cockyrooster

Top ‘Cocks recruit Clowney on path to qualify academically

2011-06-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Posted by John Taylor on June 1, 2011, 10:02 AM EDT

Back in February, shortly before Jadeveon Clowney‘s delayed announcement that he was signing with South Carolina, it was reported that questions were being raised as to whether the nation’s top recruit in 2011 would qualify academically.

Based on one report, that’s no longer an issue. Based on another, however, the academic issue has yet to be completely decided.In a tweet sent late Tuesday night, Tony Morrell, recruiting analyst for TheBigSpur.com, reported that “Clowney is now qualified by NCAA standards” and that “[h]e should be admitted to USC in June and start classes in July.”

That would certainly qualify as good news for those sweating Clowney’s status, except for the fact that Rivals.com‘s USC site has tossed, at least temporarily, a (very) little bit of cold water on anything being officially finalized on the academic front.

GamecockCentral recruiting analyst Chris Clark reported Wednesday morning that “[w]hile Clowney’s academics meet the criteria to qualify under NCAA standards, he still has not been certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse.” Clark, however, goes on to write that navigating the Clearinghouse and USC admission hurdles should not be an issue for the defensive end.

“Not that it’s a problem, I’m told it’s simply too early in the process for that to happen,” Clark wrote. “His Clearinghouse certification and admission to USC are essentially the two remaining steps in his path to USC, and both of those are expected to be fine according to what I hear.”

In other words, all of this academic stuff should be cleared up in time for Clowney, expected to contribute immediately as a true freshman, to participate fully in summer camp in two months.

South Carolina Wins 2010 College World Series

2010-07-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

Celebration continues in Columbia for Gamecocks

2010-07-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The celebration continues Friday for the University of South Carolina men's baseball team as the City of Columbia is throwing a parade for the national champion team.

Beginning today at noon, the parade will start at the corner of Main and Laurel Streets, travel down Main Street and end at the corner of Main and Gervais Streets.

Immediately after the parade, a brief ceremony will be held to honor Coach Ray Tanner and the Gamecocks with the Key to the City. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Friday's parade is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the celebration so far. On Wednesday during the team's return from Omaha, nearly 14,000 people crowded the Colonial Life Area to congratulate the team for its victory.

Tanner has also received considerable praise for his leadership. He received of the Order of the Palmetto Thursday.

"This is statewide significance to win a national championship is a big deal anyway you cut it and the action speaks for itself," said Gov. Mark Sanford over the team's victory.

Tanner was also honored by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, who named him the Coach of the Year for 2010.

The Gamecock baseball flag was also placed atop the State House Thursday. It will remain there Friday during the parade.

We will be streaming the parade live on WIStv.com beginning at noon.

Copyright 2010 WIS. All rights reserved.

USC flag flies above State House

2010-07-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford ordered a USC flag to be flown above the State House Thursday “in tribute to the team’s amazing season and dominant performance over the last few days in Omaha.” The flag was flying this morning.

He also is declaring that July 1 is Gamecocks Baseball National Champions Day.

Sanford, in a news release, pointed out that the state flew the Clemson flag at the State House 30 years ago when the Tigers won a national championship.

City parade details

The city of Columbia will honor the national champion Gamecocks Friday with a parade. It begins at noon Friday on Main Street. The parade will begin at the corner of Main and Laurel Streets, travel down Main Street and end at the corner of Main and Gervais Streets. Immediately following the parade, a brief ceremony will be held to honor Coach Ray Tanner and the USC Gamecocks.

When can you get your championship gear?

Gamecock fans looking to sport the National Championship shirts and hats when the S.C. baseball team arrived in Columbia Wednesday afternoon were out of luck.

The T-shirts and hats worn by the players on the field Tuesday night after the Gamecocks won USC’s first major national championship are being printed today in California and will arrive in Columbia Thursday, Jewelry Warehouse collegiate buyer Kevin Lucas said.

Lucas said the store pre-ordered 2,600 T-shirts and 1,500 hats from a company in California, if the Gamecocks won. The company started printing Wednesday morning after the team’s extra-innings 2-1 win over UCLA close to midnight.

