Kubby's Korner

Bowl Game - My thoughts and observations ...

2009-01-05T08:59:00.003-05:00

After the Clemson calamity in late November I couldn’t muster the energy or enthusiasm for putting together “My thoughts and observations” … Actually, I just parlayed the old adage of “if you don’t have anything nice to say about anyone then don’t say anything at all” by keeping my comments to myself … So, for the first time in eight or nine years I did not put together a synopsis of the ‘Death Valley Debacle’ … Not so today as I make the way home from Tampa, Fla., - site of the Outback Blowout! … Iowa 31-10 South Carolina ? and it wasn’t that close (much like the Clemson contest).

Tough Month - The result of the Outback Bowl punctuated what has been a sad month for Gamecock Nation … Along with routs in football by Florida, Clemson, and Iowa, USC fans have had to read about: academic casualties; coaching carousels; players not loving the University; NFL overtures by underclassmen; Williams-Brice Stadium expansion; and men’s basketball losses to Charleston and Clemson … I will address each of these issues below along with some other comments.

From 7-3 to 7-6 - For the second consecutive year the Gamecocks turn in a good first half of the season record into a very mediocre year … In 2007 it was from 6-1 to five straight losses … This year it was a 7-3 mark that winds up one game above .500 for a two-year tally of 13-12 … Sure the competition vs. Florida is a steep one as the Gators will try to reign in their second National Championship in the past three years vs. Oklahoma ? UF is simply in another class altogether athletically and that gap won’t be closing anytime soon in Columbia … The Clemson loss was inexplicable ? a terrible display of competitiveness and sportsmanship by the Gamecocks and a performance that left me bemoaning the fact that I have always stated that “I will never complain about a seven win football team at USC” … Then, South Carolina somehow manages to backdoor its way into a bigger challenge with a date vs. a much better Iowa gridiron crew in Tampa in a bowl that the Gamecocks did not deserve in 2008 … A trip to Nashville, Atlanta, or Memphis would have been a better fit this season than playing a hot and hungry Iowa squad … But, chances are that the result would have been the same because Carolina just has not played with any fire or gumption since the Tennessee game ? even the Arkansas victory in Columbia saw a lethargic Garnet & Black crew hold off the Hogs … Something is not right chemistry wise with the Gamecocks … I don’t know what it is except for the lack of leadership from key personnel members ? mainly upperclassmen … There seems to be a lack of ‘ownership’ with this unit and no one willingly to accept the role as ‘this is my team’ … Sure there are some decent individual players at South Carolina, but none exceptional in any specific category … Kenny McKinley is the one player that leaves it all on the field but no one else really exemplifies that kind of character game-in and game-out ? not Eric Norwood, not Jasper Brinkley, not Ryan Succop, etc. … A guy that seemingly loves the game of football and playing at Carolina is Pat DiMarco, but after that no one comes to mind … That, in a nutshell, is the problem in my eyes.

Bowl Fun - KCock93 and I drove down from Cayce via I-95 on Tuesday around 9:45 a.m. … \Following our protocol from the Florida trip a month earlier, we stopped in Pooler, Ga., at a Western Sizzlin’ and had a 6 ounce sirloin (medium) with a salad, baked potato, texas toast, and a chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream … Then, we sat on I-95 for at least an hour ? literally a standstill on the interstate due to road construction on this strip of southeastern Georgia … Eventually we got moving again and got gas in Jacksonville, Fla., and made the trek across to Lake City where we picked up I-75 south into Tampa … We arrived around seven o’clock that evening and checked into the InterContinental (very nice hotel) in the Westshore district ? about two miles from the stadium and in a nice area … Our parents flew down from Columbia to Tampa and we met them for drinks and dinner at Shula’s Steakhouse in the lobby of the InterContinental … Excellent meal! … I tried the Ybor Gold lager during Happy Hour but opted for several Coronas at dinner (parents had red wine) … A 12 ounce filet mignon (medium) accompanied by deliciously seasoned mushrooms and steamed green beans made for a great meal … On Wednesday we all loaded into the Ford Explorer Sport Trac and made our way across Tampa Bay to St. Petersburg where we drove around sightseeing ? what a beautiful place! … I had visited this area during the first Outback Bowl Carolina played in 2000, but it was so cold then that we didn’t get out to enjoy the area … With perfect conditions (75 degrees and clear blue skies) we parked at The Pier and waltzed through a series of eclectic shops and restaurants known as BayWalk … The whole area is very clean and pleasing to the eye with lots of color everywhere … We happened upon a restaurant called Gratzi’s, which is an Italian eatery ? it was outstanding! … Our table devoured the house salads and bread that accompanied the entrees of chicken marsala, chicken parmigiana, and shrimp/angel hair pasta … The pasta was out of this world ? fresh as cold be ? and we washed it down with a couple of Peroni’s out on their covered terrace on the upper level of BayWalk … After lunch we returned to the InterContinental to rest before heading down to Ybor City for the bowl parade and dinner at Columbia’s ? a famed Cuban restaurant … One thing about Tampa and the Outback Bowl ? they put on a great show for the visiting teams and fans … We took a taxi from the hotel in anticipation of a crowded New Year’s Eve in Ybor and the cost was about $25 during rush hour … Once down on 7th Street we ran into some well traveled Gamecocks (Alex, Bill, Bobby, Kurt, Rhonda, etc.) that are everywhere USC plays … Then while drinking Coronas waiting on the parade to start our friends (Brad, Joni & Tanner / Brian & Stephanie) found us on the street despite the throng of Iowa fans in attendance ? everywhere you looked there was a sea of yellow and black … By the way, they spent four hours stopped in traffic Tuesday afternoon just south of Walterboro on I-95 and it took them 8 ½ hours to drive from Columbia to Jacksonville … I swear, the entire city of Iowa City (home of the Hawkeyes) must have moved south for the Outback Bowl … The call of “Let’s go Hawks” was a popular cry and one that drowned out any chants of “Let’s go Cocks” … The parade was a fun event but the actual flow was uneven due to a lot of wide gaps in between the performers … It lasted right at an hour and around 7:30 we mulled around the main drag of Ybor City until reporting to Columbia’s for drinks and our reservations at 8:30 … Wow! … This place was definitely one of the places to be on New Year’s Eve because it was absolutely packed with locals and bowl game visitors … Saw a bunch of the Carolina faithful in attendance and some guy from Atlanta, Ga., that is an Iowa fan and a dead-ringer look-alike of former Hawkeye football coach Hayden Fry … In fact, his poor excuse of a rug on his head was a carbon copy of the Hayden-esque look that I am positive many Iowans tried to emulate during the Hawkeye heyday of the 1980s … He was dead set that Iowa was going to bowl over South Carolina (no pun intended) and didn’t think the game would be close … When he asked my prediction and I responded with 31-6 Iowa he was amazed that a Gamecock fan would think that way ? I just told him that I was a realist and would be pleasantly surprised to be wrong (truth be known, I knew Carolina would have to play perfect just to be in the game) … My Dad didn’t seem to care much for the blabbermouth but I found him intriguing, especially with that atrocious toupe he so proudly displayed … Anyway, dinner was outstanding and worth the ½ hour wait despite having reservations … I had the Snapper Atlantica and my brother tried the Pompano (fish in a bag), while my parents dishes were of similar cuisine ? they were all super! … We wrapped it up and got a return taxi just outside the restaurant and to our surprise that besides Columbia’s, Ybor City looked deserted … Sharp contrast from earlier in the decade as it seems the 30s crowd of ChannelSide, the fireworks display elsewhere, and the fact that it was a weeknight meant that Ybor City has lost some of its luster to the native Tampans ? hard not to notice all of the closed businesses on the main street of the area as well … I didn’t even stay up to ring in the New Year in preparation of the next day’s bowl game.

Outback Bowl - We had breakfast at Shula’s and drove over to Raymond James Stadium around 9:30 a.m. ? the earliest we have ever gone over to the Outback Bowl … Glad we did! ... The place was jammed with Iowans everywhere and if I had to guess there must have been 25,000 Hawkeye fans (in retreat of the 5 degree weather back home) and probably around 15,000 Gamecock fans … The place was surprisingly busy for a pre-game bowl kicking off at 11 a.m. … We downed a couple of Natural Lights at the truck before heading in as we parked ($25) about 15 minutes from the stadium ? close in sight but a long and winding walk to the grounds … One thing you can say about the Tampa police, they were out in full force and very thorough in their street and parking lot patrols ? nice and comforting … One patrolman even hollered at us along with some other Carolina fans, “Come on Gamecock fans, the Hawkeyes are beating you across the street” ? that should have been a tell-tale sign of what we were about to witness … If I was attending the Outback Bowl as a neutral party ? i.e., some of the Florida, Texas, Michigan, or Ohio State fans that were in attendance in their team’s colors ? then it would have been hard not to cheer for the Black & Gold … Their fans were fired up and you could sense that this team ? and its fans ? were on a high after reeling off five wins in their final six regular season games including an upset of previously undefeated Penn State and a 55-0 drubbing at Minnesota (a bowl team) … The RJS personnel made us turn in our seat cushions at the gate and I knew that would be the last I ever saw of those battle tested foams … The facility is gorgeous and an envy of what modern stadia need to pattern themselves after ? from the walkways, restrooms, concession stands, chairback seats, signage, scoreboard, video boards, proximity to field, etc. … It really is a treat to watch a game in that kind of venue … Our seats were excellent ? Section 136, Row J (10 rows from the field) at the 42 yards line behind the Carolina bench … The weather was perfect ? 68 degrees, clear skies, and a good breeze … Then the game started! … After Iowa confirmed my worst fears ? an eight minute drive on its opening possession that saw the Hawkeyes pick up three long third downs thanks to the lack of coverage on a tight end ? plays covered by Marvin Sapp and Dion Lecorn (twice) … The ease in which Iowa moved the ball was frightening and quickly it was 7-0 … Then, Tampa’s prodigal son Stephen Garcia took the first snap under center and handed off to Mike Davis for a typical first down of negative yardage ? the surge by the Iowa defensive line left me shaking my head … This was promptly followed with Garcia missing a wide open Weslye Saunders down the middle of the field as he found the Iowa free safety who hauled in the pass like a center fielder positioning under a line drive … I looked at my Mom and said, “that’s the ballgame” … Minutes later it was 14-0 and the rout was on … Dating back to Florida that meant Carolina had dug itself into deficits of 21-0, 10-0, and 14-0 in the opening stanza alone ? won’t win (m)any games playing that kind of football … USC looked like it had spent its bowl preparation on vacation while Iowa looked sharp, fluid, and confident … The exclamation point of the game in my opinion was when Ryan Succop hit a very long field goal and yet South Carolina gets called for not having enough players on the line of scrimmage … Are you kidding me? … That is the most basic formation of football ? placekicking … Totally unprepared! … And to see Ray Rychleski’s histrionics on the sideline from Row J was sickening ? almost like he had been shot on spot and was being tormented to his death … Just a simple example of a terribly prepared team.

Failing Grades - I’m not going to call anyone out here as a student-athlete (I use that term loosely here), but to become ineligible ? for whatever reason ? in this day and age of college football is absurd … I am an alum of the University of South Carolina and I’m not knocking its academic reputation, but Ivy League standards it does not ? and never will ? possess … Show up to class and you are just about guaranteed a ‘C’ grade … Truthfully, I didn’t put a lot of effort into my studies while a student in the early 1990s, but I knew what I had to do to ‘get out’ in four years with a diploma in hand ? it wasn’t that hard! … Throw in the fact that every scholarship football player (everything paid for across the board) and even the squad members have unbelievable resources in terms of academic support … All that tells me is that some where, some how, and some way the message is not getting across to certain players on the football team … Maybe ‘The Dodie’ will address some of these issues, but I have a hard time believing a $15 million academic enrichment facility is needed to pass African-American studies, Interdisciplinary studies (whatever that is), or any other football generated majors … I just hope the light comes on for some of these guys because to have the opportunity to earn a college degree based on their football exploits (half of them never see the field anyway) is a waste if they don’t take care of the main reason you are in school.

Coming & Going - I was a little more than perplexed as to why former strength coach Mark Smith was on the sideline during the Outback Bowl in his customary long sleeve shirt (on a 70-degree and sun-splashed day at Raymond James Stadium) … Isn’t this guy an employee at the University of Tennessee now? … Well, maybe it was fitting for him to endure the up close dismantling of his troops as Iowa physically manhandled South Carolina for 60 minutes … USC looked so small and weak compared to the corn fed boys of the Midwest ? maybe he will turn the Volunteers into a similar style squad … And, the Gamecocks certainly have no speed to balance out the equation as Iowa was superior in all facets of a football team … One guy that wasn’t around to enjoy the football ‘vacation’ (which is what USC has looked like it was on since the bye week after the Florida game) was former recruiting coordinator David Reaves … All I have to say is that after seeing the Gators, Tigers, and Hawkeyes make mincemeat of the Gamecocks, I honestly believe that USC has very little talent across the board … It used to be that South Carolina could attract the skill positions, but the fact that the Gamecocks have had only two 1,000-yard rushers since joining the SEC leaves me thinking that Carolina is going to have to reevaluate who and where they recruit from … The local and in-state kids cannot cut it when you have to share the dozen or so Division I prospects with Clemson and anyone else who comes into raid the Palmetto State … The lines of scrimmage are sorely undersized, under developed, and under talented ? especially along the woeful offensive front … The recruiting gurus can give all of the high marks and praise that they want to come February, but it matters little each fall ? more busts than surprises at USC! … I am sure Coach Spurrier was a little perturbed by some of the comments by Reaves upon his departure from Columbia, especially after taking care of that family amidst his father’s drug addiction and David’s known issues of nightly carousing and bar hopping … I am all for having a good time, but the younger Reaves did not seem to grasp that his actions are watched closely by many that follow college football and the Gamecocks … There is another coach or two on the staff that better get their ducks in a row and straighten up in terms of the night life and such ? fans/administration can stomach it when things are rosy, but won’t put up with it when it comes down to wins and losses … I haven’t even mentioned the departed John Hunt who failed in about every way possible with the offensive line in his four years at USC … In fact, his best performance was when a pair of walk-ons came on strong for Carolina down the stretch in 2005 that propelled the Gamecocks to the Independence Bowl … The lack of development in this unit just typifies the entire offense’s problems … Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, who received a very ill-timed raise and contract extension earlier in the season, floated overtures of head coaching possibilities at Army and Mississippi State, respectively … I just don’t see the lure of Johnson as a head coach unless it is at the I-AA level and his desire to stay in Columbia appears to be in a state of flux considering that he (and his wife) had pined for a return to their native state for so long … With an overhauled defensive unit next season, I suspect Carolina will have a tough time matching its early 2008 success and if the last three outings are any indication of what to expect more next year, then yikes! … I expected more with the arrival of Ray Rychleski and maybe a year in the Capital City will pay better dividends in 2009, but I didn’t notice too much improvement in the special teams ? not like I thought I would … It has been mentioned that Coach Spurrier has approached former USC standout Duce Staley about joining the Gamecocks coaching staff in some capacity … No doubt the West Columbia native and Airport High School graduate has the football credentials to serve as a link to the current players but the lack of a college degree seems to be a hurdle for that to happen … Staley, who co-hosts a sports radio talk show in Columbia, appears to have a passion much like USC fans in general ? for that he is popular … I don’t listen too much to the show due to work commitments and usually just pick it up while in my SUV, but he has agitated me a bit with his ‘homerism’ at times ? maybe that will parlay well into coaching ... I don’t know who will be hired/fired over the next few weeks but it will certainly be interesting ? and critical for the direction of this program.

No Love - Why can’t the current group of Gamecocks show some love for the University of South Carolina? … I saw that passion and pride on road trips to Oxford, Mississippi and Lexington, Kentucky, but something happened midway through this season and I have not been able to put my finger on it? … Was the defense’s lack of confidence in the offense too much of a toll to handle all year? … Could the pitiful quarterback play have left the offense in such a stalemate ? no matter who was the signal caller, USC gunslingers seemed to find the other team’s players as much as the ones on their own squad … The coaching shuffle of play calling between Coach Spurrier and his son, Junior, appeared to have been corrected but just 30 points in the final three games leaves a lot to be desired … The players complained that Coach Spurrier & Company were too hard on them ? are you kidding me? … That in itself is a fundamental problem if a guy at the collegiate level can’t take constructive criticism ? be better or get out! … The constant substitution patterns on the defensive line seemed to disrupt the continuity of that unit ? why sub a guy after two snaps? … The mass exodus of underclassmen on defense for the NFL ? Emmanuel Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, and Eric Norwood to name a few ? surely had an effect with this group … Is the NFL that watered down to warrant the caliber of these players? … Throw in the known departures of Jasper Brinkley, Jordin Lindsey, Dustin Lindsey, Carlos Thomas, Jonathan Williams, Stoney Woodson, etc., and it’s going to be a different look for USC in 2009 … Knowing the depth chart I wince at the thought of those guys waiting in the wings, but could they possibly be any worse than what Carolina has done the past three games ? 118 points allowed for a 39 point per game average … The off season is when leaders make themselves accountable and it’s time for USC’s players to step up in the weight room, classroom, and in their off the field actions ? fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life.

Say No to YES - The USC Athletic Department has promoted the ‘Garnet Way’ to Gamecock Nation and the YES program for football seating … You know what ? put a product on the field that is worthy of such contributions and you may find people ponying up for such an investment … And folks, that is what it is ? an investment … Don’t give me any of this crap about ‘your love of the University’ and such is what warrants those financial measures ? B.S.! … This is 2009 not 1979 when I started attending Carolina football games … It’s a business and the bottom line in sports is wins and losses ? period … As a Gamecock Club member I expect a “return on investment” and losing to Clemson annually and Vanderbilt two years in a row does not sit well with me … I’ve attended every home and away football game except one (Arkansas 2005) since 2004 and have missed only two home games since 1979 (Clemson 1981 and Ball State 1998) … I have been to every venue in the SEC, have missed only one bowl game (Liberty 1988) of Carolina’s 10 since 1979, and consider myself a pretty knowledgeable college football fan … I know what kinds of facilities, fan bases, and economic influx the other schools have that South Carolina competes with on an annual basis ? I would put USC dead middle in the SEC ? that’s not bad considering the five above you win at an elite level in several sports while Carolina has zero football divisional titles, one SEC basketball championship, and no SEC East Division crowns in baseball in at least five years … Men’s soccer has not advanced to the postseason the past three years, the women’s basketball program is atrocious and is going to take some time to get better, softball seems to have enjoyed its better years, volleyball was better this fall but failed to make the postseason … I could go on and on, but it’s time for the coaches, players, and administration at South Carolina to give Gamecock fans something to crow about … Throwing money at the same problems has not worked in the past so with the riches of SEC membership that should allow USC to address some issues without relying on “Joe Fan” … Start with an internal healing and an admittance that some things need fixing and Carolina might find out that some fans are willing to help financially … Until then, I’m not contributing anything more than I am already doing … I will continue to support USC through the Gamecock Club, but many of my friends have already dropped their memberships in favor of flat screen home TVs and the creature comforts of their living rooms … The W-B is going to become a haven for aluminum reflections due to no fannies in the seats as long as a mediocre product is offered on the gridiron … It is time to do more with less at USC ? Carolina has already done less with more … It is time for our coaches to earn their keep and the sacred cows of their professions to wake up and stop living off the gravy train known as USC Athletics … Adjustments need\ to be made in the selling of the program all the way from the football announcing crew, to the marketing department, to the cheesy home basketball game presentation, etc. … Time for some changes!

Recruiting Rah-Rah - For the next month we will hear the rhetoric of recruiting gurus on local sports talk radio shows and in their writings on Gamecock message boards … I just ask to stop with the praising of these high school football players … Just report their facts ? heights, weights, 40 times, and what other schools actually offered scholarship papers to them … Nothing more! … I don’t need to hear any hype or B.S., about the “next great hope” ? there is no such thing … Give me guys that want to work hard, do right, love the fact that they are at USC, and enjoy playing football ? the rest is immaterial … Iowa proved that to me ? those guys rebounded from a 6-6 season a year ago and posted a 9-4 record in 2008 … I never see Iowa mentioned in the Top 20 when it comes to recruiting … However, they were the second best team I saw in person this year vs. Carolina ? the only one better was Florida … Iowa doesn’t try to out-cute you either ? it’s just line it up and play football on both sides of the ball ? how refreshing.

Winter Doldrums - I used to love college basketball … I remember the Independent days, the Metro Conference battles, and of course, the SEC encounters … However, with the season starting so dadgum early in the fall and taking so long to play a season, it just doesn’t interest me until January or so … I have been to four home games this year and sit in my Section 205 seats ? despite the ushers trying to get the upper deck faithful to move to the lower bowl where unused faculty, students, and corporate seats are awash in availability … The parking situation is pathetic as the University whores out its parking around Colonial Life Arena for ridiculous amounts over the course of an entire season … So, we make the trek from the bank parking lot across from Todd & Moore or through the Vista all the while passing empty parking lots … It is more like a chore watching USC these days … College basketball is supposed to be fun, but the way that Carolina promotes this sport is nauseating … Some local yokel television personality bounces around the arena asking people “to give it up” while yelling into the microphone … The silly promotions, the endless number of timeouts in the game today, the movement of chairs to mid-court for each USC pep talk, the lack of consistency in scoreboard names or players actually in the game, the reverberation of the loud sound system around an empty arena, etc., it’s just enough to turn you off of Gamecock Basketball … Throw in the fact that Carolina will be fortunate to win five league contests and it’s going to be a long winter for hardwood fans … At least there are some good restaurants in the Vista and surrounding area to make the trip worthwhile.

Good luck to you and yours in the New Year of 2009 and Go Cocks!

Week #12 - My thoughts and observations …

2008-11-17T15:11:00.001-05:00

JAX Bound – KCock93 and I loaded up the Ford Explorer Sport Trac Friday morning and departed Cayce at 10:15 … The weather was terrible until we reached I-95 as a driving rain accompanied us for the first 60 miles … But, once we were able to “get going” at a good pace we stopped at a Western Sizzlin’ for lunch in Pooler, Ga. … We were looking for ‘local fare’, but since the Sizzlin’ had closed its doors on Knox Abbott Drive in Cayce some years ago, we decided to give it a try for nostalgia sake … We each ordered the petit sirloin and with the accompaniment of a salad, yeast roll, Texas toast, baked potato, brownie, and tea you could hardly go wrong with the $12 price tag – total! … An older lady was our waitress and she was super nice … She informed us that she had a daughter living in Gaston, S.C., after living several years in Lugoff – she preferred the drive to Gaston, which shaves about an hour off her trip from near Savannah … She also told us that her neighbor’s house had burned down that morning and that she had driven back home twice to make sure her home was not affected – talk about too much information for folks passing through … Oh well, I guess if it gave her some peace of mind to get it off her chest that it was worth listening while we shoveled food down our throats … After lunch we got back on track and made good time as we pulled over for a gas fill up in Kingsland, Ga., just above the Florida state line … We were checked into the Holiday Inn Express around 3:30 p.m., and since our parents were heading down later that afternoon we decided to wait upon their arrival … My mother has always been a Gamecock fan and was a regular attendee at Williams-Brice Stadium for more than 25 years, but some time in the mid-1990s she chucked it pretty much altogether for the comforts of my parents home … My father is a USC die-hard (guess apples don’t fall from the tree) at football, men’s basketball, men’s soccer, and baseball games but he always finds a way to get Mom to take in the Florida football game – every other year in Gainesville! … I think the main reason Mom is willing to go is because they generally eat at some nice places and this weekend was no different – much to the liking of my tastebuds and wallet .

The Chart House – Our parents had made reservations at The Chart House at Jacksonville Landing and the place has an aquatic décor of oyster and clam shell ornaments along with a seafarer’s theme throughout the establishment … After KC93 and I polished off a couple of Coronas at the bar while my parents enjoyed a couple of Grey Goose martinis, we were seated right by a window overlooking the St. John’s River … If I have my stories correct, my grandfather on my Dad’s side, was the state sales manager for Jim Beam a number of years ago and while working in Jacksonville one week he was entertaining some clients by the river when a stiff wind blew his favorite Bear Bryant type fedora into the water below – he had several other hats in that same style, but that one was his favorite and I remember listening to him lament the fact that he had lost it in such fashion … Anyway, my father, brother, and myself enjoyed oysters on the half shell while my mother tried the lump crab stacked on a mango salad – exquisite appetizers! … For entrées my brother and father had the outstanding Snapper Hemingway, my Mom dined on a lobster tail, and I had the scrumptious blackened Mahi Mahi – great texture and good heat for seasoning … KC93 and I continued through the meal with another 4-5 Coronas and my parents shared a bottle of red wine … Great meal and fun time by all … We got back to the HIE around 11:15 p.m., and called it a night in preparation for the SEC “Game of the Week” in Gainesville.

North Florida – One thing that is always a constant in north Florida is the presence of the much maligned jorts, mullets, tank tops, and mud bogging … Some things never change! … On the way down from JAX to G-ville Saturday morning we pulled over to grab a $7 bag of boiled green peanuts that were absolutely incredible! … They were literally pulled right out of the pot on Hwy. 301 and the vendor told me that he does this for every home game as he buys the goobers from a local supplier … Of course, their Gator attire consisted of some royal blue t-shirts replete with the infamous jorts and crocs – fashion wear for adults that is "a sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament" (kudos Austin Powers) … The trip through the north central part of the Sunshine State is really an eye opener as you roll (literally thanks to the constant flux of speed traps) past the towns of Baldwin, Lawtey, Starke, and Waldo – nothing like the pride of a prison system to keep these areas thriving (remember Ted Bundy)? … It was pouring rain when we awoke in Jacksonville but luckily had cleared for the trip down and we made the 1 ½ hour drive in nice weather.

UF Tailgating – There might not be a better place in the SEC to tailgate than on the outskirts of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium … In 2006 we found a spot near the J. Wayne Reitz Union Center, which serves as the student union for the UF campus – kind of like the Russell House at USC … It is situated off Museum Road and if you get there earlier enough (i.e., 11:00 a.m., for a 3:30 p.m., game) parking is free under a canopy of trees covered in Spanish moss … We met a guy from Naples, Fla., who – also donning crocs – let me know that he wasn’t a resident of Gainesville, but that he had spent 8 ½ years of his life getting an undergraduate degree … He was nice enough to allow us into their area as he blared a Neil Young tribute CD from his Suburban and grilled every kind of meat under the sun, um, clouds, throughout the day … About an hour later my friend K.P., his wife K.P., and his two friends arrived to tailgate with us … The great thing about the Reitz Union Center is that the bathrooms are located on the bottom floor and are clean as a whistle … Another plus is that the center has a food court with a wide selection of foods and we opted for Subway sandwiches since we had a good breakfast at the HIE earlier in the day … One note, we never saw any law enforcement enact the open container policy, because we just drank our canned Natural Light beer out of koozies, but we did hear that several people were warned for not having their alcoholic beverages in cups.

56-6 – Oh yeah, there was a game Saturday afternoon as well … One of the garnet-colored wearing glass co-owners of a Gamecock website kept spewing on the radio Friday morning that USC fans would see a revolutionary style of offensive innovation and trickery beyond the imagination on special teams – I saw both at Florida and I never want to see that display again … Awful … In a span of 2:15 late in the first quarter the game was over and the next three-plus quarters is still a blur to me after watching those all blue uniforms with orange helmets zoom all over the gridiron … Gamecock Nation was well represented in Gainesville, but even the Orange & Blue faithful hit the exits early at The Swamp as the game was 28-3 at the half – and an identical score line the next 30 minutes … We stayed until the final whistle and good luck to the Gators in their quest for another National Championship … P.S. – The Swamp does not have a bad view in the stadium and the UF administration pulled off another great flyover that featured

Game Thoughts – Someone needs to get Urban Meyer a uniform with a jersey number on it, because I have never seen a coach stay on the field as long as this guy does … He rants, raves, and wreaks havoc on the Florida sidelines to the point that an astute SEC official should flag him for “over coaching” … My goodness – what is there to do as the head coach at Florida? … If I was a Gator fan, I would be asking how in the world this team lost a game this year … The speed of Florida is simply incredible and even though South Carolina is a SEC-fast team compared to other regions of the country, there is no team that is any faster than the 2008 Gators – unreal … Kenny McKinley made six tough catches for 37 yards, Spencer Lanning logged 10 punts for a 40 yard average and downed three inside the 20 yard line, and Ryan Succop was true on both field goal attempts from 41 and 44 yards … Other than that – nothing to write home about regarding individual superlatives … A former great mid-1970s quarterback at South Carolina sat behind us and was involved in a verbal exchange with a couple of Florida fans midway through the first quarter and even indicated that a little bit of pushing was going on, but I didn’t pick up everything with my headphones on … I do know that the couple got up and left midway through the second quarter because the guy kept complaining about sitting in the USC section – real loyal fan with seats like those :-).

Postgame – What more was there to say? … We ran into one of our long time buddies J.C., on the way out and he was down at The Swamp on a “guy’s weekend” with his stepson … We just laughed at what had transpired and said leave the loss in Florida and get ready for the open date and Clemson! … We didn’t waste any time getting out of town and fortunately a police woman gave us a break when she opened up another lane of traffic for us to get left out of the Reitz Union Center lot so that we could circle around to University Drive and the route out of Gainesville … With my parents in tow – we decided to make it a late supper at Morton’s Steakhouse in Jacksonville down near the waterfront … It was excellent and the host, Alex, was extremely helpful and courteous as we were still in our game wardrobes … Come to find out he is an avid Florida State fan and was keeping us posted on the FSU/Boston College game … He told us that Jeff Fisher, head coach of the undefeated Tennessee Titans, usually dines at Morton’s the night before the game, but that he had broken tradition this weekend … We all ordered the single cut filet mignons after three of us enjoyed the Chopped Salad while my Dad ate a Beefsteak Tomato Salad … Accompanied by steamed jumbo asparagus and sautéed mushrooms the meal was perfect along with a couple of Sam Adams’ Oktoberfest beers for KC93 and myself while the folks downed a bottle of red wine.

Sunday Drive – We eschewed the HIE breakfast and got on up the road stopping once in Kingsland, Ga., for gas … Great weather allowed KC93 to put it in the wind and driving time from south Jacksonville was 4 hours, 15 minutes (8:45 am – 1:00 pm) and with one breakfast stop at Burger King during our gas stop we made it back to Cayce in great fashion.

Open Date & Clemson – Another free weekend that comes at a great time for the Gamecocks … Get the Florida game out of the system altogether and let’s go take care of a 5-5 Clemson team that has to win its final two contests at Virginia and vs. South Carolina to qualify for a bowl game … Give me 7-8 wins a year and a victory vs. Clemson and it’s a big season at South Carolina … I’ve been attending since 1979 and USC has recorded a ‘W’ just eight times vs. the Tigers in that span … Carolina owns a 5-8-1 record at Memorial Stadium during this time frame … Another statistic is that during those 29 seasons the team with the better record entering the game has won 20 times, lost eight games, and one decision ended in a tie … Three of the last four outings has seen the team with the lesser record win the contest.

*** 1979 CU 8-2, SC 7-3, SC WIN
*** 1980 CU 5-5, SC 8-2
1981 CU 10-0, SC 6-4
1982 CU 7-1-1, SC 4-6
1983 CU 8-1-1, SC 5-5
-----------------------------------------
1984 CU 7-3, SC 9-1, SC WIN
1985 CU 5-5, SC 5-5
1986 CU 7-2-1, SC 3-6-1, TIE
*** 1987 CU 9-1, SC 7-2, SC WIN
1988 CU 8-2, SC 8-2
-----------------------------------------
1989 CU 8-2, SC 6-3-1
1990 CU 8-2, SC 5-4
1991 CU 7-1-1, SC 3-5-2
*** 1992 CU 5-5, SC 4-6, SC WIN
1993 CU 7-3, SC 5-5
-----------------------------------------
1994 CU 5-5, SC 5-5, SC WIN
1995 CU 7-3, SC 4-5-1
*** 1996 CU 7-3, SC 5-5, SC WIN
1997 CU 6-4, SC 5-5
1998 CU 2-8, SC 1-9
-----------------------------------------
1999 CU 5-5, SC 0-10
2000 CU 8-2, SC 7-3
2001 CU 5-4, SC 7-3, SC WIN
2002 CU 6-5, SC 5-6
2003 CU 7-4, SC 5-6
-----------------------------------------
*** 2004 CU 5-5, SC 6-4
*** 2005 CU 6-4, SC 7-3
*** 2006 CU 8-3, SC 6-5, SC WIN
2007 CU 8-3, SC 6-5
2008 CU 5-5, SC 7-4
-----------------------------------------

Soccer – Kudos to Coach Shelley Smith’s squad that reached the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, but just like 2007, the Gamecocks bowed out in the First Round in extra time … Carolina’s 3-2 loss to William & Mary at Durham, N.C., ended USC’s season at 11-7-4 overall … Danila Monteiro is the only senior departing this squad so Carolina should be in good shape to challenge for a top four finish in the SEC in 2009 … As for the men’s squad, Coach Mark Berson’s 31st team ended its year with an 8-6-5 mark after posting a 1-1 record at the Conference USA Tournament … USC whipped host SMU, 3-0, but dropped a 2-0 decision to C-USA regular season and tourney champion, Tulsa … Four seniors – Kevan Hawkins, Spencer Lewis, David Smith, and Brennan Williams – depart Columbia, but the nucleus of some now well-seasoned players return for 2009 … Next year is a critical season for the Gamecocks, which reached the NCAAs 17 times from 1985-2005, but has missed postseason play each of the last three years despite posting a 30-16-6 (.635) record (11-5-1, 11-5, 8-6-5) … A reminder to all that in men’s soccer only 48 teams make the postseason tourney out of 200+ teams and 32 of those spots are automatic bids to conference champions … It’s probably the toughest playoffs to qualify for in any NCAA sport … However, there is enough talent at Stone Stadium to finish 1-2 in C-USA next year and make a run in the postseason – something that has not happened for the Gamecocks since 1998.

M-Basketball – Is it just me or does the home court at Colonial Life Arena not look awful? … I wasn’t a big fan of the gradient fill of the foul lanes and actually prefer the new look in that regard, but the lettering on the rest of the floor is gaudy to say the least … Congratulations to Coach Darrin Horn for becoming the first men’s basketball coach at USC to win his first two games since World War II (that is a stat I heard today and I’m not looking it up but it sounds about right) … Anyone else having a hard time getting jazzed up about basketball season before Thanksgiving? … I have always felt that the sport should not start until December since it is played until the first weekend of April as this part of the country just doesn’t get into games against the likes of Jacksonville State, Gardner-Webb, N.C. Central, etc. … The women play arch-rival Clemson on Wednesday and hopefully Coach Dawn Staley’s troops can level their mark at 1-1 after dropping the season opener at Penn State.

Week #11 - My thoughts and observations ...

2008-11-10T10:23:00.004-05:00

Last Home Game - Hard to believe that November 8 was the last home game of the 2008 season (my the time has flown by) ... Looking back through the annals, USC closed out its home slate on 11/6/04 vs. Arkansas and 10/28/00 vs. Tennessee as the earliest last home games in recent memory ... We had a great time tailgating on a clear and windy day in the Capital City ... We arrived at the Farmers Market around 9:15 and enjoyed Bojangle's biscuits and a homemade sausage/egg/cheese casserole for breakfast and a batch of homemade sausage/cheese dip with tortilla chips as a pregame snack -- nice tribute to the "Swine of the South", Arkansas! ... Of course, the Natural Light was flowing and a good time was had by all in preparation for the home finale.

BBQ, Rkansaw Style - No need to discuss too much of the game now that it's Monday, but USC showed its mettle late in the third quarter when Jordin Lindsey stretched up from his defensive end position and intercepted Casey Dick's pass and then rumbled 40 yards to turn a 20-14 affair into an insurmountable two touchdown lead that was secured when quarterback Stephen Garcia connected with wide receiver Kenny McKinley on the patented fade route to ensure the victory ... Early on I thought the game could turn into a laugher when USC raced to a 10-0 lead and then led by the same margin at intermission (17-7) ... However, give the Hogs and Coach Bobby Petrino credit that they hung in there despite not having nearly the amount of talent they possessed the past couple of years ... Every time Carolina seemingly was ready to put the game away the Razorbacks somehow managed to cut into the deficit, but in the end the better team won a pretty entertaining contest at Williams-Brice Stadium ... Congratulations to cornerback Addison Williams who picked off the first pass of his USC career in the first quarter ... Kudos also to Stoney Woodson who intercepted a pass for the fourth time this year - a team high and I believe the eighth in his career - underrated player for the Gamecocks ... Ryan Succop drilled a 54-yard field goal and followed it up with a 37-yarder, but it perplexes me as to how he could miss the 25-yard chip shot -- the good news is that he has connected on five of his last seven attempts after struggling through a one-of-six span a month ago ... Eric Norwood (9 tackles, 3 sacks) and Darian Stewart (7 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 pass broken up) were menacing behind the line of scrimmage as Chris Culliver and Marvin Sapp provided super cover with seven stops a piece ... My favorite Gamecock this year has been Akeem Auguste and he tallied six stops and a PBU ... I didn't know what to think of Petrino after his carousel with Louisville, the Atlanta Falcons, and then Arkansas, but he's a good coach and feel he will have Arkansas back in the hunt sooner rather than later in the SEC West.

Moving On Up - South Carolina's victory on Saturday enabled the Gamecocks to swap positions with Arkansas as the best sub-.500 SEC team since 2000 in league play ... In 71 SEC games during that span USC owns a 34-37 (.479) mark which is better than five other SEC foes: Arkansas (33-37, .471); Ole Miss (27-43, .386); Kentucky (18-52, .257); Miss. State (16-53, .232); and Vanderbilt (12-58, .171) ... The top half of the SEC the past nine years is as follows: Florida (52-19, .732); LSU (50-20, .714); Georgia (50-21, .704); Auburn (49-21, .700); Tennessee (45-26, .634); and Alabama (35-34, .507) ... Plus, the win vs. the Razorbacks improved USC to 5-4 vs. Arkansas in Columbia and 7-10 overall against Carolina's permanent SEC West Division rival.

Halcyon Days - Don't look now South Carolina football fans, but this is the "golden era" for the gridiron Gamecocks! ... Dating back to 2004, USC has compiled .500 or better seasons for five consecutive seasons ... As a fan since 1979 I'll take that kind of production every year as long as it includes bowl games -- 2004 (brawl) and 2007 saw those goals missed -- and a 50/50 result with Clemson ... However, the Gamecocks have now proven that they belong in the Southeastern Conference when it comes to football and a span of such "success" should not be scoffed at as a 34-24 (.586) record overall and a 19-20 SEC mark are impressive totals considering how tough this league is in football ... Since 2000, USC is 61-45 (.581) overall.

