The Daily Gamecock 10/7/09

dailygamecock.com WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

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VOL. 103, NO. 32 ● SINCE 1908

Athletes excited for academic center Advanced facility first in five-year plan for improvements

Friday Hunter Hardinge 69°

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Six-headed monster South Carolina’s tandem of athletic, dynamic running backs is beginning to give opposing teams fits.

See page 1B

Mix Tape “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “T he O f f ice” wedding and The New York Times iPhone app top the list of things we’re obsessing about this fall break.

See page 5A

Resistance is Futile Professors don’t seem to understand the trouble that comes along with coordinating Mandi Sordelet group Fourth-year projects. public relations student

See page 4A

Mix

(803) 777-3914 (803) 777-7726 (803) 777-7182 (803) 576-6172

STAFF WRITER

USC athletes are gearing up f or a ne w A c ade m ic Enrichment Center that will be completed by spring 2010.

T h e D o d ie A n d e r s o n center will be an advanced facilit y meant to provide at h letes w it h as much academic support as possible. “ We w a n t t o s t a y competitive and progressive.

We w a n t e d t o h a v e a f reest a nd i ng center ju st for athletes. By having all programs in one area, it will make it easier for facult y and students,” said Renia Edwards , t he director of operations for ACE. Located across Heyward Street next to Stone Stadium, the new center will include improved st udy halls, computer labs, an athlete’s lounge and a f ull-ser vice cafeteria. Also, athletes have a nutritionist available in the new center as well as an Academic Hall of Fame.

“This center is an excellent oppor t u n it y to centralize all services. Here at South Carolina students are students first and then athletes. Academics are still very important,” Edwards said.

Chad Simmons / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Construction on the Academic Enrichment Center on the corner of Heyward and Marion streets is expected to finish this spring.

The $13 million project was made possible by a donat ion by Dolores A nderson of Greer, S.C., and by the perseverance of Steve Spurrier. Anderson’s husband, Robert Anderson, former president of Anderson Hardwood Floors, went to USC Upstate and wanted to give back to the University.

This Academic Enrichment Center is the first step in a master plan to expand and improve facilities over the next five years.

A ne w ad m i n i st r at ion building for athletes as well

TOP TEN WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER ON CAMPUS 1. Lock your door. This is the single most important way to keep your computer secure.

2. Mark your proper ty in a very visible, permanent way.

Just as would-be thieves are often deterred by homes bearing “Protected by ...” signs, a computer thief is more likely to go for an unmarked laptop.

3. Don’t assume your desktop computer is safe. Invest in some inexpensive cables designed to tether the CPU to something immovable in the room.

4. Use passw ord protec tion. Adjust your compu ter setting s to promp t you for a password any time the computer is used. And change that password from time to time.

5. Don’t reveal too much. Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook may ask for your birth date, but birth dates are a boon to identity thieves. Likewise, do not reveal any other personal information on these public sites or in response to any e-mail requests for your Social Securit y number, credit card numbers or other personal information, even if it appear s to be from a familiar-sounding company.

6. Keep thorough records. If your laptop is stolen, can you provide a full description for the police? Write down your computer’s make, model, color, and most importantly, the serial number. You might also need this information in case you want to file an insurance claim.

7. Install a tracking device. Use a GPS tracking device that runs invisibly on the computer to relocate the stolen proper ty.

8. Use a multi-layered securit y approach. MyLaptopGPS, for example, offers six layers of protec tion, including permanent tagging, GPS tracking, covert data recovery, remot e data deletio n, stolen proper ty tracing, and proper ty registration, for $10 per month per computer.

Other GPS tracking devices can be purchased individually for $50 to $400.

9. Start shredd ing (digital ly shredd ing, that is). Use software, such as Identity Finder, to search and preview the personal data on your compu ter, including credit card numbers, Social Securit y number(s), birth dates, tax returns and financial aid documents.

10. Contact USC’s IT department about network securit y by phone at (803) 777-0707 or visit http://it.sc.edu/.

Before you purchase any computer protection system, check with the IT department to ensure the system is compatible with USC’s network.

— Information from www.sans.org

as sports medicine facilities are in the works, along with new tennis courts, soccer f ields a nd outdoor t rack improvements.

Erin Fedewa, a second-year marine science student, said the new improvements will be a great addition to the athletic programs.

“I’m ver y excited about the new center and the plans to do more improvements.

O u r fac i l it ie s do need improvements. Right now for outdoor track we have to stretch in the parking lot,” Fedewa said.

Fedewa also believes that this new ACE center will make USC known for having the best facilities Shannon Walls, a secondyear nursing student, said she is also excited to see the new study rooms and equipment.

“I will definitely use the facilit y if t here is bet ter equipment. If there are more study rooms they will also be helpful to me as well as other athletes,” Walls said.

The 36,000 square foot facility will be the first in the athletes’ village by the Roost. With study rooms and

tutoring, athletes will be able to improve their grade point averages. According to the SEC, South Carolina has held the top spot for six semesters with the highest GPAs. USC athletes have also had the most 3.0 GPAs for the last four semesters in the SEC. “This center will strive to keep athletes GPAs up and will continue to help students be on t he Honor Rol l,” Edwards said.

Comments on this story?

E- m a i l s a g c k n ew @m a i l b ox. sc.edu

UTS provides security tips throughout awareness month E-mail, social networking W Web sites, online shopping make users vulnerable Sarah Peterman STAFF WRITER

October is Cyber Security Awareness mont h a nd Un iversit y Tech nolog y m Services is working to make sure students Se now how to keep their electronics kn themselves safe. th “These events are aimed at educating both average citizens and tech people b on how to use their information systems wisely,” said Kimberly South , public w relations coordinator for UTS. re Everything from simple e-mails to large networking systems is covered in la the th seminars. South said many people aren’t aware of how they are at risk or a how to keep themselves safe.“We are h trying to inject security awareness and t consciousness into the university,” said c Marcos Vieyra , information security M director for UTS. d UTS encourages students to take simple steps as preventative measures s to t keep their computers and their data safe. South said everyone should have antivirus software that is up to date and running properly. It is available free of r charge on VIP. Anti-spyware software is also important.

South also cautions people to be aware of what they’re clicking on and the Web sites they’re going to.“The largest problem is user behavior,” Vieyra said.

With this in mind, UTS created presentations to promote awareness and give training that is relevant to cultural needs.

Vieyra said the presentations “Social Networking,” “The Dark Side of E-mail” and “Wireless Attacks” would all be very helpful for students.

The social networking presentation will cover everything from Facebook to Amazon and Ebay, focusing on how hackers can get into your computer and how to keep yourself safe. The e-mail and wireless presentations will highlight different threats and help you protect yourself.

However, no students have attended any of the presentations yet.

“We’re not encouraging people to not do the things they want to do online, we’re just trying to teach them how to do them safer,” Vieyra said.

Vieyra said that using a computer safely is much like driving a car. While it is important to wear your seatbelt and to make sure your brakes are working well, you also have to focus on the road and drive safely. With a computer, you should have all of the appropriate software, but knowing how to use it safely is equally important.

“The presentation may be an hour long, but it’s going to be one of the best things you can do for your computer,” South said.

The presentations will also be available online at www.security.sc.edu.

If a problem with your computer does arise, the iCare center with UTS is happy to help.

“We are here to help and we’re a free service to students,” South said.

For more information about computer security or to find out more about Cyber Security Month, visit uts.sc.edu.

Comments on this story?

E-mail sagcknew@mailbox.sc.edu

Kentucky Video Preview Sports Editor Chris Cox breaks down Saturday’s home game against the UK Wildcats with Cameron W i d e r m a n o f S G T V ’s Capital City Sports.

