GamecockCentral.com beat writer Scott Hood covers the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs. Scott and other GamecockCentral.com contributors post news, opinions and other items of interest in this blog.
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South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier was interviewed by ESPN's Rece Davis Tuesday during the daily half-hour program "College Football Live." Here is a transcript of the interview:
ESPN: Steve, how do you create a culture of winning championships at a school that really hasn't done it before?
SPURRIER: Rece, I don't really worry about that. What we tried to do when we got here three years ago was, first of all, try to make our team competitive. We've won seven, we've won eight the first couple of years. But obviously we needed to recruit good football players. What gives us hope that we have an opportunity to challenge for the SEC championship real soon is our recruiting group this past year that was ranked fourth in the country by ESPN.com and sixth by a couple of the other polls. We do have better players going into this season and we think we're pretty close talent-wise to Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, our three biggest competitors in the Eastern Division. We think we can play with them. We're going to find out this year if we can or can't.
ESPN: How does this team compare with some of your SEC champions at Florida?
SPURRIER: Rece, I'm glad you asked that because I really believe the team we have here at South Carolina this year, talent-wise, is a little better than maybe two or three of the teams we had at Florida in 12 years there. I remember back in 1992 we started two true freshman offensive tackles - Jason Odom and Reggie Green. It was a year we just hadn't had a chance to recruit very well and whatever. Obviously, '93 through '96 were some of my most talented teams. Looking back, maybe the best team we had at Florida - 2001 - we were first in the conference in offense and defense. But we really didn't win anything. We got beat the last game by Tennessee, didn't win the division, didn't win the SEC. We won the Orange Bowl. But we didn't have any championship riungs with one of the best teams we had down there in 12 years.
ESPN: Last year at South Carolina you had to shuffle the offense, you had to adjust, you changed quarterbacks. You had to change things a lot. You were able to find enough success to win games. A lot of offenses, it seems, come unglued if they have to change quarterbacks. Why have you been able to have success changing quarterbacks?
SPURRIER: Rece, it seemed like the thing to do last year. We struggled offensively early in the season. Blake Mitchell, our starter, is an excellent quarterback but he's not a scrambling, run around type of guy. For him to be effective, we had to have a good strong running game and we have to have pass protection. Hopefully, we'll get our O-Line straight at the beginning of the season and not in the middle of the year. We return almost all of the guys except for a couple of guards, our center and wide receiver Sidney Rice. We have a lot of good talented young guys ready to step in and play. We're excited about not only this year but the next two or three, four, five years here for South Carolina football.
ESPN: Sidney Rice may be gone but Kenny McKinley is back. You have a quintet of young freshmen we're looking forward to seeing. Steve, always a pleasure. Thanks for spending some time with us.
We just released the first of our 2007 preseason wallpapers. Several additional wallpapers will be added over the next few weeks. Click on the following image:
In case you haven’t noticed, Steve Spurrier is a little bit different than most other college football coaches.
He doesn’t always believe in doing things the conventional way. You know, “by the book.” He has his own mannerisms, speaking style, football philosophy. He’s not afraid to tell you what he feels.
Spurrier is unique in another way: he often likes to have the media and fans watching when his football team is practicing or scrimmaging.
Why? He believes it helps foster the psychological development of his team. He wants to see how his younger players will perform in front of a few hundred or a few thousand fans before the time comes to play a real game in front of 82,000 frenzied fans.
Most of USC's workouts this past spring were open, if you recall. Last year, the first 10 or 15 fall practices were open before Spurrier closed them to facilitate preparation for the regular season.
Anybody could walk through the gates and watch as many blocking and tackling drills as they wanted, even if they weren’t a Gamecock fan.
If nothing else, Spurrier is fearless.
Unfortunately, few coaches share his belief that practicing in front of fans is a good thing for the players. Spurrier noted Monday that he thinks some coaches take the paranoia thing a bit too far.
The fact that USC is now one of the few schools from a BCS conference in the country that allows fans to watch a limited number of pre-season practices has made Spurrier rethink his philosophy.
That’s too bad. But I understand his position. If no one else wants to play ball, why should he?
As Spurrier explained Monday, he doesn’t want to be the only coach in the SEC that conducts open practices. The conference is too hypercompetitive for that. So, if Mark Richt (Georgia), Urban Meyer (Florida) and Phil Fulmer (Tennessee) are banning fans from the sidelines, why shouldn’t he?
Of course, the myopic ones among us blame this trend of closing practices on the internet dweebs like myself who cover this stuff for a living. But there are many factors conspiring to influence the past and present decisions of coaches to close practice.
In my opinion, one of the major reasons coaches are closing practice throughout the country is they want to leave no stone unturned in their quest to protect their job and the million dollar-plus salary that comes with it.
Some probably even believe “valuable information” such as the number of calisthenics during the warm-up period would fall into the hands of their bitter arch-rival.
Thankfully, Spurrier doesn’t believe in such foolishness.
In my opinion, an actual college football game is far more complicated and has too many variables than cyberspace would lead you to believe. It’s 11 guys against 11 guys on every play. Execution is paramount.
Hence, what you read or digest on most internet sites covering their respective football programs has little influence on the outcome of games.
But coaches require a scapegoat.
A player misses a tackle? Blame it on the internet. A player drops a pass in a critical situation? Blame it on the internet. The opposition stopped us on 4th-and-inches? That’s because they knew our play from the internet.
It’s this fear that someone out there is watching them that has driven most coaches to close practices.
Where’s the harm allowing fans to watch a helmet and shorts practice? None. What will fans or, egad, internet sites learn that might affect the outcome of a game? Nothing.
But I do have one good reason not to want to watch football practice.
I’m sure I’ll offend some of you when I say that, quite honestly, watching a football practice is often like watching paint dry. The opening hour of most USC practices I’ve witnessed the last couple for years involves repetitious work on basic fundamentals and techniques.
It’s tedious, to put it nicely.
The second hour, when the Gamecocks typically match up in pass skeleton drills and the 11-on-11 is a little more eventful. You actually get to see offensive and defensive players face off, even if there’s usually not much tackling involved.
But getting through that first hour is always difficult.
That’s why I carry a large box of No-Doz with me at all times whenever I head out to cover a practice.
But it’s also useful when I’m forced to listen to coaches overcome by paranoia try to justify why they have to close practice.
Former South Carolina wide receiver Sidney Rice signed a four-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings Friday night and practiced with the club for the first time on Saturday at its training camp facility at Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn.
