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.

When the devil goes down to Georgia ...

From The State
By SETH EMERSON
semerson@thestate.com

Mark Daniel is an attorney in central Georgia, a 1981 graduate of the University of Georgia and a huge fan of his alma mater’s football team. When asked about Steve Spurrier, he laughed.

“We love him. I want to invite him over to Sunday dinner.”

Daniel was kidding, of course. Georgia fans still have plenty of hate for Spurrier — although it has ebbed since the 1990s, when Spurrier and his Florida Gators dominated the Bulldogs for more than a decade.

Spurrier is in his fifth year at USC, and as he prepares to visit Athens today for the third time as the Gamecocks’ coach, there seems to be a lesser degree of animosity toward him.

Not that Spurrier should expect a warm reception at Sanford Stadium. As recently as his last visit, 2007, he was booed as he went to the locker room at halftime. He responded with a wave.

But most of the talk this week on Georgia sports radio and message boards has been about the Bulldogs’ struggling offense. Even Spurrier shrugged when asked about his relationship with Bulldogs fans.

“All that has worn off,” Spurrier said. “I think it’s just Georgia and South Carolina playing now. Simple as that; us against them.”

Chris Beckham, a former sportswriter in Georgia, hosts a Friday night football show in Valdosta, Ga. He thinks the intensity of the Spurrier-Georgia rivalry has decreased for two reasons: “Spurrier isn’t the “bad boy” he used to be, and he’s not beating their brains out every year anymore like he did at Florida.”

Spurrier is 1-3 against Georgia since arriving at USC, with the win coming in 2007. His Gamecocks are a touchdown underdog today.

It’s a far cry from his Florida days.

As the Gators’ coach, Spurrier was 11-1 against Georgia. That included a few blowouts: 45-13 in 1991, 52-14 in 1994, 52-17 in 1995, 47-7 in 1996 and 38-7 twice (1990 and ‘98).

During the 1995 meeting Spurrier tacked on a late touchdown after being told no one had scored 50 against Georgia in Athens.

Spurrier delighted in tweaking opponents, and Georgia was no different. He referred to former Georgia coach Ray Goff as “Ray Goof.” Georgia fans reciprocated.

“I guess we felt a little comfortable directing our anger at Spurrier,” Daniel said. “I think it eased our pain a little bit.”

Tony Barnhart, the longtime writer for the AJC and now an analyst for CBS, said the Georgia-Spurrier rivalry began in 1966, the year Spurrier won the Heisman Trophy as Florida’s quarterback — but lost to Georgia.

Spurrier never forgot that, because it prevented the Gators from winning the SEC championship.

When Spurrier returned to coach his alma mater in 1990, Georgia was used to beating Florida. Spurrier quickly changed that.

“You have to understand what Spurrier accomplished when he was at Florida,” Barnhart said. “One of the biggest things he did at Florida was reverse the psychological edge of the Georgia-Florida game.”

As for Spurrier, he has his own problems, and so does Georgia. Not that there will be much love on the field tonight in Athens.

“I think there’s a lot less excitement surrounding a Spurrier appearance in Athens now than there was a few years ago,” said David Hale, who covers Georgia for the Macon Telegraph, “but there will still be a lot of people with pretty big smiles on their faces if Georgia sends him home a loser.”

Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676

Gameday preview: USC vs. Georgia

From The State



Injuries

USC - LB Rodney Paulk (knee), LB Reggie Bowens (knee) and OL Kevin Young (knee) are out; WR Dion LeCorn (leg) is probable.

Georgia - OT Trinton Sturdivant (knee) and LB Darius Dewberry (groin) are out; RB Caleb King (hamstring) is doubtful.

-------------------

Five storylines

1. Will Steve Spurrier open it up?

The Head Ball Coach thinks the Gamecocks were too conservative with their offensive game plan in a 7-3, season-opening win at N.C. State. While Spurrier would like Stephen Garcia to throw downfield more than the three times he did in Raleigh, USC does not want to abandon its revamped running game and run the risk of careless turnovers. Look for Spurrier to pick his spots without putting his defense in bad situations.

