2010 football preview

B The Daily Gamecock ● MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2010

South Carolina GameccocksLast Season: 7-6 (3-5 SEC) Coach: Steve Spurrier (35-28 at USC; 177-68-2 career)

The Skinny: Heading into coach Steve Spurrier’s sixth sea son at Carol i na , t he Gamecocks have recorded the most wins in program history (35) in any five-year span, but have won more than seven games only once (2006) . However, with the abundance of experience among the returnees and uncertainty around the division, USC is being heralded as a potential contender to win the SEC East.

The Of fense: From h is frequent and pointed offseason comments about quarterback Stephen Garcia, Spurrier would have you believing that the USC offense would live or die based on how the Tampa, Fla., native performs this fall. That won’t necessarily be the case, though. There’s a lot of high expectations for Garcia and his talented corps of receivers, led by freshman All-America selection Alshon Jeffery, but the running game could well end up being the difference if USC makes noise in the SEC. New offensive line coach Shawn Elliott is the third man in as many years to try and turn around what has been a vulnerable unit, but the difference this season is that the Gamecocks have proven horses in the backfi eld. Kenny Miles emerged as the go-to back last year down the stretch, Jarvis Giles showed an ability to make people miss and Marcus Lattimore, the reigning Mr. Football in the state of South Carolina,

is one of the most heralded and hyped recruits in USC history.

The Defense: The defense has been a strong spot ever since assistant head coach for defense Ellis Johnson arrived in 2008, and that should continue this season. All-time school sacks king Eric Norwood has moved 90 miles north to the Carolina Panthers and the NFL, but there is still a great deal of t a lent in t he un it . Shaq Wilson and Rodney Paulk lead the linebacking corps and have plenty of opportunities to make tackles with a very solid defensive line in front of them. Cliff Matthews may be the best defensive end in the SEC, Travian Robertson and Ladi Ajiboye bring experience at defensive tackle and junior Melvin Ingram and transfer Byron Jer ideau are both expected to contribute. The secondary was a concern last season, but this fall it should be a bragging point. Stephon Gilmore has the potential to someday be an All-America selection and D.J. Swearinger has impressed coaches by making leaps and bounds since spring practice started. Plus, Chris Culliver brings a hard-hitting approach and senior leadership to the group.

The Special Teams: The top priority has to be the kickoff team. That was the thorn in USC’s side last season, allowing three touchdown returns and numerous other big gains. Two transfers, Jay Wooten and Joey Scribner-Howard, are expected to vie for the job as kickoff specialist along with Adam Yates, who served in the role on and off last year. The hope is that one of them will be consistent enough to a l low sen ior Spencer Lanning, one of last

Carolina embarks on new seasonExperienced roster

looks to bring success to USC

James KratchASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

USC ● 3B

Sam Bennett / The Daily Gamecock

Kara Roache / The Daily Gamecock

Top: USC wide receiver Alshon Jeffery runs for the fi rst down against Clemson. Bottom: USC coach Steve Spurrier

season’s pleasant surprises, to focus solely on placekicking and punting.

Coach’s Comment: “Until we prove we can play on a consistent basis, we just got hope. We got to go earn our way to believing that we can

be a top SEC team.” — USC Coach Steve Spurrier

Comments on this story? E-mail [email protected]

USC ● CONTINUED FROM 2B


Don’t g ive a numbers lesson to South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.

I t do e s n’t m at t e r t o S p u r r i e r t h a t i n c u m b e n t q u a r t e r b a c k S t e p h e n G a r c i a i s t h e

conference’s active leader in career total yards (4,078) and passing yards (3,694).

It doesn’t matter that he’s eighth in Carolina history with 3,694 passing yards and t ied for n inth with 23 touchdown passes, or e i g h t h i n p a s s

completions (304) for that matter.

A s f a r a s Spu r r ier i s concerned, you’re only as good as your last game. And that last game — a 20-7 no-show against Connecticut in the PapaJohns.com bowl — doesn’t look very good on Garcia’s resume.

E nter t r ue f re sh ma n quarterback Connor Shaw , who has been a breath of fresh air for the coaching staff. A hard worker who supposedly sleeps in the film room, Shaw possesses t he mat u r it y level a nd athleticism to play for South Carolina right away.