Rice, and first round selection Adrian Peterson, missed the first two practices of training camp, drawing the ire of head coach Brad Childress. He was quoted Friday as saying, "My best advice to them would be to get their tails in camp."
Hours later, Rice and his agent reached agreement with the Vikings.
According to an article at www.startribune.com, the web site for the Minneapolis Strar-Tribune newspaper, Rice was immediately inserted into the first team offense as one of three wideouts in the Viking's three-receiver set, joining former Gamecock Troy Williamson and Bobby Wade.
Rice spoke with the media following the workout and told them 'the practice was tough physically but he does not feel behind from a mental standpoint.' Rice was quoted as saying: "I had my playbook with me the whole time. I've still got it all up there."
The Vikings reached agreement Sunday with Peterson on a six-year contract.
Former South Carolina third baseman Brian Buscher made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins Friday night in a 10-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field.
Buscher, now 26, started at third base for the Twins and went 2-for-4 from the eighth spot in the order. He singled to right in his first major league at-bat. He also committed an error with a bad throw to first base in the third inning. He was selected by Minnesota in the Rule 5 Draft this past December from the Giants. San Francisco picked Buscher inthe third round of the 2003 MLB Draft.
A story on mlb.com described Buscher as "the Twins' third base prospect that had been lacking in their farm system." His rise through the Twins' system has been meteoric. Buscher started the 2007 season with Double-A New Britain before being promoted to Triple-A Rochester on June 20.
An article on mlb.com posted Saturday morning said Minnesota planned to start Buscher again at third on Saturday night. Buscher attributed his success this season to greater concentration and better machanics at the plate.
Buscher hit .308 with 19 doubles, seven HR and 37 RBI in 63 games at New Britain. He continued to hit well after moving up to Rochester, batting .313 with six HR, seven doubles and 20 RBI in 30 games until his call up to the Twins.
Buscher is the seventh different former USC player to play in the major leagues this season. Adam Everett (Houston), Brian Roberts (Baltimore) and Jon Coutlangus (Reds) are still with their big league clubs, while Lee Gronkiewicz (Blue Jays), Marcus McBeth (Cincinnati) and Kevin Melillo (Oakland) appeared briefly before being returned to the Triple-A affiliates of their respective clubs.
Buscher played for USC in 2002 and 2003. The Gamecocks reached the College World Series in both seasons. Buscher led USC in hitting in 2003 with a .393 average, and his 106 hits tied for the second highest single season total in school history. He was named an All-American.
Buscher is the fourth player from the 2002 USC team to reach the major leagues. The others are Drew Meyer (Rangers), Melillo and Coutlangus. Meyer appeared in several games for the Rangers last season. The 2002 Gamecocks finished 57-18, beat Clemson twice in Omaha and advanced to the national championship game against the University of Texas.
A fifth player from the 2002 team, catcher Landon Powell, is expected to reach the major leagues in 2008.
The media throng casting their ballots at this year’s SEC Media Days in Birmingham believe South Carolina will make some noise in the SEC East this season.
Eleven reporters predict USC will win the SEC East. Three confidently say the Gamecocks will win the whole shooting match.
Yet, linebacker Jasper Brinkley is the only position player on the pre-season All-SEC football team released Friday. Out of the 45 players on the offensive and defensive units, just one is a Gamecock.
Is that inconsistent? Somewhat.
Is there a rationale explanation? Yes.
The media love Steve Spurrier.
Spend three days at an event like SEC Media Days and you learn how much respect the HBC receives.
Okay, I’ll say it. He has a warchest of credibility.
And a very large one, too.
Seven SEC titles buys you a lot of football capital. So, when Spurrier talks, people listen.
More importantly, they believe him. As a result, when Spurrier stands up before hundreds of media and says USC is ready to compete for the SEC championship, they take his word for it.
Believe me, that’s not true for every SEC head coach.
The SEC spent the three days in Birmingahm touting the 75th anniversary of the conference. In reality, the slogan should have been "In Spurrier, we trust."
Georgia head coach Mark Richt said it best today:
"I think he has every reason to believe (USC will compete for the SEC title). I think Coach Spurrier is a very realistic guy, and I think he shoots everybody straight. I think he says exactly what he feels, and that's based on a lot of experience and a lot of success. Last couple years he felt like he wasn't ready to say we were ready to compete for the championship. After what's happened in the last couple years, some of the great victories they've had, some of the close losses they've had to great football teams, there's no reason to believe they can't compete for the Southeastern Conference championship. . .(O)ne thing about Coach Spurrier, he's going to tell you how he feels and he's not going to, you know, sugarcoat it much. I think he's got every reason to believe they can contend."
Heck, even the other SEC head coaches respect Spurrier so much that it hurts and pay close attention to what he has to say.
So, while the media doesn’t necessarily think USC possesses boatloads of talent, some believe Spurrier has the ability to “will” USC to victory by the sheer force of his strong-willed personality in a couple of huge contests this season.
Spurrier nearly pulled it off two years ago in Athens when, with 86,000 Georgia screaming for blood, USC fell a missed extra points and a motion penalty on a TD pass short of pulling off a stunning upset of the Bulldogs.
Two years later, the talent gap between USC and Georgia was fairly significant. If you believe the media’s All-SEC team released today is accurate, the Bulldogs could be lacking in offensive firepower in 2007.
When you consider USC should field its best defensive unit in years, the USC-Georgia showdown on Sept. 8 could be a low-scoring war of attrition.
I like USC’s chances to knock off the Bulldogs in Athens.
In my opinion, there’s one game where Spurrier’s superior coaching ability may not be enough – at LSU on Sept. 22. The Tigers have an enormous amount of talent (thank you Nick Saban) and are the overwhelming choice of the media to win the conference title.
If that game is played at night, the task becomes even more daunting for USC since LSU rarely loses in front of their home crowd when the lights are on. The Gamecocks found out the hard way in 2002 how intimidating a night-crowd in Baton Rouge can be.
But I believe USC has an excellent chance to win every other game on its schedule. Yes, that includes Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida and Clemson.
With Spurrier showing the way, I think USC will win the majority of those five games.
Day 3 of SEC Media Days is over. All the coaches have returned to their respective schools to begin fall practice next weekend. Some of the schools start late next week. The media here are writing our final stories. I'll have one later on Jasper Brinkley. I'll try to blog once or twice before I leave the Wynfrey Hotel. But I'm not heading back to Columbia until I finish up with the state-wide radio show tonight (560 AM in Cola).
