The Side Line: USC vs. Missouri

a freetimes publication

Improving offensive line key to Gamecocks’ successes

HOLD THE LINE

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

2

freetimes |

usc VS. MISSOURI

CONTENTS / SCHEDULE

8

HOLD THE LINE Improving offensive line key to Gamecock success

ON THE COVER: South Carolina’s offensive line squares up against Georgia during first-quarter action in Columbia on Saturday, Sept. 13. photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina

4 OPPONENT PREVIEW 6 GAMEDAY POSTER 14 SENIOR PROFILE Protect This House O-line stalwart A.J. Cann guards his teammates, friends 18 EXPLAINING THE GAME Film Studies 101 O-line coach Shawn Elliott majors in breaking down game film

21 OPINION Burning Bright Rebuilding Tigers still a tough out for Gamecocks 22 YOUR GAMECOCKS Roster, statistics Published by Free Times free-times.com

8/28

vs.

TEXAS A&M Columbia, S.C.

L, 28-52

9/6

vs.

EAST CAROLINA Columbia, S.C.

W, 33-23

9/13

vs.

GEORGIA Columbia, S.C.

W, 38-35

9/20

at

VANDERBILT Nashville, Tenn.

W, 48-34

9/27

vs.

MISSOURI Columbia, S.C.

7 P.M.

10/4

at

KENTUCKY Lexington, Ky.

TBA

10/18

vs.

FURMAN Columbia, S.C.

TBA

10/25

at

AUBURN Auburn, Ala.

TBA

11/01

vs.

TENNESSEE Columbia, S.C.

TBA

11/15

at

FLORIDA Gainesville, Fla.

TBA

11/22

vs.

SOUTH ALABAMA Columbia, S.C.

TBA

11/29

at

CLEMSON Clemson, S.C.

TBA

SEC game

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

|

freetimes

3

THREE TO WATCH

MISSOURI

Tigers Conference: Southeastern 2013 Record: 12-2 (7-1 SEC) 2014 Record: 3-1 (0-0 SEC) Series Record: Tied, 2-2-0 Coach: Gary Pinkel Years as Coach: 13 Record at Missouri: 105-64 Last Meeting: South Carolina 27,

Missouri 24 (2OT) (Oct. 26, 2013, in Columbia, Missouri) Returning starters: 9 (4 offense, 5 defense)

Maty Mauk, quarterback

Aarion Penton, cornerback

Andrew Baggett, kicker

Last year, Maty Mauk got the start in place of an injured James Franklin, and he almost led the Tigers to victory over the Gamecocks. Granted, nearly 40 percent of his 249 passing yards came on a 96-yard touchdown pass to L’Damian Washington in which Washington dodged multiple Gamecock tacklers. But Mauk’s struggles came against last year’s strong secondary. If Mauk and his receivers — Bud Sasser, Darius White and Jimmie Hunt have combined for 11 touchdowns in three games — fi nd a rhythm against Carolina’s struggling defensive backs, it could be a long game.

Does any SEC East team have a decent secondary? Missouri, once again, is led by a strong front seven, with defensive ends Markus Golden and Shane Ray two significant threats to even Carolina’s experienced O-line.

Missouri’s secondary is suspect minus shutdown cover corner E.J. Gaines, who graduated last year. Can Aarion Penton, who has two picks on the year, fi ll Gaines’ shoes? Or can Dylan Thompson recover from last year’s struggles and pick apart a weak Missouri secondary?

Elliott Fry’s 40-yarder proved to be the winning field goal after Andrew Baggett clanked his 24-yard attempt off the left goal post last year — one of two costly misses in a tight game and the most critical miss in a costly October slump. Baggett hasn’t started much stronger this year: He’s already shanked two of four field goal attempts this year, missing from 34 and 55 yards. In a game that could again come down to field goals, will Baggett boot another opportunity?

We Won’t Just Sit on the Sidelines, We Guide You Through Every Play of the Mortgage Game Whether you’re purchasing or refinancing, we’ll help you tackle your home loan!

Clint Hammond

Clay Henry

Erica Hill West

Felicia Welch-Geiger

NMLS #71597

NMLS #998348

NMLS #397955

NMLS #39778

Branch Manager

Loan Officer

Loan Officer

Loan Officer

Ned Hill

Loan Officer

NMLS 819546

803-771-6933  TheColumbiaTeam.com 1122 Lady Street, Suite 800, Columbia, SC 29201 © 2014 Mortgage Network, Inc. NMLS ID# 2668. North Carolina L-113607; South Carolina-BFI Mortgage Lender / Servicer License MLS – 2668. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. Equal Housing Lender.

4

freetimes |

usc VS. Missouri

Bring the Party!

TAP ROOM NOW OPEN

Buy a 12 pack of tacos and GET 3 FREE ORDERS OF Nachos and Cheese!

