Week 4 at Louisiana State

Inaugural Game - I had a great time this past Saturday ... After a hectic morning and afternoon we made our way from Cayce to the State Farmers Market at 3 o'clock ... The traffic was a little heavier on Bluff Road, but nothing terrible and we were parked by 3:25 p.m. ... Parked next to us at the Watermelon Shed were some big S.C. State fans and the operative word there is 'big' ... These fellas had a smorgasboard of goodies and were putting an absolute hurting on their dishes ... The guys were all really nice and even moved their tailgating spot down a place or two when a guy driving his SUV rolled into its usual spot -- they gladly obliged to move and didn't even know that they were parked in reserved spots -- no biggie whatsoever ... Speaking of some of the empty spots -- where was everyone? ... I've heard horror stories about the traffic post 4 o'clock on Saturday and again after game, but where were all of these people? ... They certainly weren't at Williams-Brice Stadium, because the announced crowd of 73,095 was higher than what I thought -- I estimated a crowd of about 68,000 during the game as there was plenty of aluminum shining around the facility ... Come on Gamecock "fans'! ... The pregame meal was simple on this hot day -- mustard-based BBQ sandwiches, Pringle's jalapeno chips and salsa, along with a bunch of cold Natural Light's -- hmmmmmmmm!

The Game - Maybe it was just me, but after the game started with so many penalties and just plain poor play, I knew the 17-3 first quarter advantage was enough to send Carolina to Baton Rouge this weekend with a 3-0 record ... It's true that USC pretty much played down to S.C. State's level, as the game was filled with dropped passes, numerous penalties, and enough turnovers to last a season ... However, it was a typical valley game for the Gamecocks after claiming a win at then 11th-ranked Georgia and a national TV date looming with 2nd-ranked LSU ... USC did what it had to do and I didn't take too much from any facet of the game except for the fact that Moe Brown can't catch the ball and that I hope Blake Mitchell can stay healthy for the duration of the season ... Despite Mitchell's poor game, there isn't much waiting in the wings for South Carolina in the signal caller position -- that can change, but I hope it's not until next spring.

The Good - The running backs duo of Mike Davis and Cory Boyd continues to shine as "Davis Boyd" (my name for this tailback) tallied 237 yards on 27 carries and a score, while also hauling in four passes for 21 yards and a touchdown ... Ryan Succop once again comes up big with a 40 yard field goal, 5-for-5 on extra points, a 41.5 average on two punts, and solid kickoffs ... Kenny McKinley is the class of the wideouts and he hauled in four passes for 36 yards and a TD ... Nice to see the Barnes Boys of Mark (2 REC, 12 YDS, 1 TD) and Jason (1 REC, 34 YDS) get on the field for some quality minutes and a great grab by Jared Cook for 25 yards was a pleasant view ... It was super to see Emanuel Cook back in the lineup and Marvin Sapp seemed to have a solid game as well ... How about that pick by the big boy Nathan Pepper -- complete with another celebration prior to the end zone that resulted in a sprained knee (stop doing that stuff -- just hand the ball off to the official and party on the sidelines).

The Bad - The Bulldogs' tailback, Will Ford of Travelers Rest, ran at will against Carolina on limited touches ... His 112 yards (6.6 average) on 17 carries would have been doubled by me if I was in Buddy Pough's shoes, because their QB play between starter Cleve McCoy and backup Malcolm Long leaves a lot to be desired in the passing game ... McCoy did a fair job running the ball (58 yards, 17 rushes), but S.C. State's offense looks like a glorified high school attack -- not a pretty sight for $35! ... The USC offense sputtered due to the large number of turnovers and with Mitchell struggling it was a perfect opportunity for Tommy Beecher to step up and contribute, but his play only worsened matters ... SCSU uses that Lou Holtz type of punting system with the rollout of the pocket and the rugby style kick and I've seen enough of that to last a lifetime -- once or twice is fine, but everytime looks like something at the Pop Warner level ... It was unfortuante that Pepper got hurt, but his incident was after a play and totally a freakish kind of injury ... However, Brandon Isaac's bum shoulders again sent him off the gridiron and I hope this injury doesn't make him miss too much time this year.

