Week 11 vs. Florida ...

Departing Columbia - We flew out of Columbia to Little Rock at 7:10 a.m., on Friday ... We were at the airport early and had a chance to read The State paper before boarding the plane ... I ran into a girl from the building I work in and she was headed to Nashville for the weekend and I also saw a long time USC faculty member reading a newspaper while waiting -- forget his name, but if I think of it I'll insert it here ... We landed in Little Rock (190 miles away from Fayetteville) and picked up the Ford Taurus from Budget Rent-A-Car and made a tour of the downtown area where we visited Central High School -- home of the "Little Rock Nine" -- and War Memorial Stadium (the Razorbacks' second home) ... Luckily, we found a barbeque restaurant called "Chip's", which is named for the Chipman Family that has operated their establishment since 1961 ... Their motto is that, "The Majority of Our Recipes Are Made From "Scratch" -- how very true! ... The hot BBQ pork sandwich ($6.15) served topped with slaw and a tangy sauce along with sweet tea ($1.95) and a side of french fries ($2.49) was outstanding! ... A group of elderly women were in the back of the store gossiping and laughing the entire time and upon leaving many were picking up home made pies (Lemon, Coconut, Chocolate, Banana, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Pecan, Walnut Chocolate, Walnut Banana, etc.) for the weekend that ranged in price from $16-20 ... I'm not a sweets eater, but those pies looked incredible.

On to Fayetteville - That was my first trip to Fayetteville this past weekend and boy was I impressed ... We drove from Little Rock to Fayetteville and it's a beautiful part of the country, but again, not much to do from the looks of things ... Rolling through the Ozark Mountains during the fall illustrated the splendor of the foliage as we listened to KWHF, "The Wolf", which airs classic country music ... One thing you notice on the road is the number of Arkansas state license plates with cardinal and white Razorback paraphanelia everywhere -- there is something to be said about being #1 in your own state and that is a bonus that Arkansas and LSU enjoy ... Upon arriving late Friday afternoon, we drove around to scout out the area and football fever was running wild, despite the Hogs' 5-3 overall record ... Remnants from the previous week's homecoming game were still found on campus and students were setting up for Greek parties and social gatherings around College Avenue and the popular Dickson Street ... There really isn't much to do on the campus outside of Dickson Street, but the University of Arkansas facilities are unbelievable -- unquestionably the best in the SEC from top to bottom in terms of all their athletic grounds ... If the USC baseball stadium turns out to be anything like Baum Stadium at Arkansas, then it will be a gem ... USC officials mentioned in the late 1990s that the Colonial Center would resemble Bud Walton Arena and they weren't lying -- basically a copy of the facility ... The women's soccer stadium is super for the collegiate game and when you look at Arkansas' track and field facility, then you quickly understand why the Razorbacks have captured 42 National Championships ... The Hogs have put that Wal-Mart and Tyson Chicken money to good use out in Fayette-Nam ... Another thing that you notice about the place is that they really celebrate football and its importance to the area ... That is one thing South Carolina misses with its relationship to Columbia -- the Capital City has yet to embrace how fun it is (and the economic returns) to be in the Southeastern Conference ... We stayed at a Super 8 motel just a mile from the campus and the location was great ... After heading back to the motel for showers and some beers (that we purchased at a liquor store since Washington County, little did we know, that where Fayetteville lies -- is a dry county) we made our way down to Dickson Street and found a Greek restaurant called Kosmos Greekafe located near the train tracks -- after eating that big BBQ sandwich for lunch there wasn't much room for dinner ... The early night scene was really quiet, but this place had a good aura about it and the Greek Salad, Gyros and Chicken Souvlaki were excellent! ... The Tzatziki sauce was thick and pasty and proved to be a great compliment to the meals, which were very affordable ... Washed down with Peroni beers (no Greek ales were available) made it a wonderful choice for dinner ... Feeling full and tired from the travel we returned to the motel for a night of rest.