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Cyber Security Awareness Month events Wednesday UTS Training Room 301 9 — 10 a.m.: Malware: Bots, Worms, and Hybrids 10:15 — 11:15 a.m.: Wireless Attacks

Tuesday, Oct. 13 UTS Training Room 301 9 — 10 a.m.: The Dark Side of E-Mail 10:15 — 11:15 a.m.: Social Networking: Security and Privacy Implications

Monday, Oct. 19 UTS Training Room 301 1 — 2 p.m.: Malware: Bots, Worms, and Hybrids 2:15 — 3:15 p.m.: Wireless Attacks

Wednesday, Oct. 21 UTS Training Room 301 1 — 2 p.m.: The Dark Side of E-Mail 2:15–3:15 p.m.: Social Networking: Security and Privacy Implications

Tuesday, Oct. 27 UTS Training Room 301 1 — 2 p.m.: Finding Sensitive Data on Your PC 2:15 — 3:15 p.m.: Improving Information Security in Your Office

Friday, Oct. 30 UTS Auditorium 320 9 — 10 a.m.: Information Security a t U S C : Ye a r i n Review 10 — 11:30 a.m.: P r o t e c t i n g Yo u r Computer: Panel Discussion

TWO

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

CALENDAR What: Cans Across

America Food Drive meeting When: 10:30 p.m.

Where: RH 301 What: Best of Carolina

Ballot collection

When: 11a.m.

Where: RH Lobby What: Young Life Bible

Study

When: 4 p.m.

Where: RH 309 What: NAACP meeting When: 5 p.m.

Where: RH 305 What: Student Senate

meeting

When: 5:30 p.m.

Where: RH 322/326 What: College

Democrats at USC When: 7 p.m.

Where: RH 305 What: Blood Drive

meeting

When: 7 p.m.

Where: BA 305 What: SALA meeting When: 7 p.m.

Where: South Quad

Lounge

SPORTS SCHEDULE

LOCAL & WORLD NEWS LOCAL Sanford not focused on probe EASLEY — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday an ethics investigation wrapping up this month is not his focus.

Sa n ford wa sn’t awa re t h at t he st ate Et h ic s Commission now expects to wrap up its investigation by the last week of October.

“I didn’t even know that was a time post,” Sanford said after a Rotary Club meeting in Easley. As has been his practice for more than two months, Sanford starts those meetings apologizing for his affair before launching into an appeal for the public to embrace his policy agenda even though his political career has been wrecked.

“It’s not where I’m focused,” Sanford said of the probe tied to his travel and campaign reimbursement practices, noting it was up to his lawyers to keep an eye on the ethics investigation.

The term-limited governor will leave office in January 2011 after finishing his second four-year stint.

NATIONAL La. amps up ACORN scrutiny NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana’s attorney general said Tuesday he has stepped up an investigation into embezzlement at ACORN nearly a decade ago, but the prosecutor and community activist group clashed over how much money was taken.

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell claimed the figure was $5 million, but ACORN said the sum hadn’t changed from slightly less than $1 million.

ACORN said its chief executive officer estimated it could cost up to $5 million to “get everything together” in the aftermath of the embezzlement, but the group’s leaders claim only $948,607 was stolen.

The prosecutor’s new figure was reported in a subpoena filed last week. He was seeking information from a company that provided bookkeeping, accounting and other financial management services to ACORN. ACORN said Caldwell was basing the $5 million figure on remarks Chief Executive Officer Bertha Lewis made during an October 2008 board meeting.

MEN’S SOCCER Furman Oct. 7 Stone Stadium 7 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL Brazilian president lauded

VOLLEYBALL Florida Oct. 7 Volleyball Competition Facility 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Auburn Oct. 9 Stone Stadium 7 p.m.

FOOTBALL Kentucky Oct. 10 Williams-Brice Stadium 12:30 p.m.

SWIMMING & DIVING Kentucky Oct. 9 1 p.m.

PIC OF THE DAY

RIO DE JANEIRO — He is the Pele of politics, knighted the “most popular politician on Earth” by another contender for the title — Barack Obama.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva draws praise from Havana to Wall Street for an economic boom that has brought millions out of poverty. He has attended socialist rallies with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez less than two weeks after extending a fishing invitation to George W. Bush.

Now, after landing his continent’s first Olympic Games, the former labor leader with a grade-school education is seeing his star burn hotter than ever, leaving some to wonder about Brazil’s life after “Lula” — as he is known — when his term ends next year.

“Under Lula, Brazil has become the hottest brand on the world market,” said Michael Shifter of the InterAmerican Dialogue. “This is sort of the crowning glory for his presidency and his legacy.”

— The Associated Press

Hannah Carroll / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

A breast cancer survivor participates in the Walk for Life in Findlay park Oct. 3.

Walk for Life is one of Columbia’s largest annual mass fundraising events.

CRIME REPORT SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 Simple possession of marijuana, 1:12 a.m.

112 Silo Court The suspect turned into the Stadium Suites apartments parking lot and made a sharp turn. Police pulled over the suspect and found what looked like marijuana inside the suspect’s car. The suspect received a courtesy summons.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 Disor d er l y/ pu blic disor d er l y conduct, 1:36 a.m.

College and Sumter streets Katherine O’Connor was found lying in the grass near the intersection of College and Sumter streets. When an officer approached her, O’Connor was slurring her words, couldn’t stand up by herself, smelled of alcohol and was loud and boisterous to the police officer. She was placed under arrest and taken to the detention center. A ticket was issued and a court date was set.

Reporting officer: Mary Winnington Traf fic/ failing to use headlight when required; Simple possession of marijuana; Minor/ purchase of possession of beer or wine by minor, 3:35 a.m.

1212 Greene St. Jared Porter was pulled over for driving without headlights and the officer smelled marijuana. Porter turned over a bag of marijuana and was Porter was arrested and charged with simple possession of marijuana. Upon further

inspection, beer was found in Porter’s car, which he said was his. Porter was taken to the detention center.

Reporting officer: David Adams

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10 Larceny/ Grand larceny, value more than $1,000; Burglary/ Burglary third degree, 11:38 a.m.

Wardlaw College, 1415 Greene St. A USC employee notified the police when she found her $1,000 laptop and $200 docking station stolen from her locked office. Pry markings were found at the door around the lock.

Estimated value: $1,200 Reporting officer: Mario Evans Vandalism/ illegal vandalism, 2:18 p.m.

Russell House, 1400 Greene St. Graffiti of a devil or bull cartoon head was found in elevator one in the Russell House.

Estimated damage: $100 Reporting officer: Joseph DuPree Malicious/ Malicious injur y to personal property, 5:04 p.m.

Hamilton College, 1512 Pendelton St. Between Sept. 9 and 10, someone used an unidentified object to break into a stereo cabinet in the theater department.

Though no equipment was taken, $50 in damages was reported. Images were taken of the scene and placed into an evidence locker.

Estimated damage: $50 Reporting officer: Chris Thompson

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The Daily Gamecock ● WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

D.C. same-sex marriage bill expected to pass Legislation would allow gay couples to wed in district Jessica Gresko

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — A bill t h at wou ld a l low sa me sex couple s to ma r r y i n t he n at ion’s c apit a l wa s i n t r o d u c e d Tu e s d a y, a measure that even opponents acknowledged seems almost unstoppable.

The bill was nearly certain to pass the D.C. city council, but whet her it b ecome s law is more compl icated because Congress gets an opportunity to review D.C. legislation before it takes effect. Still, even challengers in Congress acknowledged the bill was likely to become law.

The cit y began in July recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Congress had a c h a nce to ac t on t h at legislation but didn’t.

