COLUMBIA, S.C. - The University of South Carolina football team has been invited to participate in the fourth annual Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., on Jan. 2, 2010, it was announced Sunday.

The Gamecocks (7-5, 3-5 SEC) will take on the Connecticut Huskies (7-5, 3-4 Big East) at historic Legion Field. Game time is set for 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local Birmingham time). The contest will be televised nationally on ESPN and broadcast nationally on ESPN Radio. It will be the first meeting ever on the gridiron between these two state institutions.

The 2010 Papajohns.com Bowl will mark Carolina's 15th bowl appearance overall. The Gamecocks are 4-10 in bowl games. After losing each of their first eight bowl contests, South Carolina has won four of its last six bowl games. While this is the Gamecocks' first appearance in the Papajohns.com Bowl, it's not their first appearance in a bowl game in Birmingham. Carolina dropped a 24-14 decision to Missouri in the 1979 Hall of Fame Bowl, which was also played at Legion Field.

At 7-5, the Gamecocks are bowl-eligible for the sixth straight year. It's the first time Carolina has posted a .500 or better record in six straight seasons since they had a school-record seven straight years of .500 or better records from 1928-1934. It also marks the fourth time they will go bowling under head coach Steve Spurrier in five seasons. The Gamecocks were bowl-eligible at 6-6 in 2007 but did not receive a bowl invitation.

Coach Spurrier has directed his teams to a 7-8 bowl record during his career. He was 0-1 in bowl games while coaching at Duke, was 6-5 in bowl games as the head coach at Florida, including a 52-20 win over Florida State in the 1997 Sugar Bowl to capture the national championship, and is 1-2 in three bowl games while guiding the Gamecocks. He becomes the first coach in school history to take the Gamecocks to four bowl games in his career.

This is the 116th season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 103rd-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906. Carolina owns an all-time record of 534-535-44.

In the three previous Papajohns.com Bowls, South Florida defeated East Carolina, 24-7 in 2006, Cincinnati topped South Florida, 31-21 in 2007 and Rutgers outlasted NC State, 29-23 in 2008.

UConn's five losses this season have been by a total of 15 points.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier still has a few of those Heisman Trophy moves.

Gamecocks captain Moe Brown and fellow senior Garrett Anderson chased an elusive Spurrier, the 1966 Heisman winner at Florida, with a water bucket and eventually doused their coach after beating rival No. 15 Clemson 34-17 Saturday.

Spurrier's rule is save such showers for championships. Even the head ball coach had to smile when Brown pointed out the Gamecocks won the Palmetto State title.

"I figured I only got one game left, he can't be too mad at me," Brown said. "We said we won the state championship and he gave me a hug."

"That was a big win," Brown said. "We needed it."

Besides short-circuiting another late-season swoon, the Gamecocks (7-5) most likely earned a bid to one of the Southeastern Conference's mid-tier bowls like the Music City or Chick-fil-A.

"It was a wonderful win," Spurrier said.

And it came mostly because South Carolina's defense slowed a Tigers attack that had averaged more than 40 points and 415 yards during its six-game win streak.

Clemson's run brought it an ACC Atlantic Division crown and a spot in next week's league title game against Georgia Tech. The Tigers (8-4) had few answers for South Carolina's rested and raring-to-go defenders.

Clemson star C.J. Spiller had his NCAA record-setting seventh career kickoff return touchdown to start the game. He managed only 18 yards on the ground after that.

Spiller battled an illness throughout, saying he felt sick to his stomach. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Spiller "tweaked" his groin but should be fine by next week.

By the end, backups Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper did most of the backfield work.

"It's better for another guy to be out there than for me to be out there not giving it my all," Spiller said.

Stephen Garcia threw three touchdown passes as South Carolina put a temporary halt to Clemson's series dominance.

Clemson had won two straight, six out of seven and 10 of 12 against the Gamecocks, who had only one victory over the Tigers in the last 10 games at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Clemson had just 260 yards of offense. Spiller finished with 18 yards rushing and 19 receiving.

South Carolina fans chanted "S-E-C" as the outcome became clear.

The Tigers head into next week's championship with several questions to answer. No. 1 among them: What happened to the offense?

Swinney says the team will respond with character and hard work.

"Our next goal is to try and win the ACC," Swinney said. "We will turn the page."

After Spiller struck for his 88-yard kickoff return just 20 seconds in--it was his fourth such score this season--the orange-clad fans among the 80,574 in the stands had little reason to doubt it'd be another day to celebrate.

But the Tigers had only 138 yards through three quarters.

There were interceptions, fumbles and penalties galore that helped South Carolina score 17 points in the opening half, more than it had in any of its last five games.

"We were moving the ball down the field and moving on their defense and then we would kill ourselves," Clemson tight end Michael Palmer said.

South Carolina made the Tigers pay.

Jamie Harper's fumble turned into a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Maddox to tie things.

Kyle Parker's first interception in three games followed on Clemson's next drive, with freshman DeVonte Holloman returning it 54 yards to the Tigers 11. Garcia connected with tight end Weslye Saunders for the go-ahead score from 9 yards out.