2008, 7-3 (4-3) Bowl Game
2007, 6-6 (3-5)
2006, 8-5 (3-5) Liberty Bowl Champions
2005, 7-5 (5-3) Independence Bowl
2004, 6-5 (4-4)
---------------------------------------
2003, 5-7 (2-6)
2002, 5-7 (3-5)
---------------------------------------
2001, 9-3 (5-3) Outback Bowl Champions
2000, 8-4 (5-3) Outback Bowl Champions

Recruiting - This is a cut-and-paste of my comments regarding the recruitment of Chris Bonds from last week ... I'm not much for the recruiting process and the ins-and-outs of the business, but here's hoping Chris Bonds finds "greener pastures" elsewhere than Columbia ... This young man has gotten on my nerves the past four years with the constant open door policy at South Carolina and yet does not include the Gamecocks in the final three. So be it ... I like Jay Frye at Richland Northeast HS and know it's his goal to see his players get opportunities at the next level -- where ever that may be ... I have no problem with that whatsoever ... But, this guy is totally overrated and really has not improved enough to warrant any more attention from the Gamecocks ... Not playing his final prep games tells me a lot about the character of this kid! ... I coach high school kids and if a player "opted out" for his own sake due to "not wanting to get hurt', then he can go ahead and turn in his uniform ... No doubt that the folks at RNE have bent over backwards through his career there and helped him along after numerous injuries and setbacks ... The least he could do is "man up" and "be a guy" ... Soft! ... That is what recruiting is about (discussing 17 year old decisions) ... Bonds is not new to the process ... He milked it for everything it is worth - for this I applaud him ... However, it's time for USC to cut the umbilical cord in Columbia and let him go afar the next 2 1/2 months until he signs ... "No room at the Inn" is what I would tell him ... Good luck to him and I hope he prospers, but it's time for Chris & Company to leave the Garnet & Black alone ... Good for David Reaves (AND HIGHER UP THE CHAIN) ... Glad to know the "open bar" has been closed to some locals! ... I stated this a long time ago ... I don't get involved in recruiting for this reason alone ... However, this guy has been in the limelight of football recruiting since his 8th grade year and kudos to him for milking the system ... However, he has not progressed as a player and is probably as good as he's going to be - reminds me a lot of JJ Brown from several years ago ... No problem in that either, because he's going to get his collegiate education paid for - and he needs to take advantage of that opportunity ... I'm just glad it won't be in Columbia ... Not jaded - just relieved! ... Phil Kornblut's family is zoned for RNE HS and his son played football for the Cavaliers ... They are "close" in that regard ... I don't want anything bad for the Bonds Family - just don't want Chris logging a scholarship at South Carolina - maybe as an invited walk-on and perhaps a scholarship later on if he can prove his worth (and health) ... Simple as that.

Big Point Spread - The Associated Press has the Gamecocks (7-3) ranked #24 nationally and Florida (8-1) #3, respectively ... The Gators have wrapped up the SEC East Division and will play Alabama (10-0) for the Southeastern Conference Championship in December so the only thing riding on this game between bowl-bound teams is pride -- essentially that is it ... I hope South Carolina approaches the game with a free-for-all attitude and that Coach Spurrier throws caution to the wind and unveils his bag of tricks because with an open date before heading up to arch-rival Clemson this is an excellent opportunity to knock off the three-touchdown favorites -- or at least take them to the wire like the 2006 squad was able to do ... Since joining the SEC for football in 1992 Florida owns a 19.7-point margin of victory at Gainesville vs. USC (35.1-15.4) ... As good as Carolina's defense has been this year (130 points allowed in SEC play for an 18.6 average), Florida's has been even more impressive with just 94 points allowed (13.4 average) ... Factor in that the Gators have almost doubled the Gamecocks in SEC points scored (303-157) and the odds-makers have this matchup ending in a rout ... This game reminds me of the 2000 clash with UF at The Swamp that the Gators rebounded from a poor start to steamroll the Gamecocks 41-21 ... As a bettor I like South Carolina and the 22 points and a four-quarter game is what I hope to see at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this Saturday ... Go Cocks!

Week #10 - My thoughts and observations

2008-11-03T15:21:00.000-05:00

My thoughts and observations …

Condolences – First off, I would like to express my condolences to the family of James Wingo, who passed away Monday, November 3, 2008 … He sat directly behind me for more than 20 years in Section 9 and battled Alzheimer’s the past couple of years … Mr. Wingo was a track standout at T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson and was a Letterman in the same sport at the University of South Carolina … His son, Stuart, and I basically grew up together at Williams-Brice Stadium throughout the years and I wish the Wingo Family my condolences at this time … Also, my cousin BKB lost his maternal grandfather this past week and the service was Sunday in Columbia … His grandfather, Buddy Sullivan, was a very good athlete at Dreher High School and during the Outback Bowl season in 2000 we had the opportunity to visit him at his Pinellas Park, Fla., home near Tampa … My thoughts are with my aunt, uncle, and BKB … P.S. – A “Berrian” alert went out at the service … Boy, you out there?

Tailgating – The easiest trip to Williams-Brice Stadium this year occurred this past Saturday … We ventured out the 12th Street Extension in Cayce via I-277 and Bluff Road and were parked by 3 o’clock … Where were the Gamecock fans? … If anyone parks at Stadium Place let me in on some information – is it still open? … Every time we’re heading to the game that place looks like a bomb has exploded because no one is around … What gives? … Do they not open the gates early? … Anyway, lots of cold Natural Light accompanied a D’s Wings (Parkland Plaza in Cayce) spread … Our Kingsport, TN fan that makes every USC home game (and a bunch of the away games, too) was primed to take a “W” back to share with his Big Orange brethren in eastern Tennessee and he was not disappointed as Carolina won for only the third time vs. UT since joining the SEC for football in 1992 … We stayed around for about an hour after the game, but with the early exodus of so many Gamecock fans and the lack of attendance by the Big Orange faithful we were able to scoot home relatively quickly postgame.

ScUTtled – USC took care of their chief SEC East Division nemesis, Tennessee, in fine fashion (27-6) on Saturday in Columbia … The Gamecocks dominated from start to finish and the outcome was never in doubt after Stoney Woodson made a perfect break on Nick Stephens’ pass and raced 68 yards for a score to give Carolina a two touchdown advantage on the first play of the second quarter … For some reason USC had not been able to buck the single-digit trend of losing vs. the Vols as seven of the previous eight meetings had been decided by that form and yet only one of those games was a Gamecock victory … Hopefully, this will be a watershed win and perhaps a changing of the middle tier in the Division as SC and UT have split the past four encounters … Since 2005, USC is 14-16 in the SEC while UT owns a 15-15 mark … One note, in 1992 when South Carolina upset Tennessee 24-23 on Halloween day in Columbia, I was working at USC in the Sports Information Department under the direction of Kerry Tharp (Tom Price had just retired and “KT” and Brian Binette ran the day-to-day office operations) … Tharp, a native of Louisville, Ky., earned his Master’s Degree at UT and worked in the SID for long time UT SID, Bud Ford … The evening before the football game a Cockaboose (new to USC at the time) was the setting for a UT gathering and Coach Johnny Majors was the guest – I had the privilege of shuttling Coach Majors around with some other UT folks in my 1988 Jeep Cherokee Laredo between the USC campus and their hotel headquarters off Two Notch Road in northeast Columbia … It is amazing how much you can soak up and learn when you are in the company of such respected folks in their professions and you could not have met a nicer gentleman than Coach Majors … However, the next day UT slipped on a banana peel as a resurgent USC team – led by walkon linebacker Hank Campbell – stopped James Stewart and the Volunteers on a two-point conversion with less 1:30 remaining in the game – Trick or Treat! … That was basically the end for Coach Majors and the Phil Fulmer era began at UT … I’ve never been a Gamecock fan to dislike Coach Fulmer, because entering the year he was 147-45 overall with a National Championship, a pair of SEC titles, and five East Division crowns … Plus, I have met a couple of his long time assistants (Dan Brooks and John Chavis) who we share a mutual friend … Only legendary Coach Robert Neyland has coached or won more games in Knoxville and Fulmer owned an 8-8 mark in bowl games … Here’s wishing good luck to the Great Pumpkin!

Catapults – If you are an aspiring punter or just like to see a lot of hang time then the Palmetto State’s Capital City was the place to be for you on Saturday … I can’t remember more punts in a game as Carolina’s Spencer Lanning matched kick for kick the entire Colquitt Clan – this time with Britton doing the duties … Lanning (8-360 yards) and Colquitt (9-408 yards) probably needed crutches on Sunday as the duo combined for 17 punts, 768 yards, a 45+ yard average, and even downed five inside the 20 yard line … Whew! … Not to be outdone were the punt coverages of both teams as Carolina allowed only 31 yards on seven returns Tennessee bettered those numbers with marks of two returns for -2 yards – impressive for both teams! … #29 Chris Hail was excellent on his coverage as was #59 Charles Turner and – my boy – #3 Akeem Auguste!

Perfect Palmettos – Kudos to whomever came up with the Palmetto Tree logos opposite the SEC logos at Williams-Brice Stadium … Again, another indication that the current administration “gets it” when it comes to the little things … Selling your program as a SEC member and the flagship institution of the Palmetto State is a no-brainer and that is a super “touch” on the gridiron.

SEC Since 2000 – A win vs. Arkansas or Florida would give South Carolina its fifth .500 or better SEC campaign in nine seasons … In fact, a victory this coming Saturday vs. the Hogs would flip-flop positions between the permanent SEC East/West foes … SEC records since 2000: #1 Florida (51-19, .729); #2 LSU (50-19, .725); #3-T Auburn (49-21, .700); #3-T Georgia (49-21, .700); #5 Tennessee (45-26, .634); #6 Alabama (35-34, .507); #7 Arkansas (33-36, .478); #8 SOUTH CAROLINA (33-37, .471); #9 Ole Miss (27-43, .386); #10 Kentucky (18-51, .261); #11 Miss. State (16-53, .232); and #12 Vanderbilt (12-57, .174) … .500 or better seasons since 2000: 9 – Florida, Georgia; 8 – Auburn, LSU; 7 – Tennessee; 5 – Alabama, Arkansas; 4 – SOUTH CAROLINA; 3 – Ole Miss; 2 – Miss. State; 1 – Kentucky; and 0 – Vanderbilt.

Bowling – Barring a melee in the finale at Clemson and Gamecock Nation should be afforded the opportunity to go “bowling” this postseason at a pretty desirable locale … I love that time of year as it puts an exclamation point on what has been a pretty good season of gridiron action … I have only missed one bowl game (1988 Liberty) since 1979 and the postseason trips are an absolute blast … I fully expect South Carolina’s defense to shut down Arkansas this week and a scoreline of 27-13 looks about right to me … That would give USC seven victories with two games remaining – that’s in the realm of Outback and Chick-fil-A destinations with the outside chance of perhaps a CapitalOne, Cotton (mainly SEC West), or if things don’t go right then a Music City … Either way, get on the road and support the Garnet & Black! … Being bowl eligible last year and in 2004 and not going left a bad taste in my mouth and I fully enjoyed the trips to the Independence and Liberty Bowls – no such thing as a “bad bowl”! … Plus, the Gamecocks are 4-1 in their last five trips after starting 0-8 – nothing like fun at a neutral site against other big-time conferences.

Sooiee Pig – Time to stick ‘Tusk’ on a BBQ pit as the Razorbacks invade Columbia this Saturday … USC is 4-4 vs. Arkansas at The W-B and it’s time we get over the .500 mark at home in this series … The Hogs lead overall 10-6 in a series played annually since 1992 … Arkansas owns 3-1 marks at Fayetteville and Little Rock, respectively … Three of the last four meetings have seen a lot of points scored, including 84 last year (SC 36-48 AR) … In 2006, the Hogs outlasted USC 26-20 and in 2004 Lou Holtz recorded his final Carolina victory with a 35-32 win … The lone defensive struggle recently was a 14-10 win by USC in 2005 at Fayetteville.

Week #9 - My thoughts and observations …

2008-10-20T14:54:00.000-04:00

Open Date – Thank goodness! … Eight straight weeks of Carolina Football is a grind no matter how much you love the sport and following the team … This season has already included trips to Nashville-TN, Oxford-MS, and Lexington-KY and five home games … USC is 5-3 on the year and 2-3 in SEC action … The Gamecocks sport a 3-2 record at Williams-Brice Stadium and a 2-1 mark on the road ... I plan on doing as little as possible when it comes to college football this week to gear up for the stretch run that includes two crucial home contests vs. Tennessee and Arkansas after the break – no reason USC shouldn’t be favored to win those games and if we come back for the November 15 game at Florida with a 7-3 record overall and a 4-3 SEC mark, then there will be all to play for with a potential SEC East Division title within reach.

Pregame – We left Cayce en route to the State Farmers Market around 3 o’clock on Saturday … We opted for the 12th Street Extension, I-77, and Bluff Road path and made our parking spot in the Watermelon Shed around 3:20 p.m. – no problems with S.C. State Fair traffic (that is always so overrated) … The cold Natural Light flowed from the outset and we tailgated with Zesto’s broasted chicken, French fries, cole slaw (best in Columbia), and rolls … It was a lively tailgate following consecutive SEC road victories and everyone was in high spirits for the 8 p.m., kickoff … The infamous D.E., sat with me during the game and we had a good time cheering on the Gamecocks.

LSU – No use dwelling on the negatives, LSU is a better football team in all three phases of the game … That game was out of my system when I got back to the State Farmers Market – I had a different perception leaving the Vanderbilt and Georgia games … I went with my heart earlier in the week and predicted a 23-19 Carolina victory and thought that might come about when USC led 17-10 at the half after surprising me with all of the Gamecocks scoring in the 2nd Quarter … However, the Bayou Bengals absolutely dominated the second half, especially the 4th Quarter when Louisiana State rolled up an 11:39 – 3:21 advantage in Time of Possession … The Gamecocks once again were involved in a 2008 SEC game that wound up seven points in differential – Carolina is 2-3 in those contests … USC has definitely improved, however, LSU is the defending SEC and National Champion and seemed to me that they were never unnerved and totally determined not to lose two games in a row … Keilan Williams (15/72) and Charlie Scott (16/61) combined for 31 carries, 133 yards, and two touchdowns as LSU rushed 46 times for 164 yards and that allowed the quarterback duo of J. Lee (16-26) and A. Hatch (2-3) to keep a balance that totaled 363 yards in all on 75 offensive plays … Conversely, USC only ran 57 plays that included a much maligned six sacks and a paltry 1.3 yards per rush on 31 attempts … Defensively, USC fought hard, but was manhandled near the goal line and allowed 22 first downs … LSU converted 6 of 14 third down opportunities while limiting USC to just 1 of 9 – essentially that was the ballgame … In the special teams category, LSU’s Colt David made his only field goal attempt on the Tigers’ second possession of the game when he connected from 48 yards away … Carolina’s Ryan Succop went 1-of-2 as he hit from 21 yards but also had an inexcusable 39-yard miss at home – making him 3 of his last 8 after hitting all four attempts vs. UAB on September 27 in Columbia … The Gamecocks lost the turnover battle (3-1) once again as Carolina threw an interception and lost two fumbles … South Carolina put up a valiant effort, but LSU is better – period!

Fear the Hat – Say what you will about Les Miles, but the guy is 39-7 overall at LSU since 2005 and that includes two SEC West Division titles, one SEC championship, and last year’s National Championship … The November 8 game vs. #2 Alabama should decide the SEC West Division and you can bet #11 LSU will not want to yield to former head coach Nick Saban … I remembered Miles from his days at Oklahoma State on the staff of former Cowboys coach Bob Simmons, who had just one winning season in six years at Stillwater … After a 4-7 season in his inaugural year of 2001, Miles led the Cowpokes to three consecutive winning seasons and a 2-2 record in four seasons vs. arch-rival and national power Oklahoma.

Gamecock Nation – Well done South Carolina fans! … I recorded the game and watched most of the replay on Monday … Very impressive! … The crowd was electric and into the game the entire way … The student section was the best I have ever seen it in Columbia dating back to 1989 – reminiscent of the 1987 Clemson game … The spirit rags – white, thank goodness – showed up great against the sea of Garnet & Black and the north end zone and that section of the East stands was in constant motion the entire time … I believe it was the best home game setting since the 2005 Florida game … I’ve heard some local radio shows rail against the fans for leaving with four minutes remaining, but I really didn’t notice it too much from Section 9 … How many really left Williams-Brice Stadium? … For my money - $55 per ticket – I thought it was an outstanding atmosphere and one that had to impress the national television audience … Remember, we all love college football and there are only seven home games a year so why leave early if you did? … I love night games at Williams-Brice Stadium and the electricity was there for the full 60 minutes.

Game Balls – Emanuel Cook continues to prove he is the best defensive player not only at USC, but in the SEC … The junior from Riviera Beach, FL, tallied a game-high 11 tackles with eight solo stops … Chris Culliver chipped in nine tackles (six solos) and one pass broken up … Eric Norwood got another tackle for loss (1.5 credited) and had eight stops with four solos and a PBU … Carlos Thomas held on to a J. Lee pass and returned it 46 yards to setup South Carolina’s go ahead halftime score … Stephen Garcia never looked rattled to me and I don’t believe he will face a tougher defense the rest of the season … The redshirt freshman completed 14 of 26 passes for 215 yards (15.4 average), one TD, and one INT … The six sacks were partially his fault (I know of one in particular, but the Offensive Line is just pathetic) … I thought the two improvised plays where he found Kenny McKinley (one catch, one drop) down field after scrambling just shows you what kind of potential he has athletically – if either Chris Smelley or Tommy Beecher were behind center vs. LSU, then the sack total would have read a dozen! … The tight ends of Jared Cook (5 for 74) and Weslye Saunders (1 for 26, 1 TD) were outstanding and IMO under-utilized throughout the game as the middle slant/drag route was open all day … Spencer Lanning had his booming shoes on this past weekend with a 44.8 average on five punts that included one being downed inside the 20 yard line … I would be remiss not to mention Umpire Wilbur Hackett who leveled Garcia on a play late in the 2nd Quarter with a shoulder charge that I’m sure put a smile on all zebra stripes everywhere – luckily it didn’t cost USC any points.

OL Woes – Needless to say the offensive line is a top concern … I stated before the season about knowing quite well that Carolina had the quantity to field an OL, but I questioned the “quality” of that group … Is this really what Coach John Hunt has to work with or are others just not getting an opportunity, because the game-to-game and season-to-season product is pitiful … I have read where a couple of “insiders” and parents have commented that to truly know the OL scheme that you must realize their assignments and their responsibilities … Well, I don’t know what those assignments/responsibilities are because that is not shared with “John Q Fan” … However, what I do get to judge is 12 Saturdays a Fall and since 2005 the product is absolutely poor … No fire, no emotion, no determination, no grit, no passion, etc. … What is left to say? … No talent? … No coaching? … How would we ever know? … The only thing that is fact is that South Carolina averages 2.9 yards per rush and has allowed a national high 30 sacks … Last year those totals read 3.6 AVG and 31 Sacks … In 2006 it was 4.5 AVG and 24 Sacks and and in 2005 it was 3.1 AVG and 30 Sacks … Folks, those are not good numbers, save for the average in 2006 … Everything else adds up to at least two sacks per game … Simply put, the OL is soft and that includes everyone – you don’t judge an OL individually … It’s like a glove – unless all fingers and thumb work together properly then it’s bound to have gaps and disruptions … Somehow or another Steve Spurrier has been able to get past this obvious weakness to the tune of a 26-19 record and 13-16 SEC mark – not bad with a sieve known as the offensive line!

Dropped Balls – What is going on with Mike Davis? … Ever since The State newspaper highlighted he and Cory Boyd last season about not fumbling the ball, he appears to have gone in the tank … Not only is he averaging just 3.9 yards per carry on 97 attempts, but he has only scored twice, and is averaging just 53.9 yards per game … The senior from Columbia, S.C., has caught 16 passes, but has dropped at least half that number … Throw in the fact that he has either lost the ability to block or just doesn’t want to block anymore and he’s become a liability in the backfield … Maybe he can get things turned around because Carolina has got to find someone to tote the rock consistently forward despite the lack of blocking … Poor old Addison Williams – the kid just can’t catch a break in the secondary … Despite recovering a fumble for the second straight week, Williams was inserted at corner back to cover for Captain Munnerlyn and Carlos Thomas due to more cramps – something that Thomas said “that he and Munnerlyn should have done a better job of prehydrating” … Sure enough, just like Clemson last year on the final drive and Ole Miss this year on the opening drive, the LSU coaching staff saw #7 out there and immediately picked on him with a 36-yard pass from Jarrett Lee to Demetrius Byrd to give the Tigers 1st-and-10 at the South Carolina 20-yard line … Six plays later LSU scored the game-winner and won 24-17.

Bumblin’, Fumblin’, Stumblin’ – How about the problems up the road at Clemson? … I don’t comment often on our arch-rivals, but the troubles in Tiger Town are a real mess! … The real problem as I can see is the fact that the disillusioned Clemson fans and their perceptions of what Clemson football is in 2008 … They want to be SEC-like with the pomp and circumstance of big time college football, but are stuck in the fourth or fifth at-best league in the country … I am not going to down play what Clemson did in the 1980s ... Danny Ford had a solid program before and after a mythical National Championship in 1981 and three subsequent years of probation ... However, for the Tigers faithful to consider Clemson as an elite program is just not true the past 15 years ... Since 1993, Clemson has finished in the AP Top 20 just once -- 2000 (#16) ... Look it up if you want to verify it, but here are the numbers: 2007 - #21; 2005 - #21; 2003 - #22; 2000 - #16; 1993 - #23 … Clemson has benefitted from playing in the ACC by compiling just above .500 seasons and going to minor bowl games ... If that's below the expectations of the Tigers fan base then maybe some hard facts analysis needs to be spun by the spin-meisters wearing orange … By the way, the bush-league antics of Dabo Swinney leave a lot to be desired … From the arm-in-arm walk across the field to the kissing of the rock to the running/gunning down the hill – that is hairy high school crap and Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson smirked the entire first half because if a ‘real team’ would have been against the Yellow Jackets this past Saturday then chances are GT loses – wasn’t going to happen with the shenanigans Clemson pulled to cap off a nationally embarrassing week for the upstate school … Time to start beating those guys on the gridiron!

Week #8 - My thoughts and observations …

2008-10-13T16:50:00.003-04:00

Friday Fun – KCock93 and I departed Cayce around 8:15 a.m., on Friday and stopped for a McDonald’s breakfast in Clinton, S.C., that took an unexpected 20 minutes for drive through service – not a good start … After checking the weather throughout the week, neither of us were prepared for drizzling rain or a gray day which is what we encountered until we reached the other side of Asheville, N.C. … However, from that point on there was never a cloud in the blue sky that hovered above the entire weekend … We rode on fumes to Jellico, Ky., as we stopped for gas and in lieu of lunch we opted to make time to get to Lexington for an afternoon at Keeneland Race Track … We checked into the Holiday Inn Express (HIE) on Elkhorn Dr., around 2:45 p.m., and made it over to Keeneland for the final three races of the day … What an experience! … This was my third trip to Keeneland and it is an incredible way to spend a college football weekend in the Bluegrass … The scenery (people, horse track, rolling hills, etc.) is just unbelievable and when you win some $$$ on each race, well, it makes the day that much better … I’m not a big “bettor”, but I do like to have a rooting interest in the events I’m attending and some luck was on my side as I came out a good bit ahead while enjoying cold Bud Light beers and people watching and, of course, the horse races … It was hot (85 degrees) and the sun just baked everyone there but what a great time … KC93 didn’t fare as well on his bets, but we were able to leave knowing that we were “to the good” as far as our financials … Georgia fans used to get the benefit of playing UK every other year in the month of October while the short horse race season is in full force at Keeneland – fortunately, USC is the benefactor these days … I hope that will continue in the future and encourage any Gamecock fans to plan a visit to Lexington in the future because the UK game is truly the most underrated Southeastern Conference football experience – especially when Keeneland is open, the leaves are changing on the scenic drive from SC to KY, and considering that South Carolina usually fares pretty well on the gridiron at Commonwealth Stadium … After polishing off a couple of cold Natural Lights post-race at the Ford Explorer SporTrac, we headed to the hotel for a brief respite and then ventured out for a good meal … After driving around spotting out some places near our exit we found a place called Raffertys, but it wasn’t exactly what we had in mind but luckily ran into several members of the Ultimate Tailgaters (UTGs), who are just about everywhere the Gamecocks play in football, basketball, and baseball … We decided to pass on Rafferty’s Restaurant & Bar and ended up at Carrabba’s Italian Grill – a place that KC93 and myself had never dined even though there is one out in Harbison in the Midlands area … Generally speaking, I would rather spend my money in locally owned type restaurants and businesses, thus when I want Italian fare I opt for the likes of Villa Tronco, Moe’s Grapevine, Dianne’s, etc. … I had always heard the hype of Carrabba’s, but I found the place very bustling and loud … We had time to enjoy a Moretti beer at the bar before we were herded to our seats and then were waited on by a waitress that seemed more interested in starting her night on the town … We each ordered the veal marsala and on a scale of 1 to 10, the entrée received a 5.5/6 and the rest of the meal (bread/oil, salad, etc.) was only average … Guess I’m glad that I tried this away from Columbia, because now I will definitely continue to patronize the ‘locals’ … After a long day traveling, betting, and boozing, we called it a night after watching Louisville/Memphis on ESPN to get ready for a critical SEC contest for USC on Saturday.

UTGs – The Ultimate Tailgaters are a special breed of Gamecock fans – they support Carolina Athletics with their time, money, and unwavering allegiance … Their moniker is, “First to Arrive, Last to Leave” and when Chris F., informed me Friday night that they would be setup near the stadium at 7 a.m., I had no doubt that they would keep their word … True enough, I received a text Saturday morning while eating a decent breakfast at the HIE – scrambled eggs, hard boiled egg, bacon, and cranberry juice – informing us that they were ready to go bright and early … KC93 and I stopped by a filling station for some ice, water, chips, and deli sandwiches to snack on … With the early kickoff there was no time for lunch … The UTGs (Chris F., Kathy F., Kirk H., Woodie C., Brad F., Ronnie G., Ray S., Mark B., Jessica L., etc.) were stationed at the former Hal Mumme Pass now named Sports Center Drive right off of Cooper Drive … Tailgating adjacent to the Nutter Football Training Center on a grassy knoll provided a great venue for the full day’s activities … Manning the ‘mic’ from time to time were Mark and Chris as the USC theme music blared out of the speakers while everyone enjoyed their favorite beverages and snacks … I never got the nerve to try the Wild Turkey American Honey, but assume it would go down pretty good after a big dinner for dessert … The group had checked out a place called Liquor Barn on Friday and told me about their expansive selections of just about everything, including the Wild Turkey variation … Bill M., Alex C., Rhonda, and Anita showed up a little later to complete the group … Really a fun time tailgating with the UTGs and I’m sure we’ll join their tailgates in the future!

Midnight Madness – I didn’t attend the tip-off of basketball season at Rupp Arena Friday night, but some friends of mine did and I watched some small clips of video from the production and was most impressed by the Big Blue faithful … Apparently, more than 23,000 showed up for the event, including 12 of the Top 50 national recruits for next year … The pictures and videos showed a spirited and hyped-up atmosphere in a facility that is nice when it comes to nostalgia, but pales in comparison of South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena in terms of amenities, center court scoreboard, etc. … Just another reason why USC should continue its dominance on the gridiron because the UK faithful live for hoops – that, and the fact that Joker Phillips is the heir apparent to Coach Rich Brooks in football.

Commonwealth Stadium – This facility is one of the newer ones in the SEC as it was completed in the early 1970s and provides a beautiful setting for college football … The grounds around the stadium are well kept and the place is immaculately clean … Inside, the low upper decks make sure that there is not a bad seat in the house and from my lower deck perch a few rows behind the USC Band in Section 116 we had a great view from the corner of the end zone on the South Carolina bench side … The announced crowd was 70,822 this past Saturday, which was the largest ever to see the Gamecocks and Wildcats in Kentucky and their improvements to C.M. Newton Field are definitely noticeable … This was my sixth USC/UK game in Lexington and the games have been notoriously close in the past and this past weekend proved no different as South Carolina’s seven-point victory was the sixth straight contest that was decided by single digits in the Bluegrass: ’08 (24-17); ’06 (24-17); ’04 (12-7); ’02 (16-12); ’00 (20-17); ’98 (28-33) … Prior to the game talking to some UK fans that greeted us with “Go Cats” and our response of “Go Cocks”, you could sense that they felt 2008 was the year to break the eight-game losing streak to South Carolina and end the Steve Spurrier jinx after 15 losses in as many tries – wait ‘til next year UK fans!

7-Up! – All four of South Carolina’s 2008 SEC games have been decided by seven points and the Gamecocks own a 2-2 record, including a 2-1 mark on the road … Under Steve Spurrier, USC is now 13-11 in games decided by single digits and 13-7 in decisions of double digits … Overall in SEC contests, Coach Spurrier owns a 13-15 record (8-7 on the road) since 2005 and Carolina is 17-19 in SEC play since 2004 … Records through seven games under Coach Spurrier: 4-3 (’05); 5-2 (’06); 6-1 (’07); 5-2 (’08) for a total of 20-8 … USC is 6-10 after the seventh game since 2005, including just a 2-6 mark in Columbia … Below are the SEC records sine 2000:

.731, 49-18, Louisiana State
.721, 49-19, Florida
.710, 49-20, Auburn
.701, 47-20, Georgia
.657, 44-23, Tennessee
--------------------------------------
.493, 33-34, Alabama
.493, 33-34, Arkansas
.471, 32-36, SOUTH CAROLINA
.373, 25-42, Mississippi
.242, 16-50, Kentucky
.239, 16-51, Mississippi State
.176, 12-56, Vanderbilt

60:00 Men – If there is one fact that Steve Spurrier has relayed to his troops it’s the notion of playing the full 60 minutes and checking what the scoreboard reveals at the end of the game … In reality, when it comes to any athletics, all you can ask of your players are to leave 100% of your efforts on the field and see where that gets you when the final whistle blows … I believe this team has competed for 60 minutes in every contest except one and that was at Vanderbilt when I questioned the commitment of several players after observing their actions and antics from behind their sideline … Fortunately, the message seems to have permeated the USC team and as long as Carolina puts forth that type of effort, then win or lose, I can proudly support the Garnet & Black.

Folly 4s – For the fourth time since 2001, South Carolina has reeled off four consecutive wins in a season … In 2001, USC opened the year with a 5-0 mark before losing at Arkansas … A year later, following a 1-2 start, the Gamecocks were victorious in four straight games before falling at LSU … In 2005 with a 2-3 mark, Carolina won five consecutive games before losing the regular season finale vs. Clemson … This season at 1-2, USC has tallied four straight wins and will host LSU on Saturday … Every winning streak involved a victory vs. Kentucky … Ryan Succop missed four of five field goal attempts … USC turned the ball over four times in the first half with two interceptions and two fumbles.

Wild West – USC owns an 11-14 mark vs. SEC West Division foes since 2000, including a 1-0 record this year with the 31-24 victory at Ole Miss … USC will host LSU this Saturday and Arkansas next month to round out the 2008 slate … 5-0 vs. Miss. State, 2-2 vs. Alabama, 3-5 vs. Arkansas, 1-2 vs. Ole Miss, 0-2 vs. Auburn, and 0-3 vs. Louisiana State.

White Out – I have always liked the all white uniforms Carolina has worn throughout the years, but this season’s attire is just plain out sharp! … I really like the Under Armour duds and when the temperature gauge reads 80 degrees or more (no way was it 73 degrees at game time) then I’m all for wearing the Storm Trooper outfits.

Dirty “D” – I have been thoroughly impressed with the South Carolina defense this year and stated in the preseason that the Gamecocks’ biggest recruit of 2008 was the hiring of Ellis Johnson as Defensive Coordinator … I was fairly critical of Tyrone Nix’s schemes and styles when a lot of the local media really didn’t want to point the finger at the former DC due to his temperament and friendliness to them – amazing how personal relationships interfere with simple and just analysis when it comes to the scribes and on-air personalities … This group is as “sure tackling” 1-11 as I can remember and absolutely has some studs that will definitely be in the NFL in the near future … In my 30th year of Carolina Football, USC has a chance to make this the most feared defensive unit to set foot on the gridiron … The 1987 unit was my favorite with its “Black Death” persona and the skull and cross-bones celebrations … Take a look at the best “Ds” the past three decades:

141 - 1987 (8-4, 11.8)
*** 105 - 2008 (5-2, 15.0) ***
181 - 2000 (8-4, 15.1)
200 - 1980 (8-4, 16.7)
205 - 1979 (8-4, 17.1)
230 - 2001 (9-3, 19.2)

yUcK – Folks, as pleased as I was with the win in Lexington, let’s face it – you can’t spell sUcKs without UK … The Wildcats’ offense is abysmal as is their quarterback play with Mike Hartline … Joker Phillips, the offensive coordinator who used to coach at South Carolina (2002), has his work cut out for him, because the Wildcats have zero playmakers outside of Dicky Lyons, Jr., who was injured early in the second quarter on a legitimate tackle by Carlos Thomas – hey UK sideline reporter, it wasn’t a horse collar! … Hartline has a weak arm and literally shot-puts the ball in an upright position – not very athletic at all … The dink-and-dunk philosophy just illustrates how weak their receiving corps is and the lack of any production from the ground game left the Big Blue in neutral all afternoon … Not once did I feel that UK could drive the ball on South Carolina … Their offense is a shell of the one that featured the 2007 high flying exploits of Andre Woodson, Jacob Tammie, Rafael Little, Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson, etc., that averaged 37 points per game … For Kentucky to improve on its 4-2 record then the Wildcats are going to have someone step to the front on offense and from what I saw on Saturday, I’m not sure they have the personnel to do so … I would seriously consider getting Randall Cobb under center from here on out.

Muddin’ – Neither team generated anything on the ground as Carolina averaged just 2.2 yards per carry and Kentucky 2.8 en route to 78 and 62 yards, respectively … That would be understandable with poor field conditions, but on a clear and dry day in Horse Country, that wasn’t the case … USC opted to run the ball on 1st Down 18 times while attempting 12 passes on the same down … Carolina gained 36 yards on 17 carries and also had 1 carry for 25 yards on that down … Throwing the ball, USC was 5 of 11 for 44 yards and one sack … In short yardage situations on 2nd Down and 3rd Down, Carolina chose to run the ball five times compared to zero passes … Out of the shotgun formation, USC attempted eight rushes and 28 passes compared to 22 runs and 13 passes from under center … I’m pretty much resigned for USC to sling the ball around the yard 45-50 times per game, because through 2/3 of the season I don’t see the running game getting any better for the Gamecocks.

Charlie Strong? – I know the former USC DC (1999-2002) is at Florida these days, but new UK Defensive Coordinator, Steve Brown, could have been mistaken for the old Carolina saying of “3rd and Long Charlie Strong” … Geesh! … I remembered him from his NFL playing days with the Houston Oilers of the 1980s and he must be having a nightmare this week as he reviews the film of all the 3rd-and-Long plays Carolina converted on Saturday … 13 times USC faced a distance of greater than 3rd-and-5 and eight times the Gamecocks converted, though two plays did result in Chris Smelley interceptions … 3rd Down Catches: Jason Barnes (2-44yds); Jared Cook (2-24 yds); Joseph Hills (1-24 yds); Mike Davis (1-18 yds); Weslye Saunders (1-13 yds); and Kenny McKinley (1-11 yds) … All told, USC was 8 of 17 on 3rd Down and that is where Carolina won the game as the Wildcats converted just one of 16 opportunities.

Highs – Stephen Garcia completed 10 of 14 passes for 169 yards (16.9 yard average) with a beautiful game-winning touchdown pass to Weslye Saunders … Garcia looked outstanding in the second half and engineered the Gamecocks’ second consecutive come from behind road victory … Kenny McKinley hauled in seven passes for 88 yards and a score and looks 100% healthy … Jason Barnes continues to come up with big plays with four catches for 88 yards … Jared Cook tallied four receptions for 36 yards and Saunders had two catches for 20 yards from the tight end spot … Joseph Hills had a big third down conversion with a 24-yard catch and gallop … Spencer Lanning again watched most of the game as the USC punter, but contributed two punts for a 43.5 yard average … Captain Munnerlyn picked up a blocked field goal by Jordin Lindsey and raced 81 yards for a touchdown … Munnerlyn also returned a kickoff 84 yards that setup another score … The linebacker trio of Jasper Brinkley (8 TKL), Darian Stewart (7 TKL), and Eric Norwood (6 TKL) were everywhere for USC as the D-Line neutralized the UK line of scrimmage and allowed them to do their job with aplomb … Marvin Sapp was sure handed as well with five stops … Akeem Auguste is going to be a mainstay in the secondary with five stops and Emanuel Cook continues to prove he’s Carolina’s best football player with five tackles … Clifton Geathers is starting to come on with ½ a sack and one stop and supplied pressure all day … Jordin Lindsey was active as well (½ a sack) and even played defensive tackle at times in the second half … Chris Culliver is going to be a star at free safety as his two picks and three assists can attest – time for the staff to let him concentrate on these duties and get him off the kick return team … USC’s defense limited UK to a 6.5 yard average per play and only 218 yards in total … I thought Coach Spurrier called a whale of a game offensively and USC left so many points out on the field that I am encouraged about the final stretch of 2008 that we might get to see what he has been trying to build in Columbia … I don’t know if I have ever seen that many wide open receivers in a game.

Lows – As good as Chris Smelley’s numbers (9-of-23, 2 INTs) were in Oxford, they were a 180 of that in Lexington … Terrible performance despite him connecting with McKinley on the only ball that he threw really well all day for the TD … The run blocking and running backs performance left a lot to be desired at UK – and for the entire season regarding that matter … Captain, I love your tenacity and competitiveness, but you have to learn about punt returns and that is when you can’t field them to run away from the ball – don’t track it down on the roll … Addison Williams turned in his first positive play at USC by falling on a deflected ball by Munnerlyn and four returns for a -1 yard average will get you killed vs. a better opponent …

Quotes – Chris Culliver, “The whole game it was really us making mistakes, not them making plays. When we corrected them, we shut them down. We knew they wasn’t going to score on us as long as we kept our intensity up. We dominated them today. Dominated.” … Ellis Johnson, “We just got out of some situations. I didn’t think we put very good pressure on the quarterback. I thought there were several times that we had coverage situations where Kentucky had a chance to make the play and just didn’t.” … Jason Barnes, “We were waiting on Garcia to go in. He came out with a lot of poise and a lot of confidence. He was zinging them in there like he’d been doing it his whole life. That’s what I like to see. That’s what we needed on offense.” … Micah Johnson (UK Linebacker), “When they changed quarterbacks, the pace of the game changed. It was tough for us to get the right personnel out there to match up against their offense.” … Steve Spurrier, “To have four turnovers in the first half and miss four field goals and win the ball game, maybe that’s a first in South Carolina history. We’re going to play Garcia now. We’re going to play Stephen. He’s earned it. He’s our quarterback.” … Stephen Garcia, “That’s pretty much storybook. I’m just gonna stay low to the ground and keep a low profile and go from there.”

Forecast – I like South Carolina to defend the Williams-Brice turf and send the Bayou Bengals from Red Stick home with a 23-19 loss!

