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10 why so serious? Connor Shaw Shows Mentality, Commitment to Lead South Carolina

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executive EDITOr: Dan Cook | editor@free-times.com, ext. 133 ASSIGNING EDITOR: David Cloninger production manager: Lisa Willis | lisaw@free-times.com, ext. 121 senior graphic designer: Wilbert T. Fields | wilbertf@free-times.com, ext. 145 graphic designer: Joey Ayer | joeya@free-times.com, ext. 150 Contributors: Chris Clark, Paul Collins, Chris Dearing, James Harley illustrator: Dré Lopez ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Kerry Powers | kpowers@free-times.com, ext. 128 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Adam Cross | adamc@free-times.com, ext. 134 Zach Johnston | zachj@free-times.com, ext. 146 Ginny Kuhn | ginnyk@free-times.com, ext. 130 Brian Wingard | brianw@free-times.com, ext. 127 ACCOUNT assistant: Jaimie Small | jaimies@free-times.com, ext. 123

Schedule Opponent Preview: East Carolina Opponent Roster: East Carolina Gameday Poster: USC vs. East Carolina

CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER: Cale Johnson | classy@free-times.com, ext. 131 CLASSIFIEDS SALES Melissa Kyzer | melissak@free-times.com, ext. 141 Jason Stroman | jasons@free-times.com, ext. 132

Explaining The Game: Kirk Botkin Senior Profile: DeVonte Holloman GamecockCentral.com’s Recruit to Watch: Gerald Turner East Carolina Game is Barometer for Quarterback Position USC Roster, Coaches, Depth ON THE COVER: USC starting quarterback Connor Shaw. Photo by Paul Collins.

OPERATIONS MANAGER: Jen Coody | jenc@free-times.com, ext. 124 CIRCULATION: Tammy Figurski | circulation@free-times.com, ext. 152 The Side Line is published by Portico Media SC 1534 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201 PO Box 8295, Columbia, SC 29202 | (803) 765-0707 • 765-0727 FAX • free-times.com Advertisers in The Side Line assume responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of all advertisements. In case of error or omissions in advertisement, the publisher’s sole liability shall be to publish the advertisement at a later date. Notice of error must be made within ten days of first insertion. © 2012 Portico Publications, LTD. All rights reserved.

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usc VS east carolina

CAROLINA FOOTBALL

SCHE D ULE 2 0 1 2

08/30/12 at Vanderbilt h

W, 17-13

Nashville, Tenn.

09/08/12 vs. East Carolina Columbia, S.C.

09/15/12 vs. UAB

12:21 p.m.

Columbia, S.C.

7 p.m.

09/22/12 vs. Missouri h Columbia, S.C.

TBA

09/29/12 at Kentucky h Lexington, Ky.

TBA

10/06/12 vs. Georgia h Columbia, S.C.

TBA

10/13/12 at LSU h Baton Rouge, La.

TBA

10/20/12 at Florida h Gainesville, Fla.

TBA

10/27/12 vs. Tennessee h Columbia, S.C.

TBA

11/10/12 vs. Arkansas h Columbia, S.C.

11/17/12 vs. Wofford

TBA

Columbia, S.C.

1 p.m.

11/24/12 at Clemson Clemson, S.C.

H= SEC game

TBA

usc VS east carolina

2011

usc VS east carolina

Quarterback Connor Shaw Photo by Paul Collins

Shaw had his coming-out party against Kentucky the next week, winning SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for 311 yards and four touchdowns. He never looked back — the position was his, as any semblance of a quarterback controversy ended shortly after that game when Garcia used up his last chance and was dismissed from the team.

Time to Define Himself

Why So Serious?

Connor Shaw Shows Mentality, Commitment to Lead South Carolina

B Y D AV I D C L O N I N G E R

hy so serious?

Because the last guy wasn’t. Connor Shaw was a backup, one of a few, when he first reported to USC in 2010. Stephen Garcia still had two years to go, and Steve Spurrier knew that Garcia was the best option, if only Garcia could keep himself in line. The police records and sightings around town were numerous, some tales so outlandish that they had to be questioned — sort of. As unbelievable as some rumors might have seemed, the stories of

Garcia’s exploits usually had some grains of truth to them. Shaw kept to himself; he came to USC to play and was as studious about the game as he had been in high school, where he threw for 3,100 yards in his senior year. Spurrier loved to tell the story of Shaw and center T.J. Johnson heading outside at night to practice snapping, Shaw knowing that someday he would be doing it in a game. Shaw won the starting job for the 2011 season-opener against East Carolina, but he knew Garcia would start the second quarter

from Spurrier’s pre-game statements. After that, it would depend on who was playing better. That was Garcia. Shaw had a miserable first quarter, and by the time Garcia first touched the ball, the Gamecocks trailed 17-0. Garcia led USC to a stirring comeback, a spark lit into a bonfire by his explosive touchdown run, but the joy quickly faded. USC won over the next few weeks, but Garcia was playing badly. Interceptions outnumbered touchdowns three-to-one, and when the Gamecocks lost a home game to Auburn to snap their winning streak, Spurrier had seen enough.

