was struggling to win down the stretch, Spurrier gave his players 24 hours to mourn a loss. Saunders was asked whether there would be a similar time limit to celebrate the Clemson win.

Saunders smiled and said, "I think we're going to have to up that to 30 days."

Gamecocks' bowl bid needs 1 for the road

Written by JOSEPH PERSON


BCS Championship game, Jan. 7, Pasadena, Calif., 8:30 p.m., Florida

Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, New Orleans, 8:30 p.m., Alabama

Capital One, Jan. 1, Orlando, 1 p.m., LSU

Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, Tampa, 11 a.m., Mississippi

Cotton Bowl, Jan. 2, Arlington, Texas, 2 p.m., Arkansas

Chick-fil-A , Dec. 31, Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., Tennessee

Liberty, Jan. 2, Memphis, 5:30 p.m., Georgia

Music City Bowl, Dec. 27, Nashville, 8:15 p.m., Auburn

PapaJohn's.Com , Jan. 2, Birmingham, Ala., 2 p.m., South Carolina

Independence Bowl, Dec. 28, Shreveport, La., 5 p.m., Kentucky

Unlike two years ago, South Carolina will not be left home for the holidays this year come bowl season.

Barring the unexpected - Florida losing to Florida International, Alabama falling to Chattanooga or Mississippi State beating Arkansas and Mississippi the next two weeks - the Gamecocks will snag one of the SEC's bowl slots regardless of how they fare against Clemson next weekend.

By defeating the Tigers, USC (6-5) could improve its bowl stock in a muddled middle-of-the-SEC pack. With the possibility that 10 conference teams could finish with at least seven wins, the Gamecocks would be headed to one of the SEC's bottom-run bowls - probably the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham against a Big East team - if they finish the regular season 6-6.

But there should be a spot for them, which was not the case in 2007 when the Independence Bowl took 6-6 Alabama over a USC team with the same record.

USC's omission prompted SEC officials to line up a ninth bowl slot - the so-called Pizza Bowl in Birmingham, where the conference office is based.

"When you looked at the landscape of all bowl games, most every spot now was being taken. There were no at-large (bids)," SEC spokesman Charles Bloom said Wednesday. "To protect ourselves and protect our ninth team ... was important."

As it turned out, the SEC could not fill all of its bowl tie-ins last season when eight teams were eligible. This year the league has nine bowl-eligible teams, with Tennessee (5-5) needing one win in its final two games against Vanderbilt and Kentucky to join the list.

Mississippi State (4-6) would need to upset Arkansas and Ole Miss to reach the six wins required for bowl eligibility.

The SEC will be able to accommodate 10 teams this season because - as was the case last season - No. 1 Florida and second-ranked Alabama are both locks for BCS bowl games.

So where does that leave USC?

The Gamecocks' destination hinges on the Clemson game.

Win, and USC is in the hunt for the Chick-fil-A and Music City bowls. Those games would be attractive to Gamecock fans because of their metropolitan locales in Atlanta and Nashville, and the matchup with an ACC opponent in each bowl.

Chick-fil-A president Gary Stokan said he would prefer an 8-win team from the SEC, but is not sure there will be one available when the Chick-fil-A selects after the Capital One, Outback and Cotton bowls.

USC has not played in the Atlanta bowl since 1969, when it was in its second year of existence and still known as the Peach.

"We think enough of South Carolina's fans that, certainly, if they were to beat their archrival Clemson, South Carolina fans would get excited" about coming to Atlanta for the Dec. 31 game, Stokan said.

The Gamecocks have never played in the Music City and faced Vanderbilt in Columbia this season, so fans would not be making a second trip to Nashville.

A loss to Clemson likely would send USC to the Independence or Papajohns.com, which get the last two picks from the SEC's bowl pool.

The Gamecocks lost to Missouri in the Independence in 2005 in Steve Spurrier's first season. USC officials might have trouble convincing fans to travel to Shreveport, La., if the Gamecocks drop their past four games.

It would be an easier trip to Birmingham, where Spurrier coached his final game with Duke in the 1989 All-American Bowl. Spurrier also coached in two SEC championship games with Florida at Legion Field, site of the Papajohns.com Bowl on Jan. 2.

"South Carolina would be a good match for us," Papajohns.com executive director Mark Meadows said. "I think Spurrier would add a lot to the local interest here in Birmingham."

South Florida, Rutgers and West Virginia are in the running for the Big East slot in Birmingham. Choosing last in the SEC bowl lineup, Meadows said USC might not be available at 7-5.

"If they beat Clemson (and) wind up with seven wins, I think they would certainly be attractive to other bowls as well."

Coach Johnson backs Culliver

Coach wants fans to lay off safety; Spurrier again talking SEC title in future
By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

Ellis Johnson does not condone how South Carolina safety Chris Culliver acted this week. But the Gamecocks' assistant head coach for defense said it is time for fans to get off Culliver's back.

Culliver, a junior with 22 career starts, will not make the trip to Arkansas. He was benched because of a shoulder injury and an incident Monday when Culliver walked out of practice after an argument with coaches.

Culliver has come under fire for his effort in last week's 31-13 loss to Tennessee. Culliver had a couple of glaring missed tackles, although it was later revealed he reinjured his surgically repaired shoulder in pregame warmups.

Lorenzo Ward, who coaches USC's safeties and cornerbacks, said Culliver told him about the injury before the game but indicated he was OK.

"Really it's our fault for not seeing that he wasn't himself," Johnson said Thursday. "Now what happened after that, he didn't handle it well. And as a result, he's not going. But I'm tired of all the Chris Culliver bashing."

Johnson said anyone questioning Culliver's desire has not watched the Gamecocks enough.

"The kid has played 647 snaps for us, and the only guy that's played more is (All-SEC linebacker Eric) Norwood by three snaps. And he's played (darn) well," Johnson added. "He needs to take his medicine because he didn't handle it the right way. But we don't need to get into Chris Culliver bashing."

Raising the bar

USC coach Steve Spurrier has not mentioned the SEC championship as a goal since prior to the 2007 season - until Thursday.

"Our plan is within the next three years, we've got a team that can compete for the SEC championship. That's our plan," Spurrier said on his call-in show. "If we can't do it within three years, they probably need to hire another head coach here and let him start his plan."

The 64-year-old Spurrier said USC was in "good shape" to contend for a title, citing the new assistant coaches, the incoming recruits and improved facilities.

"Maybe what we did the first four years, we didn't build it the right way," he said. "So we're trying to build it the right way right now."

Starting them young

USC is not the only SEC team playing a lot of freshmen this season. Arkansas has started six true freshmen this season, tied for second most in the country.

Four true freshmen have started for the Gamecocks: tight end Justice Cunningham, receiver Alshon Jeffery, cornerback Stephon Gilmore and strong safety DeVonte Holloman.

Eat more chicken

The Chick-fil-A Bowl will have a scout at Saturday's game to watch the Gamecocks for the second consecutive week.