If you needed proof this was the Gamecocks' day, it came a series later.

Ricky Sapp had a roughing penalty on a punt to keep another Gamecocks drive going. That one ended with Spencer Lanning clanging a 47-yard field goal off the right upright.

Garcia clinched things in the third quarter with a 14-yard touchdown throw to a wide-open Tori Gurley.

Spiller fumbled on the Tigers' first possession of the second half, and Clemson got just one first down its next three series.

The victory ended what looked like another late-season swoon in Spurrier's fifth year as Gamecocks coach.

In 2007, South Carolina opened 6-1 and lost its last five. A year ago, a 7-3 start was ruined by three straight defeats down the stretch.

The Gamecocks were 6-2 a month ago after beating Vanderbilt 14-10. Losses to Tennessee, Arkansas and top-ranked Florida had Spurrier fielding uncomfortable questions about playcalling and his future.

Spurrier, testily at times, preached patience and reminded critics his team's best days were down the road. That showed against the Tigers.

Hollomon's game-changing interception was the first of his career. Defensive back Stephon Gilmore, Holloman's teammate at South Pointe High last fall, was used successfully in a wildcat look that set up Maddox's tying touchdown.

Senior linebacker Eric Norwood reminded everyone how important it is to beat your rival.

"It feels good," Norwood said, smiling. "It feels like we're 10-0."

 

The last three games have been bitter pills to swallow for Gamecock fans.  After a much needed break, I've decided to continue updates on the website.  For recaps of the Arkansas and Florida games go to http://gamecocksonline.com/ or visit our 2009 page.

 

~Webmaster (11/25/09)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Decked out in black jerseys, Tennessee took three South Carolina fumbles and turned them into touchdowns as the Volunteers beat the No. 21 Gamecocks 31-13 Saturday night.

Jonathan Crompton threw two touchdowns, Montario Hardesty ran for two more and Rico McCoy forced two fumbles as coach Lane Kiffin grabbed his first win over a ranked opponent.

After warming up in their traditional orange home jerseys, the Vols (4-4, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) seemed to take the Gamecocks by surprise as they took the field in Halloween-inspired uniforms.

And how's this for a twist: Tennessee's victory helped Florida. The Gators clinched the SEC West when the Vols beat South Carolina.

South Carolina (6-3, 3-3) fumbled on its first two drives on a rainy night, having entered the game with only five for the season. Tennessee, hampered by turnovers early in the season, did not give the ball away for the first time this season.

The Gamecocks began clicking on offense in the second half as the Vols sputtered. Stephen Garcia connected with Moe Brown on a 31-yard touchdown pass to cut the margin to 28-13 with 2:05 left in the third quarter, but it was too little too late.

South Carolina outgained Tennessee on offense 365 yards to 341 and had four more first downs. Garcia completed 25 of 50 for 300 yards and an interception.

Justice Cunningham coughed up the first fumble on the third play of the game, and 42 seconds later Crompton hit Austin Johnson on a 38-yard touchdown toss. Crompton completed 12 of 24 for 142 yards.

On the second play of the following drive, Kenny Miles lost the first fumble of his career, and Tennessee answered with a 14-yard run by Hardesty, who finished with 121 yards rushing.

Even when they weren't fumbling, the Gamecocks couldn't find much offense in the first half. They first made it to Tennessee territory with 9:29 left in the second quarter but stalled at the Vols 47.

An illegal block by D.J. Swearinger cost South Carolina a would-be 73-yard punt return for a touchdown by Stephon Gilmore.

The Gamecocks drove 55 yards before halftime, but on third-and-3 at the Tennessee 25, Willie Bohannon dropped Miles for a 5-yard loss. Spencer Lanning kicked a career-long 47-yard field goal to cut the margin to 21-3 at the half.

Tennessee's woes on special teams continued. With Daniel Lincoln sidelined by a quadriceps injury, Chad Cunningham took over field goal duties. Lincoln had two field goals blocked in a 12-10 loss last week at Alabama, including what would have been a game-winning 44-yard shot at the end of the game.

Devin Taylor blocked Cunningham's first attempt, a 40-yarder in the first quarter. His second attempt, a 39-yarder with 4:23 left in the game, was good and drew a huge cheer from what was left of the Tennessee crowd.

Up 14-0 early in the second quarter, Kiffin opted to go for it on fourth-and-goal at the 2-yard line rather than attempt a field goal. Crompton found Kevin Cooper, who stumbled into the corner of the end zone.

The last time the Gamecocks were ranked as high as No. 21 was before the 2007 Tennessee game, when they were ranked No. 15. South Carolina - which has never won consecutive games in the Tennessee series and only won in Knoxville once - lost that game in overtime 27-24.

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -Stephen Garcia threw two touchdown passes and No. 23 South Carolina ended Vanderbilt's two-game series win streak - barely - with a 14-10 victory Saturday night.

The Gamecocks (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) played as flat as they did the past two years against Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-5). Only thanks to Garcia and his young receivers, this time it didn't cost them the win.