Sporting goods retailer Todd & Moore was overwhelmed with calls from customers Wednesday morning and was expecting that T-shirt on Wednesday afternoon at the Gervais Street store.

The supply probably won’t last long enough to ship any shirts to the O’Neil Court store, vice president Tim Robertson said.

Staff reports

Extra, extra!

On Sunday, look for a commemorative section celebrating the USC championship season inside The State newspaper.

Thursday, we’ll have commemorative posters. Look for details on how to purchase them at the home page of thestate.com. And later this month, look for a special edition of our magazine, GoGamecocks.

Very superstitious?

As the Gamecocks advanced through the College World Series, Kevin Lucas, 25, had to come home early from Omaha to order National Championship T-shirts for Jewelry Warehouse. His job as collegiate buyer required him to place the orders Monday and Tuesday -- before the Gamecocks clinched the title.

"I felt like I was jinxing them by special ordering," said the lifelong USC fan, who claims his first word was "Gamecock" and it's dangerous for him to listen to "Sandstorm" in the car. "My stomach was in knots."

To counterbalance the damage he had done, Lucas -- who said he is ultra-superstitious -- ate the same thing for lunch every day as the team advanced through the bracket.

"Every day, I've gone to Chick-Fil-A and ordered the spicy chicken sandwich," he said.

His efforts paid off.

"The voodoo is now off. The chicken curse is gone," he said.

Longtime coming

John and Tina Sauls drove to Columbia from Moncks Corner Wednesday morning with their two granddaughters, Mayann, 7, and Caraline, 5, just to be part of the celebration.

"This is the place to be today," John Sauls said.

Sauls, 56, a 1979 USC graduate, was at the basketball game in 1971 with his dad when the Gamecocks took the ACC championship.

Tina Sauls, 45, said the school was due for a victory like this.

"It couldn't have happened to a nicer coach and a more deserving team," she said.

Fan report: Peru

From Louisa White, in an email from South America today:

“I am an IMBA student (and undergrad alum), currently living in Lima, Peru for a summer internship. Like other fans who were not in the United States, I watched the game from my laptop. Around the third inning, my home internet started to skip and pause almost every 10 seconds. At that point, I moved to Plan B...the ever-reliable Starbucks. It was evident that mysomewhat muted screams and fist pumps aroused curiosity, since at one point, I noticed the valet attendant´s face plastered against the glass, glaring in at my computer. What an awesome night: one that I will never forget. Savor this day Columbia!

Share your celebration moment; email us at statefeatures@thestate.com

Fan report: The best birthday present ever

From David Brinkman: “I’m a USC grad and Tuesday was my 50th birthday. My wife prayed throughout the day that the spirits of my mom and dad (huge USC baseball fans -- see the attached 1997 article that appeared in The State and Spurs&Feathers) would shine down on the Gamecocks and give me a birthday to remember. At 11:57 p.m., it happened with Merrifield’s hit. My wife (Odess), son (Jeremy), and I, went wild. An hour later (sorry neighbors), we used fireworks for the 4th of July to continue the celebration.”

Fan report: Las Vegas

From Dave Easley, who lives in Irmo: “I have been at the Cisco Live 2010 Conference all week in Las Vegas. The games have overlapped our conference schedule and I haven’t been able to watch from beginning to end. But I left early yesterday to catch what I could. I stopped by one of the casino television sets and when Merrifield tagged that base hit, I jumped up and down and screamed at the top of my lungs! It got a few looks, but from time to time that happens to people in Las Vegas so it didn’t make everyone stop in their tracks! What a feeling to be a Gamecock fan ... I just hate not being able to celebrate with everyone back in Columbia! I’ve always been proud to be a Gamecock, but this was a very, very special moment in time.”

Kudos from Lindsey Graham

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham took a little time out today from the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan to congratulate the Gamecocks. Here is his statement:

“As a graduate of the University of South Carolina, I know what a historic achievement this is for the school and state. Last night’s win in the College World Series was the first men’s national championship in any sport for the university.

