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."