2008 South
Carolina Gamecocks
Jan. 1
2009 Outback Bowl
Iowa 31 … South Carolina 10
Iowa’s defense forced five turnovers and Shonn Greene ran for three scores in a
surprising rout. The Hawkeyes came out with a 13-play drive that ate up the
first 7:21 on the clock finishing with a Trey Stross touchdown catch from six
yards out, and then Greene went work with two one-yard scoring runs and an
11-yard dash, to go along with an 18-yard Daniel Murray field goal, on the way
to a 31-0 lead after three quarters. South Carolina got a few late scores
highlighted by a 10-yard touchdown catch from Jared Cook, but it wasn’t nearly
enough.
Player of the Game:
Iowa RB Shonn Greene ran 29 times for 121 yards and
three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley,
16-31, 179 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Stephen Garcia, 5-25. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 6-86
Iowa - Passing: Ricky Stanzi, 13-19, 147 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Shonn Greene, 29-121, 3 TD. Receiving: Brandon Myers,
4-49
Inside The Box Score ...
5 Thoughts on the Outback Bowl …South Carolina starting QB Stehen Garcia
completed 9-of-18 passes for 79 yards and three interceptions ... USC LB Jasper
Brinkley came up with 11 tackles and an interception … Iowa’s Tyler Sach made
two interceptions … Rushing yards: Iowa 181 – USC 43 … Penalties: South Carolina
10-100 – Iowa 6-50 … Time of possession: Iowa 35:54 (11:09 in the first quarter)
– South Carolina 24:06
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2008 USC Preview
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2007 USC Season
2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 8-4
2008 Record: 7-6
Aug. 30
NC State W 34-0
Sept. 4 at Vanderbilt L
24-17
Sept. 13 Georgia L 14-7
Sept. 20 Wofford W 23-13
Sept. 27 UAB W 26-13
Oct. 4 at Ole Miss W 31-24
Oct. 11 at Kentucky W
24-17
Oct. 18 LSU L 24-17
Oct. 25 OPEN DATE
Nov. 1 Tennessee W 27-6
Nov. 8 Arkansas W 34-21
Nov. 15 at Florida L 56-6
Nov. 22 OPEN DATE
Nov. 29 at Clemson L 31-14
Outback Bowl
Jan. 1 Iowa L 31-10 |
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2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 8-4
2007 Record: 6-6
Sept. 1
UL Lafayette
W 28-14
Sept. 8 at
Georgia W 16-12
Sept. 15
S Carolina
St
W 38-3
Sept. 22 at
LSU L 28-16
Sept. 29
Miss St
W 38-21
Oct.
4
Kentucky
W 38-23
Oct.
13
at No Carolina
W 21-15
Oct.
20
Vanderbilt
L 17-6
Oct.
27 at Tenn. L 27-24 OT
Nov.
3 at
Arkansas L 48-36
Nov.
10
Florida
L 51-31
Nov.
24
Clemson
L 23-21 |
Nov. 28
Clemson 31 … South
Carolina 14
James Davis ran for three touchdowns and USC QB Chris Smelley was picked off
four times as Clemson won with surprising ease. The Tigers got up 24-0 in the
first half on a 20-yard Davis scoring dash, and after the Gamecocks started to
make it interesting on two Smelley touchdown passes, including a 23-yarder to
Weslye Saunders, the Tigers put it away with a two-yard Davis run. The two teams
combined to convert 16-of-31 third down chances.
Player of the game:
The tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller combined
for 179 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries.
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley,
22-47, 212 yds, 2 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 17-76. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 7-56
Clemson - Passing: Cullen Harper, 12-17, 199 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: James Davis, 24-91, 3 TD. Receiving: Aaron Kelly, 4-76
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... This isn’t exactly
the way you end a regular season. The Gamecocks have lost their last two games
by a combined score of 87-to-20 and struggled on defense in the loss to Clemson.