2. First team to 20 goes home a winner

The winning team has not topped 20 points in this series since 2003, and the Gamecocks have not managed more than 16 points since Spurrier arrived at USC. Considering how both offenses struggled last week in nonconference games at Oklahoma State and N.C. State, defenses again could rule the day.

3. Paging Logan Gray

Three years ago at South Carolina, Georgia replaced a fifth-year quarterback named Joe (Tereshinski) with a young QB named Matthew Stafford, the first pick in April’s NFL draft. After the 24-10 loss in Stillwater, some Georgia fans wonder if Joe Cox might be another average Joe and are clamoring for Logan Gray. Cox can quiet the criticism if he plays well against a fast defense that stymied N.C. State QB Russell Wilson.

4. Green corners vs. A.J. Green

USC’s young cornerback tandem of Akeem Auguste and Stephon Gilmore passed its first test last week in Raleigh. Auguste had several big hits, and Gilmore preserved the win with a pass breakup in the end zone. But the Wolfpack have no receivers as talented as Green, the Summerville native who caught three passes for 61 yards against the Gamecocks last year. Look for Mark Richt to try to get the ball in the hands of the 6-foot-4, 207-pound Green early and often.

5. The man they love to boo

Spurrier says the Georgia-USC game is no longer about him. But there were plenty of T-shirts poking fun of Spurrier at Sanford Stadium two years ago, and Spurrier waved to the booing crowd when he came out of the tunnel. Georgia fans have not forgotten Spurrier’s 11-1 record vs. the Bulldogs at Florida, including a 52-17 rout in 1995 when the Gators scored on a late touchdown pass. Spurrier is 1-3 against Georgia at USC, but won in Athens in 2007.

----------------------------

Game Within the Game

DE Cliff Matthews vs. OT Vince Vance

About Matthews: The junior from Cheraw put on a speed show at N.C. State, sacking Russell Wilson twice and running him down from the backside a couple other times. Coaches have been waiting on a breakout season from Matthews, whose opening-game performance nearly matched his sack total (three) from 2008.

How he’ll win: Speed, speed and more speed. The 6-foot-4, 249-pounder runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, and has a quick first step that should allow him to offset Vance’s size advantage. But after his coming-out party in Raleigh, Matthews could see his share of double-team blocks.

Key number: 76. Percentage of Matthews’ 63 career tackles that have been solo stops.

About Vance: The 6-8, 325-pound senior came off the bench last week at Oklahoma State to replace Trinton Sturdivant, who sustained a season-ending knee injury for the second consecutive year. Vance had his own knee issues last season, missing the final seven games after getting injured against Tennessee. Vance began his career at Georgia Military, where he was a teammate of several current and former USC players.

How he’ll win: Given how much Mark Richt has mentioned Matthews this week, it seems likely Vance will get help from a fullback or tight end on certain pass plays. The Bulldogs also could roll the pocket away from Matthews to buy Joe Cox time. But at some point, Vance will have to try to use his superior size to lock out on Matthews and keep him at bay.

Key number: 5. Vance was one of five players who started at offensive tackle for the Bulldogs in 2008.

------------------------

Five Questions with Terrence Campbell, left guard/No. 60/Austell, Ga.

The redshirt junior went to South Cobb High in suburban Atlanta, where he was a teammate of USC all-time leading receiver and Denver Broncos rookie Kenny McKinley.

Q: Did Georgia recruit you at all?

A: Toward the end of the process. Not really. They didn’t recruit me heavily at the beginning. They had signed like six defensive ends. Coming out, I think I was number seven on the list.

Q: I know you went to high school in Atlanta. Did you grow up there?

A: Yeah, I moved there in the third grade. So I lived there most of my life. But I never was a really big Georgia or Georgia Tech fan or nothing like that. Just a fan of college ball.

Q: What was your favorite part about living in ‘the ATL’?

A: Just the environment, the atmosphere. It’s a big city. There are a lot of things to do, friends and family out there. So just all of that.

Q: What specific things did you like to do? Did you go to Braves’ games, Falcons’ games?