U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah who said he would work to defeat the new bill, anticipates that will happen again with the proposal. A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believed it was a matter for D.C. to decide.

D.C. Councilman David Catania introduced the new measure at a standing-room only council meeting. The independent and one of two openly gay council members said he hopes for a vote in December.

“There is no question that we are about to embark on an exciting journey here in the district,” he said.

H is bill specif ically says religious leaders and institutions are not required to perform the marriages or rent their space for same-sex ceremonies unless they let the public use or rent them.

If t he bill becomes law, t he cit y w il l fol low Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont, which issue marriage licenses to s a me - s e x c ouple s . Ne w Hampshire w ill begin issuing them in January.

The legislature in Maine has also passed a same-sex marriage bill, but voters will decide in November whether to reverse it. Ca l ifor n ia briefly issued licenses before voters passed a law stopping the practice.

In the District of Columbia, the bill was cointroduced by 10 of the city council’s 13 members and has the support of the mayor.

If Congress blocked the bill, it would be rare. In the past 25 years, Congress has only rejected three pieces of legislat ion. According to Brian Flowers, the city’s general cou nsel, t he last t i me wa s i n 19 91, when Congress rejected a law that would have permitted taller buildings in the city.

I n 19 9 9, C o n g r e s s amended a bill so that city medical marijuana would not be legalized. Congress a lso repea led a law t hat would have required D.C. government employees to be city residents.

Same-sex marriage s up p or t e r s c he e r e d t he bill’s int roduct ion. D.C . residents Juan Rondon and Edward Grandis came to the meeting wearing T-shirts that displayed copies of their California marriage license. “ I f e el a s e n s at ion of relief,” Grandis said.

PAGE 3A

Magazine takes budget cuts in stride G&B stays positive as it prepares to release first of two print issues Kara Apel

NEWS EDITOR

When Garnet & Black Editor-in-Chief Tiffany Melanis discovered her magazine would face extreme budget cuts last semester, she originally thought of it as a death sentence for the publication.

“At first I was really disappointed,” the fourthyear print journalism student said.

The magazine had to cut two print editions and move them online instead of publishing quarterly.

This caused the organization to completely reorganize its staff and revamp its Web site.

However, Melanis thinks this will benefit the magazine in the long run.

“As I’ve stepped back and looked at the situation, I’ve realized that it’s only helped us,” Melanis said.

“It’s getting our name out.”

The new Web site will include blogs, a calendar, extended stories and online exclusives. A staff of 16

bloggers will be producing new blogs every week about everything from entertainment news to campus happenings. Melanis also hired a webmaster and web editor to manage the Web site’s operations.

Melanis thinks the added content will be advantageous because it will give more students the opportunity to get involved. Melanis says the additional content is going to be a lot of work for her and her staff, but she sees it as being well worth the effort and time.

“We’ll be on the minds of readers more often than we used to be,” Melanis said.

Chelsie Paulson, a third-year public relations student, said she and her public relations team have been working hard to push the new Web site and the magazine’s first edition by putting up advertisements and fliers. The team has increased from 10 to around 40 members this semester.

“Having the manpower out on Greene Street has really helped,” Paulson said.

Melanis and her staff are eagerly promoting the year’s first printed issue on Monday and the magazine’s fifteenth year of publication.

Garnet & Black’s distribution event on Greene

Hannah Carroll / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Tiffany Melanis is editor-in-chief of Garnet & Black.

Street Monday will feature football players and body painters from the magazine’s its cover story.

Though the situation isn’t ideal, Paulson says being in this situation will better prepare her for the real world — coping and readjusting during difficult times.

“We realized this is the way the industry is going,” Paulson said. “I feel like we’re moving forward this year.”

Readers can visit the magazine online at www. gandbmagazine.com.

Comments on this story?

E-mail sagcknew@mailbox.sc.edu

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 4A

Government should bring home troops

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief

AMANDA DAVIS Managing Editor

CALLI BURNETT News Editor

KARA APEL The Mix Editor

KELSEY PACER Sports Editor

CHRIS COX Viewpoints Editor

COLIN JONES

MARILYNN JOYNER

Design Director

Photography Editor

MORGAN REID

US commanders need to find a new strategy that works

Copy Desk Chief

KERI GOFF

Students should take flu season seriously Students around campus are finding themselves in the life threatening dilemmas of stuffy noses and mild coughs. After careful WebMDing, they realize: it MUST be the swine flu.

While swine flu and the regular seasonal flu are making their way around campus — and everywhere else — nobody needs to Wash your hands freak out at the hint of and use the stations every sneeze, crowding the health center and taking up all over campus. room needed for patients who are actually sick.

Get a flu shot Flu season is just that — seasonal. Taking care of if you’re worried. yourself and being in tune with your body is important, but being hypochondriacal isn’t good for anyone. Your mild cold doesn’t require a pharmacy counter liquidation.

And if you are feeling sick? The health center suggests staying home and making an appointment. It’s called contagious for a reason.

So those students walking around telling everyone they have swine flu need to stay in, lock up and stop passing on the germs. While you may not want to miss class, there’s no need to get everyone else sick.

Basically, flu season, especially with the added risk of swine flu, should be taken seriously. Wash your hands and use the antibacterial stations all over campus. Go to the flu clinic and get a shot if you’re worried.

Don’t use nonexistent symptoms as an excuse to sleep through class, and don’t jump for the prescriptions just because you are exhausted from your all-nighter.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE Continuous group project dilemma With conflicting schedules, students find hard time with partnered activities Anyone enrolled in the University system for at least one year has experienced dreaded group projects – they promote teamwork, self-motivation and are the object of my demise.

Ye t , g r o u p p r o j e c t s obviously have their benefits.

T he y p u t s t u d e nt s i n a situation where they have to rely on team work in order t o s u c c e e d . T h i s i s , no doubt, a tactic to train us for Mandi the real world, where most Sordelet offices divide their workers Fourth-year into groups to focus on major public relations assignments. student With a group, every aspect of t he assignment can be divided so each individual can focus solely on their portion of the project.

However, not every student shares my enthusiasm for teamwork. These are the kids that make me deign to work in group projects – the Ultimate Slackers.

We have all had endured at least one while working on a group project and you can pick them out right away. They are the kids who always arrive late to class, never have their homework and rarely provide the correct answer when called on. Once I see this kid mosey over to my group, I shudder.

The Slacker is a quiet animal, choosing to remain silent during the collaboration of the group and rarely delivering any input.

They volunteer for the simplest of tasks, if they volunteer at all. They are impossible to get ahold of outside of class, despite the

numerous times you attempt to contact them, and they always bail on meetings at the last minute.

The Slacker stays true to their sloth-like ways throughout the project by turning in the minimal amount of work required, normally causing a huge lack of information during the group presentation.

The main issue I have is that group projects are not very compatible with the college lifestyle. No two students share the same schedule and you also have to take into account the jobs and extracurricular activities of group members when it comes to arranging meeting times.

Professors rarely give free time in class to discuss projects and expect the students to use time management skills to arrange group meetings in order to collaborate on the assignment. Managing projects can be simple with only two or three people involved, but more than that causes a headache.

In my experience, groups were only able to meet twice throughout a semester – the rest of the time, we relied on e-mail to compare notes. Using electronic media may be sufficient, but it hardly makes for a cohesive project. The end result usually showcases exactly how divided the assignment was.

Even with all my complaining, group projects aren’t going away. For years to come, students will suffer through impossible scheduling complicat ions, comparing PowerPoint slides via e-mail and sharing grades with others who may or may not deserve them. The only consolation I can offer is hope that collaboration in the work force will be a cakewalk in comparison to the Group Project Boot Camp we endure in college.

