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September 23, 2015 | ISSUE no. 2
South Carolina’s youth on the offensive line presents short-term risks, but promises long-term rewards
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carolina VS. UCF
CONTENTS CONTENTS
6 NO PAIN, NO GAIN
South Carolina’s youth on the offensive line presents short-term risks, but promises long-term rewards ON THE COVER: Senior guard Will Sport blocks East Carolina defensive lineman Fred Presley in on Sept. 6, 2014. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
4 12 14
16 18
OPPONENT PREVIEW: Dark Knight of the Soul Central Florida’s offense might be worse than Carolina’s ILLUSTRATION SENIOR PROFILE: Shell Game Brandon Shell didn’t know how to pass-block when he came to Columbia. Now, he’s ready for the pros. OPINION: Knight Moves Central Florida’s sudden slide mirrors Carolina’s TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
CAROLINA FOOTBALL
2015 SCHEDULE 9/12 vs. NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte, N.C.
9/12 9/19 9/26 10/3 10/10
PUBLISHER: Charlie Nutt | charlien@free-times.com, ext. 129 EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Dan Cook | danc@free-times.com MANAGING EDITOR: Patrick Wall | sideline@free-times.com PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lisa Heinz | lisaw@free-times.com, ext. 121 SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Joey Ayer | joeya@free-times.com, ext. 150 GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Dré Lopez | drel@free-times.com, ext. 145 CONTRIBUTORS Travis Bell, Paul Collins, Gwinn Davis, Chris Dearing, James Harley, Scott Hood ILLUSTRATOR: Dré Lopez ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Angie Bledsoe | angieb@free-times.com, ext. 131 Hyatt Drake | hyattd@free-times.com, ext. 153 Sue Miller | suem@free-times.com, ext. 134 Jessica Rowland | jessicar@free-times.com, ext. 141 Jerry Viles | jerryv@free-times.com, ext. 140 ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Xavier Edwards | xaviere@free-times.com OFFICE MANAGER Anton Dela Cruz | antond@free-times.com, ext. 132 VICE PRESIDENT-OPERATIONS Jen Coody | jenc@free-times.com, ext. 124 THE SIDE LINE IS PUBLISHED BY RESORTS MEDIA LLC 1534 Main St., Columbia, SC 29201 PO Box 8295, Columbia, SC 29202 (803) 765-0707 • 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. © 2015 Resorts Media. All rights reserved.
10/17 10/31 11/7 11/14 11/21 11/28
vs. at vs. at vs. vs. at at vs. vs. vs.
W, 17-13
KENTUCKY
Columbia, S.C.
l, 26-22
GEORGIA
Athens, Ga.
L, 52-20
CENTRAL FLORIDA Columbia, S.C.
12 p.m.
MISSOURI
Columbia, Mo.
TBA
LSU
Columbia, S.C.p.m.
TBA
VANDERBILT Columbia, S.C.p.m.
TEXAS A&M
College Station, Texas
TENNESSEE Knoxville, Tenn.
TBA TBA TBA
FLORIDA Columbia, S.C.
TBA
CITADEL Columbia, S.C.
TBA
CLEMSON Columbia, S.C.
= SEC game
TBA
OPPONENT PREVIEW
BY Chris Dearing
CENTRAL FLORIDA
Knights
CONFERENCE: American Athletic 2014 RECORD: 9-4 (7-1 AAC) 2015 RECORD: 0-3 (0-0 AAC) SERIES RECORD: Carolina leads, 4-0 COACH: George O’Leary YEARS AS COACH: 11 RECORD AT CENTRAL FLORIDA: 81-62 LAST MEETING: Carolina 28, Central Florida 25 (Sept. 28, 2013 in Orlando, Florida) RETURNING STARTERS: 9 (5 offense, 4 defense)
South Carolina cheerleaders work the crowd at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 3, 2015. Gwinn Davis / SC News Exchange
Dark Knight of the Soul Central Florida’s offense might be worse than the Gamecocks’
T
hings haven’t started out so well for the Central Florida Knights during the 2015 season. But that doesn’t mean 2015 won’t end well. Last season, Central Florida lost its first two games but rebounded to finish 9-4. The Knights opened this season with losses to Florida International (unexpected) and Stanford (expected), then lost to FCS foe Furman last week. If the Knights hope to find the magic that has seen them win 47 games since 2010, it’s going to have to be done with a host of young players. Against Stanford, the Knights used 29 players that were either freshmen (15), sophomores (10) or first-year transfers (four). That
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number includes freshmen quarterbacks Bo Schneider and Tyler Harris, who were pressed into action after a hand injury sidelined junior starter Justin Holman. It’s unclear whether Holman will play against the Gamecocks. But the Knights have struggled offensively regardless of who’s under center. They only scored four touchdowns in their opening three games, and have averaged 38 yards a game on the ground in their first two games. Taj McGowan leads the team with 111 yards,
but the lack of push up front has hurt the ground game. In the air, Jordan Akins pulled down 14 receptions in the first three games. He could be a problem for the struggling Gamecock secondary. Defensively, Central Florida has struggled to defend the pass. They allowed 260 passing yards to Florida International, and 361 to Stanford. South Carolina will need to find a way to muscle some yards on the ground and get Perry Orth comfortable in the pocket to take advantage of the inexperienced secondary.