"To stay on our list their offense will have to keep pace with their defense and carry them through the last three (games)," Chick-fil-A official Leeman Bennett wrote on his weekly team selection blog. "If they can win two of them, we'll give them a good look."

Auburn and Tennessee were the other SEC teams Bennett mentioned in his blog.

Extra points

After video review, USC has credited its blocked field goal against Tennessee to Norwood instead of defensive end Devin Taylor. It was Norwood's third block this year. ... Fifth-year defensive tackle Nathan Pepper will serve as one of four captains this week in place of injured defensive end Cliff Matthews. ... Spurrier said Mississippi coach Houston Nutt called him to say he appreciated Spurrier's comments this week about being bowl eligible. The Rebels (5-3) need one more win for bowl eligibility.

Gamecocks Game Keys With Vols

New Mouth of the South

For a guy who has managed to offend an entire community in Florida to the SEC's officials, Tennessee first-year coach Lane Kiffin was surprisingly quiet this week on USC wideout Alshon Jeffery, whom he told would pump gas for the rest of his life if he signed with the Gamecocks. Likewise, Steve Spurrier said nothing about Kiffin. The more relevant matchup will be Spurrier's ability to find gaps in Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 defense.

Has USC caught Tennessee?

With a win tonight, the Gamecocks will be threatening to move past UT into the top half of the SEC East. USC enters the game with an 18-19 conference record in four-plus seasons under Spurrier, while the Vols have an 18-18 mark during that span. After Lou Holtz was 0-6 against UT, Spurrier is 2-2 against his home-state school.

Double trouble

Spurrier has been looking for a way to get Jeffery and Tori Gurley on the field at the same time. The two tall targets - Jeffery is 6-3, Gurley 6-5 - have combined for 45 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns, but play the same wideout spot. Jeffery missed a practice this week with a stomach bug, but should be fine for his first trip to Rocky Top.

Bring the 'wood

Gamecocks linebacker Eric Norwood is the SEC sack leader with six, but has gone four weeks without a sack. USC wants to force Tennessee into throwing downs, so the Gamecocks can go after Vols quarterback Jonathan Crompton (10 interceptions) and try to force him into mistakes. Norwood has been drawing his share of double-team blocks, but has to put his stamp on this game.

By a foot in Knoxville

USC's past two games at Tennessee have been decided by a field goal. Josh Brown made a game-winner for the Gamecocks in 2005, while Ryan Succop missed a 40-yarder in overtime in 2007 after the Vols' Daniel Lincoln connected from 27 yards. Lincoln is coming off a rough game at Alabama, where he had two field goals blocked and was short on another.

Game Within The Game

QB Stephen Garcia vs. S Eric Berry

About Garcia: The redshirt sophomore has exceeded expectations in his first full season as a starter. Garcia is second in the SEC in total offense (236.6 yards a game) and has done a good job limiting turnovers with one notable exception - an interception on his first pass at Alabama that Mark Barron returned 77 yards for a touchdown.

How he'll win:

Garcia will have to be mindful of where Berry is on the field and be sure not to telegraph his throws. Steve Spurrier will try to help Garcia by sending in audibles from the sideline after seeing where Berry aligns. It falls on Garcia to protect the ball, look off Berry and make plays against a Tennessee pass defense ranked sixth in the country.

Key number:

4, interceptions thrown by Garcia, who had eight in eight games last season.

About Berry:

Berry is the NCAA's active interception leader with 13 picks and is closing in on Terrell Buckley's NCAA record for career interception return yards. Berry picked off Garcia in last year's game in Columbia and returned it 45 yards before Kenny McKinley corralled him around midfield.

How he'll win:

Because of Berry's coverage and run-stopping skills, the Vols often will bring him closer to the line of scrimmage to give offenses a different look in Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 scheme. Other times, Berry will align deeper and try to get a jump on Garcia's downfield throws.

Key number:

7.9, Berry's average tackles per game, which ranks eighth in the SEC. He is the only defensive bank among the conference's top 17 tacklers

Gamecocks Beat Vandy

USC needs big stats to build small margin that erases slide against Vandy

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

From The State

South Carolina had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver - yet needed a late defensive stand to hold off Vanderbilt.

But after back-to-back losses to their new SEC East nemesis, the Gamecocks were not going to get too picky about any win against Vandy.

Freshman receiver Alshon Jeffery pulled in a 43-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and the 23rd-ranked Gamecocks defense turned back the Commodores' comeback attempt to take a 14-10 victory Saturday before an announced crowd of 75,624 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

"It was a good win for us. I know it wasn't real pretty. But it was a win over a pretty good, tough Vandy team," USC coach Steve Spurrier said. "They don't give up a whole lot of points. But we're happy to have won."

USC (6-2, 3-2 in SEC) won its seventh consecutive home game and set a school record with its fifth consecutive conference victory at home. The Gamecocks are bowl-eligible for the fifth time in as many seasons under Spurrier.

The win was Spurrier's 105th in SEC play, tying him with Vince Dooley for No. 3 all-time on the conference list. But the Head Ball Coach said he was more satisfied with the record-setting streak at home.

"I like that one better," he said. "Hopefully that other part will keep adding up as we go."

Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia threw for 312 yards on 22-of-33 passing, while Jeffery set career highs with seven catches for 161 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight catches. Tailback Kenny Miles added 102 rushing yards on 18 carries.

The last time USC had a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver was in a losing effort. Quarterback Anthony Wright, tailback Duce Staley and receiver Marcus Robinson - all of whom played in the NFL - pulled the trick in a 14-10 loss to Mississippi State in 1996.

Vandy (2-6, 0-5) did not go quietly, driving inside the Gamecocks' 25-yard line with two minutes remaining.

With the Commodores facing third-and-8 from the 23, USC safety Chris Culliver rushed quarterback Larry Smith into an intentional grounding that cost the Commodores 24 yards after the spot penalty.

On fourth-and-long, Eric Norwood and Clifton Geathers chased Smith out of the pocket and forced him out of bounds well short of the first down.

Jeffery provided the winning margin on the strike from Garcia to complete a 99-yard scoring drive at the start of the fourth quarter.

Facing a third-and-20 after a holding call and a sack, the Gamecocks spread the field and sent Jeffery on a crossing route. USC put the play in this week and had run it in the first half, but Garcia and Jeffery could not connect.

"The first time I was wide open, and I just dropped it," Jeffery said. "The second time I was wide open again, and he just threw a perfect ball. Once I caught it, I knew I was going to score."

The Gamecocks looked buried as the fourth quarter started. Trailing 10-7, USC started a drive at its 1-yard line for the second time in the half after Vandy punter Brett Upson again pinned the Gamecocks deep.

After USC was conservative on its earlier drive from the 1, the Gamecocks came out firing. Throwing from his end zone, Garcia went down the left sideline for Tori Gurley, who made a one-handed grab for a 43-yard gain.

Spurrier said the play was called with Jeffery in mind, but Gurley was in the game in his spot. In either case, Garcia was excited to hear the more daring play call.