739 Knox Abbott Drive • Closest to campus & down town.

Present ad when ordering. Offer good at 12 Midlands participating restaurants for a limited time. © Taco Bell 2014.

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

WED 5-8PM • THUR 5-8 FRI 5-9 • SAT 11AM-9PM SUN 1-6PM WE WILL BE OPEN AT 11AM FOR THE USC/MISSOURI GAME! WE WILL BE GIVING AWAY 2 TICKETS TO THE USC/MISSOURI GAME THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH @ 7:45 PM (MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN)

PARKING FOR THE GAME IS $20 & INCLUDES A GROWLER OF BEER. LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE.

Find us on Twitter and Facebook |

freetimes

5

Bud light

The perfect beer for whatever happens...

...This football season

South Carolina’s offensive line keeps Georgia defenders away from quarterback Dylan Thompson, background, on Sept. 13. photo by Paul Collins / Gamecock Central

HOLD THE LINE

Improving offensive line key to Gamecocks’ successes

BY SCOTT HOOD

S

outh Carolina offensive line coach Shawn Elliott stood on the sidelines like a proud father.

Early in the fourth quarter of the team’s 3323 victory over East Carolina on Sept. 6 at Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecocks held a precarious seven-point lead after a Pirate touchdown.

The Gamecocks badly needed a time-consuming drive, which meant running the football and churning out first down after first down to keep the Pirates’ offense standing helplessly on the

8

freetimes |

sidelines.

Tightening their belts, the chiseled Gamecock offensive line went to work, powering an 18-play, 86-yard drive toward a game-clinching field goal with powerful blocking. Most importantly, the Gamecocks drained more than 10-and-1/2 minutes off the clock, making it virtually impossible for East Carolina to mount a rally.

At one point, South Carolina ran the ball nine straight times, registering four first downs along the way, with Brandon

Wilds and Mike Davis inflicting most of the damage.

Elliott watched the dominating drive unfold and smiled more broadly as each additional minute ticked off the clock.

“Anytime you know you have to run the football and you know you have to run minutes off the clock and you don’t want to give them the ball back, it’s very satisfying to go out there and do it,” Elliott says. “Everybody in the stadium could have told you what we had to go do, and we did it. They knew it. It usc VS. MISSOURI

Darla Moore School of Business Professional MBA Program

· #1 part-time program in S.C. (US News & World Report, 2015) · Convenient learning options: Classrooms in S.C. and Charlotte, and on-demand course capture (real and delay) · One course per seven-week term, one night per week · 28 months to complete · Optional weeklong study abroad experiences · Start dates in January and August

moore.sc.edu/pmba

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4 AIKEN

BLUFFTON

CHARLESTON

|

CHARLOTTE

COLU MBIA

GREENVILLE

freetimes

9

S PA R TA N B U R G

South Carolina’s offensive line keyed the team’s game-clinching 10-minute fourth-quarter drive against East Carolina on Sept. 6. photo by Paul Collins / Gamecock Central

was a good feeling.”

Coming off the field, the offensive line took pride in what they had helped accomplish — fueling the second longest drive in the Steve Spurrier era in terms of the number of plays (18) and time of possession (10:33).

As a result of the drive, Elliott may have discovered his best combination along the offensive front.

Redshirt freshman Alan Knott, third on the depth chart at the beginning of the season, grabbed the starting center job from redshirt sophomores Clayton Stadnik and Cody Waldrop on the strength of his crisp shotgun snaps back to the quarterback.

“We’ve told all three of those centers, whoever can snap it the best is going to be the center because the blocking between them is not a huge difference,” says head coach Steve Spurrier.

“So, whoever can throw it back

10 freetimes |

there [gets to play].”

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Knott, one of 27 Georgia players on the 2014 roster, possesses the physical tools to excel at center, so it was just a matter of grasping the mental part of the game such as reading the defensive front and making sure the ball is snapped at exactly the right moment.

Knott joined the other offensive linemen in taking satisfaction in the long drive against East Carolina, and the solid running game overall.

“We definitely do feel like we’re a part of every single yard the running backs get,” Knott says.

Knocking defensive linemen backwards and running the ball is what most offensive linemen love to do.

“They’re offensive linemen.

If you play it or you coach it, that’s something that gets you juiced up,” Elliott says. “You want to go out there and move

the football. It’s something we talk about doing. Pass protection is no different. We may throw it 30 or 40 times a game, and we want to be sound in pass protection and not give up any sacks or pressures.

“But the physicality of blocking another guy coming off the football is something all of our offensive linemen enjoy.

They have some pride about it.”

Besides center, the other offensive line position that has experienced some flux in the early going is right guard. Redshirt junior Mike Matulis was expected to anchor the spot, but he suffered a severely sprained knee during a scrimmage in preseason camp and isn’t expected back until after the Oct. 11 bye week.