“The Gamecocks performance in the College World Series, and really throughout the entire Road to Omaha, was the epitome of ‘team.’ Great pitching, timely hitting, and a never-quit attitude defined this team. These young men believed in each other and have brought credit to themselves, the University of South Carolina, and our state.

“Last night’s exciting game between USC and UCLA was a fitting tribute to the last College World Series game to be played at Rosenblatt Stadium. It represented the best of college baseball and amateur athletics in general.

“Congratulations to Coach Tanner, his staff, and the players. We are very proud of their tremendous achievement.”

Thousands pack arena for Gamecock celebration, parade scheduled

2010-06-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - About 14,000 people gathered at the Colonial Life Arena in downtown Columbia Wednesday afternoon to welcome the national champion USC Gamecock baseball team home from the College World Series in Omaha.

This was the first time a men's athletic team has won a national title and Gamecock fans were ready to party. Many tailgated in parking lots outside Colonial Life Arena and most dressed in South Carolina shirts and hats. An arena scoreboard replayed the baseball clincher from the night before.

Gates opened at the Colonial Life Arena at 3:30p.m., and fans began pouring in to watch a replay of Tuesday night's title game. The team walked in just before 5:30pm to raucous "Game-Cocks" cheers, the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Queen's "We Are the Champions."

The first 5,000 fans in attendance received a commemorative print. Due to the venue change and expected large crowd, there was not an autograph session to conclude the event as was previously planned.

Coach Ray Tanner thanked the fans for their support during the season. Instead of referring to the championship as belonging to the team, Tanner said it was fans' championship title.

Tanner also thanked three people who couldn't be at the celebration: Sarge Frye, Tom Price, and Bayler Teal.

Teal was the 7-year-old cancer-stricken child who died last weeks just as the Gamecocks defeated the Oklahoma Sooners. The boy was a fan of the team and the team quickly adopted him as one of their own.

"Last I'd like to recognize Bayler Teal," said Tanner to a standing crowd chanting the boy's name. "There was once a time in Bayler's life that many of our guys were his heroes, but soon, he became our hero. He inspired us, and he was watching over us. He was the angel on our wing. Thank you, Bayler."

The celebration doesn't end for at least until the end of the week. The City of Columbia says they'll be holding a parade on Friday at noon on Main Street to commemorate the team's historic title. The parade will begin at the corner of Main and Laurel streets, travel down Main Street and end at the corner of Main and Gervais streets.

Immediately after the parade, a brief ceremony will be held to honor Coach Ray Tanner and the Gamecocks. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Governor Mark Sanford announced Wednesday afternoon that the USC baseball flag will fly over the State House on Thursday to honor the Gamecocks, much like after Clemson's 1981 football championship. Sanford is also designating Thursday, July 1 as Gamecocks Baseball National Champions Day.

"Given last night's classic come-from-behind victory by the South Carolina Gamecocks in Omaha, I'd congratulate Coach Tanner and the entire baseball team for their relentless spirit, superior skill, and ongoing success both on and off the field in representing South Carolina," said Sanford.

In addition, Sanford will award Coach Tanner with the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian award. "For his years of success on the ball field, his work with the Ray Tanner Foundation, and his dedicated service to the university and community at large, Coach Tanner is deserving of this recognition and I'd wish him and the Gamecocks all the best as they take a well-deserved victory lap," said Sanford.

Copyright 2010 WIS. All rights reserved.

History-making: Gamecocks win national title

2010-06-30T03:37:00.000-07:00

Merrifield's single in 11th gives USC first CWS crown
NEIL WHITE
nwhite@thestate.com

OMAHA, Neb. – Whit Merrifield knew he had to make simple contact.

The junior outfielder stood at the plate in the bottom of the 11th inning of a tie game with the biggest potential run in the history of South Carolina baseball standing on third base.