Week #7 - My thoughts and observations …

2008-10-06T15:23:00.004-04:00

Road Trip – There really is nothing like getting on the road for a Southeastern Conference football road trip … This time KCock93 and I opted to fly out of Charlotte – thanks to Delta SkyMiles – and flew to Memphis, Tenn., on Friday … We saw a good number of Gamecock fans on the flight, including a group from Spartanburg and another group from Myrtle Beach … While traveling I enjoyed reading Brandenburg Gate by Henry Porter and have about 100 pages to go – good espionage thriller leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 … We rented a car from Enterprise at the airport via the internet earlier in the week and when we arrived they said they didn’t have it in stock, so they asked if I would like to take a Chevrolet Colorado (truck) … Very nice vehicle! … It was brand new – less than 1,000 miles on it – and had 4-wheel drive with XM radio and nice truck-grooved tires … Super truck (I might be in the market for one)!

Walking in Memphis - Beale Street is a G-O-O-D-T-I-M-E as “that long blonde haired boy” (Alan Jackson) would say – a comment from my grandfather, Papa Walt … My first visit to the Mississippi River based city, named after the ancient capital of Egypt that was located on the Nile River, was in 2006 for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and we had a really good time then as well – ain’t winning great? … There is something to do for all ages and the entertainment is outstanding … We took a taxi from the Crowne Plaza to Beale St., and immediately made our way to the Flying Saucer to check out some of the Major League Baseball postseason and found a really good beer called Ghost River Glacial Pale Ale that is brewed in Memphis by Ghost River Brewing … The amber colored beer was so good I had four of them! … From there it was over to the Blues City Café for dinner … The pork ribs, hickory smoked and lathered in a maple barbeque sauce, simply fall off the bone … Along with cole slaw, Texas toast, baked beans, and steak fries, it’s quite a deal for $13.95 (half-rack) … I had a couple of Sam Adams to wash it down as the comments were few and far between KC93 and myself as we “got after it” a bit … If I can ever get away from not ordering the ribs at BCC, I’m going to get their “world’s best tamales” – they looked incredible … I’m not a sweets eater, but for anyone that is, I don’t think you could go wrong by trying the Apple Dumpling with Ice Cream – those things were being sold by the droves and though it’s a lively atmosphere, there really isn’t much noise at the tables as everyone seemingly concentrates on eating everything in sight! … After dinner we ventured down Beale St., taking in the live music and at the end of the strip watched some rousing Blues sets and downed “Big Beale St. Beers” (Blue Moon) for about an hour … Afterwards we tipped the world famous Beale Street Jumpers (young black guys that are street performers who do all kinds of crazy flips, flops, air somersaults, etc. in their trademark big white T-shirts, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes – they are amazing) … Afterwards we ducked into a side alley for a live performance of a really good band that had their own entourage of girls “getting after it” – quite a sight! … Then, we made our way up to a bar across from The Peabody Hotel (you know, the place with the duck walk) and had a couple of more beers before turning in around midnight.

Saturday Morning – You could not have ordered better weather for the football game … After an outstanding southern breakfast (eggs over medium, grits, bacon, toast, grapefruit juice) at the Crowne Plaza (thanks Priority Club), we put our Gamecock flags and magnets on the Colorado (that is one nice truck) and headed to Oxford … Driving down KC93 announced that 9 of 10 sports scribes at Memphis’ Commercial Appeal had picked Ole Miss to win the game – I had selected 21-20 (good guys) … It was in the mid-60s that morning and not a cloud in the sky – incredible! … It’s an easy drive and a pretty one as well – I know Mississippi gets a bad rap about a lot of things, but the Magnolia State really does have some beautiful land and their highway system is well kept … From the Crowne Plaza to Oxford is right at 80 miles and an easy drive from 240-55-278 … We stopped at a Wal-Mart in Batesville to pick up tailgating goodies of chicken fingers, deli turkey sandwiches, chips, water, and of course, a case of Natural Light beer to put in the $1.88 styrofoam cooler! … The traffic wasn’t bad at all until we neared the main campus exits despite fans pouring in from all over … We decided to bypass the coliseum corridor in favor of the University exit and were quite surprised to find a parking lot right down the hill from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium – that had a sign out front boasting it was a Par 5 distance for $10 … It was a great spot and we ran into several seasoned USC fans that we see at a good many on the road trips … By 10:45 a.m., we were drinking cold beer and snacking away while listening to country music on WKIX 106-FM – good station! … We made our way to the stadium about 12:30 and luckily were in the East stands with the high sun to our backs for the first half – talk about a “red neck”!

I Love Mississippi – One thing you can count on when Ole Miss and South Carolina tangle on the gridiron is a close game … Entering the game the Rebels and Gamecocks had played 13 times with 10 of those contests being decided by single digits, including 10 of the last 11 meetings … Make that 11 of 12 now … What a game! … For the face value of $50 per ticket, fans definitely got their money’s worth on Homecoming in Oxford … Ole Miss had not lost a Homecoming game since 1996 and it is something they take very seriously … The last time Carolina traveled to Oxford in 2003, USC rallied in the fourth quarter only to lose 43-40 to Eli Manning’s Rebels … Would history repeat itself? … After a frantic first half that saw highs and lows for both teams the opening stanza wound up 21-17 in favor of Ole Miss … However, USC clamped down the Rebels in the second half and outscored Ole Miss 14-3 for a 31-24 victory … What a win for the Gamecocks – maybe the most significant of the Steve Spurrier era … Also, the new Daktronics video board at Ole Miss is outstanding and the stadium itself – all at one level – ensures that there are no bad seats … They have done a good job in their renovations at a solid SEC venue ... Also, kudos to the USC football team for acknowledging the fans that traveled to Oxford - great celebration for a well earned SEC road victory that was completed with Elvis on the video board performing 'An American Trilogy' from Hawaii that ended with the public address announcer saying, "Elvis has left the stadium".

Sizzling Smelley - Obviously quarterback Chris Smelley enjoyed his finest game in the Garnet & Black with 327 yards passing on 22 of 32 completions with one interception and three touchdowns … Smelley was hot as a firecracker in the second half by connecting on 15 of 17 throws and should have had a fourth TD pass if not for tight end Jared Cook pulling a hamstring on a 63-yard pass play down the Ole Miss sideline … It appears that Smelley finally feels comfortable in the pocket and is actually making reads through his progressions – something that didn’t happen towards the end of last year or earlier this season … I really liked the way he distributed the ball (nine players had receptions and four with more than 50 yards) and outside of a very poor INT and a couple of other mis-throws thought he did a fine job … He still needs to chunk the ball out of bounds every now and then instead of taking a sack, but he has definitely improved under Spurrier’s tutelage.

Coming Out Party – Hello Jason Barnes! … The redshirt freshman from Charlotte, N.C., turned in his best game with seven catches for 76 yards and two TDs … The 20-yard TD pass he held onto when getting his helmet knocked off in the back of the end zone was a big time play! … Then, with Carolina trailing 21-17 late in the 3rd Quarter, Smelley hooked up with Barnes for the all important go ahead touchdown – some past USC teams would have faltered when facing this situation.

Welcome Back – Good to see you Kenny McKinley … The all-everything senior returned to the gridiron almost in a decoy role, but still managed to haul in four passes for 58 yards … He commands attention when he’s on the field and this allows the other receivers and tight ends to get into the flow … Junior Moe Brown (3 REC, 67 YDS) also bounced back after being MIA since the Georgia game ... What a lick Akeem Auguste delivered - kid's going to be a player!

Tough Running – I know the statistics don’t look great for Mike Davis vs. Ole Miss, but I thought his tough 73 yards rushing were integral in keeping the Rebels off balance … Right now, USC’s best feature is its passing attack and it was open all day vs. Ole Miss … However, a healthy Davis toted the ball 19 times and collected one catch for 17 yards … The fourth down call late in the fourth quarter was not good and I was hoping to see another QB sneak behind Jamon Meredith at left guard – go behind your best blocker, especially one projected to be a First Round pick in next April’s NFL Draft.

Play of the Game I – Sophomore free safety Chris Culliver’s bone jarring hit on D. McCluster turned what appeared to be a 28-17 Ole Miss advantage into the turning point of the game … What a hit! … Then, USC’s best football player, junior Emanuel Cook, picked up the loose ball and showed off his running skills that made him a renowned player in the Florida prep ranks, as he rumbled 52 yards to set up what would then be the go ahead score on Carolina’s next possession … Nice job by ECook to wrap up the ball as the opposing player raced him down.

Play of the Game II – Trailing 14-10 early in the 2nd Quarter, sophomore defensive end Clifton Geathers tracked down Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead and not only got a five yard loss, but also knocked the ball loose where junior tackle Nathan Pepper scooped up the ball and – lesson learned by Big Nate from the 2006 Clemson game – wrapped up the ball en route to a 29-yard scamper for USC’s first lead which evaporated the quick start by Ole Miss and proved that Carolina was in the ball game.

Play of the Game III – Normally a 95-yard drive would get this honor and considering the sputtering of the USC offense this fall maybe it deserves the #1 “play of the game” … It’s semantics really, but what an amazing answer after Ole Miss pinned South Carolina at the 5-yard line early in the 4th Quarter .. 11 plays and 4:39 later it was 31-21 in as fine a drive engineered by a USC QB in some time … The touchdown play is something I don’t think we would have seen Smelley pull off 3-4 weeks ago, but his improvisation of the pass to Joe Hills really illustrated his maturation process … With a 10-point lead with 8 ½ minutes remaining things looked good for the Gamecocks that went on a 28-7 run after falling behind 14-3.

Offense Evolution – I think what what we are witnessing is the evolution of Coach Spurrier’s offense at USC … The younger players seem to have grasped the concept and their roles for contributing and this will only get better (or should) as the season progresses … In SEC games, USC has rushed for 92 (Vanderbilt), 18 (Georgia), and 78 (Ole Miss) yards compared to 171 (N.C. State), 172 (Wofford), and 158 (UAB) … However, Carolina has rolled up 831 passing yards in the three SEC outings – 233 (Vanderbilt), 271 (Georgia), and 327 (Ole Miss) … Carolina has only punted 15 times (2 ½ per game), but USC wasn’t getting the opportunity to finish drives due to interceptions (12) and bogging down for field goals … But, USC has converted 20 of 24 opportunities in the Red Zone (13TD, 7FG) and that kind of efficiency should pay dividends in the second half of the season.

OL Outs – Talked to some USC fans at the airport and prior to the game on Saturday and a guy that really keeps his ear to the ground so-to-speak, mentioned the defections of several sophomore offensive linemen at season’s end … I questioned the quality of the group because I knew they had the quantity to be serviceable and heard encouraging reports by Kyle Nunn, Quentin Richardson, and TJ Johnson.

Nix Nixed – Not to rehash my feelings of former USC Defensive Coordinator Tyrone Nix, but I sure am glad he is in Oxford and not Columbia … The low total vs. I-A foes this year that Ole Miss has held opponents to is 23 points (Vanderbilt) and six of those came on a 79-yard INT return … So, the other five games has seen 24 points or more go against the Rebels … The adjustment that Ellis Johnson made to nullify Dexter McCluster’s prowess doubtfully would have been done a year ago at USC and we would have witnessed another Arkansas or Florida debacle … 3rd and 20 (long) was exactly what we needed against a Nix defense ... He lived up to his USC reputation for giving up the real estate when your team can not afford it most! … This year will be a grace period for the Mississippi native, but you can bet that Houston Nutt plays to win and if these shenanigans continue next year then the Southern Miss alum might be looking elsewhere.

SEC – Only five teams have a league winning percentage of greater than .500 midway through the 2008 slate and below is an update on the SEC standings from 2000-present:

.721, 49-19, Auburn (1 title)
.721, 49-19, LSU (3 titles)
.696, 48-21, Florida (2 titles)
.687, 46-21, Georgia (2 titles)
.667, 44-22, Tennessee
-------------------------------------
.485, 32-34, Arkansas
.471, 33-37, Alabama
.456, 31-37, SOUTH CAROLINA
.368, 25-43, Ole Miss
.246, 16-49, Kentucky
.227, 15-51, Miss. State
.171, 12-58, Vanderbilt

Time – How did a non-televised game take 3 hours and 17 minutes to play? … Well, when you have the bozos known as SEC officials huddling up after nearly every series then the game tends to drag on … Thus far, only one game has been finished under three hours – Wofford (2:34) … I don’t mind the time so much as it is the long breaks and lack of flow to the game … If Pay-Per-View is the root cause, then I vote to eliminate that option altogether – with nearly 6,000 empty seats in Oxford, I’m sure the Ole Miss brass will consider that next go around … Plus, I heard the broadcast wasn’t very good.

Shanks – Maybe the lack of punting opportunities contributed to Spencer Lanning’s nine-yard shank in the 2nd Quarter … In the past three games USC has only attempted three punts and the two vs. UAB resulted in a 44.0 average … No touchbacks for Ryan Succop on six kickoffs and a missed 38-yard field goal kicking off artificial turf – everyone gets a mulligan from time to time (I hope that is all it is) … I don’t understand Chris Culliver’s kickoff returns strategy – just a 20 yard average and a 23.2 average for the season – I expected more.

Delta Queens – No doubt that there is something in the water down on the Mississippi Delta as the old saying goes at Ole Miss – “where they redshirt Miss Americas” … However, there were some lookers in Memphis proper as well and the USC traveling crew was well represented … One of the better weekends for eye candy in recent memory.

Basketball – On the way out to Memphis, I saw Mississippi State basketball coach Rick Stansbury at the Charlotte airport after a recruiting visit ... He was donning his maroon MSU adidas basketball training jacket ... He was approached by two Gamecock women who asked him about "How do you like our new coach?" and his reply was "I liked the old coach" ... He went on to ask the women, "Why don't the Gamecock fans turn out for basketball like they do for football ... Y'all could be 0-13 and fill that stadium, but unless you're having a really good year in basketball, that place is never near full ... USC basketball fans are perceived as the worst in the SEC with the exception of Auburn."

Me Likes Ole Miss - Ole Miss fans are among the nicest and most hospitable in the SEC ... They share many a Gamecock fans wishes of "let's get bowl eligible" and the 8-9-10 win seasons are gravy ... A couple from Coffeyville, MS introduced us to red pepper crackers – awesome – and genuinely appreciated the USC faithful for making the long trip westward.

Gamecock Nation – The USC crowd exceeded my expectations – I would venture to say there were close to 4,000 in Oxford out of their announced crowd of 54,628? … Amazing to see so many of the same faces on the road year after year and game after game despite the results from the team sometimes … I would rather attend the away games than the home games, so much more atmosphere and what it means to the other fans -- SEC ones in particular … We met some fine ones on this trip from Coffeyville, self-proclaimed “country folks” who liked to brag about the margaritas they could get about 15 miles away so that the preacher and church folks wouldn’t see them … I felt like I was on the road to Itta Bena (O Brother, Where Art Thou)

Questions - What in the heck was CC Whitlock doing on that play in the 4th Quarter when the Ole Miss receiver was essentially doing jumping jacks, but Snead never saw him – whew, that would have been an easy six for the Rebels … Also, how does Addison Williams wind up on the same side of the field as Whitlock late in the game? … If you noticed the opening plays of the game, while Captain Munnerlyn sat out for suspension, Snead went right after Williams’ receiver … Maybe a redshirt would benefit Williams or Whitlock in the future?

Vandy - WOW! ... They may be doing it with smoke and mirrors, but Vanderbilt is certainly long on one attribute - HEART ... They never stop believing and playing for each other ... I don’t like Vandy, but it really is a great story for what is the essence of sport - playing hard, believing, and loving the game … It will be interesting to see what happens if Bobby Johnson takes a higher profile job after this season and how Vandy does in his absence … Of course, Johnson is also the only coach since 1980 to post losing seasons at I-AA power Furman University and he achieved that ‘honor’ twice during his tenure in Greenville.

Tigers Reeling - I said at the beginning of the year that Carolina was a 7-8 win team and Clemson was a 7-8 win team ... Now, the Tigers will be lucky to get there still having to face Georgia Tech, @ Boston College, @ Florida State, Duke, Virginia, and South Carolina … When I heard the Maryland/UVA final, my jaw dropped as I was certain the score was reversed …

Succop in the Clutch? - This may be the game he's called upon to win the game for us and if it is from 37 yards, he needs to deliver ... He could go down as the top placekicker in USC history with a "game-winner" in his repertoire, something he lacks ... I know Alabama missed several FGs and this is exactly what gives the Wildcats hope.

"My Old Kentucky Home" - Gamecocks are 4-0 at UK in the 21st Century: 2006 (24-17); 2004 (12-7); 2002 (16-12); 2000 (20-17); AVG 18-13 … It will be another tight one in horse country – time for the boys to recognize they’ll need their game faces on from the get-go (remember the Vanderbilt loss from last year) … Call to the Post – heading up on Friday for an afternoon at Keeneland and an early kickoff on Saturday … What a great aspect of this trip in October - to fully appreciate Lexington is to enjoy the trip to Keeneland for the horse racing – awesome time! … I like USC 23-13 UK … See you in the Bluegrass!

Week #6 - My thoughts and observations ...

2008-09-28T12:45:00.005-04:00

M-Soccer – I started my Saturday of Gamecock Athletics co-hosting the webcast for the men’s soccer match vs. Davidson at Stone Stadium … USC entered the match winners in three of their previous four contests, but had lost midweek at Furman and was closing out its 2008 non-conference slate vs. the Wildcats … The Gamecocks were energized from the start and quickly had the match in hand at 2-0 in the first 10 minutes … USC cruised for the 90 minutes and won 4-0 to close September with a 5-3-1 mark … South Carolina was ranked #3 in the South Region last week behind national #1 Wake Forest and nationally ranked North Carolina … USC has outscored its foes 18-7 and owns a 5-1-1 record when limiting opponents to either zero or one goals – Carolina is 0-2-0 when allowing two or more … On a personal note, I got some sickening news from London, England while at the match as my beloved Arsenal Gunners lost for only the second time as hosts at Emirates Stadium to newly promoted Hull City – ugh (the only blemish to an otherwise good sporting day)! … Conference USA play starts next Saturday at Stone Stadium vs. Florida International in a 7 p.m., kickoff … I encourage any Gamecock fans in the Midlands area to get out and support the men’s soccer team next weekend as the football game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. (EST) kickoff at Ole Miss.

Terps Trip Tigers – Well, I knew the Las Vegas line that listed Clemson as 11-point favorites was a bit large considering this series was tied at four wins a piece dating back to 2000 … On my pick sheet I selected Maryland and those 11 points, but really didn’t think the Terrapins could pull it off with a bye week looming for the Tigers, who had picked themselves up somewhat after the opening game Alabama debacle … Two years ago I had predicted a Terps win at Death Valley despite UM being an 18-point underdog and the Turtles responded with a 13-12 victory … After all, the bottom line in this series is Ralph Friedgen vs. Tommy Bowden and despite Maryland seemingly never having quite the overall talent that Clemson seems to possess (misnomer IMO), the Big Turtle is far and away a better game day coach – point proven on Saturday … Another wasted year for our arch-rivals and it couldn’t happen to a better bunch who clamored all summer long about an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship – borrowing a line from the USC faithful, “wait til next year” Tigers … That is 1991 and counting!

Pregame – The Gamecocks had already routed Davidson in men’s soccer and Clemson had just lost at home to unranked Maryland (which had lost earlier this month at Middle Tennessee) … Could the day get any better? … Sure it could as long as East Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Miami, N.C. State, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wake Forest all lost – and they did! … Wow! … What a day of college football ... The topsy-turvy world was turned upside down in Gainesville where maybe the most underrated coach in the SEC, Houston Nutt of Ole Miss, had just engineered an improbable 31-30 upset of the Gators – no less as 25-point underdogs … Ironically, I was listening to a national radio show earlier in the week and their prognosticator had said that the Florida/Ole Miss game was the “lock of the week” and even stated that if it became a shootout that he liked the Rebels straight-up … Well, looking on paper you would never have figured it to be a contest as Ole Miss generated just 10 first downs and were out gained 443-325, but the Gators turned the ball over three times and the Rebels just once as Florida lost for the sixth time vs. an unranked opponent since 2002 – and the third time to Ole Miss during that span – ’08 Ole Miss, ’07 Auburn, ’06 South Carolina, ’04 Miss. State, ’03 Ole Miss, ’02 Ole Miss … In the oft-spoken words of Todd Ellis, “my oh my” … Anyway (as Coach Steve Spurrier says), we made it over to the Farmers Market around 4:15 p.m., and setup camp – I had left my tailgating table on the back porch (dadgumit), but our good pal, Al, had one in his SUV that we were able to use and watch the Auburn/Tennessee game – what a great SEC contest! … I love defensive knock-down drag-out football and the SEC gives you plenty of these type games each fall … A loss by UT would have the Vols joining the Cocks in the cellar of the SEC East Division and as they say, “misery loves company” … Auburn held on for the win, so welcome to the basement Smokey! … It was a light fare on Saturday with all the running around before the game, but we had some really good sub sandwiches from Publix and of course cold Natural Light beer – I had left my six pack of Athens Georgia’s Terrapin Rye Pale Ale (Go Maryland) to kickoff the afternoon in the refrigerator (damnit) ... But all’s well that ends well and I just had to get on with it – so I drank fast until game time :-) … I walked into The W-B right before 2001 sounded so I didn’t participate in any of the pregame festivities – time for football!

UAB – If you had told me prior to the game that USC would have led 20-6 at halftime, then that would have been right on cue to my prediction of USC 38-13 UAB … However, getting outscored 6-7 in the second half was not expected at all against a porous Blazers defense and a stanza in which the Gamecocks actually received the kickoff – with the way Carolina’s defense is playing right now I would defer to the second half every game if USC wins the coin toss … The Gamecocks scored just 23 points a week earlier and despite being 5-for-5 (2TD/3FG) in the red zone vs. Wofford, I was hoping those field goals would be turned into touchdowns … For the most part they were as USC finished 4-for-5 in the red zone vs. UAB (2TD/2FG), but for the Gamecocks to be successful in the SEC contests, then Carolina cannot settle for 24 and 26 yard field goals – those have to be scores! … Great job by Ryan Succop, who connected on boomers from 44 and 48 yards in the first half and scored 14 of the 26 points – once again the team MVP … The defense was solid as Carolina held UAB to just 126 total yards before the final drive in which the Blazers covered 81 yards in seven plays vs. a USC second/third-string side … The offensive line continues to puzzle me as the pass blocking seems efficient enough – especially for a quarterback that can (and will) actually “move around back there” … However, the run blocking is atrocious and it’s painfully obvious that it is the worst coached unit in the league … How do I know that? … Because I watch SEC football and to top it off I saw a scroll on ESPN that had a NFL Draft projection say that Jamon Meredith would be the #18 pick of the First Round in next spring’s draft – a member of the USC offensive line that could not get a friggin’ yard or two vs. Wofford last week that would have put the game away … It just doesn’t add up right now and if you can’t win the line of scrimmage, then you’ll get pummeled in the SEC (ask Clemson and Georgia about Alabama) … The UAB quarterback, Joe Webb, is one big dude (6-4, 220) who looked more like a linebacker than a QB and USC really hemmed him up from running and throwing though Carolina had him nailed behind the line several times and could never get him down … Creating turnovers has been a problem for South Carolina despite the solid outings so far but Stoney Woodson and Shaq Wilson each collected INTs … Darian Stewart was all over the place and I thought that Nathan Pepper and Ladi Ajiboye did a nice job up front plugging the middle … Dustin Lindsey had some good sticks as well … Where are you Jasper Brinkley? … Nice showing by Jason Barnes who hauled in there passes for 46 yards and should have had a 28-yard touchdown from Chris Smelley early in the fourth quarter that was ruled offensive pass interference by Back Judge Rich Martinez – are you kidding me? … Scandalous officiating and it ruined the best pass of Smelley’s 2008 campaign as he sent a dart down the middle of the field only to be nullified by a pure B.S. call … Of course, Smelley, who started the UAB game, promptly was sacked on the next play and then threw the customary pick on the following play to probably just douse any confidence he had gained from that TD pass … Matt Clements caught two passes for 26 yards, including a 17-yarder – could he be a “big play” type? … One of my favorites, Pat DiMarco, caught a little fullback screen in the middle of the field and rumbled nine yards – a two-star player from Altamonte Springs, Fla., is simply a football player – something USC needs more of on the offensive side of the ball … Bobby Wallace got off the milk carton vs. UAB and looked like the best running back to me as he scampered for 51 yards on just six carries – does running backs coach Robert Gillespie still believe Taylor Rank is better than Wallace? … Brian Maddox looked to upright and too slow as he garnered just 1.4 yards per carry (10 for 14 YDS) … Eric Baker, a bit small for between the tackle running, averaged 3.2 yards per rush on eight carries and turned the ball over with a fumble … The book on Weslye Saunders is that he does not block well in practice – well, he transferred that to the game in the fourth quarter when he totally missed his man and allowed Smelley to get bombed for a nine-yard loss … Speaking of Smelley (3-for-9, 44 YDS, 1 INT, 1 SCK), he and Tommy Beecher (2-for-4, 20 YDS, 2 SCK, the opening game starter, combined for 5-for-13, 64 YDS, INT, 3 SCK – geez!

Garcia, "The Great”? – Well, not statistically speaking, but he does give South Carolina what they need as the signal caller and that is confidence and fire … The one beef I have with this team, especially offensively, is how non-descript and how un-fun the game looks for them … The image I get is that they feel like they “have to play football”, instead of wanting to play the game … Just makes no sense to me, but one guy that was having fun on Saturday was Stephen Garcia … I did not mention him above, because simply put, he was bigger than the game itself … I had heard so much about him the past three years (recruiting, off-the-field troubles, no spring practices, etc.) that I wanted to see what he could before something else happened … Plus, quite frankly, I had watched too much of non-SEC caliber starting QBs run Spurrier’s offense … That’s not intended as a dig, as I believe Smelley is quite capable of being a solid backup quarterback in Columbia and will certainly be needed by the Gamecocks … I never saw that potential with Beecher, but a trusty PAT/FG holder certainly earns his keep on the squad, though I think those duties have been turned over to someone else (Stephen Flint perhaps) … Garcia’s presence alone was enough for me to see how much he is needed as the signal caller … Throw in a pretty good first outing (I know he played earlier in the season, but nothing meaningful) with 13-of-20 passing for 131 yards (1 TD, 1 INT, 1 SCK) and I’ll give him a B- … However, when you factor in his running skills (18 rushes, 86 yards) and a score and I’ll give him an A- (can’t go any higher than that because he also was intercepted on the series in which he threw his first TD pass but UAB was offsides) … I hope he has matured and is ready to develop under Coach Spurrier’s tutelage – USC needs him in the worst way!

Fanfare – Since when did Tim Bourret become employed by the University of South Caroilna? … As the long time Sports Information Director at Clemson University Bourret is notorious for doling out less than factual attendance figures … For instance, if Clemson and an ACC foe like Duke, Virginia, or Maryland are at Memorial Stadium, then you would see the attendance announced at 79,300 or some preposterous number (actually a lie considering you can read C-L-E-M-S-O-N in the upper deck meaning that there were around 60,000 on hand to witness the event) … I assume that USC has employed Bourret for his “guesstimates” on the Williams-Brice Stadium crowds this year because there is no way that 78,286 were on hand to see the UAB game … More like 62,000 (see Tim, I even know how to round numbers in the Death Valley tradition!) … Come on folks, be truthful to the Gamecock Nation and just report the actual bodies that walk through the turnstiles – none of this “tickets sold” innuendo.

Postgame – Another pretty quick game as it was over at 10:07 p.m., and I made it to the Farmers Market tailgating spot around 10:30 … A couple of beers and a half sub later and it was wrap-up time around 11:15 and back to Cayce for another week … KCock93 and I are heading out to Ole Miss on Friday … We’re driving up to Charlotte and flying to Memphis to enjoy Beale Street Friday and Saturday night … We’ll make the short drive down to Oxford Saturday morning and hopefully will get to enjoy a much needed SEC victory by the Gamecocks that afternoon … If you have never been to Oxford, well, get there early to check out The Grove – it’s one of the unique aspects of SEC Football that makes this league the best in the world for college football … There is plenty of tailgating space around the quaint campus but it’s a small downtown center so it’s a tight squeeze everywhere … The last time South Carolina played at Ole Miss was in 2003 when the Rebels withstood a comeback by the Gamecocks, 43-40 … USC has never beaten Ole Miss as members of the SEC and three of those games were decided by a total of eight points: 1998 (28-30 A); 1999 (10-36 H); 2003 (40-43); 2004 (28-31) … The ’04 game was the Hail Mary pass by Ethan Flat to Bill Flowers who roasted corner back Fred Bennett down the left side line … Carolina really needs a victory in this game – some way, some how … Go Cocks!

Week #5 - my thoughts and observations …

2008-09-22T10:43:00.000-04:00

Tailgating – Great weather, great friends/family, great times … We left the confines of Cayce, SC toward Williams-Brice Stadium around 3:30 p.m., and were parked in the Farmers Market by 3:50 p.m. – great traffic flow through the Olympia section of Columbia … The cold Natural Light was flowing from the start and we dined on delicious Hite’s (West Columbia) barbeque/hash, tortillas/chips, Sonny’s corn-dip, etc. … EDITOR’S NOTE – We started, in the fine tradition of honoring our ‘opponents’ with Thomas Creek (Greenville, SC) “Class Five IPA” – it was terrible! … That stuff is awful! … Way too ‘hoppy’ and way too ‘caramelized’ – it was almost like drinking a caramel apple at the circus – yuck! … Plus, it tasted ‘old’ and had a pungent odor when ‘popping the top’ … The tailgating crowd resembled the lackluster Williams-Brice Stadium attendees, because it was a “down” atmosphere the entire tailgate – almost like USC fans had mailed it in regarding football season … However, we watched the Cubs clinch the National League Central Division crown for the second consecutive year with a win vs. arch-rival St. Louis … I didn’t leave for my seats until 6:35 p.m., just in time for the National Anthem, alma mater, and ‘2001’.

Go Cubs Go! – As many that have followed my readings throughout the years know, I am a diehard Chicago Cubs fan and am enjoying the 2008 season to the utmost … Along with KCock93, KingCock, ChiTown, D.E., etc., I know there are other Cubs Fans amongst “Gamecock Nation” out there as well glowing as we reach the autumn time of year … Believe me, being a Cubs fan and a Gamecocks fan goes hand-in-hand and it’s tough … I’ve been following the National League’s Chicago squad since 1982 (thanks to WGN and Ryne Sandberg) after growing up in a household that pretty much pulled for the New York Yankees (my favorite A.L. team) … However, being in the South meant being surrounded by Atlanta Braves fans for the better part of the past 15 years and the springs, summers, and falls were deluged with talks of Tom Glavine, Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones, and John Smoltz – good for the “ATL”, but insignificant to myself and other Royal Blue pinstripe fans … I ask that those local folks give way to some more baseball coverage on the airwaves and such because the season isn’t over yet like it is for the Braves … Eddie Vedder, lead singer for Pearl Jam and long time Cubs Fan, has penned a tribute to the 2008 Chicago Cubs, “All the Way” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KajeVoqRdrs … Along with the ever popular, “Go Cubs Go”, penned by the late Steve Goodman in 1984, which is heard daily during baseball season at Wrigley Field or via WGN - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGWAX0Gi18E&feature=related – and it proves that the Cubs have been the “lovable losers” of a century’s worth of professional baseball, but also the fact that their unwavering support will always remain.

Fans - I write this as a comment to the state of “Carolina Football” … I, too, was not happy with the performance vs. I-AA (let the sports writers call it the new name – Football Championship Subdivision) Wofford … However, I did not ‘boo’ at all on Saturday – in fact, the only time I ever did at a USC home football game was in 2003 when South Carolina got bombed by Clemson, 63-17 (my friend, A.C., that sits by me might have more solid info regarding if I have booed the Gamecocks J) … I made it a point that night to go down to the West lower deck’s wall area (about 30 rows from where I sit) and ‘boo’ Athletic Director Mike McGee departing the field for his foolish attempt to keep Lou Holtz around longer than he wanted to be in Columbia … Coach Holtz wanted out after 2001 but McGee wouldn’t let him go and agreed for Coach Holtz to become a part-time coach down in Orlando, Fla. … Call me a bad fan, an ungrateful Gamecock Club member, or a poor Alumnus, and I don’t care – things needed to be stated and the ‘Gestapo’ mentality that McGee had instituted amongst his brethren at 1300 Rosewood Drive needed to be voiced publicly … I said then, and remind now, that the Gamecocks’ gridiron program would have been better off with another set of eyes running USC Football, but McGee got his wish to keep a part-time head football coach in town from 2002-04 and a 16-19 record ensued along with a lot of turmoil … Of course, this is the same Gamecocks program that has lost two consecutive games to Vanderbilt, hmmmmmmm … Let’s fast-forward!

Saturday Night – Carolina 23-13 Wofford … Whew! … The first words that came to my head when USC quarterback Chris Smelley connected on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Dion Lecorn with less than two minutes remaining in the game vs. a I-AA foe … To say I was nervous every time Smelley dropped back vs. the Terriers is an understatement … After the first series of the game, in which Smelley sent a ball intended for a Gamecock receiver surrounded by about five gold helmets and was promptly intercepted, I just threw up my hands and resigned myself to the fact that it would be one of those nights at Williams-Brice Stadium … Thank goodness Carolina was able to hold the possession advantage in terms of time and plays run, because if it was the opposite then Wofford would be enjoying this victory for the next century … USC did not play poor offensively (76 plays, 376 yards, 4.9 average), but the Gamecocks stalled time-and-again vs. an inferior foe … Until the Gamecocks get better quarterback play then this will be a reoccurring theme – hate to say it, but it’s true … Smelley was 4-2 as a starter last year and is 1-2 this season – that’s 5-4 … Tommy Beecher had his one start for all time at USC and, though he went 1-0 statistically, he has proved that he does not have the intestinal fortitude to lead the Garnet & Black … Time to unkey the shackles of Stephen Garcia – who knows what he can do? … We’ve all seen the ceiling that Beecher & Smelley (sounds like a law firm) offer and can perform … However, I would at least like a look before SEC play resumes as USC will host Alabama-Birmingham next week – UAB to the “non-informed” non-UAB folks!

No Fun – I know USC has signed up I-AA opponents for the next decade or so, but I really wish the Southeastern Conference would step in and make the league members play an 11 game SEC slate and then have one non-conference game … For roughly $50 per ticket I would rather watch SEC teams rather than I-AA foes … Truth of the matter is that I-AA football is boring and I-A teams have nothing to gain by winning … Sure you get to put a ‘W’ in the win column, but other than that you gain nothing and have everything to lose … With the new TV deal (CBS/ESPN/etc.) what does it matter anyway about wins/losses? … The SEC basically has a monopoly on college football now and in my estimation the SEC Champion will be recognized as the National Champion – even with one or two losses … If you go 7-5 or 6-6 then at least it’s against the best competition in the country – bar none … These games have zero interest as the multitude of folks dressed as silver bleachers can attest.

Heart! – Boy, I would love to see South Carolina get a “coach’s kid” like Andy Strickland in every recruiting class … Is he a 4*? No! … Is he a stud? No! … I remember him as a toddler roaming the stands during Brookland-Cayce High School games for one season in 1993 … From there his father, Phil, resurrected the Batesburg-Leesville program into a Class 2A power and then joined the Class 4A Upstate power that is Gaffney HS and has restored that program to its state title contender status every year … ‘Andy’ just epitomizes the effort of a I-AA player compared to a I-A recipient player … The senior finance major at Wofford College, who prepped at Gaffney HS, contributed 20 yards on three carries and 25 yards receiving with three catches … Does he do the ‘little things’ to be successful at college football? Yes! … What is that? … Well, considering that Wofford College bused down-and-back I-26 on Saturday during their $225,000 payday from USC and the fact that South Carolina spent $12,000 on a one-night ‘getaway’ for preparations almost sickens me … How can a dormitory status program like the Spartanburg, S.C., based Terriers compete with “big ole Capital City USC”? … Heart!!! … If it wasn’t more evident than Saturday night, then the announced crowd of 76,599 (more like 67,599), well, you must not have been there at “The W-B” … I can’t remember a worse crowd-in-the-seats game than the Wofford contest of 2008 – someone help me refresh my memory … Maybe Louisiana Tech in 1992 or 1993 since Carolina joined the SEC? … A former BCHS and Wofford College baseball standout came over after the game and he is an avid South Carolina athletics fan … But, the first thing he stated after the game at the Farmers Market was that USC lacked “heart” and that it was evident from the pregame warm-ups … Throw in the tardy arrival of ‘2001’ where it must have been 30 seconds that passed after the entrance part of the theme (for the second week in a row) and it is just a poor product right now in Columbia … An old-timer once told me that things always rot from the head down … I don’t want to go that far right now, but some people with Carolina Football need to start looking in the mirror!

Coaching – Yikes! … Did any of us think this would be a problem? … To start off, if this was the popular QB1 Game that is available in sports bars, then I would fail miserably at calling plays for USC … In four games, I still have no idea as what Carolina wants to do offensively … It is very maddening to say the least – at least if something wasn’t working (and we knew what that ‘was’ then it might make it more bearable) … Did USC not hire Steve Spurrier as the head coach, and subsequently, since he did not hire one, the offensive coordinator? … Where are the ‘ingenious plays’? … Also, what is this with the reports of a couple of assistant coaches celebrating a win last night in Five Points? … Come on, if I were a football coach at USC last night, I would have sought my personal refuge to get away from any kind of public comments – maybe I’m “soft-skinned” … Wow is all I can say! … This was Wofford – not Alabama, Auburn, Florida, or Georgia … USC is 2-2 overall and 0-2 in the SEC (with a loss to Vanderbilt) … South Carolina is 2-7 overall since a narrow 21-15 win at North Carolina last fall (10/13/07) with no SEC victories … Time to start acting like a SEC program and not one hailing from Appalachian State (I-AA) or Millersville, PA (whatever they are)!

Game Balls – Red Zone offense converted all five times, but three of those were field goals … Ryan Succop was perfect with a 3-of-3 night on field goals (thank goodness!) … Plus, he notched two of his six kickoffs as touchbacks and only averaged 18.5 per return … Brian Maddox (12 rush, 52 yds, 1 td), Mike Davis (10 rush, 51 yds), and Eric Baker (11 rush, 49 yds) combined for 33 carries and 153 yards for a 4.6 average … The rushing attack looked better, but it still has a long ways to go … I was more worried about Wofford’s offense than their defensive challenges, but despite nearly 400 yards the Terriers stopped Carolina time and again (2 TD, 3 FG) … Davis (6 rec, 51 yds) looked good receiving the ball out of the backfield and Jared Cook (4 rec, 48 yds) is turning into a fantastic target – he has NFL written all over him … Moe Brown (3 rec, 31 yds) was solid and seems to be turning into a “go-to” receiver with Kenny McKinley sideline and Dion Lecorn (3 rec, 22 yds, 1 td) made a nice appearance this year … Joe Hills (2 rec, 23 yds) got some nice time and I would like to see more of this ‘long body’ on receiving routes … Emanuel Cook (10 tkl) is the best player at South Carolina the past 20 years! … He is everywhere and is a joy to watch … When I saw him get on Addison Williams (should have shoved his foot up his butt) for not taking care of his assignment during the long Wofford touchdown play, that just proved to me what kind of player he is … I know he is undersized and probably out of position at USC in regards to the NFL, but Cook is simply a ‘player’ – a lot like Rashad Faison, Tony Watkins, and Scott Windsor – hard hitters and ball players! … Nathan Pepper (7 tkl) was outstanding along the defensive line … Clifton Geathers looked somewhat active against a I-AA opponent with three tackles … The linebackers: Jasper Brinkley (5); Marvin Sapp (7); Rodney Paulk (3); and Eric Norwood (1) did an admirable job with the read-option offense, but when are Brinkley and Norwood going to “show up” consistently? … I have a feeling it will be for the SEC games – hope so, or it’s going to be a long 2/3 of the season remaining … The clock gets a game ball as well! … The Pay-Per-View TV game was played in a crisp 2 hours and 34 minutes and had a great flow from start to finish.