Waldrop and junior Will Sport traded starts at right guard in the first two games.

Waldrop’s quality performance against East Carolina won him the job going forward, but he’ll

have to keep fighting off Sport to retain it.

The early pendulum swings at center and right guard contrast sharply with left tackle, left guard and right tackle, where the trio of Corey Robinson, A.J. Cann and Brandon Shell, respectively, have lined up every week since October 2012.

Cann, anchor of what some analysts described as the best offensive line in school history during the preseason, made his 41st career start against Georgia on Sept. 13, becoming the 11th player in the Gamecock annals to reach that lofty plateau. If the fifth-year senior and BambergEhrhardt graduate stays healthy, he could become just the second player in school history with 50 or more career starts by season’s end.

“He’s an experienced machine,” Elliott says of Cann. “He doesn’t have any screw-ups. He’s developed more of a leadership role for us this season than he usc VS. MISSOURI

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

| freetimes

11

THE BEST TAILGATE PARTY AT WILLIAMS BRICE!

LUCID & DEZ-ONE SOUND & LIGHTING PROVIDED BY TROY DAVIS

12 freetimes |

usc VS. MISSOURI

AFTER THE GAME Don’t sit in traffic. We keep the party going long after the game is over!

WILLIAMS-BRICE STADIUM CAROLINA WALK CONDOS

GEORGE ROGERS BLVD

STATE FAIRGROUNDS

S. STADIUM ROAD BLUFF ROAD

DJ’S

Join us at our sister bar, Kelly’s Pub on Washington Street for great food, fun and FREE SHOTS with every SC Score!

SHOP ROAD

COCKS VS. MIZZOU TIGERS

ASSEMBLY STREET

Check out the incredible BUD LIGHT PORTABAR equipped with Flat screen TV’s and ICE COLD Bud products! You have to see it to believe it!!

WANT TO AVOID THE STADIUM?

Redshirt freshman Alan Knott, far left, and senior A.J. Cann, far right, have been key performers for South Carolina’s offensive line. photo by Paul Collins / Gamecock Central

probably has in the past.”

Cann transitioned smoothly from high school to college, starting every game at left guard as a redshirt freshman in 2011 and earning a spot on a variety of Freshman All-America teams. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, Cann has started 40 of 41 games; coming into this season, he was regarded as one of the top guards in the SEC and a seemingly certain 2015 NFL Draft pick.

Robinson’s journey, though, towards becoming entrenched as the starter at left tackle was more meandering.

Initially recruited in 2010 as an offensive lineman, Robinson bounced between the offensive and defensive lines over the next two years. Finally, things clicked and he made his first

14 freetimes |

career start at left tackle against Missouri in 2012. He started nine of the final 10 contests at left tackle.

Last season, he started all 13 games at left tackle. Today, NFL scouts love his size, speed and strength and, like Cann, he should hear his name called during the 2015 NFL Draft.

NFL.com rated him the No. 3 most physical player in college football in a preseason article.

What changed? Robinson acknowledges a significant transformation in attitude helped, along with improved conditioning and weight loss.

“When guys come in, there are very few who really know how to put in the effort and focus,” Elliott says. “As they get older, they understand what it really takes to be a great football

player and to make your team a really strong one. I’ve seen more of our guys doing that than I have before, and that’s a good feeling.”

Robinson always possessed the raw talent, so it was simply a matter of drawing it out, refining it and manufacturing the final product.

“It’s all about maturity,” Elliott says. “[Robinson] made the commitment to change and become a focused individual.

He’s gained confidence and become a better football player every season since then.”

Shell, of course, was born to play tackle in the SEC and beyond; his great-uncle is NFL Hall of Famer Art Shell.

After redshirting in 2011, Shell earned Freshman All-SEC honors when he started 10 of

13 games in 2012. Shell made his first career start at left tackle but was soon shifted to the right side, where he played in high school and was more comfortable. He returned to the starting lineup against Kentucky in 2012 and has started every game since.

With Cann and Robinson departing after this season — and Shell projected to turn pro as well following his fourth year in the program — Elliott faces a rebuilding project in 2015.

So spring practice should be filled with position battles up and down the offensive line.

However, with the 2014 season yet to reach the halfway point, Elliott is concerned about today.

usc VS. MISSOURI

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

|

freetimes

15

SENIOR PROFILE

BY Chris Dearing

Offensive Guard A.J. Cann photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina

OFFENSIVE GUARD HOMETOWN: Bamberg, S.C.

A.J. CANN HEIGHT / WEIGHT:

6-4 / 311

Protect This House O-line stalwart A.J. Cann guards his teammates, friends

W

hen A.J. Cann finishes his distinguished playing career at South Carolina, he will have more to look back on than the success his Gamecocks teams achieved on the field. First, he has already earned his degree in African-American studies. Then there’s the bond and friendship he shares with starting quarterback and roommate Dylan Thompson, something that will last a lifetime.