"It was a great call and Tori made an excellent catch," Garcia said. "That's just something we need to do. I think as our team grows and our confidence grows, I think we're going to take a lot more chances."

Vandy defensive end Broderick Stewart said the Commodores liked their chances when USC began the final quarter in the shadow of its end zone. Garcia was 3-for-3 for 109 yards on the go-ahead drive.

"We can't give up the big play," Stewart said. "We had them pinned and where we wanted them."

The Gamecocks outgained Vandy 431-273 in total yardage despite running one fewer offensive play. Both teams punted eight times in a turnover-free game.

"Vandy plays us tough," Spurrier said. "We've got to find a way to score more points against them sometime soon."

"They're a very disciplined team. They fight very hard to the very end," Garcia added. "We knew it was going to be a dogfight. But a win's a win. We'll take it no matter what."

USC moves up in polls; Bama game time set

Whitlock fills in nicely for defense

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

The Gamecocks, now ranked No. 22 in both major polls, will face the Crimson Tide at 7:45 p.m. this Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

ESPN will televise the contest (which begins at 6:45 p.m. central time).

USC (5-1, 2-1 SEC) is No. 22 in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches' polls. Alabama (6-0, 3-0) leapfrogged Texas in the AP poll and is now No. 2; the team is third in the Coaches Poll. in the AP 3.

The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series, 11-2, but the Gamecocks have won two of the last three meetings.

Game ball for Whitlock? USC coach Steve Spurrier plans to review the video to see whether cornerback C.C. Whitlock is worthy of a game ball for his performance in Saturday's 28-26 victory against Kentucky.

Spurrier might want to do so with the volume turned down.

Whitlock made a loud statement Saturday with six tackles while filling in again for the suspended Akeem Auguste. Just as lively was the chatter between Whitlock and Wildcats receiver Gene McCaskill, Whitlock's teammate at Chester High, between plays.

"You know there was going to be a lot of trash-talking. There was a lot going back and forth," Whitlock said. "It was a great experience to be able to go out there and make a couple plays with one of the best corners being down."

Whitlock's biggest play might have been when Kentucky tried a fake field goal late in the third quarter with holder Randall Cobb. Whitlock and Darian Stewart were not fooled and forced Cobb out of bounds 9 yards short of a first down.

"I kind of had that in my head. I was just saying, 'Watch the fake,' because we were beating up on them so much," Whitlock said.

As for the game ball?

"He made a lot of tackles, didn't he? A lot of our guys were saying he was deserving of a game ball," Spurrier said. "It was nice to see Whitlock (play well). He may get a game ball."

Crowd control. The announced crowd of 68,278 was the smallest at Williams-Brice Stadium since 67,930 turned out for a 41-28 loss to Arkansas in 1998 during the Gamecocks' 1-10 season in Brad Scott's final year.

There were dozens of empty rows in the upper east stands and the student section had plenty of seats available.

USC president Harris Pastides said scheduling fall break during a home football weekend was a mistake and vowed it would not happen again.

"I think probably athletics and academics weren't as coordinated as we needed to be. We just need to take that one on us and not let it happen again," Pastides said. "Let me just say for the record, academics always comes first in the interests of the students. But I don't expect the fans will have this issue next year."

An athletics department official said 5,500 students requested tickets - about half of the usual student orders for home games.

Streak ends. Stephen Garcia's interception-free streak ended at 124 passes when he was picked off by Kentucky linebacker Sam Maxwell in the second quarter. It was Garcia's first interception since the second quarter against Georgia on Sept. 12. He said he threw into double coverage on the play.

Taking on Tech. USC will play Georgia Tech in a home-and-home series in 2020 and '21, associate athletics director Charles Waddell said Saturday. Waddell said USC would have played the Yellow Jackets sooner, but Tech prefers to schedule SEC opponents every four years because of its annual rivalry with Georgia.

The Gamecocks are 9-12 all-time against Tech. The schools have not met since 1991, a year after the Jackets split the national championship with Colorado.

Waddell said he also has talked to Virginia about playing a future home-and-home series, although nothing is imminent.

Extra points. Counting victories last year against Tennessee and Arkansas, USC has won six consecutive home games - its best home stretch since a 13-game winning streak spanning the 1986-88 seasons. ... The Gamecocks failed to record a sack for the second consecutive week. ... USC improved to 5-7 as a top-25 team under Spurrier and moved over .500 all-time. The Gamecocks are 532-531-44 in 116 seasons.

Injuries force more defensive changes

From The State

Dickerson will start at middle linebacker; Auguste can return on Oct. 24

Written by JOSEPH PERSON

Rich Glickstein/rglickstein@thestate.com/

S.C. State running back No. 28 William Ford puts his head down before he hits South Carolina linebacker No. 41 Josh Dickerson with defensive end No. 96 Clifton Geathers and linebacker No. 44 Tony Straughter assisting on the play.

As usual, Ellis Johnson's weekly chat with reporters Thursday turned into another personnel update.

Because of injuries and suspensions, Johnson, USC's assistant head coach for defense, has fielded a different starting lineup in each of the Gamecocks' five games. Saturday's game against Kentucky will be the sixth lineup.

JUCO transfer Josh Dickerson will make his first career start at middle linebacker in place of Shaq Wilson, who practiced on a limited basis most of the week with a neck injury.

Wilson will be available to play against the Wildcats, but Dickerson will become the third player to start at middle linebacker. Rodney Paulk was lost for the year in the opener at N.C. State after tearing a knee ligament.

Dickerson, who transferred from Georgia Military in January and went through spring practice, has 19 tackles - the most among USC's reserves.

Defensive end Clifton Geathers will make his first start of the season in place of Devin Taylor, USC coach Steve Spurrier said on his call-in show Thursday. Geathers has 13 tackles in four games since missing the opener due to suspension.

Johnson is counting on a couple of backup cornerbacks to step in for suspended starter Akeem Auguste, who is sitting the second game of an expected three-game suspension.

Sophomore C.C. Whitlock will start at field corner for the second consecutive week, while freshman D.J. Swearinger will spell Whitlock and boundary corner Stephon Gilmore.

Though Kentucky is ranked among the country's worst passing teams, Johnson said Whitlock and Gilmore will be tested more than they were last week against S.C. State.

"I have full confidence in them. But you're going into the SEC slate and you've got the kind of depth problems we've got, you're always a little nervous," Johnson said. "But as far as those guys, I have a lot of confidence in them."

Auguste update. Johnson said Auguste will be eligible for the Vanderbilt game Oct. 24 as long as he complies with a number of university-imposed stipulations. Auguste's suspension stems from a non-academic violation of team and university policy.

"He's got a pretty good slate he's got to work on. If he hits all the right bases, we get him back. If he doesn't, there's no telling what happens," Johnson said. "He has certain things he has to comply with, or he'll never be back."

Bad break. After less-than-capacity crowds at the first three home games, Spurrier implored students to return from fall break for Saturday's game.