Shaw has cemented himself at the quarterback position, and now it’s time for him to define himself as a leader. He is not Garcia, his predecessor who made himself a Columbia legend far more often off the field than on it. The hell-raiser from Tampa received more publicity for his non-football dalliances than for winning ball games. The nagging factor with Garcia was always that he had the talent, but did he have the drive? If Garcia had shown the commitment that Shaw does, it would be his name on the ramps of Williams-Brice Stadium as a career leader, and he would be one strong act to follow. But Garcia didn’t have that commitment. The Gamecocks want talent at the position, but they need stability. Shaw has proven that he can be counted on; he’s able to aid his teammates, and he’s already shown the will and desire to be a champion. He showed it again in the season opener against Vanderbilt, working on an injured shoulder to grind out a messy win. Will that commitment be enough? It should be more than enough. Through the Gamecocks’ last three games in 2011, all wins, Shaw only missed on 14 of his 55 pass attempts. He threw for more than 200 yards in each game and accumulated eight touchdowns to one interception. He also ran for three scores. But USC didn’t need him to run: His legs were an added bonus, as the Gamecocks saw that Shaw indeed had an arm and wasn’t afraid to use it. Shaw spent so much time in the weight room over the summer — those “non-mandatory” conditioning drills that players had bet-

usc VS east carolina

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ter show up to — that the coaches had to tell him to quit lifting. They didn’t want him to get too big. “He does what you would like quarterbacks to do on the field, off the field and so forth,” Spurrier said. “I think the players have a lot of confidence in him. He’s a good player. He’s a very good quarterback who we hope is going to turn into a really great one, an outstanding one.”

A Lifelong Work Ethic Why so serious? Because that’s the only way he knows. “Connor was as serious in high school as he is in college,” said Lee Shaw, Connor’s father. “He played with his older brother, came in right behind him. He knew the ropes, how you were supposed to act. When he was 5 or 6, and our ballboy, he knew he was supposed to be broken in early.” Shaw has become infamous for his game-face demeanor — eyes as cold as two flint marbles, a hair of a line where his mouth used to be, his scalp gleaming like a hardboiled egg under the thinnest of buzz cuts. He’ll celebrate on the field, clapping his hands or accepting a chest or fist bump from his coach or receivers, but off the field, in the glare of the cameras or facing an outsider, his expression rarely changes. He’s had it since his days at Flowery Branch High School in Georgia. “He was harder on us than anybody else,” said Jaybo Shaw, Connor’s older brother who was a quarterback at Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern and now assists his father at Rabun County (Ga.) High. “Nobody thought we were playing because we were coach Shaw’s kids. Everybody knew that we worked harder than everybody.” Standing on the sidelines with his brother and dad, first as a youngster and then as a middleschooler about to join the prep ranks, Connor learned what it would take to be a winner. With his brother flinging passes to him, Connor became an all-state receiver as a sophomore, and major offers starting to roll in. But Jaybo was off to college,

and Lee wanted Connor to switch to quarterback. It was a change that was debated for only a short while. “He wasn’t real sure if he wanted to play quarterback,” Jaybo said. “If he kept playing receiver, he was getting Division I offers, and he figured he would get a lot more since he was just starting his junior year. “After he played those first couple of games, it came natural to him,” Jaybo said. “He just had to convince himself and get some playing time at quarterback.” Connor took over at quarterback and threw for 2,200 yards while rushing for another 941, accumulating 33 touchdowns and guiding the Falcons to the state championship game, where they finished runner-up. As a senior, he passed for 3,100, ran for 800, scored 47 TDs and led Flowery Branch to the state semifinals. Most all of it came without an extra war whoop, high-five or arm pump to whip the crowd into a frenzy. “He does understand that any time you strap on that helmet, it’s time to go to work,” Jaybo said. “That’s his job — to be the best player he can be. Everything that he does is trying his best to win. When it was time to go to work, it was time to go win a ballgame, time to go play football and win football. That’s the business side of it.”

Confidence Flows from the Top It’s that focus, that drive, that has the Gamecocks feeling confident about their season. It flows from above, where even a notorious quarterback-rider like coach Spurrier is completely assured of Shaw’s ability to handle and direct his offense. For the first time in his eight years at USC, there is no second-guessing, public baiting or another QB bidding for the spot. “He’s very serious when it comes to football,” Lee said. “He knows he’s at South Carolina for an education and to win football games. If he doesn’t take it seriously, he’s not going to get better. “He’s got a little quiet orneri-