“He has kind of a knack — the ‘it’ factor when it comes to decision making,” quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus said. “For a young player, the most impressive

thing that I see is his ability to make quick decisions at h i s age a nd level of experience. He also didn’t play quarterback his f irst two years in high school. He has experience at a bunch of different positions and understands the game of football.”

A d d e d S p u r r i e r , “Connor’s going to play with the first team. Right now, we’re planning on both of them playing, and go from there. Statistically, he’s been the best quarterback on the team in every scrimmage.”

So it’s a no-brainer that Shaw starts then, right? Not so fast.

“Stephen has act ua l ly thrown the ball very well here lately. He’s had a good week the last week,” Mangus said. “We’re hitting some plays down the field better than what I’ve seen. That’s encouraging and gives us hope we can hit some of these guys down the field. He’s learning some of the nuances like getting his head in the right position and how to get guys open with his eyes. It’s very hopeful.”

So with less than a week

to go before South Carolina kicks off the season against Southern Mississippi, the coaching staff still doesn’t know who wil l start the opener. Either the veteran q u a r t e r b a c k w h o h a s struggled with his decision-mak ing or the footbal l-smart youngster who has yet to take a snap.

“ You g uy s ju s t don’t k now who t he s t a r t ing quarterback is going to be,” Mangus said. “We have a good competition going on out here. Someone has to start the game, right? The expectation is both of them will play and play well. The guy who’s going to play and fi nish gives us the best chance to win.”

A two-quarterback system isn’t anything Spurrier is unfamiliar with, especially at USC. He’s fl ipped between Blake Mitchell and Syvelle Newton , Chris Smelley and Garcia and now Shaw and Garcia.

“They look good. Both of them. They’re trying to be perfect. They want to be perfect. We’re going to

Quarterback battle continuesGarcia, Shaw fi ght

to gain starting nod against USM

Chris CoxSPORTS EDITOR

Sam Bennett / The Daily Gamecock

Sam Bennett / The Daily GamecockSouth Carolina junior quarterback Stephen Garcia looks to the crowd during warmups prior to USC’s game against the Clemson Tigers at Williams-Brice Stadium.

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Coming Soon:

have a good quarterback, whoever it is,” freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore said. “They know how to lead. They both know how to do it.”

Shaw points to his work ethic as the reasoning behind his surge up the depth chart.

“I put my investments in the film room and studied hard. I think it’s starting to pay off,” Shaw said.

And Garcia counters with his in-game experience.

“I don’t think there’s any question [Garcia’s experience is a leg up for him],” Mangus said. “I’ve told him many times that’s why I expect him to play well and play like the veteran that he is. Thirteen starts last year. Coming off

that year, you would expect that to be an advantage. I fully expect to see the results next Thursday.”

So who will start? Only time will tell.

But all that matters to Steve Spurrier is that they play better than they did on that chilly January day in Birmingham.

“We think our offense has got a chance to be much improved from the last time we played,” Spurrier said. “Two hundred yards against a tea m [ UCon n i n t he Papajohns.com Bowl] that was giving up about 450 a game.”


Richard Pearce / The Daily Gamecock

South Carolina true freshman quarterback Connor Shaw warms up prior to USC’s scrimmage last Saturday.

QB ● Continued from 4B


The Favorite: Terrelle Pryor , QB – Ohio State

If you were to create a checklist to outline what a legitimate preseason Heisman favorite should look like, Pryor would hit every one of them.

He’s atop almost every watch list out there and is the face of the consensus preseason No. 2 team in the nation. He’s riding the momentum of a breakout performance — his 266 passing yards for two touchdowns and 72 rushing yards in the Buckeyes’ 26-17 Rose Bowl win over Oregon. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, he has coach Jim Tressel , who will put aside his button-down offensive philosophy a bit to accommodate his signal-caller’s talent and candidacy.