“A.J. is definitely an inspiration to me and I think to a lot of his teammates,” Thompson says. “You think of what kind of person he is off the field first.

He’s able to combine that with his ability on the field and it makes it that much more incredible.”

The two entered school together in 2010 and shared a

16

freetimes |

that trip and we saw so many different things and I thought it was great fun for us. It was crazy witnessing the life they live up there.

It’s different. They don’t have a lot of the opportunities that we have here in the United States.”

Opportunity is something Cann will soon find a lot about.

He’s on the radar of NFL scouting teams, and his performance so far this season has not disappointed.

According to cbssports.com, Cann is the top-rated offensive guard in the draft, and the 39th best prospect overall. That will likely get him drafted in the late first or early second rounds.

Scouts praise his work ethic and strength.

“He bursts out of his stance and quickly gets into position, showing instinctive eyes to know what’s happening round him while extending his reach to keep space between himself and his target,” writes CBS Sports’ Rob Rang. “He is able to drive opponents off the ball because of his strength and leverage advantage.”

Cann can’t believe his time is EXPERIENCE: almost over donning the garnet 3 VL and black of South Carolina, but he’s not looking in the rearview mirror just yet.

“Now is not the time to look back on my career at South ups. He’s also developed more of Carolina,” Cann says. “It’s gone by a leadership role for us than he very quickly, but I wouldn’t trade probably has in the past. With it for anything in this world. I’ve Dylan and him being such close friends, that’s helped A.J. become grown so much as a person and a little bit more vocal. We see him believer in Christ it’s unbelievget excited now. It’s not a welcome able. Then you look at the things we’ve accomplished on the field change because he’s been doing and it’s really been an incredible that all along, but the leadership experience.” role is something he’s taken over.

One person who’ll certainly You can talk to all of the players about leadership. You either got it miss Cann is Elliott.

“It’s comforting to know I can or you don’t. When it comes out, you can definitely see it. It’s shown pencil him in every week,” Elliott says. “Everybody has ups and a lot this season.” downs, but he’s a fine young man That leadership and growth that goes out there and comcan be traced to Cann’s friendpetes. The best thing about him ship with Thompson. Those two is he wants to please everyone. are nearly inseparable, and this He wants to please himself, our past summer, the two traveled to staff and the University of South Israel to help run football camps and share their faith — something Carolina fans. He’s a great representative of our university and Cann will never forget.

I’m going to miss him when he’s “We took that trip together gone.” and that gave us a chance even more to grow as friends and as brothers,” Cann says. “We took

redshirt season before Cann became a mainstay at the left guard position in 2011. He’s started all but one game during the past four seasons and has earned the admiration of the entire team.

“He’s an experienced machine that goes in there and knows what he’s doing,” offensive line coach Shawn Elliott says.

“He doesn’t have many screw-

usc VS. MISSOURI

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

|

freetimes

17

EXPLAINING THE GAME

BY Chris Dearing

Offensive line coach Shawn Elliott coaches on the sideline during the Georgia game on Sept. 13. photo by Paul Collins / Gamecock Central

Film Studies 101

O-line coach Shawn Elliott majors in breaking down game film

S

outh Carolina offensive line coach Shawn Elliott showed a lot about his in-game management during the Gamecocks 33-23 victory over East Carolina in the second game of the season. Elliott, who is in his fifth year with Carolina, shook up the offensive line before the game, plugging untested Alan Knott at center and Will Sport at guard.

Something, he thought, needed to be done after a lackluster performance in the season-opening loss to Texas A&M. Knott worked out well, but when the offense sputtered in the opening two series against the Pirates and Sport seemed to be getting overmatched, he returned Cody Waldrop to the line at guard.

The Gamecocks proceeded to score on seven straight possessions to end the game.

“A lot of times, you just go with what is working,” Elliott says. “We weren’t moving it too well to begin with, so we made

18

freetimes |

a change and scored seven straight times. As long as it was working, I was going to keep the same guys in there.”

Obviously the lineup shuffle plays a big role in the decisionmaking process on the sideline, but Elliott is quick to acknowledge that the biggest coaching opportunities come on the practice field and in the film room. But that doesn’t diminish what’s done on the sidelines when players come off the field.

“In the game, it’s all about adjustments, it’s not about fundamentals so much at that point,” Elliott says. “You look

at the game from a different perspective. You’re looking at what defenses [the opponent] is playing, what formations dictate what defense they give you.”

Elliott likens it to a chess match.

“It’s all a mind game at that point,” he says. “The physicality, the fundamentals — everything that goes into preparation is done. You can’t really change anything at that point. You can give them reminders what may happen with this technique or some other things like that, but primarily my job is to stand behind them and find formations that work and out-manipulate the defense. It becomes a thinking man’s game at that point.”