A: The Hawks weren’t doing so well at first when I was coming up. But Michael Vick and the Falcons, they were doing good. We went to the Falcons’ games. We actually won a camp and we got to go to the Falcons’ arena when they played the Eagles. We saw Terrell Owens and all that, so that was a lot of fun.

Q: But now that Kenny McKinley’s in Denver, are you a Broncos’ fan?

A: Of course, I’m a big Broncos’ fan now. You know I’ve got to stay with my dog. I’m very happy for him. He’s doing real good up there. I believe he was the leading receiver this preseason for the Broncos. He continues to do his thing and just gives me a lot of motivation.

— Compiled by Joseph Person

Rescued in Raleigh: Defense keys USC win

From The State

USC offense fails to put game away, but Wolfpack offense can't get past swarm of talent
By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

RALEIGH — Throughout the preseason, South Carolina assistant head coach Ellis Johnson marveled at the speed and athleticism of his young defense. What Johnson was less certain about was how the newcomers would respond to adversity.

Now he knows.

With the game in the balance Thursday night, the Gamecocks’ defense came up with a pair of key, fourth-quarter stops to turn back N.C. State in a hard-earned 7-3 victory before a crowd of 57,583 at Carter-Finley Stadium.

USC won its 10th consecutive season opener, although this one was much closer than last year’s 34-0 shutout of the Wolfpack in Columbia.

It marked USC’s first victory when scoring under 10 points since a 7-3 decision at Memphis State on Oct. 2, 1971.

When the Gamecocks’ offense and field goal unit failed to put the game away, the defense came through to push Steve Spurrier’s record to 19-1 in season-opening games.

Spurrier was grateful, giving the defense a standing ovation in the locker room and presenting game balls to a number of defensive players.

“Our defensive guys played their hearts out,” Spurrier said. “Played good, solid football.”

USC’s two defensive captains — linebacker Eric Norwood and defensive end Cliff Matthews — each had two sacks and were instrumental in keeping State quarterback Russell Wilson in check.

Wilson, the ACC’s offensive player of the year in 2008, had several scrambles where it looked like he was going to break off a long gain, only to be run down by Norwood, Matthews or linebacker Shaq Wilson.

Wilson, who replaced Rodney Paulk after Paulk sustained what is believed to be a season-ending knee injury, tied Norwood for the team high in tackles with eight stops in the most extensive action of his career.

USC sacked Wilson six times and held him to minus-17 yards rushing.

“We couldn’t get anything going,” N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said. “And with our pass protection, we had Russell Wilson running around too much.”

USC defensive end Devin Taylor, a redshirt freshman from Beaufort who replaced the suspended Clifton Geathers, had a huge impact in his first career start. Taylor forced a fumble on N.C. State’s first play from scrimmage to set up USC’s lone touchdown, and later blocked a punt in Wolfpack territory.

A year after limiting State to 138 total yards and 10 first downs, USC’s defense nearly duplicated its performance by holding the Wolfpack to 133 yards and 11 first downs. And while his unit took a couple of personnel hits in the secondary, Johnson believes this year’s defense is faster than last year’s.

“Speed always helps,” Johnson said. “Recovery speed is something you can’t coach.”

USC clung to a four-point lead in the fourth quarter as a result of several missed scoring opportunities. A touchdown pass to Tori Gurley was nullified because of a pass interference call on Gurley, and the Gamecocks also blew two field goal chances — one on a bad snap and the other a missed 27-yard attempt by Spencer Lanning.

After the Wolfpack drove to the USC 38-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward and defensive line coach Brad Lawing told Spurrier they wanted a timeout. Defensive players caught their breaths, switched from a four-man to a three-man front, and held the Wolfpack to 2 yards on three plays after the timeout, forcing a punt.

But State had another shot after Rashard Smith’s 31-yard punt return gave the Wolfpack possession at midfield with 4:15 remaining. Wilson started to pick on USC freshman cornerback Stephon Gilmore, whose pass-interference penalty moved the ‘Pack to the 32-yard line.