As long as the Buckeyes win the Big Ten and Pryor doesn’t completely implode, the trophy will be his. He’s

clearly the head of the class.The Incumbent: Mark Ingram ,

RB – Alabama There have been five instances

since Archie Griffi n won his second Heisman in 1975 (six if you count Sam Bradford’s injury-thwarted 2009 season ) in which a Heisman winner has returned to school in search of a repeat. No one has done so, and only once has the returning winner fi nished higher than third the next time out (Billy Sims was second in 1979 after winning in ’78 ), although Tim Tebow did get the most first place votes en route to third place in 2008 after winning in 2007.

Could Ingram win it again on the strength of an amazing statistical season? Yeah, but that won’t happen. The Crimson Tide is going to throw the ball more this season (a development that might open the door for another Heisman candidate to emerge from Tuscaloosa, as we’ll discuss later) and Ingram’s carries will be cut down a bit, thanks to

the coming emergence of super sophomore, Trent Richardson .

The Dark Horse: Ryan Mallett , QB – Arkansas

There’s no way getting around it: The kid’s an absolute stud — 6-foot-6 with a rocket laser arm — and Bobby Petrino is going to hand him the keys to the Hog offensive attack and get

out of the way. He will most likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

That being said, his offseason foot injury should be a cause for some concern. It doesn’t happen frequently, but sometimes foot injuries just don’t get better. If Mallett is plagued

Marquee players battle for Heisman trophyAlabama tailback Ingram

faces still competition in 2010


Tony Ding/ The Associated Press

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is in the hunt for the Heisman this year.

HEISMAN ● 7B

Julie Jacobsen / The Associated Press

Alabama tailback Mark Ingram accepts the Heisman trophy.

by a bum foot in even the slightest way, it’s going to completely alter his season. He also has to hope that the Razorbacks play better defense this season early and often. Arkansas will have played four (potent ially) high-powered offenses in Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M and Auburn all by the halfway point in October. Lose one or two of those, and Arky’s SEC West shots

are dashed, with Mallett’s Heisman hopes likely trailing right behind.

The Best of the Rest: QB Case Keenum (Houston) ; RB Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech) ; QB Ricky Dobbs (Navy) ; QB Greg McElroy (Alabama) ; QB Ricky Stanzi ( Iowa); DE Bruce Carter (North Carolina) ; QB Andy Dalton (TCU) ; QB Kellen Moore (Boise State)


HEISMAN ● Cont. from 6B


Southern MissC o a c h L a r r y

Fedora didn’t mince words when he told a gathering of USM f a n s t h a t t he y ’d k no c k o f f S out h Carolina in the na-tionally-televised opener. Fedora is expecting a breakout year for his team this year and for good reason. Everything centers on third-year starting quarterback Austin Davis, who has thrown for over 4,000 yards and 33 touchdowns in his fi rst two seasons under center. He’ll need some help from an inexperienced offensive line, however, which returns just one starter from a season ago. But as impressive as the Southern Miss offense has been, it has seemingly been the opposite for the defense, which gave up 392.47 yards per game last season, good for 80th in the nation. The group, which returns nine starters overall, will try to reverse those numbers in 2010.

GeorgiaT h e

B u l l d o g s m a y b e break ing in a new quar-terback and t h r e e n e w defensive coaches in 2010 — the most ever for coach Mark Richt’s staff — but they’ve still got a wealth of experience to work with. Georgia returns a whopping 17 starters from last season, including All-SEC wide receiver A.J. Green and all five starters along the offensive line. New defensive coordinator Willie Martinez will install a new 3-4 defense this season in the hopes of returning the Georgia defense to the prominence its traditionally known for. Leading the charge will be linebacker Justin Houston, who led the team last season with 39 tackles for loss and accumulated 7.5 sacks.

FurmanThe Paladins return

12 starters total from last year’s 6-5 squad — six apiece on both offense and defense — and those veterans will be heavily relied on if Furman has hopes of knocking off Carolina, the only FBS school on FU’s schedule. Furman will rely upon a former FBS quarterback — UCLA transfer Chris Forcier — as they try and improve from their mediocre 2009 record. Junior linebacker Kadarron Anderson anchors

the Furman defense, which fi nished 2009 ranked 111th in passing defense and 94th in rushing among 124 FCS schools. Last season, Anderson led the team with 123 tackles, including six for loss. Anderson, an All-SoCon selection, earned 46 more tackles than the next player on Furman’s defense.