The third and final day of the 2007 SEC Media Days in Birmingham is upon us. Here is the itinerary of coaches for today:
9:40 a.m. - Mark Richt (Georgia)
10:40 a.m. - Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss)
11:40 a.m. - Les Miles (LSU)
12:40 p.m. - Phil Fulmer (Tennessee)
It will be interesting to hear what Richt has to say about the Bulldogs. The USC-Georgia game on 9/8 is huge, as everybody knows. Some people think UGa is down this season and that the talent gap between USC and UGa is insignificant enough that SOS could overcome it with superior coaching. USC should have won in Athens two years ago but a missed extra point, a motion penalty on a TD pass to Sidney, and a couple of defensive mistakes were fatal. No doubt, it will be a great game. It's as close to a "must-win" game as you can have in the second week of the season.
Beyond the questions about the Dolphins, LSU, his salary and his hopes and dreams for the Alabama football program, Nick Saban actually said something that’s worth talking about on Thursday during SEC Media Days.
He suggested the conference adopt the same scheduling format used by the Big 10. As head coach at Michigan State a decade ago, Saban witnessed its benefits first hand.
He believes the SEC’s current scheduling methods place the league at a competitive disadvantage compared to Big 10.
After hearing Saban talk about it, I think it’s something the league should consider adopting.
Here’s what the Big 10 does: Just like the SEC, all league teams play eight conference games. That leaves four nonconference games to deal with.
But unlike most SEC schools, teams in the Big 10 don’t sprinkle their nonconference games throughout the schedule. Instead, they’re required to schedule their nonconference battles during the first four weeks of the season. As a result, the conference has a uniform date on which all teams begin conference play.
What if the SEC took the same path? It would mean USC would have four games to prepare for its traditional conference opener against Georgia. This year, just like most years, USC has one game to work out the kinks before facing the Bulldogs.
Does that mean the USC-Clemson would have to move to the first four weeks of the season? No.
USC, Georgia and Florida share one trait: they conclude their regular seasons with traditional rivalry games against intrastate foes.
The league could allow these three schools to retain the late-season dates for these games, adopting a 3-8-1 scheduling model as opposed to the Big 10’s 4-8 format.
It will probably never happen but its something to think about.
It might even merit a committee to study the issue.
Head football coaches in the SEC enjoy a privileged lifestyle.
They’re all paid millions of dollars to lead their respective schools to gridiron glory.
But, merely by their position, most are subject to something else, whether they like it or not: hero worship.
The extent to which some supporters, okay Alabama fans, will go for a brief glimpse of the Crimson Tide head coach is legendary. I arrived at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. early this morning and Alabama fans were already hanging around the lobby waiting for Saban to arrive.
My initial reaction: Do these people have jobs?
This bizarre behavior follows up the hundreds of fans who showed up at the Tuscaloosa airport to greet Saban after he bailed out Alabama athletic director Mal Moore and bolted the Miami Dolphins for the Crimson Tide job.
Two years ago, I watched as QB Brodie Croyle was afforded the “rock star” treatment by adoring Alabama fans. I just remember the screams and a lot of pain in my brain.
If you read between the lines of what Saban had to say to the hundreds of media sharks on hand in Hoover, it’s apparent two years dealing with the NFL egomaniacs convinced him that he would be happier in a college environment.
But I’m also fairly certain the $4 million annual salary had a lot to do with it as well. At that price, he gets to have his cake (loads of cash) and eat it too (boss around college kids).
They don’t call him the “Nicktator” for nothing.
But I digress.
When you’re a highly paid head coach at a school that puts winning on the football field above anything else – yes, that includes academics – you expect to have to deal with some fanatics.
But the way some Alabama fans act is beyond comprehension. It’s downright looney.
When we were in Birmingham two months ago for the SEC Baseball Tournament, I read an article in one of the local newspapers that described the dissatisfaction of some hardcore Crimson Tide boosters with Saban. His crime? He had yet to say “Roll Tide” in public.
Watching Saban interact with the media Thursday, it was painfully apparent he does not enjoy being placed on a pedestal. He’s just a guy who grew up in the hills of West Virginia.
He just wants to coach football.
Granted, he’s on a huge stage, possibly the most extreme environment for a head football coach in the country. Alabama is either the Kentucky of college football, or Kentucky is the Alabama of college basketball.
I can’t figure out which one is correct. Heck, maybe both are correct.
But after soaking everything in, I was almost sympathatic for Saban's plight. That's right, I actually felt sorry for a guy making $4 million per year.
Unfortunately, it appears the Alabama Sports Information Office has fallen into the same “hero worship” trap. People that are supposed to be protecting Saban are actually guilty of piling on.
Both the front and back covers of the media guide feature full photos of Saban. Looking for Crimson Tide players? How about a photo of Bear Bryant? Forget about it.
Below the photo of Saban striding confidently on the front cover are these words: “The Process Begins.”
Sounds like a high school biology experiment.
What is “The Process”? Does he have to take a pill to avoid morphing into Mike DuBose?
The rear cover sets out Saban’s “four pillars” of his mission statement: character development, academic development, athletic development, career development.
Lose to Auburn in November and Saban will find out fairly quickly how unimportant “academic development” really is. Alabama’s head coaches have one job: Beat Auburn. The failure to do that in four years cost Mike Shula his job.
The longer the day went on, I was glad Steve Spurrier didn’t take the Alabama job. I’m far from Spurrier’s best buddy but I know him well enough that he would have never embraced the culture of hero worship that engulfs the fans and the entire Alabama football program.
Spurrier has an enormous ego just like most SEC coaches. But, at the end of the day, he desires to be treated like a regular person and not a god.
Welcome to Day 2 of SEC Media Days. With Steve Spurrier having made the rounds yesterday, the next two days should be a little less hectic for me. Alabama fans are already hanging around in the lobby waiting for Nick Saban to arrive.
Here's the schedule for today:
9:30 a.m. - Rogers Redding, SEC Coordinator of Officials will speak regarding the new rules changes.
9:40 a.m. - Bobby Johnson (Vandy)
10:40 a.m. - Nick Saban (Alabama)
11:40 a.m. - Sylvester Croom (Miss. State)
12:40 p.m. - Urban Meyer (Florida)
Obviously, the star of today's show is Saban. Most of the questions asked of Tommy Tuberville yesterday surrounded Saban. A lot of people are expecting him to comein and start dominating. We'll have to see on that. A lot of people here believe Alabama now has a chance v. Auburn because Saban is Tuberville's equal in coaching ability.