Facing a fourth-and-11 four plays later, State took a timeout. Walking back on the field, USC defensive tackle Travian Robertson told Gilmore that Russell was going to come after him again.

“I got your back,” Gilmore told him.

As Wilson lofted a pass into the end zone for Jarvis Williams, Gilmore jumped up and pulled the ball away from Williams for a game-saving breakup.

Gilmore said he knew State would throw his way. “But I like stuff like that,” he said, “so I just had to make a big play on the ball.”

Big plays were the norm for a young defense that grew up a lot in the year’s first test.

Isaiah 54:17

Isaiah 54:17 “No Weapon” Shirts Available

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Gameday preview: USC vs. N.C. State

From The State

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

Five storylines for South Carolina’s season-opener Thursday against N.C. State; Q&A with safety Chris Culliver; and more.

-----------------------------

Five storylines

1. Can Stephen Garcia stick to the game plan?

The Gamecocks thumped North Carolina State last year despite four interceptions by starting quarterback Tommy Beecher. USC cannot expect to win if Garcia does the same this year. Steve Spurrier still will take chances downfield. What he does not want to see is Garcia abandoning the pocket and throwing “wildly tossed” interceptions. Garcia needs to stay calm, go through his reads, and throw the ball away if nothing develops.

2. Opening-game success

USC has won its past nine openers, including last year’s 34-0 victory against the Wolfpack. Spurrier is 18-1 in season-opening games as a college coach, with the lone loss coming against USC in 1989 during his final season at Duke. The Gamecocks’ defense has come strong in four openers under Spurrier, posting two shutouts and allowing just more than a touchdown a game.

3. USC’s offensive line vs. the Wolfpack’s veteran front

N.C. State starts four seniors on its defensive line, including ends Willie Young and Shea McKeen, a member of Spurrier’s first USC recruiting class who left after a series of off-the-field incidents. The ’Pack sacked Beecher five times last season. If the Gamecocks cannot protect Garcia, it will be a long night for the USC offense.

4. The Gamecocks’ depleted D-line

With half of its starting defensive front suspended, USC will turn to a number of untested linemen. Redshirt freshman Devin Taylor will start in place of Clifton Geathers at end, while the absence of tackle Ladi Ajiboye means Melvin Ingram will see significant playing time.

5. Russell Wilson’s accurate arm

The Wolfpack quarterback has thrown 249 consecutive passes without being picked off — a school record and the longest active streak in the country. Wilson, who sustained a concussion early in a 34-0 loss to USC last year, was picked off once in 2008 — in the second half against Clemson on Sept. 13.

----------------------

Five questions with Chris Culliver

The Gamecocks’ free safety went to high school in suburban Raleigh, and might have been on the N.C. State sideline Thursday night if not for the Wolfpack’s coaching change a few years ago. Culliver will start at safety, but could get reps at cornerback, as well.

How have you liked corner?

Corner’s been good. Coach (Lorenzo Ward) wanted me to play corner real bad. I’m up for whatever — corner, safety. Whatever to help my team out is what I have to do.

Which do you think is your better position?

I like playing safety because I can see everything. But as far as playing corner, it’s real good to lock down the receiver. If the ball comes to him, I just try to make a play.

Were you an N.C. State fan?

No, because I wasn’t really raised there. I was raised in Philadelphia.

Did State come after you hard?

Yeah, I was actually committed to them. But then I de-committed. Chuck Amato had left and all that stuff. So I decided to go elsewhere, and (USC is) the best place for me.

Think you would have gone there if Chuck the Chest had stayed?

It’s a possibility. He was on me pretty hard. So it’s a possibility.

-----------------------

Injury Report

USC — WR Dion LeCorn (leg) and CB Jay Spearman (shoulder) are out; WR DeMario Bennett (shoulder) is probable.

N.C. State — TE Mario Carter (knee), OL Denzelle Good (shoulder), LB Nate Irving (leg), FB Colby Jackson (knee) and QB Everett Proctor (shoulder) are out.

