Game Plan 091416

a freetimes publication

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016 | USC VS. East carolina

2

Tailgate with Tacos!!!

C

Call ahead or stop in on your way to the stadium.

white duck taco shop 612 C whaley st columbia, sc 29201 803-814-0374 sun-thurs 11:30-9:00

fri-sat 11:30-10:00

whiteducktacoshop.com extraordinary food, great service tons of free parking

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free app with the purchase of two tacos at regular price dine-in only

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USC VS. ECU, September 14, 2016

CONTENTS

USC 2016 SCHEDULE Record: (1-1, 1-1 SEC)

Photo by Allen Sharpe

SEC Game = ★

9/1

at

USC, 13-10

We’ll have an order of fries with that victory, please.

9/10

at

vanderbilt mississippi ST.

nashville, tenn.

STARKVILLE, miss.

★ ★

MSU, 27-14 We’re choosing to remember that USC won the second half, 14-3.

4 KICKOFF

4 OPPO RESEARCH: The Poop on The Pirates

5 BALLERS: Elliot Fry

6 WHAT THEY SAID/ WHAT WE THINK

7 LIVIN’GARNET

7 BEER ME: 4 Rules

8 GAMEDAY GRUB: Don't Fear The Reaper

9/17

vs.

7:30 p.m.

Conference call for Greenville gang (2-0): Pirates are 6-2 vs.

ACC but 0-4 vs. SEC since 2012.

9/24

at

4 p.m.

Mildcats (0-2) have the 121st total offense and 123rd total defense. There are only 128 teams.

10/1

vs.

east carolina columbia, s.c. kentucky texas a&m

lexington, ky

Columbia, s.c.

10/8

vs.

georgia

Columbia, S.C.

Barely a 2-0 team: We would love Nicholls for the thoughts of Bulldog fans last week.

10 THE COCKY LIFE: Right Tumblers

10/15

1 1 SQUAWK!

10/22

Going backwards: Minutemen (0-2) rushed for minus-23 yards versus Boston College.

11 Ask Gamecock Jesus 11 Garnet Rant & Rave 11 Meme This

★

★

Congrats Aggies (2-0) for boasting a highly ranked offense, but we’re still very mad about the beatdown of USC in 2014.

9 2001: Croquet + Football

★

bye

Admit it, you're stuck going to a wedding or family reunion that weekend.

10/29

vs.

vs.

umass Tennessee

columbia, s.c.

columbia, s.c.

★

Winners this year at Bristol Motor Speedway — Carl Edwards, Kevin Haarvick and the Vols (2-0).

ED. NOTE

11/5

vs.

missouri

Columbia, S.C.

★

Tigers (1-1) have an offense that’s Jekyll (15th in the nation) and a defense that’s Hyde (105th).

11/12

We Have a Plan

at

florida

gainesville, fL

★

Spurrier U. can be so proud of going 2-0 versus two of nation’s worst offenses and defenses.

W

elcome to the first full edition of Free Times’ revamped football section, Game Plan. You see that we put Dre Lopez's one-of-a-kind illustration on the cover. Here’s what you will find inside.

• Kickoff – Football stuff: Oppo Research, a humor-tinged glance at USC’s upcoming opponent; Ballers, an infographic profiling a Gamecock; What They Said/What We Think, our take on some notable quotes.

• Livin’ Garnet – Tailgating lifestyle: Game Day Grub, a feature on goodies to bring to a tailgate or watch party; Beer Me, suggestions on good brews for watching USC; 2001, music with ties to game day; The Cocky Life, checking out the Saturday culture around Williams-Brice.

• Squawk – Fans speak: Ask Gamecock Jesus, a column from superfan Carlton Thompson; Meme This, you caption a photo and we’ll print the best one; Garnet Rant and Rave, which is pretty self-explanatory.

Hope you enjoy it all. Want to squawk your thoughts about Game Plan?

Email editor@free-times.com.

— Andy Shain

September 14, 2016, USC VS. ECU

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11/19

VS.

W. CAROLINA

COLUMBIA, S.C.

Seriously, we’re not going to put a lot of effort into researching the Catamounts (1-1) right now.

11/26

AT

clemson

clemson, s.c.

Troys ranked: 1) Helen of 2) Bolton 3) McClure 4) Aikman 5) Polamalu 6) The one that almost beat the Tigers (2-0).