Meyer will cause a stir too when he comes through in the afternoon but it probably won't match Saban.
Sure, South Carolina has more talent this year. The defense is supposed to be pretty good. The offense, led by fifth-year senior quarterback Blake Mitchell will try to duplicate the success of the last 4-1/2 games last season.
But talent alone doesn’t win games in the SEC. Steve Spurrier has made that statement on multiple occasions, including Wednesday during the opening session of SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala.
Hopes are high for USC in 2007. A few prognosticators are even predicting the Gamecocks will win the SEC Eastern Division.
As far as I’m concerned, there’s one principal reason why USC will be right in the middle of the fight: senior leadership.
You remember senior leadership, don’t you?
QB Phil Petty and the other seniors on the 2001 team that stunned Ohio State in the Outback Bowl for the second straight season displayed the strong leadership qualities a winning team needs.
Unfortunately, senior leadership is something that’s been sorely lacking from the Gamecocks since those days. You could even refer to it as a drought.
A few have tried. Fewer have succeeded.
But it looks like senior leadership about to make a long-awaited comeback.
With Cory Boyd, Jasper Brinkley, Casper Brinkley, Blake Mitchell, Jordin Lindsey, Andy Boyd, Cody Wells and Lanard Stafford, USC could have its best group of senior leaders in six years.
We’ll have to wait and see until the end of the season to pass final judgment but early indications are encouraging.
One of the initial tests of a senior class’s ability as leaders is the summer conditioning program. With USC experiencing close to 100 percent attendance for most workouts, it’s apparent the younger players respect the older guys.
Spurrier has certainly noticed.
“We’ve noticed our summer program has been much better attended,” Spurrier said. “The players we’re really counting on to play have done much better than the first two years. Our commitment level has really improved.”
In Spurrier’s mind, Cory Boyd and Jasper Brinkley have already exhibited superior leadership qualities by deciding to forego the NFL Draft and return to school. Both would likely have been selected in the later rounds of this year’s Draft.
But they decided to return.
Spurrier noted Wednesday that’s not typical for USC over the last few years. Ko Simpson, Jonathan Joseph, Sidney Rice and Stanley Doughty have all departed before their college eligibility was exhausted.
“Usually, most of those guys, if they can make a few bucks here and there, they take off as soon as they can,” Spurrier said. “But Cory and Jasper elected to stay they senior year and hopefully graduate and help us have as big a year as we possible can. I really admire those guys for hanging with us another year.”
When I spoke with Boyd Wednesday, it’s evident he has learned from the mistakes made by USC’s seniors the past few years when it comes to being a leader.
It’s also obvious he’s looking forward to the season, which hasn’t always been the case with USC’s seniors in the past.
Boyd came to USC in 2003. He witnessed up close and personal the devastating dissension that ripped apart the 2003 team and led to a humiliating 46-point home loss to its arch-rival with a bowl berth at stake.
If you were there that night, it was painfully obvious from the opening kickoff the Gamecocks had quit, and were simply going through the motions. In my opinion, such an embarrassing event would have never happened had USC enjoyed strong senior leadership that year.
But they didn’t.
Boyd looked me in the eye Wednesday and basically asserted he doesn’t intend to go through that nightmare. He wants to go out a winner. Here’s what he said:
“We’re definitely trying to change the culture with the senior leadership,” Boyd said. “In the past, some of the seniors were just trying to get their job done and just get out of there. At the beginning of the year, I thought I would just go ahead and let the younger guys find their way. You can’t do that. You have to be out there. You have to get in their face. You stay with the team until it’s over with.
“That’s what Jasper and I are trying to do. During the ride over here, we were talking about things we can install in the younger guys to make this program better and not have it fall back to where it used to be.”
First, Steve Spurrier got some laughs from the media today. Paul Gattis of the Huntsville Times enjoyed Spurrier's comments about Clemson and Kentucky. Gattis said of Spurrier:
He cracked up the audience, though, by accident.
Talking about last season, Spurrier mentioned that South Carolina beat rival Clemson.
"I thought we had done something when we beat Clemson," Spurrier said. "But then Kentucky beat them in the bowl game."
Cue the eruption of laughter.
Thing is, Spurrier wasn't trying to be funny. He quickly followed up by saying how good Kentucky is and what a great job coach Rich Brooks has done. But no one was listening. Everyone was laughing too hard.
Steve Spurrier made his first stop of SEC Media Days in the radio/internet room. Here’s a synopsis of what he said:
1. Offensive line – The center and guard positions are the “great unknown” areas.
2. The group of freshman wide receivers should make a significant impact. “It’s going to interesting to see how fast they develop,” Spurrier said. He talked briefly about Chris Culliver, who Spurrier described as “maybe the fastest player on the team”, Jason Barnes, Joseph Hills and Dion Lecorn and Matt Clements.
3. The defense should be “much improved.” While Spurrier noted that USC returns 10 of 11 starters, he predicted that not all 10 will retain their jobs. “Not all 10 will start this year because we’ve added some players at certain positions that could be All-SEC type players in a couple of years.”
4. Spurrier said his belief that USC is a contender for the SEC Championship is based on a number of factors, including experience in the backfield with QB Blake Mitchell, RB Cory Boyd and RB Mike Davis. “We have a fifth-year quarterback going into his third year as a starter,” Spurrier said. “That always seems to be advantageous when you have a fifth-year quarterback.”
5. Spurrier stopped short of saying the Georgia game (9/8) was a “must-win” game because recent history shows the SEC East winner will have one or two losses in the conference. But he did say the game was “extremely important.“ He added that, “It wouldn’t be the end of the road but to get to the championship game you have to win your division rivals.”
6. Spurrier said Chris Smelley was doing “pretty well” and that “hopefully he’ll be much improved heading into fall practice.”
7. With Boyd and Davis at RB, Spurrier said, right now, USC “is more of a running team than a passing team.” He didn’t foresee USC throwing the ball more than 30 times per game.
8. Spurrier said the coaching staff has to decide earlier who the best five on the offensive line are. “We need to settle on who our best linemen are,” he said. “Last year we didn’t decide until our fifth or sixth game. We had a completely different lineup late in the season than what we had early in the season. We have to do a better job of identifying who the best players are. Kevin Young needs to come on and play for us.”