Work to Do - Chris Culliver (3 ret, 65 yds) and the kickoff return crew disappointed against a lot of “lesser athletic guys” … I have always liked Stoney Woodson, but he was oblivious to the down field pass that resulted in such a long gain for Wofford … Addison Williams might need to look elsewhere after the season – he’s lost and has contributed only negative plays to USC the past two years … The offense is just stagnant and not appealing to watch at all right now … Only eight touchdowns in four games … How many turnovers will USC commit in 2008? … The over/under has been set at 45 … As for these “recruiting experts” – talk about a load of crap! … That is a fabricated job if there ever was one and is totally B.S.! … One of my big questions prior to the season was the offensive line – I knew USC had quantity, but the quality is severely lacking … When you are inside the 10-yard line vs. a I-AA defense then touchdowns are expected not field goals … The defense has been tough through four games, but why can’t this unit create any turnovers? … And, the defense has allowed the four opponents to score 7 of 8 times inside the Red Zone … Mark Smith gets a lot of pats on the backs about the conditioning of this team, but the Gamecocks are “soft” when looking at the on-the-field product – no gumption or attitude (save for about 4-5 guys) … I’m going to end this topic with the quarterback play – whew! … Lots of improvement needed at the most important position – it’s been terrible so far!

UAB – Alabama-Birmingham enters with a 1-3 record … This should be an easy victory for USC on Saturday … The last time South Carolina faced the Blazers, USC routed UAB 42-10 in 2003 during a 5-7 campaign … UAB is 2-10 all time vs. SEC foes and Coach Neil Callaway’s troops were 2-10 last season … Carolina should win comfortably and, if so, at 3-2 I still won’t know what kind of team South Carolina has this fall.

Week #4 - My thoughts and observations ...

2008-09-16T13:37:00.000-04:00

Tardy - I apologize for the tardiness of this blog, but the weekend was a whirlwind affair of Gamecock Athletics for me and it’s Monday night and I’m just getting around to posting “My thoughts and observations” … As you know, I stay away from the Message Boards and such until I can put my comments down on screen so I’m sorry if some of this is “rehash” … Thanks for bearing with me.

Pregame - We made the short drive from Cayce at 11:40 a.m., on Saturday via the 12th Street Extension and I-77 to Bluff Road and were parked and ready for tailgating in the Farmer’s Market Water Melon Shed at 12:15 p.m. … While watching the Clemson/N.C. State game on TV, we snacked on Zesto’s broasted chicken, cole slaw (best around), French fries, rolls, Publix pimento cheese sandwiches, Snyder’s buffalo wing pretzels (nice addition), and of course the “pride of the Carolinas” -- cold Natural Light beer! … The Farmers Market was almost barren until 1 ½ hours before game time and we commented that we could not remember a less festive atmosphere before such a big game at Williams-Brice Stadium … We received a surprise drop-in by my good buddy John Bush of Graniteville, who works with the PGA Tour in Ponte Vedra, Fla., and he was in town for the game with his wife Amy, a big Bulldog fan … John and I worked together at the USC Sports Information Department in the early 1990s … Thanks to everyone that stopped by -- that was a fun tailgate and the three hours zipped right by!

‘2001’ - I was a little apprehensive about how the Gamecocks were going to play the #2 team in the country and had pretty much resigned myself to a score line in the neighborhood of 27-13 bad guys after witnessing first-hand the “Nashville Nightmare” nine days earlier … Throw in the lackadaisical approach during the entrance of ‘2001’ and my nerves were heightened … My buddy, “Schro”, who sat with me commented during ‘2001’ that if we take that approach in the first quarter that he would head back out for tailgating very quickly -- well, he lasted a quarter in our seats, but headed out anyway at the end of the first quarter (girlfriends!).

Fandom - Folks, those that have read my entries over the years can attest that I am not a fair-weather fan and I don’t consider myself greedy either when it comes to Carolina Football … With a 12-game schedule I see no reason in the world that USC can not field a consistent 7-8 game winner with the occasional rise above that mark and an every-now-and-then dip to 5-6 victories … I judge success on the gridiron at Carolina by being respectable in the SEC (.500), beating Clemson every other year over the course of a decade, and going bowling seven out of 10 years … In my 30 years of following the Gamecocks none of those measures have been reached on a consistent basis … With the escalating costs of tickets, seat licenses, etc., it’s going to become apparent to Gamecock Nation that the product on the field reflect what the Gamecock Fan (i.e., consumer) pours into the program -- when that is not reciprocated (i.e., consecutive losses to Vanderbilt), then things will turn in ugly in Columbia, S.C. … When USC competes and represents the Garnet & Black with pride for 60 minutes like they did Saturday vs. Georgia, then you are not going to hear too many people whining … I’m not into moral victories, but when you battle physically, mentally, and emotionally the best teams in the nation -- that just so happen to reside in the Southeastern Conference, especially in the East Division -- then you just have to sit back and enjoy what we witnessed at The W-B and that was a top-notch slobber-knocker SEC football game! … I’ll take that kind of entertainment value 12 Saturdays each fall … Go Cocks!

25% - Pay attention to the calendar, because South Carolina has already completed ¼ of the 2008 season … The Gamecocks are currently 1-2, as if I need to remind anyone, and the last time USC started on the negative side of the ledger after three games was in 2005 when Carolina opened the season with three-straight NCAA Division 1 foes -- eerily similar to this fall … In fact, USC opened ’05 just like ’08 with a season opening victory followed by two defeats -- the first on the road and the second at home … The Gamecocks rebounded that year to post a 7-4 regular season mark that included a five-game SEC winning streak after a 2-3 start … USC began ’05 with an 0-3 SEC mark, but finished with a 5-3 record -- a mark I will take gladly every season … Ironically, Carolina started 1-2 in 2005 and finished 7-5 … In 2006, USC began with a 2-1 mark and finished 8-5 … Last season, the Gamecocks got off to a 3-0 start, but finished 6-6 … So, those are records of 6-3, 6-4, and 3-6 under Coach Steve Spurrier (15-13) after the first 25% of the season has been completed … Wonder what 2008 holds in store for the Gamecocks? … Last week I was looking at the glass half empty and this week has me looking at the glass half full -- oh, the joy of athletics! … I know this -- I believe there is more talent on hand at USC than at any time in the past and figure that this “transition year” is just an ordinary step in building the foundation of the program … For that fact alone, I am glad that Coach Spurrier is here in Columbia … I figure that when everything is in place at South Carolina as he wants it for the football program then we will have a better understanding as what kind of goals we can achieve on the gridiron at USC.

What’s Right? - Well, instead of addressing the UGA game solely, let’s take a look at what has gone right for Carolina through three games … (1) Conditioning -- I have been very impressed by the Gamecocks in this category as a whole as I felt USC was the better conditioned team in all three games … (2) Emergence of a pair of new targets -- TE Jared Cook (13 REC, 198 YDS) and WR Moe Brown (12 REC, 204 YDS) ? this can only help when stud WR Kenny McKinley (9 REC, 60 YDS) returns from injury (hopefully not prior to the trip to Ole Miss) … (3) Spencer Lanning has been a welcomed sight to the punting chores with a 43.7 AVG on 12 punts ? no wonder Ryan Doerr transferred … (4) Ryan Succop continues to boom the kickoffs into the end zone with a 69.8 yard average (the kickoff is 70 yards) and he has tallied six touchbacks in a dozen kickoffs … (5) USC’s defensive unit has gone above and beyond the call thus far with an allowance of just 205 yards per game and 57 plays per outing.

What’s Wrong? - Where do you start on the offensive side of the ball? … (1) When you average 3.2 yards per rush and have just two rushing scores, then it is a collection of problems with the offensive line (just not a good run-blocking unit), the lack of a top-tier running back, and unless the play is a sprint-draw it is negative yardage more times than not … (2) The enigmatic quarterback play must have Steve Spurrier wondering what he has to do to get his type of signal caller in the system. The Tommy Beecher summer experiment pretty much imploded in less than four quarters vs. N.C. State and a mysterious stomach illness has sidelined him with a ton of weight loss. In stepped Chris Smelley who was 4-2 in six starts prior to the year, but has inexplicably lost to Vanderbilt twice and saw his record evened up at 4-4 with the loss to Georgia that ended with an over-compensated throw over the middle that resulted in an interception that ended the game. This followed a poor sack he took earlier that knocked USC out of field goal range. Stephen Garcia graced the Gamecock Nation with his presence away from the newsprint on Saturday vs. UGA and looked good to me -- Freddie Brown should have caught that one pass -- but is Garcia really the “Spurrier Type”? Seems to me that Spurrier wants to pull the strings for his gunslingers like he did with Ben Bennett, Shane Matthews, Danny Wuerffel, Doug Johnson, Jesse Palmer, etc. Though he deviated from that style with Syvelle Newton, which Garcia seems to be more of the mold, is that really what he returned to collegiate coaching for after the NFL stint? This is going to be a work in progress the rest of the year (and next spring and next fall)! … (3) Lack of turnovers is killing the momentum shifts! Carolina’s defense has been outstanding limiting opponents to yardage and scoring, but the one area that it hasn’t been able to generate game-changing momentum is in the turnover department. How many fumbles is USC going to bounce over or have slide through? This ratio (9:5) needs to turn around in South Carolina’s favor in a hurry to have a winning season (or break even mark) … (4) Ryan Succop has enjoyed a super career at USC, but he is 3-of-5 (60%) so far this year, which includes a 2-of-4 success mark from 40-49 yards -- that needs to improve mightily for an offense that continues to struggle in their opponents’ half of the field (imagine what a couple of three-pointers could have done for the Gamecocks this past Saturday) … (5) 0-2 in the SEC is a tough hurdle to overcome. USC was 1-1 each of the past two years after two outings. Carolina went 0-3 in 2005 and rebounded for a 5-0 closing mark in SEC action ? it can be done, but my hope is for two road wins at Mississippi and Kentucky and let’s see how the final half of the season plays out.

M-Soccer - South Carolina captured the 22nd annual adidas-Gamecock Classic this past weekend with shutout victories vs. Lehigh (3-0) and Jacksonville (2-0) … USC’s championship was its 15th tourney title as the hosts of this annual event that began in 1987 … USC entered the weekend ranked #4 in the South Region behind Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Duke, so the 2-0 showing was huge in that regard, especially since Lehigh was ranked #3 in the Middle Atlantic Region … Thus far, Carolina is 3-2-1 overall with the two losses to WFU (0-1) and UNC (1-3) -- USC played its worst 45 minutes of soccer vs. the Tar Heels in Winston-Salem, N.C., and blew a 1-0 halftime advantage … However, the Gamecocks have recorded three shutouts and limited the Demon Deacons and Presbyterian to just one goal, so five of six matches have been “one or none” -- that bodes well as the offensive unit seems to be getting into gear … USC has three huge South Region matches remaining before entering Conference USA action next month … Carolina will travel to Charleston (4-2) and Furman (1-4) and will host Davidson (1-4) for three games vs. Southern Conference foes that will prove pivotal come November for NCAA Tournament berths … Don’t let the records of Furman and Davidson fool you -- they have both played top competition and will be factors over the next 2/3 of the year! … I encourage any Lowcountry Gamecock fans to get out to Patriots Point this Friday for the match vs. College of Charleston ? it will be a raucous affair! … By the way, you can listen to all home matches at GamecocksOnline.com -- you might hear someone you know (sort of anyway)!

W-Soccer - Wow! … Kudos to the Lady Gamecocks! … What huge results this past weekend at a neutral tournament hosted by Auburn University … USC edged Marquette 1-0 and tied defending National Runner-Up Florida State 3-3 in overtime to improve to 5-0-2 on the season … Coaches Shelley Smith, Jamie Smith, and Mat Cosgriff have done an excellent job of assimilating a terrific defensive side and the offense is starting to click -- USC will host East Tennessee State on Friday before traveling to Western Carolina on Sunday before entering SEC play for the remainder of the year.

Volleyball - I will be the first to say that I am not a ‘volleyball fan’ … Now, then, I’m all for the sport being offered at the varsity level at South Carolina and enjoyed the one season I worked with the sport in 1990 when Bonnie Kenny was the coach at Carolina … However, I don’t attend the games and just peruse the box scores, but maybe this year’s unit has a lot going for it -- if nothing else, the Lady Gamecocks defeated Clemson 3-2 Friday night before dispatching Winthrop 3-0 to win their ‘Carolinas Challenge’ this past weekend … USC is 8-1 on the year and will open SEC action this Friday and Sunday vs. LSU and Georgia, respectively.

“Inside the Roost” - I just wanted to congratulate the USC Athletics Department on the great show that is "Inside the Roost" … It airs every Monday night from 7-8 p.m., on 107.5-FM, “The Game” … Derek Scott is the host and the couple of shows I have heard have featured Eric Hyman live on-site at Gervais & Vine in the Vista … Tonight, baseball coach Ray Tanner was a guest for ½ an hour … It is very refreshing to hear the Athletic Department take a proactive approach in its information sharing with Gamecock Nation … This is a concept that has been missing far too long in Columbia … I encourage you to participate -- it’s a lot more informative than the football call-in show … Their e-mail is roost@ispsports.com … Thanks!

Week #3 - My thoughts and observations …

2008-09-05T21:56:00.009-04:00

Change - I’m going to take a little different approach this week, because what we all witnessed Thursday night at Nashville is inexcusable and unexplainable … South Carolina entered as a 10-point favorite and left as a mind-numbing 24-17 victim to Vanderbilt.

Schedule & Trip - I make it a practice not to read Message Boards or read anything other than the newspaper following a game so these notes were compiled on the 6 ½ hour ride home from Nashville on Friday and completed that evening … All in all, the trip was a safe one for myself, KCock93, and KP, but it was not enjoyable at all due to the pathetic showing on the gridiron and was cut short an entire day out of disgust and disdain for the current state of football affairs at USC … We journeyed out on Thursday and returned on Friday … Safe to say to the regular readers – when the meals I tasted consisted of lunch at Subway, breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express, and lunch at Wendy’s – then you know it was a totally lost weekend … However, I did enjoy meeting up with Sonny, Will, and Ryan at Logan’s Roadhouse for our pregame festivities … It’s taken almost a full day to decompress and strike through this recap of any vulgar language … Hope you enjoy the read, but if you are like my Message Board nemesis ‘Silver Spur’, then suck it!

Huh? - This loss ranks right up there with the following defeats since I have been following Carolina in 1979:

1984 @ Navy – USC ranked #2 in the nation with a 9-0 record wraps up an Orange Bowl bid with a victory vs. the Midshipmen, but following a night of partying and a week’s worth of non-preparation finds South Carolina embarrassed 38-17 in Annapolis that provided Navy (3-8) with the Gamecocks’ only blemish during a 10-1 regular season.

1988 @ Georgia Tech – Carolina (6-0) rolled into Atlanta ranked #8 nationally against a woeful Yellow Jackets squad that had not defeated a I-A team in 23-straight games and proceeded to steamroll USC 34-0 that sent the Gamecocks on a 2-4 slide to end the year.

2003 vs. Clemson – In search of a bowl bid following a disappointing 5-7 season the previous year, the 5-6 Gamecocks needed a victory vs. arch-rival Clemson in Columbia to qualify for a bowl game and avoid another losing season, but the Tigers totally destroyed South Carolina 63-17 that sent shockwaves through the football program still felt today in the Capital City and around the Palmetto State.

2007 vs. Vanderbilt – #6 South Carolina’s administration eschewed its home field advantage at Williams-Brice Stadium by agreeing to a 12:30 start time instead of having a night game or at least a later afternoon start and the sleepwalking Gamecocks (6-1) fell behind 17-0 in the first quarter and never recovered that sent the entire year down the tubes.

2008 @ Vanderbilt – The Gamecocks (1-0), fortuitously ranked #24 in the nation, watched a 10-0 lead evaporate as the always down-trodden Commodores ambushed USC 24-17 – for the second consecutive year – and exploited many of USC’s problems since Steve Spurrier arrived in Columbia: poor quarterback play; terrible offensive line performance; the lack of development in the wide receiver corps; pitiful special teams; and a defense that could not hold up when needed.

Void of Hutzpah – My one question to the Carolina Football team – are you as embarrassed, humiliated, and pissed off as much as the fans that support you are? … The lack of “umph”, hutzpah, character, and pride is amazing to me … Sitting in the stands above the USC bench in Nashville gives you a real good idea of who really cares about what is going on with the team … I can tell you this – there are about 10-15 football players that would not be traveling to the next game, because they absolutely showed no remorse, resolve, or interest about the result of the game … In fact there are probably more players that walk around holding their helmets under their arms compared to the ones that actually get on the field … My guess is that they will all still be down in Five Points this weekend ‘enjoying’ themselves … The sad fact is that none of them realize what Carolina Football means (just like its previous Alumni) and have no idea about the sacrifices others make to support them during their days at USC … If it were up to me, every freshman (no matter who they are) would redshirt and every one of them would have one hour per week (of the NCAA’s allowed 20 hours) dedicated to learning about the history of Carolina Football and its 17-year affiliation with the Southeastern Conference … As for the coaches – several comments/questions for you guys that are making more than $2 million in combined state salaries:

(1) Steve Spurrier, time to concentrate on football and not making wines and lines of clothing – and put away the golf sticks.

(2) Ellis Johnson has said that games are won/loss in the preparation during Monday-Wednesday – what happened last week?

(3) Why does John Hunt patrol the sidelines with no headphones? No wonder he looked surprised when Spurrier asked him a question in which all he could do is throw up his arms. Shades of Ty Nix from the I-Bowl in 2005.

(4) Who is in charge of the summer workouts? USC was totally outworked last night against an “inferior opponent”.

(5) What is Mark Smith walking around in 80+ degrees weather with long sleeves on? He did the same thing last week.

$257,500 Spurrier - $200,000 Johnson - $175,000 Cooper - $175,000 Hunt $175,000 Lawing - $175,000 Spurrier, Jr. - $160,000 Rychleski - $140,000 Smith $126,000 Beamer - $126,000 Reaves - $115,000 Speronis - $95,000 Gillespie

“Game” Balls – Though I thought Spencer Lanning turned in an outstanding performance punting the ball (now I know the real reason freshman Ryan Doerr transferred – he can’t beat out the York HS product), no one deserves a Game Ball for losing to Vanderbilt – just cannot happen … However, Jared Cook and Mike Davis earned honorable mention accolades, but alas nothing more than that as a loss to Vandy is bad in any century!

“Busted” Balls – Coach Steve Spurrier needs to get a hold of this program .... Send “JR” to the Press Box, kick David Reaves and Mike Rathe down to the sideline, and get some guys fired up about playing college football – it cannot be that hard! … Also, stop panicking with the game plan! … Here’s a recipe for winning in the SEC in 2008 – line up two tight ends, get the ground game going, and amazingly, the passing game will open up (stop trying to put a square peg into a round hole) … Special Teams Coach Ray Rychleski received a Game Ball last week, but this week gets a bus ticket … Coach Ray – USC can divvy up duties amongst the other coaches to get a field goal blocked, a field goal missed, a punt deflected on the return, and a kickoff return to the nine-yard line – geesh! … Otherwise, the Greyhound Station is located at the corner of Gervais/Harden … Offensive Line Coach John Hunt is in year #4 at Carolina and still cannot get a consistent and productive line together – and the ones he does put out there must be plain no good – but Vandy put together a make-shift group that plowed through for 168 yards … Defensive Coordinator Ellis Johnson employed a very Tyrone Nix like formation down on the goal line with three linemen against a team shoving the ball up the middle – thanks for taking the steam out of a decent outing otherwise (although the 24 points allowed was the most ever for VU vs. USC in Nashville) … Chris Smelley’s numbers might look OK, but how do you get sacked by getting swatted at? … Again, not tackled, but swatted … Also, is it really that hard for someone in a SEC program to throw the ball accurately 30-40 yards down field? … Good gosh! … USC gets Taylor Rank, Vandy gets Jared Hawkins – go figure! … Canadian lumberjack Justin Sorensen keeps getting start after start, but the only time he seems to perform at even an average level is when he is on edge – do you think one of the Lindsey’s could crack him over the head with a beer bottle this weekend? … The Vandy broadcast said that there were 16-17 NFL Scouts in attendance last night – guess USC fans can thank Captain Munnerlyn for his showing since he’ll be around in 2009 … Does Jasper Brinkley still play for the Gamecocks? … Oh yeah, the ball hit him square in #52 in the bread basket – come on Jap! … Addison Williams can’t catch a break at South Carolina – victimized by Aaron Kelly last year in the season finale loss vs. Clemson and has a ball bounce off his leg during a punt return – my question, what is a 5-7, 160-pound guy doing on punt return block? … Recruiting “gurus”! … What a joke these guys are – making money off of innuendo and B.S. – the 21st Century of politicians only in a sports format … Football is 70% mental, 20% physical, and 10% schemes – get a team ready mentally prepared and 60 minutes doesn’t seem so long (Carolina is playing about one quarter per game right now).

Get Garcia – I have seen what Chris Smelley has to offer (probably the first starting QB to lose to Vanderbilt in consecutive seasons in the history of the game) … I have seen enough of what Tommy Beecher can do (four picks to the worst team in the ACC) … That leaves Stephen Garcia as the lone non-true freshman quarterback … Play him! … Simplify, dummify, satisfy my curiosity by playing the lockless Achilles vs. Georgia … If nothing else comes of the outing, then at least he gets his bell rung a time or two … The best offense Steve Spurrier has produced at Carolina was with Syvelle Newton toting the rock, tossing the pill, and improvising when needed – all of that is necessary right now for an offense that just plain stinks!

VU Football – Props to Vandy for playing the theme to ‘Last of the Mohicans’ in their pregame salute that also included a very high school-ish “freshman tunnel” that Dorman HS would probably pull off with greater aplomb … However, I also liked the recognition of their 2007-08 “coaches of the year”, “athletes of the year”, etc., during the TV breaks that took place near their sideline in the end zone – very classy … Their radio crew was pretty much resigned to losing to South Carolina during the pregame discussions due to the loss of 2007 lettermen, current injuries, and USC’s “prowess” in 2008 – recalling that conversation three hours later about made me throw up.

Alumni Flounders – Speaking of the Alumni … If I hear one more former Gamecock football player get on a radio show and clamor about what has USC done for them lately, well I hope someone hands them a handkerchief for their weeps and whines … No wonder this program has wallowed in such mediocrity (much like 98% of their playing careers), because it wasn’t enough for them to have their college education, room/board, food, athletic gear, travel, etc., paid for by Gamecock Club members who have fool-heartedly pumped an amazing amount of capital into this program for so many years with so little return on that investment … I would love for the Gamecock Club to produce the numbers for contributions by the football alums – my experience is that it becomes a rearview mirror priority for the majority of these guys.

Accommodating the Dores – Note to the USC Brass: don’t agree to anymore concessions when playing Vanderbilt (home/away) … I stated this past winter, last year, and the year before that I felt Vanderbilt had caught (and now surpassed) the University of South Carolina in athletics – that was met with much consternation by many of the Garnet & Black faithful … South Carolina needs every advantage it can muster in SEC action and allowing last year’s football home game to be moved to a better start time for “the players and coaches” does not need to factor into the equation … Throw in the outlet for Vandy to showcase its improving athletics program on national TV for the home season opener in 2008 was also a poor decision … The state of Tennessee and Nashville for that matter don’t even care about Vanderbilt … Heck, their students and alumni don’t either as we sat above the student section for the sole purpose of being able to spread out and had as much room as needed ... Even the hotel receptionist and bellhop asked this morning who won the game – at 10 o’clock – it just doesn’t even register up there … Pitiful loss! … The name of the game is to win – that seems to be a lost concept at Carolina these days as Vandy – which disbanded its entire Athletic Department several years ago – presumes to kick USC’s ass in football, men’s basketball, and baseball on a frequent basis these days … Since 1998, the Gamecocks sport just a 7-4 record vs. the Commodores – that’s not even 2 out of 3 against a team that has won a total of 10 SEC contests since 2000 – that’s friggin’ pathetic!

BASEBALL (4-10) – 2008 (1-3), 2007 (1-2), 2006 (1-3), 2005 (1-2)
BASKETBALL (2-6) – 2008 (0-2), 2007 (0-2), 2006 (1-1), 2005 (1-1)
FOOTBALL (2-2) – 2008 (0-1), 2007 (0-1), 2006 (1-0), 2005 (1-0)

Pony Up for What? – I am on record as saying that I support the Gamecock Club and its planned implementation of the YES Plan … Will I participate, you betcha – I think it is a fair process for Wiliams-Brice Stadium – and I plan on continuing going to the home games … However, when Vanderbilt’s home season ticket costs $99 for the entire package and the fact that the Commodores have surpassed USC in the SEC East and it really makes you question how South Carolina can do this at the present time … I can understand it if the Gamecocks were winning 8-9-10 games a year, but the fact is that for 116 years the end product is not even .500 football and for that reason maybe the status quo is the way to go … Maybe the culture of Carolina Football cannot be changed … As a good doctor friend of mine told me recently, “I am not of the mindset that in regards to USC football I don’t see where building all of these facilities and such is going to help the on-field product. Carolina is what it is and will be what it always has been. Feed the guys good and give them a nice place to live and see what they can do. Do you really think many of them want to spend any time in an Academic Enrichment Facility.”

Week #2 - My thoughts and observations ...

2008-08-31T20:12:00.000-04:00

Goose Egg – USC’s 34-0 white-wash of N.C. State gave the Gamecocks’ its third season opening shutout since 2000 – South Carolina blanked New Mexico State 31-0 in 2000 and Mississippi State 15-0 on the road in 2004 … Carolina also held opening day foes to single digits in 2003 (Louisiana-Lafayette 14-7) and 2004 (at Vanderbilt 31-6) … Other season openers since ’00: Boise State (32-13, 2001); New Mexico State (34-24, 2002); Central Florida (24-15, 2005); and Louisiana-Lafayette (28-14, 2006) … The three season opening shutouts are the only games South Carolina has been able to blank its opponent since a 26-0 victory at East Carolina in 1997.

Tailgatin’ – With the shortened work day we left our house in Cayce, S.C., around 4:00 p.m., and decided to take the 12th Street Extension to I-77 so that we could bypass the sinkhole that occurred on South Huger Street earlier in the week … We were in front of the National Guard Armory on Bluff Road by 4:15 and into the State Farmer’s Market by 4:30 … Upon our arrival we were joined by our tailgating crew that is enjoying perhaps the last year ever at the Watermelon Shed … Big Al brought some of the best boiled peanuts I have ever tasted as a snack and let me tell you that Rikard’s in Gilbert, S.C., knows how to get those goobers perfect! … It was so friggin’ humid that I passed on the Highland Ale (Asheville, N.C.) I had brought in honor of our night’s opponent in favor of the “Taste of the Carolinas” – Natural Light … Knocking down those bad boys like ice water was no problem in the heat and we dined on an assortment of D’s Wings (Parkland Plaza in Cayce) … It was great to see all of our tailgating neighbors and a lot of pregame fun was had by all … Anxious to get the season underway, we broke down our tailgating area a little earlier than normal and headed across Bluff Road.

Game Notes – With the long weekend I am sure most of you have read reports and blurbs about everything that went on at Williams-Brice Stadium this past Thursday … Well, just skip along if you don’t want to read more  … The new signage wrappings at “The W-B” look great and just another example of the current administration “getting it” in regards to the little things – it actually looks like the home of the Gamecocks now! … Kudos to the Carolina crowd for 90% of you donning the school’s colors of Garnet & Black – those folks in the green, yellow, and pink “got some ‘splaining to do” … I got to my seat 25-30 minutes prior to kickoff and visited with the regular group I have been sitting around for more than 20 years (GG, Ann, Henry, Dean, Cindy, the guys from Simpsonville, the family from Lancaster, etc.), but I was very disappointed to learn that the Wingo’s of Anderson had to give up their seats directly behind me – Stuart, give me a ring … The new sound system is excellent and was absolutely blaring when ‘2001’ started … The field looked outstanding so props to the field crew of Clark Cox, Eddie Dunning, James Bouknight, etc. … I noted last week that Ellis Johnson and Ray Rychleski were the two biggest “recruits” during the offseason – both provided huge dividends vs. N.C. State … Offensive line (every member) was awful for three quarters … Garrett Anderson’s personal foul was a poor call by the ACC official … Tommy Beecher definitely suffered from stage fright, but got some important yardage that setup the field goal to make it 13-0 – he took some shots for three quarters (tough kid) … Chris Smelley was sharp off the bench … I agree with the old saying that “if you have two quarterbacks, then you have no QBs”, but this seems to be a necessity since Beecher left the game woozy … On that same note, better get Stephen Garcia some work in a Syvelle Newton type package if the offensive line plays most of the year like they did the first three stanzas … Mike “The Fridge” Davis ran hard, caught the ball well, and made a huge impact on the game – but his blocking was atrocious … Taylor Rank is a deserved backup … Brian Maddox was impressive in a brief spell … Pat DiMarco was superb in his blocking role … Kenny McKinley might be the best wide receiver in the country … The touchdown passes from Smelley to Jared Cook and Dion Lecorn were super throws and those receivers made the most of their limited opportunities … Ryan Succop has been outstanding since arriving in Columbia and Thursday may have been his most consistent performance – 2-for-2 on field goals of 29 and 46 yards, 4-for-4 on extra points, seven kickoffs with four touchbacks and a 69.9 average (that is 0.1 from hitting every single kick into the end zone) … Spencer Lanning had some booming punts, but two were negated by sailing into the end zone – however, he has a strong leg and gets good hang time, so he should perform well this fall, especially since freshman Ryan Doerr has left the team due to homesickness … Captain Munnerlyn had some solid returns and I thought on one he was gone, but that will come soon … Emanuel Cook is a beast and ranks up there with the Tony Watkins’ and the Rashad Faison’s in the pound-for-pound hardest hitter – he was all over the place … Darian Stewart looked good to me despite being hampered by a nagging injury … Jordin Lindsey was very active and is the epitome of a “football player” – really like him at the defensive end spot … I thought Byron McKnight was supposed to be a “thrown in” when USC received the commitment of Travian Robertson – both got in on the action and McKnight had a great sack … Stoney Woodson and Carlos Thomas each had nice interceptions … Akeem Auguste made some nice special teams plays … Nathan Pepper returned from the knee injury and had some nice moments as did Cliff Matthews, who was hustling from start to finish … Ladi Ajiboye, who I really like, had a tough night inside … I liked ‘2001’ prior to the 4th quarter … I don’t remember a more boring three quarters at W-B … N.C. State looked as bad offensively as South Caroilna’s 1999 team which featured six quarterbacks and zero success on that side of the ball … The weather was extremely humid and Mark Smith must have done a great job getting the guys in shape, because the Wolfpack were dropping like flies and USC kept on ticking … ACC referee Ron Cherry irks me to no end … Andre Brown turned in a workman’s performance with 101 yards rushing on 21 carries … The NCSU quarterback trio of Wilson-Evans-Beck were pathetic … The punter Pierson did a good job … N.C. State won’t win more than three games this season – and that might even be a stretch … I thought USC’s combination of the white helmet/garnet jersey/white pants looked sharp and I felt like N.C. State’s combo of all white was as non-descript as a GLAD trash bag – I like all white, but the plainness of the Wolfpack’s threads was awful.

SEC, SEC, SEC – The chants of S-E-C, S-E-C, S-E-C, rang loud and clear across the television screens of college football fans this weekend … Starting with South Carolina’s 34-0 drubbing of N.C. State, the nation’s best football league flexed its muscles with a 10-1 non-conference mark – Tennessee plays at UCLA Monday night.

SEC (Aug. 28-31)
#24 Alabama 34-10 #9 Clemson
ARKANSAS 28-24 Western Illinois
#10 AUBURN 34-0 Louisiana-Monroe
#5 FLORIDA 56-10 Hawaii
#1 GEORGIA 45-21 Georgia Southern
Kentucky 27-2 LOUISVILLE
#7 LSU 41-13 Appalachian State
Mississippi 41-24 MEMPHIS
Mississippi State 14-22 LOUISIANA TECH
SOUTH CAROLINA 34-0 North Carolina State
#18 Tennessee @ UCLA
Vanderbilt 34-13 MIAMI-OHIO

Music City - South Carolina owns a 7-1 mark in Nashville vs. Vanderbilt as members of the SEC, including a 31-13 victory on its last trip in 2006 … USC also won 23-7 in 1961 against the Commodores in the Music City … In Columbia, the Gamecocks are 7-2, which includes last season’s inexplicable 17-6 loss to Vandy – that game started the 2007 spiral that Carolina never recovered from … I understand that VU is planning a “Black Out”, so that will be interesting to see as I am sure a throng of Gamecock fans will be making the trip northwest so be sure to wear your garnet! … I love this trip and we will be heading up the day of the game and returning to the Palmetto State’s capital city on Saturday … I am a big country music fan so Nashville makes for a perfect destination during football season … My prediction: Cocks win 24-13!

7-1 @ Nashville (Average = SC 24.1 – VU 12.1)
‘92, 21-17 W
‘94, 19-16 W
‘96, 27-0 W
‘98, 14-17 L
‘00, 30-14 W
‘02, 20-14 W
‘04, 31-6 W
‘06, 31-13 W

Home Sweet Home (Not) – Under the direction of Columbia, S.C., native Bobby Johnson, the Commodores have posted a 4-20 SEC record at 39,790-seat Vanderbilt Stadium … The Eau Claire High School and Clemson University graduate has seen his Black & Gold troops win one SEC home game in 2003 (Kentucky), 2004 (Miss. State), 2005 (Ole Miss), and 2007 (Ole Miss), but were winless in four outings during the 2002 and 2006 seasons … The lone victory against a team from the SEC East Division was in 2003 vs. UK and you have to go back to South Carolina’s 1-10 season in 1998 under Brad Scott to find their last home win vs. a division rival as the Commodores slipped past the Gamecocks 11-10 at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Bobby Johnson at Vanderbilt (4-20 in Nashville vs. SEC)
2007 (1-3)
20-27 Kentucky
17-20 Georgia
W, 31-17 Ole Miss
10-24 Alabama
2006 (0-4)
10-39 Tennessee
19-25 Florida
13-31 South Carolina
19-21 Arkansas
2005 (1-3)
43-48 Kentucky
17-34 Georgia
6-34 LSU
W, 31-23 Ole Miss
2004 (1-3)
17-34 Florida
W, 31-13 Miss. State
23-26 Ole Miss
6-31 South Carolina
2003 (1-3)
W, 28-17 Kentucky
8-27 Georgia
7-45 Auburn
21-24 Ole Miss
2002 (0-4)
0-24 Tennessee
17-21 Florida
8-30 Alabama
14-20 South Carolina

Clemson Crushed – I don’t normally comment on South Carolina’s arch-rivals, but what happened Saturday night has to be addressed … I almost – almost – felt sorry for some of my Clemson friends for seeing their team get manhandled by a legitimate middle-of-the-pack SEC team like Alabama … I figured the game would be close and that a turnover here or there would make the difference, but for the Crimson Tide to absolutely smash mouth the Tigers was hilarious to watch Saturday night – in fact, it got boring … Alabama did anything and everything they wanted in a complete domination that is sure to send shockwaves through Tiger Town for the rest of the season – really before it even got started … I have never bought into all this recruiting hype one way or the other and it is pretty simple to me that Clemson might have above average skill players, but their offensive and defensive lines are not good at all – and that is simply where the games are won or lost (I know, because I have watched South Carolina up close and personal for 30 seasons) … It will be interesting to hear the Midlands area sports talk shows and the Clemson callers: Jeff the ACC Fan; Neil the “soft sounding” moving dude; the fellow that asks “Can we get Jack on” and seems infatuated with sub-4.0 speed players; the guy from Clover that hates UNC and Duke; and the CU supporter who said that N.C. State would beat South Carolina by 2-3 scores; just to name a few … Get the phone ringing boys! … Clemson might have more wins than losses at season’s end, but it isn’t going to mean much in the end, because the ACC is pathetic and I suspect their cronies are realizing the fact that:

Clemson is 1-4 vs. SEC since 2006
L, 10-34 vs. Alabama (Atlanta, GA)
L, 20-23 (ot) vs. Auburn (Atlanta, GA)
W, 23-21 @ South Carolina
L, 20-28 vs. Kentucky (Nashville, TN)
L, 28-31 SOUTH CAROLINA

Coaching Gulf – I know the players, the stadiums, the overall atmosphere is head-and-shoulders better in the SEC than the ACC, but how about the caliber of coaches in the Southeastern Conference? … It really is apples-and-oranges compared to the Atlantic Coast Conference … And, how about that win by East Carolina vs. Virginia Tech in Charlotte, N.C.? … Great win by former USC assistant head coach Skip Holtz and former Gamecock quarterback Phil Petty along with former South Carolina coaches Steve Shankweiler, Donnie Kirkpatrick, Cliff Snow, and Todd Fitch.

Strange Sights – How about these scores from the opening week … Utah 25-23 MICHIGAN – what a screwed up situation the Maize & Blue have become since Rich Rodriguez was hired … Arkansas State 18-14 TEXAS A&M – ruined the home debut for Mike Sherman (that seat he’s on must be one level above Hades) … Bowling Green 27-17 PITTSBURGH – not a good start for year #3 under Dave “Stache” Wannstedt … Buffalo 42-17 UTEP – Mike Price gets trounced by former Nebraska QB Turner Gill’s Bulls in El Paso – wonder if Price will be tipping some of the locals to stay around … Temple 35-7 ARMY – any win by the Owls needs mentioning … LOUISIANA TECH 22-14 Mississippi State – last year may have been a hiccup for Sly Croom’s stay in Starkville (now 17-31 at MSU) … STANFORD 36-28 Oregon State – former Chicago Bears QB Jim Harbaugh is one of the next great line of coaches (college or NFL) … ARIZONA 70-0 Idaho – nothing notable except for the 70 points scored and the fact that Arizona should be 3-0 heading to UCLA on September 20 … Troy 31-17 MIDDLE TENNESSEE – South Carolina has played both in recent years and I found this score interesting.