AuburnAfter a bounce-

back performance i n 20 09, ma ny bel ieve Auburn could be poised for a champion-ship run in 2010. The Tigers are hoping junior college transfer Cameron Newton can spark the Auburn offense as the primary signal-caller. And while AU will be replacing departed tailback Ben Tate, coach Gene Chizik and Co. are looking forward to the arrival of the highly-touted Michael Dyer, who should compete for playing time immediately. Junior linebacker and preseason All-SEC selection Josh Bynes is expected to once again anchor the defense. He led the team with 104 tackles while recovering two fumbles. In the secondary, junior Neiko Thorpe will look to lead a group that was third in the SEC in interceptions last season. Recognized as preseason All-SEC team, Thorpe managed 84 tackles and two interceptions in 2009.

AlabamaIt’s safe to say that

Alabama won’t be s ne a k i n g up on anyone’s schedule this season. In 2009, coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide rolled to a per fec t 14 - 0 record, went unde-feated in the SEC regular season for the second consecutive year, captured its 26th conference championship, and reclaimed its position at the top of college football with its thirteenth national title. They’ll see few changes on the offensive side in 2010, as eight of 11 starters return from last season, headlined by Heisman winner Mark Ingram and quarterback Greg McElroy. They’ll have to replace eight starters on the defense, but all three returnees have each been named to the preseason All-SEC team.

KentuckyJoker Phillips takes

over at head coach for Kentucky, succeed-ing Rich Brooks, who ret i red af ter seven years of guiding UK. Senior quarterback Mike Hartline will be back after missing the majority of playing time following a knee injury suffered against South Carolina. Hartline will be challenged, how-ever, by sophomore Morgan Newton and redshirt freshman Ryan Mossakowski for the starting job. The spark of the offense is still Randall Cobb, who excels at wideout, tailback and quarterback. The defense allowed the third-highest yards per game in the SEC last season, with the majority of those yards coming on the ground. The Wildcats hope junior linebacker Danny Trevathan can change that along with linemen Dequin Evans and Taylor Wyndham.

VanderbiltAfter the sudden re-

tirement of coach Bobby Johnson, the position has been given to the loqua-cious Robbie Caldwell, a Pageland, S.C., native. He’ll try and right the ship for Vandy, which went winless in league play last season, just a year removed from their Music City Bowl vic-tory in 2008. Featured tailback Warren Norman highlights the Commodores’ offense, as he led the conference in all-purpose yards per game last year, earning SEC Freshman of the Year and fi rst-team Freshman All-America honors. Junior linebacker Chris Marve will be called upon to help keep the opposition at bay. He maintained a solid presence in the middle last year and led the conference with a hair over 10 tackles per game.

TennesseeThe controversial

a n d h a t e d L a n e Kiff in is gone, re-placed by the intense and respected Derek Dooley, but the up-heaval remains, with the bulk of offseason headlines dominated by the legal issues of players, the most infamous a Knoxville bar room brawl, and numerous transfers, the biggest of which

Carolina schedule at a glance

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SCHEDULE ● 9B

BThe Daily Gamecock ● MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2010

is the standoff between last year’s star recruit, Bryce Brown, and Dooley. Former Louisville quarterback and junior college transfer Matt Simms is the front-runner to lead an offense returning only five starters while the defense must find a way to replace its top three tack-lers from 2009. Look for veterans like wide receiver Gerald Jones and linebacker Nick Reveiz to anchor the Volunteer youth movement this season.

ArkansasA dark horse pick by

many to w in t he SEC West this year, the Hogs completed an 8-5 season in 2009 and have even higher expectations in 2010 with quarterback Ryan Mallett at the helm. The signal-ca l ler, who’s pegged as a high select ion in next year’s NFL Draft, leads an Arkansas offense that ranked e ight h i n t he nat ion l a s t season w i t h 3 7 . 3 point s p e r g a m e l a s t y e a r .