THREE TO WATCH Justin Holman, QB Holman, who was hurt in Central Florida’s week two game against Stanford, might not play. Which would be unfortunate, because the quarterback’s not only the Knights’ most electric player, he’s their only offensive weapon. The Central Florida running game is nonexistent, the receivers offer little outside of potential, and the backup quarterbacks have completed 14 of 34 passes for 151 yards.
Shaquill Griffin, DB Griffin, a junior, is one of the few bright spots on a porous Central Florida defense. After limited action the past two years, Griffin registered 12 tackles and deflected three passes. He doesn’t have an interception — as of the first two weeks, no Knight does — but he has the speed and size to be a star in the secondary.
Matthew Wright, K The last game Carolina played against Central Florida, in Orlando back in 2013, was decided by a field goal. So was one of the other three games — a two-point Carolina win back in v1997. Point being: Special teams are important in this series. Freshman Matthew Wright replaced Shawn Moffitt, perhaps the best kicker in program history, in the spring. He has a big leg, but he’s missed the only field goal he’s attempted.
carolina VS. UCF
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Senior guard Will Sport blocks for sophomore quarterback Connor Mitch against North Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 3, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
South Carolina’s youth on the offensive line presents short-term risks, but promises long-term rewards
BY SCOTT HOOD
I
predicament coming into this season when all the quarterbacks on the roster had virtually no game experience. The depth chart for South Carolina’s offensive line heading into the home opener against Kentucky two weekends ago hinted at the possible short-term pain, long-term gain scenario faced by offenTanner McEvoy and Brendan Nosovitch, signed in 2011 and sive line coach and co-offen2012 respectively, left the program or failed to develop, leaving sive coordinator Shawn Elliott. inexperienced freshmen (see: Mitch, Connor) and walk-ons (see: The Gamecocks’ starting five Orth, Perry) behind Thompson last season. As a result, Thomp- featured the typical assortment son took every meaningful snap, placing Carolina into a major of upperclassmen at key spots.
n many ways, the current situation on Carolina’s offensive line mirrors the quarterback position from last year: one experienced starter — last year, it was quarterback Dylan Thompson — with lots of untested backups.