9. He blamed some of Stephen Garcia’s problems early last semester on the “superstar” treatment he received from fans and the media. “These guys get too much attention nowadays,” Spurrier said. “And they get too much attention when they get on campus. Stephen Garcia came in as a superstar. He hadn’t thrown a pass, he hadn’t done anything. Sometimes we annoint these kids coming in as All-Americans. We have to let them earn their way.”
10. Spurrier said all USC proved last year that it “could play some close games.” But USC hasn’t “proven it can beat the top teams yet.”
Here are a few preliminary notes as we get set to start SEC Media Days from Hoover, Ala.:
1. The SEC is celebrating its 75th anniversary during the 2007-2008 academic year. The conference was founded in 1933. Throughout the year, the SEC will release videos of 75 former players called “Stories of Character.” Darius Rucker, lead singer of rock group Hootie and the Blowfish, will narrate the videos featuring the following former USC athletes:
-- Bobby Dobson (Tennis) -- Sam Foster (Track) -- Stan Juk (Football) -- Martha Parker Hester (Women’s Basketball) -- Jim Schaper (Track) -- Tonique Williams-Darling (Track)
According to the SEC, the athletes were chosen “based on the contributions they have made to society.” Foster currently serves on the University’s Board of Trustees.
The 2007 football uniforms of all 12 schools will feature a 75th anniversary patch.
2. The front cover of USC’s 2007 media Guide features Steve Spurrier, Jasper Brinkley and Cory Boyd. The back cover features Kenny McKinley, Blake Mitchell and Jordin Lindsey, as well as the 2007 schedule.
3. Author Bruce Feldman has written a book entitled “Meat Market: A Season Inside College Football’s Premier Recruiting Machine.” The promos suggest it will take a scathing and unflattering look at football recruiting. The book goes on sale nationally on Sept. 18. For more information about Feldman's book or to order a copy, click here.
4. There are a few important rule changes for 2007. After last season’s changes regarding the clock were met with universal skepticism, the NCAA has reverted back to the old rules. Thus, the clock will start on kickoffs when the ball is touched in the field of play. The clock will not start on a change of possession until the ball is snapped. Kickoffs will be from the 30-yard line. The NCAA hopes this will result in fewer touchbacks. Lastly, computers are now prohibited from the sidelines during games.
5. Beginning with the 2007 season, XM Radio has become the SEC’s official satellite radio provider for the next five years. Starting with the 2007 season, the following schools will have their games broadcast on XM Radio: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee. USC will join the XM family in 2008. Florida starts in 2009. XM Radio will broadcast every regular season football game and the “vast majority” of basketball games for each school.
6. The media’s pre-season All-SEC squad will be released on Friday, July 27.
USC released the 2007 pre-season football schedule on Wednesday. All practices are closed unless noted differently at a later date. All dates and times are subject to change.
Friday, August 3: Players Report; Team Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, August 4: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Helmets only) Sunday, August 5: Media Day 3 p.m. Sunday, August 5: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Helmets only) Monday, August 6: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Helmets only) Tuesday, August 7: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Helmets only) Wednesday, August 8: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Helmets only) Thursday, August 9: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Friday, August 10: Practice 9:30 a.m. (Helmets/Shoulder pads) Friday, August 10: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Saturday, August 11: Practice 4:15 p.m. (Scrimmage) Sunday, August 12: Fan Appreciation Day 1-2:30 p.m. Colonial Center Sunday, August 12: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Monday, August 13: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Tuesday, August 14: Practice 9:30 a.m. (Helmets/Shoulder pads) Tuesday, August 14: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Wednesday, August 15: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Thursday, August 16: Practice 3 p.m. (Full pads) Friday, August 17: Practice 9:30 a.m. (Helmets/Shoulder pads) Friday, August 17: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Saturday, August 18: Practice 4:15 p.m. (Scrimmage) Sunday, August 19: Practice 7:30 p.m. Monday: August 20: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Tuesday, August 21: Practice 9:30 a.m. (Helmets/Shoulder pads) Tuesday, August 21: Practice 7:30 p.m. (Full pads) Wednesday, August 22: 9 a.m. (Full pads) Thursday, August 23: Fall Semester Begins; Practice 4 p.m. Friday, August 24: Practice 4 p.m. Saturday, August 25: Practice TBA Sunday, August 26: Day Off Monday, August 27: Practice 4 p.m. Tuesday, August 28: Practice 4 p.m. Wednesday, August 29: Practice 4 p.m. Thursday, August 30: Practice 4 p.m. Friday, August 31: Walk-Thru Saturday, September 1: Game vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
SEC Media Days are almost underway here at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala.
The opening event will be Commissioner Mike Slive’s “State of the SEC” speech at 1:45 p.m. ET. After that, here’s my schedule for the rest of the afternoon:
2:10 - Steve Spurrier (Internet and Radio Room)
2:20-2:50 - Houston Nutt (Print Room)
3:10-3:50 – Steve Spurrier (Print Room)
3:50-4:10 - Cory Boyd and Jasper Brinkley (Print Room)
4:10-4:50 - Tommy Tuberville (Auburn) (Print Room)
5:10-5:50 - Rich Brooks (Kentucky) (Print Room)
6:00 - ???? – Articles, Blogs, Notebook
I’ll also be blogging and providing updates during the day as well, especially when Spurrier is making the rounds.
Former Gamecock and current Philadelphia Eagle Sheldon Brown will be featured on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated, according to the official site of the Eagles. The cover photo is of Brown's bone-crushing tackle of New Orleans running back Reggie Bush during last year's NFL playoffs. Brown said of the hit:
"He was lucky. His elbow was pinned against his body, protecting his rib cage, or else I probably would have broken his rib. What did it feel like? That collision, I didn't feel nothing, because he was pretty much defenseless. It was like running through a cardboard box. Seriously. Cardboard box."
Some tidbits related to former and future Gamecocks:
--- According to an article in the Augusta Chronicle, the USC baseball program has picked up a commitment from Nolan Belcher, a pitcher from Augusta's Greenbrier High.
--- Former USC basketball player Tre' Kelley will play in Croatia if he's unable to earn a spot with the Miami Heat, according to a report on javno.com, a Croatian website.
--- Former USC football player George Gause has signed on with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, according to an article on oursportscentral.com. The Tiger-Cats have added Gause to the team's development roster.