By this point in the season, the mistakes should be slowing down, but instead,
Chris Smelley threw four killer interceptions and the Gamecocks never got into
the game. Now the rivalry is really on. South Carolina fans might be happy with
the Steve Spurrier era, to a point, but the program isn’t rocking like it’s
supposed to. Losing to Clemson 31-14 isn’t a sign that things are going in the
right direction.
Nov. 15
Florida 56 … South
Carolina 6
Brandon Spikes returned a Chris Smelley interception for a touchdown, and the
route was on. The Gators scored the first 28 points, helped by three Gamecock
turnovers, with Percy Harvin running for a 26-yard score and Tim Tebow running
for a one-yard score and throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass to Deonte Thompson.
South Carolina managed two Ryan Succop field goals, but the defense couldn’t
handle the Gator attack with Harvin putting the game well out of reach on the
first play of the second half with an 80-yard touchdown run. Florida outgained
the Gamecocks 519 yards to 173.
Player of the game:
Florida WR Percy Harvin caught one pass for six yards
and ran eight times for 167 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley,
13-24. 92 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Eric Baker, 6-23. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 6-37
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 13-20, 173 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 8-167, 2 TD. Receiving: Louis Murphy, 4-54
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... A Steve Spurrier
coached team gained 173 yards of total offense and was beaten by 50 points.
Granted, Florida is playing better than anyone in America, but the Gamecock
defense was ripped apart both on the ground and through the air. It didn’t help
the cause to turn it over three times early on to get down big early; this isn’t
a team built for comebacks. Mistakes have been a problem all season long, and
against the better teams, USC doesn’t have a shot when it’s turning the ball
over.
Nov. 8
South Carolina 34 …
Arkansas 21
South Carolina alternated quarterbacks on a regular basis, occasionally on every
play, as Chris Smelley and Stephen Garcia each threw a touchdown pass, and
Garcia ran for one in the first quarter from 14 yards out. Arkansas hung around
with a 70-yard touchdown catch from Jarius Wright and a four-yard grab from
Mitchell Bailey, but Kenny McKinley put the Gamecocks up for good with a 15-yard
touchdown catch early in the fourth. Mike Davis put the game out of reach with a
13-yard touchdown run with just over six minutes to play. Arkansas got a late
one-yard touchdown run from Brandon Barnett, and a fight ensued after an onside
kick attempt.
Player of the game:
South Carolina WR Kenny McKinley caught seven passes
for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 16-26, 217
yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Brandon Barnett, 7-45. Receiving: Lucas Miller, 5-57
South Carolina - Passing: Eric Baker, 9-59
Rushing: Eric Baker, 9-59. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 7-130, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... South Carolina
might have shuffled its quarterbacks against Arkansas, but there was one
constant: Kenny McKinley. The star receiver came up with a fantastic game in the
crazy offensive game plan. While the results might have turned out fine, the
alternating of quarterbacks didn’t allow either one to get into a groove.
Stephen Garcia was never right, completing just
4-of-11 passes for 71 yards with an interception and a touchdown. Defensively,
Eric Norwood continues to have a phenomenal season. He was all but unblockable
getting into the backfield.
Nov. 1
South Carolina 27 …
Tennessee 6
South Carolina took a 24-0 lead late into the third quarter on two Stephen
Garcia touchdown passes and a 68-yard Stoney Woodson interception return for a
score. Tennessee struggled throughout with only an Arian Foster scoring a
one-yard touchdown. The passing game didn’t move the ball and the offensive line
was under siege all game long. Garcia was strong until he hurt his knee. Ryan
Succop added two 31-yard field goals in the second half.