M-Soccer - Great win by South Carolina Friday night -- that is two in a row vs. Clemson and three of the last five ... The back line (Mario Burstein, Tyler Ruthven, Will Traynor, and Mark Wiltse) and goalkeeper Jimmy Mauer have posted three shutouts during the preseason (Winthrop 1-0 and N.C. State 3-0) and last night's season opener ... Give credit to center midfielder Josh Stewart as well as he performs the "midfield defending duties" giving David MacVane some space to create the attack along with wing midfielders Jeff Scannella and Blake Brettschneider ... The forward duo of Sam Arthur and Mike Lindsay provides a nice complement to one another and this should be a fun Gamecock team to watch this fall ... Arthur's first half score was top-shelf as he quickly settled the ball and turned to roof the ball into the top of the net from six yards away ... Brettschneider's goal should be counted as a double-assist because Lindsay got it started with a well-time flick-header as Arthur collected the ball on the right side of the penalty area where he found a darting Brettschneider who found his bearings and rocketed the ball past the Clemson goalkeeper ... The crowd was incredible and the sea of Garnet/Black from the Press Box was really noticeable ... Presbyterian is up next on Tuesday at Stone Stadium ... The Blue Hose (0-1) entered their second season of NCAA Division I men's soccer with a 3-2 loss vs. Wofford on Friday ... Then, it's onto Winston-Salem, N.C., for matches with #1 Wake Forest and #24 North Carolina -- great way to start the year!

Andrew Smith - In closing, I had the privilege of meeting the young man from Michigan, Andrew Smith and his father Shawn, that has been discussed frequently the past year or so on Gamecock message boards ... I saw the "Honorary Team Captain" for the men’s soccer match as I entered Stone Stadium about 1 1/2 hours prior to the game in preparation for the webcast and introduced myself and welcomed them to Columbia, S.C. ... We're all pulling for you Andrew!

Week #1 - My thoughts and observations …

2008-08-24T18:23:00.002-04:00

Kickoff – Summer is over! … Well, it is finally that time of year when the pigskin starts flying for real and the only thing that matters is the final score when the scoreboard reads 0:00 … I have been asked in person, on the phone, and via e-mail the better part of this month on what my thoughts are for South Carolina Football in 2008 so below is the first of “My thoughts and observations …” in what has become a weekly tradition on a couple of Gamecock Message Boards and at my blog, “Kubby’s Korner” … Hope you enjoy the read!

History – This season marks the 30th consecutive Carolina Football season for me and the Gamecocks have registered a 163-162-6 mark (.502) in those 331 games … My parents bought my brother and I season tickets for the 1979 season when we were eight years old and I can remember watching “Big George” (Rogers) rumble past a number of ACC teams (Duke, N.C. State, Wake Forest, and Clemson) at Williams-Brice Stadium en route to a Hall of Fame Bowl berth in Birmingham, AL … Winning eight games, going to a bowl game, and having All-America caliber players – “this Gamecock Football is alright”, I am sure I thought to myself … Well, history has proven that those types of seasons are the ones to savor as a Carolina fan and the lean decade of the 1990s was enough to make me cherish the 2000s as USC has gone bowling four times, been .500 or better six of eight years, and has moved to the middle of the pack in the vaunted Southeastern Conference .. Give me a consistent 7-8 wins (including a 50/50 split with Clemson) and a bowl game and you won’t hear me complain about the Gamecocks on the gridiron.

14 Winning Seasons (102-59-1)
’79 (8-4), ’80 (8-4), ’84 (10-2), ’87 (8-4), ’88 (8-4), ’89 (6-4-1), ’90 (6-5), ’94 (7-5), ’96 (6-5), ’00 (8-4), ’01 (9-3), ’04 (6-5), ’05 (7-5), ’06 (8-5)

13 Losing Seasons (49-91-5)
’82 (4-7), ’83 (5-6), ’85 (5-6), ’86 (3-6-2), ’91 (3-6-2), ’92 (5-6), ’93 (4-7), ’95 (4-6-1), ’97 (5-6), ’98 (1-10), ’99 (0-11), ’02 (5-7), ’03 (5-7)

2 .500 Seasons (12-12)
’81 (6-6), ’07 (6-6)

Streaks – I have missed two home games since 1979 – ’81 Clemson and ’98 Ball State – so that is 70 consecutive home games and 198 overall at Williams-Brice Stadium … I have been privileged to see every game during the Steve Spurrier era in person except for the 2005 trip to Arkansas, so that is 28 consecutive games and 35 of 36 since 2005 … Throw in Lou Holtz’s final season in 2004 when I witnessed all 11 games and that is 46 of 47 – I made all but the Arkansas game in 2003 so that equals 57 of the past 59 contests … Since USC joined the SEC for football in 1992, I have seen Carolina play 159 of 185 games (86%) … I have sat in Section 9 since the early 1980s (except for my four years at Carolina when I worked in the Sports Information Office – press box duties from 1990-93) … Previously I sat in the South end zone (1979-80) and after a couple of seasons in the lower rows of Section 8 I have had the same seats midway up in that section for the past 25 or so years … I have attended every bowl game since ’79 except for the Liberty Bowl in 1988 – ’79 Hall of Fame, ’80 Gator, ’84 Gator, ’87 Gator, ’94 Carquest, ’00 Outback, ’01 Outback, ’05 Independence, and ’06 Liberty … I have seen every Carolina-Georgia game since 1984 and every Carolina-Clemson game since 1985 … I have been to every football venue in the SEC and can truly say that it is a mini-vacation four times each fall – I highly recommend USC fans getting on the road to experience first hand the value of the University of South Carolina being in the best college football league in the country.

41 SEC Road Trips – Alabama (’93-’04), Arkansas (’07), Auburn (’96-’05), Florida (’06-’04-’02-’00-’96-’94), Georgia (’85-’87-’89-’93-’95-’97-’99-’01-’03-’05-’07), Kentucky (’92-’94-’96-’00-’02-’04-’06), Louisiana State (’07), Mississippi (’03), Mississippi State (’06), Tennessee (’07-’05-’03-’01-’97-’95-’93), Vanderbilt (’04-’06)

SEC Did You Know? – Only six teams have won the SEC Championship since 1992: Florida (6); LSU (3); Alabama (2); Georgia (2); Tennessee (2); and Auburn (1) … Trace those years back to 1964 and the same notion applies, except for Kentucky’s shared title in 1976 with Georgia … Historically that means it has been a tough row to hoe for the likes of Kentucky, Ole Miss, Miss. State, and Vanderbilt along with “newcomers” Arkansas and South Carolina … The SEC has had six teams crowned National Champions since the Razorbacks and Gamecocks joined the league in 1992 – Alabama (’92), Florida (’96-’06), LSU (‘’03-’06), and Tennessee (’98) – USC faced every one of those teams during those particular seasons … The SEC has had two individual players win the Heisman Trophy since ’92 – Danny Wuerffel (Florida, ’96) and Tim Tebow (Florida, ’07) – Carolina faced those two players as well during their Heisman runs.

USC in SEC – The Gamecocks own a 48-79-1 (.379) league mark since joining the Southeastern Conference in 1992 … If you analyze the “coaching breakdown” below, you will notice that USC has become increasingly competitive in this extraordinary league, but not nearly as fast as the Gamecock Nation would like  … When Carolina entered the SEC, as unequipped as the Gamecocks Athletics program was at the time for the jump from an Independent status in football and Metro Conference affiliation in other sports, it has taken the better part of a decade and a half to get things on the level … Since 2000, USC has amassed a 30-34 (.469) SEC mark, which includes a 7-26 record vs. the “Big 6” and a 23-8 record vs. the “Other 5” … That is a 12-game improvement compared to the same time frame of 1992-99 when the Gamecocks amassed a total of 18-45-1 (.289) and 4-25-1 mark vs. the “Big 6” and a 14-20 mark vs. the “Other 5” … South Carolina has posted three winning records and tallied three break-even seasons in SEC play the past 16 years and records of 11-51-1 vs. the “Big 6” and 37-28 vs. the “Other 5” … The difference between a University of South Carolina football player in 1997 compared to 2007 can be viewed by what player wore #52 – Shane Burnham or Jasper Brinkley!

Years, Coach, SEC Record, SEC %, USC PTS-OPP PTS, +/-
2005-07, Steve Spurrier, 11-13, .458, 22.0-23.6, -1.6
1999-04, Lou Holtz, 19-29, .396, 18.4-22.9, -4.5
1994-98, Brad Scott, 13-26-1, .338, 22.2-28.4, -6.2
1992-93, Sparky Woods, 5-11, .313, 13.6-24.1, -10.5

2000-07 (30-34, .469) – 4 Bowls
’07 (3-5), ’06 (3-5)*, ’05 (5-3)*, ’04 (4-4), ’03 (2-6), ’02 (3-5), ’01 (5-3)*, ’00 (5-3)*

1992-99 (18-45-1, .289) – 1 Bowl
’99 (0-8), ’98 (0-8), ’97 (3-5), ’96 (4-4), ’95 (2-5-1), ’94 (4-4)*, ’93 (2-6), ’92 (3-5)

vs. SEC Opponents 1992-99 (18-45-1)
Alabama (0-2), Arkansas (3-5), Auburn (0-2), Florida (0-8), Georgia (2-6), Kentucky (3-5), Louisiana State (1-0-1), Mississippi (0-2), Mississippi State (2-6), Tennessee (1-7), Vanderbilt (6-2)

vs. SEC Opponents 2000-07 (30-34)
Alabama (2-2), Arkansas (3-5), Auburn (0-2), Florida (1-7), Georgia (3-5), Kentucky (8-0), Louisiana State (0-3), Mississippi (0-2), Mississippi State (5-0), Tennessee (1-7), Vanderbilt (7-1)

Recruiting – I respect the emphasis recruiting has taken over the years, because anyone that has ever coached knows that 90% of the time that the old axiom of “Jimmy’s and Joe’s beat X’s and O’s” … However, I think that USC’s two biggest recruits for 2008 were not in the form of players, but rather as coaches … The hirings of Ellis Johnson as the Defensive Coordinator and Ray Rychleski as the Special Teams Coordinator are immense … I truly believe that these two coaches will be the difference in two more wins this fall for the Gamecocks – instead of 6-6 in 2007 that would have been an 8-4 mark and another bowl … I stated in 2006 and 2007 repeatedly that I had concern (more like a lot of doubt) that Tyrone Nix could get the job done as Defensive Coordinator … It just did not make sense to me that Spurrier, who hired Nix as a “co”-DC with John Thompson in 2005, would not have done so just a year earlier … All of my doubt was removed at the ’05 Independence Bowl after Thompson had departed the USC staff following the Clemson game and Nix was handed the reigns … After getting leads of 21-0 and 28-7 in the first half, Nix’s defense was shredded to pieces by Missouri quarterback Brad Smith as the Tigers rallied for a 38-31 victory in Shreveport, LA … I will never forget Spurrier pacing down the sidelines to Nix and the quick conversation of “can you stop them” and the deer-in-the-headlights look ensued … The local media chose not to focus on this aspect of the staff due to the friendliness of Nix to those members … However, the dismal collapse of 2007 allowed no one from facing the music and though Nix “left” for a similar position at Ole Miss, there is no doubt in my mind that had he remained in Columbia that it would have been in a demoted position – and justifiably so … In the modern era of football, I expect a top tier SEC defense to yield 20 points or less and limit opponents to around 125 yards rushing … I know everyone likes to focus on throwing the football, but if you cannot eliminate a team running the football, then the pass defense statistics are an anomaly – why throw the ball when two of three things that can happen are bad … I know this, Spurrier does not want to coach that side of the football and the past couple of years he has had to dabble in the organization of that unit – he doesn’t have to do that with Johnson, who is a proven commodity in the SEC as a DC … I feel the same about Rychleski after his success at Maryland directing Ralph Friedgen’s special teams troops … Oh for a unit that hustles down the field on kickoff and punt coverage, takes pride in its blocking for the punter and place kicker, and becomes an integral part of the attack instead of a liability to the entire team … I love special teams – it’s the most important 1/3 of the game that so many teams ignore or just try to get by … References of “he’s just the kicker, holder, deep snapper, etc.” are heard time and again, but these spots are just as important as the guys that are throwing, catching, or running the ball … Lose this part of the game and it’s imperative that the offense and defense are head and shoulders better then the opponent … However, emphasizing this unit’s importance and the difference it can make in a game – or a season for that matter – and you have the recipe for a winner.

I Feel Good – Areas of the team I feel confident about … Coaching staff … Secondary … Tight Ends … Ladi Ajiboye … Jasper Brinkley … Emanuel Cook … Chris Culliver … Mike Davis … Pat DiMarco … Dustin Lindsey … Jordin Lindsey … Kenny McKinley … Captain Munnerlyn … Eric Norwood … Rodney Paulk … Marvin Sapp … Ryan Succop … Darian Stewart … Stoney Woodson.

Concerns – Offensive line – all of them and as a unit … Quarterback … Defensive line … Garrett Anderson … Pierre Andrews … Terrence Campbell … Matt Clements … Stephen Garcia … Nick Prochak … Carlos Thomas … Marque Hall … Joseph Hills … Melvin Ingram … Taylor Rank … Bobby Wallace … Kevin Young.

Hate N.C. State – I hate N.C. State … I hate the Wolfpack … I hate “The Caisson Song” … I hate the Mr. and Mrs. Wolfpack mascots … N.C. State fans put the red in redneck! … During my formative years this was the one team that I learned to hate … I remember George Rogers running over a Wolfpack defender and planting him into the Astroturf in Columbia … I remember a Halloween win in Columbia … I remember going to Raleigh and hearing the wolf howl over the intercom at Carter-Finley Stadium in 1982 during N.C. State’s 33-3 drubbing of Richard Bell’s only Gamecock team … I remember a thrilling 35-28 come from behind win at Raleigh when Kent Hagood broke his leg and all seemed lost for USC during the “Black Magic” season of 1984 – some of the NCSU fraternity boys burned a Carolina car flag on my father’s brand new Chevrolet Caprice Classic and a near melee occurred (all of this after a USC female fan about got tipped over in a Port-A-John by some NCSU fans) … I remember a couple of long time future NFL players (Erik Kramer and Haywood Jeffries) hooking up to break the hearts of the South Carolina faithful in 1985 … I remember Danny Peebles pushing Gus Robinson out of the end zone in 1986 for a definite home-job by the ACC officials that gave first year NCSU Coach Dick Sheridan a win vs. his alma mater (remember the phantom flag dropped prior to this play with no time remaining?) … I remember that loss being taken personal by everyone associated with the Gamecocks in 1987 as USC demolished N.C. State 48-0 in Columbia during its “Black Death” season … I remember Patrick Hinton intercepting three passes and Todd Ellis’ six-gun salute in Raleigh the following year as USC put two miserable weeks of a Georgia Tech loss and a Sports Illustrated steroids scandal away for a weekend in a 23-7 victory … I remember the 1989 home game and a 5-1-1 record came crashing down when a cheap shot by N.C. State on Ellis’ knee ended his season and career at South Carolina … I remember running for our lives from “Stripey” in a rough section of Raleigh during a road trip my sophomore year at USC in 1990 … I remember Hurricane Dennis in 1999 that kicked off the Lou Holtz era at South Carolina … Seemingly, this rivalry has had just about everything including seven wins a piece since 1979 … All this being said, I am glad that N.C. State is back on the schedule and hope that this rivalry will continue into the future as both institutions are the flagship schools of their states and reside in the capital cities of the Tar Heel and Palmetto States, respectively.

ACC – Since joining the SEC in 1992, South Carolina has had limited contact with Atlantic Coast Conference teams outside of the annual season ending rivalry vs. Clemson … USC is 5-11 since ’92 vs. the Tigers, 1-0 vs. North Carolina (’07), 0-1 vs. N.C. State (’99), and 1-1 vs. Virginia (’02-’03) … However, from 1979-91, the Gamecocks compiled a 31-22-1 record vs. ACC foes: Clemson (3-9-1); Duke (8-1-1); Georgia Tech (2-2); North Carolina (4-3); N.C. State (7-6); Virginia (2-1); and Wake Forest (5-0) … Against the modern day ACC, South Carolina compiled a 5-11-2 mark vs. the likes of Florida State (1-9), Miami (0-2), and Virginia Tech (4-0-2) … USC has not faced Boston College of Maryland during this span.

2008 Predictions – I will not complain with anything above 8-4, but realistically speaking the Gamecocks will probably be favored in seven games (N.C. State, @ Vanderbilt, Wofford, Alabama-Birmingham, @ Mississippi, @ Kentucky, and Arkansas) … USC will more than likely be underdogs vs. five teams (Georgia, Louisiana State, Tennessee, @ Florida, and @ Clemson) … The schedule favors South Carolina with Kentucky and Vanderbilt on the road – USC is 15-1 vs. these teams since 2000 … However, the UK game scares me as USC has won the past four contests in Lexington by a total of 19 points and the average road score for USC vs. the Wildcats is 19.6-15.3 (+4.3) … The Gamecocks must end their SEC jinx vs. Ole Miss in Oxford and should take care of business against the Hogs in Columbia – another must for upward mobility! … That would put Carolina at 7-0 with five “toss-ups” … This won’t be Spurrier’s best team in Columbia, but it should be a very successful one.

USC Athletic Department – I became disenchanted with the previous regime during the early 2000s after Mike McGee & Company turned The Roundhouse into his Gestapo Lounge … Everything seemed to be decided in clandestine environs and the Athletic Department took on an “us vs. the world” type image – even with its legions of Gamecock Club members … Many of the Sunshine Pumpers railed against someone calling out that group, but anyone that uses logic knows that it is totally unhealthy for an entity of an organization to operate this way … However, the new administration with Eric Hyman in charge has restored my faith to the leadership at 1300 Rosewood Drive … Not only are things seemingly more in the open and that a new dialogue with the Gamecock Nation has been established, but the attention to detail of “little things” has proved paramount … The basketball hirings of Darrin Horn and Dawn Staley have to be considered slam dunks, the Williams-Brice Stadium renovations have to be considered a touchdown, the development of the new baseball stadium (after years of promises, holdups, etc.) has to be considered a home run, and the construction of “The Dodie” – new academic enrichment center – along with other planned developments such as the Athletics Horseshoe along South Marion Street and the future of the Farmers Market for USC Football and the future is very bright.

YES Plan – I think the Yearly Equitable Seating (YES) plan is pretty good and equitable to all involved … It could have been more unbalanced and unfair to long time contributors to the Gamecock Club, however, it still allows newer donors that perhaps have more disposable income to be rewarded for those efforts … For those long time donors that had faith in the South Carolina Athletics program through a lot of rough times they get an opportunity to continue that passion at a pretty fair price … If they cannot meet that demand then they can decrease their number of tickets or perhaps just be reseated at Williams-Brice Stadium … On the other hand is the chance for someone that is giving a considerable amount of money to the Gamecock Club to actually garner an improved placement for seven Saturdays each Fall … I say "good job" by the Gamecock Club and all involved in this process! … Now it is time for this increased production from the fan base to be proven in terms of wins and losses throughout the sports programs at USC … I cannot remember a more dismal year than 2007-08 in terms of athletic accomplishments, so the clock is ticking … Another performance like the past 12 months is a recipe for disaster! … Now, I have another question for the Gamecock Club – any chance a revisit of the Colonial Center and that seating process will take place in the near future? … Our four tickets went from midway up in Section J/K of Carolina Coliseum to the upper bowl of the Colonial Center … We felt then - and now - that we were basically ostracized due to the corporate dollars that took place with that facility opening.

‘SC’ Logo - Though I don't like losing court battles, I am glad that the University of South Carolina Athletic teams will feature a more unified logo across the board … The "Block C" and the "Gamecock" are the two most recognizable symbols at USC … I never understood why the "Block C" was removed from the baseball hats that were featured from the 1960s through the 1990s … I know June Raines was at the helm when Randy Davis (pitching coach from LSU) influenced the baseball program to change its style to the adjoining "SC" with a baseball in the middle of the "C" … Then, Ray Tanner took over and changed it to the interlocking "SC" … I know USC's batting helmets featured the "Block C" and "Gamecock" in the early 1990s, but I always liked the garnet cap with the black "Block C" outlined in white of the mid-1980s … I didn't care too much for the thin "Block C" of the late 1970s … As for basketball, I never bought into the "USC" script … Here's to the "Block C" -- Forever to Thee!

Capital City – I usually comment on this subject at least once a year, but isn’t it about time that the City of Columbia embraced the concept that is Southeastern Conference football? … Everywhere I go around the SEC the home town team – and the entire state for that matter – take hold of their local squad like nothing else … Whether it be the Big Orange in Tennessee, the Purple & Gold on the Bayou, the Bluegrass of Kentucky, or the Sooieee Pig in Arkansas, SEC pride is everywhere – except Columbia, South Carolina! … I don’t get it! … It’s not like this City is new to this religion (umm, sport), so why not paint the town Garnet & Black? … I’m talking about signage, streamers, balloons, street markings, airplane banners, etc., donning the Capital City landscape in support of the University of South Carolina … Carolina Football is not just a sport, it’s an economic industry unlike any other in this state … It brings in a ton of money to this area, so why not embrace this function – if for nothing more as a money maker … I would love to see night spots such as the Vista and Five Points decked out in the school’s colors and would like to see signage on the main thoroughfares of Gervais Street, Assembly Street, Elmwood Avenue, Bluff Road, Shop Road, etc., adorned with USC paraphernalia – they do it everywhere else! … Time for the City, USC, and the SEC to align as one!

Olympic Sports – Gamecock Nation, don’t forget to support the Olympic Sports during the fall … I know that championships are competed for in W-Cross Country, M/W-Soccer, and W-Volleyball, while most of the other sports are participating in intercollegiate activities as well … A couple of previews for sports I follow closely during the year:

M-Soccer – South Carolina will face five teams ranked in the preseason Top 30 poll by NSCAA/adidas … USC is ranked 36th of the 39 teams that received votes … The Gamecocks, who compete in Conference USA along with #17 SMU and #23 Tulsa, should compete for the league title this fall … South Carolina has a strong nucleus of sophomores and juniors that should lead the way to postseason play in 2008 and anything less than the playoffs will be a disappointing year … USC has recruited very well the past four years and should make the 48-team NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 and could make a run at the College Cup … The Gamecocks enjoyed a super preseason by posting a pair of shutouts at Stone Stadium vs. Big South Conference favorite Winthrop (1-0) and ACC foe N.C. State (3-0) … South Carolina will host arch-rival Clemson on Friday, August 29 – kickoff is 7 p.m. … The Gamecocks edged the Tigers 1-0 in overtime last year at Riggs Field and have split the past four meetings with Clemson.

W-Soccer – South Carolina enjoyed a tremendous 2007 season by taking advantage of a 7-1 home mark en route to a 14-6-3 record and a NCAA Tournament berth … USC finished 5-4-2 in the SEC … USC lost 12 letter winners from that squad, but return SEC Defensive Player of the Year junior Blakely Mattern, senior forward Danila Monteiro, and sophomore Brooke Jacobs to name a few of the returnees … USC will get a good read on their team early with home matches vs. Clemson and Furman in the Carolina Cup Tournament at Stone Stadium September 5-7 before facing #4 Florida State and Marquette at the Auburn Tourney the following weekend.

No bowl, early recruiting, bad basketball, and Gamecock Club thoughts ...

2007-12-04T15:10:00.000-05:00

Bowl Game - There is not much to say about South Carolina (6-6, 3-5 SEC) not getting invited to a bowl game for the third straight season ... The Gamecocks imploded at halftime of the North Carolina game and floundered the rest of the way to five consecutive defeats ... Coach Steve Spurrier mocked after that contest that past USC players had celebrated "bowl eligibility" by parading in Five Points -- I guarantee you Carolina will do (and should do) that in the future! ... Most of us agree that break-even teams don't deserve postseason play, but that is not the way the current system is setup and it just goes to show you that outside of the Palmetto State, the University of South Carolina is a very little player in college football ... No matter how much ESPN, CBS, etc., drums your program up, the Gamecocks are -- and will always be -- a pawn in the Southeastern Conference (hence the amount of Thursday night contests) ... That was USC's decision for better or worse when joining the league in 1991 and one I still support ... The 2007 Gamecocks sealed their non-postseason fate on October 20 with the worst performance of the Spurrier era vs. Vanderbilt at 12:30 p.m., for no TV (unless you consider Pay Per View, "TV") -- such stature acclaimed that day by USC (the first Carolina team to lose to the Commodores that didn't finish 1-10 or 0-11) is the stuff of legends ... To beat three bowl teams in Georgia, Miss. State, and Kentucky, but to have to watch those squads over the next month is going to be tough, especially when you consider that Carolina lost to SEC East Division Champion Tennessee in overtime! ... South Carolina must lead the nation in bowl-eligibility seasons (10) the past 20 years only to have been left at home as many times as getting to participate in the postseason: 6-4-1 in 1989; 6-5 in 1990; 6-5 in 1996; 6-5 in 2004; and 6-6 in 2007 = no bowls ... Maybe this is payback for making a bowl game in 2005 when most of us didn't think it possible!

Recruitniks - Enjoy the season recruiting geeks -- you have an early start this year ... I hope you all live the ups-and-downs that 18 year old males will experience over the next two months ... I don't follow the situation too close because I have developed a "show me" attitude (which has served me well considering the ballyhoo with the likes of Randy Jackson, Aryhel Freeman, Cory Peoples, Demetris Summers, C.J. Barber, Dorian Capers, Jonathan Hannah, O.J. Murdock, Shea McKeen, Mike West, Garrett Anderson, and Clarence Bailey to name a few) ... There are several "recruiting experts" that make their living dilly-dallying with the day-to-day lives of high school seniors, but since I don't get paid to do that I'll leave that hand-holding to them ... My suggestion is to not get wrapped up too much with "he says, she says" -- it's going to change as much as the "Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak of 1999" -- and will only leave you dazed and confused ... Those that want to be at South Carolina will sign with the Gamecocks and the others will go elsewhere -- so be it! ... If the coaches at USC can lure those top football players to Columbia then great ... If not, then "coach them up" and earn your keep!

Over and Under - One interesting game to play this football off-season is to keep track of how many players get in trouble from now until spring practice ... Scoff if you want, but it will truly shed some light to see how far the "changing of the culture" has been affected at USC ... Remember past non-bowl off-seasons? ... Lots of scuttlebut and negative headlines in the papers and on the sports radio stations! ... Here's hoping for a quiet, but productive December through February.

Yuck!!! - That gagging throw-up sound you just heard was me thinking out loud about Carolina men's basketball ... Same team as last year with different names ... This group will score more, but they won't win any more or less than last year's losing squad ... I was in Las Vegas the past five days and decided to check in on the Carolina-Clemson game on Saturday ... I figured that the Tigers would beat USC, but when I got back to my room to find the halftime score was 17 points at haftime, I quickly closed my browser window, laughed out loud in disgust, and proceeded downstairs to the casino ... Pitiful! ... Seven years on the job and Dave Odom, who I have supported for better or worse, said out loud that "he didn't take the rivalry seriously his first three years" ... Really? ... That would be shocking to me if I hadn't heard that same song and dance from another half dozen USC coaches over the last 30 years ... I know Downey (19 pts) and Fredrick (28 pts) combined for 47 points, but when your starting backcourt duo is 2 of 9 on three-pointers -- on a guard-oriented team -- then you have no chance of winning ... Can anyone tell me why Holmes is not starting? ... Archie is off to an awful start and Day will never be consistent (unless you consider being bad is consistent) ... Simply put, it's time for a change ... Odom is a good guy, but his coaching days are behind him ... Duckett seems to be a level-headed man, but hearing him at a Lexington County Gamecock Club meeting several years ago, he claimed "that USC was going to hit the state of Georgia much harder" -- that's garnered Archie, Day, and Steed -- yikes ... Sanderson has never impressed me -- getting by on his father's name, Wimp, and his brother Scott's playing days at Carolina (yes, I saw him play in the early 1980s) ... Potosnak might have the best relationship to the players, but he was a Division III player with no experience at the major Division I level unless you count Graduate Assistant experience at Wake Forest -- under Odom ... I really don't see anymore than 11-12 wins the entire year after watching this team play in person vs. S.C. State, The Citadel, and Southern California, and on TV against Penn State, N.C. State, and George Mason ... I just hope USC can beat Charleston so we don't have to hear the Bobby Cremins talk like we do about Bobby Johnson of Vanderbilt in football every year!

Up the Ante? - I am 36 years old ... I am a lifelong Gamecock fan (have missed two home football games since 1979, have had season tickets to men's basketball for that same duration and have followed baseball and men's soccer since the late 1970s) ... I worked with USC in the Sports Information Department from 1990-94 ... I am a 1993 graduate of the University of South Carolina ... I am a member of the Carolina Alumni Association (moved from single year membership to lifetime in October) ... I am a Half Scholarship donor in the Gamecock Club ... Should I move up or not? ... My $650 is due by the end of March, but my pledge to move to Full Scholarship and $1,350 is due by the end of this month if I want to receive a points upgrade and "benefits" of doing so -- but, what do I gain? ... It is a quandary I am sure many Gamecock fans are dealing with right now ... Fortunately for me, I receive my football tickets from my father, who has been in the Gamecock Club since the late 1960s and who has been at least a Half Scholarship donor the past 20 years ... I won't gain anything for football ... Bowl tickets you ask? ... Heck, they are actually better if you go through the bowl itself ... At men's basketball games we sit together -- his four tickets -- in the upper level (we were part of the "all is same" Carolina Coliseum to Colonial Center "banished group") ... But, can any of us imagine having a hard time getting tickets at the Colonial Center in the near future? ... I have serious concerns on how my money (as little as that may be to a trivial group such as the Gamecock Club) is being utilized at South Carolina ... For that matter, when the numbers are released -- in who knows when -- it will be interesting to see what the actual Roundhouse staff and coaches contribute to the Gamecock Club (very interesting to see if any of them put their money where their paychecks come from) ... My decision has not been made, but the lackluster year of Carolina sports has me thinking my personal contributions are better spent elsewhere -- let the big-wigs (if there are any) ante up!

Week 12 - Clemson recap & off-season thoughts ...

2007-11-25T19:16:00.000-05:00

Better Team Won - Watching the game Saturday from Section 9 at Williams-Brice Stadium, it was apparent to me that Clemson (9-3) is a better team than South Carolina (6-6) … All across the board! … If it was simply players vs. players, the Tigers would win that contest 8 out of 10 times … Offensively, Clemson ran (214 yards) through the Gamecocks and passed (229 yards) all over Carolina with a balanced attack … The Tigers were basically ball hogs as Clemson held almost a 2-to-1 advantage in time of possession (39 minutes to 21) and ran nearly 90 plays compared to USC’s 50 or so … Clemson was able to convert 40% of its third down opportunities (6 of 15) while South Carolina could only muster three such conversions in eight attempts … Clemson also tallied the only fourth down conversion of the game - one in which every South Carolina fan in the facility knew was going to happen - when Cullen Harper found a slanting Aaron Kelly (at 6 foot, 6 inches) for 12 yards against true freshman Addison Williams (all 5-7 of him) … The Tigers turned the ball over once - an interception thrown by Harper to Emanuel Cook in the north end zone - yet USC’s Blake Mitchell was picked off twice (one on the first play of the game) and Dion Lecorn was stripped of the ball in the third quarter … Throw in two inexcusable blocked punts by the Tigers that resulted in a touchdown by a no-name like La’Donte Harris and an inexplicable kickoff return by Chris Culliver that resulted in Carolina beginning an offensive drive from the USC one-yard line and you have a recipe for a loss … But, with three seconds on the clock the scoreboard read South Carolina 21, Clemson 20 … Then, the Tigers avenged the 2006 loss (31-28) at Death Valley when Mark Buchholz, a soccer star from Atlanta, GA, calmly belted the game-winning field goal from 35 yards away - his third three-pointer on five attempts during the game … To the victors go the spoils, so congratulations to Clemson in 2007 and enjoy the bragging rights!

P.S. - For those that want to continue to bash Tommy Bowden - go ahead and do so because it just shows how ignorant you are (the guy is 7-2 vs. South Carolina under the guidance of two Hall of Fame coaches in Lou Holtz [5-1] and Steve Spurrier [2-1]).

2007 Part XII - The Clemson loss was a microcosm of the entire season … USC falls behind quickly at 10-0 … The defense is on the field for 39 minutes because it cannot make a play to get off the field … The defense gets gouged for 214 rushing yards and allows another running back to go over 100 yards … The opposing QB completes 72% of his passes and a wide receiver eclipses the 100-yard mark … The special teams allow not one but two blocked punts and returns a kickoff from the field of play into the end zone (how was that not a safety?) … The offense somehow rallies to take a lead at 21-20 and the defense then allows the other offense to go 61 yards in nine plays and 2:09 to kick the game-winning field goal … Enough! … Is someone out there that can write a better script?

Game(cock) Balls - First off, I don’t think the Gamecocks can be blamed for not playing with heart or intensity vs. Clemson - USC played hard and inspired football, but just couldn’t make the plays when needed (a reocurrence the second half of the year) … Hats off to junior Kenny McKinley - he had eight receptions for 125 yards and his 77 catches for the season broke the 21-year-old mark of former NFL star Sterling Sharpe (74) … McKinley, who made comments in The State newspaper that he will return for 2008, notched two touchdown receptions of 19 and 40 yards that pulled the Gamecocks within three points of the Tigers each time (10-7 and 17-14) … Cory Boyd suited up for the last time in Columbia and the fifth-year senior has made as many strides away from the gridiron as he has on the field and Saturday was no different as he galloped to 74 tough yards on 19 carries … Boyd also chipped in a reception that covered 39 yards … As mentioned above, Dion Lecorn did have a fumble and you could tell he was upset by his actions after Clemson recovered, but the true freshman rebounded to make a superb TD catch in the back of the north end zone that gave Carolina its only lead at 21-20 with nine minutes remaining in the game … For the night, Lecorn made five catches for 65 yards - he’s going to be fun to watch the next three years … Way to hang in there Moe Brown! … The sophomore from Anderson made two nice catches of 20 and 17 yards, respectively … Lanard Stafford has to be considered one of the most well-rounded football players ever to don the Garnet & Black and he made a nice catch for 10 yards … I haven’t watched the replay yet, but I guess I need to give props to Gurminder Thind because when he went out with an ankle injury, Hunt inserted Garrett Anderson, who was immediately planted on his backside and replaced by Seaver Brown for the next series … Since losing the services of All-SEC middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley early in the LSU game back in September, two players have emerged as defensive leaders: Emanuel Cook and Eric Norwood … “E-Cook”, as he is affectionately identified by the Gamecock faithful, turned in another outstanding performance with nine solo tackles (one behind the line of scrimmage), forced a fumble, intercepted a pass in the end zone, and even had a sack - whew! … Norwood rebounded from a disappointing second half of the year by making nine stops (eight solos), collecting a sack, registering 3 ½ tackles for loss, and was credited with two quarterback pressures … Kenrick Ellis seemed to be in defensive line coach Brad Lawing’s doghouse much of the season - similar to the Stanley Doughty issue from 2006 - but his sheer size was a welcomed sight vs. Clemson and he responded with the best game of his career at USC with five solo stops and a tackle for loss … Stoney Woodson turned in a solid night as well with eight stops and broke up a pass … Casper Brinkley had one of his better performances of the year with good pressure from his end position and notched seven tackles.

Thunder & Lightning - Kudos to Clemson’s dynamite duo of “Thunder” James Davis and “Lightning” C.J. Spiller … I made a post last week that in order for the Gamecocks to win the game that South Carolina must prevent these two players from hitting the 150-yard mark and with 39 carries between them accounting for 210 yards, “T (122) & L (88)” blew past that number … Clemson, excluding games vs. LA-Monroe and Furman, is now 5-0 when this pair rush for 150 yards or more in 2007 … In those games, Davis has tallied five 100+ yard games and Spiller hit that mark twice this fall.

Odds & Ends - South Carolina is now 3-2 vs. Clemson on the date of November 24: (1984) USC 22-21; (1979) USC 13-9; (1973) USC 32-20; (1962) CU 20-17 … Overall, the Gamecocks are now 6-6 when the calendar reads 11/24 … Carolina is 27-21 since 2004 which is one win shy of the best four-year victory total since 1987-90 when USC compiled a 28-17-1 record … This past Saturday night was the 25th Carolina-Clemson game I have attended and I’ve had the privilege to see everyone of them in person since 1985 (1979, 1983, 1985-2007) … I am 36 years old, so that means I was born in 1971 - the last time South Carolina defeated Clemson in consecutive seasons was 1968-70 - it has never happened in my lifetime (amazing!) … Since 1979, a USC win in Columbia, the Gamecocks are 3-12 vs. Clemson in the Capital City … During that same span, Carolina owns a 5-8-1 mark at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium for an overall record of 8-20-1 - ugh! … In games decided by single digits during this 29 year run, USC is 4-9 … My three wishes before the season were:

1. For South Carolina to beat Georgia to end that ridiculous five game losing streak vs. the Bulldogs;
2. For USC to defeat Clemson for the second-straight year; and
3. For the Gamecocks to participate in their third consecutive bowl game.

I’ll take two out of three right now!

Quick Start - Another comment I made last week was that USC needed to avoid digging itself in a hole, but the Carolina coaching staff must not have paid attention as Clemson raced out to a 10-0 first quarter lead … The Gamecocks entered the Clemson game allowing 14.6 points in the first half (the Tigers scored 17) and 8.6 points in the second half (the Tigers scored 6) … When your team is struggling you cannot give the opponent any freebies, but the blocked punt by Nelson Faerber - another one of Clemson’s “no names” that made themselves part of Carolina-Clemson lore - afforded the Tigers that privilege (I still don’t think Mike Davis or Cody Wells saw him coming) … For the season, USC allowed 178 points in the first half (14.8 average) compared to 101 in the second half (8.4 average).

To Bowl or Not to Bowl? - One of the largest mistakes in South Carolina’s oft-maligned football history is that in 1989 and 1990 the Athletics Department declined invitations to the Independence Bowl - citing academic concerns as the reason … Sure, those teams had their flaws … The ‘89 squad lost the services of quarterback Todd Ellis in the N.C. State game and after a 5-1-1 start, stumbled to a 1-3 finish … The ‘90 team, after a 4-1 start, lost to The Citadel that began a three-game losing streak before closing out with a 2-1 mark which ended with a 29-10 Thanksgiving night win vs. West Virginia on ESPN … Who knows what could have happened in 1991 under third-year coach Sparky Woods, but pulling your program out of the bowl picture was a terrible mistake … The 2007 team needs practice in the worst way and more importantly a chance to end the year on a good note ? a 6-1 start, #6 national ranking, victories vs. three bowl teams (Georgia, Kentucky, Miss. State), and playing in the nation’s best division (East) and in the country’s toughest conference (SEC) has to count for something … Though I agree with most that 6-6 teams shouldn’t be eligible to play in the postseason, well, that’s not the way the system is set up and I want Carolina to have a shot at win #7 no matter where the game is being played … USC sat home in 2004 with a 6-5 record due to the infamous brawl with Clemson, but followed that season with a 7-4 campaign in 2005 that resulted in an Independence Bowl loss to Missouri and then posted a 7-5 record last fall that ended with a Liberty Bowl win vs. Houston … Playing in three-straight bowl games can only help USC in recruiting and it would mark a first for the football program.

Offensive Highs - Can the MVP on offense be anyone other than Kenny McKinley? … He rose to the occasion this fall after redshirt sophomore Sidney Rice left early for the NFL last spring … Not only did he set the school’s single season reception record with 77 catches - previously held by Sterling Sharpe - but he led the receiving corps with nine touchdowns, tallied a 12.6 yard average, and tied Weslye Saunders for the longest play from scrimmage that covered 48 yards … Cory Boyd and Mike Davis were the ground workhorses for the Gamecocks with a combined 1,421 yards, 4.8 average, and 14 touchdowns … Boyd, who finishes with 2,267 career rushing yards and 1,303 career receiving yards, led the squad with 10 touchdowns (nine rushing) … Davis has rushed for 1,658 yards on 360 carries for a 4.6 yard average in three years at USC and has been a quality and dependable back despite getting fumble-itis towards the end of this season.