Pregame & Tailgating - At the Super 8 continental breakfast we ran into some older Hog fans who welcomed us to the area and also met the Strock's from West Columbia, who ironically worked with my father for a number of years ... The Strock's continued their trip to Knoxville, TN the previous week and went through Branson, MO and the Ozark Mountains for a week full of traveling ... As we meandered through the campus looking for tailgating spots, we spotted the Ultimate Tailgaters (Chris F., Kathy F., Mark B., Ronnie, etc.) up the street from Baum Stadium near the entrance to the University of Arkansas off I-540 -- probably a 10 minute walk from the football stadium ... After going to get some fried chicken, seasoned fries, and mashed potatoes from Popeye's we made our way back to the UTGs and parked ... We met Big Rich and Little Rich from Hopkins, SC, near the women's soccer stadium while driving around Saturday morning and told them where we were going to park and they were there upon arrival ... Another Carolina group from Memphis showed up and before long there was a throng of about 25 Gamecocks tailgating by 12 noon ... Soon after, Blake Mitchell's mother and father along with Cody Wells' Mom ventured over to socialize with us ... We saw "Tusk" the Arkansas mascot roll by in his red and white holding pen -- what a huge beast! ... 400 pounds of BBQ rolling by on a flatbed -- what a sight! ... The weather was absolutely perfect and it was a fun afternoon for all.

Bust the Nutt - Folks, after talking to a good many Arkansas fans, the Razorbacks faithful was hoping that Steve Spurrier would put them out of their misery with Houston Nutt (73-47), but the 10-year veteran at UofA rebuffed those claims by getting his team ready for a stretch run in which the Hogs (6-3, 2-3 SEC) have a legitimate chance to win out ... We have all heard about the off-the-field shenanigans with Nutt and the soap opera that surrounded that program the entire off season, but the guy wins games in Fayetteville and Little Rock -- he doesn't win bowl games (2-5) and is 3-6 vs. LSU and has lost four-straight to the Bengal Tigers ... Plus, the fans say he "doesn't do the obvious" -- run Darren McFadden and Felix Jones ... Well, he must have listened to the sports talk shows and read the internet message boards last week, because those guys ran at will vs. South Carolina ... For some reason Arkansas has USC's number in football (and a number of other sports) ... The Razorbacks own a 10-6 record vs. the Gamecocks since joining the SEC and are 6-2 as the home side with the two programs splitting the eight games in Columbia.

The Game - Enough has been said and mentioned and that's just from The State newspaper I read on Sunday ... I don't visit message boards or listen to much sports radio before compiling my thoughts and observations ... However, what more needs to be said besides the running of the Razorbacks that went through, around, and over the Gamecocks ... Terrible display by South Carolina on the defensive side of the ball ... Sat behind a buddy of mine I hadn't seen in some time, Fred Gonzalez formerly of The State paper who is now at the Miami Herald -- great seeing you Fred! ... Also ran into Bill M., at halftime and he was as disgusted as I've ever seen him ... Traveling that far and seeing that kind of football will make you want to puke! ... A lot of USC fans had visions of 11-1 and 10-2 in their heads since the Liberty Bowl win vs. Houston, but a closer look at the 2007 team revealed a lot of holes -- especially those on defense ... I predicted 8-4 (at best) at the beginning of the year and USC may or may not hit that number -- it's a long shot now ... Losing Jasper Brinkley was totally exposed vs. the running Razorbacks as South Carolina has received very poor linebacker play all year ... Throw in the lack of run-stopping defensive ends (Casper Brinkley and Eric Norwood are pass rushers) and the weak defensive tackle rotation and it was a recipe for 50+ points -- the Hogs just missed that total ... Again, a pitiful performance at Arkansas.

Tired Team - This team and its fans need a break ... That's not an excuse, but something that has been preying on my mind since the Kentucky game ... I was hoping that the Thursday night game would give the Gamecocks a chance to utilize a fall weekend away from football -- it looked like it had in the first half vs. North Carolina, but then the terrible eight-quarter span hit USC (vs. UNC, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee) ... We departed Fayetteville immediately after the game and drove to Dyer, AR on I-40 where we pulled over to a truck stop and napped for three hours ... After waking up and making the final jaunt to Little Rock we made both flights on time to Cincinnati (where we saw the USC cheerleaders and member Keith G.) and then landed in Columbia around 12:30 p.m. ... Sunday was spent doing laundry and sleeping -- Monday more of the same :-).