And on a 2-0 pitch, Merrifield brought that run home with a sharp single to right-field, a hit that delivered a 2-1 win over UCLA and the program’s first NCAA championship Tuesday night in the final College World Series game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

“It was just elation when I saw it go through. I knew I got the barrel on it,” Merrifield said. “I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was jumping up and down and screaming and just waiting for my teammates to come tackle me. Gosh, this is unbelievable.”

The Gamecocks (54-16) swept the Bruins (51-17) in the best-of-three championship series. Their six straight wins after an opening loss set a CWS record and wrote a perfect ending in the final chapter of the historic old ballpark, home to 61 College World Series since 1950.

“You want to play among the best and try to be one of the best one day. Many times it’s just a dream but sometimes it becomes reality. Here in 2010 in the final chapter of Rosenblatt, it all worked out for the Gamecocks,” USC coach Ray Tanner said. “We’re going to be in the history books for a long, long time. I know the new stadium is going to be tremendous but this is history, and we’ll be a part of that for many years to come.”

In their fourth appearance in a CWS title game, the Gamecocks finally are bringing the hardware back to Columbia after 35 years of baseball excellence through three head coaches.

Scott Wingo drew the leadoff walk in the 11th off UCLA closer Dan Klein (6-1), who was in his fourth inning of work, and advanced to second on a passed ball. He moved to third on Evan Marzilli’s sacrifice bunt before Merrifield came through with his line drive. USC closer Matt Price (5-1) picked up the win with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

The team erupted out of the dugout with Merrifield’s hit, which capped a season that got better and better as it went along. The Gamecocks went 11-1 in the NCAA tournament and seemed to have a new hero every day. For senior ace Blake Cooper, who threw 300 pitches in three games in the CWS, which included the win over UCLA in Game 1 of the title series, the season could only have had one conclusion.

“No other way,” Cooper said. “Like I said before, our team has been battled-tested all year and I knew that’s what it was going to come down to tonight. It’s a perfect storybook ending for me.”

Senior catcher Kyle Enders, who caught every inning in all seven CWS games, felt the exact same way.

“It still really has sunk in yet, but I couldn’t ask for anything more to end my career and win the last game here. I’m thankful for all of my teammates and all the hard work we put in,” Enders said. “I want to say I’m tired but I’m not. I feel good that we won and now we’re national champs.”

Sophomore outfielder Jackie Bradley, who won the CWS MVP award, went hitless Tuesday, but he carried much of the load for most of the tournament with two homers and nine RBIs.

“As a team, we’re just as proud as we can ever be,” Bradley said. “First national championship for baseball and for men’s (athletics) at our whole university. It’s a great feeling.”

Wingo was ecstatic about scoring the final run at Rosenblatt, the one that gave USC its first title.

“I had to get on (base) any way,” he said. “I can’t even describe the words. Unbelievable. We closed this thing out, and we’ll try to open it up next season at the new stadium.”

USC tied the game at 1-1 in the eighth when pinch-hitter Brady Thomas led with a sharp single off reliever Erik Goeddel, who was then replaced by Klein, the right-hander with a team-high 10 saves and 1.85 ERA. Enders got pinch-runner Robert Beary to second on a groundout to third. On the seventh pitch of his at-bat, Bobby Haney hit a hard grounder that first baseman Dean Espy couldn’t handle, and when it bounced off his glove into right-field, Beary steamed around third with the tying run.

Along the way, starter Michael Roth, who allowed just one run in five innings, and relievers Jose Mata, Tyler Webb, John Taylor and Price held the Bruins in check. But even as the Gamecocks struggled to score as well, Tanner never lost faith in his team.

“We did play uphill a lot. I told the guys in the middle of the game that this is who we are. This is the kind of game we win,” he said. “We just kept battling and finally found a way. Whit Merrifield came up with the biggest hit of his career.”

The Bruins took their first lead of the series in the fifth inning. Trevor Brown beat out an infield hit to deep short and moved to second on a sacrifice by Steve Rodriguez. Roth gave up an RBI single to left-center by Niko Gallego to give UCLA a 1-0 lead. Roth, who threw a complete-game gem in a 5-1 win over Clemson, came out after the fifth. He gave the Gamecocks a solid effort by allowing just one run on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

But that was all the Bruins would get. And when it counted the most, Merrifield came through.

