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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Camp has not been a big hit for USC

Written by JOSEPH PERSON From The State

Spurrier emphasizes keeping players healthy over conducting physical practices




At South Carolina's second scrimmage today, there will be no "2001" entrance, no big hits on the quarterbacks and, if Steve Spurrier's track record is any guide, no serious injuries to key players.

While Georgia's Mark Richt and Tennessee's Lane Kiffin have preached the value of physical preseason practices, Spurrier has maintained his approach of putting the health of his players above the supposed benefits of a knock-'em, sock-'em August.

Quarterbacks are off-limits in practices and scrimmages on most campuses. But Spurrier watches out for his receivers and running backs, too, telling defensive players to avoid the type of bone-jarring hits that cause bone-breaking injuries.

"The pros now, once their season starts, all they do is play the games. They don't even tackle much during the week," Spurrier said. "We have a quick whistle in scrimmages, and we tell our guys don't hit a guy to hurt him. If he's in a bad position, don't go firing into his knees."

The Gamecocks have added more tackling drills this year and are doing "live" goal-line sessions, in which ball-carriers are fair game to be tackled.

But other SEC teams have done more hitting this summer.

After a spate of early injuries last season, Richt cut back on the amount of contact at practice — a decision he blamed on the Bulldogs' uncharacteristically soft defense in 2008. He ramped up the intensity before Georgia's Capital One Bowl win against Michigan State and has pledged to stick with the physical approach this season.

At Tennessee, Kiffin defended his physical practices following a couple of minor injuries last week before the Vols put full pads on. Freshman tailback Bryce Brown, the nation's top-ranked recruit, was held out of contact drills a couple of days with a concussion.

"With these coaches, everything is physical. It doesn't matter if we have pads on or not," Vols offensive tackle Jarrod Shaw told The Associated Press.

After watching a couple of collisions in the secondary last week when his team was in helmets and shoulder pads, Spurrier reminded defensive players the guys they were drilling were their teammates.

"We do the normal amount of hitting that we do every year," Spurrier said. "We've always tried to protect each other, which I've always felt is very important. Don't hurt a teammate. Our guys do a good job of that."

Since Spurrier arrived at USC before the 2005 season, the Gamecocks have left preseason drills mostly healthy. Tailback Bobby Wallace (broken collarbone) and receiver Joe Hills (sprained knee) were injured during the '07 camp, although Hills' was a freakish injury caused when he ran into the hedges beyond the end zone going after a pass.

Freshman defensive end Ronald Byrd went down with a season-ending knee injury this week in the Gamecocks' first scrimmage. Otherwise, USC's only injuries have been the usual assortment of pulled groins and jammed shoulders.

"We generally go through the year without many," Spurrier said.

But critics might ask whether the Gamecocks do enough hitting to instill toughness along both lines and ensure solid tackling on game day.

"That's every linebacker or every defensive player's mentality — to go kill the ball-carrier," linebacker Rodney Paulk said. "But you've got to be smart. These are your own teammates. You can't go out and hurt your own teammates. Save those for opponents."

Having been the coach at The Citadel, Ellis Johnson said he understands the need to keep people healthy.

"As a head coach, I did not want my quarterback or my running backs hurt," said Johnson, assistant head coach in charge of defense at USC. "You can't take them out there and play volleyball every day. But you've got to be smart about this stuff because those other guys that are beating on them can't play that (position)."

While Stephen Garcia could make it through camp without getting popped, coaches and players said practices have been more physical.

"My guys, we're going to hit people," first-year offensive line coach Eric Wolford said. "We're going to try to move the line of scrimmage, so I think it's going to help both sides."

But Johnson said USC's 2008 camp exemplified why teams should limit the rough stuff.

"Everybody else looked a little stupid last year when we went to the first game and had all our players and they didn't."