"I know it wasn't pretty, but it was a real good win over a tough Vandy team," coach Steve Spurrier said.

Garcia connected with freshman Alshon Jeffery on a 43-yard TD pass with 12:51 remaining for the winning score. Earlier, freshman D.L. Moore caught a 35-yard touchdown from Garcia.

The Commodores got the ball one last time with 4 minutes left and drove to South Carolina's 25. However, quarterback Larry Smith was called for intentional grounding on 3rd down, then did not get close to the necessary yardage on fourth-and-32.

Spurrier probably won't put this game among his team's top offensive efforts. Still, the head ball coach at least got to walk off a winner unlike the past two games in the series.

Spurrier was a perfect 14-0 over the school he calls "Vandy" until 2007 when the heavy underdogs upset the then-sixth ranked Gamecocks 17-6.

The Commodores backed it up a season later, defeating another ranked South Carolina squad 24-17. They almost made it three in a row, but instead lost their sixth straight SEC game dating back to last season.

Ryan Fowler's 21-yard field goal in the third quarter put the Commodores ahead 10-7 and for a while, it looked like a mix of stellar defense and special teams play would keep them out front.

South Carolina had only one first down on its first three possessions of the third quarter. Vanderbilt punter Brett Upson kept the Gamecocks pinned with boots of 57 yards and 64 yards. Two of his punts were downed at the Gamecock 1.

But after South Carolina's go-ahead touchdown, Vanderbilt's struggling offense could not rebound.

Garcia completed 22 of 33 passes for 312 yards. Freshman runner Kenny Miles had 102 yards rushing on 18 carries.

Garcia had his second 300 yard game this season. But said he and the Gamecocks "need to play a lot better if we're going to beat Tennessee" next week.

The school honored its 1969 Atlantic Coast Conference champions and its 1984 "Black Magic" team that was the only one in history to win 10 games. Allen Mitchell, the quarterback of the latter squad, said an hour before kickoff he feared the Gamecocks would come out flat. Was he ever right.

If not for a couple of "wins" on official reviews, the uninspired Gamecocks might have left the field at halftime trailing instead of tied 7-7.

Tailback Kenny Miles appeared to fumble on South Carolina's fourth snap with Vanderbilt's Patrick Benoist grabbing it deep in Gamecocks territory.

But the officials in the replay booth said Miles was down before the ball got away and South Carolina's drive continued.

The Gamecocks finally broke through on Garcia's touchdown pass to Moore, who juggled the ball and didn't look like he had full possession until his right foot stepped on the inbounds line.

Another official review - and another call for the Gamecocks, who took a 7-0 lead.

That didn't last long, however, as freshman Warren Norman went 99 yards for a touchdown on South Carolina's kickoff to tie things.

Norman became the first-ever Commodore - Vanderbilt began playing football in 1890 - with two kickoff return TDs in a season.

There's no telling where Vanderbilt would've been without Norman's run back. The team managed just 112 yards of offense in the opening half. Their best series came when they drove 65 yards to South Carolina's 8. But Fowler missed a 25-yard field goal try.

Spurrier, who won his 105th SEC game to tie Georgia's Vince Dooley for third all-time, was asked about that distinction. He said he was more impressed that South Carolina had won a record five straight SEC games at home. "That's a record, right?" Spurrier said. "I like that one better."

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Stephen Garcia threw for three touchdowns and ran for another and No. 25 South Carolina stopped a potential tying two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to beat Kentucky 28-26 on Saturday, keeping coach Steve Spurrier a perfect 17-0 against the Wildcats.

The Gamecocks (5-1, 2-1 SEC) won their 10th straight over Kentucky (2-3, 0-3).

Wildcats quarterback Mike Hartline left the game with a sprained left knee early in the third quarter after leading Kentucky to a 17-14 halftime lead.

Garcia had touchdown passes of 10, 28 and 22 yards to freshman Alshon Jeffery. Garcia added what proved to be the winning margin with his leap from the 1 with 8:22 remaining to give South Carolina a 28-20 lead.

Kentucky had a chance to tie after Randall Cobb's 2-yard TD run with 4:34 left. But Will Fidler's pass was knocked down by defensive end Cliff Matthews.

Facing third-and-4 moments later, Garcia gained 5 yards leaping over a Kentucky defender to keep South Carolina moving with 3:02 to go. Kentucky never got the ball back as South Carolina matched its best start in Spurrier's five seasons.

The Gamecocks have a difficult road to keep things going as they head to No. 3 Alabama next Saturday.

And they'll definitely have to be sharper than they were against Kentucky.

South Carolina's defense, which came in third in the SEC, could not stop a Kentucky attack that had managed only 240 yards a game the past two weeks against the league's No. 1 and No. 2 defenses in Florida and Alabama.

The Wildcats got nearly that much against the Gamecocks in the opening half with 213 yards built on scoring drives of 82, 59 and 54 yards.

Things changed, though, when Hartline left the game. He had thrown a touchdown pass and was 9 of 14 for 139 yards. Kentucky, which had converted 6 of 11 third downs in the opening half, was only 2 of 8 over the final 30 minutes.