“It’s been unreal, this whole journey,” Merrifield said. “I’ll be so sad to see these guys go, especially the seniors. I’m just so blessed to be a part of something this special.”

Tanner, who credited the commitment of the USC administration and the athletic department, couldn’t agree more.

“It takes a total team effort to get in this position. I’m not just using words right now,” Tanner said. “Lo and behold, we got here and lost the first game and battled back to become the national champions. I’m so happy for the great state of South Carolina.”

Roth to start for Gamecocks vs. UCLA tonight

2010-06-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Omaha, Neb. -- South Carolina sophomore left-hander Michael Roth will start for South Carolina tonight vs. UCLA at the 2010 College World Series.

Roth leads the team with 36 appearances on the year and owns a 2-1 record with a 1.27 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts to just eight walks. Opponents are batting just .174 against him.

Cooper carries Gamecocks to Game 1 win over UCLA

2010-06-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Ace pitcher for USC has 10 strikeouts, three hits
By NEIL WHITE
nwhite@thestate.com

Tantalizingly close.

That’s where South Carolina baseball team finds itself in its pursuit of the program’s first national championship. With a 7-1 victory over UCLA Monday night, the Gamecocks need only one more win in the best-of-three series to reach the pinnacle of college baseball.

Senior right-hander Blake Cooper led the way one more time as he threw eight masterful innings to win the College World Series championship opener. The Gamecocks (53-16) will play the Bruins (51-16) at 7:30 tonight in what could be the final CWS game ever at Rosenblatt Stadium.

In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, the Gamecocks put themselves in the driver’s seat early by scoring in each of the first three innings. And with the win, they are on the verge of doing what they couldn’t quite do in three previous NCAA title appearances in 1975, 1977, and 2002.

But USC coach Ray Tanner isn’t going to let his players get too far ahead of themselves by dwelling too much on the opportunity.

“We're not thinking about that, really. That's too much to think about,” Tanner said. “I just told the guys we're going to do the things we've done all year. It's just another game for us tomorrow. We'll try to put it together and try to win a game. And that's really going to be the focus.”

Junior outfielder Whit Merrifield said the focus is simply on winning the next game in front of them.

“You want to win when you have to. We’ve said in the locker room we’ve won one game 52 times or something like that this year,” Merrifield said. “We’ve got our whole staff ready for (Tuesday), and I’m not sure who’s going to start, but whoever they are, hopefully they’ll give us a good outing and we can push some runs across again.”

Tanner wasn’t ready to name tonight’s starter, and UCLA coach John Savage said he was leaning toward left-hander Rob Rasmussen (11-3).

But it’s going to be hard for any pitcher to top Cooper (13-2), who was pitching for the third time in the CWS and the second time on three days rest. He completely handcuffed the Bruins, who had scored 29 runs in four CWS games entering the contest. He allowed just three singles while walking one, striking out 10 and lowering his ERA to 2.76. After allowing a fifth-inning single, he retired 11 batters in a row before giving up a ninth-inning leadoff single. John Taylor got the final three outs for the Gamecocks.

“Cooper realized with the maturity he has early on that he didn't have the giddy-up he needed on his fastball,” Tanner said. “And he needed his changeup, slider, curveball, the two-seamer was sinking, got some ground balls. He just tried to pitch. And he was outstanding.”

The Gamecocks had their way with UCLA’s hard-throwing sophomore right-hander Gerrit Cole (11-4), who was pitching on a full week’s rest but couldn’t come close to matching Cooper’s effectiveness. Cole gave up six runs – four earned – on 11 hits in his seven innings of work. He labored while throwing 127 pitches and only struck out two, with both coming in the sixth inning, after starting the game with an eye-popping 151 strikeouts.