Player of the game:
South Carolina LB/DE Eric Norwood made six tackles and
two sacks.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Nick Stephens, 10-24,
134 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Arian Foster, 14-56, 1 TD. Receiving: Austin Rogers, 3-72
South Carolina - Passing: Stephen Garcia, 9-19, 139 yds, 2
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 26-58. Receiving: Kenny McKinley 4-50, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... South Carolina
still can’t protect the passer and Stephen Garcia got banged up against
Tennessee, but the defense is playing so well that the offensive problems don’t
appear to matter too much. Winning five of the last six games have made the
Gamecocks a solid mid-tier SEC team, and now the chances are there to do more
with Arkansas and Florida coming up next. To win those two, the offense has to
get moving on a more consistent basis; Mike Davis isn’t finding any room to run,
and Garcia needs to get healthy in a hurry.
Oct. 18
LSU 24 … South
Carolina 17
LSU got up 10-3 in the first half on the first of two Charles Scott touchdown
runs, but South Carolina came up with a big late run before going into the
locker room with a 26-yard Weslye Saunders touchdown catch and following an
interception, got a one-yard Mike Davis scoring run with 22 seconds to play. But
the second half was all LSU as the defense put the clamps down and while the
offense came up with a seven-yard Richard Dickson touchdown catch in the third
quarter to tie it and a two-yard Scott run to win. South Carolina had one last
shot, but Curtis Taylor picked off a Stephen Garcia and LSU ran out the clock.
Player of the game:
LSU RBs Keiland Williams and Charles Scott combined
for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Stephen Garcia,
14-26, 215 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 10-23, 1 TD. Receiving: Jared Cook, 5-74
LSU - Passing: Jarrett Lee, 16-26, 189 yds
Rushing: Keiland Williams, 15-72. Receiving: Brandon LaFell, 4-55
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Stephen Garcia is the
quarterback. The offense sputtered in the second half against LSU, but Garcia
showed enough promise and enough potential to grow into the job. He needs more
seasoning, and he struggled way too much in the second half, but he has the
mobility and the arm to build the offense around. The biggest problem at the
moment is the running game’ it doesn’t exist. LSU didn’t even think about Mike
Davis and spent all its time on getting into the backfield. The USC offense has
to figure out how to make teams pay for doing this by getting Davis rolling.
Oct. 11
South Carolina 24 …
Kentucky 17
Stephen Garcia replaced a shaky Chris Smelley to throw a seven-yard touchdown
pass to Weslye Saunders and Captain Munnerlyn returned a blocked kick 81 yards
for a touchdown and set up another score on a kickoff return as South Carolina
gave Steve Spurrier his 16th straight win over UK. The Wildcats got a
pick six of their own from Trevard Lindley, but Smelley answered 20 seconds
later, thanks to the short field provided by Munnerlyn, with a 16-yard strike to
Kenny McKinley. Neither team could run the ball with USC gaining 74 yards and
Kentucky being held to 62.
Player of the game:
South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia came off the bench to
complete 10-of-14 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown and ran six times for 22
yards
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Stephen Garcia, 10-14,
169 yds, `1 TD
Rushing: Mike Davis, 14-27. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 7-88, 1 TD
South Carolina - Passing: Mike Hartline, 23-43, 152 yds, 2
INT
Rushing: Derrick Locke, 15-51. Receiving: Derrick Locke, 8-57
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... And so it
continues. Chris Smelley was great in the win over Ole Miss, but Stephen Garcia,
who was great in the win over UAB a few weeks ago but was replaced against the
Rebels, came in and saved the day against Kentucky. Now the quarterback rotation
goes on, but Garcia is the better option. The USC offensive line is having a
nightmare of a time in pass protection, and the more mobile Garcia helps the
overall cause. The defense is playing extremely well, especially against the
run.
Oct. 4
South
Carolina 31 … Ole Miss 24
Chris Smelley threw three touchdown passes including two to Jason Barnes from 20
and six yards out, and he hit Joe Hills for a four-yard score midway through the
fourth quarter for a comfortable ten-point Gamecock lead. Ole Miss could only
manage a 37-yard Joshua Shene field goal in the second half after putting 21 on
the board in the first half on short touchdown runs from Cordera Eason and
Dexter McCluster and a 24-yard Brandon Bolden scoring grab.