--- Former USC football player Corey Jenkins plays for the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers and is leading the league in forced fumbles with three, according to the Winnipeg Sun. But not all is well. The paper quotes Bombers head coach Doug Berry as saying the following about Jenkins: "He's very capable of making some huge plays for us, but then he'll make a bonehead play. So it's just a matter of his consistency and getting his game in order. He's very capable of being an outstanding player for us."
Someone that's never been to SEC Media Days might assume that the coaches show up, talk to one large group of reporters and then leave.
The coaches might wish that it worked that way, but it doesn't. Over the course of a two-hour period, each coach will speak to 10 different groups of reporters.
The largest group is the print media (newspapers, magazines) and those sessions last 40 minutes. But each coach will also speak with media from the radio/internet, local television stations, LFS (formerly Jefferson Pilot Sports), SEC-TV, CSS, ESPN and CSTV.
This is what Steve Spurrier's schedule looks like for Wednesday:
2:10-2:20 Radio/Internet 2:20-2:30 TV 1 (local stations) 2:30-2:40 TV 2 (local stations) 2:40-2:50 TV 3 (local stations) 2:50-3:00 LFS 3:00-3:10 SEC-TV 3:10-3:50 Print 3:50-4:00 CSS 4:00-4:10 ESPN 4:10-4:20 CSTV
(all times Eastern)
--- Speaking to different groups of reporters led to an interesting situation several years ago.
During 2002 SEC Media Days when Lou Holtz was USC's coach, there was a big brouhaha among Gamecock fans that some newspapers had intentionally misquoted Holtz. The quote which appeared in newspapers wasn't the same quote that fans were able to hear on the internet.
At the time, six SEC football teams were either on probation or being investigated. When asked about that, Holtz told one group of reporters, "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying."
That was the quote that appeared in newspapers.
Then Holtz told another group of reporters something similar but with a disclaimer of sorts, "If you're not cheating, you're not trying, but..." or "If you're not cheating, you're not trying, at least..." I can't recall the exact quote he added a disclaimer of some type.
That was the quote that fans heard on the internet.
--- My first trip to SEC Media Days was 2003. While having all of the SEC football coaches together in one spot is nice, I was there specifically to get audio of Holtz, and I believe the players were going to be Travelle Wharton and Jeremiah Garrison. Unfortunately, that was the year USC's contingent couldn't make it to Alabama due to inclement weather around Columbia. So, the final result was that I drove all that way just to listen to Holtz on the phone.
--- Once again, GamecockCentral.com will cover SEC Media Days. Beat writer Scott Hood will arrive late Tuesday evening and depart Friday afternoon. Check this blog frequently for updates and the GamecockCentral.com home page for in-depth articles. Reporters from Rivals.com will also be there to provide coverage.
Sources close to USC linebacker Dustin Lindsey told me that the junior from Mobile, Ala. is recovering rapidly from his partially torn ACL suffered in the spring game. He started running full speed last week. According to the source, Dr. Jeff Guy, USC's team physician, told Lindsey that it's been one of the "fastest rehabs he's ever seen."
"A couple more weeks of good solid rehab and he'll be ready to go," the source said. "Dr. Guy looked at him a few days ago and said everything looked great."
I was told Lindsey is not experiencing much pain in the knee, and doesn't favor the knee when he runs. Lindsey may have to sit out a portion of practice during 2-a-days to assure the knee is healthy.
Lindsey hopes to be able to play in the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 1.
Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix told Lindsey recently that he'll likely start fall camp at strongside linebacker, the source said.
For the first 31 years of my life I lived in a place where college football wasn’t very important.
I was probably the only person in my neighborhood that cared enough to spend my Saturdays watching the games on TV. Boston College had a brief flurry with Doug Flutie in the early 1980’s but that soon faded away.
In fact, I liked college football so much that when I studied at UMass-Amherst from 1981-85, I actually attended most of the home games.
But make no mistake, Boston, just like every major city in the Northeast corridor extending south towards Washington D.C., is dominated by professional sports. New York City has nine pro franchises in the four major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) located within a few miles of Manhattan.
Boston has four franchises, with the Red Sox dominating the city. In my college days, though, it was Larry Bird and the Celtics that captured the most headlines.
Unfortunately, the saturation of pro sports leaves little room in the mainstream media for things like college football. Harvard-Yale is marketed as “The Game” for the folks in New England. Yippee.
My decision to relocate to South Carolina in May of 1994 was made for two principal reasons: 1) warmer climate; and 2) better college football.
I also knew USC had joined the SEC a couple of years earlier.
I’m entering my 14th season of Gamecock football. I’ve watched the program struggle to escape the middle shelf of the conference with, up to now, little success. There have been a couple of highly successful seasons (2000-2001) here and there but mostly it’s been one .500 season after another.
Yet, I’m convinced of one thing: joining the SEC was the best decision ever made by the USC athletics department.
Why? First, USC is more compatible with the rest of the conference teams when it comes to the passion of the fans for college football. While I’m not privy to the exact reasons why USC left the ACC – I’ve heard countless theories over the years – I believe the SEC is a better fit in that regard for the Gamecocks. But the ACC is first and foremost a basketball league.
Second, joining the SEC has forced USC to take a more serious and business-like approach towards what it needed to accomplish to become competitive over the long-term. When you’re an independent, you’re basically competing against yourself.
Third, the money hasn’t been too bad, either. USC walked away from the recent league meetings with the highest school payout in the conference, $10.5 million. That’s more than what Florida received, and they won national championships in football and men’s basketball in 2006-2007.
As I’ve said before, the SEC is a hyper-competitive league. Most of the schools try to field nationally-ranked programs in every sport. It doesn’t matter which sport or gender. Most schools play to win all the time.
You can’t get lazy in the SEC or you’ll get run over.
USC wasn’t prepared to join the SEC in 1992 from a number of perspectives. The athletic facilities were inadequate and, having spoken with many people over the years on this issue, I believe the administration and fans underestimated the level of commitment required for success - psychologically and financially – in the SEC.
The expansion of Williams-Brice Stadium in 1996 was the first step. The construction of the Bluff Road practice fields, the Floyd Football Building adjacent to the north stands and the weightlifting facility and meeting rooms underneath the south stands continued the process.
Fifteen years later, USC is finally starting to act like it belongs in the SEC.
Here’s something to ponder: If USC weren’t part of the SEC would Steve Spurrier be the head football coach of the Gamecocks right now? I doubt it. In fact, one of the things that attracted the HBC to Columbia was the prospect facing teams like Georgia, Florida and Tennessee every year. He loves the SEC.