“We knew Cole was a good pitcher coming in, but like we’ve said time and time again, it’s nothing we haven’t seen. Playing in the SEC, we feel like we’ve seen it all,” Merrifield said. “We blooped a couple in, and he got a little rattled. We put some stuff together, and things were kind of falling our way tonight. What can you say about Coop? He just threw an unbelievable game. What a way to go out for him.”

Cole credited the Gamecocks for making something happen against him.

“Well, they had a great approach. I don't know what the approach was. But whatever it was, it worked,” Cole said. “They touched the ball with two strikes, constantly worked counts, fouled balls off. I jumped ahead of a lot of batters. Had a lot of guys 0-1, 1-2. And they touched the ball. They didn't chase the fastball up. They just did a very good job.”

Savage gave a salute to the guy on the mound for the Gamecocks.

“Blake Cooper was outstanding off three days rest. You’ve got to give him a ton of credit. He pounded the strike zone, threw his change and breaking ball for strikes, and really kept us off balance all evening,” Savage said. “So it was clearly their night from the get-go. They deserved to win the game. They dominated us in every phase, really. So it's one game. And it's the best two out of three, and we have bounced back all season.”

Bobby Haney led the 14-hit attack with two hits and three RBIs, while Jackie Bradley, Christian Walker and Evan Marzilli also had two hits apiece. Every player in USC’s starting lineup had at least one hit, with Merrifield’s first hit of the game delivering the Gamecocks’ seventh run in the eighth.

Haney said the team didn’t relax after building a 5-0 lead in the first three innings.

“You don't really think about that too early in the game, ‘Oh, this is our night, we're going to win this game,’” Haney said. “You’ve just got to play what you know how to play, play hard, and hope the ball goes your way.”

USC pushed its lead to 5-0 in the third inning thanks to some help from the UCLA defense. Walker led off the inning with a chopper that first baseman Justin Uribe couldn’t field cleanly, although it went for a hit. After Brady Thomas walked, Cole made an error on a bunt attempt by Adrian Morales to load the bases.

Kyle Enders then lifted a fly ball to center, but center fielder Beau Amaral sailed the ball over the catcher’s head on his throw home. Walker, who had held up until the overthrow, was cut down at the plate when catcher Steve Rodriguez tossed it back to Cole for the out. But Haney salvaged the inning with a two-run, two-out single off Cole.

Haney delivered another run in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly, which followed consecutive singles by Morales and Enders to put runners on the corners. Haney’s third RBI of the night upped South Carolina’s lead to 6-0.

“We got a great start tonight offensively. We pushed across some runs early,” Tanner said. “And they made a couple of mistakes. And we had a couple of hits stuck in there. We really didn't hit Cole that hard early, but we were able to get a couple balls to drop and scored some runs.”

Cooper, meanwhile, sailed through the first four innings without allowing a hit and striking out five. He did have to pitch around two hit batsmen and two errors by second baseman Scott Wingo. He didn’t allow his first hit until Rodriguez singled to right with one out in the fifth, but he got the next two batters to keep his shutout going.

South Carolina staged a two-out rally in the first inning that plated a pair of runs. Bradley got things going with a bunt single, and Walker followed by dropping a blooper into left-center field to put runners on the corners. A checked-swing by Thomas resulted in a ball dumped into left to score Bradley. Morales then hit a ground ball that went right through second baseman Cody Regis’ legs to give USC a 2-0 lead.

“We just got the momentum early, and that's what we needed in a game like this,” Walker said.

The Gamecocks added another run in the second when Wingo hit a one-out liner that eluded left-fielder Jeff Gelalich and rolled to the fence, which allowed Wingo to chug into third for a triple. Marzilli hit a sharp single to right push the lead to 3-0.

South Carolina Advances to CWS Finals With 4-3 Win Over Clemson

2010-06-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

Gamecocks to Face UCLA in Best-of-Three Series Beginning Monday

June 26, 2010

OMAHA, Neb. - Consecutive two-out RBI singles from Christian Walker and Adrian Morales broke a 2-2 tie and freshman right-hander Matt Price came on in relief to earn his fourth win of the season as South Carolina defeated Clemson 4-3 on Friday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium to advance to the championship series of the 2010 College World Series. Carolina is now 52-16 on the year and will play UCLA for the national title beginning on Monday night with first pitch set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game televised live on ESPNHD and also available on the Gamecock Radio Network and at GamecocksOnline.com. Game two of the series is set for Tuesday and will also be at 7:30 p.m. If necessary, there will be a game three on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. as well. Clemson ends the season with a 45-25 record.