Occasional spending vital for economic recovery Americans should move towards capitalism with saving less, purchasing their needs I hate Walmart, but yesterday I had to fi nd the nearest supercenter and hug it.

“Capitalism!” I cried. “Don’t ever leave me!”

I ’m t i red of hea r i ng new s a nc hor s a nd commentators say that we are going to have to change the way we live permanently due to the recesssion. We are going to have to spend less, save more.

We are just coming out of a recession and all of the indicators predict slow growth from now on, akin to what occurs in Europe’s economies. But if you don’t listen to all of these pundits, experts and surveys, it won’t come true.

All of these pessimists are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you tell everyone they are going to have

to change their lives and spend less, the economy will indeed suffer and we will have slow growth. But if you tell them that the new Quintuple Whopper is coming out, then we can start getting back to how we were.

“Wait,” you say, “Why can’t we just learn to live our lives without so much excess? Ryan, you sound like a greedy capitalist pigdog of the establishment!”

Well, you Lenin-licking Castro-cuddling Kruschevkissing socialist, if everyone starts spending less, the economy will suffer. Then we’ll be forced to spend even less and even less and even less until your transcendental ideal of a living-nirvana free of material worship will look more like a homeless person huddling over a burning trash can. America is about capitalism. The Constitution might as well have been printed on dollar bills and Van Halen tickets. It pains me to hear these anchors lament the state of our economy while in the same breath extolling the virtues of saving in a tough time. Yes, saving is good for a single person, but not for an

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economy. If everyone takes up this “good habit” we’ll see sales plummet.

There is nothing wrong with the institution of capitalism. Bankers screwed up, stock traders screwed up and people bought houses on credit with money they didn’t have. We need to make sure we have money before we spend it, but above all we Ryan need to spend it.

Quinn What’s wrong with wanting the Second-year best in life? W hat’s wrong with print journalism admiring the product of other’s student ingenuity and creativity? What’s wrong with believing we deserve to use some portion of the money we earn for pleasure?

Family, friends, charity and values will always be the most important things in life, but part of America is buying that expensive hotdog at a baseball game. Or seeing Metallica in concert in Hotlanta last weekend.

To d a y m a r k s t h e commencement of combat operations in Afghanistan eight long years ago . A nd we’re still there?

These days, we’re seeing more casualty reports from Afghanistan than Iraq, which seems to indicate the situation in the Gulf is beginning to wind down.

It seems t hough t hat A fghanistan, in its current trend, is going to have to escalate again Jeremy for us to win.

Aaron It i s u n c le a r First-year to me exact ly advertising student w h at de f i ne s “w i n n i ng” i n Afghanistan. How do we say we destroyed an opponent that has no set base of operations?

We’re being hampered by our inability to fight militants across the border in Pakistan where they seem to be going for safe haven.

If Obama does not find a way to change the situation, it inarguably will become what dominates his term. For a man with no military experience whatsoever, the President has his hands full.

Quite frankly I don’t care if Afghanistan makes or breaks Obama’s term in office or his chances of re-election, because there is only one thing that really matters: the troops.

For the last eight years, our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and friends have been sent 6,000 m i le s over sea s for g reat periods of time with nothing but their own confidence, their commanders and their brothers in arms to assure them they’ll make it home alive.

We need this war to end. It is quickly becoming another Vietnam without the massive body counts, but casualt y statistics are irrelevant to what is really important.

D o n ’t t a k e t h i s a s a “bring our boys home right now no matter what” rant.

I understand t hat ex it ing Afghanistan right now is not an option because it would leave America and the rest of the world vulnerable to terrorist forces, but our men and women have been fighting this war for almost a decade.

I simply want the officials i n o u r g o v e r n m e nt a n d military to hear this: We want to see this war end. Find a new strategy, provide all the resources necessary to make it work and do it.

Find the enemy, eliminate t he t h r e at s a nd g e t t he troops out of there. Make sure the job is really done before you declare “Mission Accomplished.”

CONTACT INFORMATION Editor-in-Chief AMANDA DAVIS Managing Editor CALLI BURNETT Copy Desk Chief KELSEY PACER Assistant Copy Desk Chief LINDSAY WOLFE Design Director MORGAN REID Assistant Design Director LIZZIE ERICKSON News Editor KARA APEL Assistant News Editors DARREN PRICE JOSH DAWSEY Viewpoints Editor MARILYNN JOYNER Assistant Viewpoints Editor RYAN QUINN The Mix Editor COLIN JONES Assistant Mix Editor

ELLEN MEDER Sports Editor CHRIS COX Assistant Sports Editor JAMES KRATCH Photo Editor KERI GOFF Assistant Photo Editor HANNAH CARROLL Multimedia Director JONATHAN BATTAGLIA Assistant Multimedia Director GEOFFREY MARSI Page Designers BRENNAN WARE, MEGAN HILBERT, BRIAN DRESDOW, CAMILLE HOLLEMAN Photographers DAVID WALTERS Public Relations Director JESSICA SCANLON Graduate Assistant COURTNEY GRAHAM

Student Media Director SCOTT LINDENBERG Faculty Adviser ERIK COLLINS Creative Director EDGAR SANTANA Business Manager CAROLYN GRIFFIN Advertising Manager SARAH SCARBOROUGH Classifieds Manager SHERRY F. HOLMES Production Manager C. NEIL SCOTT Creative Services LIZ HOWELL, MIKE STEINIGER, KATIE MIKOS, KAILEY WARING Advertising JULIE CANTER, CARLY GALLAGHER, NATALIE HICKS, JAYME PIGNTELLO, CANDACE REYNOLDS, LAUREN SPIRES, MEGHAN TANKERSLY

Offices located on the third floor of the Russell House Editor: gamecockeditor@mailbox.sc.edu News: sagcknew@mailbox.sc.edu Viewpoints: sagckvew@mailbox.sc.edu The Mix: sagcketc@mailbox.sc.edu Sports: sagckspt@mailbox.sc.edu Online: www.dailygamecock.com Newsroom: 777-7726 Sports: 777-7182 Editor’s Office: 777-3914 Fax: 777-6482 The Daily Gamecock is the editorially independent student newspaper of the University of South Carolina. It is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and nine times during the summer with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Opinions expressed in The Daily Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of the University of South Carolina.

The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Daily Gamecock. The Department of Student Media is the newspaper’s parent organization. The Daily Gamecock is supported in part by student-activity fees. One free copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 each from the Department of Student Media.

“Film is one of the three universal languages, the other two: mathematics and music.”

— Frank Capra

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 5A

2

5 things we’re 1 obsessing about this PE A T MIX fall break

Co-creator of “Seinfeld” and comic Larry David is a man you love to hate. Acerbic, cynical and bitter since 2000, David has essentially played a fictionalized version of himself on HBO’s cult hit “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Dav id and t he program have returned for a seventh season and have brought along what many have dreamed of — a “Seinfeld” reunion. Well, sort of. The cast of the classic NBC show has reunited with David for a plot arc that deals with David’s attempting to win back his ex-wife by casting her in the show. With awkward situations abundant, the return of David and company is a breath of fresh comedic air for the Mix. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on HBO.

5

4

Colin Jones

THE MIX EDITOR

“Curb You Enthusiasm”

3

“The Office” Wedding Episode The day has finally arrived.

After six seasons of awkward moment s, Jim a nd Pam are getting married this Thursday on “The Office.” What started as only a dream has led to this highly anticipated episode. And everything seems set to go on without a hitch, that is if Steve Carell’s Michael Scott doesn’t ruin the whole shebang. Expect uncomfortable comedic riffs and marital bliss when the one-hour special episode airs at 9 p.m. on NBC.