Offensive Lows - USC was unable to settle on an offensive line until late in the season … This is the third straight year that it has taken Coach John Hunt more than half the season to come up with a consistent group - no other team seemingly takes that long and even then it wasn’t a very good unit … Carolina averaged just 3.6 yards per rush and only 113.7 per game … The Gamecocks surrendered 31 sacks - 2 ½ per game … The quarterback shuffle got off to a rough start this past spring when newcomer Stephen Garcia showed up and had some off-the-field disciplinary issues that got him suspended from spring practice … Then, redshirt senior Blake Mitchell was suspended for the opening game vs. Louisiana-Lafayette due to missing summer school classes leaving the battle to redshirt freshman Chris Smelley, who outdistanced himself from sophomore Tommy Beecher … Needless to say, it was a mess all year and the numbers are similar across the board, but I believe Coach Steve Spurrier’s decision to leave Smelley as the starter after the dismal second half showing at North Carolina cost the Gamecocks the Vanderbilt game and the slide that started on October 20 continues today … For the year, Smelley wound up 4-2 as the starter and Mitchell 2-4, though the level of competition is basically night and day … The running game had a long carry of 29 yards all year - most top-notch backs get that a couple of times a game … USC really needs to get a game-breaker to stretch the field … South Carolina’s second leading wide receiver in terms of pass receptions was true freshman Dion Lecorn with 27 catches or 50 fewer than leading wideout Kenny McKinley’s 77 … The group was slow to form this year due mostly in part to the youth, but several of the heralded recruits Jason Barnes, Mark Barnes, and Larry Freeman failed to make an impact when given the opportunity early in the season … Throw in the inconsistencies of Freddie Brown (17 REC, 195 YDS) and Moe Brown (13 REC, 168 YDS) and developing a third receiver still seems to be a work in progress … Folks will say that USC’s offense finally started clicking against Tennessee, but Carolina scored 24 points in that game - hardly an outburst - and scored 21 vs. Clemson (that’s pedestrian in this day and age of offensive football) … USC eclipsed the 30-point plateau five times in 2007 and was 3-2 in those games and 3-4 when scoring 28 points or less.

Defensive Highs - The statistics of Emanuel Cook tell the tale for the stop troops for MVP honors … But, it is his “team leader” status that impresses me so much … He overcame an unfortunate situation, subsequent suspension, and then, an emergency appendectomy to lead the Gamecocks in tackles (92) and solos (77) … He was tied for second on the team in interceptions (3), pass deflections (3), and forced fumbles (2) … He finished second in sacks with four and was third in tackles for loss (8) and passes broken up (5) … Eric Norwood has emerged as a pass rushing specialist and got off to a hot start, cooled down when the Gamecocks struggled in the second half of the year, and then had a very good finale vs. Clemson … Norwood led the squad sacks (6), tackles for loss (19.5), hurries (9), and fumble recoveries (3) … He was second on the team in stops (69) and assists (23) … Darian Stewart was a nice surprise in the secondary along with second-year starter Captain Munnerlyn as the duo combined for 11 pass breakups, five interceptions, and three fumble recoveries … Casper Brinkley had a solid senior campaign with 59 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, and three hurries ? again, solid numbers, but nothing spectacular.

Defensive Lows - Where to begin? … Ever since the season opener when Louisiana-Lafayette gashed the Gamecocks for 252 yards on the ground, teams have punished Coach Tyrone Nix’s unit with “old fashioned” football … However, instead of “three yards and a cloud of dust” for USC foes, it was more like 4.8 yards per carry, 2,511 yards for the season, and a per game average of 209 yards - yikes! … Were they young? … That is a fact, but not a crutch … The top four tacklers this fall were sophomores and six of the top 10 were underclassmen … Were they tired? … Probably, since South Carolina possessed the ball longer on offense in just 1/3 of the games … I see none of this getting better with Nix at the helm - something I have thought since Missouri’s Brad Smith went nuts in Shreveport, LA that left Nix looking like a deer-in-headlights … Jasper Brinkley solved a lot of ills defensively for the Gamecocks in 2006 and had he not been wearing #52 last year I think we would have been discussing this group last year.

Special Team Highs - Placekicker Ryan Succop didn’t miss a PAT this year (37-37) and was 13 of 17 on field goals (76.5%) with a long of 49 yards, but the overtime miss at Tennessee is all that I can ponder from those duties … He was 8 of 8 inside 40 yards and 5 of 9 over that mark, so that is about right for a collegiate kicker - don’t know if he’ll ever get to the NFL level with those numbers … A 41.6 yard average per punt is respectable with a long of 58 yards, but nothing eye-popping … With the push back of the kickoff mark (35-yard line) Succop belted 11 touchbacks with an average fielding spot of the one-yard line - that’s pretty strong! … Nothing to report in the return area of kickoffs or punts, because the best ones were nullified by penalties - terrible performance in this realm of the game!

Special Team Lows - USC has garnered a commitment from a Texas punter for 2008 and that might alleviate what many called a “dead leg” for Succop with his kickoff, placekicking, and punting duties … But, don’t hold your breath - we’ve all seen how much these recruiting gurus and fan-based websites build up the talents of newcomers - all for the benefit of earning a dollar no matter how many mistruths are represented … The return units were awful … Pitiful coaching performances in this part of the game and hopefully that will be addressed … The blocking schemes, actual blocking performances, and return-men themselves were poor.

Tepid Tar Heels - I’ve been wary of the coaching staff reaching for players north of the border (no, I don’t mean Canada though that would be apropos as well) … USC seems to be hitting a state more renowned for basketball, baseball, and soccer than for its football exploits … Let’s take a look at the Tar Heels on the 2007 roster:
Pierre Andrews (OG, R-FR) - squad player
Jason Barnes (WR, R-FR) - redshirted, 1 GS, 4 GP, 1 REC, 34 YDS
Tommy Beecher (QB, SO) - squad player
Andy Boyd (TE, R-SR) - 12 GP, 11GS, 9 REC, 102 YDS, 1 TD
Web Brown (C, SR) - 12 GP/GS as undersized center
Chris Culliver (WR, FR) - 12 GP, 1 GS, 34 KORET, 23.8 AVG, 44 LONG, 5 RUSH, 31 YDS, 6.2 AVG, 0 REC
Hutch Eckerson (OT, R-FR) - redshirted
Marque Hall (DT, R-JR) - 12 GP, 9 GS, 22 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 PBU, 5 QBH
Melvin Ingram (LB, FR) - 12 GP, 15 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 SACK
Bryan Kingrey (FB, JR) - 10 GP
Byron McKnight (DE, FR) - redshirted
Travian Robertson (DE, FR) - 12 GP, 1 GS, 7 TKL, 1 PBU, 1 QBH
Weslye Saunders (TE, FR) - 11 GP, 12 REC, 151 YDS, 12.6 AVG, 48 LONG
Cedric Snead (CB, FR) - squad player, who knows?
Ryan Succop (P/PK, JR) - 12 GS, 37-37 XP (100%), 13-17 FG (76.5%), 49 LG, 56 PNT, 41.6 AVG, 58 LG, 15 I20, 3 BLK, 60 KO, 11 TB
Alonzo Winfield (CB) - redshirted

So, that is 16 players, two starters on offense (W. Brown & A. Boyd), one starter on defense (M. Hall), and two starters (C. Culliver & R. Succop) on special teams … That is less than 1/3 of the Tar Heels, but if you factor in those that played in at least half the games it reveals nine of the 16 contributed ? with seven in the redshirt or squad player category … Don’t forget the Michael Bowman signee of 2007 - I believe he was redshirted this fall at East Carolina - and, save for 2-3 players, those guys don’t contribute too much.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes - In reference to music artist David Bowie’s 1972 single, “Changes”, something has to happen on the coaching staff … It might be one or two moves, but I believe on-the-field merits have warranted four or five changes … Evidently it has merited concern for Jeri Spurrier as well, who has recently commented that she is worried for her husband’s psyche during this losing streak so you can bet that the “Head Ball Coach” is going to make some alterations to the coaching staff … Let’s help him out by grading his assistant coaches:
S.C. State Salary Database (The State)
$195,000 Tyrone Nix - D - 5 teams rushed for 200+ yards and 8 players rushed for 100+ yards, is challenged schematically (without #52, he’s lost), I’ve been curious of his talents since watching Brad Smith run rampant at the 2005 I-Bowl
$167,000 Ron Cooper - B - 4 of top 8 tacklers are in the secondary and only one is a senior, consistent progress during 2007
$167,000 John Hunt - D - 3rd straight year that it has taken more than ½ the year to come up with a unit, allowed 31 sacks
$167,000 Steve Spurrier, Jr. - C - slow developing group, but set the single season mark for receptions and Lecorn came on
$160,000 Brad Lawing - D - commented last year about having Southern Conference talent and did a better job in 2006
$145,000 Fred Chatham - F - awful special teams play (terrible KO coverage/returns) that consistently lacked “effort”, tight ends improved, but had as many drops as catches the second half of the year (where was Jared Cook vs. Clemson?)
$132,000 Mark Smith - D - jury is out on this guy (he looks the part), but USC is weak and really waned in the second half
$120,000 Shane Beamer - F - poor OLB play all year and pitiful ST performances, didn’t and don’t understand his hiring
$120,000 David Reaves - C - lots of QBs to work with but not much production, seemingly did a good job in recruiting
$104,000 Jamie Speronis - A - must be the best job in the world, “Jamie get me another Diet Coke”
$85,000 Robert Gillespie - B - gross injustice in pay scale IMO, hopefully he has some talent to blend with M. Davis in 2008

USC A.D. - A note to Eric Hyman is for the University to back off its football reseating plan and upping the ante for Gamecock Club dues - why? … South Carolina needs to produce on the field, court, pitch, diamond, and gridiron for the Athletics Department to warrant change in Columbia - you know what, it isn’t needed right now … What USC has across the board is fine except for the need of an Academic Center … I’ve been everywhere in the ACC and SEC and though USC doesn’t rank in the top 1/3 of that group it definitely ranks in the middle tier and that’s fine with me for the performances of the athletic teams and salaries of coaches … South Carolina athletic teams (football, men’s soccer, women’s volleyball) failed to make the postseason this semester unless the football team gets some help (and if other 6-6 teams are playing then the USC A.D., needs to find a way to get Carolina into a bowl game ? go ask Darla Moore, Robert McNair, Charles Crews, Mike Mungo, etc., for some financial favors) … Volleyball just completed a third-straight losing season … Men’s soccer didn’t get invited to the postseason … Only women’s soccer made the NCAA Tournament and was eliminated in the First Round … Throw in a non-NIT or NCAA men’s basketball program (that just lost 2 of 3 in a holiday tournament), a lower than average women’s basketball team, up-and-down years in softball and both golf and tennis programs, to go along with no SEC baseball divisional titles since 2003 and you are asking for a lot from a fan base that has been there supporting “GAMECOCKS” through thick-and-thin … When is the “silent phase” going to be over? … Who ranks where amongst contributed monies to the Gamecock Club? … What in the heck is going on at 1300 Rosewood Drive? .. I was certainly pleased when the Mike McGee regime was ousted several years ago, but need to see some return for Gamecock fans support, contributions, and dedications - I’m not seeing that right now.

Message Board & Sports Radio Fans - Don’t we all fall into these categories - since you are reading this you probably pay attention to both … That being said, don’t be stupid! … First for the Message Board and school-based fan websites: it’s a great way to keep up with the school that you support, but don’t bow down to these folks that have no more credence, professionalism, or journalism expertise as the local hack, Ron Morris - press credentials are easily obtained if you can write, speak, communicate, and, in essence, “play the game” … Most have no “sources”, most have no “inside information”, and most are “detested” by the coaches themselves for penetrating the old media corps of newspapers, radio, and television … Secondly for the Sports Radio group: shock-jock talk (a la Jim Rome style) is for the weak-minded, non-informed, and, basically, ignorant fan base that cannot spell the word C-A-R-O-L-I-N-A or even know how to locate the cities of Athens, GA or Fayetteville, AR on a map … Turn the dial.

Vegas Bound - Time to leave the doldrums that are Gamecock Football behind this week for a trip to Las Vegas … Hopefully a bowl bid of some kind will trickle down for South Carolina, but if not, USC can rejoin the bottom half of the college football world by watching eight 2007 opponents in a bowl game, and hope that 2008 is a better year … That’s all folks!

This post was edited on 11/25 7:10 PM by Kubby

Week 12 -- The Bye Week ...

2007-11-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

Tailgating - We made our way three mile trek from Cayce to the Farmer's Market around 2:30 p.m., on Saturday and had little traffic to deal with through Olympia ... We were parked by 3 o'clock and the Natural Lights popped out of the cooler immediately ... Our tailgating group of Sonny, Dad, KCock93, Will, Amy, Al & Carla, etc., was joined by some girls from Tampa (that Will met out on Friday night), Amy's friends, Schroer & Jessica, Dave & Kelly E., and Kip & Delesline B. ... Good seeing everyone out on a beautiful fall day ... The food consisted of chips, pickles, boild peanuts, and barbeque sandwiches -- good stuff and easy finger food.

Time Up for Tyrone - Get the Mayflower moving trucks ready ... I made a post after the 2005 Independence Bowl that Tyrone Nix looked like a "deer in headlights" when Brad Smith of Missouri ran all over Shreveport, Louisiana, in an amazing comeback by the Tigers ... Lots of people on the Message Boards and in water cooler discussions scoffed at my disclaimer, but it is one that I believed then, last season, and especially now ... I was hoping that Steve Spurrier would witness this as well, but Nix had a lucky charm in 2006 named Jasper Brinkley that covered a lot of defensive warts -- Nix can thank secondary coach Ron Cooper for delivering him that gift via recruiting ... When I heard of discussions about Nix becoming a head coach at a mid-major or higher I simply laughed, because obviously someone had not been doing their homework -- the media gets duped quickly when a coach is accommodating and gives good sound bites (i.e., the Nix interview on AM-1400 with Phil Kornblut at the USC Football media golf gathering this past summer, which has been a commercial all fall) or at the least just talks to them -- keeps the media from being too critical ... The fact that he is a minority just enhances this love fest with the media -- I know that's not politically correct, but it's a fact with the media ... However, I was hoping he would bite on some sort of coaching gig elsewhere (for instance the Division II Ouachita Baptist College job that I yelled about at Fayetteville, Arkansas last week) ... But, a month ago at 6-1 the folks around Columbia were clamoring him to be a defensive mastermind -- a buddy of mine even said the horrid sports talk radio show in the Midlands known as the "Matt & Tim Show" anointed him a better coach than Steve Spurrier (shows how much that time slot knows about sports) ... While I wished that this downward spiral had not happened and truly wish that I had been proved wrong, simply put -- I was right ... I didn't like the hire of co-defensive coordinators in 2005 and when John Thompson was shown the door prior to the bowl game I thought that it might allow Nix to implement an attacking minded unit, but he has insisted on a read-and-react philosophy (remember Wally Burnham?) and that folks will get you killed in the SEC (i.e., the 1,200 yards and 99 points surrendered to Arkansas and Florida attest) ... I'm convinced that line coach Brad Lawing had more to do with the '06 unit's results -- as well as having a healthy Brinkley roaming in the middle ... The 3-4 scheme (regardless of USC calling it a 4-3 alignment) he has slowly implemented in the second half of the year has totally wasted the senior years of a couple of suitable linemen in Ryan Brown (end) and Joel Reaves (tackle) -- they aren't stars, but they are serviceable ... Why emphasize your weakest area (linebackers) by running that alignment? ... And what are we to make of these linemen standing up on the line of scrimmage as in Tim Tebow's first touchdown? ... How ridiculous is that scheme? ... Hey, Nix, remember '05 when you and Thompson tried this same thing only to be ripped to shreds by Alabama and Auburn? ... I do and it didn't work then and it won't work now! ... No gumption, guts, or resolve on this unit -- and no one in charge that can make the right call! ... Take a look at the Gamecocks' 15 losses in the Steve Spurrier era:

15 Losses since 2005
(Averages = 29.3 points, 408.5 yards, 213.3 rushing):
-----------------------------------------------------
'05 @ Georgia (17 points, 350 yards, 238 rushing)
'05 Alabama (37 points, 489 yards, 338 rushing)
'05 @ Auburn (48 points, 388 yards, 123 rushing)
'05 Clemson (13 points, 347 yards, 175 rushing)
'05 vs. Missouri (38 points, 504 yards, 203 rushing)
-----------------------------------------------------
'06 Georgia (18 points, 387 yards, 198 rushing)
'06 Auburn (24 points, 307 yards, 127 rushing
'06 Tennessee (31 points, 325 yards, 71 rushing)
'06 Arkansas (26 points, 495 yards, 267 rushing)
'06 @ Florida (17 points, 401 yards, 147 rushing)
-----------------------------------------------------
'07 @ LSU (28 points, 360 yards, 290 rushing)
'07 Vanderbilt (17 points, 269 yards, 146 rushing)
'07 @ Tennessee (27 points, 317 yards, 101 rushing)
'07 @ Arkansas (48 points, 651 yards, 542 rushing)
'07 Florida (51 points, 537 yards, 233 rushing)

Missing Guys - I guess USC was lucky that Percy Harvin wasn't available for the Gators -- much in the same way that the Gamecocks missed Early Doucet at LSU earlier this season -- two of the best play-makers in the SEC that South Carolina didn't have to face this fall ... In all reality it just shoved those responsibilities to Tebow, who made mincemeat of the Carolina defense ... On the other hand USC is really missing the season services of not only Jasper Brinkley, but how about Nathan Pepper, Dustin Lindsey, and Jordin Lindsey? ... Though the Lindsey's are a bit wild for my liking away from the field, Dustin would have been a better middle linebacker to replace Brinkley than what the Gamecocks currently have on the roster and Jordin is a more disciplined end that would have been a good complement to Casper Brinkley and Eric Norwood in that rotation -- Norwood's free-wheeling is being exposed play after play since the Kentucky game and having Jordin there would allow Casper to shift to an outside linebacker spot.

Tough Tebow - What an easy night for the sensational sophomore! ... Seven touchdowns (five rushing, two passing) and 424 yards of offense steamrolled the Gamecocks ... I stated last year that Urban Meyer would get that kid killed running him like he does, but the 6-5, 235-pound brut has made a believer out of me ... USC will never beat Tim Tebow as long as he's the starter in Gainesville -- mark it down ... Why was there no spy and constant popping of this guy on and after every play? ... Who gives a darn about a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct as long as you can set a tone of "hey, we're here and are going to hit you time and time again"? ... Several times while Tebow threw the ball there was an opportunity to unload on him, but each instance saw a Gamecock shy away from contact -- are you kidding me? ... He's a much better passer than I thought and he's tough as nails -- laugh all you want about him wearing jorts, but he manhandled South Carolina ... When he threw that last touchdown with 1:37 remaining in the game some USC defender should have planted his backside permanently into the turf at Williams-Brice Stadium ... He basically bent USC over his knee and spanked their backsides for 60 minutes!

Heisman Trophy - South Carolina is making anyone close to the Heisman Trophy race look like world beaters ... Last week it was Arkansas' Darren McFadden (who rushed for a more pedestrian 117 yards in a 34-13 blowout loss at Tennessee on Saturday) and this week it was Tim Tebow ... With a showdown vs. Clemson in two weeks the duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller could possibly have some ammunition for a run at the 2008 Heisman Trophy as USC's defense resembles that pathetic Wally Burnham side in 1995 when the Gamecocks allowed Robert Edwards (Georgia), Madre Hill (Arkansas), and Moe Williams (Kentucky) to run wild in three of the first four games of that season ... Thank goodness South Carolina doesn't have Oregon, Hawaii, and West Virginia on the 2007 slate.

So Long Seniors - There are 16 seniors (minus J. Brinkley) that will face off against Clemson in the home finale and six are starters: QB B. Mitchell; RB C. Boyd; FB L. Stafford; TE A. Boyd; OL W. Brown; DE C. Brinkley ... Five other significant players: OL J. Thompson; DL J. Reaves; LB C. Wells; DB C. Hampton; DB B. Isaac ... The rest: TE R. Pavlovic; DL R. Brown; LB G. Wright; DB T. Erving; and DB M. West ... So far, that group who has been around since 2004 has compiled a career record of 27-20 overall and 15-17 in the Southeastern Conference and played in two bowl games.

Lack of D-Line - Where's the beef? ... Where are the run stoppers? ... Where are the pass rushers? ... How come all these other teams find big uglies to man the middle and clog things up, but every season it seems USC struggles in this department? ... Marque Hall has not had a good season, period ... The Gamecock fan websites touted that USC had "changed the DNA" of the defensive line, which has proved to be as much lip service as the much bally-hooed Mike West was several years ago ... Well, give me that over-achieving group from last year anyday of the week ... Remember, Nathan Pepper had already been moved to end for being tabbed as a Southern Conference type player last year ... Others like the aforementioned Joel Reaves and Ryan Brown get spot duty here and there ... Kenrick Ellis has seen more action the past couple of weeks, but that might not be such a good thing as the Gamecocks have turned in their two worst outings at Arkansas and vs. Tennessee ... I think Ladi Ajiboye is playing OK, especially for a freshman, and feel like Clifton Geathers and Travian Robertson will improve, but right now they just get trampled by the offensive linemen more times than not.

No LBs - The host of CSTV's morning show asked, "Does South Carolina not have a middle linebacker?" ... Well, that short answer is, "No" ... Wow! ... Talk about getting gutted once again! ... Pitiful display by the linebacking corps ... Five players (Darian Stewart, Emanuel Cook, Stoney Woodson, Chris Hampton, Casper Brinkley), including the first four of the secondary, had more tackles than linebackers Marvin Sapp, Rodney Paulk, and Cody Wells ... Making tackles cannot be that difficult, but USC makes it look almost impossible at times ... Where is Gerrod Sinclair? ... How about Yvan Banag? ... Surely they would put forth a better effort than the status quo -- wouldn't they? ... I have to believe it's more of a "want to" than a talent discussion.

Weak Team - Hold the hoorays and applause for strength coach Mark Smith, because USC is a physically weak team in 2007 ... I know part of it is due to the youth and the freshmen and sophomores have not had ample weight room time to make the difference of playing against upperclassmen, but this group has a long way to go ... As a whole -- throughout the squad -- it's just not an impressive team physically ... This group has a lot of work to do in terms of getting to a SEC level of physicality.

Special Teams - Ugh! ... Against Florida, Chris Culliver averaged a paltry 22 yards per kickoff return (four of them) with a long of 31 ... Up-backs Andy Boyd (10 yards) and Melvin Ingram (15 yards) combined for a 12.5 yard average ... Ryan Succop gets another punt blocked, but did average 46.3 a kick and got three downed inside the 20 yard line ... Two onsides kicks are unsuccessful ... Succop drilled a 44 yard field goal to get back on track ... UF's Brandon James ripped off a 39 yard kickoff return and John Curtis had a 13 yard punt return ... I haven't been impressed with the contributions of Coach Fred Chatham yet and for that matter, Shane Beamer.

Playing the SEC Offenses - A while ago it was posted that South Carolina had built their defense to compete against the pro-style offenses of the SEC East Division teams ... You know what, that's probably true ... Think about this -- Carolina played well defensively against Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, but has struggled with others that have more options from the QB spot ... When USC can drop extra defensive backs into the scheme is when Carolina holds opponents to lower scoring numbers ... Conversely, when the Gamecocks have to load up the box against run teams is when USC gets gnashed to death.

Tough Hits - How about Chris Hampton getting leveled by tight end Aaron Hernandez on that 55 yard play? ... CSTV kept showing Tim Tebow plowing through freshman Melvin Ingram (can he not play end or tackle next year?) for a score ... Anyone see Mike Davis get pummelled on the blocked punt of Ryan Succop -- didn't I say a couple of weeks ago about not rolling out on punts (it's poor and a gimmick that seems to fail as much as it works) ... Speaking of Davis, what about that head shot he took when fighting for extra yardage and yet again fumbled ... Blake Mitchell continues to get up after getting pounded due to the play of Justin Sorensen and Heath Batchelor -- someone get Mitchell a flak jacket for that Clemson game ... Florida whipped USC every which way possible and I'm sure there are some bruised bodies, as well as egos, over at Williams-Brice Stadium today.

3rd Down - Like a hot knife through butter ... What a description for the Gamecocks' defense ... Last week Arkansas converted 10 of 13 and this week Florida makes 12 of 16 -- that's laughable! ... When a team is able to convert 76% of those situations then the other team can forget about winning the game ... That's not defense, that's heart (or lack thereof).

Florida Fans - I'm in Section 9 and there was a bunch of blue and orange in that area ... Why? ... Don't Carolina fans have any pride in selling their tickets to fellow Garnet & Black supporters or give them away to charitable organizations and such? ... I sold a ticket this weekend for face value -- to a USC fan ... Why the constant price gouging of your own group that I see on the Ticket Exchanges? ... Makes no sense to me, but some people are in it for the almighty dollar I guess ... Let me say this -- there better not be Clemson fans around me in two weeks (if there are then I'll mention it to the Gamecock Club to see if they can get some real South Carolina fans around there) ... I've also heard of a commercial on AM-1400 about a Clemson gathering that has rented out a tailgating spot right across from Williams-Brice Stadium -- huh? ... What establishment is this and why allow the Tigers to setup so close to the action? ... Heck, I have to park in the boondocks in Tiger Town.

$55 & Stadium Expansion - That's the face value of a ticket to the Florida/South Carolina game in Columbia ... Pardon me for feeling that those entertainment dollars were flushed down the toiled this past Saturday ... It's expensive being a fan ... After logging more than 5,000 miles this fall watching Gamecock Football and spending more money than I want to think about on gas, airfare, lodging, meals, tickets, parking, etc., I feel more than entitled to comment about the current state of USC's facilities and the rising costs of attending games at Williams-Brice Stadium ... Anyone that hasn't been to the campuses of the SEC schools really can't understand how far behind the University of South Carolina is in terms of infrastructure ... The athletic facilities and admininstrative offices of the Athletics Department really are in the bottom third of the SEC as a whole ... A sold out stadium last night meant that $4.4 million was generated on ticket sales (assuming each one is bought for $55 -- I'm not taking out players/coaches tickets, band seats, etc.) -- so, figure $4 million was made last night ... Multiply that by seven home dates and that is $28 million to the USC coffers ... I believe USC's annual athletics budget is around $55 million so when you factor in the Gamecock Club dues, men's basketball ticket sales, SEC revenue, etc., then you realize the need for extra in-take is necessary ... However, a similar ticket in Gainesville last year cost $35 -- that's a major difference and the fact that there are a lot more "Bull Gators" -- highest giving athletic donors at UF -- compared to USC's Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver Spurs ... Hopefully, USC's Capital Campaign can generate that $100 million goal, but that is a tough sell when the Gamecocks have compiled consecutive 3-5 SEC seasons ... I made a personal pledge to up my ante from Half Scholarship to Full Scholarship earlier this year -- in support of those efforts, but should South Carolina lose to Clemson and not participate in the bowl season, then I have a good notion to not follow through on that pledge ... I realize that ultimately this just hurts me in relation to the points garnered with the Gamecock Club, but I'm 36 years old and USC has never -- I repeat never -- beaten the Tigers in back-to-back football seasons ... The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result ... Well, that extra $650 might not be a big deal to the Gamecock Club folks or to you who is reading this, but that money can be used elsewhere I can assure you (probably in more needed areas, too :-).

Leaving Early - I've been everywhere in the SEC and ACC and leaving early is a common theme when the home team is getting pulverized ... It happens! ... I've seen it at Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Miss. State, etc. ... When a team cashes out on that particular game or the season itself, which has been a popular thought since the second half of the North Carolina game, then how can you blame a fan base for getting up and leaving? ... Gamecock fans like to boast that they are among the best in the nation and I believe they are because what other program in 100+ years of football has supported their team financially and in attendance despite a history of mediocrity? ... To put into perspective I commented to three girls from the University of Florida that were tailgating with our group (two of them live in Tampa) that we had enjoyed a couple of trips to the Outback Bowl and they replied with, "yeah, we have too, but that just means you suck if you played in the Outback Bowl" ... Those are two of the biggest wins in the history of Carolina football and that kind of performance and season doesn't even register into the minds of Gator football fans ... I, personally, don't blame anyone that lives more than an hour away from the Midlands from leaving last night when Florida took the opening drive of the third quarter and extended its lead to three touchdowns ... I don't leave early -- the only game I can remember when I did was in protest of Brad Scott's regime in 1998 vs. Mississippi State when the Bulldogs jumped out to a 13-0 lead minutes into the game when Carolina donned all black uniforms for a 12:30 p.m., kickoff (by the time I reached the Farmer's Market it was 20-0 :-) ... For folks like Misty from Marion, S.C., who called into the postgame show about not being fortunate enough to see the games live and commenting that it looks bad to the nation and that the team needs support and it will affect recruiting -- bah-humbug! ... You think the University of Miami has played before the amount of fans that view South Carolina football on a weekly basis? ... I think not and look at the success of the Hurricanes for a 20-year span from 1980-2000!

Sack the Black - I can't stand one colored uniforms unless they are all white ... The all garnet, all black combinations look so high schoolish ... I vote that when USC plays in the day time of August/September to wear garnet jerseys and white pants and at night to wear the black jerseys and white pants ... In the months of October/November, I vote to wear black jerseys when playing anyone other than Vanderbilt and to wear garnet against the Commodores ... Since so much "red" is in the SEC, I always want to be as contrasting as possible.

Radio Delay - Anyone else experience the radio delay in Williams-Brice Stadium? ... I listen to the Gamecock Radio production at home games and the host radio station at away games and have never heard such a delay ... For instance, if a play was run then Todd Ellis and Tommy Suggs would be heard through the earphones 4-5 seconds later ... Very frustrating to say the least ... I often wonder if they are watching the same game I am from their perch high atop Williams-Brice Stadium, but last night was maddening ... Just wondering if others had this problem.

Postgame - Kudos to sideline and locker room reporter Duce Staley for stating some obvious observations and enlightening the listeners to some of the problems with the defensive schemes last night on the postgame show ... It was evident that the former USC standout was ticked off and frustrated by the play of the Gamecocks and he made those comments loud and clear ... Thank goodness for not sugar coating the errors by the USC coaches and players ... I appreciated the candidness of Staley and hope he continues with that straight-forwardness.

Come on Back Al - This note was pinned to KCock93's Ford Explorer SportTrac after the game:

I cannot take this sorry ass playing anymore. I left with 8 minutes to go in the 2nd half. I do hope for your sake and mine we can come back, but I cannot watch it anymore tonight. I may or may not make it to the Clemson game. I'm just sick and tired of getting fired up and mad as hell. Good luck to us all. - Al

I think we all, as Gamecock fans, can attest to feeling this type of emotional strain from time to time!

Long Month - Actually it hasn't even been a month, but the Gamecocks' four game skid started October 20 vs. Vanderbilt and has followed USC to Knoxville (Oct. 27), Fayetteville (Nov. 3) and back to the Capital City (Nov. 10) ... Throw in a bye week and that's five weekends of a losing streak -- only a win vs. Clemson can save the season ... This span is really gnawing at the USC fan base!

Tough Slate - Playing in the SEC is difficult as everyone knows and the fact that the SEC East Division has the triumvirate of Florida-Georgia-Tennessee makes it even more challenging ... Throw in the three games vs. the SEC West and the annual non-conference finale vs. arch-rival Clemson and that's a recipe for a bunch of tough games ... However, has USC ever faced a schedule that includes nine teams with winning records? ... Someone research that for me -- thanks in advance.

Bowl Eligible - Here's a link to the 2007-08 Bowl Schedule -

http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10137427

I hope that South Carolina finds a way to get into the postseason, because this team really needs the extra practice days regardless of a win or loss in December.

10 (2) - Kansas, Ohio State

9 (8) - Arizona State, Boise State, Hawaii, Louisiana State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia

8 (14) - Air Force, Boston College, Cincinnati, Clemson, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Southern California, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin

7 (13) - Auburn, Brigham Young, Central Florida, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, Purdue, South Florida, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Troy, Tulsa, Utah

6 (22) - Alabama, Arkansas, Bowling Green, California, Central Michigan, East Carolina, Florida State, Fresno State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Navy, Northwestern, Oregon State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky

M-Soccer - I had a good time at Senior Night this past Friday at Stone Stadium ... There was a great crowd on a chilly but clear evening ... Super up-and-down action the last 45 minutes and through overtime ... Big, big, big, win for the Gamecocks ... USC is now 10-5-2 overall and 4-2-2 in Conference USA ... Man of the Match for USC was a tie between goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer and forward Mike Lindsay -- both true freshmen ... Carolina is 3-0-2 in overtime matches this fall ... South Carolina now owns a 4-1-1 mark lifetime vs. the Wildcats and avenged a 1-0 double overtime defeat from 2006 ... USC won the C-USA Tournament Championship in 2005, but dropped an opening day tourney match last year as the #4 seed to UAB, 3-2 ... SMU is the defending tournament champion while Tulsa claimed this fall's regular season title ... Carolina will face Memphis in Birmingham on Wednesday ... The Gamecocks and Tigers tied 1-1 through two overtime periods in Memphis on October 20.

Conference USA Men's Soccer Tournament
Birmingham, Alabama (Nov. 14-18)

Wednesday
Match 1, 1:00 pm - #2 SMU (6-1-1, 13-3-2) vs. #7 Florida International (2-6-0, 3-12-2)
Match 2, 3:30 pm - #3 Kentucky (5-3-0, 7-9-2) vs. #6 Marshall (3-5-0, 9-8-1)
Match 3, 6:30 pm - #4 South Carolina (4-2-2, 10-5-2) vs. #5 Memphis (3-2-3, 10-4-4)
Match 4, 9:00 pm - #1 Tulsa (6-0-2, 12-2-2) vs. #8 UAB (2-6-0, 7-10-1)
Central Florida (0-6-2, 4-12-2) did not make the Tournament

Friday - SEMIFINALS
Match 5, 6:00 pm - M1 Winner vs. M2 Winner
Match 6, 8:30 pm - M3 Winner vs. M4 Winner

Sunday - CHAMPIONSHIP
3:00 pm - M5 Winner vs. M6 Winner, Televised Live by CSTV

M-Basketball - I didn't get to the S.C. State basketball game until midway through the second half since I was at the soccer match ... I didn't get to see much of the game, but was impressed with the speed of Devan Downey and the sheer bulk of Mike Holmes ... I didn't expect a rout of the Bulldogs, but South Carolina absolutely destroyed their MEAC foes ... Hope we see more of the same this week vs. The Citadel and Southern California ... The other "USC" lost its opener in Los Angeles to Mercer of all teams in the debut of heralded freshman guard O.J. Mayo (32 points) ... Remember when former athletics director Mike McGee said that the Colonial Center structure could not hang banners and other such displays due to its roof design? ... Well, the current USC Administration pretty much debunked that theory by hanging the NCAA, NIT, and conference championship banners from those girders and have also put on display the retired basketball numbers of past greats in men's and women's basketball ... Let this be a lesson to "Iron Mike", who now lives in Montrose, Colorado -- don't ever say "it's impossible to do something."

W-Soccer - USC captured its first SEC Tournament victory ever last week with a 2-0 win vs. Tennessee at Orange Beach, Alabama ... The Lady Gamecocks are 14-6-2 on the year and should receive a NCAA Tournament bid, which will be announced Monday night on ESPNEWS (8-8:30 p.m.) ... Carolina, which has 12 shutouts on the year, has not participated in the event since 1998 and finished 11-6-5 a year ago.

W-Volleyball - Three straight losing seasons for the Somera's (first two years Nancy and this year Ben) ... 12-14 overall and 5-12 in the SEC with one weekend to play ... I don't know much about volleyball, but I do know the Lady Gamecocks should win more than they lose and that's not been the case since Kim Hudson Christopher resigned.

Running Ragged - South Carolina has allowed seven individual 100+ yard rushers in 2007, but only three teams (ULA-LAF, LSU, ARK) to gain more than 200 yards:

W, LA-LAFAYETTE, 252 Team, 116 M. Desormeaux
W, @ Georgia, 128 Team, 104 K. Moreno
W, S.C. STATE, 196 Team, 112 W. Ford
L, @ LSU, 290 Team, 88 J. Hester
W, MISS. STATE, 140 Team, 83 A. Dixon
W, KENTUCKY, 157 Team, 135 R. Little
W, @ North Carolina, 113 Team, 37 J. White
L, VANDERBILT, 146 Team, 84 M. Adams
L, @ Tennessee, 101 Team, 75 A. Foster
L, @ Arkansas, 542 Team, 321 D. McFadden / 166 F. Jones
L, FLORIDA, 233 Team, 125 T. Tebow

The Gamecocks are 1-3 when allowing a team to rush for 200+ yards and 4-2 when allowing an individual to rush for more than 100+ yards.

Spurrier Success - For anyone doubting the progress that USC is making under Steve Spurrier compare his three year run to the previous three years:

2005-present
3-0 vs. Kentucky
2-0 vs. Mississippi State
2-1 vs. Vanderbilt
1-1 vs. Clemson
1-2 vs. Arkansas
1-2 vs. Florida
1-2 vs. Georgia
1-2 vs. Tennessee
0-1 vs. Alabama
0-1 vs. Louisiana State
0-2 vs. Auburn
---------------------------------
12-14 vs. SEC & Clemson (8-7 East & 3-6 West)
9-1 vs. other teams
21-15 (.583) overall
2 bowls, 1 victory
11-8 in single digit games

2002-2004
3-0 vs. Kentucky
3-0 vs. Vanderbilt
1-0 vs. Alabama
1-0 vs. Mississippi State
1-2 vs. Arkansas
0-2 vs. Louisiana State
0-2 vs. Mississippi
0-3 vs. Clemson
0-3 vs. Florida
0-3 vs. Georgia
0-3 vs. Tennessee
---------------------------------
9-18 vs. SEC & Clemson (6-9 East & 3-6 West)
7-1 vs. other teams
16-19 (.457) overall
0 bowls
6-8 in single digit games

Games decided by single digits:

2007 (2-1)
W - @ Georgia, 16-12
W - @ North Carolina, 21-15
L - @ Tennessee, 24-27 ot

2006 (4-4)
W - Wofford, 27-20
L - Auburn, 17-24
W - @ Kentucky, 24-17
L - Tennessee, 24-31
L - Arkansas, 20-26
L - @ Florida, 16-17
W - @ Clemson, 31-28
W - vs. Houston, 44-36

2005 (5-3)
W - Central Florida, 24-15
L - @ Georgia, 15-17
W - Vanderbilt, 35-28
W - @ Tennessee, 16-15
W - @ Arkansas, 14-10
W - Florida, 30-22
L - Clemson, 9-13
L - vs. Missouri, 31-38

2004 (2-2)
L - Georgia, 16-20
L - Mississippi, 28-31
W - @ Kentucky, 12-7
W - Arkansas, 35-32

2003 (2-3)
W - Louisiana-Lafayette, 14-7
L - @ Tennessee, 20-23 ot
W - Kentucky, 27-21
L - @ Mississippi, 40-43
L - Florida, 22-24

2002 (2-3)
L - Georgia, 7-13
W - @ Vanderbilt, 20-14
W - @ Kentucky, 16-12
L - Tennessee, 10-18
L - @ Clemson, 20-27

Week 11 vs. Florida ...