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Fifth-year seniors Brandon Shell, a tackle, and Mike Matulis, a guard, were inked as the starters on the left side, giving the Gamecocks plenty of experience on the quarterback’s blind side. Senior Will Sport was penciled at right guard, a starting spot he won early last season, and redshirt junior Mason Zandi was rewarded for his patience with a starting nod at right tackle. Only sophomore center Alan Knott was an underclassmen. However, as experienced carolina VS. UCF
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Freshman guard Zack Bailey (78) and freshman tackle Christian Pellage (55) block as junior kicker Elliott Fry attempts a field goal against North Carolina on Sept. 3, 2015. Photo by Paul Collins/ Gamecock Central
and mature as the starters were, the backups offered a startling contrast. Each reserve listed — tackles Christian Pellage and Blake Camper, and guards Donnell Stanley and Zack Bailey — was a true or redshirt freshmen. Thus, if one of the offensive line starters goes down for an extended period — even for a game or two — a freshman is going to undergo a potentially painful, but perhaps invaluable, baptism by fire in the SEC, with games against Missouri, LSU, Texas A&M and Tennessee looming on the schedule during the next five weeks. So, how did the Gamecocks get here? Let’s begin with injuries — this is football, after all. Junior Cody Waldrop was expected to log time this season at each of the three interior offensive line positions, but his injury-plagued career took another wrong turn two days after the season opener against North Carolina when he suffered a broken ankle in practice. He joins freshmen
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wide receivers Shaq Davidson and Jerad Washington on the list of the walking wounded. Some players simply haven’t played to their potential. Redshirt sophomore D.J. Park, a tackle, has failed to make the progress Elliott had expected. Ditto for guard Malik Young, although he is just a redshirt freshman. But his name is nowhere to be found on the depth chart. Recruiting misfires have also taken their toll as well. In 2012 and 2013, Carolina signed five highly touted offensive line prospects: Joe Harris and Brock Stadnik in 2012; Bryce King, Na’Ty Rodgers and J.P. Vonashek in 2013. Only Stadnik, on the medical hardship list, remains with the team. That’s an excessive number of recruiting misses across a two-year period. Moreover, Carolina signed just two offensive linemen in 2014: Stanley and Young. The result? An abundance of seniors and freshmen, and an absence of sophomores
and juniors. The future of the Gamecock offensive line isn’t just coming fast — it’s here. If Zack Bailey, Blake Camper, Trey Derouen and Christian Pellage share a common trait, it’s size. Bailey (6-foot-6, 320 pounds), Camper (6-foot-8, 295), Derouen (6-foot-3, 314) and Pellage (6-foot-6, 314) are all big and strong, but athletic and mobile, too, possessing the quick feet necessary to play offensive line adequately in the SEC. There’s also 6-foot-four, 301-pound Cory Helms, a junior transfer from Wake Forest. Per NCAA rules, he must sit out this year, but he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2016. Those five linemen — together with Knott, Zandi, perhaps Waldrop, if he recovers from his latest injury and stays healthy — should form the core of Carolina’s 2016 offensive line. “We’re fired up about these five freshmen offensive linemen,” Steve Spurrier said during preseason camp. “They’re all good sized and wonderful
attitude guys. I know Coach Elliott is fired up about watching them when we start playing. We think they have a chance to be really good, all of them.” Young, Stanley and Park should factor into the competition as well. However, while optimism reigns for the future, coaches must live in the present, too. The shortage of experienced backups concerned Spurrier and Elliott enough to shift Ulric Jones to offensive line. “We don’t have much depth there [on the offensive line],” Spurrier said. “The second line is a bunch of freshmen, just about completely. Some of them are not quite ready to play yet. Ulric is a big, strong kid with long arms.” Bailey, the No. 1 prospect in the Palmetto State in the 2015 recruiting cycle, could be the breakout player of the group. Elliott thinks so highly of the Summerville native that he listed Bailey as the backup at two positions, center and left guard, for the Kentucky game. carolina VS. UCF
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Freshman offensive lineman Blake Camper and quarterback Perry Orth celebrate the win over North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sept. 3, 2015. Photo by Gwinn Davis / SC News Exchange.