N York New Y k Times iPhone Application

Defend D f New Orleans

All the news that’s fit to print now is fit to print on any iPhone and it’s completely free. Each morn ing you can open you r iPhone and have the Times and nearly all of its content laid out in an organized, beaut if ully designed application. Each time a story is updated, the app notifies t he u s e r a nd s u b s e q u e nt l y uploads the stories. It can also be organized to fit to your own personal tastes in newspaper reading. Currently the Mix is set to the arts section for movie and book reviews from the Grey Lady. If you enjoy reading the Times but want to avoid t he hassle of picking one up around campus, this is a necessity.

This small clothing company from New Orleans has caught on the past few years with their captivating designs and incessant promotion after being featured on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.” The standard design on the shirts is an intimidating skull with a Mohawk and a musket underneath. However, recently the company has expanded to other products including stickers, sweatshirts and bottle openers. Some of the other T-shirts play off pop culture and historical events with plays on the Run DMC logo and the Join or Die flag. Essentially, the company is an underground, grassroots promotion machine for one of the greatest cities in America with a portion of money received from purchased going to local New Orleans charities. Merchandise can be found at http://defendneworleans.com/ merch.html.

While they won’t be available during the break, these seasonal bagels at Einstein’s are a must have for the Mix. The spiced and savor y f lavors are great in combination with a hint of nut meg in t he new aut um n blend coffee. The bagels go great with plain cream cheese or the limited-time only pumpkin cream cheese. W hile not an everyday kind of snack, the bagel is a great treat on the go for cold autumn days.

Comments on this story?

E-mail sagcketc@sc.edu

‘Zombieland’ gushes

Burnham lives to garner laughs

Horror comedy lacks depth but thrills with gore, laughs

Young Boston comedian finds traction in comedy scene

Neal Hughes

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Zombieland NOW IN THEATERS

Marin Mueller

★ ★ ★ ★ out of ✩✩✩✩✩

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

By now, you might have finally been able to stop laughing at Bo Burnham’s hilarious performance last week. If you’re already waiting for Burnham to come back, you should probably get comfortable — the young comedian is in high demand across the country.

When I met Bo, I noticed two things — he’s literally a comedic giant, standing at well over six feet tall, and he eats like any other teenage boy. While Bo snacked on pixie sticks (just one of about a dozen different types of candy in his dressing room) he told me about his views on fame. “The shows are the only thing that’s changed about my daily life...it’s not like anyone stops me on the street or anything.”

Bo Burnham comes across as genuine and completely grounded despite exponential rate at which his popularity is growing. Yet as much as he enjoys playing shows and living in what he believes to be relative obscurity, Bo is definitely looking for more.

“I always wa nted to be famous a nd a comedian, doing movies and all that stuff...I don’t think about how famous I’ll be next year.

I’ll just try to be as funny as I can, and whatever happens is what happens.” In the meantime, he’s enjoying the perks of being on tour. Bo’s favorite boon is free Red Bull, he says. “That’s enough for me.”

Burnham’s unique style of comedy, as he puts it, is “completely random.” While he always knew he wanted to be a comedian, adding music

Pumpkins Bagels

Photo courtesy of Bo Burnham

Burnham is taking his new-found fame in stride. to his jokes was a result from “messing around on the piano freshman year.” “I still don’t really know how to play the piano,” he said.

His favorite jokes don’t come from offensive jokes or vulgar material, but instead from what humor is smartest. “’Love Is’ is probably the song with the best mixture of jokes and truth ... well, a perverted truth.” “I’m not trying to get shock humor ... some of my earlier songs are more immature because that’s what’s funny when you’re sixteen ... The rule is, with any joke it has to be more funny than it is offensive,” he said.

The next big projects lined up for Bo include an hour-long special written for the stage and a movie musical. Although his first script just got bought, the movie is a long way from being made.

“The movie will be made with Judd Apatow ... the part’s written for me, and it’ll be kind of like an R-rated ‘High School Musical.’” No matter where his fame takes him, Burnham said he will “probably never stop doing stand up,” so there will be plenty more laughs to come for his loyal fans.

Comments on this story?

E-mail sagcketc@sc.edu

Director: Ruben Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg Run Time: 80 minutes Rating: Rated R for horror violence/gore and language “Zombieland” wastes no time proving to the viewer it is going to be an awesome film. With its deliciously bloody slowmotion opening montage set to Metallica’s “For Whom the Bells Tolls,” the audience knows they are about to be immensely entertained.

Directed by relatively unknown Reuben Fleischer, “Zombieland” manages to do almost nothing wrong, resulting in one of the funniest and lighthearted movies I have seen in a long time.

T he mov ie w i l l i ne v it ably d r aw comparisons to “Shaun of the Dead,” a 2004 romantic comedy with zombies.

Yet much to my delight, “Zombieland” outshines “Shaun of the Dead” in such a way that it seems that if the two movies switched release dates, people would consider “Shaun of the Dead” a sorry follow-up.

The film is set in a post-apocalyptic United States, where some unsuspecting

consumer bites into an infected burger, (yes, we are looking at you, McDonald’s) releasing the fabled zombie gene and event ua l ly becom i ng a world-w ide epidemic of unkempt lethargic cannibals.

The movie begins with actor Jesse E i senb erg ’s c h a r ac ter, C olu mbu s , ex pla i n i ng h is r u les of su r v iva l, a humorous running gag throughout the movie that gives insight into his character, an awkward Michael Cera-type thankfully lacking the obnoxious indie persona and quirks that follow.

Columbus is convinced he might be the last “person” on this Earth until he runs into Tallahassee, expertly played by a hilarious Woody Harrelson at which point the movie switches from eliciting chuckles from the audiences to a gut busting wowthis-stranger-next-to-me–is–falling-intomy-lap-and-grabbing-my-knee laughter.

After introductions, the group copes with the struggles of trying to survive each other and the zombies in the most comical of ways.

I cannot give this movie five stars even though I walked out of the theater with a sore throat from laughing so hard. The movie is not intellectually stimulating at all but made me reconsider my rating scale.

Although this movie lacks substance, it is impossible not to give into its in-yourface charm.

The movie seemingly has everything going for it - a great cast, sharp and cutting dialogue, blood and guts galore, and a surprise celebrity cameo that takes Tom Cruises’ appearance in “Tropic Thunder” and puts it to shame, so that once again, zombies reign supreme at the top of the horror monster food chain.

Comments on this story?

E-mail sagcketc@sc.edu

The Daily Gamecock ● WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 7A

Inside the Box ● By Marlowe Leverette / The Daily Gamecock

The Scene USC

PAPA STING BAND 8 p.m., free Utopia, 406 Howard St.

The Whiteboard ● By Bobby Sutton / The Daily Gamecock

TODAY

PhD ● By Jorge Chan

TOMORROW

WORLD’S GREATEST DAD 3, 6 and 8 p.m., $6.50 Nickelodeon Theatre, 937 Main St.

FUNKY JUNK BAND, ONE WAY OUT, SWEET TOOTH, VILLAIN 8 p.m., $5 over 21 / $8 under 21 New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St.

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS: THE ARENA SPECTACULAR 7 p.m., $19.50 — $59.50 Colonial Life Arena, 801 Lincoln St.

DJ M80 9 p.m. Free The White Mule, 1530 Main St.

MR. B’S GOODTIME KARAOKE EXPLOSION 8:30 p.m., free Art Bar, 1211 Park St.

ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND 6 p.m., free Frame of Mind

10/7/09

HOROSCOPES

1234567890-= ARIES You’re being drawn in seven different directions at once. Share your intuition with others, and go with it.