2007-11-05T15:06:00.000-05:00

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.

Week 10 @ Arkansas ...

2007-10-30T14:05:00.000-04:00

Quick Comments – No use brooding over the past two weeks ... The Gamecocks looked like they were going to let the Vanderbilt game beat them twice through the first 30 minutes at UT ... But, the offense livened up after Blake Mitchell was inserted at quarterback and the defense turned in another solid outing ... I'm over it now, especially in light of what has come about the past 24 hours with the tragedy at Ocean Isle, N.C., involving the six University of South Carolina students and the one Clemson student that perished in the Sunday morning fire ... My prayers are with those persons, families, friends, etc. -- it truly puts things into perspective.

Early Weekend – My Mother celebrated her 59^th birthday on Saturday, so we took her out to the new Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Columbia’s Vista – Happy Birthday, Mom! … If anyone has ever dined at a Ruth’s Chris elsewhere I can assure you that their consistency is as prevalent in the Capital City as it is at other locales … While sitting at the bar prior to being seated I saw Coach David Reaves swing by and also ran into Coach Susan Walvius and some of her assistant coaches enjoying a night out with some big Lady Gamecock basketball fans … The filet mignons (Mom got the New York strip) were excellent as expected and the side dishes, salads, desserts, and beverages completed the evening.

Friday Drive – After running by Green’s on Assembly Street to pick up our tailgating beer (saw Coach Brad Lawing getting some spirits for the trip as well), we departed Cayce around 11:15 a.m., in a pouring rainstorm that pretty much stayed with us until we reached the Asheville, N.C., area … We made a lunch detour in Waynesville to search out a place called Fat Buddies Ribs & BBQ … After making about three loops around the city we finally found the place after running into a guy that was actually wearing a T-Shirt with the company’s name on it … He informed us that they closed for the afternoon at 2:30 p.m., and the dashboard clock revealed it being 2:20, so we made haste and hurried to the parking lot down the road … Great stop! … The décor of the place would make a NASCAR fan stand up and cheer as there is racing paraphernalia everywhere – all the way down to the light fixtures, which are actual wheels … We ordered the chopped BBQ Pork sandwiches with sides of french fries and creamed corn and it was super … Their regular BBQ sauce was a dark and sweet mixture that was good, but they have a hot/spicy sauce called the “Firehouse” that was excellent … The wait staff was great to us and after the ½ hour stop we were back on the road rolling through the mountains and enjoying clear blue skies while listening to Pat Green on CD and some various oldies country stations along the way.

Night Out – We arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Powell, Tenn., around 4 p.m., and asked around for some local places to check out … I’ve made the trip to Knoxville every year since USC joined the SEC – sometimes by driving, sometimes by bus trip – but this was the first time I had stayed in Powell, which is an eight-minute drive (I-75 South to 275 towards Asheville and then I-40 East before getting off at US-441 South on Henley Street) from the 1982 World Fair’s “Sunsphere” for those of you familiar with that area … The last couple of times I had been to Knoxville, we stayed a couple of exits prior to Powell on Merchant’s Drive, which has a bunch of eateries without the downtown bustle … We decided on Cappellini’s, an Italian restaurant, just down the street in a strip mall on Emory Road … Great choice! … The veal marsala and spaghetti and lasagna dishes were excellent and our server, Julia, was a lot of fun … Only drawback was that the place didn’t have any good Italian beers, so we had to settle on Bud Light’s with the meal … Afterwards we stopped next door at Spicy’s North, which was celebrating Halloween, Powell-style … Fun time! … Saw Bob Shields of WLTX-TV in Columbia there but he was having too much fun for me to say ‘hello’ … A band called the “Retroholics” were donned in their Halloween garb with the following costumes: lead singer dressed as Poison’s Brett Michaels, guitar player in a young Elvis persona, bass player with a Cheap Trick look, and the drummer was donning his best Quiet Riot gear … The Corona’s flowed past midnight when we headed to the hotel for the night.

Saturday A.M. – A late morning awakening of nearly 10:00 a.m., greeted us and we promptly drove down to the UT campus to check out our tailgating setup … After years of parking down Cumberland Avenue we decided to scout out a new spot and found a good area at the Church Street United Methodist Church right beside the Henley Street Bridge … Heading down the main drag of the UT campus we saw the Cutter’s from Manning, S.C., and then strolled over the Alcoa Hwy. to Kingston Pike, which is similar to the Shandon area of Columbia, and borders the Tennessee River … We headed back to the HIE and watched the last of ESPN’s GameDay and then went right back to claim our spot around 12:45 p.m. … A quick stop at an Ingle’s grocery store and an ATM proved to be a good thing!

Tailgating - We were parked by the CSUMC youth group members for $25, which raises money for mission trips and youth ministries … One block on the other side of the church were the infamous “Ultimate Tailgaters” and it was nice to see a good many of them already in a game time mood … The parking spot required vehicles already established to hoist up their tailgating tents, chairs, etc., and finally we made it to the top spot on the bridge side of the lot … The parking attendant handed us a yellow slip of paper to display in the dashboard and all was set for an afternoon of blue skies, sunshine, a cool breeze, snacks, and cold Natural Light beer – perfect! … We met a number of Gamecock fans and chatted with some Volunteers as well and it was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Offensive Stars - What more can be said about the efforts of Cory Boyd (20 rushes, 160 yards, 1 TD), Kenny McKinley (school record 14 receptions in a game for 151 yards and 1 TD), and Blake Mitchell (31 of 45 for 290 yards and 1 TD in one half of action) ... Throw in Jared Cook's solid night (5 catches, 55 yards) along with a pair of wide receivers with multiple catches -- Freddie Brown (4 receptions, 41 yards) and Dion Lecorn (3 catches, 37 yards) -- and it was a welcome sight for the receiving corps ... Tight ends Weslye Saunders (1-14) and Andy Boyd (1-7) chipped in a pair of catches for 21 yards to go along with Boyd's five receptions for 25 yards ... The entire offensive line, except for the left guard position, looked like a competitive unit and really took it to UT in the second stanza ... I loved seeing the misdirection play with Mike Davis (12 rushes, 30 yards) going in motion on the first series … Good job by line coach John Hunt and superb play calling in the second half by Coach Spurrier.

Defensive Studs - Might as well call this the "Captain Cook Award", because every week South Carolina could nominate secondary stalwarts Captain Munnerlyn (11 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 fumble forced, 1 interception) and Emanuel Cook (10 tackles, 1 for loss) ... Darian Stewart tallied seven tackles and had two pass break-ups ... Carlos Thomas registered five tackles and it appears the much maligned cornerback has kind of settled into that spot ... Casper Brinkley notched two tackles behind the line and five on the evening and also recorded a sack of Erik Ainge that at the time pushed the Vols back to the 26-yard line on UT's last possession of regulation … Another well played game by Tyrone Nix’s defensive troops.

Special Teams Sizzle & Fizzle - Ryan Succop has been outstanding at USC, but Saturday he went from "Hero" to "Goat" in a matter of minutes ... After blasting a 49-yard field goal that appeared to give South Carolina the victory with just 1:24 remaining in the game, he had a poor kickoff on the "angle play" (just kick the dadgum ball) and it was returned all the way up to the UT 47-yard line -- so much for holding out a scoring drive! ... Then, a UT freshman placekicker knocks in a game-tying 48 yard field goal with five seconds remaining after having to back up five yards due to an illegal procedure ... Of course, UT hits a chip-shot 27 yarder in the first overtime period and Succop drives his right hash mark setting straight down that line to miss wide right to end the game ... Ugh! ... Anyone else sick and tired of the roughing the punter penalties? ... Why rush the punter in a scoreless game when you have the opponent pinned down at their own 14-yard line? ... Just a senseless act and one that Coaches Shane Beamer and Fred Chatham need to get a hold on, because taking the ball over at midfield would have been a super starting position on the next possession instead of fielding a punt at the USC 7-yard line (the roughing the punter/kicker issues is becoming an epidemic) ... Terrible kickoff team play as well -- in clutch time USC stunk it up and that cost Carolina the game.

Postgame - Ever been mad enough to spit nails? ... Well, KC93 and I were after the game and it had nothing to do with the scoreboard ... While meandering through the postgame foot traffic, we walked along the river and made our way up the hill to our parking spot ... After climbing an incline of 45-degrees KC93 started hitting his vehicle clicker so that we could "hear our way" through the black parking lot ... Unfortunately a sound never responded and it was to our amazement that the faithful Ford Explorer SportTrac had either been stolen or towed ... You know that old saying, "misery loves company", well it certainly did Saturday night after 12 midnight as an entire row of vehicles had been towed away ... We immediately scanned the parking lot and church area on W. Hill/Henley Streets, but to no avail ... After conversing with some others that were in our situation we headed to the Hampton Inn to flag down a taxi ... We must have had the look of madmen as the guy at the front desk fumbled through his words in trying to assist us and told us to go to the Hilton hotel several blocks away to schedule a cab ride out to West Knoxville -- a seven mile trip and $25 drive away due to the game traffic ... When we arrived at the towing company we found several other non-Knox County license plates lined up in the parking lot … Some Gamecock fans from the Charleston area who were towed befriended us and one of them’s father is a prominent attorney in the lowcountry and he pretty much held court with the towing company’s personnel – thanks for the help! … Seems to be some sort of misunderstanding between the church and an apartment complex about which owns those spaces and after paying $90 to get the vehicle out of tow we made it back to the Holiday Inn Express around 2:00 a.m. … The next morning we got on the road at 10 o’clock and received a phone call from the Church Street United Street Methodist Church’s pastor, William Fowler … He was very apologetic for our troubles at their parking lot and said that their business manager would be in contact with us to make financial reparations ($25 parking, $25 taxi, $90 towing = $140 total) … That will be taken care of this week!

Same Old, Same Old on Rocky Top - I knew that this would go down to the wire and the overtime encounter improved that notion ... I had predicted last week in my Blog at "Kubby's Korner" that Tennessee would squeeze out a 20-16 victory (I was a point off), but had changed that outlook to a 18-17 victory by USC at week's end based on the radio interviews I heard during the week ... Bill King of Knoxville and RivalsRadio/Volquest.com was on "Prime Time Sports" last week and basically stated that the pitchforks were out for Coach Phil Fulmer ... Well, he wasn't far off with his comments as it sure seemed that way at Neyland Stadium after the game ... The UT faithful were certainly glad that the Big Orange had pulled one off vs. South Carolina, but also disappointed that at this point it staved off any dismissal of the 16-year Rocky Top veteran ... Had eastern Tennessee's Steve Spurrier returned "home" to defeat the Volunteers after trailing 21-0 at halftime, you may have seen the UT Administration drop the guillotine on Fulmer's neck by Monday -- that's not going to happen now and he may have pulled off the best Houdini act of his coaching career:

South Carolina @ Tennessee (last four meetings)

10/27/01, UT 17-10 SC, -7 points
09/27/03, UT 23-20 ot SC, -3 points
10/29/05, SC 16-15 UT, +1 point
10/27/07, UT 27-24 ot SC, -3 points

Officials - I'm not one to place blame on the officiating, but anyone that watched the game had to have comments about this crew ... Referee: Thomas Ritter; Umpire: Rick Lowe; Linesman: Gus Morris III; Side judge: Chris Conley ... If those guys (and the poor calls throughout the evening) looked familiar, then that's because most of that crew was at the LSU game back in September (three were not at LSU -- Line judge: Julian Mapp; Back judge: Jimmy Buchanan; Field judge: Bobby Aillet Jr) ... UT's Arian Foster scores with 1:14 left in the 1^st Quarter after it looked like his knee was down that should have setup a 4th and goal situation ... A called pass interference on Captain Munnerlyn early in the 2^nd Quarter should not have been called, but if it is going to be called that tight, then another instance should have resulted in the same penalty (see below) … Though I disagreed with the decision by Coach Spurrier to go for the touchdown on the Gamecocks' first drive of the second half (I adhere to the theory of "getting points" whenever you can and two straight incompletions inside the 5-yard line told me to get the three points (especially when the offense had not scored a touchdown in 8+ quarters ... However, the strike from Mitchell to Jared Cook should have resulted in a first down as that was blatant pass interference by Tennessee ... How in the heck did the officials review Mike Davis' fumble with 6:52 left at the UT 17-yard line and not come to the conclusion that his forward progress had been stopped and even with that fact decided that the "simultaneous possession" was turned over to the defense? ... Asinine!

Best League – We all know that the Southeastern Conference is the best football league in the country, but how about the SEC East Division? … Geesh! … It’s a flip of the coin each week and makes for an exciting and entertaining drama every Saturday … The best record is owned by Georgia at 6-2 and the worst marks are held by Florida, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt at 5-3 – Kentucky and South Carolina are sandwiched in between at 6-3, so with nine weeks played one game separates first place and last place!

On to Fayetteville - It's time for the last regular season road trip - this time to Arkansas ... The Razorbacks lead the series with USC, 9-6, and the two teams have met every year since joining the SEC in 1992 ... The Hogs open as five point favorites, but something tells me a steady alignment of nine guys near the line of scrimmage will get the job done for the Gamecocks ... Everyone knows about the "Dynamic Backfield Duo" of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, but be wary of wide receiver Marcus Monk, who notched two touchdown catches last week in his debut after a knee injury back in August and has more than 2,000 reception yards in his career ... I think Coach Spurrier gets through to the Cocks this weekend for a final push in the SEC and USC leaves Fayette-Nam with a much needed 23-17 victory.

Gamecocks @ Fayetteville

09/11/93, AR 18-17 SC
09/09/95, AR 51-21 SC
11/05/05, SC 14-10 AR

Week 9 at Tennessee ...

2007-10-21T17:15:00.000-04:00

Pregame - We wanted to beat the State Fair traffic and lines on Bluff Road so we left Cayce promptly at 8 o'clock and filled up with ice on South Huger Street across the Blossom Street Bridge ... Perfect timing! ... Absolutely no traffic through Olympia and though there were some football fans parked across Jaco's and a speckling of tailgaters near the Anheuser-Busch building, we were one of the first arrivals ... As we made our way through the Farmer's Market to Shed #14 we had everything setup by 8:30 a.m., and munched on Hardee's biscuits and some Carolina Pride "smokies" (Michael, it's lunch time -- you know, the commercial that is always on the coaches shows) ... Sonny & Willy G. showed up soon after and the Fallaw's were in place by 9 o'clock ... Others that stopped by to chat were the Greers and Dunlaps, along with the Caulks closer to game time ... Good seeing everyone ... Everyone agreed that USC should have little trouble today except for one of Big Al's friends who said he thought Vanderbilt would win by two touchdowns -- after the game I asked AF about that comment and he said that the guy was just joking, but dadgum maybe he knew something we all didn't ... I made my way to the stadium about 12 noon prepared for the Gamecocks to improve to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the SEC.

Start Time - The topic that dominated the morning conversation was the brilliant idea by the University of South Carolina to schedule a non-televised football game for 12:30 ... Talk about taking away the home field advantage! ... When real TV dictates the start times then I have no problem with the kickoffs, but when a rare game gets slated for Pay Per View (a third rate production if there has been one), then USC ought to consider its loyal fans that show up to the games ... Noon starts (or thereabouts) are ridiculous ... Lucky for us we live five minutes away, but how about the folks in Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head in the lower state or in Walhalla or Gaffney in the upstate -- for them to attend they have to leave at the break of dawn to attend ... I hope USC, Athletics Director Eric Hyman, Coach Steve Spurrier, and anyone else in that decision making process takes this into account ... Don't give me the State Fair interference -- it's been that way forever during October ... But, when scheduling a PPV event in the future, please do not make the starts any earlier than 2 p.m. ... 79,000+ is a great turnout in my opinion for Vanderbilt -- in fact, it's the second largest crowd ever in the series (83,104 in 2001)! ... Should USC be in this position again in the months of August/September then the start times should automatically be 7 p.m. -- Williams-Brice Stadium is a much better atmosphere during the night time ... If it happens in October then no earlier than a 2 o'clock kickoff should take place ... Have some guts to do what Auburn's Tommy Tuberville did last week when approached by TV to put the Tigers game vs. Ole Miss -- he said NO! and had the game slated for 6 p.m., instead of 12:30 ... There were whispers in the Midlands about the coaching staff wanting to get an early game in order to give the USC players some time off and a chance to watch other football games on Saturday.

Capitol Tours - Another note that came about from the pregame talk was the experience some had on the North Carolina trip with Capitol Tours last week ... They left out of West Columbia and it was a $68 round trip so that is a pretty good deal for an up-and-back ride ... But, after boarding the bus a tour guide mentioned over the speaker system that "the Carolina's have open container laws and that they would appreciate the patrons to abide by those laws and not drink on the bus or when they stop" ... Huh? ... What other purpose is there to take a chauffered vessel? ... People complain about drinking and driving, so the benefit of taking a bus is that 50-60 folks won't be doing that unlawful gesture ... I understand some folks (the vast minority) don't partake in this football ritual, but for the other 98-99% of us that's part of tailgating and enjoying the entire experience with friends and fellow fans ... Several said the heck with it and did it anyway until at a stop in Greensboro, N.C., when the bus driver searched through someone's personal belongings to confiscate a cup -- sorry, but words would have been exchanged and possibly more if I was on that bus ... If a bus company wants to make these policies then by all means charter your trips, but let the folks traveling know this in advance ... I had a similar experience with a group entitled the "Faithful Fans" several years ago and though they let us do what we pretty much wanted, I stated then that it would be my last "ride" on a bus unless I chartered it myself (not to mention the fact that they got us to the 2005 Clemson game late because of two stops on the way, including one in Anderson!) ... It wasn't like that the first 20-25 years of taking a coach for USC football games.

The Game - It was ugly ... Pitiful performance by the offense ... Worst performance in the Spurrier era and the only thing close to it was the second half of the 2005 Independence Bowl -- for totally different reasons (the defense imploded that game) ... This time the defense kept South Carolina in the game, but the offense was so pathetic that 17 points might as well have been 50 ... Super job by the defense all game, especially by Emanuel Cook, Eric Norwood, Casper Brinkley, and Marque Hall (best game of the year for him) ... It went from bad to worse throughout the day due to penalties and poor execution ... Did USC take the week off? ... Where was the coaching? ... Why the Gamecocks didn't just run the ball is beyond me ... Why abandon the game plan so early and just chunk it around? ... A year ago South Carolina rolled up nearly 200 yards alone in rushing at Nashville in a 31-13 victory vs. the Commodores -- the same should have taken place in 2007 ... A steady diet of Cory Boyd and Mike Davis would have done the trick, but Coach Spurrier seemed more concerned about getting the passing game on track instead of getting win #7, which assures you of a winning record and more importantly would have put USC in position to control its destiny in the SEC East Division ... Remember that in 2006 USC turned the ball over four times vs. Vandy and repeated that performance on Saturday ... If you would have told me that the Gamecocks would hold Vandy wideout Earl Bennett to a pair of catches, then I would have said that South Carolina would win by 30 points or more ... Absolutely ridiculous! ... Take a look at the Gamecocks' first six offensive and special teams plays: Chris Smelley throws a pick with his third pass; Chris Culliver fumbles the Vandy kickoff that was recovered by Cody Wells; and Cory Boyd fumbles his second carry -- awful! ... I think I heard that VU entered the game with 12 sacks as a team and left Columbia with seven in just one game to tie a school record ... Vandy did a good job of just running the clock while USC seemed to panic once the deficit reached three scores ... Three interceptions, a lost fumble (along with two others), terrible field position, seven punts, six penalties (five illegal procedures -- that's just concentration at home games), and just 1 of 12 conversions on third down is a recipe for disaster and this 17-6 drubbing certainly fits that bill ... Six quarters without a touchdown -- maybe UNC radio host Deems May was right about the Gamecocks' offense ... I thought it was just me, but several people confirmed my hearing of Gamecock football radio announcer Todd Ellis refer to the Commodores as the "Midshipmen" before and during the broadcast -- maybe the former gunslinger was having flashbacks to his senior year at Page HS in Greensboro, N.C., as he was listening to the 1984 upset by Navy at Annapolis, MD that sent USC tumbling down the national rankings (much like this loss should do) ... Spartanburg native D.J. Moore (2 INT, 3 PBU, 5 TKL) had a field day on the same field in which he led the Broome Centurions to the Class 2A State Championship in 2004 ... The play of the game I believe was the interception of Smelley by Moore in the end zone at the 7:40 mark of the 3rd quarter with Carolina trailing by 11 ... Until that pick, I felt USC would still win the game, but you could feel the confidence swell for the Gold & Black after that point as the Dores were happy to just run clock and hang on ... I'll tell you this -- for the ticket price of $45 that was a rip-off for Gamecock fans ... No entertainment value whatsoever unless the Garnet & Black faithful enjoyed watching the golden helmets celebrate with their throng of 100 VU fans in the southeast corner of the stadium -- embarrassing! ... Enough on this subject.

Eating Crow - I'll be honest, VU Coach Bobby Johnson (79-82 record) has never impressed me as a head coach ... He was in charge of Furman's only two losing campaigns since 1980 and has never tallied a winning mark at Vanderbilt (now in year #6 and 19-46) ... I know it's not an easy place to win, but the local media have really made him look better than he is basically because he's a local boy from Eau Claire High School and Clemson University ... But, I've got to eat crow, because the Dores stuck it to the USC coaching staff yesterday, especially defensively as the VU zone really confused Chris Smelley and Blake Mitchell and the blitzing safeties just blew by Seaver "The Sieve" Brown, Web "Farmer" Brown, and Lemuel "Lemon Juice" Jeanpierre (thanks for exposing that weakness Tar Heels) ... Aren't pancake blocks awarded only to offensive linemen? ... Too bad, because The Sieve and LJ were planted on their backsides enough for a 100% grade by the Dores linemen all day long ... Vandy sits at 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC and I hope the Dores can at least beat another SEC team along with Miami-Ohio to qualify for a bowl game ... I guess 14-3 against a SEC foe means that the law of average will swing the other way from time to time and maybe that's what happened ... Truly a case for "that's why you play the game instead of looking at it on paper" ... However, I felt South Carolina gave the game away instead of Vanderbilt actually going out and winning it, but to the victors go the spoils and my congratulations to the Commodores and Coach Johnson ... Vandy coaching records since 1979:

Bobby Johnson (2002-present) = 19-46, .292 / 8-39, .170 SEC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Woody Widenhofer (1997-2001) = 15-40, .273 / 4-36, .100 SEC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rod Dowhower (1995-96) = 4-18, .182 / 1-15, .063 SEC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerry DiNardo (1991-94) = 19-25, .432 / 5-19, .208 SEC (1992-94)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watson Brown (1986-90) = 10-45, .182
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
George MacIntyre (1979-85) = 25-52-1, .327
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Postgame - My comment upon arriving at our tailgaiting spot was, "Where did that truck come from? I didn't see that coming!" ... That about sums it up ... Carolina played poorly offensively in the second half at UNC and the Vandy game looked like a continuation of that game -- this time for a full 60 minutes ... Everyone was disgusted and probably still are when they read this recap ... One thing that Carolina fans have been able to hang their hats onto since 2000 is that the Gamecocks generally take care of beating the teams they are favored to beat -- that didn't happen and I"m hoping this was just a hiccup ... Not everything was terrible though as long time Columbia entertainer Jim LeBlanc played live for the Uncle Louie's crowd toward the end of the Watermelon Shed and at least good music was available instead of listening to the postgame show ... It was good to see Liz S. (former neighbor), and Allison from Chesterfield -- good girls!

Evening - We got home via Bluff Road around 5:45 p.m. ... I guess we stayed around long enough for traffic control to vacate the premise -- finally a decent route home following the game through Olympia ... Still in total disgust, we kept it in on Saturday and though I tried to watch some football I just couldn't stomach thinking of what happened earlier in the day and turned in early.

Sunday A.M. - How bad was this loss? ... I woke up around 4:30 Sunday morning hoping it had not happened, but CSTV's SEC show confirmed it had indeed occurred as I remembered and then read the recount of Saturday's events in The State newspaper -- ugh ... Entering the game USC had posted a 18-1 record since 2000 as double-digit favorites with the only loss coming at the hands of Ole Miss in 2004 at Columbia (another damn 12:30 p.m., kickoff) ... Reading the paper informed me that the victory was a history maker as Vandy had not beaten a team ranked as high as #6 in 70 years -- great ... However, watching CSTV actually made me feel better after I saw that the topsy-turvy world that is college football this year stayed true to form this weekend ... Whoever can get a grasp on what is going on with these teams from week to week should win a Nobel Prize ... Here's the Gamecocks' results as double-digit favorites:

9/16/00 vs. Eastern Michigan (-23), 41-6 W
9/1/01 vs. Boise State (-21.5), 32-13 W
10/6/01 vs. Kentucky (-22.5), 42-6 W
10/20/01 vs. Vanderbilt (-17.5), 46-14 W
8/31/02 vs. New Mexico State (-23.5), 34-24 W
9/21/02 vs. Temple (-17.5), 42-21 W
8/30/03 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (-23.5), 14-7 W
9/20/03 vs. UAB (-14), 42-10 W
10/25/03 vs. Vanderbilt (-15), 35-24 W
9/18/04 vs. South Florida (-12.5), 34-3 W
10/9/04 vs. Ole Miss (-16.5), 28-31 L
10/16/04 @ Kentucky (-13), 12-7 W
9/1/05 vs. Central Florida (-21), 24-15 W
9/24/05 vs. Troy (-17.5), 45-20 W
10/8/05 vs. Kentucky (-12.5), 44-16 W
9/23/06 vs. Florida Atlantic (-28.5), 45-6 W
11/18/06 vs. Middle Tennessee State (-15.5), 52-7 W
9/1/07 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (?), 28-14 W
9/29/07 vs. Miss. State (-14), 38-21 W
11/20/07 vs. Vanderbilt (-13), 6-17 L

Hoodwinked - Gamecock fans, what I'm about to write will probably tick some people off, but so be it ... Those recruiting rankings that everyone gets so gung-ho about every February and are the lifeblood of "experts" are nothing but bullcrap ... I hear it constantly on sports radio shows and read about it on internet message boards about this guy is a 4* and this guy is a 2* ... Guess what? ... It doesn't matter one bit! ... That crap is made up by the Tom Lemmings, Max Emfingers, Tom Lugenbills, Jamie Newbergs, to line their pockets and subsequently for those that run sites at Scout, Rivals, ESPN, etc. ... I know they are based on "projected" talent and contributions, but let me project this -- how many 4* and 5* guys have panned out at USC? ... How many has Vanderbilt ever had? ... Take a look at the 4*/5* signees by USC since 2002:

5*
'07 - Chris Culliver
'03 - Demetris Summers
'02 - Ricardo Hurley, Randy Jackson, Darel Slay

4*
'07 - Olufemi Ajiboye, Akeem Auguste, Jason Barnes, Mark Barnes, Stephen Garcia, Clifton Geathers, Joseph Hills, Melvin Ingram, Dion Lecorn, Brian Maddox, Cliff Matthews, Quentin Richardson, Travian Robertson, Weslye Saunders
'06 - Garrett Anderson, Clarence Bailey, Hutch Eckerson, Kenrick Ellis, Chris Smelley, Kevin Young
'05 - Jonathan Hannah, Brandon Isaac, Shea McKeen, O.J. Murdock, Carlos Thomas, Mike West
'04 - C.J. Barber, Dorian Capers, Marque Hall
'03 - Marcus Lawrence, Blake Mitchell, Syvelle Newton
'02 - Aryhel Freeman, Kenny Irons, Jabari Levey, Cory Peoples, Moe Thompson, Troy Williamson

Milk Carton Alert - Has anyone seen this guy? ... FB Clark Gaston.

OL Problems - OL Jeremy Burgess, OL Garrett Anderson, OL Gurminder Thind, OL James Thompson, OL Kevin Young, OL Pierre Andrews, OL Terence Campbell ... I mention these guys because by my count none of them played ... None of them! ... Despite allowing seven sacks and having five illegal motion penalties no one else was inserted ... Why? ... The entire line played poorly yesterday and a wholesale change was needed not once or twice, but almost on every possession -- something had to be better than what was attempted vs. Vanderbilt ... There are 17 offensive linemen listed on the roster and USC can't find five to play decently? ... This is the third straight season that this has been a problem -- the other two years seemed to have the unit gel about midseason ... Well, it's 2/3 completed and still it's undetermined ... Pitiful -- the true weak link on this team and it speaks volumes about the 2005 signing class that included no offensive linemen ... Is it talent? ... Is it lack of strength? ... Is it Coach John Hunt? ... Can Kenrick Ellis not play on that side of the ball? ... Is Thind chronically injured? ... Is Thompson back in the dog house? ... Does Young have any confidence? ... What do Anderson, Andrews, and Campbell do these days? ... Does Burgess do anything? ... The whole group looks weak compared to others and maybe my lavishing of Mark Smith's strength coordination this season needs to be curtailed because these guys just aren't getting it done -- in any facet of the game ... Frustrating beyond belief! ... The best side-step by a QB yesterday was Smelley's comment after the game, “We had a gameplan for it,” said Smelley, who was 14-of-24 for 154 yards. “We just couldn’t step up and block them.” -- talk about not placing blame (I'll do it for you)!

QB Questions - I'm not going to blame too much on Chris Smelley or Blake Mitchell ... Heck, Brett Favre would get planted time after time behind that offensive line ... And, that's the problem ... USC doesn't have a quarterback right now with any type of escapability ... Stephen Garcia might have that talent, but that remains to be seen ... I'll tell you this -- I play for the present and not for the future because there is no guarantee any of us are going to see those days, but if Garcia is the difference between winning one or two games down the stretch, then I would play him ... Despite the Vandy loss, Carolina has a ton to play for and if winning any of those games gets USC one win closer to a SEC East Division title or a victory vs. Clemson, then the redshirt year comes off of the Tampa, FL product ... Whatever happened to the Kenny McKinley package we heard about in August? ... Has that been scrapped? ... The best pass by a USC player on Saturday was the punt return lateral by McKinley to Captain Munnerlyn -- tight spiral with a lot of zip on it and a super catch-and-go by Captain ... Speaking of zip, does Smelley have any on the ball? ... He did last month but rumors of a shoulder injury appear to be true.

Catching Woes - Kenny McKinley is a stud and the best playmaker on the field ... The running backs duo of Cory Boyd and Mike Davis do a super job of catching the ball ... Any chance of spreading Boyd out to the slot with Davis as the RB? ... Throw in pass catching tight end Jared Cook, who needs another year in the weight room to shed the 1v1 tackles, and how about one of the freshmen like Chris Culliver or Mark Barnes? ... I like Dion Lecorn's ability to block, but there seems to be some mental issues with him running routes, lining up in the right spot, checking the substitution patterns, etc. -- it's a lot for a true freshman to grasp and might be handled by committee instead of one guy dominating the number of snaps ... Weslye Saunders has a lot of upside, but he dropped another pass that might have been a little low, but one that should have been caught ... Andy Boyd is solid in his production, but I, personally, would rather see him at one of the guard spots -- can't be any worse! ... Fullbacks Patrick DiMarco and Lanard Stafford have proven to be sure handed safety valves on the fullback bubble screen.

SOS Show - I watched this morning ... 18-20 minutes of advertisements, 5-6 minutes of highlights, and 3-4 minutes of commentary by Todd Ellis and Steve Spurrier ... I don't make it a habit to watch this show, but since I was at home I tuned in -- just not too much to learn from those kinds of replays ... Glad to hear USC is mostly healthy at this point of the season ...

Healthy Comments - I was pleased with these postgame comments:

“We have a lot of goals that are still out there, but we have to play a lot better,” -- Steve Spurrier

“I don’t know about anybody else, but it’s pretty embarrassing to me,” McKinley said. “They spoiled our season. We were up to No. 6, ready to get into the top five, and they spoiled it.” -- Kenny McKinley

“That’s the sorriest team in the SEC we lost to,” Cook said. “We should’ve won that game.” -- Emanuel Cook

Booing - If you are at the game, spend your money, and cheer when the Gamecocks do good, then by the same token those people are entitled to doing a 180 when things go poorly ... If that is booing, then so be it -- sticks and stones ... I didn't boo yesterday and didn't even really hear any of it because I had my headphones on ... But, when the play on the field, court, pitch, diamond, etc., reflects a lackadaisical approach, no enthusiasm, and general "I don't care" attitude then I say let them have it ... These aren't kids, conversely to what Todd Ellis commented about several times during the game ... These are young men that are receiving a college education based on their merits of providing their football (or other sport) talents and for those well paid coaches to garner wins -- it's that simple! ... You can graduate players, run a clean program, blah-blah-blah, but come Saturday the only thing that matters is wins and losses ... To be honest, I took it as a jilt to the South Carolina fans that traveled to Chapel Hill when the final horn sounded that the Gamecocks' players just ran to the locker room and didn't even acknowledge the USC supporters -- I know they were disappointed with the final 15 minutes, but a road win is a road win! ... I guess it works both ways.

SEC East Division - Wide open and going down to the wire ... This week I'll pull for the Gamecocks at Tennessee and for Georgia to knock off Florida in Jacksonville ... It's amazing how week to week I find myself changing allegiances, but whatever helps Carolina is what I'm going to do -- that being said, USC needs to only worry about themselves and their business (I think the coaches and players got a little ahead of themselves last week).

#15 SC 3-2, 6-2, @ UT, @ AR, UF
#9 UF 3-2, 5-2, vs. GA, VU, @ SC
#20 GA 3-2, 5-2, vs. UF, AU, UK
#14 UK 2-2, 6-2, MS, @ VU, @ GA, UT
UT 2-2, 4-3, SC, AR, VU, @ UK
VU 2-3, 4-3, @ UF, UK, @ UT

scoUTing the Vols - Do not underestimate the Volunteers this week ... Not only does UT have history on its side (20-3-2 vs. South Carolina and 13-2 since 1992), but the Vols have played a very difficult schedule thus far with a 1-3 mark vs. ranked teams ... Coach Phil Fulmer's squad is undefeated at 3-0 in Knoxville and the per game home average scores tally out to a 41-20 (+21) UT advantage compared to a 25-42 (-17) road deficit ... For you bettors out there, USC is 7-8 vs. the spread against UT but is a more encouraging 5-2 in Knoxville, including four of five covers as road underdogs ... Carolina has covered the spread just twice ('92 & '96) at Williams-Brice Stadium vs. the Vols since joining the SEC in 1992.

QB Erik Ainge (66%, 1,797 YDS, 13 TD, 4 INT)
RB Arian Foster (625 YDS, 5.7 AVG, 8 TD
RB Montario Hardesty (184 YDS, 4.5 AVG, 2 TD)
WR Lucas Tayor (43 REC, 633 YDS, 14.7 AVG, 3 TD)
WR Austin Rogers (32 REC, 392 YDS, 12.3 AVG, 1 TD)
TE Chris Brown (26 REC, 195 YDS, 7.7 AVG, 5 TD)

A glance at those numbers along with Carolina's poor offense right now tells me to pick the Vols ... My prediction, Tennessee 20-16 Carolina ... GO COCKS, see y'all in Knoxville!

Week 8 vs. Vanderbilt ...

2007-10-15T16:08:00.001-04:00

Chapel Hill Bound - KCock93 and I decided to take the "scenic" route to Chapel Hill based on the advice of several Gamecock message board members who indicated that the traffic in Charlotte would be unbearable on Friday afternoon ... I'll be honest, in 36 years of living in the Palmetto State, I had never traveled the Highway 1 route from Camden to North Carolina ... It certainly gave new meaning to the town names of Cassat, Bethune, McBee, Patrick -- home of the "Pinestraw Festival", Cheraw, and Wallace -- pretty area of South Carolina during the fall ... Just past Rockingham, N.C., home of NASCAR's old speedway, "The Rock", we lost daylight so the scenic part of the trip was over for us ... It seemed that we took the road less traveled as the only Gamecock fans we saw en route to the "Old North State" was a van of USC fans in Cheraw ... There really wasn't much in terms of people or sights along the way, but Southern Pines looked to be a nice area ... We picked up 15/501 in Sanford and after rolling through Asbury, Pittsboro, and Bynum we reached the Holiday Inn on Fordham Blvd., in Chapel Hill at 8:15 p.m. -- just under a four hour drive ... We didn't see more than a handful of cars the entire way waving flags in support of the Tar Heels or Gamecocks (different culture indeed).

Friday Night - We downed a couple of Natural Light's at the hotel while putting our stuff away and caught a cab to Franklin Street where we checked out the Carolina Brewery ... I tried the local Flagship IPA and it was excellent -- in fact, it won the 2006 Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the English style IPA category -- I certainly understand why as it was smooth and full of hops ... The place was packed and the bar is located on the bottom floor with some available seating, but most of the dinner crowd was seated upstairs ... I ran into the Haney Boys (no, they are not related) Michael (WIS Radio AM-1320 / GamecockCentral.com) and Travis (USC beat writer for the Charleston Post and Courier) and chatted with them briefly before being seated ... While hanging out at the bar for 10-15 minutes I talked with a couple of UNC fans -- one from Charleston and one whose entire family had attended USC, but he is currently in law school at Chapel Hill ... They didn't seem as interested in the football game as they were in the opening men's basketball practice that was being held just across campus ... Don't get me wrong, they want UNC to win in football, but they definitely want the Tar Heels to do nothing worse than a National Championship or at least the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in basketball ... They seemed to realize that North Carolina was a couple of years away with Butch Davis in charge of winning week-in and week-out on the gridiron and seemed pretty content as long as UNC competed this fall ... One thing we noticed was the lack of Carolina Blue in the establishment -- if this were in Athens, Knoxville, or Oxford, you wouldn't see anything other than the school's colors on display -- not so at UNC as it appeared to be a laissez faire attitude towards the game ... When we got seated I ordered the fish and chips -- it was great ... The fish was golden fried after being dipped in a Coppertine Amber Ale batter and it was a plate full along with coleslaw and fries ... KC93 ordered a half rack of brewhouse ribs and the tangy barbeque sauce made him wishing he had ordered the full rack ... After about two hours we headed up the street and dropped by a couple of places -- some sports bar that had some very drunk South Carolina fans at the bar and Budweiser girls taking pictures with everyone who would actually pay to do so (are you serious?) ... We stayed for a couple of beers before moseying up to a Buffalo Wild Wing joint that was crammed on a Karaoke night -- yikes! ... After several Blue Moon's and literally jawdropping laughter moments at the expense of such fools that had the nerve to take the mic, we called it a night and headed back to the hotel ... I know we didn't make it up the street to some of the more popular places, but I wouldn't rate Franklin Street in my top five of nightlife settings.

