Quick Q&A With Cory Boyd
posted by Brian Shoemaker on Thursday, September 20, 2007
Q. How do you feel about sharing snaps with Mike Davis this season?
A. Once he gets out there, he brings a new dimension to the team, and when I’m out there, I do the same as well. We compliment each other real well. He’s just this little “fat” guy that always bounces off people and he can get around the corner a little quicker than I can. We enjoy our time together in the backfield. Some people think it might be a problem but now you need two backs to keep fresh legs, and that’s what the coaches have done.
Q. Did the Auburn duo of Williams and Brown a few years ago show you guys how it could work?
A. Not really. It just happened that way. I didn’t run away with the starting job. He was always there and made good plays. Playmakers always show up and the cream always rises to the top, so Mike didn’t just sit around and get upset with me starting. He just kept fighting and competing and we had to find a way to get him in there, so sometimes we’re both in there or we alternate.
Q. Was there ever a time after Coach Spurrier first arrived that you thought you would probably catch a lot of passes but you didn’t know how many carries you’d get in his passing offense?
A. When I first heard Coach Spurrier was coming, I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know if he was going to utilize my talents and move me to wide receiver, and he flirted with the idea of moving me to wide receiver, but my natural position is at running back. As his game plans came along, he had room for me in the backfield, even though I had to sit out a year, and when I came back I just wanted to fit in the best way I could. You know, Coach has put me in a position where I can catch the ball and run the ball, and Mike as well.
Q. Has there been much talk about Spurrier's 11-1 record against them?
A. No, we haven’t talked about the past. We’re trying to make history here.
Q. How confident are you that Blake will be able to work through whatever he’s going through right now?
A. I don’t see that Blake is going through anything right now. He just has to get used to some of the young wide receivers. I believe he’ll do well this week and Coach will put him in some good positions to be successful, where he can make more completions and have the passing game more where it should be.
Q. After last week’s game, Coach Spurrier looked about as unhappy as a 3-0 coach could be. Are you concerned at all about Blake’s mental part right now?
A. You know, it’s kind of funny. Blake never let’s anything get to him, so I’m not worried about the mental part at all. He’s a good kid and the mental part is never a question. Some people were concerned about how he would respond last year when he was benched. He responds real well and that’s something I like about him. He likes a challenge and this will be a challenge. So I’m looking forward to see how he does and what the coaches will do to help him to keep his head straight.
Q. Do you guys miss Sidney Rice more that you first thought and has his absence had a big affect on how the passing game is doing?
A. That never crosses our minds. Sidney is at the place he wants to be, and we’re glad he’s having success there. But we can’t focus on the Sidney Rice issue right now. He made his decision and it’s time now for some of the younger guys to step up and be better than him and step into his spot be the go-to receiver. We have McKinley, but you can’t do much if your QB is not going to throw it, so our offense is surrounded more around the running game right now, but soon somebody will step up at wide receiver and the Sidney Rice shadow will be gone.
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USC running back Cory Boyd spoke with the media earlier this week. Here are some of the questions asked and Boyd's answers. Compiled by Wayne Turner.
Q. How do you feel about sharing snaps with Mike Davis this season?
A. Once he gets out there, he brings a new dimension to the team, and when I’m out there, I do the same as well. We compliment each other real well. He’s just this little “fat” guy that always bounces off people and he can get around the corner a little quicker than I can. We enjoy our time together in the backfield. Some people think it might be a problem but now you need two backs to keep fresh legs, and that’s what the coaches have done.
Q. Did the Auburn duo of Williams and Brown a few years ago show you guys how it could work?
A. Not really. It just happened that way. I didn’t run away with the starting job. He was always there and made good plays. Playmakers always show up and the cream always rises to the top, so Mike didn’t just sit around and get upset with me starting. He just kept fighting and competing and we had to find a way to get him in there, so sometimes we’re both in there or we alternate.
Q. Was there ever a time after Coach Spurrier first arrived that you thought you would probably catch a lot of passes but you didn’t know how many carries you’d get in his passing offense?
A. When I first heard Coach Spurrier was coming, I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know if he was going to utilize my talents and move me to wide receiver, and he flirted with the idea of moving me to wide receiver, but my natural position is at running back. As his game plans came along, he had room for me in the backfield, even though I had to sit out a year, and when I came back I just wanted to fit in the best way I could. You know, Coach has put me in a position where I can catch the ball and run the ball, and Mike as well.
Q. Has there been much talk about Spurrier's 11-1 record against them?
A. No, we haven’t talked about the past. We’re trying to make history here.
Q. How confident are you that Blake will be able to work through whatever he’s going through right now?
A. I don’t see that Blake is going through anything right now. He just has to get used to some of the young wide receivers. I believe he’ll do well this week and Coach will put him in some good positions to be successful, where he can make more completions and have the passing game more where it should be.
Q. After last week’s game, Coach Spurrier looked about as unhappy as a 3-0 coach could be. Are you concerned at all about Blake’s mental part right now?
A. You know, it’s kind of funny. Blake never let’s anything get to him, so I’m not worried about the mental part at all. He’s a good kid and the mental part is never a question. Some people were concerned about how he would respond last year when he was benched. He responds real well and that’s something I like about him. He likes a challenge and this will be a challenge. So I’m looking forward to see how he does and what the coaches will do to help him to keep his head straight.
Q. Do you guys miss Sidney Rice more that you first thought and has his absence had a big affect on how the passing game is doing?
A. That never crosses our minds. Sidney is at the place he wants to be, and we’re glad he’s having success there. But we can’t focus on the Sidney Rice issue right now. He made his decision and it’s time now for some of the younger guys to step up and be better than him and step into his spot be the go-to receiver. We have McKinley, but you can’t do much if your QB is not going to throw it, so our offense is surrounded more around the running game right now, but soon somebody will step up at wide receiver and the Sidney Rice shadow will be gone.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.