L E O Fa n t a s y i s a med iu m you s udden l y appreciate. This doesn’t mean you should go around telling lies.

T AU R U S The important thing is to think t h i ng s t h rough before starting. Let instinct point you r feet i n t he r ight direction.

VIRGO Everything’s cooking on the right burner now! Just be sure to add the spices at the right time.

GEMINI With all the activit y around you today, be sure to take time for special moments with your partner.

C ANCER

You get 67 chances today to get your ideas out in the open.

Please get the lid off that box!

LIBRA Balance work w it h plea s u re. A sk a n important question. Listen carefully to the answer. You may be surprised.

SCORPIO If you remember a dream once you’re awake, share it with the first person you see. Or record it in your journal.

SAGITTARIUS

enough to do on your own, others add to the pile. Sort the high-priority items.

C A PR ICOR N You r l i st of t h i ng s to accomplish is huge. By day’s end it will be short.

More than one opportunity arises.

AQUA RIUS You form or strengthen partnerships today through generous of fers and practical means. The same goes for tomorrow.

PISCES You have a lot of thread to weave into the fabric of your work today.

You’re defi nitely up to the task.

A s i f y ou d id n’t h a v e

10/7/09

Solution from 10/6/09

Come take advantage of your educational discount!

ACROSS 1 Magic amulet 5 With 13-Across, “Lonely Boy” singer 9 UPS deliveries requiring payment 13 See 5-Across 14 Ship to remember 15 Related 16 Window treatment support 18 Christmas trio 19 “__ Beso (That Kiss!)”: 5- &13-Across hit 20 Prefix with China 21 Lukewarm 22 Proceed cautiously 26 The flu, for one 28 Dynamic start?

29 God 30 Most intelligent 34 Looooong time 35 Blocker of offensive TV material 37 Penn & Teller, e.g.

38 “Put your John Hancock on this line” 41 Desert rest stops 43 Chaplin’s fourth wife 44 Weepy people 46 Sports show staple 50 Orderly display 51 Has a meal 52 Repair 55 Reddish horse 56 No longer in trouble 59 Oklahoma city 60 Numerical relationship 61 One-named Deco artist 62 Personnel dept.IDs 63 Greenish-yellow pear 64 Treos and iPhones, briefly DOWN 1 Riot squad spray

Solution for 10/6/09 2 Weighty obligation 3 Harry Potter’s creator 4 Bit of granola 5 Bamboo-eating critters 6 __ superiority: obvious confidence 7 Juan’s “one” 8 Was in first place 9 King Arthur’s realm 10 Giraffe relative 11 “Let’s eat!”

12 Like a catty remark 14 Expensive furs 17 Dance company founder Alvin 21 La., on old U.S. maps 23 Bug in a colony 24 “__ Said”: Neil Diamond hit 25 Minimum-range tide 26 March 15th, e.g.

27 First of 13 popes 30 “__ Believes in Me”: Kenny Rogers hit

31 His name wound up on a lemon 32 Plaintiff 33 Partner of turn 35 “__, vidi, vici”: Caesar’s boast 36 Mountain goat’s perch 39 Words after “Look, Ma” 40 Sanctified 41 Way beyond pleasingly plump 42 Prez on a penny

44 Kind of electricity 45 Big name in garden care 46 Rabbit look-alikes 47 Smooths, as hair 48 Smidgen of sand 49 Tests by lifting 53 Greek “i” 54 Vintage Jaguars 56 Planet 57 Toy magnate __ Schwarz 58 Like cool cats

The Daily Gamecock â—? WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 8A

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 1B

SIX-HEADED MONSTER

Tandem of running backs proving headache for opposing defenders Morgan Henley

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

It can deliver a crucial lead block. It can stick its nose into the fray and pick up a tough yard. It can muscle three yards and a cloud of dust in between the tackles. It can break a long run around the corner. It can juke a defender out of its shoes. It can make a huge catch in the flats. It can move the chains at will.

Bottom line, the six-headed monster that is the South Carolina running game, no matter the situation, can leave opposing defenses shaking their heads.

Tailbacks junior Brian Maddox, sophomore Eric Baker, freshmen Jarvis Giles, Kenny Miles and Bryce Sherman and junior fullback Patrick DiMarco have combined for eight of Carolina’s 15 touchdowns this fall — a rate of production that is a far cry from the past, and is putting the rest of the offense in a better position to succeed.

“Offensively, they are running the football much better than I can remember South Carolina running it,” Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said. “They are throwing the ball well on play action as well as dropping back.

They are an offense to be reckoned with. This is a big challenge.”

The leader of the rushing attack is Maddox. The veteran of the bunch, Maddox has already surpassed his 2008 rushing yardage total and racked up five touchdowns so far this season, which is good for sixth overall in the SEC. Maddox has proven himself as a go-to guy in goal line situations – a weakness of Carolina teams past.

What Maddox provides in strength, Giles and Miles provide in speed.

Giles’ 231 rushing yards to date is almost half of the yardage former Carolina running back Mike Davis had all of last season. The freshman has a tendency to freelance a bit too much for coach Steve Spurrier’s liking, but there’s no denying his talent.

“Jarvis at times, he’s just running around out there like he forgot what the play was,” Spurrier said. “But he can go with it.”

Miles, like Giles, has brought a surge of excitement

w it h h i s a b i l it y t o hit t he hole fast and make plays. After not getting much playing t ime early on, M iles has acc u mu lated 113 r u sh i ng ya rds i n t he last two games alone – performances that have earned him a start Saturday against Kentucky.

“If we had to put one out there, Kenny Miles [would] be the guy,” Spurrier said.

Both players ability to break runs and find the end zone has alleviated pressure on quarterback Stephen Garcia, who has seen less stiff coverage with a threatening run game behind him.

“They do a great job; one of the byproducts of their improved running game is their play-action passing game,” Brooks said. “They catch your linebackers in a bind sometimes if they don’t get the correct run/pass read. So they affect your `under’ coverage with the run fake.”

The toughness of the monster comes from DiMarco.

Once relegated to the role of lead blocker, the junior captain has continued to open holes for the tailbacks, but has also taken an increased role in the offense this season. DiMarco only has 21 yards on the ground this year, but he has been a go-to guy for Garcia in the flats and on crucial third-downs, hauling in 11 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown — the eventual game-winning score in Carolina’s 16-10 upset of then No. 4 Ole Miss late last month.

The rugged edge of the running game can also be attributed in part to an improved offensive line, and new line coach and running game coordinator Eric Wolford, who has completely changed the dynamic of the unit since arriving in Columbia from the University of Illinois.

“One of the things you’ve got to do when you’re an offensive lineman is you got to be tough. That’s something that there’s been a perception around here, that were not a very tough group of guys and haven’t always performed well,” Wolford said prior to the season. “That’s disturbing to them and it’s disturbing to me. Everyday when we go into practice or into that meeting room we’re conscious of that. We’re going to do everything we can to become

a tougher group and a tighter unit.”

Two other assets are Baker and Sherman.

The latter has been able to use his speed to his advantage and has been able to surge past opponents to help get yardage. While Baker hasn’t accounted for the yards that Sherman has this year has, as a result of a hernia injury during the offseason, his diversity of talents is set for untapped potential in Carolina’s ground game in the near future. A year ago, Baker ran for 182 yards and averaged 12 yards a game in receiving yardage.

Although Miles is listed as the starter for Kentucky, one of the signature characteristics of the running game’s success is that there is at least six players you can count on to deliver results.

This unique system of rotating players has proven to be successful for the team — but it will almost certainly be tested against the Wildcats. The idea of rotating offensive players has had mixed results in the past for Carolina, but so far this season it has proved to be a formula for success.