Player of the game: South Carolina QB Chris Smelley completed 22-of-32
passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley,
22-32, 327 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 19-73. Receiving: Jason Barnes, 7-76, 2 TD
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 21-32, 243 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dexter McCluster, 8-40, 1 TD. Receiving: Dexter McCluster,
6-99
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Does South Carolina finally have its quarterback? After a
seemingly strange decision to start Chris Smelley over Stephen Garcia against
Ole Miss, Smelley came up with a brilliant game and a big road win. Somewhat
quietly, the Gamecocks are on a three-game winning streak and can make some real
noise with a win at Kentucky next week. First, the running game has to get going
again, which might not happen against the Wildcats, while Kenny McKinley, who
made four catches for 58 yards, has to get more involved as he gets healthier.
Sept. 27
South Carolina 26 … UAB 13
Stephen Garcia ran for a five-yard score and threw a 13-yard
touchdown pass to Brian Maddox as South Carolina got up 26-6 before
UAB finally got into the end zone on a one-yard Joe Webb run in the
final seconds. Ryan Succop nailed four field goals for the
Gamecocks, while Swayze Waters came up with two 38-yard field goals
in the first half for the Blazers. The two teams combined for six
turnovers.
Player of the game: South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia
completed 13-of-20 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown with an
interception, and he ran 18 times for 86 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing:
Stephen Garcia, 13-20, 131 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Stephen Garcia, 18-86, 1 TD. Receiving: Jason
Barnes, 3-46
UAB - Passing: Joe Webb, 17-28, 140 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Joe Webb, 9-22, 1 TD. Receiving: Rashaud
Slaughter, 6-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... South Carolina
needs to sink-or-swim with Stephen Garcia at quarterback. He’s young
and he’s going to make mistakes, but the coaching staff needs to
give him time to develop. His mobility alone is worth keeping him
under center, he ran for 86 yards against UAB, but the offense needs
help from the supporting cast. RB Mike Davis was suspended, and his
absence showed. He’ll be back for Ole Miss.
Sept. 20
South Carolina 23 ...
Wofford 13
South Carolina's offense struggled to score points with the game
still in doubt late into the fourth quarter. Chris Smelley finally
put the game away with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Dion Lecorn, but
it was a struggle. Ryan Succop hit three field goals and Brian
Maddox ran for a seven-yard score, but Wofford and its option attack
stayed alive with a 50-yard touchdown run from QB Ben Widmyer and
two Patrick Mugan field goals.
Player of the game:
South Carolina S
Emmanuel Cook made 10 tackles
Stat Leaders: Wofford - Passing: Ben Widmyer, 8-13, 100 yds
Rushing: Dane Romero, 17-75. Receiving: Andy Strickland, 3-25
South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley, 23-33, 204 yds, 1 TD, 2
INT
Rushing: Brian Maddox, 12-52, 1 TD. Receiving: Mike Davis, 6-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense moved
the ball against Wofford, but it couldn't score. Three promising
drives ended in field goals and if took a late touchdown to finally
put away a vastly inferior opponent. Chris Smelley threw well, but
once again interceptions are a problem as he got picked off twice.
there's one more chance to get things working with a layup against
UAB next week before diving back into SEC play against Ole Miss.
Sept.
13
Georgia
14 ... South Carolina 7
Georgia got two field goals from Blair Walsh in the second quarter
and a four-yard Knowshon Moreno touchdown run in the third, and then
held on for deal life. South Carolina had two deep drives late, but
Mike Davis lost a fumble in the end zone and Reshad Jones snuffed
out the final drive with an interception just outside of the goal
line. The Gamecocks only gained 18 rushing yards on 16 carries, but
the offense outgained the Bulldogs 289 yards to 252.
Player of the game:
Georgia DB Asher Allen made six tackles, broke up two passes, and
recovered a fumble in the end zone.