It was the second time in the past four seasons the Wildcats opened SEC play with three straight defeats.

Spurrier himself said this week he didn't understand South Carolina's mastery over Kentucky.

The Wildcats had some untimely mistakes in this one.

With Kentucky in sure field goal range in the third quarter, Cobb failed on a fake. Tight end T.C. Drake dropped a certain touchdown on the Wildcats' next series.

Kentucky's Derrick Locke picked up a first down on fourth-and-2 a drive later. But the play was called back because of a false start.

South Carolina's Kenny Miles finished with 100 yards on 17 rushes. Jeffery had 138 yards on seven receptions.

Maybe it was the early start, South Carolina's fall break or the relatively small crowd - the 68,278 was the lowest attendance at Williams-Brice Stadium since the Gamecocks went 1-10 in 1998. A false start on South Carolina's first drive ruined a fourth-and-1 pickup. Garcia was sacked twice and was intercepted for the first time in 124 attempts covering four games to end another sequence.

Kentucky took advantage.

Hartline hit Gene McCaskill for a 31-yard completion to South Carolina's 11, then found Locke for a touchdown and a 10-7 lead.

After the Gamecocks moved in front on Jeffery's second touchdown catch, Hartline connected on passes of 55 and 7 yards to Cobb to put the Wildcats ahead 17-14.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Stephen Garcia threw two touchdowns, rushed for another score and South Carolina matched its best start of Steve Spurrier's five seasons with a 38-14 victory over South Carolina State on Saturday night.

The Gamecocks improved to 4-1, tying their opening mark of 2007. But it took more time than Spurrier would've liked to finally put away the Football Championship Subdivision opponent.

South Carolina's head ball coach has groused about his team's stuck-in-the-mud offense for much of the season. And after a slow start against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Bulldogs, Garcia and the Gamcocks finally got things going.

Garcia's 1-yard TD right before halftime put South Carolina ahead 10-0. In the second half, Garcia connected with Moe Brown on touchdowns of 40 and 9 yards to put things out of reach at 31-7.

Garcia finished 13 of 19 for 132 yards.

Spurrier improved to 38-0 against opponents not in the six conferences with Bowl Championship Series bids.

South Carolina State (3-1) fell to 0-5 against Football Bowl Subdivision.

South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood put on a show against his younger brother's Bulldogs with a blocked field goal and an interception. Erin Norwood is a sophomore defensive back at South Carolina State.

Spurrier hopes the Gamecocks can carry this start further than they did two years ago. Back then, they reached No. 6 in the country as they opened 6-1. But they lost their final five games and didn't even make the postseason.

Right before kickoff, Williams-Brice Stadium experienced a power outage that hampered ESPN Classic's planned broadcast and knocked out the video board midway through the second period.

There wasn't much power displayed by either team in the opening half, either.

South Carolina was outgained by its FCS opponent 159 yards to 149. The Gamecocks couldn't crack the end zone until Garcia's 1-yard run with 2:23 to go before halftime that made it 10-0.

South Carolina State responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with a milestone touchdown. Malcolm Long's 5-yard scoring run was the first time the FCS team had put up a touchdown in its five games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.

The Bulldogs swarmed Long as if they had just earned another league title instead of simply cutting things to 10-7 at halftime.

That was about all the celebrating South Carolina State would get to do. South Carolina struck for Kenny Miles' 22-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and the Bulldogs could not recover.

The only drama at the end came when South Carolina State broke through for a second touchdown, Long converting a 4th-and-goal from South Carolina's 1 with 4 seconds left.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)--Mississippi wasn't ready for the Top 5--or South Carolina's defense.

Star passer Jevan Snead was hounded all game and the fourth-ranked Rebels never got in gear, losing to South Carolina 16-10 Thursday night.

South Carolina (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) had been 1-31 all-time against Top 5 foes, but left Williams-Brice Stadium with the biggest win of coach Steve Spurrier's five seasons.

Spencer Lanning kicked three field goals and fullback Patrick DiMarco a key 2-yard TD catch for the Gamecocks.

Ole Miss (2-1, 0-1) had one last chance at a go-ahead TD that would've extended its eight-game winning streak. But Snead was sacked by Cliff Matthews, then had a fourth-down pass knocked away by Darian Stewart.

The Rebels began the day with their highest ranking in nearly four decades. But they lost their SEC opener for the sixth straight season--and will likely drop down the polls once the new rankings come out.

The Gamecocks jumped around when the game ended, celebrating a victory these players had never enjoyed before at their own stadium. South Carolina's lone top-5 win came at North Carolina in 1981.

Snead came into the season with a Tim Tebow-like buzz--Spurrier even voted him preseason first-team SEC quarterback before changing to Tebow.

Snead, though, flopped in front a national audience eager to see what the Rebels were made of.

The Ole Miss senior missed six straight throws during one stretch and only once came through with a critical play. His 45-yard TD pass to Markeith Summers with under 10 minutes left in the game that cut it to 16-10.