COVER: Dré Lopez EDITOR: Andy Shain DESIGNER/ILLUSTRATOR: Dré Lopez CONTRIBUTORS: Tug Baker, April Blake, Kyle Petersen, Anne Wolfe Postic, Carlton Thompson, Allen Sharpe QUESTIONS/COMMENTS: editor@free-times.com or (803) 765-0707 x133 TO ADVERTISE IN GAME PLAN: publisher@free-times.com or (803) 765-0707 x129

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schedule

3

OPPO RESEARCH

KICKOFF

4

East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones caught eight passes during the Pirates’ 2014 loss at Williams-Brice Stadium before he shortened his name.

Photo by Allen Sharpe

EAST CAROLINA PIRATES THE BASICS

Pirates will go “argh” while trying to pillage Williams-Brice in search of bounty and ... (we’ll just stop there.)

HEAD COACH

PIRATES TO WATCH ZAY (DONT’ CALL ME ISAIAH) JONES WR, NO. 7

PHILIP (DON’T LOOK TOO CLOSELY AT MY PAST BECAUSE OF THAT BAR FIGHT) NELSON

2016 RECORD: 2-0

NOTABLE WIN:

QB, NO. 9

N.C. State (ECU plunders the ACC)

DAYON (NOT CHRIS) PRATT

CONFERENCE:

American Athletic (You got a pair of shorts from that brand in middle school instead of Nike.)

LOCATION:

LB, NO. 1

DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS

NAME:

(He just escaped the Fire Swamp)

Scottie Montgomery

Greenville, North Carolina (It's older than South Carolina's Greenville, which is about the only advantage we see for the Tar Heel version.)

IT’S TRUE:

SERIES RECORD:

WHAT HE’S KNOWN FOR:

Carolina leads, 13-5 (All five losses came in the 1990s — the decade that must be purged.)

RECENTLY:

Gamecocks have won the past three meetings since 2011, scoring an average of 46 points a game. (Did ECU even play defense?)

KICKOFF | OPPO RESEARCH

Turn ECU’s first-year coach’s name around and you’ve got the chief engineer on the Enterprise.

Wide receivers coach for Pittsburgh when the Steelers drafted Antonio Brown, everyone’s first pick in their fantasy leagues this year unless they were drunk. Also part of the resurrection in Duke football, making him some sort of modern-day Dr. Frankenstein. free-times.com

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USC VS. ECU, September 14, 2016

Photo by Allen Sharpe Best quote during ESPN SportsCenter interview after his Vandy winning kick: “I didn’t hit my next kickoff that well, but I’ll try and live with it.”

The Basics: Senior from Frisco, Texas, who was a walk-on before becoming USC’s starter as a true freshman in 2013.

non-football stat: 7 — His golf handicap, a topic raised during the ESPN postgame interview.

next time: Plans to do a backflip with the help of holder Sean Kelly if he hits a game winner with no time left in the game (that way he avoids a penalty for showboating).

Any nerves out there?

“When you’re sitting at home, you’re thinking this guy must be nervous, ‘What if he misses.’ None of that is going through a kicker’s head. It goes by so fast. You go out there on the field, take your steps back and kick it. My mind is completely blank other than, ‘Just make contact.’ ”

Really, no nerves with 80,000 fans screaming? “I remember my first couple of games, I was shaking a little bit, but once you have done it for a while, it becomes second nature. I honestly don’t think about it anymore. When you’re in a crowd the whole game and you’re hearing it, it’s no different when you go out to kick a field goal.”

really? ESPN anchor who chatted with Fry after the Vandy game, John Anderson, visited Williams-Brice Stadium for the Missouri game a couple of years ago.

record breaker soon: Needs just 32 points to become the Gamecock’s all-time scoring leader over Collin Mackie.

BALLERS ELLIOTT FRY, THE KICKER September 14, 2016, USC VS. ECU

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Started his fourth season as USC’s kicker with a 55-yard game winner at Vandy. facebook.com/freetimes

KICKOFF | BALLERS

5

6

WHAT THEY SAID WHAT WE THINK "I still got a lot of Gamecock in me, now."

— Former USC head coach Steve Spurrier during a book signing at BooksA-Million at Village at Sandhill last week.

Game Plan’s Take: He didn’t wait a year after leaving the sidelines for the Gamecocks before taking a job as an ambassador at his alma mater, Florida. We think the Gator will eat away quickly at whatever Gamecock is left in HBC.