ness that I like, but Connor’s a guy that knows when it’s time to get to work and when it’s time not to get to work,” said USC quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus. “He’s a good kid and can have a laugh or two here or there, but he gets it done when it’s out here between the white lines.” The approach Shaw has taken toward being the Gamecocks’ quarterback is the same that he has taken toward football all of his life. He has dedicated himself to being the best that he can possibly be, adopting the attitude that somebody out there may work as hard as him, but nobody will work harder. That kind of commitment has USC feeling good after the past four years of Garcia at the helm, when the Gamecocks never knew what kind of quarterback was going to show up on Saturday. Now, the team can rest assured that this quarterback won’t ever be in the headlines for something other than football. Make no mistake, the coaches love that Shaw is more of a homebody when he’s not on the field. No doubt about it. “Patience? I don’t have patience?” Spurrier asked at SEC Media Days. “Do you know what I’ve been through for about the last four years? No, Connor hasn’t tested [my patience]. Connor represents our university and football program in a very high-class manner.” And it’s not as if Shaw doesn’t have any fun. Football — despite being violent, dangerous and hyped into near life-or-death sometimes — is a game. The coaches want their players to be serious about it, but being in a stadium packed with 80,000 people, cheers raining down on them just because they’re wearing a jersey, how could an 18-22-year-old not have fun? “He loves football,” Mangus said. “If you love football the way he loves it, you’ve got to have fun. Just because you may not be a laugher or a giggler or all that kind of stuff, I assure you, he has a good time playing football. He loves it.” But when it’s time to train, time to practice, time to play the

game, it’s almost as if Shaw has a split personality. His smile disappears so quickly that there’s often just a fuzzy recollection of when it was there. “He always had that about him,” Jaybo said. “He can flip a switch, when he knew how to have fun and how to relax, and when he knew it was time to go to work.”

Time to Lead Why so serious? Because he knows that even with several seniors on the team, the quarterback is always going to be viewed as the leader. The Gamecocks have embraced a new attitude and commitment level, with Coach Spurrier saying that’s the biggest reason that he seems to have a bit of his old swagger back. USC has won 20 games in two seasons, with a bowl win and an SEC East championship over that span, and last season Shaw became a big part of the success. With other stars such as Marcus Lattimore, Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor back, USC is thinking it can make a run at the SEC and national championships. Shaw is at the forefront of that, the man who has to make the decisions and then show that they were the right ones. His confidence is as high as it ever has been. “When Stephen Garcia left the team, maybe it cleared the air a little bit for Connor,” Spurrier said at SEC Media Days. “Sometimes when the quarterback knows he’s the guy, he plays a little bit better. Maybe that helped Connor. He played very well in the final four games.” Shaw has every tool to be an elite quarterback. All that’s left is for him to prove it. “Offseason, I’ve been working on being more of a vocal leader,” Shaw said. “I think once I get off the field, I have a good time with my players. It’s not all business, but once we get on the field, it is.” Shaw wasn’t smiling when he said it. It wasn’t meant as a joke.

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GamecockCentral.com

Recruit to Watch BY CHRIS CLARK

Linebacker Gerald Turner

n the 2011 recruiting class, South Carolina landed an All-American prospect out of Goose Creek High School. Offensive tackle Brandon Shell, a former four-star prospect as rated by rivals.com, chose the Gamecocks over Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia and numerous other top programs around the Southeast and beyond. He heads into the 2012 season as a starter for the Gamecocks. The talent in the Goose Creek program did not end with Shell, however. Wide receiver Tramel Terry, a Georgia commitment, has received most of the attention in the 2013 class from the program, but perhaps linebacker Gerald Turner should receive more. Turner, who is not talked up as much as many prospects despite being ranked as a four-star prospect by rivals.com, now stands 6-foot-1 and 256 pounds. Many believe that he is similar to former Gamecock standout Eric Norwood. Some college coaches believe he’s versatile enough to develop into an interior lineman. USC defensive line coach Brad Lawing plans on using him as either a down defensive end or a stand-up linebacker, where he can rush the passer or drop back into coverage. During the recruiting process, the talented defender picked up offers from Clemson and North Carolina. More might have been on the way, if not for an early commitment to South Carolina at the end of March. “South Carolina is nice, and I like how they stress to their players to stay in school,” Turner

Height: 6’1” Weight: 256 Hometown: Goose Creek High School: Goose Creek Class: senior told rivals.com before his pledge to USC. Aside from visiting USC in the spring earlier this year, Turner was also on campus for a game last season that helped propel USC to the top in his mind — a close victory against Florida. “I went into the locker room and met up with Steve Spurrier Jr. after the game,” Turner told gamecockcentral.com. “The atmosphere in the locker room was pretty loud. They had music playing. All the players were hyped up.” Goose Creek coach Chuck Reedy is a veteran of the football ranks, including the college level. He was head coach at Baylor in the 1990s and also spent time as an assistant at Clemson and South Carolina. He has a high opinion of his standout pupil on defense. “He can run so well,” Reedy told rivals.com in 2011. “He’s so physical and does a great job in the weight room. He’s so strong. He could be a heck of a tight end, too.” Turner told rivals.com during the recruiting process that he did not want to go too far from home for college football because he hoped for his family to be able to travel a short distance to watch him play. Heading right down the road to Columbia will afford him that opportunity. During Turner’s junior season, he forced six fumbles, broke up five passes, blocked five punts, tallied 42 tackles (11 for loss), racked up nine sacks and scored two touchdowns on defense. Those plays helped lead Goose Creek to a state championship.