"We're on fall break here - a little unusual. We're out of school here Thursday and (today)," Spurrier said. "But hopefully all of 'em will come back and do their part cheering our guys on."

Purr-fect vs. the Wildcats. Spurrier's 16-0 mark against Kentucky is the third-longest undefeated streak by a FBS coach against one school. Penn State's Joe Paterno has the top two marks - 26-0 vs. Temple and 24-0-1 vs. Maryland.

Extra points. Quintin Richardson, who started the first four games at right tackle, lost 10 pounds - to 270 - while battling the flu last week. "He looks like a tight end trying to play tackle right now," Spurrier said. ... Spurrier said guard Heath Batchelor was out of the lineup last week because of missed classes. Batchelor is slated to start at left guard. ... Center Garrett Anderson, who missed a day with a back injury, returned Thursday. But fifth-year center Lemuel Jeanpierre still is expected to start.

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What a rush: Ground game propels USC

From The State
Gamecocks discover their running attack and shut down FAU in the second half
By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

A trick play by a receiver ignited South Carolina's rushing attack, and once the Gamecocks started rolling Saturday, they were nearly impossible to stop.

Moe Brown's 50-yard run on USC's first offensive play paved the way for a big day for the Gamecocks, who racked up 287 rushing yards in a 38-16 victory against Florida Atlantic before a crowd of 72,017 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Freshman tailback Jarvis Giles rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries to pace a ground game that produced the highest single-game rushing total in Steve Spurrier's four-plus seasons at USC.

After finishing last in the SEC in rushing the past two seasons, USC's revamped rushing attack combined for 222 yards the first two games. The Gamecocks surpassed that total in the third quarter and averaged 8.2 yards per carry.

"We felt like we wanted to give the run game a good opportunity, and we did most of the night," Spurrier said. "We were able to run the ball a bit and hit a few (passes) here and there."

USC (2-1) improved to 7-0 against teams from the Sun Belt Conference, with two of the wins coming against Florida Atlantic. The Owls (0-2) fell to 1-16 against BCS conference schools, including an 0-15 mark on the road.

The crowd was the smallest to see a USC home opener since 1995, when 70,411 turned out for the Gamecocks' 68-21 win against Louisiana Tech. But the 75-year-old stadium figures to be jumping for Thursday night's matchup with No. 5 Mississippi, which drubbed Southeastern Louisiana 52-6 on Saturday.

"I know our crowd will be much more into next week's game maybe than (Saturday's)," Spurrier said. "But our crowd was fine."

Fans were still settling in when Brown came in motion, took a pitch from Stephen Garcia on an end-around and followed the lead blocks of center Garrett Anderson and fullback Patrick DiMarco to the Owls' 27-yard line.

Three plays later, junior tailback Brian Maddox plowed in from 3 yards for the first of his three short touchdowns to give the Gamecocks a 7-0 lead after 81 seconds - USC's fastest score to start a game since joining the SEC in 1992.

"That was a tone-setter," Maddox said of Brown's run. "Moe did a great job on that reverse and opened up other things for our running game."

Garcia, who was 20-of-27 passing for 222 yards and a touchdown, said the Gamecocks ran variations of the opening play - with Brown motioning behind Garcia in the shotgun - about 10 times. With the Owls mindful of Brown, USC backs found gaping holes in the middle of the FAU defense.

On USC's second series, redshirt freshman Kenny Miles carried five times for 56 yards to set up a Spencer Lanning field goal. When Miles left with a shoulder injury, Giles stepped in and had the first 100-yard rushing game of his young career.

After managing two plays longer than 25 yards the first two games, the quick-strike offense came to life with five plays covering 35 yards or more. Giles and receiver Tori Gurley (four catches for 100 yards) each contributed two big plays while becoming the first USC freshman tandem to hit the 100-yard mark in rushing and receiving since Mike Davis and Sidney Rice did it twice in 2005.

Despite running 20 fewer plays than in last week's 41-37 loss at Georgia, USC finished with 516 total yards, the second most under Spurrier. The Gamecocks have 943 yards the past two games.

USC appeared to be on its way to a laugher after scoring on three of its first four possessions to take a 17-3 lead. But the Owls answered with a pair of Rusty Smith touchdown passes and would have gone into halftime with the score tied if not for a missed extra point.

But after getting no pressure on Smith, the Gamecocks switched to a four-man front and shut out the Owls in the second half.

USC's pass rush forced Smith into two second-half turnovers in FAU territory, both of which led to touchdowns. Freshman corner Stephon Gilmore snared his first career interception on a broken coverage on FAU's first play of the half.

"That kills your momentum and puts your confidence level in the tank," Smith said of the pick. "For a half there, we looked good, like we could hang with them. And then in the second half, we shot ourselves in the foot again."

While lamenting the squandered lead, Spurrier was encouraged by the strong rushing performance. Garcia believes the Gamecocks will be tough to beat if they continue to run well, beginning next week against the Rebels.

"The fans here are going to be out of control, I would imagine. It's going to be very exciting for us," Garcia said. "We've got practice (today). We're just going to take it very, very serious this week and go out there and beat 'em."

South Carolina vs. Florida Atlantic: Five Keys to Victory

by
Alex Roberts



This game is a game that South Carolina should win, and by a large margin. However, anything can happen at any time, and South Carolina needs to prepare for this game just like any other. Steve Spurrier is saying all the right things during interviews, saying that he "expects a close game."

Let's hope he is wrong about that one.

Without further adieu, here are the keys to victory.

1. Show up to play a good college football team.

We have seen this many times a year. Good teams go to play a team considered to be on a lower level than them. The team assumes that the game is played on paper, and are left shaking their heads at the end of the day with an L in the W/L column (See Michigan, Appalachian State).

South Carolina needs to focus, and play to win the game.

2. Utilize their depth to wear down Florida Atlantic.

South Carolina may not have tremendous depth compared to some other SEC teams, but they do have more than FAU. Playing more players will not only help in this game, but future games, and should lead to a blow out.

3. Run early and run often.

South Carolina has proven that they have the potential to be a great passing team. However, the running game needs more. FAU has a very weak defensive line and linebacking corps.

All of the running backs could have huge games, and if we can get the run game going, Stephen Garcia can have another "stats bonanza."

4. Show that Stephen Garcia's performance against Georgia was no fluke.

Stephen Garcia needs to show more of the maturity he showed against Georgia. If he can have another 200 plus yard passing game and throw a few more TD's, his confidence will soar.

A well-rounded gameplan could really hurt these Owls.

5. Keep the intensity up throughout the entire game.

South Carolina has a history of playing some of these "gimmie" games a lot closer than they should. It has been a reflection of the team's lack of "fire."

This year's team seems like an emotional group, and they should prove it in this game. Even if the game is well at hand, South Carolina's players should still be out there giving 100 percent.

In Closing,

South Carolina should easily win this game. This is a chance for Steve Spurrier to try out more players and prepare for bigger games in the future. However, if the team does not come out and focus, it could be a tougher night.

The team needs to come out swinging so other players can have a chance to play and get better prepared for next week's big game against Mississippi.