The bulk of the gameplanning for the next opponent comes in the 24 hours after the previous game. Coaches usually come in and break down film on their team and the upcoming foe on Sundays. When the first meeting takes place, they like to go over what happened in the previous game.

Reviewing the first two South Carolina games, Elliott thinks he got a whole lot more out of watching the East Carolina tape than he did Texas A&M. “I don’t think we really found out who we were in that first game,” he says. “There were missed assignments and things that I just don’t think will be typical with the group. But that final drive against East Carolina makes you proud. Everybody in the stadium knew what we were going to do and we lined up and they couldn’t stop it. Certainly the line took a lot of confidence away from holding the ball for over 10 minutes when we needed to.”

Elliott says breaking down the film for his unit is one of the more pleasurable parts of his job. The offensive linemen are down in the trenches, and they sometimes don’t really know what goes on until seeing it later on film. The linemen’s focus is to carry out their assignments, and how that works in the grand scheme of things doesn’t always sink in until later. Even with an experienced unit that features two seniors and a junior who’ve started multiple games in the past few years, explaining the full plan is still paramount.

“They want to know what is going on,” Elliott says of his hogmollies. “The great thing about our guys is they don’t hear a lot of the formations, so when we come in on a Sunday or Monday, we look at film and I say, ‘This is why we did this.’

We may have put a formation into the boundary to gain an advantage. They really don’t grasp it until they see it after the fact. It’s always nice when you can put the pieces together for them.”

usc VS. MISSOURI

THE ORIGINAL DESIGNATED DRIVER DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY!

• Book a reservation in as few as 3 clicks.

• Get a fare estimate by entering both pickup and destination address.

• Receive a confirmation number for your reservation immediately on booking.

• Receive notifications including vehicle number once your reservation has been dispatched.

• Monitor the progress of your vehicle on a map.

• Create a list of favorite addresses and assign a custom name for each.

iPhone

WWW.CHECKERYELLOWCAB.COM

• Select an address from your list of telephone contacts.

• Specify the number of passengers, vehicle type and preferred payment method.

• Review all reservations you have made over the past 30 days.

• Provide feedback related to the application and/or service you received.

• Call Checker Yellow Cab with a push of a button.

VVVV

Android

AVAILABLE 24/7

803-799-3311

OUR PASSION IS THE RIGHT NUTRITION BUSH RIVER ROAD 422 Bush River Rd., Unit 4 Columbia, SC 29210 (803) 216-0910 Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm

NUTRITION WAREHOUSE inside SOUTH CAROLINA BARBELL 9600 Two Notch Rd. #14 Columbia, SC 29223 (803) 788-2852

FOREST ACRES 4714 Forest Drive Columbia, SC 29206 (803) 708-5788 Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm

Monday - Thursday 5am - 10pm Friday 5am - 8pm Saturday 8am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

We have great dishes and platters to make you the star of every Saturday’s game.

Come get creative with us.

LEXINGTON 5609 Sunset Blvd. Ste. D Lexington, SC 29072 (803) 951-0600

GO GAMECOCKS!

Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm

3101 MILLWOOD AVENUE

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

•

771.8080

•

www.MyMadPlatter.com

|

freetimes

19

Burning Bright Rebuilding Tigers still a tough out for Gamecocks OPINION BY JAMES HARLEY

W

FLUFF -N- FOLD 1.50

$

PER POUND

A QUALITY CLEANER WHERE YOU GET MORE THAN WHAT YOU PAID! BRING THIS AD FOR 10% OFF YOUR ORDER

dougs2.50cleaners

4600-5 FOREST DR. COLUMBIA, SC 803.782.2755

1637 MAIN ST. COLUMBIA, SC 803.252.2791

20 freetimes |

hen Missouri joined the SEC three years ago, no one really expected the Tigers to rise so quickly to the top of the East division. After all, this is the most powerful conference in college football, and Carolina fans in particular are well aware of how difficult it is to succeed as a new member: The Gamecocks have captured just one division title in 22 years. And yet Missouri, despite losing to Carolina in the school’s first two SEC meetings, managed to win the East last year — in just its second year in the conference.

The Tigers’ almost instant success was seen by football pundits and armchair critics as a fluke, the result of a harmonic convergence of talent as the other divisional powers beat each other up while Missouri floated through a relatively easy SEC schedule. This conclusion was clear enough to see in all of the 2014 preseason predictions, which put the Gamecocks and the Georgia Bulldogs at the top of the East, as if the Tigers no longer existed as a legitimate threat.