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matt Stafford,
15-25, 146 yds
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 20-79, 1 TD. Receiving: A.J.
Green, 3-61
South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley, 23-39, 271
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 12-22. Receiving: Moe Brown, 7-130,
1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Amazingly enough
after the way the first two games went, there was only one
interception thrown against the nasty Bulldog defense, coming at the
very end. Mike Davis and the running game never got going, but Moe
Brown and Jared Cook came up with fantastic games to help out the
quarterbacks. Chris Smelley established himself as the best of the
quarterback options, even if he wasn't always sharp, but he hung
tough and led the offense on two great fourth quarter drives. After
a 1-2 start, things ease up with Wofford and UAB up next, and Ole
Miss and Kentucky to follow. In other words, this is when the team
has to go on a run, and if the D plays like it did against Georgia,
it will.
Sept. 4
Vanderbilt 24 ... South
Carolina 17
Vanderbilt stunned South Carolina for the second year in a row as Chris Nickson
threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Barden and ran for a one-yard score in
the third quarter, and Jared Hawkins put the game away with under ten minutes to
play on a 13-yard scoring dash. South Carolina's offense was fine at first, with
Kenny McKinley catching a 19-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but only
managed a 41-yard field goal and a fourth-quarter five-yard touchdown catch from
Freddie Brown. The Gamecocks would get one late change, but were forced to punt
and Vandy ran out the clock.
Player of the game:
Vanderbilt LB Patrick Benoist made 15 tackles, a sack,
and two tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley,
23-39, 233 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 18-80. Receiving: Jared Cook, 8-111
Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson, 6-13, 90 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jared Hawkins, 17-84, 1 TD. Receiving: Jamie Graham, 3-21
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... South Carolina
simply can't stop turning the ball over. The quarterback play was erratic
against Vanderbilt, and it didn't help that star WR Kenny McKinley went out
hurt, but the real issue was the play of Chris Smelley, who threw two
interceptions to go along with 233 yards and two scores. At some point, the team
has to be able to count on the quarterback. The one big plus out of the crushing
loss was the emergence of tight end Jared Cook with eight catches for 111 yards.
Aug. 28
South
Carolina 34 ... NC State 0
In an ugly game with eight turnovers and little passing production,
South Carolina held the Wolfpack to 138 yards of total offense while
the offense overcame four thrown interceptions from Tommy Beecher.
The Gamecocks didn't pull away until the fourth quarter when Chris
Smelley, who stepped in for an injured Beecher, hit Dion LeCorn for
a 20-yard touchdown and Jared Cook for a 13-yard score. NC State
starting QB Russell Wilson, who suffered a concussion and was carted
off the field in the first half.
Player of the game: South
Carolina S Emanuel Cook made nine tackles and forced a
fumble
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans,
4-12, 37 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Andre Brown, 21-101. Receiving: Owen Spencer,
3-27
South Carolina - Passing: Tommy Beecher, 12-22,
106 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 14-101, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenny
McKinley, 6-37
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... And the
quarterback controversy keeps on chugging. Before getting hit in the
head and being forced to leave the game against NC State, Tommy
Beecher struggled too much to make the right reads and to keep from
throwing picks, which was a problem this summer in practices. He was
also too indecisive holding on to the ball and took too many sacks.
Chris Smelley completed all five of his passes with two touchdowns,
and now he appears to be the main man going into the Vanderbilt
game. If the defense plays like it did against the Wolfpack, there
won't be any problems no matter who's under center.