South Carolina's defense had to come through after that because the offense, which controlled things for much of the first three quarters went three-and-out on its final four possessions.

Snead's 11-yard pass to Pat Patterson brought Ole Miss to the Gamecock 32 with 2:55 to play. Then coach Houston Nutt tried to outfox South Carolina.

A carry by Brandon Bolden out of the "Wild Rebel" package went for a yard. A double reverse to Dexter McCluster lost 4 yards.

Matthews followed with his sack of Snead before Stewart preserved the win by batting down the final pass.

Snead had thrown at least two TD passes in each of his past eight games. He finished this game 7 of 21 for 107 yards.

Right from the start, Snead and the Rebels looked tight. They had only four drives in the opening half, three that ended without a first down.

Eric Norwood ended the Rebels' first drive with his school-record 27th sack.

Snead passed for just 30 yards as the Rebels were outgained by South Carolina 181-71 in the first 30 minutes.

Bolden appeared to get things going with a 59-yard touchdown run. A holding penalty, however, brought that back and the Rebels eventually settled for their only points of the half on Joshua Shene's 42-yard field goal.

Mississippi came close to scoring just once more, but instead of another field goal, Nutt went with a fake. Holder Justin Sparks' pass to Derrick Davis came up 2 yards shy of a first down.

The Gamecocks had more plays and more yardage. They, too, though had trouble finding the end zone.

Stephen Garcia fumbled away one drive after a sack on Ole Miss 16 in the first quarter. An illegal shift on the Rebels' 4 led to Lanning's first field goal.

Freshman receiver Tori Gurley caught Garcia's pass and took it in for a 12-yard score right before halftime. But South Carolina was flagged for an ineligible receiver downfield. Lanning converted a 20-yard field goal to put the Gamecocks ahead 6-3 at the break.

(AP) COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Brian Maddox scored three touchdowns and Jarvis Giles ran 11 times for 113 yards to help South Carolina to a 38-16 win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.

The Gamecocks (2-1) scored on three straight possessions in the second half to turn an uncomfortably close game at half into a rare blowout.

While Giles averaged 10.3 yards a carry and got his first career touchdown, fellow freshman Kenny Miles looked just as impressive, running for 56 yards on five carries in one first quarter series before sitting out the rest of the game with a shoulder injury.

Florida Atlantic quarterback Rusty Smith was 21-for-31 for 198 yards.

Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier is 37-0 in his career against teams not currently in the Bowl Championship Series. South Carolina has just five days to get ready for No. 5 Mississippi.

One thing Spurrier will likely address is kickoff coverage. The Gamecocks allowed an average of 26 yards on each return, a week after allowing 36 yards on kickoffs.

The Owls (0-2) trailed just 17-16 at halftime, but turned over the ball twice on their first three drives after halftime. Stephon Gilmore picked off Rusty Smith's pass, and Eric Norwood sacked Smith to force a fumble.

The Gamecocks took advantage of the short field both times.

Gilmore later recovered a fumble as South Carolina forced three turnovers in the second half and stopped Florida Atlantic on a fourth down at the Gamecocks' 5.

The game got out of hand that.

With more than 3 minutes to go, Spurrier put in his son Scotty. On his second play, the senior caught a 13-yard pass for his first career reception.

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia was 20-for-27 for 222 yards, throwing for one touchdown and running for another.

The discovery of a running game meant the sophomore didn't have to match the 53 passes and 313 yards he had in a loss to No. 23 Georgia last week.

Maddox gained just 23 yards on 10 carries and had just two catches for 8 yards, but managed three touchdowns.

South Carolina receiver Tori Gurley had four catches for 100 yards. Moe Brown caught three passes for 20 yards, but had a 50-yard run on the Gamecocks' first play.

South Carolina took a 17-3 lead on Garcia's 15-yard run with 8:53 left in the first half, but the Owls scored twice before halftime.

Smith's 3-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Jamari Grant with 16 seconds left in the second quarter made it 17-16 just before halftime and raised hope Florida Atlantic might beat a BCS team for just the second time in the program's nine-year history.

Alfred Morris had 22 carries for 79 yards and Chris Bonner caught six passes for 57 yards for Florida Atlantic.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Brian Maddox had a short touchdown run while Stephen Garcia completed a key third-down pass in the final minutes to help South Carolina beat North Carolina State 7-3 on Thursday night.

Garcia threw for just 148 yards on a frustrating night for both offenses, but the sophomore came through with a 33-yard completion to Moe Brown that allowed the Gamecocks to run out the final 2 1/2 minutes of the game. It gave South Carolina a second straight season-opening victory against the Wolfpack, who were shutout 34-0 in last year's meeting and failed to reach the end zone in the rematch.

Maddox scored from a yard out in the first quarter and finished with 66 yards rushing, which ended up being about the most reliable form of offense for typically pass-happy coach Steve Spurrier. Garcia completed 13 of 22 passes with an interception that gave the Wolfpack a needed burst of momentum and led to N.C. State's only scoring drive.