Predication: South Carolina- 47, FAU- 10

Dawg-gone shame: Late stand halts USC

From The State

Georgia's late defensive stand holds off the Gamecocks in a surprising shootout

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

ATHENS, Ga. — It turns out the concerns about South Carolina’s offense were misguided.

It was the Gamecocks’ defense that fell apart Saturday in a 41-37 loss to No. 21 Georgia — a nearly four-hour-long game where both defenses seemed to take the night off.

After a decade of mostly close, low-scoring games in the series, the teams combined for 735 yards and 78 points, the most since the Gamecocks joined the SEC and the second-most in series history. The highest-scoring game in the series was Georgia’s 52-34 win in 1970.

The USC defense, so fast and dominant in throttling N.C. State in a 7-3 season-opening win, failed to show up. The Gamecocks missed tackles, blew assignments and spoiled a career night by USC quarterback Stephen Garcia and the most prolific scoring game by a Gamecocks’ offense against Georgia.

USC (1-1, 0-1 SEC) fell to 5-13 against ranked opponents under Steve Spurrier. Georgia (1-1, 1-0) avoided its first 0-2 start since 1996.

The statistics did not reveal a total Georgia gashing. The Gamecocks ran 30 more offensive plays and outgained Georgia 427-308 in total yardage.

But the Bulldogs scored on all five of their red-zone chances and kept pin-balling off USC defenders who were going for big hits instead of textbook tackles.

“We came out a little sluggish, I guess like we were living in last week,” USC cornerback Akeem Auguste said. “On defense, we like to hit. So every chance we get, we’re going to try to take your head off. But they were bouncing off.”

Garcia set career highs by completing 31 of 53 passes for 313 yards. His completions tied for the fourth-most in school history while his attempts tied for second all-time behind Steve Taneyhill’s 58 against East Carolina in 1994.

The right-hander threw two touchdowns, led USC in rushing (10 carries for 42 yards) and drove the Gamecocks the length of the field in the final minutes.

But on fourth-and-4 from the Georgia 7-yard line, Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran broke up Garcia’s pass for tight end Weslye Saunders at the goal line with 22 seconds remaining.

“We had a great chance to win at the end,” Spurrier said. “Their kid made a good play batting it down.”

It appeared Garcia had a running lane, but he said he decided to pass after seeing Curran coming toward him. Curran thought Garcia likely would have made the first down if he’d kept it.

“I tried to sidearm it to Wes. I thought we’d win the game,” Garcia said. “But then I saw (Curran) put his arm out to tip it.”

Gamecocks kicker Spencer Lanning tied Collin Mackie’s single-game record with five field goals — the first of his career.

Lanning was 5-for-5 on field goals but had an extra point blocked that forced the Gamecocks to go for the end zone on their final drive rather than try a game-tying field goal.

DeAngelo Tyson penetrated the right side of the Gamecocks’ line and blocked Lanning’s extra point, which special teams coordinator Shane Beamer thought was too low.

“Extra points should never be blocked,” Beamer said. “Regardless of penetration, a kick that short should never be blocked.”

The extra point would have tied the score at 38 with 12:56 remaining following Eric Norwood’s 35-yard interception return for a touchdown. Norwood said the block changed momentum.

Georgia answered with a 12-play, 47-yard drive that culminated with a 42-yard field goal by Blair Walsh that pushed the Bulldogs lead to 41-37 with 6:20 left.

The Gamecocks took over at their own 19-yard line with just more than six minutes remaining, but they had to start at their 14 following a false-start penalty.

They converted three third-down situations, the first on a pass interference penalty on Vance Cuff against Tori Gurley. A Garcia completion to Moe Brown gave USC a first down at the Georgia 13 with about a minute left.

But after a completion to Brian Maddox moved USC inside the 10, the drive stalled.

The defense was not the only culprit for USC, which looked defenseless in trying to stop Georgia’s kickoff return team.

Brandon Boykin set the tone with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Bulldogs’ first score.

Georgia added a pair of 48-yard returns and finished with a school-record 252 on kickoff returns. By the midpoint of the third quarter, USC kicker Adam Yates had resorted to popping the ball up and forcing Georgia’s up-backs to call fair catches.

Given the recent history in the series — the winning team had not scored more than 20 points in seven of the past eight meetings — most observers predicted a low-scoring, defensive struggle.

Or not.

Ellis Johnson, USC’s assistant head coach for defense, said an ankle injury to defensive tackle Nathan Pepper forced the Gamecocks to use more three-man fronts than he had hoped.

“That’s where a lot of the busted assignments came from,” Johnson said. “We were playing something we hadn’t practiced much.”

But Norwood said it was a failure to execute more than anything scheme related.

“We gotta get right, just plain and simple,” Norwood said. “You can sit here and say it’s Xs-and-Os. But we’ve got to go out and make it happen.”

That did not happen Saturday.

Gamecocks Head to Athens for Saturday SEC Showdown

Gamecocks Head to Athens for Saturday SEC Showdown




Game Set for 7 PM on ESPN2

Moe Brown had a big day against Georgia in 2008.




Sept. 11, 2009

South Carolina opens Southeastern Conference play on Sept. 12, as it travels to Athens, Ga., to face longtime rival Georgia on a Saturday night "Between the Hedges" at Sanford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with a national television audience watching on ESPN2.The Gamecocks are 1-0 after a hard-fought 7-3 victory at NC State on Sept. 3. The Bulldogs dropped their opener on the road against No. 9 Oklahoma State, 24-10, on Saturday, Sept. 5. This is the first time since 1996 that South Carolina (1-0) has come into their game with Georgia (0-1) with a better record than the Bulldogs; SC won that 1996 meeting in Columbia, 23-14.

QUICK HITS

• This is the seventh time in school history the Gamecocks have opened with two straight games on the road. The last time was 1999, also against NC State and Georgia (both losses). In those seven seasons, Georgia has been one of the two opponents five times. Carolina has never started 2-0 in those years.

• South Carolina begins its 18th season of competition in the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks are 7-10 in league openers since joining the SEC for the 1992 season. Of those 17 league openers, 14 have come against Georgia.

• Georgia won last year's meeting in Columbia, 14-7. Neither team has topped the 20-point plateau in any of the last five meetings between the schools.

• The Gamecocks were picked to finish third in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division for the first time since 2001. Georgia was tabbed to finish second.

• Only Clemson (106) has faced South Carolina more times than Georgia (61). Only Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Vanderbilt have faced Georgia more times than South Carolina.

GAMECOCKS AND DAWGS

This is the 62nd meeting on the gridiron between South Carolina and Georgia. Georgia holds a 45-14-2 lead in the all-time series, including a 25-7 advantage when the teams have played in Athens. The Bulldogs took home a 14-7 victory from Columbia last season, their fourth straight victory in Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks won the last time they visited Athens in 2007, posting a 16-12 victory.





IT'S USUALLY CLOSE...