THE SHOT

If Vandy cheerleaders only had superpowers, USC wide receiver Deebo Samuel would have bounced off a force field at the goal line and never scored the touchdown that tied the season opener.

Photo by Allen Sharpe

"Coach Muschamp is doing a super job. Those coaches, they know how to coach defense here now. We weren't very good coaches the last two years.”

— Spurrier at the same book signing.

Game Plan’s Take: We’re glad HBC admits the guys that he hired and who ended up helming the nation’s 92nd- and 94th-ranked total defenses during the past two seasons stunk. Look, USC fans appreciate what Spurrier did to elevate the program, but he keeps reminding us how his staying too long damaged some of the Gamecocks’ progress.

“I’ve never said, ‘Flocking to the ball.’ Flying, that’s better. We want to fly to the ball. We’re Gamecocks, we fly to the ball.

— USC Coach Will Muschamp after being asked about defenders “flocking” to ball carriers.

Game Plan’s Take: Let’s start the great rooster debate. Real gamecocks — the fowl, not the footballers — can fly, though not so well. The longest record chicken flight apparently is 13 seconds over the distance of a football field.

Turn out that’s not bad. Olympic icon Usain Bolt runs 100 meters (that’s a football field plus an end zone) in under 10 seconds.

"I thought he did a nice job. I thought he went in there and created some plays for us. We'll evaluate the tape and move forward."

— Muschamp about freshman quarterback Brandon McIlwain after the Mississippi State game.

Game Plan’s Take: Let us interpret this coach-speak — I know fans want the new guy, but I’ve got to look at what guy is best for the team, which could be the old guy. I’m going to look at the guys this week and see which guy should start against the guys from ECU.

TAILGATE SPECIALS!

Check out our Facebook page for our 2016 Tailgate Packages!

11am-9pm • Closed Wednesday & Sunday 340 E. Columbia Ave. (Hwy 1) • Leesville, SC

803.532.8135 • www.shealysbbq.com KICKOFF | WHAT THEY SAID + THE SHOT

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USC VS. ECU, September 14, 2016

’ n i v i L et n r a G

BEER ME BEVERAGE SUPERSTORE

DEEP EDDY

Vodka

1.75 LITER (NO FLAVORS)

$20.99 SAVE $5.00

LOW PRICES

HUGE SELECTION Photo by Tug Baker

$9.99 Save $4.00

$9.99 Save $4.00

Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon

Independent Producers Chardonnay

750ml.

750ml.

$10.99 Save $2.00

$7.99 Save $2.00

NoDa Hop Drop & Roll 4-packs

21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon

4 rules for tailgating brews

By Tug Baker

S

o it’s the first home game of the USC football season, and when we look at the ups and downs of college football and what it really means to be a Gamecock, there’s one persistent question that must be answered — what is my go-to tailgating beer this season?

There are many options out there to load your cooler with, so let’s lay down four ground rules to help you find your beer of choice.

The first rule is to always choose cans instead of bottles. Bottles may have seemed like a way to “classy up” your tailgating party a few years ago, but let’s face it, they are heavy, breakable, and can possibly be turned into weapons if things go south.

Which leads us to the second rule — get tallboy cans. I think you’ll find that you can fit a higher volume of beer in that cooler with tallboys than regular cans. It’s science.

The third rule is go craft over domestic (or the “Don’t Be The Tailgate With The Cheap Booze” rule).

Finally, we come to the most important rule. Keep the alcohol by volume, or ABV, of your beer low. You want to be out drinking and having a good time with your friends all day and still remember the actual game, right?

If this seems like a daunting list of rules to follow, I have the perfect solution.

Charlotte’s NoDa Brewing Company just last month started distributing cans (tallboys, of course) in the Midlands, and their Par 4 Session IPA is one of their best. It’s a terrifically well-balanced IPA sure to please hop heads.

And because it clocks in at 4 percent ABV (hence the name), you can enjoy a few of these and still make it to the stands without taking out the hot dog vendor on the way. There is also a picture of a sloth playing disc golf on the can, which is the best thing that’s ever happened to disc golf.