usc VS east carolina

East Carolina Game is Barometer for Quarterback Position OPINION BY JAMES HARLEY

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y the end of last season, South Carolina fans finally came around to accepting the fact that the team had achieved its greatest year ever. But you might recall that this acceptance was a very slow process. With the Gamecocks stumbling out of the box early in the season against East Carolina and squeaking by Georgia and Navy by slim threepoint margins, much of the fan base was highly pessimistic, questioning Steve Spurrier’s decisions and the team’s ultimate capabilities to the point of annoyance. Well, it’s time for take two. Once again, the Gamecocks have had a shaky start, barely eking out a win against Vanderbilt after Connor Shaw suffered a bruised shoulder. Once again, the Gamecocks the face the Pirates of East Carolina early in the year with Shaw as the starting quarterback. While his start last season was controversial — and not very good — having a repeat at this point in the year will allow fans to gauge Shaw’s improvement since then, perhaps more so than his first-ever meeting with Vanderbilt last week. Spurrier was uncharacteristically high on Shaw during the preseason, and there is little reason to doubt such a tell-itlike-it-is coach. But watching Shaw play against ECU last year was downright painful. Spurrier gave him a full quarter to prove himself, and that quarter ended with the Gamecocks down by 17. Of course, the whole game was a slop-fest, with turnovers galore on both sides, as if the goal was to see who could screw up the most, not who could score. The Gamecocks perhaps won both of those contests, coming back and eventually winning by 19 despite the mistakes, with Stephen Garcia as the team’s savior.

But this year Shaw will not have Garcia or anyone else with substantial experience to bail him out, should he repeat his lackluster performance. Sure, he is theoretically a year better, as the coach has noted, but what about ECU? Are the Pirates not a year better as well under third-year coach Ruffin McNeill? Obviously, those questions will be answered on the field, not on paper, but considering what happened just last year with this quarterback, it is a bit presumptuous to go into this game thinking of ECU purely as a cupcake. After all, this is a team that put up the third-highest number of points against the Gamecocks all season (37), behind only Georgia and Arkansas. Indeed, that 37 points would have been enough for eight other teams to beat USC last year. Granted, those points were not all on Shaw’s shoulders, but while we can assess the general state of the entire team based on the Vanderbilt game, again, ECU is more of a controlled test of the quarterback due to the circumstance of Shaw returning to face an opponent he struggled with last year. Should he go down to injury prior to kickoff, then obviously the game will be a test of a completely different nature, as yet another young starter will be thrown onto the field. Based on the results of last season, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. But if Shaw is able to reverse his dismal performance against the Pirates, it may wipe out some memories of failure for him and give the Gamecock nation some hope for a season to rival last year’s. Keep up with Harley’s Side Line blog at free-times.com and his Side Line column in the weekly edition of Free Times.

usc VS east carolina

gamecocks roster No. Name 89 Jerell Adams 81 Rory Anderson 19 Landon Ard 3 Akeem Auguste 10 26 34 47 84 80 74 3 50 7 4 15 7 18 58 87 28 31 42 44 92 18 39 52 17 23 8 13 19 61 57 12 78 43 9 93 29 20 16 96

Kareem Auguste Jacob Baker Joshua Blue Reginald Bowens Tevin Bradshaw K.J. Brent Kaleb Broome Damiere Byrd A.J. Cann Shon Carson Ahmad Christian Andrew Clifford Jadeveon Clowney Cedrick Cooper Ryland Culbertson Justice Cunningham Mike Davis Jordan Diaz Jordan Diggs Gerald Dixon Gerald Dixon, Jr. Dwayne Duckett Jessie Dukes Phillip Dukes Chaz Elder Bruce Ellington Darius English Patrick Fish Kyle Fleetwood Travis Ford Aldrick Fordham Jody Fuller Cody Gibson Qua Gilchrist Sharrod Golightly Deon Green Chaun Gresham T.J. Gurley Austin Hails Jamal Hall

27 59 70 34 21 11 94 35

Victor Hampton Coleman Harley Kyle Harris Mason Harris DeVonte Holloman T.J. Holloman Ashton Holmes Jeff Homad

13 Tyler Hull 91 33 8 70

Walker Inabinet Damario Jeffery Shamier Jeffery Byron Jerideau

55 10 21 15 22 29 40 86 25 64 76 41 5 31 6 82 62

T.J. Johnson Nick Jones Marcus Lattimore Jimmy Legree Kaiwan Lewis Blair Lowery Kyle Madden Reilly Madden Kadetrix Marcus Christopher Massey Mike Matulis Connor McLaurin Rico McWilliams Kenny Miles Chris Moody D.L. Moore Davis Moore

Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Hometown/High School/Last College TE 6-6 224 FR Pinewood, S.C./Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Branch TE 6-5 218 SO Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern P/K 5-9 189 RS FR Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe CB 5-9 188 SR Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna/Fork Union Military SAF 6-0 200 RS FR Miramar, Fla./Miramar FB 5-9 188 SR Ridgeland, S.C./Thomas Heyward Academy TB 5-7 167 SO Tatum, S.C./Marlboro County LB 6-3 254 RS SR Holly Springs, N.C./Garner WR 5-7 155 RS FR Moncks Corner, S.C./Berkeley/Brevard WR 6-4 184 RS FR Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge OG 6-6 332 SR Aiken, S.C./Aiken/Georgia Military College WR 5-9 168 SO Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek OG 6-4 309 RS SO Bamberg, S.C./Bamberg-Ehrhardt TB 5-8 192 RS FR Scranton, S.C./Lake City CB 5-10 189 RS FR Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian QB 6-2 212 RS JR Tampa, Fla./Wharton DE 6-6 256 SO Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe LB 6-2 215 RS FR Lithonia, Ga./Lithonia OG 6-4 254 RS SO Laurens, S.C./Laurens Academy TE 6-4 264 SR Pageland, S.C./Central RB 5-9 216 FR Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson LB 6-1 236 RS SO Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West SPR 6-0 197 FR Cape Coral, Fla./Island Coast DE 6-2 272 RS FR Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe DT 6-3 304 RS FR Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern WR 6-0 185 FR Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley/Gray Military DB 5-11 162 SO Blackville, S.C./Blackville-Hilda DT 6-3 306 RS FR Manning, S.C./Manning CB 6-2 187 FR College Park, Ga./Banneker WR 5-9 197 SO Moncks Corner, S.C./Berkeley DE 6-6 215 FR Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern P 6-0 193 RS SO Shelby, N.C./Burns SAF 5-11 199 FR Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson OC 6-3 278 RS JR Fork, S.C./Lake View/Coastal Carolina DE 6-4 269 SR Jamestown, S.C./Timberland WR 5-11 201 FR Monroe, N.C./Sun Valley OT 6-7 278 RS SO Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln FB 6-1 245 RS SR Abbeville, S.C./Abbeville/Butler County CC SPR 5-10 179 RS SO Decatur, Ga./Southwest Dekalb DE 6-4 290 RS FR Windermere, Fla./Olympia LB 6-2 266 RS JR Auburn, Ga./Apalachee SAF 5-10 183 FR Cairo, Ga./Cairo QB 6-2 212 RS FR Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville DE 6-2 232 RS JR Ladson, S.C./Fort Dorchester/Brevard College CB 5-10 197 RS SO Darlington, S.C./Darlington LS 6-1 280 RS FR Aiken, S.C./South Aiken OC 6-3 268 RS FR Silver Creek, Ga./Pepperell LB 6-3 210 RS FR Fort Oglethorpe, Ga./Ridgeland SPR 6-2 241 SR Charlotte, N.C./South Pointe LB 6-2 209 FR Atlanta, Ga./St. Pius X DE 6-3 252 RS JR Spartanburg, S.C./Byrnes/Butler CC TE 6-2 225 RS SO Hilton Head Island, S.C./Hilton Head Island/ UNC Pembroke P 6-2 205 RS SO Mount Airy, N.C./Mount Airy/Guilford College LS 5-10 204 RS SR Columbia, S.C./Hammond School LB 6-4 233 SR Columbia, S.C./Columbia WR 6-1 214 RS FR St. Matthews, S.C./Calhoun County DT 6-1 316 RS SR Green Pond, S.C./Colleton County/Fort Scott C.C. OC 6-6 319 RS SR Aynor, S.C./Aynor WR 5-7 184 RS SO Moore, S.C./Byrnes TB 6-0 218 JR Duncan, S.C./Byrnes CB 6-0 189 RS JR Beaufort, S.C./Beaufort LB 6-0 225 FR Hammonton, N.J./St. Joseph TB 6-1 178 RS SR Irmo, S.C./Dutch Fork FB 6-3 248 RS SR Powder Springs, Ga./Harrison/UCF P 6-0 185 FR Vienna, Va./Paul VI Catholic SS 6-1 185 SO Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson OL 6-3 220 FR Summerville, S.C./Ashley Ridge OT 6-5 274 SO Boynton Beach, Fla./Park Vista FB 6-0 222 RS SO Raleigh, N.C./Garner CB 5-11 172 FR Hampton, Ga./Lovejoy TB 5-9 193 RS SR Lawrenceville, Ga./Brookwood CB 6-1 208 FR McDonough, Ga./Henry County WR 6-5 198 RS SR Bowling Green, Ky./Bowling Green LS 6-0 217 RS JR Buford, Ga./Mill Creek/Emory & Henry

No. Name 5 Brendan Nosovitch 88 Drew Owens 67 Ronald Patrick 49 Devin Potter 99 Kelcy Quarles