It was just one of numerous mistakes for the Gamecocks, the most costly being an offensive pass interference penalty on Tori Gurley that negated his 38-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. There was also a low snap that killed a second-quarter field-goal attempt and a missed 27-yard kick from Spencer Lanning in the third.

Then again, the Gamecocks had plenty of wiggle room considering the how defense bottled up Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack's offense all night.

N.C. State managed just 133 yards, with Wilson -- who last year became the first freshman named first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference quarterback -- completing just 12 of 23 passes for 74 yards while facing steady pressure from the speedy South Carolina pass rush. He got no help from the Wolfpack's ground game, either, with Toney Baker's first-quarter fumble setting up Maddox's early TD run.

Still, the Wolfpack had a chance for the go-ahead score, pushing to South Carolina's 32 with about 4 minutes left. Wilson evaded the rush and lofted the ball toward Jay Smith in the end zone despite the reserve receiver being in double coverage, but the ball slipped over both defenders and bounced off Smith's hands near the back of the end zone.

That drive ended with Wilson's fourth-down incompletion, and Garcia soon found Brown behind two Wolfpack defenders to seal the win.

Wilson set an ACC record with 272 consecutive passes without an interception. Florida State's Drew Weatherford held the record with 270 set in 2007.

 

The 2009 preseason USA Today/Coaches Poll was released last week.  South Carolina received a preseason ranking of #37.   The Gamecocks got 18 votes.  The full poll can be viewed by clicking here.

 

The Coaches Preseason All-SEC team was released yesterday.  Eric Norwood was named to the first team defense.  QB Stephen Garcia was named to the third team offense and punter Spencer Lanning was named a third team specialist.  Chris Culliver was named to the third team defense.  You can see the all three All-SEC teams by clicking here.

 

 

 

Here are some important dates for Gamecock football leading up to the 2009 football season:

 

-July 24: SEC Media Days (Coach Spurrier, Moe Brown, and Eric Norwood will speak)

-July 30: Annual Coaches/Media Golf Event

-Aug 03: Players Report for Fall Camp

-Aug 04: First football practice

-Aug 09: South Carolina Media Day

-Aug 16: Fan Appreciation Day

-Aug 20: Fall Semester Begins (First day of classes)

-Sep 03: South Carolina @ NC State (7:00pm/ESPN)

The University of South Carolina football squad will hold its annual Garnet & Black Spring Game on Saturday, April 11. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.

Admission to the game is free to the public. The stadium gates will open at 11:30 a.m. For those unable to attend, the game will be videostreamed live for free on www.gamecocksonline.com, the official website of South Carolina Athletics.

The Fairgrounds parking lot will be closed for the Easter weekend. Due to the traffic congestion around the stadium, fans are encouraged to arrive early. Approximately 5,700 parking spaces have been identified near the stadium:

• The Farmers Market will have 2,000 spaces available for $10 beginning at 7:30 a.m.

• ETV lots will have 800 spaces available for $10 beginning at 10 a.m.

• USC's Key Road lot will have 600 spaces available for free beginning at 10 a.m.

• The Armory will have 1,000 spaces available for $10 beginning at 10 a.m. (Enter off of Bluff Road)

• Capital City Stadium on Assembly Street will have 800 spaces available for $5 beginning at 10 a.m.

• Seawell's on Rosewood will have 500 spaces available for $5 beginning at 9 a.m.

 

South Carolina is nearing the end of their 2009 Spring Practice.  Below are the remaining practices:

Practice No. 14: Friday, April 10, 3:45 p.m.

 

Below is an exerpt from The Post and Courier's Travis Haney.  To Read his blog click here.

 

ATL -- I was just talking to my good friend Drew Edwards, who covers Tennessee for the Knoxville newspaper. We were lamenting that there hadn't been a good Lane Kiffin tall tale in, oh, about two weeks.

The wait was a short one.

Interesting read from ESPN.com's Chris Low -- http://myespn.go.com/blogs/sec/0-5-172/A... -- who took an inside look into the final hours of Alshon Jeffery's recruitment.

It's pretty much a must-read for any Gamecocks fan.

This, however, is not what one would want to read: "According to Jeffrey and Wilson (his high school coach at Calhoun County), Kiffin told Jeffrey that if he chose the Gamecocks, he would end up pumping gas for the rest of his life like all the other players from that state who had gone to South Carolina.

Jeffrey was doing his best to stay awake at that point, but that comment from Kiffin woke him up. He clearly hasn't forgotten it, either.

"He said it, but it's not worth talking about," Jeffrey said."

Oh, boy. It's going to be talked about, Alshon. Again and again.

Wow.

Every time you wonder what Kiffin will do for an encore, the sounds from his mouth continue to defy logic and reason ...

-- Travis Haney

 

 

The Gamecocks held their first practice on Thursday, March 5th.  The first practice, originally scheduled for March 3rd, was canceled due to weather.  The Gamecocks will schedule a make-up practice sometime after March 17.  Below are the practice dates and times:

Practice No. 2: Tuesday, March 17, 7 p.m.