Here’s another question: Without the SEC affiliation, would USC have made nine appearances on national TV last season? No way.
In less than 48 hours, I will seated in the main ballroom of the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. for the start of SEC Football Media Days.
Over the ensuing three days, I will sit, literally, 10 feet away from some of the greatest names in the college football coaching circles today: Spurrier, Meyer, Richt, Fulmer, Saban, Tuberville, Miles, Nutt.
All those coaches in one 12-team league shows the remarkable competitive spirit than engulfs the SEC. None of those coaches would be at their respective schools if they thought they couldn’t compete. Great coaches seek out the programs in the top leagues. And there’s no denying the SEC is the best college football conference, top to bottom, in the nation.
Has it been a little painful for USC football fans over the years watching the Gamecocks fail time and again to knock off the so-called “Big Boys” of the SEC? Yes.
But when Spurrier leads the Gamecocks to that first elusive SEC championship (in his mind it’s not a question of “if”), all the agony getting there will seem worth it.
HeismanPundit.com, a college football blog, recently listed its top-10 offenses for 2007, and the Gamecocks came in at No. 10.
The 'ol ball coach's system is still superb, but it's been around the block a few times in the SEC, too. As a result, it doesn't run as smooth as it used to, though it still gives opposing defenses fits on occasion. A senior quarterback will help this year.
However, the site notes:
This is not just a list of the top-scoring teams, or the teams that pile up the most yards. Those are obviously important factors when looking at offensive effectiveness... Instead, this is a somewhat subjective list of the most innovative offenses in college football. It takes into account scheme, the soundness of the system, style of play and play calling. These offenses run unique, unpredictable attacks and runs them well.
Boise St. was No. 1 on the list followed by Louisville, Florida, California and West Virginia.
***
According to an article in the Macon Telegraph, Georgia's athletic department budget for 2007-08 is $70 million. By comparison, USC's is $58 million, a 20.7 percent difference.
Here are the top-10 sources of projected revenue for the Georgia athletic department for the fiscal year that began July 1:
Gifts: $23,200,000# Football tickets: $15,100,000 Sky Suites: $4,064,416 SEC TV - football: $3,700,000 Sponsorships: $3,200,000 Student fees: $3,000,000 Licensing: $2,325,000 SEC Bowls: $1,700,000 Radio profit split: $1,500,000 Concessions: $1,250,000
# Mostly tied to ticket priority giving
***
The Jackson Clarion-Ledger published an article on Sunday about drug testing among NCAA schools. Apparently, schools in Mississippi aren't very eager to release the results:
MSU would not provide documents detailing positive drug tests, saying they are education records. Responding to a public records request, Ole Miss officials said documents detailing the number of positive tests do not exist, and Singletary declined to reveal figures. Southern Miss did not respond to a request seeking the number of positive tests, but Gray referred to the NCAA average of 4 percent when asked what percent of positive tests occur at his school.
Robbie Neiswanger, the author of the article, notes in his blog that not every school operates like that:
Interestingly, not every SEC school has been as resistant. Here are a few that I picked up in my research for the story:
• According to a story by The Associated Press that ran June 22, South Carolina conducted 41 tests for anabolic steroids and 200 for drugs of abuse during the past six months. Of those tests, there were six positive tests for marijuana and one for a prescription drug without an authorized prescription.
***
This may be old news for some of you, but former USC offensive lineman Jonathan Alston recently signed with the Seattle Seahawks, according to a Seattle Times article. Alston was one of five former NFL Europa players that signed with the Seahawks when NFL Europa ceased operations.
***
LSU has released its 2008 baseball schedule. The Gamecocks will play a three-game series in Baton Rouge: April 25 (7 p.m. CT), April 26 (3 p.m. CT) and April 27 (1 p.m. CT).
Steve Spurrier is the best SEC coach in the eyes of Columbus Ledger-Enquirer writer Troy Johnson. Unlike other coach rankings where the writer might include one paragraph about each coach, Johnson grades the coaches in several categories, providing numerical grades for each category. Here's what he had to say about Spurrier:
Wins and losses: 7. His Gamecocks have gone a ho-hum 15-10 in his first two seasons, but they're a trendy pick to possibly win the Southeastern Conference East this year. Ingenuity: 9. He goes for the jugular as a play-caller. And it's always fun to see the confusion created by his team's occasional shift into the oddball Emory & Henry formation. Recruiting: 7. The chief knock on Spurrier is that he doesn't recruit with the same zeal he brings to his coaching. He seems to be making more of an effort now. Discipline: 7. He'll tweak opposing coaches and incur fines for criticism of officials, but the only real dissonance in the program involves his relationship with his starting quarterback. Staff construction: 6. Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix's star is on the rise. The staff also includes Spurrier's son, Steve Jr., and Shane Beamer, the son of Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. What have you done lately?: 7. At South Carolina, back-to-back seasons of 7-5 and 8-5 are a cause for celebration. This could represent the beginning of their long-anticipated breakout. Chicken dinner factor: 9. He deserves credit for speaking his mind, even if it means ditching detente. Smooth sailing: 8. He's brought excitement to South Carolina and provided hope for a middling program. Long haul: 7. He's 62 years old, but South Carolina should be his last career stop. Career body of work: 9. Already has a Hall of Fame resume with a 157-50-2 record, six SEC titles and one national championship counting his time at Florida. He led the Gators to nine or more wins in each of his 12 seasons, becoming one of just three coaches in major college history to accomplish the feat. Extra credit: 17 points -- five for the national championship and 12 for the six conference titles he won while at Florida. Final score: 93 (on a scale of 100).
Not surprisingly, Johnson ranks Ed Orgeron of Ole Miss as the worst coach.
***
Florida State has decided to copy in-state rival Florida and hold its own Friday Night Lights "prospect" camp.
From a Tampa Tribune article that appeared in Saturday's paper:
Friday, the Gators drew even more star power to the third edition of Friday Night Lights. Today, Florida State will try to duplicate that success with the first Seminole Showtime, which will allow top prospects to mingle with former FSU stars such as Ernie Sims, Casey Weldon and Corey Simon.
Florida coach Urban Meyer and his staff dreamed up the Friday Night Lights concept in 2005, setting the camp in late July when players would be more excited about the start of their upcoming seasons. Meyer also knew a game-like atmosphere would heighten the experience.
Will other schools do the same? One would think so. It's just a matter of which schools will adapt faster.