Additionally, their 439.3 yards per game were good enough for 15th out of all 120 Division I-FBS teams. But if the Hogs have title dreams of Atlanta, they’ll need more production out of a defense that ranked worst in the SEC in yards al lowed per game, with opponents averaging 401.8 yards against UA in 2009.

FloridaFour of fi ve starters on the

offensive line return for the 2010 season, so last year’s c o n f e r -e n c e -l e a d i n g offense is u n l i ke l y to suf fer f rom the l o s s o f q u a r t e r -back Tim T e b o w . R e d s h i r t j u n i o r Jo h n Brantley, who saw action in seven games last year, will take over as signal-caller for the Gators. The Florida de-fense looks to be equally as strong this time around, as three starters return among the defensive l ine while another three return in the secondary. Expect their turnover numbers from late — they’ve averaged 18.8 in-terceptions a season over the last fi ve years — to continue in 2010.

TroyA pr imar i ly of fensive

team, Troy averaged nearly 40 points a game in its nine wins last year, but the gradu-ation of quarterback Levi Brown, the 2009 Sun Belt Player of the Year, will g i v e t h e t e a m a dif-ferent look. Greg

Jenk ins takes over now and will be sup-por ted by sen ior w ide receiver Jerrel Jernigans, who averaged over 100 receiving yards a game in 2009. Shawn Southward, last year’s Freshman of the Year in his conference, will look to follow up on last year’s 12-touchdown season with a successful sophomore sea-

son. Bryan Willis, last year’s team leader in interceptions and pass breakups, will be a major force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the ball while Jonathan Rober t son and Tom my Stephens, two incoming freshmen defensive ends, look to strengthen the de-fensive line.

ClemsonThe Tiger offense returns

s e v e n s t a r t e r s f r o m a s e a s o n a g o , bu t t h e b i g -gest loss is cer t a i n ly a t o u g h one in tail-back C .J. Spi l ler . A unanimous f i rst-team A l l-A mer ican, Spi l ler ’s ACC-record 2 ,680 a l l-

purpose yards will be dif-ficult to replace. However, Clemson thinks it has the backs in Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper, who combined for 909 rushing yards last season. The of-fensive line is largely intact with four starters returning, but like Spiller, its loss is a big one as All-American g u a rd T hom a s A u s t i n departs. Quarterback Kyle Parker returns to anchor

the consistent of fense. The defense looks to be consistent as well, as All-American safety DeAndre McDaniel leads a group that returns three of four starters on the defensive line and a bevy of athletes in the secondary.

SCHEDULE ● Cont. from 8B

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So much for a Chicken Curse.

After the dust had settled at the final College World Ser ie s ga me at s tor ied Rosenblatt Stadium , the South Carol ina fa ithfu l f inally had something to c row about : a nat iona l championship.

D e s p i t e l o s i n g t h e Southeastern Conference title in the fi nal weekend of the regular season to Florida, t he USC baseba l l team tore through the NCA A Tournament en route to an 11-1 record, with the only loss coming against Oklahoma in

both team’s College World Series openers .

A n d a f t e r W h i t Merrifi eld’s base hit to right aga inst UCLA brought home the Gamecocks’ first national title in a men’s sport, the football team started thinking.

“ O u r b a s e b a l l t e a m certainly proved you can win a big championship at the University of South Carolina,” said coach Steve Spurrier at SEC Media Days. “We believe that will rub off on the other sports, and hopefully we’re the next one up. Hopefully, we can take a cue from those guys and have a good run as we go through this season.”

T h e f o o t b a l l t e a m , meanwhile, has never won more than 10 games in a season and hasn’t won a

conference title since the ACC crown in 1969 .

But the Gamecocks believe that the newfound success of the baseball team can translate over to the gridiron.

“ W he n t he y w a l k e d through the crowd, it was a feeling I never felt before,” defensive end Cliff Matthews said of the baseball team’s celebration. “That kind of ignited us. We want to feel how our baseball team felt.”

As the 2010 football season arrives, the Gamecocks feel as though they’re contenders f o r t h e S o u t h e a s t e r n Conference crown. All one can hope for is to make it to the conference title game in Atlanta and go from there. When South Carolina is stacked up against the likes of Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, the Gamecocks look like they may finally have a chance to make some noise in the title hunt.