Florida - It's important for Coach Spurrier to huddle the troops together this week and put a maximum effort into beating Florida ... USC played poorly the last time out at Williams-Brice Stadium vs. Vanderbilt, but with a season finale looming on November 24 vs. arch-rival Clemson a win against a ranked opponent and a 5-1 record at The W-B would be huge, especially going into the only bye week of the year ... Plus, it would solidify a bowl spot this winter -- an important achievement for USC since it has never played in bowl games three consecutive years ... The Gators open as six-point favorites and USC is 4-4-1 vs. the spread this year, including a 2-2 mark at home ... South Carolina covered the 13 point spread last year in Gainesville (16-17 L) and won in 2005 at home vs. the Gators (+4, 30-22 W), so Spurrier has had the Cocks ready the past two seasons ... UF's defense, coached by former USC defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, ranks in the bottom half of the SEC with a youthful group ... The Gamecocks are 3-0 in Columbia this year for night games and the 7:45 ESPN start should help frenzy up the USC faithful -- and more importantly the team ... Florida is 2-2 vs. the spread in away games this fall ... It's the final SEC game for both teams as the Gators close with non-conference home games vs. in-state rivals Florida Atlantic and Florida State ... It shapes up to be a high scoring affair as Florida averages 36.3 points per game in SEC play and South Carolina is averaging 29.6 points in home games ... Going to be another close one and somehow Carolina needs to even its SEC record for the year to give Coach Spurrier a 5-3, 3-5, and 4-4 run in SEC play (12-12) since taking over the Gamecocks ... I've got faith that USC can take care of business, 30-27 Gamecocks.

See-Saw - What gives with this South Carolina gridiron team? ... The defense plays great for a while and the offense stinks ... The offense comes to life the past six quarters and the defense goes AWOL ... Throw in a topsy-turvy special teams issues and it's a grab-bag of what to expect each week ... Is it the youth on this team? ... Is it the ineffectiveness of either lines of scrimmage? ... Coach John Hunt seemingly has trouble every year getting an offensive line unit to gel ... Coach Brad Lawing appeared to do more with less last year when the defensive line actually made some plays -- this year that isn't happening ... Only one wide receiver, Dion Lecorn, has emerged after a large signing class ... Is anyone else as perplexed with the sorry special teams play displayed week in and week out? ... Where are all of these heralded recruits by the Rivals.com and Scout.com junkies? ... Tough to figure out and apparently no one has any answers.

Tyrone Nix - There is a clip running on AM-1400 with an interview between Tyrone Nix and Phil Kornblut at the USC golf outing this past summer ... Nix comments that "there's no telling how many points we'll score if we can get the ball back for them" in reference to the Carolina offense ... What a sorry tackling display! ... Nix's units have not been able to create any sort of turnovers this fall and when you allow 25 points per game in SEC play, well, you aren't going to win more than you lose -- how did Carlos Thomas not intercept that pass by Darren McFadden or at least knock the ball down (also, how did Carolina not fall on those fumbles?) ... USC closes within six at 42-36 and immediately allows McFadden -- the best running back I've seen since the Billy Sims-Earl Campbell-George Rogers-Herschel Walker-Bo Jackson days -- to jaunt 80 yards ... Heck, McFadden is also the best quarterback for Arkansas -- Casey Dick operates the most overrated position in the SEC ... Appalling display this past Saturday -- very Wally Burnham-esque ... There was talk in January 2006 (after the Independence Bowl debacle) of Coach Spurrier bringing in a new defensive coordinator and that Nix would have assumed the Assistant Head Coach title -- don't know if that's in the works for 2008, but it is something that should be considered.

Where's the "D"? - There is only one team in the SEC playing "old time defense", which the league made its mark nationally, and that is Auburn -- which is allowing almost 10 points per game fewer than its SEC foes ... Every other team is allowing 23 points or more against conference competition ... Aren't the best players recruited out of high school put on the defensive side of the ball if there is a coin flip on where they are going to play? ... Strange days in the SEC!