Halftime - Wow! ... What a show the "Marching 101" of S.C. State put on at intermission ... That was a top quality halftime show and one worthy of remaining in your seats ... In fact, the whole section around me stood the entire time they performed ... How about the discipline of that band? ... When sitting during the game, the 30+ brass tubas surround the Bulldogs band that is chocked full of brass horns and believe me, they are loud! ... In front of the band sits the "Champagne Girls" -- a requirement of them sitting is to remain cross-legged at all times (my buddy Marcus told me this as his uncle is the band director at SCSU) ... If Grambling or Southern University's band is anywhere near as good as State's, then I suggest USC rent them for the trip to Baton Rouge since the "Mighty Sound of the Southeast" will be watching the game on CBS -- it doesn't bother me in the least that USC isn't sending the marching band to LSU as the Gamecocks have five road games this fall and that is the longest distance of any trip (remember, this decision was made by the USC Band Director(s) and no one else).

Recognition - The halftime ceremony honoring the 2007 Hall of Fame Class was a nice touch ... I had the privilege of attending the actual ceremony last Thursday at Seawell's in Columbia and it was a first class event ... Former USC baseball player Tommy Moody emceed the ceremonies that ushered in its first class that did not include a former football player: Kip Bouknight (baseball); Charlotte Hamilton Giese (swimming); Wade King (swimming); Clint Mathis (soccer); and Lisa Misapeka (track/field) ... On a personal note, it was especially special to see my cousin, Kip, enshrined into an elite status of the Garnet & Black -- well done, Kip! ... Since 1967, USC has inducted 102 Gamecocks into the HOF and it was great to see a bunch of my family and USC friends and colleagues at the event.

SC State Photo Gallery

On the Pitch - Kudos to the Lady Gamecocks' soccer team, which improved to 7-0-0 in 2007 with a 5-0 win vs. Winthrop at Stone Stadium and consecutive 2-0 victories vs. Charlotte and Furman at the Carolinas Cup in the Queen City of North Carolina ... USC was ranked 16th in the adidas/NSCAA poll last week and will certainly move up this week ... Congratulations to the Carolina men's soccer team that captured the adidas Gamecock Classic in Columbia with a 2-0 victory vs. Lipscomb on Sunday ... The Gamecocks should have won on Friday, but the match was halted due to lightning with USC leading 1-0 in the 50th minute -- NCAA stipulations require a match to reach the 70th minute and no officials were available on Saturday ... Carolina is 4-2 on the year and will play at #5 Duke on Wednesday in a huge South Region match ... USC was ranked fifth in the region last week.

ACC/SEC Rankings - My independent rankings:

1. Louisiana State, 3-0
2. Florida, 3-0
3. Boston College, 3-0
4. SOUTH CAROLINA, 3-0
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5. Alabama, 3-0
6. Clemson, 3-0
7. Georgia, 2-1
8. Kentucky, 3-0
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9. Georgia Tech, 2-1
10. Arkansas, 1-1
11. Virginia Tech, 2-1
12. Florida State, 2-1
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13, Miami, 2-1
14. Tennessee, 1-2
15. Mississippi State, 2-1
16. Maryland, 2-1
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17. Auburn, 1-2
18. Wake Forest, 1-2
19. Vanderbilt, 2-1
20. Virginia, 2-1
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21. Mississippi, 1-2
22. North Carolina State, 1-2
23. North Carolina, 1-2
24. Duke, 1-2
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Road to Red Stick - I'm looking forward to my first trip to Baton Rouge via New Orleans this weekend ... USC has tallied a 1-1 mark at Red Stick since joining the SEC and 0-1-1 in Columbia ... I've seen the Gamecocks play the Bengal Tigers three times ('87, '95, '03) and USC hasn't won yet, so maybe I'm bad luck in this game ... Nah, that can't be it, because at 36 years old my research states that South Carolina owns a 1-7-1 mark since 1973 (I was born in '71) vs. LSU ... Unfortunately, I believe it will be more of the same on the Bayou -- my pick is LSU 26-13 ... But, I think if Carolina could get an early lead -- much like the Georgia game -- then USC could make the Tigers at least play a half (something they haven't had to do all year) and if the game is within a touchdown at halftime, then anything can happen ... If it was based on coaching, Steve Spurrier would win in a landslide over Les Miles, but the talent that LSU possesses is unmatched anywhere this season except for, maybe, at Southern Cal or Oklahoma ... Should be fun!

1-7-1 vs. LSU Since 1973
1973 LSU, 29-33 L
1975 @ LSU, 6-24 L
1982 @ LSU, 6-14 L
1983 @ LSU, 6-20 L
1987 vs. LSU, 13-30 L (Gator Bowl)
1994 @ LSU, 18-17 W
1995 LSU, 20-20 T
2002 @ LSU, 14-38 L
2003 LSU, 7-33 L
Average score = USC 13-25 LSU