“We’ve been stuck on seven v ic tor ies a year,” Spurrier said. “We hope to do better and we think we can do better. We need to win more than seven games. It’s unacceptable. We have to rise up and show we can compete

against the top teams. We haven’t done poorly, but we just haven’t done super. We want to do real well.”

S p u r r i e r s a i d t h e Gamecocks’ best days are hopefully ahead of them.

“Winning breeds more winning. We just haven’t quite had the big year yet,” Spurrier said. We’re st ill pushing for that.”

Spurr ier and Co. wi l l hope to begin those best days Thursday at the season opener against Southern M is s i s s ippi , where t he Gamecocks have planned for the baseball team to run out to “2001” after the football team enters.

Spurrier said he wanted them to “get the biggest ovation of their lives.”

M a y b e f o r C a r o l i n a football, they’ll get a similar ovation at the end of the season.

And maybe they’ll have the baseball team to thank for it.

Baseball title inspires Carolina footballGamecocks hope

to build off baseball national championship

Chris CoxSPORTS EDITOR

Dave Weaver / The Associated Press

USC’s baseball team celebrates after knocking off UCLA in the College World Series.


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PAGE 13BThe Daily Gamecock ● MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2010

The Daily Gamecock’s Top 25

1. Alabama2. Ohio State3. Florida4. Texas5. TCU6. Boise State7. Virginia Tech8. Iowa9. Nebraska10. Oklahoma11. Southern California12. Miami (FL)13. Wisconsin14. Oregon15. LSU16. Arkansas17. Auburn18. Pittsburgh19. Georgia Tech20. North Carolina21. Florida State22. Georgia23. Oregon State24. South Carolina25. UConn

National Championship Game: Alabama vs. Ohio State

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Nebraska

Rose Bowl: Boise State vs. Oregon

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. UConn

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. TCU

Capital One Bowl: Auburn vs. Iowa

Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. Texas

Chick-fi l-A Bowl: USC vs. Florida State

Outback Bowl: LSU vs. Wisconsin

Gator Bowl: Georgia vs. Penn State

Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs. Houston

Music City Bowl: Ole Miss vs. North Carolina

The Daily Gamecock’s Bowl Predictions


Ellis Johnson is the archetype of a football coach. Stoic, no-nonsense and honest, sometimes so much so the truth is brutal. So when you ask him what he thinks about his defense for this fall, he’s going to give it to you straight, and he’s going to admit that he’s worried because that’s what he does.

“I’m always concerned. Like everyone teases me, the glass is always half empty. I don’t have any way to predict the future,” Johnson said. “Just because we played pretty well these last two years doesn’t have anything to do with this year.”

Johnson’s natural reservations aside, the 2010 Carolina defense, on paper and at glance, looks like it should continue USC’s recent tradition of staunch defensive units thanks to a high level of talent inside the unit.

There are some areas of concern, though. The linebacking corps is somewhat uncertain at

the moment, as Shaq Wilson , the team’s leading tackler a year ago, appears to have his status for the opener up in the air with a nagging hamstring injury — something Johnson laments.

“He makes a difference. When you’ve got a guy like that in there, there’s a lot of little wrinkles

that all of a sudden clear out, as far as checks and alignments and adjustments and those type things,” Johnson said. “I really have a lot of confi dence in those other guys just playing the game, but I’m a little edgy about him not being in there to quarterback the defense and make some checks and things.”

But Wilson’s understudies, Quin Smith and Tony Straughter , are expected to fill in nicely alongside sixth-year senior Rodney Paulk in the second level. Smith would likely be the fi rst guy in — a reality he says he’s starting to deal with.

“Shaq’s still out, and we’re right around the corner from the game, so I’m trying to prepare myself for it,” Smith said.

Moving from the second level to the third level, two issues stand out for the secondary — turnovers and suspension uncertainty.

The fi rst is rather simple. USC had a measly six interceptions last season — something it is determined to change and has trained all offseason to do so.

“We’ve got to get more interceptions, more fumble recoveries,” cornerback Jimmy Legree said . “More turnovers, basically.”