Certainly, last year’s team no longer exists. Losing starting quarterback James Franklin as well as all of its top receivers, Missouri returns only four offensive starters and five on defense. However, the notion that the Tigers’ 2013 success was a random fluke and not the sign of a strong, deep program is beginning to fade as the season progresses. While not yet tested in the SEC this year, the Tigers have nonetheless looked solid, their best win coming in a blowout (38-10) against the underrated Central Florida Knights, which last year went 12-1, their only loss coming at the hands of the Gamecocks.

Though Mizzou’s other opponents haven’t been as tough, the Tigers have averaged more than 40 points per game through the first three weeks of the season with an average victory margin of 24 points — numbers that can easily make a Gamecock fan jealous.

So, how will we know if Missouri is really a challenger for the East title again this year? This

week’s game should be a fairly accurate barometer. It has been easy to see Carolina’s gradual week-to-week improvement, but both schools are actually in similar situations as they undergo significant transitions at the quarterback position. What makes this game especially scary for Carolina, however, is that the same two quarterbacks who started last year’s close contest return for a second tour of duty. Remember, Dylan Thompson started last year’s game in place of an ailing Connor Shaw — and the Gamecocks fell behind 17-0 with Thompson under center. Then-backup Maty Mauk started in place of the injured James Franklin for Missouri, and though Mauk was not all that effective himself, it took nothing less than a heroic performance by Shaw in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime, where the Gamecocks ultimately triumphed 27-24.

Without Shaw to save him this time around, the playing field is leveled for a rematch between Thompson and Mauk. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s hard to imagine that Thompson has substantially improved over Mauk, and so the key to winning this game will likely be the supporting cast. Carolina’s defense is notably weaker this year, and is almost surely going to cede more than 17 points in regulation, so much of Carolina’s success will depend on the productivity of the offense — particularly the running game, given Thompson’s inconsistency. The Gamecocks didn’t run the ball well in last year’s game, so a breakout is going to have to occur one way or another.

On the other side, the Missouri defense has yet to be challenged by a power school, which may throw all of those fresh faces off balance a bit and help the Gamecock offense find its groove. The other advantage, of course, is the home field, which will allow a level of emotional support that the Gamecocks did not have in last year’s dramatic battle. Either way, it’s likely this one will stay close again.

Gamecocks 31, Tigers 27. usc VS. MISSOURI

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

| freetimes

21

GAMECOCK ROSTER NO. NAME

NO. NAME

POS. HGT. WGT. CL.

HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL/LAST COLLEGE

89 4 81 19 40 29 80 23 21 1 50 7 16 18 11 86 58 14 28 13 31 42 44 92 52 17 5 18 29 90 43 9 19 93 7 94 14 20 15 59 31 34 84 83 82 11 13 35 8 55 3 70 99 3 8 46 25 76 91 48 41 1 6 6 10 41 5 87 10 88 69 30 49 34 30 21 53 55 4 43

TE LB TE PK TE WR WR SPR WR WR OG TB K/P DE WR TE LS WR TB QB FB SPR DE DT DT FS DE P PK TE FB SPR WR DT CB DT CB SS QB LS CB DE WR WR WR LB P DB WR DE WR OC DT CB LB SPR FS OT DE TE FB CB QB SS LB LB QB WR QB TE OT FB TB K/P CB LB OT OT WR DB

Pinewood, S.C./Scott's Branch Ellenwood, Ga./Cedar Grove Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe Columbia, S.C./Cardinal Newman/Fork Union Military Columbia, S.C./Keenan/Hampton Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge Charlotte, NC./Vance Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Bishop England/Presbyterian Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek Bamberg, S.C./Bamberg-Ehrhardt Scranton, S.C./Lake City Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park/North Carolina A&T Lithonia, Ga./Lithonia Havelock, NC./Havelock Bamberg, S.C./Bamberg-Ehrhardt Laurens, S.C./Laurens Academy Gaffney, S.C./Gaffney Atlanta, Ga./Stephenson Columbia, S.C./Irmo Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West Fort Myers, Fla./Island Coast Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern Manning, S.C./Manning Union City, Ga./Banneker Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern Shelby, N.C./Burns Frisco, Tx./Prince of Peace Christian Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern Decatur, Ga./Southwest DeKalb Atlanta, Ga./Woodward Academy Windermere, Fla./Olympia Lithonia, Ga./Martin Luther King Buford, Ga./Mill Creek Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson Cairo, Ga./Cairo Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville Aiken, S.C./South Aiken Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas Fort Oglethorpe, Ga./Ridgeland Rock Hill, S.C./Rock Hill Athens, Ga./Clarke Central/Gardner-Webb Cornelius, N.C./Hough Stone Mountain, Ga./St. Pius X Mount Airy, N.C./Mount Airy/Guilford College Florence, S.C./South Florence St. Matthews, S.C./Calhoun County Lithonia, Ga./Lithonia Moore, S.C./Byrnes Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek Fayetteville, N.C./Trinity Christian/Fort Scott C.C. Sunrise, Fla./Plantation Pleasantville, N.J./St. Joseph Camden, S.C./Camden/Coastal Carolina Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson Boynton Beach, Fla./Park Vista Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville Raleigh, N.C./Garner Hampton, Ga./Lovejoy Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield McDonough, Ga./Henry County Cooper City, Fla./University Warner Robins, Ga./White Knoll/Gray Military Allentown, Pa./Central Catholic Orangeburg, S.C./Orangeburg Prep Ponte Vedra, Fla./Ponte Verda/Florida State College Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell Dillon, S.C./Dillon Columbia, S.C./Richland Northeast/North Greenville Granite Falls, N.C./South Caldwell Cockeysville, Md./St. Paul's Easley, S.C./Wren/Western Carolina Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern Havelock, N.C./Havelock Waldorf, Md./McDonough Lexington, S.C./Lexington Atlanta, Ga./Woodward Academy