5 30 48 53 26 4 24 1 14 28 71 46 6 9 24 75 16 65 54 11 97 45 90 36

Kelvin Rainey Sidney Rhodes Marcquis Roberts Corey Robinson Kenny Robinson Shaq Roland Kendric Salley Ace Sanders Connor Shaw Jared Shaw Brandon Shell Darian Sims DeAngelo Smith Kwinton Smith Quin Smith Will Sport Nick St. Germain Brock Stadnik Clayton Stadnik Seth Strickland J.T. Surratt Ty Sutherland Chaz Sutton D.J. Swearinger

Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Hometown/High School/Last College QB 6-1 210 FR Allenton, Pa./Central Catholic TE 6-6 236 RS FR Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell OG 6-2 305 JR Cocoa, Fla./Cocoa FB 5-10 202 FR Granite Falls, N.C./South Caldwell DT 6-4 286 SO Hodges, S.C./Greenwood/Fork Union Military TE 6-3 219 FR Yulee, Fla./Yulee CB 5-10 170 SO Easley, S.C./Wren/Western Carolina SPR 6-1 206 RS FR Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern OT 6-8 337 RS SO Havelock, N.C./Havelock FS 5-9 176 RS SO Hilton Head Island, S.C./Hilton Head Island WR 6-1 173 FR Lexington, S.C./Lexington RB 5-9 205 FR Williston, S.C./Williston Elko WR 5-8 175 JR Bradenton, Fla./Manatee QB 6-1 207 JR Flowery Branch, Ga./Flowery Branch FS 5-10 179 RS SR Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill/Newberry OT 6-6 331 RS FR Goose Creek, S.C./Goose Creek LB 6-2 250 RS FR Goose Creek, S.C./Goose Creek WR 6-1 196 RS JR Kingsland, Ga./Camden County WR 6-4 206 FR Dillon, S.C./Dillon LB 6-1 239 SR Lenoir, N.C./Hibriten OT 6-5 291 RS FR Milton, Fla./Pace PK 5-9 182 FR Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern OT 6-5 287 FR Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford OC 6-3 265 FR Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford QB 6-2 195 RS SR Laurens, S.C./Laurens DT 6-2 295 RS SO Winston-Salem, N.C./Parkland FB 5-10 220 RS FR Pendleton, S.C./Pendleton South Carolina DE 6-5 248 RS JR Savannah, Ga./Jenkins/Fork Union Military FS 6-0 210 SR Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood

depth WR

WR WR WR WR LT WR LG LT C LG RG C RT RG TE RT TE TE QB TE FB QB TB FB TB KO PK KO P PK P

1 Ace Sanders 6 DeAngelo Smith 4 Shaq Roland

23 13 6 4 82 10 OR 23 80 3 71 82 53 10 OR 80 50 75 71 53 55 70 50 61 75 67 55 74 70 61 76 78 67 74 87 89 76 78 81 5 87 89 14 17 81 15 5 43 41 14 17 21 15 31 43 28 41

19 Landon Ard 52 Adam Yates Adam Yates Landon Ard Landon Ard Adam Yates Tyler Hull Patrick Fish Adam Yates Mike Williamson Landon Ard

84 Mike Williamson 54 Shaq Wilson 52 Adam Yates 77 Mason Zandi

Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Hometown/High School/Last College DE 6-8 267 RS SR Beaufort, S.C./Beaufort QB 6-3 212 RS SO Boiling Springs, S.C./Boiling Springs OG 6-2 300 FR Seffner, Fla./Armwood DE 6-3 228 FR Allendale, S.C./Allendale-Fairfax/S.C. State WR 5-11 170 RS FR Duluth, Ga./Chattahoochee/Arkansas TB 6-2 218 SO Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood CB 6-1 180 RS SR Cowpens, S.C./Broome SS 5-11 205 SO Warner Robins, Ga./Northside/Fork Union Military P 6-1 190 RS JR Norway, S.C./Orangeburg Prep/Columbia University LB 5-11 224 SR Jacksonville, Fla./First Coast PK 6-1 196 RS SR Sparks, MD/Hereford OT 6-9 266 FR Chapin, S.C./Chapin

coaches Steve Spurrier - Head Coach Kirk Botkin - Linebackers/Spurs Grady Brown - Secondary/Assistant Special Teams Coordinator Shawn Elliott - Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive LIne Brad Lawing - Defensive Line G.A. Mangus - Quarterbacks Joe Robinson - Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Everette Sands - Running Backs Jamie Speronis - Associate AD/Football Operations Steve Spurrier Jr. - Co-Offensive Coord/Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coord Lorenzo Ward - Defensive Coordinator Robbie Liles - Director of High School Relations Depth Chart Scott Morgan - Recruiting Assistant Patrick Shine - Administrative Coordinator for Recruiting

Defense

Devin Taylor South CarolinaDE Depth 98 Chart 90 Chaz Sutton

5-8 175 JR-2L Bradenton, Fla. 6-1 196 JR-1L Kingsland, Ga. 6-1 173 FR-HS Lexington, S.C.