Practice No. 3: Friday, March 20, 3:45 p.m.

Practice No. 4: Saturday, March 21, TBA

Practice No. 5: Tuesday, March 24, 7 p.m.

Practice No. 6: Friday, March 27, 3:45 p.m.

Practice No. 7: Saturday, March 28 (Scrimmage No. 1), TBA

Practice No. 8: Tuesday, March 31, 7 p.m.

Practice No. 9: Friday, April 3, 3:45 p.m.

Practice No. 10: Saturday, April 4 (Scrimmage No. 2), TBA

Practice No. 11: Monday, April 6, 7 p.m.

Practice No. 12: Tuesday, April 7, 7 p.m.

Practice No. 13: Friday, April 10, 3:45 p.m.

Practice No. 14: Saturday, April 11 (Garnet & Black Spring Game); 1 p.m.

 

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier told Georgia’s top quarterback prospect he is “nowhere near retiring” from the Gamecocks.

Flowery Branch quarterback Connor Shaw spent around 30 minutes with Spurrier during South Carolina’s Junior Day on Saturday. One of the first things they talked about was Spurrier’s future with the Gamecocks.

“I always hear these rumors, just like everybody else, that Coach Spurrier is going to retire in two years, so I asked him about it,” Shaw said. “He [Spurrier] told me  ’I'm definitely staying until we accomplish more things at South Carolina … [and] I’m nowhere near retiring.’”

Shaw, the younger brother of Georgia Tech quarterback Jaybo Shaw, is one of the state’s top 2010 prospects and has early offers from South Carolina, Tech, Stanford, West Virginia and Wake Forest.

With Spurrier, rumors about his impending retirement are constantly used against South Carolina on the recruiting trail. Even one of Spurrier’s former assistants, David Reaves, was accused of saying it to prospects after taking a job with Tennessee two months ago. However, Reaves later denied it, according to the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier.

Connor Shaw didn’t ask Spurrier the loaded question to be nosey. Shaw said South Carolina has a slight lead over Georgia Tech as his frontrunner, and he wanted assurances the man he considers his “childhood idol” will be around if he signs with the Gamecocks.

“That [Saturday] was the first time I really had the chance to sit down and talk with Coach Spurrier … it was a like a dream come true,” Shaw said. “Growing up, [Spurrier] was my idol when he was coaching at Florida. It’s still hard for me to believe that I have the opportunity to play for him.”

Spurrier pulled the prized prospect into his office and, during a lengthy conversation, let him take a peak at his Heisman trophy and many championship rings. Spurrier also let Shaw know that the admiration was mutual.

“South Carolina is bringing in a little more of shotgun offense with a zone read, and [Spurrier] said that I would pretty much be a perfect fit for that system. He said that I was the guy they wanted, and that was pretty cool hearing that from … one of college football’s greatest coaches.”

Shaw said he called his brother at Georgia Tech about the Spurrier experience. “Jaybo thought it was cool that I got some one-on-one time to talk with a legend.”

 

ESPN and the University of South Carolina have announced that the four letter network will broadcast two of Carolina's first four matchups.  The Gamecocks will kick off the college football season on ESPN for the fourth time in five years.  The Gamecocks will travel to Raleigh to take on NC State for a 8:00pm kickoff on Thursday, September 3rd.  The Gamecocks will host Ole Miss at Williams Brice Stadium on Thursday, September 24th.  Kickoff will take place at 7:30pm.  

 

South Carolina's schedule for the first half of the 2009 season:

 

09/03/2009: @ NC State (8:00pm, ESPN)

09/12/2009: @ Georgia (TBA)

09/19/2009: Florida Atlantic (TBA)

09/24/2009: Ole Miss (7:30pm, ESPN)

10/03/2009: SC State (TBA)

10/10/2009: Kentucky (TBA)

 

Steve Spurrier responded to the news in a statement:

 

"We're looking forward to another nationally televised game.  We appreciate ESPN for putting us on.  It should be a heck of a game."

 

 

It was previously reported that Gamecock signee and member of the 2009 class was given permission by Sterling Sharpe to wear the retired #2 jersey.  This information was false.  Jeffrey will wear the #1 jersey come fall.  Below is a statement released by Steve Spurrier from the university on Sunday:

 

"I recently learned of the athletics department policy regarding retired numbers and jerseys. The policy states that the four previously retired numbers would stay retired unless approval was granted from the player whose number was retired. In this instance, permission was sought to use a retired number and permission was denied. It is now a dead issue. I talked to Alshon and he is ready and excited to wear number 1 for the Carolina Gamecocks."

 

Coach Steve Spurrier hasn't held a press conference since January 1st following the Outback Bowl.  Today, Spurrier held a press conference and introduced his new assistant coaches and the 2009 recruiting class.  Some notable quotes:

 

 

-"This year might've been one of the best years ever for in state players.  I think the #1 and #2 players are coming with us."