Jerell Adams Bryson Allen-Williams Rory Anderson Landon Ard Jacob August Matrick Belton K.J. Brent Larenz Bryant Andrew Bunch Damiere Byrd A.J. Cann Shon Carson Zack Cimaglia Cedrick Cooper Pharoh Cooper Kevin Crosby Ryland Culbertson Shaq Davidson Mike Davis Grant Davitte Jordan Diaz Jordan Diggs Gerald Dixon Gerald Dixon, Jr. Phillip Dukes Chaz Elder Darius English Patrick Fish Elliott Fry Cody Gibson Garrison Gist Sharrod Golightly Terry Googer Deon Green Wesley Green Kelsey Griffin Ali Groves T.J. Gurley Austin Hails Coleman Harley Al Harris Jr. Mason Harris Matthew Harvey Carlton Heard Caleb Hines T.J. Holloman Tyler Hull Shannon James Shamier Jeffery David Johnson Nick Jones Alan Knott Abu Lamin Chris Lammons Kaiwan Lewis Cedrick Malone Kadetrix Marcus Mike Matulis Blake McClain Nick McGriff Connor McLaurin Rico McWilliams Connor Mitch Chris Moody Skai Moore Kyle Morini Brendan Nosovitch Sean Odom Perry Orth Drew Owens D.J. Park Darius Paulk Devin Potter Jonas Price Sidney Rhodes Marcquis Roberts Corey Robinson Na'Ty Rodgers Shaq Roland Benjamin Russell

22 freetimes |

6-6 242 6-1 231 6-5 227 5-9 178 6-6 247 6-4 215 6-4 192 6-0 220 5-11 173 5-9 170 6-4 311 5-8 201 6-1 170 6-2 225 5-11 201 6-1 230 6-4 267 5-11 170 5-9 223 6-3 180 6-1 236 6-0 217 6-2 274 6-3 323 6-3 323 6-2 195 6-6 241 6-0 194 6-0 165 6-7 278 5-10 260 5-10 187 6-4 210 6-4 289 5-10 176 6-2 310 5-10 187 5-10 194 6-2 220 6-1 246 5-11 162 6-3 235 6-8 22 8 6-0 188 5-11 160 6-2 234 6-2 207 5-7 153 6-1 198 6-1 275 5-7 168 6-4 280 6-4 302 5-10 172 6-0 228 6-0 201 6-1 194 6-5 307 6-3 265 6-0 220 6-0 243 5-11 184 6-3 211 6-1 210 6-2 213 5-10 221 6-1 221 6-0 190 6-1 204 6-6 238 6-4 328 5-8 199 5-10 203 6-2 165 5-10 182 6-1 216 6-8 344 6-5 280 6-1 176 6-0 175

JR FR SR RS JR FR RS SO RS JR SO RS SO SR RS SR RS JR RS SO RS JR SO FR RS SR FR JR RS FR RS SR RS SO RS SO RS JR RS JR RS SO RS SO RS SR SO RS SR RS JR RS SR FR RS SO FR SO RS FR JR RS JR RS JR FR RS JR RS JR RS JR FR RS SO RS SR RS SO RS JR RS FR RS SR RS FR RS SO FR JR RS SO SR RS JR FR FR RS SR RS SO RS FR RS SO SO RS SR RS SO SO RS SO RS JR RS FR RS SO RS SO RS FR RS SR RS SO RS SR RS FR JR RS FR

NO. NAME

9 26 12 49 71 39 24 22 75 65 54 90 72 45 97 32 17 44 51 28 51 95 85 22 12 33 47 77 74

POS. HGT. WGT. CL.