A see-saw affair saw the Gamecocks and Tigers knotted at two apiece heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. That's when Carolina made its final move as Evan Marzilli reached base with one out on a hit by pitch against Clemson starter Casey Harman. With Alex Frederick on in relief for Clemson, Whit Merrifield struck out swinging. However, on the play, Marzilli stole second base and advanced on a throwing error by Clemson catcher Spencer Kieboom. With Marzilli in scoring position, Clemson elected to intentionally walk Jackie Bradley Jr. that brought Christina Walker up to the plate. On Frederick's 3-1 pitch, Walker roped a RBI single to left center scoring Marzilli and giving the Gamecocks a one-run lead. That was followed up by a RBI base hit by Adrian Morales scoring Bradley and putting the Gamecocks ahead 4-2. With Carolina ahead by two runs, the Tigers mounted a rally as John Hinson reached base on a triple to right after both Merrifield and Wingo collided going for the ball. Hinson would then score on Brad Miller's RBI ground out to bring the Tigers back within a run. Clemson mounted one final rally in the top of the ninth as Mike Freeman reached base with two outs on a single up the middle. But Matt Price kept the game in check and was able to get Jeff Schaus to ground out on a sharp ground ball to first baseman Christian Walker preserving a victory for the Gamecocks.

Price is now 4-1 on the year after allowing one run on three hits in 2.1 innings with three strikeouts. Harman suffered the loss despite a quality start for the Tigers. He allowed three runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings with five strikeouts and no walks.

"(It was) a heck of a ball game, no question about it" said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "You know, two teams that are extremely familiar with each other. The numbers were almost identical. We left about the same number they did on base. (Both teams) had about the same number of hits. Guys competing all over the place. Pitchers battling hard, making plays. And we came up with a couple of two-out hits there in (the seventh). (Kyle) Enders tried to give us a little bit of insurance, but (Wilson Boyd) ran that ball down the alley. And it's one of those games that's very common when we play Clemson. We're very fortunate to be able to continue to play. I'm proud of these guys up here and our team. We've just battled and tried to stay in the position all night long. It's very difficult to do against a team as talented and as good as Clemson is. Like I said, a very evenly matched game and we get to play now in the national championship."

In an even contest, the Gamecocks finished with nine hits to the Tigers eight on the evening. Merrifield went 3-for-5 with Walker going 2-for-4 and driving in two runs. Marzilli also scored two runs. Bradley extended his hitting streak to 21 games as well. John Hinson was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Mike Freeman was 2-for-5 to lead Clemson at the plate.

South Carolina broke ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Three consecutive singles by Evan Marzilli, Whit Merrifield and Jackie Bradley Jr. put the Gamecocks in position to score. Harman limited the damage though as he induced Christian Walker into a 4-6-3 double play that scored Marzilli.

Clemson would tie the game 1-1 in the top of the third inning. Will Lamb reached base on a hit by pitch and advanced to third on Mike Freeman's single to right center. Lamb scored on a RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Schaus. Dyson would limit the damage for Carolina as well though as he struck out John Hinson swinging with two runners on to maintain the tie.

Carolina regained the lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo home run from Walker, his ninth of the season and third of the NCAA Tournament. Walker crushed a 2-2 pitch from Harman over the wall in left center to give the Gamecocks a one-run lead. Clemson tied it at 2-2 in the seventh inning as the Tigers scored after a fielder's choice on a throwing error by second baseman Scott Wingo.

The national championship series will be the fourth time in school history that the Gamecocks will play for a national title in collegiate baseball. South Carolina finished as national runner-up in 1975 (vs. Texas), 1977 (vs. Arizona State and 2002 (vs. Texas). This is head coach Ray Tanner's second appearance in the national title match-up in his fourth trip to the College World Series.