Offense 5-9 197 SO-1L

Bruce Ellington Ace Sanders Damiere Byrd DeAngelo Smith Shaq Roland D.L. Moore Nick Jones Bruce Ellington K.J. Brent Damiere Byrd Brandon Shell D.L. Moore Corey Robinson Nick Jones K.J. Brent A.J. Cann Will Sport Brandon Shell Corey Robinson T.J. Johnson Kyle Harris A.J. Cann Travis Ford Will Sport Ronald Patrick T.J. Johnson Kaleb Broome Kyle Harris Travis Ford Mike Matulis Cody Gibson Ronald Patrick Kaleb JusticeBroome Cunningham Jerell Adams Mike Matulis Cody Gibson Rory Anderson Kelvin Rainey Justice Cunningham Jerell Adams Connor Shaw Dylan Thompson Rory Anderson Andrew Clifford Kelvin Rainey Qua Gilchrist Connor Shaw McLaurin Connor Dylan Thompson Marcus Clifford Lattimore Andrew Kenny Miles Qua Gilchrist Mike Davis Connor McLaurin

21 Marcus Lattimore 31 Kenny Miles 28 Mike Davis

52 19 19 52 13 OR 13 52 84 19

Offense

No. Name 98 Devin Taylor 17 Dylan Thompson 51 Cody Waldrop 95 Michael Washington 85 Kane Whitehurst 22 Brandon Wilds 32 David Wilkins 12 Brison Williams

5-8 5-9 6-1 6-1 6-5 5-7 5-9 6-4 5-9 6-6 6-5 6-8 5-7 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-8 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-6 6-6 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-7 6-2 6-6 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-7 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-1 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-2 5-9 6-1 5-9 6-0

175 168 196 173 198 184 197 184 168 331 198 337 184 184 309 291 331 337 319 268 309 278 291 305 319 332 268 278 274 278 305 332 264 224 274 278 218 219 264 224 207 212 218 212 219 245 222 207 212 218 212 193 245 216 222

JR-2L SO-1L JR-1L FR-HS SR-3L SO-1L SO-1L FR-RS SO-1L FR-RS SR-3L SO-SQ SO-1L FR-RS SO-1L FR-RS FR-RS SO-SQ SR-3L FR-RS SO-1L JR-1L FR-RS JR-1L SR-3L SR-SQ FR-RS JR-1L SO-1L SO-1L JR-1L SR-SQ SR-3L FR-PG SO-1L SO-1L SO-1L FR-HS SR-3L FR-PG JR-2L SO-1L SO-1L JR-SQ FR-HS SR-SQ SO-SQ JR-2L SO-1L JR-2L JR-SQ SR-3L SR-SQ FR-HS SO-SQ

Moncks Corner, S.C. Bradenton, Sicklerville,Fla. N.J. Kingsland, Ga. Lexington, S.C. Ky. Bowling Green, Moore, S.C. Moncks Waxhaw,Corner, N.C. S.C. Sicklerville, N.J. Goose Creek, S.C. Bowling Green, Havelock, N.C. Ky. Moore, S.C. Waxhaw, N.C. Bamberg, S.C. Milton, Fla. Goose Creek, S.C. Havelock, N.C. Aynor, S.C. Silver Creek, Ga. Bamberg, S.C. Fork, S.C. Milton, Fla. Cocoa, Fla. Aynor, Aiken, S.C. S.C. Silver Creek, Ga. Fork, S.C.Beach, Fla. Boynton Tallahassee, Fla. Cocoa, Fla. Aiken, S.C.S.C. Pageland, Pinewood, S.C. Boynton Beach, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. Ga. Powder Springs, Yulee, Fla. Pageland, S.C. Pinewood, S.C. Ga. Flowery Branch, Boiling Springs, S.C. Powder Ga. Tampa,Springs, Fla. Yulee, Fla. Abbeville, S.C. Raleigh,Branch, N.C. Ga. Flowery Boiling Springs, S.C. Duncan,Fla. S.C. Tampa, Lawrenceville, Ga. Abbeville, S.C. Lithonia, Ga. Raleigh, N.C.

DT DE DT DT DE DT MLB DE WLB MLB SPR WLB CB SPR SS CB FS SS CB FS CB

Rock Hill, S.C. Sparks, Md.

6-1 5-9 5-9 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-9

Sparks, Md. Rock Hill, S.C. Rock Hill, S.C. Sparks, Md. N.C. Mount Airy, Shelby, N.C. Sparks, Norway,Md. S.C. Rock Hill, S.C.

23 Bruce Ellington 3 Damiere Byrd

PR Specialists

13 Tyler Hull

6-2 205 SO-TR Mount Airy, N.C.

84 Mike Williamson

6-1 190 JR-SQ

OR 13 Patrick 193 SO-SQ Shelby, N.C. South Carolina vs. Fish Vanderbilt 6-0 u August 30, 2012

Norway, S.C.