Deebo Samuel Jasper Sasser Michael Scarnecchia Garrett Shank Brandon Shell Demetrius Smalls D.J. Smith Jamari Smith Will Sport Brock Stadnik Clayton Stadnik Taylor Stallworth Donell Stanley Brandon Sturdivant J.T. Surratt Rod Talley Dylan Thompson Gerald Turner Cody Waldrop Jonathan Walton Devin Washington Michael Washington Kane Whitehurst Brandon Wilds Brison Williams David Williams Drew Williams Malik Young Mason Zandi

WR FS QB SS OT DB DB CB OG OG OC DT OL FB DT TB QB FB OC LB DE DE WR TB SS TB LS OL OT

6-0 192 6-0 203 6-4 189 6-0 203 6-6 333 5-11 170 5-11 189 5-10 197 6-5 291 6-5 287 6-3 273 6-2 293 6-4 346 6-2 218 6-2 310 5-10 201 6-3 218 6-2 250 6-2 309 6-0 228 6-3 221 6-3 237 5-11 169 6-2 222 5-11 208 6-1 214 6-2 201 6-3 318 6-9 301

FR RS FR FR RS SO RS JR RS FR FR SO RS JR RS SO RS SO FR FR RS SO RS SR RS SO RS SR RS FR RS SO SO RS FR RS JR RS JR RS JR SR RS FR SO FR RS SO

POS. HGT. WGT. CL.

HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL/LAST COLLEGE

HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL/LAST COLLEGE

Inman, S.C./Chapman Jacksonville, Fla./Wolfson Fleming Island, Fla./Fleming Island Marietta, Ga./Lassiter Goose Creek, S.C./Goose Creek Bluffton, S.C./Bluffton Marietta, Ga./Walton Jacksonville, Fla./Fletcher Milton, Fla./Pace Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford Mobile, Ala./Murphy Floydale, S.C./Latta Fort Mill, S.C./Nation Ford/York Tech Winston-Salem, N.C./Parkland Laurens, S.C./Laurens/Gardner-Webb Boiling Springs, S.C./Boiling Springs Goose Creek, S.C./Goose Creek Seffner, Fla./Armwood Daphne, Ala./Bayside Academy Orlando, Fla./Jones Allendale, S.C./Allendale-Fairfax/S.C. State Duluth, Ga./Chattahoochee/Arkansas Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood Warner Robins, Ga./Northside/Fork Union Military Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter Irmo, S.C/Dutch Fork Pelzer, S.C./Woodmont Irmo, S.C./Chapin

GAMECOCK Game STATs Passing Dylan Thompson Total Opponents

Rushing Mike Davis Brandon Wilds Pharoh Cooper Damiere Byrd David Williams Shon Carson Dylan Thompson Total Opponents

Receiving Pharoh Cooper Nick Jones Shaq Roland Mike Davis Rory Anderson Brandon Wilds Damiere Byrd Jerell Adams K.J. Brent Shon Carson David Williams Connor McLaurin Total Opponents

GP EFFIC 4 4 4

150.75 150.75 151.68

GP 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4

COMP-ATT-INT 88-142-3 88-142-3 107-153-3

ATT GAIN 58 40 7 3 5 4 15 136 128

GP 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4

277 217 90 28 25 18 39 694 719

NO. 21 17 14 10 9 5 3 3 3 1 1 1 88 107

LOSS 13 7 1 0 0 0 37 64 45

YDS

244 259 176 75 128 51 99 54 39 9 6 0 1140 1246

PCT

YDS

62.0 62.0 69.9

1140 1140 1246

NET

AVG

264 210 89 28 25 18 2 630 674

11 11 8

TD

4.6 5.2 12.7 9.3 5.0 4.5 0.1 4.6 5.3

AVG

2 1 0 0 1 0 2 6 7

LG

AVG/G

LG

AVG/G

LG

AVG/G

69 69 44

36 24 70 14 12 13 10 70 44

TD

11.6 15.2 12.6 7.5 14.2 10.2 33.0 18.0 13.0 9.0 6.0 0.0 13.0 11.6

2 3 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 11 8

TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYERS • TACKLES Skai Moore T.J. Gurley Rico McWilliams Brison Williams S. Golightly

TD

27 69 31 19 29 24 46 27 16 9 6 0 69 44

285.0 285.0 311.5

66.0 52.5 22.2 7.0 8.3 4.5 0.5 157.5 168.5

61.0 64.8 44.0 18.8 32.0 12.8 24.8 13.5 9.8 2.2 2.0 0.0 285.0 311.5

GP

UA

A

TOT

TFL/YDS.

4 4 4 4 4

17 18 14 14 8

11 6 3 1 6

28 24 17 15 14

1.0-9 • 1.0-3 • •

usc VS. Missouri

September 24, 2014 | ISSUE no. 4

| freetimes

23

go gamecocks!

Do you need assistance with a legal matter?

Handling a legal matter on your own may lead to an undesirable outcome.

Before handling a DUI, criminal charge, personal injury or civil matter on your own, let attorney Marion M. Moses consult with you to explain your rights.

Former state prosecutor, over 13 years experience practicing law.

24 freetimes |

usc VS. MISSOURI