16oz 4pks

12oz 6pks

15,000 SQUARE FEET OF

WINE, BEER & SPIRITS M O N DAY – SATU R DAY: B E E R & WI N E – 9 : 0 0AM – 9 : 0 0 PM LIQ U O R – 9 : 0 0AM – 7: 0 0 PM S U N DAY: B E E R & WI N E O N LY – 11 : 0 0AM – 6: 0 0 PM

September 14, 2016, USC VS. ECU

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S H O P BOT TLE S .CO M 4 41 0 FO RT JAC KSO N B LV D. CO LU M B IA (8 03 ) 728 - 0737

LIVIN' GARNET | BEER ME

7

8

GAME DAY GRUB DON’T FEAR THE REAPER — PIMENTO CHEESE

By April Blake

O

n the surface it sounds wrong to eat so-spicy-you’ll-sweat foods in the sweltering heat, but doing so raises your internal temperature so that the difference between your body heat and the external air isn’t so drastic, resulting in a cooler feeling. There are a ton of ways to light your palate on fire, but one of the most South Carolina ways we’ve found is a Reaper Pimento Cheese made by Primal Gourmet on St. Andrews Road.

In this version, the traditional Southern caviar is zinged up with the addition of Carolina Reaper peppers, the hottest pepper to date, averaging around 1,569,300 Scoville units. For comparison, the lowly jalapeño is only 1,000 to 20,000 on the Scoville scale. Yes, it’s really very hot, the menu board cautions.

We recommend letting your tailgate buddies know that this isn’t any ordinary pimento cheese, or — don’t, for a mean but funny trick. The cheese does tame some of the burn from the high levels of capsaicin in the peppers, but it can still pack a punch that’ll have unsuspecting snackers running for the cooler.

This cheese spread not only is pretty spicy, it’s paleo-friendly since it hails from one of the only paleo-diet specific restaurants in the Midlands. Primal also offers pecan smoked white cheddar or buffalo wing pimento cheeses.

WHAT: Reaper Pimento Cheese WHERE: Primal Gourmet, 6903 St. Andrews Road COST: $5 for quarter pound, $14 for a pound MORE: 803-995-0629

Photo by Jessica Atwood

Hungry?

free-times.com/restaurants LIVIN' GARNET | GAME DAY GRUB

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USC VS. ECU, September 14, 2016

B

2001 SOUTHERN PREP MEETS FRENCH REVOLUTION MEETS FOOTBALL

By Kyle Petersen

I

MyBrotherMysister fk mt.

WHAT: Scenario Collective's Croquet Casual WHERE: Olympia Avenue and Florida Street when: Saturday, Sept. 17, 1 - 5 p.m. with: fk mt., MyBrotherMySister, RAVECOP, Fez the Immigrant price: Free more: facebook.com/scenariocollective

f you’re looking for something a little (well, a lot) different for this weekend’s tailgate, the quirky and ambitious Scenario Collective has quite a bit for you.

The group often takes traditional rock shows featuring some young bands and performers — the tuneful grunge-punk trio fk mt. and grunge pop group MyBrother MySister headline this one — and turns them into full-scale flights of fancy.

In this case, a tailgating house party in Olympia with baroque flourishes and Alice in Wonderlandstyle mischievousness dubbed “Croquette Casual.” Petit fours, macarons and lemonade will be served, and the style guide is “Southern prep meets French Revolution.”

“It’s a dapper day party that celebrates the joy of celebration,” says Collective member Lee Garrett.

“We want to amplify the enthusiastic energy that is spilling all over Columbia that day.”

As for why the decidedly left-field group are embracing a sporting event and infusing it with their eclecticism, both Garrett and another Collective member, Anissa Armaly, see it as a chance to do something new and fun a mile from Williams-Brice Stadium on a game day.

“We’re an art exploration! If we followed paths already paved we wouldn’t call ourselves as such,” Armaly says. “Any collaborative group effort, artistic or athletic, is a performance. That harmony appeals to universal themes bigger than just ourselves, and I believe everyone is a fanatic for something. I’ve seen someone who dismisses football fans’ passion literally get up out of their seat to greet a dog wearing a sweater. It’s not fair to create divisions based on taste.”

Garrett says Croquet Casual helps break down what some might see as a strict delineation between arts and sports.

“I think people who like football believe they wouldn’t feel connected to an art scene, and those in the art scene think they wouldn’t enjoy the setting at football games. But here’s the thing — creative processes require a certain strategy and athleticism is undeniably an art form,” he points out. “The two are circles in a Venn diagram and should intertwine more, but the reality is that they don’t. This show may be bridging that gap just a smidgen.”

If you want a serious alternative, in every sense of the word, tailgating experience, this is it.