The second is different. Thanks to the Whitney Hotel issue, USC may or may not be losing several defensive starters, with the bulk of the hit potentially coming in the secondary, where starting safety Akeem Auguste and cornerback C.C. Whitlock , who rotates in frequently, are

candidates to miss time. “A l l we k now is that there are a lot of

possibilities,” Johnson said when asked about possible suspensions. “That’s as much as we’ve been informed.”

Johnson said that anything can become a distraction, that dreaded word in football coach-speak, but the leader of the defense, end Cliff Matthews , doesn’t think the hotel uncertainty has become one.

“To be honest with you, we haven’t had any distractions,” Matthews said. “We’ve stayed humble, just avoided unwanted situations. Just getting ready for Southern Miss.”

The concerns aside, there’s a lot to like. Matthews is an All-SEC talent and the rest of the line has solid depth. Stephon Gilmore could be poised for a breakout season at corner. Many feel Smith can contribute if he is pushed into starting duty. Paulk is expected to have a big season if he can stay healthy. Plus, Wilson will be back eventually, and Johnson still is one of the best defensive minds in the nation. His high, six-fi gure contract proves that.

All that’s left now, according to Matthews, is to keep getting better.

“Keep peaking each week,” Matthews said.

Despite preseason injuries, unit expected to carry Gamecocks


Defense poised to carry USC


Sam Bennett / The Daily Gamecock Kara Roache / The Daily Gamecock



If you have come here looking for a bold prediction regarding the 2010 season of South Carolina football, you have unfortunately come to the wrong place.

Rather, I have a simple prophecy for you: That U S C w i l l e n d t h i s upcoming campa ign by doing something it hasn’t done s i nc e t he N i xon administrat ion — play a postseason game in Atlanta.

On Dec. 30, 1969, the n e w l y c r o w n e d A C C champion Gamecocks lost to West Virginia 14-3 in the Peach Bowl . They haven’t been back since. That will change though this coming

N e w Ye a r ’s E v e , a f e w hours past 41 years to t he date.

D r e a m s o f t he f i r s t E a s t e r n Division title

in school history and a berth in

the SEC Championship Game will remain on hold for at least another year, but USC will come away with a solid consolation prize: an invitation to the Chick-fi l-A Bowl.

I t w i l l g e t t he r e b y do i n g s o me t h i n g t h a t most Carolina teams have failed to do over the years: what they’re supposed to. Nothing more and certainly nothing less.

T he G a mecock s w i l l tear through their non-c o n f e r e n c e s c h e d u l e . Southern Miss may hang around for a half, but USC will win decisively in the end. The same goes for Troy in November. As for Furman, pencil that in as the offensive fi reworks display of

the season. USC will score at least 50 that day.

Why will the Gamecocks hang half a hundred on an opponent for only the second t ime under coach Steve Spurrier? Because that’s what SEC teams are supposed to do to 6-5 SoCon teams.

Then, there’s the only non-SEC road trip of the year — Clemson. That , too, wil l go as planned. The Tigers have gotten a big boost with Kyle Parker opting to return for one last go-round under center, but he’ll probably regret not playing professional baseball full time come the Saturday after Thanksgiving. USC will roll, defeating the Tigers in consecutive seasons for the fi rst time since 1970.

As for league play, the Gamecocks will continue the pattern of stellar SEC play at W i l l iams-Br ice Stadium it started a year ago, duplicating 2009’s 3-1 league record at home. USC will beat the three teams it is supposed to in Columbia — G eorg ia , Ten nes see and Arkansas. It will lose, though, to the undefeated No. 1 A labama Crimson Tide i n Colu mbia . No matter. Like the lone home SEC loss in 2009 — to the undefeated No. 1 Florida Gators — the Gamecocks aren’t supposed to win that one.

Spea k i ng of F lor ida , USC will do what should be expected on the road in conference play — earn a split. Carolina will return triumphant from the two road swings they’re supposed to take care of business on — at Vanderbilt and Kentucky — and it will lose the two road games it’s supposed to — at Auburn and Florida.

Add it all up, and it will result in a 9-3 record (5-3 SEC) and a second place f inish in the East, good

enough to head to Atlanta. W hen t he y g e t t here , Florida State will be waiting, albeit a year too late for Steve Spurrier and Bobby Bowden to go at it one last time.