“We’ve been comfortable with that the whole season,” Garcia said of the running back rotation. “It’s very good to have a combination like that.”

Notorious for cycling quarterbacks in and out of the lineup, Spurrier has grown to feel comfortable with his tailback rotation.

“All of the tailbacks had their moments,” Spurrier said following last week’s win over S.C. State. “It was sort of interesting that we’ve got three running backs that averaged around six yards a carry. It was good all three of them contributed. It keeps them all in play.”

This weekend will show if the six-headed monster can run all over an SEC opponent and confirm once and for all that the Carolina running game has turned the page.

One thing is clear though; as long as it results in success, it doesn’t matter to the team who carries the load.

“At the end of the day, no, sir,” Miles said when asked if who starts and gets the bulk of the carries matters. “As long as we get the win.”

Comments on this story? E-mail sagckspt@mailbox.sc.edu

The Daily Gamecock ● WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 2B

Ground attack continues to develop Freshman Miles set for first SEC start of young career Chris Bilko

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Consider the South Carolina running game established.

Last Saturday against S.C. State, the Gamecocks a c c u mu l at e d 213 t ot a l r u s h i n g y a r d s w it h t wo touchdowns, an average 6.1 yards per carry.

A benef iciar y of t he improved r unning attack is freshman tailback Kenny Miles. Miles gained 60 yards on just 10 carries and scored his fi rst collegiate touchdown.

He is looking to continue this momentum against a Kentucky defense ranked just No. 107 in the nation.

Redshirt freshman guard T.J. Johnson says the team is treating this game just like the rest, by being well prepared to take on their opponent. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has given Miles his approval and has awarded him the starting job over the other running backs on the roster.

The improved ground attack has proved to be a

beneficiary to the rest of the offense, as quarterback Stephen Garcia has been given an added dimension to help him spread the ball around the field. As a result, the Gamecock offense is turning the ball over at a significantly less rate this season, as USC has only five turnovers through the fi rst five games- a far cry from a season ago.

“One of the byproducts of their improved running game is their play-action passing game,” Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said. “They catch your linebackers in a bind sometimes if they don’t get the correct run/pass read.

They affect your under coverage with the run fake.”

Looking to stop Miles for the Wildcats will be senior middle linebacker Micah Johnson. Johnson led the team last year with 93 tackles — accumulating 13 tackles for loss in the process. Johnson is a tremendous leader on the team and has blinding speed getting to the backfield.

Johnson’s presence w ill need to be a big one, as Kentucky’s defense has been riddled with injuries in the past few weeks. Top NFL prospect and possibly the best cornerback in the nation, Trevard Lindley is doubtful Sat urday af ter sustaining a sprained ank le against Alabama last week. Lindley was a pain for Carolina in

HEAD

last year’s game, in which he returned a Chris Smelley interception for a touchdown in USC’s 24-17 victory.

The Gamecocks will certainly need to capitalize on the lack of experience in the secondary if Lindley cannot go.

“I know we don’t have another corner with the ball skills of Trevard Lindley, and the reaction speed of Trevard Lindley,” Brooks said. “I’m not saying anything bad because I think our other guys are good, they are just inexperienced.”

To win, Carolina must protect the ball on offense and try to limit the errors that plagued them in last year’s game in Lexington, Ky. The team has done a good job protecting the ball so far, as it averages just a turnover per contest through five games.

Spurrier has never lost to Kentucky while in Columbia.

In fact, the head ball coach hasn’t lost to the Wildcats in his entire career. He’ll be looking to extend that streak come Saturday.

“They’re a very good team, and we’ve had a lot of close ones with them,” Spurrier said. “I’m looking forward to another hard fought, close game against Kentucky.”

Comments on this story? E-mail sagckspt@mailbox.sc.edu

HEAD

OFFENSE Kenny Miles

VS.

Micah Johnson

Kara Roache / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

Culliver does it all for USC secondary Junior safety anchors defensive backfield without starting cornerback Auguste Jake FitzGerald

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

With Akeem Auguste suspended, strong safety Chris Culliver will likely have another responsibility in tomorrow’s crucial conference matchup against Kentucky – taking reps at cornerback.

“It’s just different because I try to make a play and I tend to leave my man sometimes,” Culliver said. “I’ve just got to be responsible and do my assignment.”

Culliver, who already returns and cover kicks, will still start at safety, but will likely take some snaps at cornerback position as well.

“Coach Ward and I have talked about it a little bit,” Culliver said.

When Auguste was fi rst suspended, there were worries from the Carolina coaching staff, especially defensive head coach Ellis Johnson, that Culliver would be overstretched.

Auguste was also Culliver’s understudy at safety.

“The biggest thing is we don’t have anyone backing up Chris Culliver who’s been consistent,” Johnson said. “We’re asking Culliver to return kicks, cover kicks, do all this stuff, and there’s nobody to get him off the field now.”

However, Culliver appears to be fi ne and ready to spend some time at cornerback. As a result, he will likely have the job of containing wide receiver and part-time quarterback Randall Cobb, Kentucky’s most versatile player.

The sophomore primarily acts as a pass catcher, but also returns punts and takes snaps from center in UK’s wildcat package. An equal threat to run or pass, he has racked up 248 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the season.

Last week against Alabama he had three catches for 57 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown reception.

“In looking at South Carolina, we definitely have another challenge. We go from the No. 1 and No. 2 defenses [in the SEC],” Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said. “The No. 3 defense happens to be South Carolina, and they are a very active team.”

Carolina will enter the game looking to improve on their defensive performance against South Carolina

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State, who they allowed to gain 326 total yards.

“Kentucky is a very good team. They’ve been a good team.

They’ve won a bowl game the last two years,” USC coach Steve Spurrier said. “Something we’ve certainly not done. If they hadn’t played Florida and Alabama they could be 4-0.”

Carolina has beaten Kentucky in each of the last nine seasons, and Spurrier is 16-0 in his career against the Wildcats. However, the Gamecocks aren’t dwelling on that fact.

“We’re going to approach every game like we always do,” Culliver said. “We’re going to go hard. We’re going to continue doing what we do. We don’t really care about statistics in the past. It’s not last year’s game, it’s this week’s game.”

History is history, but the Carolina defense is determined to take care of business on its own merit.

“We’re going to go all out and do what we have to do to win this ball game,” Culliver said. “We’re going to go hard, regardless of how many wins we have against them in the past.”

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DEFENSE Chris Culliver

Sam Bennett / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

VS.

Randall Cobb

Ed Reinke / The Associated Press

The Daily Gamecock ● WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 4B

Kentucky Kernel breaks down the Kentucky Wildcats Are Kentucky players/ fans surprised by their nine consecutive losses to USC? UK fans would probably be a little bit surprised to hear the Cats have dropped nine consecutive games to South Carolina. Most UK fans would say that the Cats always have a chance against S o u t h C a r o l i n a , b u t it really seems like something always goes wrong. If you look at the talent level on the last few UK and South Carolina teams, it has been pretty even. Rich Brooks has done a lot to change the way football is viewed at UK, so I would say most fans would be surprised to hear he hasn’t managed to beat the Gamecocks yet. I can’t explain why UK hasn’t beat SC all these years – and there are a few years UK definitely should have won – but UK still has a long way to go before it can consistently compete for third or fourth place in the SEC East.

Has the losing streak become a mental problem?

Can Mike Hartilne get the job done against the Gamecocks?

Is Big Blue’s secondary one of the best in the land?

I don’t know if any of UK’s big losing streaks are mental problems. Keep in mind, UK has lost over 20 consecutive games each against Florida and Tennessee. The streak against Steve Spurrier and South Carolina is really a distant third in the mind of UK fans when they think about the big obstacles left to overcome for the program.