The last Gamecock offensive lineman drafted in the first round was Ernest Dye in 1993. Bailey could be next. “Zack can play anything,” says Elliott. “He can play tackle, he can play guard, he can play tight end. If we put him over there on the D-line, he would probably be one of our best defensive linemen. He is just a very good athlete. He understands the game of football.” With Waldrop sidelined until mid-November at the earliest, Bailey is clearly the next man up if Knott is unable to go at center, even though Bailey did not play center at Summerville. “He punted in high school,
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but he did not do any snapping,” Elliott says. “But he comes out here every day and practices. It’s just getting comfortable. He has good ball skills. He can play basketball, he can throw a good football, he can do a lot of different things. That’s what makes him perfect for the position. If he has to go in there, I feel confident he can go in there and do well.” The rest of the young offensive linemen are tracking in the right direction, too, Elliott says. “They have been exactly what I thought they would be since the first day they stepped on campus,” he says. “They’re a good, solid group. They
are willing to learn. They are willing to fight and prepare. I see great things for them. I see guys that are more experienced than the guys we brought in four or five years ago. They are so much farther along than the new guys we had when I first got here. That is really pleasing.” In order to gain valuable experience, Bailey and the other young offensive linemen are playing special teams this season. That’s how Sport proved himself and gained the trust of Elliott and the Carolina offensive coaches. So, when the opportunity arose last season to play on the offensive line, Sport was ready. He has now
started 12 straight games at right guard. “Playing special teams was a good learning experience and taught me the speed of the game,” Sport says. “I got a feel for it without playing on the line. It was good for me. I still have a lot to prove, but I’m confident in my abilities.” Knott’s road to the starting center job is one the young linemen could benefit from studying attentively. After redshirting in 2013, Knott was injured last summer during a conditioning workout, but he battled back to earn the starting job at center and started seven of the first eight games. The best advice he could offer: Listen to Elliott. “It took some great coaching from Coach Elliott to get me to where I’m at,” Knott says. “I give all the credit to him. He was hard on me every practice, every game. He would come into the film room and tell me all my mistakes before he praised me for anything. It helped move me along a lot.” Chances are, Elliott will be just as hard on the promising group of freshmen as he was on Knott, if not more so. Before he puts them on the field in a game, Elliott’s main objective is making sure the young hogmollies properly learn from their mistakes. “I know they screw up here and there, and they understand that,” Elliott says. “You can’t go out there and berate them on the field when they make a mistake and they’re true freshmen and they’ve only been practicing for a few weeks.” “There is some situational stuff they have to see, but I’m really pleased with all those guys,” he adds. “It’s a fun group to be around, they’re willing to work and prepare. That’s what you look for in an offensive lineman. If they like hard work and preparation, you have a chance to have a good group.”
carolina VS. UCF
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GAMECOCK EXTRAS
Junior wide receiver Pharoh Cooper turns upďŹ eld against Georgia in Athens on Sept. 19, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
Freshman quarterback Lorenzo Nunez breaks through the Georgia defense during second-quarter action in Athens on Sept. 19, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
Georgia cornerback Malkom Parrish breaks up a pass intended for freshman wide receiver Deebo Samuel during second-quarter action in Athens on Sept. 19, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn (77) loses his helmet as he grabs junior linebacker Skai Moore while Georgia running back Sony Michel is wrapped up by sophomore defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth during fourth-quarter action in Athens on Sept. 19, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
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SENIOR PROFILE
BY Chris Dearing
Senior tackle Brandon Shell runs onto the field before the game against Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. Paul Collins / Gamecock Central
OT HOMETOWN: Goose Creek, S.C.
BRANDON SHELL HEIGHT / WEIGHT:
6-6 / 327
Shell Game I
EXPERIENCE:
3 VL
Brandon Shell didn’t know how to pass-block when he came to Columbia. Now, he’s ready for the pros.
t was obvious from the first time Brandon Shell set foot on campus that he had a body ready for the NFL. But it also was obvious his game was unrefined. 14
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“Run blocking wasn’t the problem,” Shell said during the preseason. “I had so much to learn in pass protection but I knew I would eventually get it.” Shell came to South Carolina
from Goose Creek High School in Berkeley County. The Gators deployed a run-oriented attack under head coach Chuck Reedy and rarely passed the ball. Shell, whose great uncle is NFL Hall of carolina VS. UCF
Famer Art Shell, took it to heart there was a lot to be done. Offensive line coach Shawn Elliott has seen Shell mature from a raw talent to an elite offensive lineman. Shell’s delivered on the potential so much that Elliott has little doubt Shell has a good chance to make a living playing on Sundays in the NFL. “He has improved so much as a mature athlete that has learned the game mentally and physically,” Elliott says. “In high school he was a down block tight end and tackle, not much for pass protection. He probably didn’t even know how to kick set. He’s really come a long way. Experience goes a long way for our guys, as it does for any high school lineman coming to this level. Brandon has improved every year, and that’s something you want to see from every guy that comes in here.” Shell, who is as quiet off the field as he is dominant on it, thought about entering the NFL
Draft after his junior season, but he decided he had unfinished business with the Gamecocks. “I never really thought about leaving,” Shell says. “It was there but I never really thought about it because I knew I needed to get better.” Shell, who chose South Carolina over Alabama and Clemson, didn’t land smoothly in Columbia. He played four snaps in the season opener against East Carolina in 2010, but he took a medical redshirt after injuring his shoulder. Plus, the adjustment from high school to college, where he had to improve as a pass blocker, was a bigger challenge than he even imagined. “I had no idea how to pass block when I got here,” Shell chuckles. “It was a big learning curve.” “It’s very difficult to get adjusted” to the pace of college football, Elliott says. “I’m sure that’s why he struggled as a true freshman.