PPG, Team (Record), USC Results
13.8, Auburn (4-2)
23.0, Georgia (4-2), W
23.5, Louisiana State (5-1), L
25.1, SOUTH CAROLINA (3-4)
25.2, Vanderbilt (2-4), L
26.0, Alabama (4-2)
----------------------------------
27.2, Arkansas (2-3), L
27.6, Florida (4-3)
28.8, Miss. State (2-3), W
31.8, Tennessee (3-2), L
32.3, Ole Miss (0-6)
36.0, Kentucky (2-3), W

Where We Are - The common theme the past two weeks has been the preaching of "Year Three" ... Well, I've been watching Carolina Football since 1979, so pardon me if I've heard that before ... South Carolina was 6-1 and lost to Vanderbilt -- a poor football team and the SEC's worst program forever ... Since then it's been a tough row to hoe ... USC is 54-40 overall since 2000: 8-4; 9-3; 5-7; 5-7; 6-5; 7-5; 8-5; 6-4 ... That's five winning seasons in seven years and a chance with one more win in 2007 for six of eight -- that's significant in Columbia ... USC is a year or two away from playing for the SEC East Division title -- I really don't see it next year with a new quarterback, but it is possible as was this fall ... However, this regular season has two more games and they are absolutely huge -- time for the Gamecock coaches to earn their wages ... A couple of them are relatively new to the staff and should their areas not improve then some property needs to go up for sale in the real estate market.

Baseball - Did I read correctly last week about the USC coaches shutting down the best returning pitchers this fall? ... Hmmm ... Time to get back to Omaha and the College World Series or the time spent in the Capital City by Justin Smoak, James Darnell, and Reese Havens will have been for naught -- 2004 feels like a long time ago for the baseball program ... It amazes me that for so long baseball coaches have promoted summer ball, fall ball, winter ball, etc., but here at USC they shut down the starting pitching rotation in hopes that the arms aren't dead for the spring like they seem to have been the past 3-4 years ... Hope the Cocks catch a good bounce on that gamble.

M-Basketball - First game is tonight vs. Coach Dave Odom's alma mater, Guilford ... I expect South Carolina to win be 12-3 or 11-4 non-conference and 8-8 or 7-9 in the SEC along with a 1-1 SEC Tournament record ... That would make for a 21-12 NCAA or 19-14 NIT -- failure to make postseason tourney would be a coaching change ... For the record, the NCAA needs to do something with basketball season -- no way should it start before Thanksgiving.

M-Soccer - USC is now 9-5-2 overall and 3-2-2 in Conference USA play after Sunday's scoreless overtime draw at Central Florida ... The Gamecocks own a 1-4-1 record vs. ranked opponents and are 8-1-1 vs. non-ranked teams ... USC will close out the regular season Friday night vs. Kentucky (6-8-2, 4-2-0) in a key C-USA match at Stone Stadium with the winner gaining the upper hand for third place behind #4 SMU (11-3-2, 6-1-1) and #11 Tulsa (11-2-2, 5-0-2) ... Carolina lost to Kentucky 1-0 in overtime a year ago at Lexington after edging the Wildcats 1-0 in Columbia and outlasting UK 1-0 on penalty kicks at the 2005 C-USA Tournament held in Dallas, TX.

W-Soccer - Carolina finished 5-4-2 in the SEC and 13-5-2 overall (8-1-1 non-conference) with a 2-0 loss at #22 Florida ... The Gators lead the SEC at 9-2-0 followed by #17 Georgia (8-1-2) and #9Tennessee (8-2-1) ... Auburn (6-5-0) and LSU (5-2-4) rank ahead of USC in the SEC, so it's paramount that the Lady Gamecocks have a good showing at the conference tourney ... South Carolina, as the #6 seed in the SEC Tournament, will face third-seeded Tennessee at 3:30 p.m., on Wednesday ... The winner will face the victor of the #7 Ole Miss vs. #2 Georgia match on Friday at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, AL.

Volleyball - Maybe it's time that the Somera experiment is over in Columbia ... First it was wife Nancy, who could not generate a winner in two years at the helm of the Lady Gamecocks program, and now husband Ben has failed to finish above .500 ... Say what you want about Kim Hudson-Christopher-Hudson-Whatever, but at least those USC teams finished in the top half of the Southeastern Conference ... At 5-11 in the SEC and 12-13 overall USC tallied a better league record than three teams -- Arkansas (4-12), Tennessee (4-12), and Auburn (3-13) ... Enough with the sub-.500 volleyball -- time for Eric Hyman to make a change.