Six of the last eight meetings between these two schools have been decided by seven points or less. The Gamecocks won by five (14-9) in 2001 and by four in 2007 (16-12), while Georgia posted a six-point win in 2002 (13-7), a four-point victory in 2004 (20-16), a two-point triumph in 2005 (17-15) and a seven-point margin last season (14-7)

...AND LOW SCORING

Might want to make sure the scoreboard operator has some coffee on hand. The winning team has not scored more than 20 points in any of the last five games between these two schools. It has only happened once in the last eight meetings.

AN OLD RIVALRY

After Saturday, Georgia and South Carolina will have met 62 times on the gridiron. No team except Clemson (101) has faced South Carolina more times in intercollegiate football competition. On the other side, Georgia, a charter member of the SEC, has faced only seven schools more times times than they have the Gamecocks (Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Vanderbilt). The series dates to 1894, a 40-0 Georgia win in Columbia - the second game in the history of South Carolina football and the ninth in UGA annals.

SEC OPENERS

South Carolina begins its 18th season of competition in the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks are 7-10 in their previous 17 conference openers, 14 of which have come against these Georgia Bulldogs. They are 5-9 when opening the league slate against the `Dawgs, and 2-1 when facing a different opponent. Last year, the 24th-ranked Gamecocks dropped their SEC opener to Vanderbilt on a Thursday night in Nashville, falling by a 24-17 score. It was the first loss in an SEC opener since 2005, when the Gamecocks opened 0-3 in league play before rolling off five straight wins to end the year.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno's sliding 4-yard touchdown run in the third quarter lifted the Bulldogs to a 14-7 victory over the Gamecocks on Sept. 13, 2008, in Columbia. Reshad Jones sealed the victory for the Bulldogs, intercepting South Carolina's Chris Smelley's pass with 13 seconds left inside the Georgia 10. The Bulldogs had all offseason to remember how the previous September's 16-12 loss to South Carolina likely kept them from playing for the SEC and national titles. For much of this one, it looked like the Gamecocks could do it again as the Bulldogs trailed 7-6 midway through the third quarter. Georgia had already muffed a scoring chance near the goal line, settling for Blair Walsh's 23-yard field goal after having a third-and-goal at the South Carolina 1. Moreno, who finished with 79 yards on 20 carries, didn't squander the Bulldogs' next opportunity. He ran left, then took a hard cut up the middle with his feet sliding out from under him. Moreno steadied himself with his right hand, then slipped through for his seventh touchdown of the year. Matthew Stafford converted the 2-point try on a pass to Kris Durham and Georgia led 14-7. Moreno's TD was the first Georgia's scored in the past eight quarters against the Gamecocks. South Carolina had three chances in the fourth quarter to tie things up. The Gamecocks drove to Georgia's 2 midway through the period. But linebacker Rennie Curran smacked the ball free as tailback Mike Davis tried to leap the pile and it bounced into the arms of Georgia defensive back Asher Allen. South Carolina got to Georgia 17 in the final minute before Smelley was intercepted by Jones to keep the Gamecocks winless against teams' ranked in the top two. The Gamecocks' scoring play was a 34-yard touchdown pass from Smelley to Moe Brown in the second quarter.

BEST SEC ROAD WINS

The 2007 victory at 11th-ranked Georgia marked the highest-ranked SEC opponent that Carolina had defeated on the road since joining the league in 1992. Previously, the best Carolina road win was also against the Bulldogs during the 1993 season.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

It's not very often that South Carolina opens with two straight games away from Columbia. In fact, this is only the seventh time in 116 years of football that the first two contests were played outside the friendly confines of Williams-Brice Stadium. The last time was the 1999 season, which saw a very similar opening two games for Carolina - at NC State and at Georgia. The Gamecocks lost both games, 10-0 to the Wolfpack and 24-9 to the Bulldogs. Of the other five occurrences, Georgia has been one of the opponents on three occasions. In both 1993 and 1995, the Gamecocks opened with trips to Georgia and Arkansas. Carolina lost both contests in 1995, but defeated Georgia before losing to the Razorbacks in 1993. In 1962, Carolina lost at Northwestern and Duke to open the season; in 1941, the Gamecocks beat North Carolina but lost at UGA; and in 1911, Carolina lost at Georgia but defeated the College of Charleston.

THE LAST TIME IN ATHENS

South Carolina extended its winning streak to five games and snapped a five-game losing streak to Georgia when it went into Athens and came away with a 16-12 win on Sept. 8, 2007. The Gamecock defense stepped up to the challenge, keeping Georgia out of the end zone. It was the first time Georgia had been held without a touchdown at home since Carolina's 14-9 win in 2001. South Carolina won both sides of the line of scrimmage, outrushing the Bulldogs, 140-128. Ryan Succop hit all three of his field goal attempts, matching his career high, and scored 10 of the Gamecocks' 16 points, earning SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

THE HBC AND GEORGIA

South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier owns a 12-4 record against Georgia. He was 11-1 while head coach at Florida with his lone loss coming in the 1997 season. He is 1-3 in his four tries while in charge of the Gamecock program. His squads have scored 30 or more points in nine of 16 contests against the Bulldogs.

THE HBC VS. RICHT

Steve Spurrier has faced Georgia's Mark Richt five times as a head coach, winning two of those contests. He won the 2001 meeting in his last season as head coach at Florida, then is 1-3 since taking over the Carolina program in 2005. Richt was also an assistant at Florida State from 1987 to 2000, in which time Spurrier went 5-8-1 against the Seminoles.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND...

South Carolina lists 14 players from the state of Georgia on its roster. Included are Eric Norwood (Acworth), Addison Williams (Atlanta), Chaun Gresham (Auburn), Terrence Campbell (Austell), Steven Singleton (Buford), DeMario Bennett (Douglas), Rokevious Watkins (Fairburn), Ronald Byrd (LaGrange), Kenny Miles (Lawrenceville), Ryan Broadhead (Leesburg), Josh Dickerson (Kingsland), Ladi Ajiboye (Riverdale), Chaz Sutton (Savannah) and Matthew Ansley (Valdosta).

AGAINST RANKED FOES

Georgia comes into this week's game ranked 21st in both national polls. The Gamecocks are 6-16 under Spurrier against opponents in the top 25. Here's a year-by-year breakdown:

• 2005: Carolina was 2-1 against ranked opponents, knocking off No. 23 Tennessee and No. 12 Florida after losing to No. 9 Georgia.

• 2006: Carolina was 1-5 against ranked opponents with their lone win coming against No. 24 Clemson. They had losses against No. 12 Georgia, No. 2 Auburn, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Arkansas and No. 6 Florida.

• 2007: The Gamecocks were 2-3 against ranked opponents, winning over No. 11 Georgia and No. 8 Kentucky, but falling to No. 2 LSU, No. 17 Florida and No. 15 Clemson.

• 2008: Carolina dropped all three contests against ranked foes, falling to No. 2 Georgia, No. 13 LSU and No. 3 Florida.