for the team and me. I feel like we have a good team and we’re going to surprise a lot of people.” Shell missed all of spring practice after having surgery on his right shoulder. But he has been a leader — one who lets his actions and performance speak more volume than his mouth. Guard Mike Matulis, a fellow redshirt senior, agrees. “He’s a real team leader,” Matulis says. “He controls the line, controls the tempo. It’s a good thing to follow him. He’s had what, 30 something starts? He’s a great guy to play with.” The Gamecocks have five true freshmen that are trying to make the same adjustment Shell did, and Shell’s trying to help them in anyway that he can. “Just speaking and giving But he’s gotten better because he’s them the knowledge that I know learned how to do it. He has a Coach Elliott gave me,” he says. great work ethic and tremendous football mind. He really now is be- “That’s what I’m here for.” Elliott believes Shell can coming the kind of football player become a top-tier player on the we all knew he could be.” offensive line. The following season, Shell “The best thing about Brandon started 10 of 13 games and was is he comes in and tries to improve named Freshman All-SEC and each and every day,” Elliott said. Freshman All-American by “One thing I do think people foxsportsnext.com. He moved from left tackle to right tackle, and forget is he’s still learning. He just wasn’t asked to pass-protect much started getting more comfortable until he got here. He’s gotten better on the line. and he’s only going to continue Coming into 2015, Shell had to get better, because his ceiling is started 35 straight games on the unlimited.” right side. But he was asked to Shell was a key component replace the graduated Corey Robinson at left tackle and protect the of the two of the three straight quarterback’s blindside. The transi- 11-win seasons. He hopes the tion has been rather seamless. The Gamecocks can return to that footwork is a little bit different than level, but however it turns out, the the right side but Shell has become past five years have been a blessing. “It’s been a wonderful journey very comfortable after struggling on the left side earlier in his career. so far,” Shell said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ve made friends “I’m excited for it,” Shell said. that I will have for the rest of my “I’ve come a long way and I’m excited to see what the season holds life. I will forever be a Gamecock.”
GAMECOCK Game STATs Passing GP Perry Orth Connor Mitch Lorenzo Nunez Pharoh Cooper Team Total
Rushing Brandon Wilds Shon Carson Lorenzo Nunez David Williams Pharoh Cooper Team Total
EFFIC. COMP-ATT-INT PCT
3 2 2 2 3
109.99 104.0 110.24 24.80 104.03
GP 3 3 2 3 2 3
ATT 35 16 12 21 4 120
21-39-2 13-29-0 4-5-0 1-2-0 39-76-2
53.8 44.8 80.0 50.0 51.3
GAIN LOSS NET 182 119 116 82 20 656
1 1 0 0 0 33
181 118 116 82 20 623
September 23, 2015 | ISSUE no. 2
YDS
TD
AVG
TD
269 165 18 -6 446
5.2 7.4 9.7 3.9 5.0 5.2
1 1 0 0 2
0 1 1 0 0 4
LG 33 27 14 0 33
LG 34 48 33 9 7 48
AVG/G
Receiving
AVG/G
defensive
89.7 82.5 9.0 0.0 148.7
60.3 39.3 58.0 27.3 10.0 207.7
Pharoh Cooper Jerell Adams Brandon Wilds Matrick Belton Deebo Samuel Team Total Skai Moore Isaiah Johnson Jonathan Walton Jordan Diggs Al Harris Jr. Team Total
GP
NO.
YDS
AVG
TD
GP
SOLO
ASST.