2008
Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Charles "C.C." Whitlock
- ATHLETE - 5-11, 172 - CHESTER, S.C. (CHESTER)
Graduated in December of 2007 from Chester (S.C.) High School and
enrolled at Carolina in January... athlete who is capable of playing
multiple positions, including wide receiver, defensive back and kick
returner... led Chester to the Class AAA State Championship game as
a senior... caught 23 passes for 418 yards, an average of 18.2 yards
per catch, rushed 77 times for 266 yards with five TDs and completed
58-of-91 passes for 864 yards and 11 touchdowns for coach Victor
Floyd... also had 38 tackles and four interceptions... was a
first-team All-State selection by the Associated Press and The
State, played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and also
participated in the ESPN/Under Armour All-Star Game in Orlando where
he returned an interception for a touchdown... as a junior, he
starred at quarterback and cornerback, receiving first-team
all-state and all-region honors after accounting for 26 all-purpose
touchdowns... passed for 1,500 yards, rushed for 800 yards and
logged five interceptions... Scout.com considers him the 10th-best
cornerback in the nation and the third-best player in the Palmetto
State... also ran the high hurdles and on the 4x100 meter relay team
as a prep... a cousin of former Gamecock Jonathan Joseph, Whitlock
also visited Alabama and North Carolina.
Potential Instant Impact Players
Antonio Allen - Safety - 6-2,190 - OCALA, FLA. (TRINITY
CATHOLIC/FORK UNION MILITARY)
PREP SCHOOL: Enrolled at Carolina in January after spending the 2007
season at Fork Union Military Academy in Chatham, Va. HIGH SCHOOL:
As a high school senior in 2006, earned first-team all-state honors
after logging 126 tackles and four interceptions... helped Trinity
Catholic High School to a 13-1 season... as a junior, he logged 114
tackles and two interceptions, helping his team win the Florida
Class 2B title... a high school teammate of current Gamecock wide
receiver Dion Lecorn, Allen was coached by former Florida
quarterback Kerwin Bell... was the 75th-best safety prospect in the
nation according to Scout.com and was rated the 91st-best player in
the state of Florida by SuperPrep... originally signed with South
Carolina in the Class of 2007.
Akeem Auguste -
Cornerback - 5-11, 180 - HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (CHAMINADE-MADONNA/FORK
UNION MILITARY)
PREP SCHOOL: Enrolled at Carolina in January after spending the 2007
season at Fork Union Military Academy. HIGH SCHOOL: Credited with
114 tackles and 10 interceptions in his final two seasons at
Chaminade-Madonna High School playing for coach Mark Guandolo... as
a senior, he logged 54 tackles and three interceptions, returning
two for touchdowns on his way to first-team All-State accolades...
was credited with 60 tackles and seven picks along with four
touchdowns in the return game as a junior... was considered a
four-star recruit and the 31st-best cornerback in the nation by
Scout.com and was rated as the 41st-best player in Florida by
SuperPrep... originally signed with South Carolina in the Class of
2007
Rest of the Class
ERIC BAKER - RUNNING BACK -
5-11, 190 - JACKSONVILLE, FLA. (EDWARD H. WHITE/FORK UNION MILITARY)
REGGIE BOWENS - LINEBACKER - 6-2, 210 - HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. (GARNER)
RONALD BYRD - DEFENSIVE END - 6-6, 258 - LAGRANGE, GA. (CALLAWAY)
JARRETT BURNS - SAFETY - 6-3, 185 - HUNTSVILLE, ALA. (LEE)
KENNY DAVIS - DEFENSIVE TACKLE - 6-4, 295 - NEWBERRY, S.C.(NEWBERRY)
RYAN DOERR - PUNTER/PLACEKICKER - 6-3, 185 - KATY, TEXAS (KATY)
ARAMIS HILLARY - QUARTERBACK - 6-2, 205 - NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (STROM
THURMOND)
T.J. JOHNSON - OFFENSIVE LINEMAN - 6-4, 285 - AYNOR, S.C. (AYNOR)
JARRIEL KING - DEFENSIVE END - 6-7, 285 - HANAHAN, S.C. (NORTH
CHARLESTON/GEORGIA MILITARY)
REID McCOLLUM - QUARTERBACK - 6-4, 195 - SUMMERVILLE, S.C.