A s I said above, U K has definitely had the talent level to beat the Gamecocks in the last few years, but a few t h ings have always gone w rong. I would say most of the players on the team are probably just a lit t le frustrated, because beating South Carolina would really help move the team out of fifth or sixth place in the East every year, and UK has been good enough to do it for a while. The Cats just haven’t come through.

Big Blue Nat ion is quickly losing confidence i n M i ke H a r t l i ne once ag a i n. By t he t i me t he game rolls around, Ha r t l i ne may have lost the quarterback job for the second time in two years.

Randall Cobb was the most popu lar g uy on campus last year and is exciting to watch at quarterback, but at the end of the day he is still a little injury-prone, he’s generously listed at 5-foot-11 and his passing skills won’t scare anyone.

Besides, he’s U K’s best receiver. Hartline worked his butt off in fall camp and really wants to be the guy, but I’m not sure he has the talent. If he doesn’t come through, UK will probably go to a true freshman — and we all know how smart that is in the SEC.

Trevard Lindley is one of the best cornerbacks in the nation, and he made a highlight reel interception ret u r n last year against USC . Opposite of h im, Pau l Wa r ford i s i n h i s second year as a starter and Randall Burden looks like a future star.

T he safet ie s took a big step back this year, however.

At the end of t he day, you know Lindley Ben is going to Jones s hu t h a l f of Sports Editor Kentucky Kernel he field down.

But out side of him, the UK secondary ca n st ill be at t acked successfully. You just want to ma ke su re you k now where No. 32 is when you let go of the ball. Besides, he’s doubtful to even play this weekend, and Warford is questionable.

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Does the outside world want to put Kentucky on probation for hurting Tim Tebow?

A ny other team in the SEC — particularly LSU — shouldn’t be angr y at U K for hu r t i ng Tim Tebow. T he Tiger s get the next shot at Florida, and even though Florida is still the most talented team in the SEC without Tebow, losing him brings t he G ator s back to t he rest of the pack. Watching Tim Tebow play football is really one of the great joys in life. There has never been a player who has been more perfect to run that offense than he is, and you can’t help but appreciate the beauty in that. I’m sure Tebow will be back soon, and college football will be better for it.

The Pick: South Carolina 31, Kentucky 13

The Daily Gamecock ● WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 5B

Tebow’s status focus of football nation Gators still unsure if star quarterback will play against Bayou Bengals Kelsey Pacer

COPY DESK CHIEF

No. 1 Florida @ No. 4 LSU

James Crisp / The Associated Press

This will be the best game on television this weekend, with two national championship-caliber teams fighting in one of the best atmospheres in the country. Even without starting quarterback Tim Tebow, the Florida Gators are an extremely capable team. But that doesn’t mean coach Urban Meyer still won’t try and get his Heisman contender in the game. However, as demonstrated against Georgia, coach Les Miles’s Tigers have a myriad of tricks to pull. Expect this to be a highoctane, close battle.

The Pick: Florida 31, LSU 27

Ed Reinke / The Associated Press

No. 3 Alabama @ No. 20 Mississippi

No. 21 Nebraska @ No. 24 Missouri

The Ga mecocks a l rea dy ex posed Mississippi as a Top-Five sham two weeks ago. While the Rebels do have a strong quarterback in Jevan Snead, they had better prepare to get rocked. Alabama is a big contender in the national championship picture, and if you’re talking offense, defense or special teams, they’ve got it all. Expect Mississippi to be embarrassed on national television at home.

The Pick: Alabama 42, Mississippi 14

Both teams will fight for their legitimacy in this game — while the teams are 3-1 and 4-0 respectively, each team has only faced one marquee opponent on their schedules so far. Missouri smashed Big 12 opponent Illinois in its season opener, but Nebraska showed its grit in a last-second loss to Virginia Tech. Missouri should have its hands full Saturday against a tough offense looking for revenge on a ranked rival.

The Pick: Nebraska 28, Missouri 21 Nati Harnik / Associated Press

Wisconsin @ No. 9 Ohio State

Gerry Broome / The Associated Press

Boston College @ No. 5 Virginia Tech Boston College is riding the waves of victory after beating Wake Forest and Florida State in consecutive weeks. The team is just another surprising facet in an eye-opening turnout in the ACC football scenario. However, Boston College will have its work cut out for them in Lane Stadium — the Hokies’ home-field advantage, offense and ridiculously good special teams should seal the win.

The Pick: Boston College 14, Virginia Tech 20

The Badgers are running 5-0 so far, riding the waves after two thrilling victories over Michigan State and Minnesota. Star running back John Clay will be a foil for the Buckeyes — he’s already amassed 582 yards and seven touchdowns this year.

However, without a whole team of Clays, the Badgers will fall to the No. 9 Buckeyes in the Horseshoe.

The Pick: Wisconsin 21, Ohio State 35

Darron Cummings / The Associated Press

Michigan @ No. 12 Iowa While Iowa eked out a victory against Penn State, the Wolverines are out for blood in this Big Ten clash. After an overtime loss to rival Michigan State, Michigan wants to prove that they are good enough to be ranked. Although the Hawkeyes will be playing to win with a stable offense and tough scoring defense, expect super-freshman Tate Forcier and the Wolverines to get the win.

The Pic k: M ich iga n 2 4 , Iowa 17 Al Goldis/ The Associated Press

The Daily Gamecock ● WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009

PAGE 6B

G AMECOCK E G N E L L A CH THE

Chris Cox

James Kratch

Sam Davis

Ellen Meder

Brooke Patterson

Sports Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

Staff Writer

Staffer of the Week

Reader of the Week

Nebraska @ Missouri Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M Baylor @ Oklahoma Boston College @ Virginia Tech Alabama @ Mississippi Wisconsin @ Ohio State Oregon @ UCLA Florida @ LSU Michigan @ Iowa Kentucky @ USC

Nebraska Oklahoma state Oklahoma Virginia Tech Alabama Ohio State Oregon LSU Michigan USC

Last Week’s Standings: Overall:

5-5 (31-19)

Nebraska Missouri Missouri Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Alabama Alabama Alabama Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State Oregon Oregon UCLA Florida LSU LSU Iowa Iowa Michigan USC USC USC 6-4 (32-18)

7-3 (27-14)

6-4 (34-16)

Missouri Oklahoma State Oklahoma Virginia Tech Alabama Ohio State Oregon Florida Iowa USC 5-5 (31-19)

Round up Florida vs. LSU: Two y e a r s a f t e r c au s i n g a s t i r b y incessantly calling and harassing Tim Tebow before the LSU vs. Florida game, Tiger fans now apparently have gotten ahold of backup quarterback — and possible starter — John Brantley’s cell phone number, according to the Gainesville Sun. Mississippi State vs. Houston: After losing five fumbles in the past two games, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has built his practices and preparation for this weekend’s game against Houston on one principle: hold onto the ball.

Tennessee vs. Georgia: The SEC has announced that the excessive celebration penalty Georgia receiver A.J. Green drew after a touchdown last weekend against LSU was undeserved. The penalty cost UGA 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff, which led to a game-winning drive by the Tigers, who won 20-13.

Conference notes: — After a 23-7 loss to Ole Miss that dropped the Commodores to 2-3, Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson announced he has been asking too much of his players and the offensive and defensive schemes will be greatly simplified going forward.

— T he SEC leads t he nat ion i n nonconference winning percentage. The twelve programs have combined for a 26-3 record against opponents from other leagues, good for a .897 winning percentage.

— With four wins against the East last week, the Western Division now has a ninegame lead in the all-time series between the divisions since realignment in 1992.

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