It will be a season lacking a glorious high, like defeating No. 4 Ole Miss, but also without a desolate low, like the late-season swoons of the past two falls.

And, when it comes to a close, both the Gamecocks and their fans will fi le out of the Georgia Dome and into the New Year knowing that the wait to return won’t be anywhere near four decades long.

In fact, it’ll take a mere 337 days.

That’s when the 2011 SEC title game will be held.

O n s e c o nd t hou g ht , maybe you are getting a bold prediction here.

Kratch: Postseason success awaits USCCarolina poised to play in Chick-fi l-A

bowl in 2010

James KratchThird-year English student

Check Thursday’s paper for the fi rst issue of the Blitz!

• Alshon Jeffery strikes for greatness

• Quarterback shakedown

• Five questions with the enemy

• A look at this weekend’s college football scene

• And much more!


The USC offensive line has spent the majority of its summer banged up. Guys have quit the team, guys have been lost to season-ending injuries and guys have missed time with nagging ailments. True freshmen have been forced onto not only the two-deep, but the theoretical starting lineup.

But line coach Shawn Elliott said adversity is to be expected when it comes to the offensive line.

“Their backs are against the wall every single day. They’re offensive linemen,” Elliott said. “They’ve got to learn to fight, they’ve got to learn to be gritty types of players.”

A Camden nat ive and the architect of several stellar lines at FCS powerhouse Appalachian State, Ell iott is USC’s third offensive line coach in as many years. John Hunt was fi red after the loss to Clemson in 2008 and replaced by Eric Wolford of Illinois . But, after just a year on the job, Wolford bolted for the head coaching job at Youngstown State , opening the door for Elliott.

L i ke Wol ford , E l l iot t i s a loud and outspoken man on the field, passion and intensity running over. But where Elliott and Wolford depart is in their personnel philosophy. Wolford had a quick trigger — shaking up the starting line every week depending on per formance. Elliott, on the other hand, prefers to fi nd the fi ve best guys and play them.

That’s been hard to do this summer, though. Nick Allison qu it t he team and Qu int in Richardson and Ryan Broadhead are out for the season. Terrence Campbell has been recovering f rom a n a n k le i n ju r y a nd Rokevious Watkins is just getting

back from an injury . Walk-on deep snapper Chris Vaughn switched over to become a reserve center and freshman A.J. Cann has taken a great deal of reps as a starting guard this summer.

Elliott doesn’t care. “You’re never going to go

through a season feeling good as an offensive lineman,” Elliott said. “I don’t care who you are, the nicks, the bruises — they’re things you’ve got to learn to play through, and that’s what we’ve got to do right now.”

For now, the line appears to have stabilized. T.J. Johnson will start at center, Garrett Chisholm a nd Wat k i n s at t he g u a rd posit ions, Jarriel King at left tackle and either Hutch Eckerson or Kyle Nunn at right tackle. But, any more injuries and Elliott may be looking at elevating his greenest charges. No coach wants to play a true freshman, let alone several true freshmen. But, as Elliott said, the time may come when he has no other choice.

“Every t ime someone goes down, they’re getting closer,” Elliott said. “I can’t go buy them off the streets and pull them in here.”

But then again, if guys like Cann and Ronald Patrick do get pressed into duty as rookies, their veteran teammates are confi dent they can deliver.

“We have a lot of guys that can play this year. I feel like we have a lot of younger guys; a lot of freshmen that are going to be playing,” Eckerson said. “They want to put the best guys out there, and my job is to make sure I’m one of them.”

No m at t e r who end s up playing, this is a huge year for the offensive line. Long tagged the weakness of USC, the thing holding the Gamecocks back from challenging the SEC’s elite, all eyes will be on the unit and its new coach.

Injury hits offensive lineGamecocks search

for increased production from embattled unit



Top: Tailback Kenny Miles runs behind the offensive line in USC’s 34-17 win over Clemson. Middle: USC offensive guard Garrett Chisolm prior to USC’s game against Ole Miss. Bottom: USC’s offensive line prepares for the snap against Clemson.


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