***
In Sunday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram's college football preseason preview, there's an article about the SEC being the nation's toughest conference.
During his two seasons as Kentucky's coach, Baylor's Guy Morriss remembers the Southeastern Conference's spring meetings for their distinct difference.
Most leagues' spring gatherings are relaxed and casual affairs held in a vacation-like atmosphere. Not so for the SEC's football coaches.
"There was a competitive tension in the room," Morriss said. "There were coaches sitting next to or across from each other who really didn't seem to like each other."
The article also has quotes from ESPN analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Bill Curry, Arkansas coach Houston Nutt and Florida coach Urban Meyer.
***
Whether you like or dislike Notre Dame and Michigan, it's one of those games that should always be played.
But, apparently, it's going to take a two-year break in a few years, according to an article in the Mobile Press Register:
(Notre Dame AD) White said the Fighting Irish will take a short break from their Big 10 rivals in the future, replacing Michigan with Oklahoma for a two-year period, then facing Arizona State instead of Michigan State for two years.
At least the Irish are replacing Michigan with Oklahoma.
Let's say it all together: Don't schedule a wedding during the college football season. Resist the urge. Just don't do it.
The Alabama fan in the following video was scheduled to get married one November evening. Unfortunately for the bride, the LSU-Alabama game that afternoon ran long, and as the Tide fan says, "Alabama football comes even before marriage."
And, finally, a reminder: If you enjoy this blog, please email your friends about it. The link for this page is http://blog.gamecockcentral.com. It would be appreciated.
A recent post on The Insiders Forum evoked this question: Who do you predict will be USC’s “Breakout Players” in 2007?
Good question.
Before answering, we need to set the parameters. In short, how do you define the term “breakout player”?
Is it someone most USC fans already know about but appears to be underappreciated by rival SEC coaches (ex. Kenny McKinley), or is it someone that hasn’t done much in his USC career to this point but appears on the verge of making a major contribution in 2007?
Stated another way, is a breakout player someone who raises their individual profile within the conference or, examining it more myopically, within their respective team?
I’ll take a hybrid approach.
There’s one important prerequisite for being selected: a player must have been on the team last season. There’s a difference between “emerging” and “breaking out.”
With that being said, here are my three potential “breakout” players on offense:
1. Kenny McKinley: Will McKinley take his All-SEC snub by the coaches as a slap in the face? I hope so. McKinley’s main problem the past two seasons was trying to break free of Sidney Rice’s shadow. Rice received so much attention from fans and the media that I believe McKinley was largely forgotten in spite of his 76 career receptions. He could reach 70 receptions in 2007, and put himself in prime position to become USC’s all-time leading receiver in 2008. Pretty good for a guy who played quarterback in high school.
2. Justin Sorensen: I admit it. Last year at this time I thought Sorenesen was just a big, burly galoot who couldn’t play football very well. He appeared to be too slow and too immobile to hold back SEC defensive linemen. But a funny thing happened on the way to spending his entire career on the bench. He worked tirelessly on his footwork and mobility with offensive line coach John Hunt. He started the final six games at right tackle in 2006 and more than held his on. He was downright dominating at times. This is the year the SEC discovers Justin Sorensen.
3. Jared Cook: Pound-for-pound, Cook may be the best athlete on the team. He runs fast (4.37 speed) and jumps high (vertical leap over 30 inches). His problems have been more mental than physical in his first two years with the team. Steve Spurrier complained this past spring that Cook didn’t know his plays well enough. The coaching staff is begging for someone to step up as the No. 2 receiver behind McKinley. If Cook puts it all together, watch out. You just hope the drop against Auburn didn’t destroy his confidence forever.
Honorable Mention: OL Garrett Anderson, WR Freddie Brown, C William Brown, WR Moe Brown, FB Lanard Stafford, OL James Thompson, TE Nick Prochak.
Here are my three “breakout” players on defense:
1. Emanuel Cook: Cook is as tough as they come. He is absolutely fearless from his strong safety position. He missed three games in the middle of last season because of a left knee sprain suffered in the Wofford game. Here’s the fact you need to know about Cook: despite only playing in 10 games, he tied for third in tackles with 47. His strip of the Clemson tight end was one of the biggest plays of the game. Spurrier has talked about the urgent need to improve USC’s run defense. Cook will play a major role in that effort.
2. Rodney Paulk: Paulk had a very good freshman season with 10 starts and 36 tackles. But like most in USC’s linebacker corp, he’s sort of working in the shadow of Jasper Brinkley. But that could change in 2007 if Paulk continues to play well. He was engaged in a season-long battle with Marvin Sapp last season but Sapp’s ankle injury in April’s spring game should provide Paulk with a sizeable advantage when fall camp starts. By the end of the season, we could be saying Paulk is USC’s second best linebacker.
3. Marque Hall: Hall was on the verge of earning the distinction as USC’s best defensive lineman last year when he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Georgia in the second week. As a result, he probably fell out of the consciousness of the media and most USC fans. Without him, the Gamecocks’ rushing defense suffered a downturn. With Hall back in the lineup, look for the Gamecocks to be a lot more ferocious against the ground game in 2007. The fact Hall has two more seasons to patrol the middle of the USC defensive line must have DL coach Brad Lawing salivating.
Honorable Mention: S Brandon Isaac, CB Captain Munnerlyn, DE Eric Norwood, CB Carlos Thomas, DE/LB Casper Brinkley, DL Nathan Pepper, DL Kenrick Ellis.
Three current South Carolina players will participate in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game on July 28.
Pitcher Will Atwood is a member of the East squad while shortstop Reese Havens and third baseman James Darnell will compete for the West team. Havens will start for the West.
Both Atwood and Havens will be playing in their second consecutive CCL All-Star Game. Atwood is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA for Orleans. Havens is batting .299 with two homers and 13 RBI for the Cotuit Kettlers. Darnell is second in the CCL with six home runs.
Andrew Crisp did not earn a spot in the CCL All-Star Game but received a mention in the Cape Cod Times recently for his versatility. The paper described him as a “jack of all trades” and the “epitome of flexibility.” Crisp, who’s playing for Chatham this summer, is expected to play second base for USC next season.
We’ll have updated summer baseball statistics on Monday.
South Carolina has four former players currently playing in the major leagues. A couple of others – pitcher Lee Gronkiewicz (Toronto) and infielder Kevin Melillo (Oakland) – had cups of coffee earlier this season before being sent back down to the minors.
Transcript of Spurrier's ESPN Interview