(SUMMERVILLE)
KENNETH MILES - RUNNING BACK - 5-10, 200 - LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. (BROOKWOOD)
D.L. MOORE - WIDE RECEIVER - 6-4, 178 - BOWLING GREEN, KY. (BOWLING
GREEN)
DARRELL SIMMONS - SAFETY - 6-1, 185 - COLLEGE PARK, GA. (BANNEKER)
JAY SPEARMAN - DEFENSIVE BACK - 6-0, 187 - GREENWOOD, S.C.
(GREENWOOD)
CHAZ SUTTON - DEFENSIVE END - 6-4, 236 - SAVANNAH, GA. - (JENKINS)
DEVIN TAYLOR - DEFENSIVE END - 6-6, 225 - BEAUFORT, S.C. (BEAUFORT)
MIKE TRIGLIA - TIGHT END - 6-4, 234 - JACKSONVILLE, FLA. (BOLLES)
ELLIOT WILLIAMS - OFFENSIVE LINEMAN - 6-6, 275 - WOODSTOCK, GA.
(ETOWAH)
SHAQUILLE "SHAQ" WILSON - LINEBACKER - 6-0, 220 - JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
(FIRST COAST)
2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: It's now or never for the Steve Spurrier era.
After a rough collapse over the second half of last year losing the
final five games, the pressure is on Spurrier to finally show off some
more of that magic that made him such a legend in the first place. If
everyone stays healthy (a major problem last season), this could be a
true SEC title contender with solid replacements for the losses on
offense, and ten starters returning on defense, not including LB Jasper
Brinkley, who chose to return for his senior year with a knee injury.
The first three road games of the year, before mid-November, are at
Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Kentucky, but ...
Why to be grouchy: ... the final two games of the year are at
Florida and at Clemson. Along with home dates against Georgia and
Tennessee, the Gamecocks have to face LSU. Yes, enough talent returns to
hope for a much, much better season, but losing RB Cory Boyd won't help
the SEC's worst rushing attack, while the health of Jasper Brinkley
alone might not be enough to resurrect the league's worst run D.
The number one thing to work on is: Turnover margin. USC gave it
away 28 times and only came up with 21 turnovers to finish 101st in the
nation in turnover margin. To get through the nasty SEC slate and to
have any sort of a shot at winning the SEC East, everyone has to stay
healthy, players like QB Chris Smelley have to be better, and there
can't be many mistakes. Winning the turnover battle is a major part of
that.
Biggest offensive loss: QB Blake Mitchell
Biggest defensive loss: DE Casper Brinkley
Best returning offensive player: WR Kenny McKinley, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
LB Jasper Brinkley, Sr.
2007 Recap
Recap:
On Oct. 19, South Carolina was 6-1, ranked No. 6 in the country, and
playing as if it planned on contending for a national championship.
A little more than a month later, the Gamecocks were 6-6 and
completely out of the bowl picture after taking the collar in the
final five games. In August, Steve Spurrier proclaimed his program
fit to contend for SEC supremacy; however, an inability to run the
ball—or stop the run—got in the way of the coach’s preseason
prophecy.
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Kenny McKinley
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Eric Norwood
Biggest Surprise: Undercutting No. 11 Georgia in Week 2,
16-12. Although it may not have been pretty, it was effective, as
Spurrier maintained his mastery of the Bulldogs. The ‘Cocks got
three field goals from Ryan Succop and a big effort from the
defense, instantly altering expectations for a program that started
the season unranked.
Biggest Disappointment: The complete malfunction down the
stretch of the usually stingy defense was too much for the Gamecocks
to overcome. Over the final four games, opponents almost abandoned
the run, averaging 38 points and 273 yards rushing a game versus the
South Carolina D.
Looking Ahead: What now? Last season was supposed to be a
breakthrough year for South Carolina, but instead, it’ll be
remembered for the breakdown in November. While the defense should
rebound, especially if LB Casper Brinkley is afforded a medical
redshirt, the offense is still searching for a quarterback that can
consistently perform at a high level.
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