TOT
SACK
3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3
13 6 6 4 3 39
19 13 15 7 8 119
151 85 66 18 30 446 12 8 5 7 5 82
11.6 14.2 11.0 4.5 10.0 11.4
1 1 0 0 0 2
31.0 21.0 20.0 14.0 13.0 201.0
0 0 0 0 0 5
|
LG 27 33 20 14 14 33
AVG/G
50.3 28.3 22.0 6.0 10.0 148.7
INT TFL/YDS 3 0 0 1 0 4
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2.0-5 0.0-0 0.5-1 0.0-0 0.0-0 10.0-33
15
OPINION
BY james harley
Kentucky linebacker Denzil Ware sacks sophomore quarterback Connor Mitch during second-quarter action on Sept. 12, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
Knight Moves I Central Florida’s sudden slide mirrors Carolina’s
to avoid sliding back down to the bottom. Obviously, one cannot expect to win every big game, but doubt creeps in when teams begin losing mid-level matchups. Big-game losses can actually be inspiring if they’re played close enough to make you feel competitive at the highest level, but losses to the little guys will always be a slap in the face. Just say the words “Appalachian State” to any Michigan fan, and you’ll see the incredible We watched Georgia and Misstaying power of such pain and souri represent the SEC East in the embarrassment. conference championship despite The Gamecocks may still pull having beaten them head-to-head an upset or two this season, but it’s on the field. Now, midnight’s struck, clear after the first two games that and the carriage is turning back into the team is no longer elite. Too many a pumpkin. The dream of returnpersonnel questions remain unaning to that briefly held powerhouse swered, and consistency is hard to status was effectively shattered by find in any element of the game. So consecutive losses to bottom-feeder what’s the goal now? Avoid further Kentucky. It’s time to consider not embarrassment. A lot of people saw how to return to the top, but how last year’s drop from 11-2 to 7-6
t has never been easy to be a Gamecock fan — well, save for those few years where Carolina finished 11-2, hovered around the top of the conference and, of course, dominated Clemson. But even those years were a bit frustrating.
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as shameful, yet only one of those losses, the one to Kentucky, was a shocker. All of the others — to Texas A&M, Missouri, Auburn, Clemson and even Tennessee — could be stomached as understandable, given the relative successes of those teams. Hey, Gamecocks, can you at least do this again, please? The quest for salvation begins this week with Central Florida, a team also struggling with a significant drop in performance. The Knights fell from 12-1 in 2013 to 9-4 last year, and they opened this season with an embarrassing loss to Florida International University and a beatdown at the hands of Stanford. Given the Gamecocks’ recent nonconference success — they’ve lost only once outside the SEC since 2010 — there is reason to be confident. But given the Gamecocks’ inconsistent season thus far there are also legitimate reasons to be cautious going into this one. While the Knights have undoubtedly dipped, the program built by coach George O’Leary must be respected for its accomplishments. Even at 9-4 overall last season, Central Florida shared the American
Athletic Conference championship for the second consecutive year. Its out-of-conference losses were somewhat respectable as well: on the road against Penn State, Missouri and Connecticut, and a St. Petersburg Bowl loss to North Carolina State. O’Leary has coached the Knights to at least 10 wins in three of the last five years. These are the signs of a quality program that should be taken seriously, even if evidence of a downturn exists. So while they play in a clearly inferior conference, the Knights’ recent history is actually quite similar to the Gamecocks’, something that should be considered as Carolina prepares for the game. After a loss to Kentucky, this game and all other nonconference challenges become must-wins if the Gamecocks are to return to the polls and be taken seriously again anytime soon. It’s almost expected that Carolina will surprise again before the season is over — but it really needs to be with a win rather than another depressing loss. Gamecocks 27, Knights 24.
carolina VS. UCF
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TALES FROM THE TAILGATE words & Photos BY Sean Rayford
E
ntering Williams-Brice Stadium once required navigating a gauntlet of SUVs and media trucks in the parking lots that surrounded the stadium. Just before kickoff, fans would find themselves squeezing between vehicles as they dodged scalpers on bicycles and coeds shouting
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“Cocks!” at the top of their lungs. And while you still have to dodge the kids shouting and stumbling into Willy B, “the industrial feeling,” as university Athletics Director Ray Tanner once put it, is no more. A $14.5 million offseason project transformed the area into a gem of the college football
world, one that features a lighted promenade and the Springs Brooks Plaza. A statue at the center of the plaza, honoring Gamecock legend George Rogers, now towers over the former parking lot, and it features a bench where you can sit next to the Heisman Trophy winner. And if you’ve carried a case of Bud Light
all the way from your friend’s place in Olympia, there are plenty more benches for your tailgate legs. It’s a completely different experience, and even though the Gamecocks aren’t looking all that great on the field right now, at least they’re doing it in a venue with style.
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go gamecocks!
UCF 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 14 years experience practicing law.
20 freetimes |
carolina VS. UCF