LAST TIME OUT: NC STATE

Brian Maddox had a short touchdown run while Stephen Garcia completed a key third-down pass in the final minutes to help South Carolina beat North Carolina State 7-3 on Sept. 3 in Raleigh, N.C. Garcia threw for just 148 yards on a frustrating night for both offenses, but the sophomore came through with a 33-yard completion to Moe Brown that allowed the Gamecocks to run out the final 2 1/2 minutes. It gave South Carolina a second straight season-opening victory against the Wolfpack, who was shut out 34-0 in the 2008 meeting and failed to reach the end zone in the rematch. Maddox scored from 1 yard out in the first quarter and finished with 66 yards rushing. The Wolfpack managed just 133 yards, with all-Atlantic Coast Conference quarterback Russell Wilson throwing for just 74 yards while under steady pressure from the speedy South Carolina defenders.

NO OPENING JITTERS

With their win at NC State, the Gamecocks have now won 10 consecutive season-opening games dating back to the 2000 season. The last season-opening loss came at NC State in 1999.

THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

In the Spurrier Era, South Carolina is now 5-2 in Thursday night contests, with four of those five victories coming in season openers.

SPEAKING OF THE POLLS...

After one game, South Carolina is still outside the top 25, but garnered more votes in both polls. Carolina picked up 23 votes in the coaches' poll (an increase of five) to place 34th while the AP voters gave the Gamecocks three votes, one more than the preseason poll, to place them 46th in that poll. Three SEC schools on the 2009 Gamecock slate are consensus preseason top-10 schools: Florida (1/1), Alabama (4/4) and Ole Miss (6/8). Georgia is close behind at 21st in both polls. Four more opponents are receiving votes in one or both polls, including Clemson, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas. In addition, Week 5 opponent South Carolina State is ranked 15th in the FCS Coaches' Poll.

FOR STARTERS

The Gamecocks officially return 12 starters from the 2008 squad (five on offense, six on defense and one specialist). The returning offensive starters are OC Garrett Anderson, WR Jason Barnes, OG Terrence Campbell, FB Patrick DiMarco and OT Jarriel King. The returning defensive starters include DT Ladi Ajiboye, FS Chris Culliver, DE Cliff Matthews, LB Eric Norwood, DT Nathan Pepper and S Darian Stewart. Junior Spencer Lanning is the returning punter and will handle placekicking duties this fall as well.

NEW STARTERS

Seven Gamecocks made their first career starts last week against NC State: CB Akeem Auguste, CB Stephon Gilmore, SPUR Alonzo Winfield, OG T.J. Johnson, OT Quintin Richardson, WR Tori Gurley and DE Devin Taylor.

FIRST APPEARANCE

Nineteen Carolina athletes played in their first game in a Gamecock uniform at North Carolina State on Sept. 3: WR Alshon Jeffrey, TB Jarvis Giles, CB Stephon Gilmore, SS DeVonte Holloman, TB Bryce Sherman, CB Brandan Davis, TB Kenny Miles, LB Reginald Bowens, CB D.J. Swearinger, LB Tony Straughter, FB Dalton Wilson, OG T.J. Johnson, WR Tori Gurley, PK Adam Yates, WR D.L. Moore, TE Justice Cunningham, DE Chaz Sutton, TE Foxy Foxworth and DE Devin Taylor.

MORE NC STATE NOTES

• With the win at NC State, South Carolina snapped a three-game losing streak dating back to the 11th game of the 2008 season. The Gamecocks dropped games to Florida, Clemson and Iowa to end the `08 campaign.

• The Gamecocks held NC State to 133 yards in the game, the lowest total in the Spurrier Era and the lowest since the 1999 season - also NC State (99).

• Carolina's 7-3 win marked the first time since 1971 that the Gamecocks have won a game in which they scored fewer than 10 points. South Carolina defeated Memphis State that season, also by a 7-3 score.

• Brian Maddox's first-quarter touchdown gave the Gamecocks their first lead since the end of last year's Arkansas game, a span of 12-plus quarters.

• NC State's third-quarter field goal snapped a scoreless streak for the Wolfpack against South Carolina that dated back to the fourth quarter of the 1999 contest, a span of just under eight quarters.

RECAPPING 2008

South Carolina won seven of its first 10 games before finishing 7-6 overall, third in the SEC Eastern Division, and earning a berth in the 2009 Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. All six losses came against schools that would eventually play in postseason bowl games, including SEC and National Champion Florida. The Gamecocks were 5-2 in the friendly confines of Williams-Brice Stadium and were 2-3 in road contests. It was the fifth-straight season at .500 or better for South Carolina, a feat not accomplished since the 1930s.

GOING BOWLING

The Gamecocks played on New Year's Day or later for just the fifth time in school history and for the first time since the 2001 season, as they were invited to the Outback Bowl in Tampa on January 1 to face the Iowa Hawkeyes. It marked the fifth-straight year in which the Gamecocks have been bowl-eligible, the longest streak in the modern era. The Hawkeyes came away with a 31-10 win, sending Carolina to its 10th loss in 14 bowl game appearances.

TOUGH TIMES

The Gamecocks had one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2008, facing four ranked opponents during the regular season. According to the NCAA, Carolina's schedule was ranked as the 26th-toughest in Division I football. Eight of South Carolina's 12 regular-season opponents played in a bowl game last year, with six of those teams posting victories. In addition, Wofford advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, falling to James Madison in the first round.

TOUGH ROAD AHEAD

The 2009 Gamecock schedule is rated the nation's toughest, according to Phil Steele's 2009 College Football Preview magazine. Carolina is followed by Florida State, Oklahoma, Mississippi State and Minnesota in the top 5. The Gamecocks will face four of the top 13 teams in the country in 2008, according to the preseason polls. Florida is the top-ranked team in both polls. The Gators will make their way to Columbia on Nov. 14 in what is likely to be a nationally-televised contest. Alabama enters the season ranked fifth in both polls. Carolina will travel to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 17. Mississippi is eighth in the AP poll and 10th in the Coaches' rankings. The Rebels will visit Columbia for a Thursday night ESPN tilt on Sept. 24. Georgia begins the season ranked 13th in both polls. The Bulldogs play host to Carolina in the season's second contest, a 7 p.m. ESPN2 telecast on Sept. 12.

UNDER COACH SPURRIER

Head coach Steve Spurrier is 29-22 in his five seasons in Columbia. His 29 wins ranks seventh on the school's all-time list, four behind Lou Holtz. He tied the school record for wins (7) in his first season at the helm; tied for the most wins (15) in his first two seasons of any Carolina head coach; recorded the most wins (21) by a Carolina head coach in his first three seasons; and surpassed Warren Giese (25 wins from 1956-59) for the most wins by a coach in his first four seasons on the Carolina sidelines. He has logged a .500 or better record in four straight seasons, the first coach to do that at Carolina since the final four years of the Jim Carlen Era (1978-81). Coach Spurrier is the first coach in Carolina history to take his team to three bowl games in his first four seasons on the sidelines. He also has matched Jim Carlen and Joe Morrison for the most bowl appearances (3) as a Carolina head coach.