Saturday A.M. - We got up and drove down to the UNC campus to get our bearings for the day and one thing I noticed immediately was how much Chapel Hill had grown since my other two football visits in 1989 and 1991 ... The campus hasn’t grown in width, but in height as just about every foot of the campus is covered with a building … Kenan Stadium is surrounded by a medical wing (UNC Hospitals) and there are parking decks galore that encompass that side of the campus -- not much room to just stretch out and tailgate ... After driving around we stumbled upon the Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen on East Franklin Street ... We wouldn't have noticed the place except for the fact that there was a line of cars pulled over to the side waiting at this drive-through ... It took us about 10 minutes to go through and order and by the time we did the line behind us was three times as long ... What a choice! ... The chicken biscuits were huge and couldn't have been any better ... Back to the hotel for showers and to get our gear for the day.

Tailgating, Chapel Hill Style - We arrived at our parking spot in the Cardinal Parking Deck around 11:30 a.m. … The weather was superb (blue sky, full sun, and a nice breeze on the top floor) … Upon parking we remembered that we did a similar thing back in ’91 for the football game at UNC … There were plenty of Gamecock fans bustling about and when a North Carolina fan and his Carolina Blue entourage arrived they wondered aloud if they had taken a wrong turn and driven to Columbia, S.C., instead … I told them that there would be plenty of USC fans out and about and asked them where the UNC faithful were at 3 ½ hours before game time … His response was that they would be here by game time and pretty much left it at that -- interesting! … Chapel Hill is a nice place, but their football 'enthusiasm' leaves a lot to be desired … A very laissez faire attitude for the Tar Heels fans when it comes to the pigskin … We met a really nice family, the Johnson’s, from Wilson, N.C. … The father, Clay Johnson, played baseball for the Tar Heels in the mid-1970s and was a roommate of current UNC baseball coach Mike Fox … His son, Bennett Johnson, set all types of football records at Beddingfield HS last year by throwing for almost 4,000 yards his senior season … We saw him throwing the football and he has really good form and put a lot of zip on the ball … Unfortunately for Bennett he’s listed at 6-0, 190 pounds and he hardly got recruited as a quarterback … Google his name if you want some information on him, but after trying out at Guilford College this past year he has turned his hopes of walking on at East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, etc., in the future … For anyone familiar with Richard Mounce at Blythewood HS, it’s a similar story -- not tall enough for D-1A offers … The Johnson’s (along with Bennett’s brother and a friend of his now at Appalachian State) invited us to eat with them and their grilled chicken wings were outstanding … The Johnson Family was excited about seeing a SEC team and commented that they watch games like Auburn/Vanderbilt over games like Duke/Virginia every weekend … They were totally awed by the likes of Florida and LSU, etc. … Said they couldn't wait to get to Columbia for a game -- this was a football family more so than basketball … We had to go pick up our tickets from Manning’s own G.G. and met him down the street where he swapped his lower deck Section 101 tickets for the upper deck seats to sit with his family -- thanks! … Back at the tailgate were a couple more beers, a trip to the Port-A-John six levels below, and the 10 minute walk to the stadium.

Game Thoughts - At 21-3, I thought my "sucker bet" was a lock … Oops! … I wasn't terribly disappointed with the game (heck, USC led 21-3 after three quarters), but as I stated when the Gamecocks knocked down that final pass -- I would rather win ugly than lose pretty … I don't understand why Coach Spurrier got away from the run in the third quarter … Cory Boyd rips off back-to-back 9 yard runs and then its three straight incompletions and all down hill offensively from that point on … Two of the best kickers in the country both miss on Saturday, albeit from long range ? strange … Any word from the USC camp about the number of players making a mad dash to the locker room during the second half? … I bet 8-10 players sprinted back to the dressing room and then reappeared moments later -- wonder if there was a stomach bug or such going around? … I thought Cory Boyd ran as well as he has all year … Who didn’t know that Mike Davis would cough up the ball this past Saturday after The State focused on this point last week -- he still ran hard to the tune of a 5.6 average … Chris Smelley continues to impress me and 17 of 26 I’ll take every time out … His three touchdown strikes were all highlight reel material … What a catch by Kenny McKinley -- he had that UNC defensive back hook, line, and sinker … Smelley spread the ball around well with eight catches by wide receivers, four by tight ends (Weslye Saunders needs some stick ‘em), and five to the backs … Ladi Ajiboye might be the #1 player from last year’s recruiting class … Emanuel Cook is a stud (2 INTs, 9 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 SACK) … It’s only a matter of time before Captain Munnerlyn takes one all the way back and he chipped in seven stops … Eric Norwood was steady once again, but I felt like Casper Brinkley was missing in action at times … Cody Wells meet Brandon Tate! … Darian Stewart made another pick and caused a fumble … Mike West saw significant playing time in the fourth quarter and UNC scored 12 of their 15 points -- go figure … How did USC not recover one of those North Carolina fumbles? … I like Addison Williams and think he’s going to be a good one at USC, but if he’s 5-9, 170 then I’m 6-2, 250 (and I’m nowhere close to those numbers) … Jared Cook got rooked on the roughing the punter call -- that should have been running into the punter at worst and the punter should be awarded an Emmy Award for that acting job … UNC’s Hakeem Nicks is going to be outstanding … Good seeing Kevin M., David F., Ben C., Kirk H., Bill M., Alex C., Scott B., and most of the Ultimate Tailgaters at Kenan Stadium … We sat behind former USC baseball player Mark Stanley’s parents and Mrs. Stanley it’s alright to breathe now -- she was very nervous the final five minutes :-).

Postgame - We hung around the parking deck to watch the second and third overtime periods of the Kentucky/LSU game on a Gamecock fans satellite dish and most of the USC fans were happy that LSU took one on the chin … Anyone hear the UNC radio show after the game … That one guy, Deems May just railed on and on about Steve Spurrier … He was a member of the Tar Heels team that got whipped 41-0 that Saturday in 1989 when Duke won the ACC … You would think someone that played in the NFL for eight years could “let it go” … Talk about a bitter guy … Also, Woody Durham is awful on the football broadcast … Maybe he's good at basketball, but he's either too old or just uninformed when it comes to the gridiron -- he wouldn't last a week in a radio booth in the SEC (well, maybe 1-2 of them) … We made it back to the hotel around 9 o’clock and headed over to the bar/restaurant next door, “Time Out” … We sat at the bar and enjoyed a couple of delicious ribeye steaks and plenty of brews … Ran into a guy I used to see all the time at Cayce’s D’s Wings so ‘hello’ if you are reading this … Sat by a mother and her two daughters from Newberry who were in town for the game -- apparently one of the daughters is a Clemson fan and one a USC fan (who is a Golden Spur member) … Said they didn’t have UNC tickets until the week of the game due to the Gamecock Club points system -- miraculously the ticket office found four this week and contacted her (I’m sure “Mr. BigAl” on the Message Boards will enjoy this comment :-) … We cashed in around 1 a.m., with a win in hand and a quick analysis of the SEC showing that South Carolina is in pretty good shape.

Sunday Trip - We left Chapel Hill at 9:30 a.m., and arrived in Cayce at 1:20 p.m. via I-85 to I-77 … We picked up two papers, The Herald-Sun of Durham and the News & Record of Greensboro -- boy, what whopping coverage! … Two articles on the game in those rags -- it’s just not as important north of the border and the print journalism proves that point … Traffic going north on I-77 was full of NASCAR folks driving back from Concord and I was glad not to be in the middle of that mess … Lots of Gamecock fans on the road and we even signaled to a couple of Virginia Tech carloads who had polished off Duke earlier on Saturday in Durham.

Where We Are - I expected South Carolina to be 6-1 at this point of the season … So far, so good … Hopefully the second half of the North Carolina game will serve as a wake up call for the Gamecocks to go ahead and kill a game off when they have the chance … Vanderbilt should be the only focus this week for USC and its fans -- it’s just as important as the final third of the schedule … The theme of “win and move on” is a perfect moniker for the free-for-all that is college football this fall.

Cool to be a Gamecock - What do Ric Flair, Pearl Fryar, Elliott Sadler, Montgomery & Gentry, other NASCAR folks, Lou Holtz, former USC football players on the sideline, Mark Packer etc., all have in common? … It’s the fact that Steve Spurrier has made it cool to be a Gamecock these days … In fact, it’s fun! … Folks, this is important and is a fundamental part of the “culture change” USC is experiencing under this regime … Don’t think that this notion is lost on others … One of the comments made by a Tar Heels fan over the weekend is that a South Carolina win would enhance the Gamecocks’ recruiting efforts in North Carolina and that Spurrier would have the pick of the litter until UNC or N.C. State could shore up their end of the bargain in this brief series from 2007-10 … All of these ‘celebrities’ are finding out what most of us have known all along -- it’s cool to be Cocky!

OL Limbo - One question I have through seven games is about offensive line coach John Hunt … The first two years I thought he made chicken salad out of chicken shoo-shoo … This year, though, the musical chairs on the offensive line's interior is getting ridiculous … Why not move Andy Boyd inside to guard? … With the development of Jared Cook and Weslye Saunders it seems that he could be moved -- those guys have to concentrate more on their blocking, but it's adequate as is … I really thought Garrett Anderson should have redshirted this year after playing as a true freshman ? maybe that’s a possibility for next year? … The OL is not a spot where 17-18-19 year olds can just step in and play -- it takes time to gel and this unit has looked like watered down Jello this year with all the movement … A buddy of mine kept my text message and voicemail busy during the game as he said that Justin Sorensen could have a side job as a matador in Spain with all of the O-lays.

UNC Rivalry - I'm all for playing teams from the ACC and other BCS conferences, but Saturday proved to me that UNC has everything to gain and South Carolina not so much … It's true! ... Maybe the roles would be reversed when it comes to basketball, but this situation helps the Tar Heels, N.C. State, etc., more than it does South Carolina … USC is now on par with the Georgias, Tennessees, Floridas, etc., when it comes to college football and others recognize this -- maybe the South Carolina fans might want to look at it from that point of view when they start doubting the Gamecocks program.

ACC - Since joining the Southeastern Conference for football in 1992, South Carolina owns a 7-12 record vs. ACC teams: 5-10 vs. Clemson; 1-0 vs. North Carolina; 0-1 vs. N.C. State; and 1-1 vs. Virginia.

Big Names, Big Wins ? USC is 8-0 vs. non-conference foes the past two years with one remaining vs. Clemson and a bowl game … South Carolina is bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season -- first time that has happened since 1987-90 … Dating back to last year the Gamecocks are 9-1 in their past 10 games … Carolina is averaging scores of 17.7-18.3 in road games this fall and 35.5-15.3 at Williams-Brice Stadium … USC has won three games in a row twice this year -- the last time that happened was in 2000 when South Carolina opened 7-1 … Steve Spurrier is 21-11 (.656) overall and 11-9 in the SEC since joining South Carolina … Take a look at the company USC is in right now:

2005-present SEC Records
16-4 Auburn, Louisiana State
14-6 Florida
13-8 Georgia
11-9 Alabama, South Carolina
10-9 Tennessee
-----------------------
9-10 Arkansas
8-11 Kentucky
5-15 Vanderbilt
3-17 Mississippi, Mississippi State

Vanderbilt - What is the over/under in terms of callers/posters before someone brings up how good of a football coach Bobby Johnson is at Vanderbilt … The Dores lived up to their moniker of "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" once again this past Saturday vs. Georgia … Seems to be some bad blood between Vandy and UGA after the Dawgs tap-danced on the Vanderbilt logo at midfield following the winning kick … The fact is that Johnson is 18-46 (.281) in Nashville, which is about on par with other recent Vandy coaches: Woody Widenhofer (1997-2001) = 15-40, .273; Rod Dowhower (1995-96) = 4-18, .182; Gerry DiNardo (1991-94) = 19-25, .432; Watson Brown (1986-90) = 10-45, .182; and George MacIntyre (1979-85) = 25-52-1, .327 … There is a reason that Furman endured their only two losing seasons since 1980 with BJ at the helm of the Paladins program … All I have to say about Vandy is mark up on Earl Bennett like Peanuts’ Linus and his blanket … I like South Carolina to win 35-17!

Did He Say That? - For those of you that listen to AM-1400 in Columbia or on the internet, did anyone else hear The State sports columnist Ron Morris on Monday state that “Gyrations - i like all the gyrations on the sideline” in reference to the number of coaches and players it takes to signal in the plays … I don’t know about anyone else, but that’s a strange comment for a man to make about other men.

This post was edited on 10/15 4:07 PM by Kubby

2007-10-09T14:09:00.000-04:00

No rehash – By now I am sure everyone has dissected the Kentucky/USC game ad nauseum, so I won’t go into great detail … However, the Gamecocks really pulled together a complete effort from all phases of the game against a good opponent and the great thing is – there is still room for improvement … If this team stays true to form by improving on a weekly basis, then that bodes well for all Gamecock fans! … P.S. – It was nice to follow up a huge ESPN game with seemingly no altercations or incidents on what resulted into an open weekend for USC Football – good job guys!

Traffic Part 1 – Awful! … We left Cayce at 3:45 p.m. – 4 hours prior to kickoff – and arrived at our Farmer’s Market parking spot two hours later! … The bumper to bumper traffic from the old Granby neighborhood and through Olympia was pitiful and the Columbia police and S.C. Highway Patrol did nothing to help matters … Also, eliminate trains from crossing these corridors prior to game time.

Traffic Part 2 – It was about as bad after the game as it was prior to the game … We waited until 1 o’clock in the morning before making the five minute trek back to the house and if not for a stroke of luck that a gate was open on Bluff Road to the Williams-Brice Stadium parking lot near the Cockabooses, then we would have had to repeat our two hour drive by going all the way down to I-77 – Bluff Road was packed! … Still, it took us more than a half hour getting home – I don’t know what has changed this year, but it’s not good!

Lofty Rankings – USC is ranked #7 in the country -- are they that good? ... After Saturday, why not? ... You could throw 10-15 teams in a hat and draw to see who is better on that day ... In the Massey Ratings, South Carolina is rated #6 in the country and has faced the nation's 12th toughest schedule ... SEC power ratings by Kenneth Massey: #1 LSU; #6 South Carolina; #12 Auburn; #15 Florida; #17 Kentucky; #20 Miss. State; #32 Tennessee; #34 Georgia; #44 Alabama; #62 Vanderbilt; #84 Arkansas; and #96 Ole Miss.

Gut-Check Saturday – How many of you heard that cliché 100 times on Saturday … Oh well, what a weekend to sit back and watch college football:

The LSU/Florida 4th quarter was unbelievable ... Can you rank these teams #1 and #1A? ...

UT thrashed Georgia ... Matthew Stafford has cement shoes -- he doesn't need to go swimming anytime soon ... To play quarterback in the SEC you better be able to move at least a little and he can't ... Throw in his erratic arm and that's a recipe for disaster -- which Georgia found out on Saturday in Knoxville ... UGA has now lost six consecutive games vs. SEC East Division foes dating back to last year …

Bobby Johnson's Vanderbilt squad is pathetic and Auburn proved that on Saturday (I don't want to hear anymore talk about how good of a coach he is) ...

North Carolina beat an awful quarterbacked Miami team (Kyle Wright), but the Tar Heels have a very good placekicker ...

Maryland nipped Georgia Tech to send the Clemson faithful into more of a free fall ...

llinois upset Wisconsin -- win one for the Zooker ... The Illini have some very promising youngsters in QB Juice Williams and RB Rashard Mendenhall ...

Florida State downed N.C. State ... Xavier Lee is an upgrade from Drew Weatherford at QB for the Seminoles, but not good enough to win the ACC ...

And, Virginia Tech blew the doors off of Clemson -- I had to adjust the color on my TV set to make sure I was viewing ALL PURPLE uniforms (it looked like a Crayola box had exploded on the screen) ... Was it as bad in person as it was on the television? ... The Tigers are not a good football team right now and haven't been for some number of years despite the upstate "spin" constantly spewed on sports radio talk shows and CU-propaganda websites ... I said before the season that Clemson looked like an 8-4 team this fall ... I'm sticking by that prediction, but don't think the Tigers will reach that number ... I knew the Tech teams (Georgia & Virginia) would beat them and have a pretty good feeling that Maryland (Ralph Friedgen) and South Carolina (Steve Spurrier) will beat them ... Wake Forest (Jim Grobe) might beat Clemson and Duke has a pretty good shot as well ... Heck, Central Michigan might give the Tigers a run for the money in two weeks ... CU is 5-6 since starting 7-1 last year ... The Tigers' last 10 losses are games in which Clemson was favored ... I felt like the hiring of Andrew Powell and Chris Rumph were totally hollow -- I knew both when I worked at USC and though I like those guys, I don't think very much of them as coaches ... David Blackwell seems to still be ticked off for not being named defensive coordinator … Rob Spence has turned into a “Looney Toon” instead of the “Mad Scientist” … According to the Massey Ratings, Clemson is rated 37th in the country has faced the nation's 44th toughest schedule ... Look at these numbers for Tommy Bowden vs. the ACC:

22-7 vs. TAR HEEL STATE
6-1 vs. Duke
6-2 vs. Wake Forest
5-1 vs. North Carolina
5-3 vs. N.C. State
----------------------------------
16-24 vs. THE REST OF THE ACC
4-4 vs. Maryland
3-3 vs. Virginia
1-1 vs. Miami
4-5 vs. Florida State
4-5 vs. Georgia Tech
0-2 vs. Boston College
0-4 vs. Virginia Tech

Carolina Blues – I hate North Carolina ... I hate N.C. State more, but I hate UNC ... With the Tar Heels you have the folks who think they are the aristocracy of collegiate athletics – with the Wolfpack you just have an enormous amount of rednecks ... I've made football trips with the Gamecocks in 1988 and 1991 to Chapel Hill and I'm looking forward to Coach Spurrier hanging half a hundred on the Blue Bellies this weekend in Chapel Hole ... I watched basically the entire UNC/Miami game and it couldn't have been any easier for North Carolina as the Hurricanes slept-walk through the first half ... Spurrier won't allow his troops to do that on Saturday and the 3:30 start time is perfect ... The Head Ball Coach knows how to play his opponents and the polls and you can bet that an emphasized ground game will be in tune (come on John Hunt, get that OL working) -- I look for South Carolina to play its best game of the year on Saturday! ... Carolina rolls this weekend in Chapel Hill -- SOUTH CAROLINA that is, 41-13 (sucker bet of the week is for the Gamecocks to cover 6.5 points).

Last Trip to UNC - I remember that '91 game at Chapel Hill ... USC had won three straight vs. the Tar Heels and Mack Brown finally got his revenge that season ... Natrone Means was the hero for UNC with a TD and a long run that setup the go ahead score ... Bobby Fuller, an underrated QB for South Carolina, was beat up all day -- I think he was sacked 7-8 times and Tommy Thigpen had a big game ... I remember Art Wilkins called an off tackle play on 4th-and-1 for Rob DeBoer instead of Brandon Bennett that cost USC a lot of momentum ... I believe UNC wound up 7-4 and that began North Carolina's good run in the 1990s.

Nice Praise - SEC schools are 29-4 in non-conference games, the best winning percentage (87.9%) in the country ... The Big 10 is second at 80.6% (29-7) … Lots of praise from Butch Davis to refer to South Carolina's defense as resembling those from his Miami days – "as talented and as fast as anyone I have ever seen."

Smilin’ on the Gamecocks – Remember when Steve Spurrier said that God was smiling on the Gamecocks? … Check out the photos from the gallery - http://public.fotki.com/Kubby/kubbys-world/south-carolina-vs-uk/

M-Soccer – Congrats to the Gamecocks men's soccer team who downed Florida International 3-1 on Sunday in Miami ... The win was the fourth straight for #25 USC and improves South Carolina to 8-3 on the year.

Cubs Crushed – My beloved Cubs bowed out of the NLDS unceremoniously Saturday afternoon ... Batting .194 as a team will do that to you! ... I have zero interest in the NLCS between Arizona and Colorado -- yuck!

Week 6 vs. Kentucky

2007-10-01T16:12:00.000-04:00

Taxing Week – Being a Cubs fan was tough last week … After returning from a weekend in New Orleans the last thing I needed were sleepless nights worrying about if Chicago was going to win the National League Central Division … But, in true blue form, the Cubs made its fans sweat it out until late Friday night when Chicago routed Cincinnati and San Diego downed Milwaukee to wrap it up … During my lifetime that makes it East Division champions in 1984 and 1989, Central Division titles in 2003 and 2007, and a Wild Card berth in 1998 … Now, onto the desert to face the National League’s winningest team, Arizona … GO CUBS GO!

Pregame – Let me first state that I cannot stand kickoff times earlier than 3:30 … As you can imagine, I detest 12:30 start times … We made the quick trek from Cayce to the Farmers Market at 9 a.m., and were comfortably parked and tailgating with an assortment of Hardee’s biscuits by 9:15 … We were one of the first arrivals at the watermelon shed and the traffic really didn’t pick up until around mid-morning … Even then, there were a lot of empty spaces and we figured that would be reflected with the actual crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium … It was nice tailgating with Big Al (who arrived hopping mad due to sitting in traffic for a good while), Sonny, and the rest of the gang, which included some friends of mine from Anderson (the Smith’s) that were in town to work the game for television … Al brought the boiled peanuts and the cold Natural Lights went down easy … Also good to see the Dunlap clan! … On the way to the stadium there were a lot of ticket scalpers trying to get anything they could for this SEC contest.

Weather & Stadium – You couldn’t have ordered better weather for a Saturday in late September … A sun-splashed blue sky presence in the Capital City … Game time temperature was 78 degrees and though it got a little hot during this long game (3 hours, 29 minutes), there was an intermittent breeze throughout the contest ... The field seems to be in great condition and looked spectacular on Saturday – good job by the grounds crew … But, the Carolina fans performance was about like the team’s for 2 ½ quarters – lethargic and very little enthusiasm … Why add seats to The W-B if you aren’t going to fill up what you already have?

First Half – It could not have started any better for South Carolina as Chris Culliver bobbled the opening kickoff and then raced 30 yards where USC’s offense then marched 69 yards in 12 plays that was a nice mix of the run and pass … Mike Davis tallied the first of his three scores on the day and it looked like the Gamecocks were going to cover the 14 point spread in the first stanza … However, Mississippi State had other ideas as quarterback Josh Riddell came out throwing and caught USC off balance to actually move the ball without using bruising running back Anthony Dixon … Carolina adjusted and forced the Bulldogs to punt, but USC couldn’t do anything with it on the next possession and MSU took over on a short field due to a terrible punt by Ryan Succop – don’t roll out anymore (just punt the thing normally) … Riddell hooked up with Aubrey Bell on a 28 yard pass that evened the score at 7-7 … USC moved the ball once again on the next offensive set and got down inside the 20 yard line, but one of Smelley’s poorer decisions was collected by MSU standout Derek Pegues for a pick in the end zone – nice tackle by big Jamon Meredith … Emanuel Cook came up with a huge third down sack of Riddell and when South Carolina got the ball back Smelley hooked up with Lanard Stafford (3 yards), Jared Cook (22 yards), and Kenny McKinley (20 yards) to push the lead to 14-7 … What a catch, cut, and score by McKinley! … The next MSU possession netted only 18 yards and included a rare personal foul called on Rodney Paulk and then on the ensuing punt return that Captain took to the house, Carlos Thomas was whistled for a holding call … Very interesting … USC went three and out and Miss. State took over with 9:20 remaining in the first half – seven minutes later it was 14-14 as the Bulldogs ripped off 14 plays for 62 yards that was capped off by Dixon’s one yard rush … Carolina ran the two minute offense and moved the ball from its own 18 yard line to the Bulldogs’ 28 yard line where Ryan Succop knocked home a 45 yard field goal to give the Gamecocks a 17-14 lead at intermission … But, during that series, USC fans witnessed two consecutive incompletions and back-to-back false starts by Justin Sorensen and James Thompson before calling a timeout facing 3^rd and 20 from the MSU 44 yard line … Smelley’s six yard pass was caught by J. Cook, who then tossed the ball to an on-rushing Cory Boyd, who covered another 10 yards to get USC into field goal range … One question on the field goal – why not run the game clock down to 2-3 seconds instead of 7 left in the half – that would have eliminated having to kickoff just before the half.

Halftime – Looked like the USC band members were sweating it out with those heavy uniforms … Is it just me or does the band look uncomfortable in those outfits? … When it’s sunny and hot the last thing I want to do is dress in dark colors and the black/red (it’s not garnet) outfits look absolutely hot! … What’s with the plumes sticking off the top of the headwear? … Personally, I’d just rather see a baseball cap and T-Shirts – like Miss. State’s pep band displayed … By the way, was that a guy carrying a flag during the halftime presentation?

Second Half – I asked last week where Mike West had been this season and after viewing the participation charts realized he had only played 12 snaps all year entering the MSU game … Well, West made his presence known on the opening kickoff as he made a solid head first tackle on Justin Williams and the Bulldogs were whistled for an illegal block that required Miss. State to start their first possession of the second half at their own nine yard line … When USC pins an opponent down inside the 10 yard line it always seems that the Gamecocks immediately allows their foe to make decent yardage and sure enough it happened again as Dixon rumbled for 11 yards … But, the Carolina defense stiffened and USC took over at their own 27 yard line … Smelley couldn’t do anything with the next three plays as MSU’s Titus Brown just blew by Sorensen on consecutive plays after Culliver was stopped behind the line on first down … Succop’s punt traveled just 31 yards and was fielded by Pegues in Carolina territory … Five rushes and 48 yards later it was 21-17 MSU on the ground game of Dixon and Christian Ducre … Culliver returned the kickoff to midfield and it looked like USC had something cooking when Davis picked up a first down on a 4^th and 1 at the 41 yard line … However, the drive stalled and after contemplating going for it on 4^th and 3, USC decided to attempt a 50 yard field goal, which Succop missed wide left … The Gamecocks, desperately needing a stop defensively, got what they needed when Casper Brinkley tallied a tackle for loss and Chris Hampton nailed Ducre in the backfield to force a punt … That setup the play of the game as Eric Norwood blocked a punt for the second straight game (Cliff Matthews vs. LSU) and the first time that I can remember of one going USC’s way since Derek Watson blocked two in the first quarter at Florida … From 27 yards out Coach Steve Spurrier called for the death nail and Smelley delivered it inside the five yard line where McKinley caught it and found the end zone … The momentum totally shifted with those two plays and the Carolina fans chanted its first rendition of “Game-Cocks” late in the third quarter … A possession later and the tandem of Smelley/McKinley connected again for 48 yards to setup Davis’ 2 yard plunge and the game was well in hand … The nail in the coffin was hammered down by E. Cook at the 11-minute mark of the fourth quarter when he drilled Dixon on 4^th and 1 after MSU decided to toss sweep instead of rushing up the middle … USC sputtered on the next two offensive sets, but with the point spread in sight, Spurrier sent Boyd and Davis out to end the game and the duo combined for 48 yards to cover the 14 points … Norwood closed out the game with a sack that sent Carolina to a 4-1 record and 2-1 mark in SEC play.

Officiating – Lots of yellow hankies tossed about on the green pitch of Williams-Brice Stadium … Poor game by field judge C. Showalter … Captain Munnerlyn was flagged for “chicken fighting” near the South end zone and that cost USC a nine yard tackle for loss by Stoney Woodson, who read the halfback pass to perfection on third down and eight at the 11 yard line … 20 penalties in the contest illustrates the sloppiness and choppiness of the flow of the game … The actual catch and the replays show me that Weslye Saunders caught the ball – was it really that much evidence to over turn that call? … I don’t know what can be done, but the SEC officiating has been subpar this season.

Notes – South Carolina completed a sweep of the Bulldogs this fall with wins vs.

Georgia

, S.C. State, and Miss. State … I loved MSU’s all white uniform – sharp! … The Gamecocks’ victory snapped a four game home SEC losing streak as Carolina was winless in Columbia last year … USC’s last two losses have come at the hands of the 2006 National Champion Florida Gators and the current #1 ranked LSU Tigers – they’ll meet this weekend in Baton Rouge … Carolina has won seven of its past eight games overall and four consecutive at Williams-Brice Stadium … USC has outscored the opposition 40-6 in the final quarter (a testament to the conditioning of Coach Mark Smith) … In fact, South Carolina has almost tripled its foes scoring output in the second half, 64-23 … The Gamecocks have converted 18 of 20 red zone drives (90%) and have scored touchdowns 14 times (70%) … The opposition have recorded totals of 10 of 13 (77%) and 7 of 13 (54%), respectively … USC has converted 29 of 69 (42%) third downs and limited opponents to 19 of 74 (26%) … Carolina has fumbled 10 times and lost three while its foes have fumbled six times and lost one – that has to improve! … USC has thrown eight interceptions and Carolina has tallied six picks … The two headed monster known as Boyd Davs (Cory & Mike) have combined for 130 carries, 551 yards (4.2 average), and eight scores – that’s a pace of 1,102 yards over the course of 10 games! … Not to mention their pass catching prowess which totals 28 catches, 279 yards, and a score … Chris Smelley showed a ton of poise and nifty footwork in the pocket on Saturday … He also seems to throw to the spot rather than to the receiver and that is something Spurrier’s system emphasizes … Kenny McKinley is a stud – has been for three years now – and is duly getting the recognition he deserves … Jared Cook, who Spurrier commented needs to get better in the blocking game, has hauled in 10 passes for a whopping 165 yards and Freddie Brown looked comfortable in the passing game – nice targets! … Dion Lecorn got a lot of plays, but not much action his way … Still would like to see more of Mark Barnes … Nice to see Seaver Brown and James Thompson contribute nicely in the middle of the offensive line … Looks like the return unit of Captain Munnerlyn and Chris Culliver will be fixtures at USC for the immediate future and they are fun to watch … Ryan Succop, my vote for MVP through five games, has knocked home all 15 PATs and is 6 of 8 on field goals (misses from 47 and 50 yards) … In addition, he is averaging 41 yards per punt and downed five inside of the 20 yard line … On kickoffs the junior has notched eight touchbacks and averaged opponent returns to the 25 yard line … I felt like Eric Norwood and Emanuel Cook were the defensive stars vs. Miss. State and it’s not a coincidence that they lead the team in tackles with 30 and 28, respectively … Ladi Ajiboye turned in a spirited performance at tackle and Marvin Sapp and Rodney Paulk chipped in nicely to fill the shoes of Jasper Brinkley … I’m still waiting to see Marque Hall do something on a consistent basis as it looks to me that he is getting tied up an awfully lot … I thought Gerrod Sinclair played well in limited snaps as did Jonathan Williams … How about Ranzino Valentine coming up with the blocked kick – pick it up and score next time RZ.

Kentucky – The Gamecocks lead the overall series with Kentucky 11-6-1 and own a 10-5 mark vs. the Wildcats since joining the SEC in 1992 … USC has won seven straight games in the series and is 4-3-1 at Williams-Brice Stadium vs. the Wildcats, including three straight victories for Carolina … Steve Spurrier is 14-0 in his career vs. UK … Since 1992, the Gamecocks and Wildcats have averaged scores of 29.7-21.9 in Columbia – a difference of 7.8 points per game compared to 19.6-15.3 in Lexington – a difference of 4.3 points per outing … UK is 3-8 since 2005 in SEC road games or contests vs. BCS opponents – the wins came against Arkansas, Miss. State, and Vanderbilt … Kentucky has won 10 of its last 11 games … My prediction for Thursday night is South Carolina 30-20.

2007 (1-0)
@ Arkansas, 42-29 W

2006 (1-4)
@ Tennessee, 12-17 L
@ Miss. State, 34-31 W
@ LSU, 0-49 L
@ Florida, 7-26 L
@ Louisville, 28-59 L

2005 (1-4)
@ Georgia, 13-45 L
@ Vanderbilt, 48-43 W
@ Ole Miss, 7-13 L
@ South Carolina, 16-44 L
@ Indiana, 14-38 L

Career Numbers vs. South Carolina:

Andre Woodson
2006, 18 CMP, 31 ATT, 289 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
2005, 11 CMP, 17 ATT, 90 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT
2004, 4 CMP, 5 ATT, 22 YDS

Rafael Little
2006, 13 ATT, 50 YDS
2005, 28 ATT, 120 YDS, 1 TD

Keenan Burton
2006, 3 REC, 63 YDS

Big Thursday night for defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix - Since 2006 USC is:

2-2 when allowing 250 rushing yards
2-2 when allowing 250 passing yards
8-2 in all other games when ‘250’ was not reached. The two losses were to Georgia and Auburn in 2006.

2007

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (28-14 W)
Rushing - 47 ATT, 252 YDS, 2 TD, 20 LONG
Passing - 12 CMP, 19 ATT, 63 YDS, 0 INT, 0 TD, 22 LONG

@ Georgia (16-12 W)
Rushing - 31 ATT, 128 YDS, 0 TD, 50 LONG
Passing - 19 CMP, 45 ATT, 213 YDS, 1 INT, 0 TD, 25 LONG

S.C. STATE (38-3 W)
Rushing - 47 ATT, 196 YDS, 0 TD, 17 LONG
Passing - 10 CMP, 21 ATT, 68 YDS, 3 INT, 0 TD, 13 LONG

@ Louisiana State (16-28 L)
Rushing - 50 ATT, 290 YDS, 3 TD, 33 LONG
Passing - 8 CMP, 20 ATT, 70 YDS, 1 INT, 1 TD, 24 LONG

MISSISSIPPI STATE (38-21 W)
Rushing - 42 ATT, 140 YDS, 2 TD, 22 LONG
Passing - 12 CMP, 27 ATT, 118 YDS, 1 INT, 1 TD, 35 LONG

2006

@ Mississippi State (15-0 W)
Rushing - 33 ATT, 79 YDS, 0 TD, 15 LONG
Passing - 8 CMP, 23 ATT, 82 YDS, 2 INT, 0 TD, 20 LONG

GEORGIA (0-18 L)
Rushing - 39 ATT, 198 YDS, 1 TD, 23 LONG
Passing - 10 CMP, 22 ATT, 189 YDS, 3 INT, 0 TD, 39 LONG

WOFFORD (27-20 W)
Rushing - 61 ATT, 290 YDS, 1 TD, 62 LONG
Passing - 5 CMP, 11 ATT, 67 YDS, 0 INT, 1 TD, 36 LONG

FLORIDA ATLANTIC (45-6 W)
Rushing - 35 ATT, 138 YDS, 0 TD, 47 LONG
Passing - 8 CMP, 25 ATT, 105 YDS, 1 INT, 1 TD, 25 LONG

AUBURN (17-24 L)
Rushing - 35 ATT, 127 YDS, 2 TD, 24 LONG
Passing - 13 CMP, 19 ATT, 180 YDS, 0 INT, 1 TD, 31 LONG

@ Kentucky (24-17 W)
Rushing - 27 ATT, 62 YDS, 1 TD, 20 LONG
Passing - 18 CMP, 32 ATT, 289 YDS, 1 INT, 1 TD, 63 LONG

@ Vanderbilt (31-13 W)
Rushing - 36 ATT, 133 YDS, 1 TD, 21 LONG
Passing - 11 CMP, 25 ATT, 120 YDS, 2 INT, 0 TD, 44 LONG

TENNESSEE (24-31 L)
Rushing - 23 ATT, 71 YDS, 1 TD, 25 LONG
Passing - 21 CMP, 29 ATT, 254 YDS, 0 INT, 2 TD, 62 LONG

ARKANSAS (20-26 L)
Rushing - 50 ATT, 267 YDS, 2 TD, 43 LONG
Passing - 11 CMP, 20 ATT, 228 YDS, 2 INT, 1 TD, 50 LONG

@ Florida (16-17 L)
Rushing - 32 ATT, 147 YDS, 1 TD, 21 LONG
Passing - 19 CMP, 29 ATT, 254 YDS, 1 INT, 1 TD, 28 LONG

MIDDLE TENNESSEE (52-7 W)
Rushing - 32 ATT, 81 YDS, 0 TD, 14 LONG
Passing - 6 CMP, 19 ATT, 119 YDS, 0 INT, 1 TD, 73 YDS

@ Clemson (31-28 W)
Rushing - 33 ATT, 181 YDS, 2 TD, 80 LONG
Passing - 13 CMP, 19 ATT, 191 YDS, 1 INT, 1 TD, 76 LONG

vs. Houston (44-36 W)
Rushing - 33 ATT, 135 YDS, 2 TD, 42 LONG
Passing - 27 CMP, 40 ATT, 392 YDS, 1 INT, 3 TD, 77 LONG

ESPN – Since 2003, USC has compiled a 14-22 record on television (6-11 in Columbia) – excluding pay-per-view telecasts … On strictly ESPN games (not ESPN2) South Carolina is 4-9 overall and 2-5 at Williams-Brice Stadium:

2007 (2-1, 0-0 ESPN)
@ Georgia (ESPN2), 16-12 W
@ LSU (CBS), 16-28 L
MISS. STATE (LF), 38-21 W

2006 (3-5, 1-4 ESPN)
@ Miss. State (ESPN), 15-0 W
GEORGIA (ESPN), 0-18 L
AUBURN (ESPN), 17-24 L
@ Kentucky (ESPN2), 24-17 W
TENNESSEE (ESPN), 24-31 L
ARKANSAS (ESPN), 20-26 L
@ Florida (CBS), 16-17 L
vs. Houston (ESPN), 44-36 W

2005 (4-5, 1-2 ESPN)
CENTRAL FLORIDA (ESPN), 24-15 W
@ Georgia (ESPN), 15-17 L
ALABAMA (CBS), 14-37 L
@ Auburn (ESPN2), 7-48 L
@ Tennessee (ESPN2), 16-15 W
@ Arkansas (JP), 14-10 W
FLORIDA (JP), 30-22 W
CLEMSON (ESPN2), 9-13 L
vs. Missouri (ESPN), 31-38 L

2004 (3-4, 0-1 ESPN)
@ Vanderbilt (JP), 31-6 W
GEORGIA (ESPN), 16-20 L
@ Alabama (ESPN2), 20-3 W
TENNESSEE (JP), 29-43 L
ARKANSAS (JP), 35-32 W
@ Florida (ESPN2), 14-48 L
@ Clemson (JP), 7-29 L

2003 (2-7, 1-2 ESPN)
VIRGINIA (JP), 31-7 W
@ Georgia (CBS), 7-31 L
@ Tennessee (ESPN), 20-23 ot L
KENTUCKY (ESPN), 27-21 W
LSU (ESPN2), 7-33 L
@ Ole Miss (JP), 40-43 L
@ Arkansas (ESPN), 6-28 L
FLORIDA (JP), 22-24 L
CLEMSON (ESPN2), 17-63 L

Men’s Soccer Update – The South Carolina men’s soccer team defeated UAB 1-0 in Birmingham this past Saturday in the Conference USA opener for both teams … Freshman goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer recorded the shutout, his fourth of the season, and tallied six saves while winning C-USA “Defensive Player of the Week” honors … Sophomore midfielder Jeff Scannella scored less than two minutes into the match for the only score … The win improves Carolina to 6-3 on the year and 1-0 in C-USA (atop the league tied with Marshall) … USC was ranked #4 in the South Region last week … The Gamecocks will continue with road trips to Davidson on Wednesday and at Florida International (C-USA) on Sunday.

Women’s Soccer Update – The Lady Gamecocks (8-3) have lost three of its last four outings after beginning the season with a 7-0 mark … USC went 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play last weekend with overtime road losses vs. Tennessee (2-3) and Georgia (1-2) … Carolina needs to right the ship this week at home vs. Kentucky on Friday and Vanderbilt on Sunday.