6-8 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 5-11 6-1 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-2 5-10 5-10 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-0 5-10 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-10

267 248 286 304 316 306 256 269 286 272 304 254 256 233 269 272 224 239 254 215 233 241 224 197 239 215 197 189 241 197 205 185 197 189 210 179 205 185 189 183 210 179

SR-3L JR-2L SO-1L FR-RS SR-2L FR-RS SO-1L SR-3L SO-1L FR-RS FR-RS SR-2L SO-1L SR-3L SR-3L FR-RS SR-3L SR-3L SR-2L FR-RS SR-3L SR-3L SR-3L FR-HS SR-3L FR-RS SO-1L FR-RS SR-3L FR-HS SO-1L SO-SQ SO-1L FR-RS SR-3L SR-SQ SO-1L SO-SQ JR-2L FR-HS SR-3L SR-SQ

Green Pond, S.C. Manning, S.C. Beaufort, S.C. Savannah, Ga. Hodges, S.C. Rock Hill, S.C. Green Pond, S.C. Manning, Rock Hill,S.C. S.C. Jamestown, S.C. Hodges, Rock Hill,S.C. S.C. Rock Hill, S.C. Holly Springs, N.C. Rock Hill, S.C. Columbia, S.C. Jamestown, S.C. Rock Hill, S.C.Fla. Jacksonville, Lenoir, N.C. Holly Springs, Lithonia, Ga. N.C. Columbia, S.C. Charlotte, N.C. Jacksonville, Fla. Fort Myers, Fla. Lenoir, N.C. Lithonia, Ga.S.C. Darlington, Jacksonville, Fla. Charlotte, N.C. Fort Myers, Fla. Ga. Warner Robins, Stone Mountain, Ga. Darlington, S.C. Jacksonville, Fla. Greenwood, S.C. Fort Mill, S.C. Warner Robins, Ga. Stone Mountain, Beaufort, S.C. Ga. Cairo, Ga. Greenwood, S.C. Fort Mill, S.C.

15 Jimmy Legree 6-0 189 JR-2L Beaufort, S.C. 20 T.J. Gurley 5-10 183 FR-HS Cairo, Ga. *Note: The depth chart lists 13 offensive positions due to the number of formations used by the team.

Specialists

5-9 189 FR-RS 6-1 196 SR-1L SR-1L FR-RS FR-RS SR-1L SO-TR SO-SQ SR-1L JR-SQ FR-RS

6-1 316 SR-2L Defense 6-3 306 FR-RS

Byron Jerideau Phillip Dukes Devin Taylor Chaz KelcySutton Quarles Gerald Dixon Jr. Byron Jerideau Phillip Dukes Jadeveon Clowney Aldrick Fordham Kelcy GeraldQuarles Dixon Gerald Dixon Jr. Reginald Bowens Jadeveon Clowney Damario Jeffery Aldrick Fordham Gerald Dixon Shaq Wilson Quin Smith Reginald Bowens Cedrick Cooper Damario Jeffery DeVonte Holloman Shaq Wilson Jordan Diggs Quin Smith Cedrick Cooper Victor Hampton Ahmad Christian DeVonte Holloman Jordan Brison Diggs Williams Kadetrix Marcus Victor Hampton Ahmad Christian D.J. Swearinger Jared Shaw Brison Williams Kadetrix Marcus Jimmy Legree T.J. Gurley D.J. Swearinger Jared Shaw

*Note: The depth chart lists 13 offensive positions due to the number of formations used by the team.

6-0 218 JR-2L Duncan, S.C. 5-9 193 SR-3L Lawrenceville, Ga. 5-9 216 FR-HS Lithonia, Ga.

196 189 189 196 205 193 196 190 189

70 52 98 90 99 92 70 527 57 99 44 92 47 7 33 57 44 54 24 47 18 33 21 54 42 24 18 27 4 21 42 12 25 27 4 36 28 12 25 15 20 36 28

6-8 267 SR-3L Beaufort, S.C. 6-5 248 JR-2L Savannah, Ga.

9 Ace Sanders

5-9 197 SO-1L 5-9 168 SO-1L

Moncks Corner, S.C. Sicklerville, N.J.

5-8 175 JR-2L

Bradenton, Fla.

KR LS

23 91 Bruce WalkerEllington Inabinet 3 Damiere Byrd 62 Davis Moore

5-9 197 Corner, 5-10 204 SO-1L SR-2L Moncks Columbia, S.C. S.C. 5-9 6-0 168 217 SO-1L JR-SQ Sicklerville, Buford, Ga. N.J.

H PR LS

9 11 13 91 62

5-8 6-2 6-0 5-10 6-0

11 Seth Strickland 13 Patrick Fish

Ace SethSanders Strickland Patrick Fish Walker Inabinet Davis Moore

175 195 193 204 217

JR-2L SR-2L SO-SQ SR-2L JR-SQ

Bradenton, Fla. Laurens, S.C. Shelby, N.C. Columbia, S.C. Buford, Ga.

usc VS east carolina

6-2 195 SR-2L Laurens, S.C. 6-0 193 SO-SQ Shelby, N.C.

usc VS east carolina