WINNING MORE OFTEN

The Gamecocks have posted five consecutive seasons of at least a .500 record, going 6-5 in 2004, 7-5 in 2005, 8-5 in 2006, 6-6 in 2007 and 7-6 in 2008. It's the first time they have accomplished that since 1928-34.

COACHING CHANGES

Steve Spurrier made numerous changes to his coaching staff in the off-season, promoting Ellis Johnson to assistant head coach-defense and bringing in Jay Graham (running backs/asst. special teams), Jeep Hunter (tight ends/asst. special teams), G.A. Mangus (quarterbacks), Lorenzo Ward (defensive coordinator), Eric Wolford (offensive line/running game coordinator) and Craig Fitzgerald (strength and conditioning).

BIG CROWDS

The Gamecocks averaged 80,529 fans for their seven home games in 2008. That average ranked 17th in Division I football, up two spots from the 2007 season. Seven of the top 20 schools in home attendance hail from the SEC.

WORKING OVERTIME

The Gamecocks have played just two overtime games in their history, both at Tennessee. They dropped a 23-20 decision in Knoxville on Sept. 27, 2003, then fell by a 27-24 score on Oct. 27, 2007, also at Neyland Stadium. Every other SEC team has played at least three overtime games since the rule was established in 1996.

PIPELINE TO THE NFL

South Carolina tied for having the second-most players selected in the 2009 NFL Draft of any school in the nation, matching Oregon State and Ohio State for that honor behind Southern California. Selected were:

• Jared Cook (3rd round, Tennessee)

• Kenny McKinley (5th round, Denver)

• Jasper Brinkley (5th round, Minnesota)

• Jamon Meredith (5th round, Green Bay)

• Captain Munnerlyn (7th round, Carolina)

• Stoney Woodson (7th round, N.Y. Giants)

• Ryan Succop (7th round, Kansas City)

SERVING OUR COUNTRY

Deep snapper Matthew Grooms joined the Gamecocks after serving as a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years as a mechanic, included a six-month stint in Iraq. Grooms, a junior, is the oldest player on the squad, as he turned 26 on July 8. Grooms is a native of McColl, S.C., where he played for Marlboro County. Walk-on freshman linebacker Matthew Ansley, a member of the Army Reserves, spent 18 months in Iraq, working as a gunner for convoy security and route clearance.

COMING IN EARLY

The Gamecocks welcomed in three scholarship players who graduated from high school in December and went through spring drills for the first time in 2009 in Jarvis Giles, Stephon Gilmore and DeVonte Holloman. Over the past four seasons, the Gamecocks have seen nine players arrive on campus earlier than the norm. Clark Gaston did so in 2006, while Stephen Garcia and Travian Robertson arrived in January 2007. Jay Spearman, C.C. Whitlock and Shaq Wilson all went through spring drills in 2008 after graduating from high school in the previous December.

IN THE CLASSROOM

The Gamecocks had 24 players named to the 2008 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. Included were Pierre Andrews, Yvan Banag, Tommy Beecher, Ryan Broadhead, Patrick DiMarco, Stephen Flint, Foxy Foxworth, Marque Hall, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Alex McGrath, Jamon Meredith, Travian Robertson, Hardee Sanders, Chris Smelley, Cedrick Snead, Justin Sorensen, Nate Spurrier, Scott Spurrier, Ryan Succop, Charles Turner, Chris Vaughn, Addison Williams, Stoney Woodson and Greg Wright. The Gamecocks also posted the best GPA in team history during the 2009 spring semester with a 2.669.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

South Carolina celebrates three major anniversaries during the 2009 season. This year marks the 75th year of competition in what is now Williams-Brice Stadium. The 80,250-seat structure on George Rogers Drive held its first game on Oct. 6, 1934, as South Carolina defeated VMI, 22-6. Two other significant celebrations are on tap this season as well. It's the 40th anniversary of South Carolina's only conference championship as the 1969 Gamecocks won the Atlantic Coast Conference title under head coach Paul Dietzel by going 5-0 in league play. This year is also the 25th anniversary of the 1984 "Black Magic" team that posted the winningest season in school history, going 10-2 under head coach Joe Morrison and rising as high as No. 2 in the polls.

GREATEST DECADE?

South Carolina needs just two more wins in 2009 to make the 2000s the winningest decade in school history. Since 2000, the Gamecocks have 62 overall wins, just one shy of the all-time mark set in the 1980s. In that decade, the Gamecocks rolled up 63 victories, including 10 by the 1984 "Black Magic" team.

FEW SENIORS

South Carolina has just nine players on its roster who are seniors. Of those, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Nathan Pepper and Gerrod Sinclar are fifth-year seniors, while Garrett Anderson, Moe Brown, Eric Norwood and Darian Stewart are in their fourth year. Former walk-ons John Guerry and Scott Spurrier earned scholarships during fall practice. With only nine seniors, the Gamecocks are tied with Duke for the second-fewest seniors in the country. Boise State has the fewest with four.

O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN...

Although defensive back Captain Munnerlyn has taken his talents to the NFL, the Gamecocks have no shortage of leadership. Four captains were elected for the first time in the Spurrier era, two of them on the defensive side of the ball. Senior LB Eric Norwood and junior DE Cliff Matthews were the two defensive selections, with senior WR Moe Brown and junior FB Patrick DiMarco picked from the offensive side of the ball.

EARNING THEIR KEEP

On August 18, coach Steve Spurrier announced that several walk-ons had been awarded scholarships for the 2009-10 school year. The list includes seniors John Guerry and Scott Spurrier, juniors Darantzy Brunson and Blake Baxley, and sophomores Stephen Flint, Cedrick Snead, Brandan Davis and Zac Brindise.

SIZE MATTERS

The Gamecocks come in all shapes and sizes. The tallest player on the roster is Clifton Geathers, who checks in at 6-8 this fall. He is followed closely by his backup, Devin Taylor. The shortest players are Cedrick Snead, Bryce Sherman and Scott Spurrier, all listed at 5-6. The Gamecocks have eight players that tip the scale at 300 pounds or better, including seven offensive linemen. Rokevious Watkins is the heaviest player on the squad at 340 pounds, followed by Jarriel King at 312. Kevin Young (310), Heath Batchelor (308), Garrett Anderson (307), Seaver Brown (303), Nathan Pepper (300) and Steven Singleton (300) round out those at three bills. Scott Spurrier (160) and C.C. Whitlock (173) are the only returning players listed under 175 pounds. Newcomers Jimmy Legree (170), DeAngelo Smith (170), Bryce Sherman (155), Brandan Davis (175) and Marty Markett (170) all tip the scales at 175 or less.

PAULK OUT

Junior linebacker Rodney Paulk suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee in the season-opening win at NC State. It's the second straight year that a knee injury has sidelined him early in the season.

UP NEXT

The Gamecocks will begin their 75th season at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, as they play host to Florida Atlantic. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on a pay-per-view basis.