South Carolina advanced to the national championship series with four straight victories. After falling to Oklahoma 4-3 in the CWS opener, the Gamecocks defeated Arizona State 11-4, Oklahoma 3-2 (12 inn.), and Clemson twice, 5-1, and 4-3.

South Carolina and UCLA have only met once on the baseball diamond. The Bruins defeated the Gamecocks on March 23, 1972, 10-4 in a tournament in Riverside, Calif.

Gamecocks catch the Gators

2010-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

USC rallies as Raley-Ross heats up in the second half
By SETH EMERSON
semerson@thestate.com

Early in the second half, Darrin Horn gave Brandis Raley-Ross a warning: either start shooting the ball or have a seat on the bench.

Raley-Ross took it to heart, and the result was an impressive rally for the South Carolina men's basketball team.

The senior guard's second-half flurry of 3-pointers propelled the Gamecocks to a 77-71 victory against Florida on Wednesday night. The win kept USC (14-9, 5-4 SEC) alive in the Eastern Division. Florida (17-7, 6-4) entered having won six of its past seven.

"This one was huge for a lot of reasons," Horn said.

This rivalry has seen some classic moments lately. Last month, Florida won on a last-second 3-pointer by Chandler Parsons. And last year at Colonial Life Arena, Zam Fredrick beat the Gators on a buzzer-beating layup after a full-court pass from Mike Holmes.

There was no last-second drama this time.

Florida led most of the game and by as many as eight in the second half. But the Gators missed numerous chances to put USC away.

And then the Gamecocks pounced.

USC went on a 21-7 run to shift momentum. Raley-Ross was key, scoring 17 of his 20 points in the second half.

During the first media timeout of the second half, Horn pulled Raley-Ross aside.

"He was leading the nation in shot-fakes," Horn said. "I told him if he passed up another 3 he was coming out. To his credit, he stepped up and took - and made - a lot of big shots for us."

The Gamecocks needed that kind of production from their second-leading scorer. Devan Downey rolled his ankle in Monday's practice, and though he finished with 24 points, that was his SEC low this season.

Raley-Ross hit his first 3-pointer shortly after the talk with Horn -- and didn't let up. His third 3 cut Florida's lead to one with 9:22 left.

A minute later, Downey's jumper gave USC its first lead since early in the first half.

From there, the Gamecocks gradually pulled away. A 3-pointer by Ramon Galloway as the shot clock expired gave USC a four-point lead. Another 3 by Raley-Ross extend the advantage to 61-54 with 4:07 left.

Raley-Ross seemed surprised he had been so bashful in shooting.

"It hasn't happened in a while. Not since high school, I think," he said. "But it felt good, and I just made them down the stretch."

It also helped that the Gators foundered, hitting one field goal during one six-minute stretch. They struggled the whole game on offense, committing 20 turnovers and going 10-for-23 from the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, the Gamecocks hit their free throws, with Downey sinking 11 of 12.

Downey said he "definitely wasn't 100" percent and was in a walking boot after the game. The team said Downey will continue to wear the boot for precautionary reasons.

"My team carried me tonight," Downey said. "A whole lot of times people talk about what I do for this team. You know, tomorrow's headline should be what my team did for me tonight."

USC running game is a priority

2009-12-30T05:58:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-03T15:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-30T05:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-19T03:40:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-06T04:04:00.001-08:00

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

2009-10-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-25T07:44:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-09T03:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Official Lucky Rooster Merchandise Available

2009-10-07T14:19:00.001-07:00

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What a rush: Ground game propels USC

2009-09-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-15T12:25:00.001-07:00

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.

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From The State

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

Written by JOSEPH PERSON

Rich Glickstein/rglickstein@thestate.com/

Official Lucky Rooster Merchandise Available

What a rush: Ground game propels USC

South Carolina vs. Florida Atlantic: Five Keys to Victory

Dawg-gone shame: Late stand halts USC