-----------------------

Game Within the Game: USC OT Jarriel King vs. NCS DE Willie Young

--- About King: The North Charleston native was a part of Steve Spurrier’s first USC recruiting class in 2005, but did not make it to campus until last year. He was inserted into the lineup the second week of the season, and ended up starting 11 games. King underwent surgery during the offseason to correct an irregular heartbeat.

How he’ll win the matchup: The 6-foot-5, 312-pound King should be in good shape if he is able to lock out his long arms on Young. He might get occasional help from a tight end, but the job of protecting Stephen Garcia’s blind side will fall largely on King.

Key number: 3, number of former Georgia Military offensive lineman on USC’s roster (Rokevious Watkins, Steven Singleton).

--- About Young: The 24-year-old Young, the oldest player on the Wolfpack’s roster, graduated in May. Young is the ACC’s active leader in tackles for loss (31.5) and sacks (12.5). He collected 1.5 of his team-leading 6.5 sacks in 2008 against USC.

How he’ll win the matchup: The 6-4, 250-pound Young gave the Gamecocks fits last year with his size and speed on the edge. Young will line up at either end position, but figures to spend a lot of the game lined up across from King. If he can get a step on King, he should be able to turn the corner and go after Garcia.

Key number: 9; espn.com recently rated Young the ACC’s ninth-best player.

Defense priority for Gilmore and Matthews

From The State

By SETH EMERSON
semerson@thestate.com

Stephon Gilmore continues to get some work at quarterback, and Cliff Matthews at tight end. When Thursday night arrives, however, their main priority will be defense.'

Gilmore, the true freshman slated to start at cornerback, has gotten reps at quarterback in the USC football team's "Wildcock" formation. Coach Steve Spurrier said Tuesday "there's a chance" Gilmore could play on offense at N.C. State, but that might make him too busy.

"Our defensive coaches remind me that he's slated to play about the whole game at defensive corner, and plus he's on a lot of special teams," Spurrier said of Gilmore, who will return punts. "We've got to use him wisely. But he is such a good runner with the ball, and he can pass pretty good also. We're trying to utilize our players the best we can to win the game."

As for Matthews, the junior who starts at defensive end, it sounded even less likely he would get significant snaps on offense. "Yeah, Cliff, he's very valuable over there at defensive end," Spurrier said. "He's scheduled to play about the whole game there. We've got to not use him too much also."

The backfield bottleneck. Thanks to injuries and the emergence of walk-on Bryce Sherman, the Gamecocks' tailback quartet became a five-man group. Spurrier said starter Brian Maddox would get the most carries, followed by freshmen Jarvis Giles and Kenny Miles. That leaves Sherman and Eric Baker waiting on the outside for now. Sherman has been getting work with the scout team, but even he has gotten some snaps with the regulars.

"We've got five tailbacks and you can't play five and you can't rep five and one of them has to go to the scout team," Spurrier said. "But what will probably play out is we want to give everyone a chance in the real games as much as we can and after that, we'll go figure out who the best is. Who's making yards, who makes guys miss, who can take care of the ball and all that."

What happens in Vegas. Linebacker Eric Norwood admitted he was surprised to see the Gamecocks are underdogs at N.C. State, the team they beat 34-0 last year.

"Normally I don't pay attention to it. I don't know how those things work, the lines and the spreads or whatever," Norwood said. "They've got us as the underdogs. We don't care. The people who make money do."

The opener king. Spurrier has won 16 straight season-openers, dating back to his first one at Florida. In fact the only opener he lost was in his final season at Duke - and it was at South Carolina.

Still, the coach shrugged off a couple questions about first games. His mind almost seemed on following it up. "Some people say you always improve between your first and second game. Well if that was true then everybody would win their second game," Spurrier said. "We didn't win our second game last year. We might've gone backwards a little bit or something. I just think every game stands on its own merit."

When Spurrier was asked about the status of one suspended player - tackle Kyle Nunn - he talked in general about players being able to stay with the program.

"When you give 85 scholarships, they all don't make it," Spurrier said. "Sometimes it's too much for some young men to do everything the right way. If we got a curfew, they don't think it pertains to them, or skipping class, or things like that. That's why some don't make it."

Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.