THE ORIGINAL DESIGNATED DRIVER.

IF YOU DRINK, LET US DRIVE.

THE BEST CHOICE FOR QUICK AND RELIABLE TAXI TRANSPORTATION SERVICES IN THE MIDLANDS

WWW.CHECKERYELLOWCAB.COM • 803-799-3311 September 14, 2016, USC VS. ECU

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LIVIN' GARNET | 2001

9

THE COCKY LIFE When it comes to tailgating tumblers, stick with this brand

By Anne Wolfe Postic

T

he Tervis tumbler is a classic, and it now comes in more sizes than ever, including a tiny one with a lid and a spout for toddlers.

But you like to party, so you’re probably thinking, “What about my lid?” You can have one! Tervis sells them separately and they fit all of the tumblers, whether you prefer a smaller cup for wine, a larger one for lemonade, or an even larger one for extra wine. Or juice! Or coffee! They hold hot and cold liquids.

And you may think the brand doesn’t matter, but it does. Tervis is built to last and on the rare occasion it doesn’t, they'll send you a new one, totally free.

Be forewarned: You might not get the exact design you need to tailgate appropriately.

My husband sent a coffee stained tumbler to Tervis, one with a fighting Gamecock on it. They sent back a cup that was the same size but with a very French looking rooster embedded in its magical walls. That worked for him, because he’s half French, half Gamecock, but you may not be so lucky.

I mean, what if they replaced your Clemson tiger with the endangered Sumatran? Or a kitten? Or your Citadel bulldog with a basset hound? Or a bulldog dressed in Georgia red? All fine animals, but not on game day.

Tervis keeps your hot drinks hot, your cold drinks cold, and your spirits high with your very own mascot staring you in the face every time you take a sip.

Go Cocks!

Shopping info: Gibson’s, 2808 Devine St., prices vary.

Photo by Anne Wolfe Postic

10

Thirsty?

LIVIN' GARNET | THE COCKY LIFE

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USC VS. ECU, September 14, 2016

My children were excited to see the Gamecock football team.

Maybe I gave them a lot of Mountain Dew. Yeah.

Hi, fans, it’s the Last Word. Don’t give college athletes more money; they get a free education as it is.

If you say you have “healthy” tailgate food, get the hell away from me.

ASK GAMECOCK JESUS

Connor Shaw, a former USC quarterback, got hurt. One thing he still has is faith. Yeah.

If you can understand what Lou Holtz is saying — life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.

What if I bring a camouflage bag to the stadium? Will they be able to see it?

Got a Gamecock or football-related beef or boast?

Call (803) 765-0707 x126 or email RantAndRave@free-times.com

his most memorable moments What are your top three Gamecock memories of all time? – Mel That’s tough to narrow down, but here goes: Football: In 2000, when people were starting to question the hiring of Lou Holtz, the team came together in September, when Derek Watson ran for three touchdowns to upset ranked Georgia. The crowd stormed the field.

It was chaos, and some fans tore down the goalpostsw, the second time that year. Holtz begged us to stop doing that, saying, "I promise, we're going to win some more games." And they did. Parts of that goalpost can still be found at various locations around town. (Yesterdays and BarNone for two.)

Men's basketball: In 1998, Eddie Fogler's Gamecocks came back from down 23 at the half to upset Cincinnati with a last-second miracle 3-pointer

by Antonio Grant. Again, the crowd stormed the court (starting to see a pattern here?). Many fans had left early, and as the Gamecocks started to come back, some of them tried to re-enter Frank McGuire arena, but were turned away.

Women's basketball: My friends and I were fans of the Lady Gamecocks back when they had crowds under 1,000. So imagine the pride we felt as we watched the Gamecocks women's basketball team win their first regular season SEC championship on Feb. 27, 2014. We had just beaten Georgia in front of over 12,000 fans. I admit, I had tears in my eyes when I realized that USC was no longer an SEC doormat, but a force to be reckoned with. And they still are!

Gamecock Jesus Got a question for USC’s top super fan? Send it to editor@free-times.com

MEME THIS: Will and the Ref Send your captions of this photo to editor@free-times.com by Sept. 21. We'll publish our favorite in the next edition of Game Plan on Sept. 28 (and tweet out some best of the rest at @FreeTimesSC).

THE FANS SPEAK September 14, 2016, USC VS. ECU

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SQuawK

11

ECU

go GAMECOCKS!!

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