 

-"But again, I think the recruting class this year is probably highlighted by Stephon Gilmore.  Ellis Johnson did a super job recruiting those guys (Gilmore and Holloman)"

 

-"Jarvis Giles from Tampa was also a big pick up for us.  Today, Alshon Jeffrey came with us.  It was a very solid recruiting class.  We brought in 31 players on official visits and 27 signed."

 

-"Your current players have to be good recruiters and they have to believe in the program or you're going to have problems.  Give credit to our players.  The one's we have now have great attitudes; the best in a long time.  We've had 100% attendance in the 6AM winter workout and that's the first time I've been able to say that since I've been here."

 

-"It was good to have the six players in in January.  That was very hopeful.  It was good to have them already on board.  The new coaches pitched in very well as soon as they got here."

 

-"We just felt like we needed another one (QB) here.  And we looked around and G.A. and I watched a bunch of tape of a bunch of guys and we felt like Andrew was the best one out there.  He wasn't highly recruited.  We think he's got a chance.  We really do."

 

-"Offensively we hope to be different.  We haven't been very good lately.  But we've got plenty of time to put it together."

 

From Recruiting Coord. Shane Beamer:

 

-"Every year is different.  It obviously starts with the head coach.  You have to have a head coach that's willing to get out there and work."

 

-"The biggest thing is developing relationships."

 

-"This group has a bunch of natural leaders.  We have a bunch of Devan Downey's.  A selling point was that this 2009 signing class can accomplish great things at Carolina."

 

-"Some of these (new coaches) guys got off the plane, came to campus, signed what they needed to sign, and got out on the road recruiting."

 

-"I think all those guys at that position (WRs and Lamar Scruggs) have a chance to come in and play right away."

 

South Carolina has finalized their 2009 recuritng class.  Coach Steve Spurrier and the Gamecock coaching staff closed things out with WR and previous Southern Cal commit Alshon Jeffrey.  South Carolina received permission from Carolina great WR Sterling Sharpe to let Jeffrey wear the previously retired #2 jersey.  Here is the listing of Carolina's complete class:

 

Total Signees: 29

 

By State:

 -South Carolina: 11

 -Florida: 6

 -Georgia: 7

 -Virginia: 3

 -North Carolina: 2

 

Rankings:

-Rivals: #12 (5th in the SEC)

-Scout: #13 (4th in the SEC)

-ESPN: #12 (5th in the SEC)

 

Quarterbacks:

-Andrew Clifford (3 Stars/2 Stars) from Tampa, FL

 

Running backs:

-Jarvis Giles (4 Stars/4 Stars) from Tampa, FL

-Ben Axon (4 Stars/3 Stars) from Bradenton, FL

 

Wide receivers:

-Alshon Jeffrey (4 Stars/4 Stars) from St. Matthews, SC

-Lamar Scruggs (4 Stars/3 Stars) from Neptune Beach, FL

-DeAngelo Smith (3 Stars/2 Stars) from Kingsland, GA

-Charles Holmes (2 Stars/2 Stars) from Rock Hill, SC

-DeMario Bennett (2 Stars/2 Stars) from Douglas, GA

 

Tight ends:

-Justice Cunningham (2 Stars/2 Stars) from Pageland, SC

 

Offensive linemen:

-Nick Allison (3 Stars/3 Stars) from Asheville, NC

-Steven Singleton (3 Stars/3 Stars) from Milledgeville, GA

-Kevious Watkins (2 Stars/3 Stars) from Milledgeville, GA

 

Defensive ends:

-Leon Mackey (4 Stars/4 Stars) from Chatham, VA

-Chaz Sutton (4 Stars/4 Stars) from Fork Union, VA

-Ronald Byrd (4 Stars/4 Stars) from Fork Union, VA

-Duane Chisolm (4 Stars/3 Stars) from Beaufort, SC

-Aldrick Fordham (3 Stars/3 Stars) from St. Stephen, SC

 

Linebackers:

-Tony Straughter (4 Stars/3 Stars) from Milledgeville, GA

-Josh Dickerson (4 Stars/3 Stars) from Milledgeville, GA

-Matt Coffee (4 Stars/3 Stars) from Fort Walton Beach, FL

-Chaun Greshman (3 Stars/3 Stars) from Winder, GA

-Quinn Smith (3 Stars/3 Stars) from Lenoir, NC

 

Defensive backs:

-Stephon Gilmore (4 Stars/5 Stars) from Rock Hill, SC

-DeMario Jeffery (4 Stars/4 Stars) from Columbia, SC

-Devonte Holloman (4 Stars/4 Stars) from Rock Hill, SC

-Chris Payne (3 Stars/3 Stars) from Columbia, SC

-Corey Addison (3 Stars/3 Stars) from Jacksonville, FL

-D.J. Swearinger (3 Stars/3 Stars) from Greenwood, SC

-Jimmy LeGree (3 Stars/2 Stars) from Beaufort, SC

 

For player bios, stats and other information click here.

 

The University has revealed that the Annual Garnet and Black Spring Football Game will be held at Williams Brice Stadium on April 11th.  The time will be announced at a later date.  Spring practice will begin on March 3rd.  A full spring schedule will be released in February. 

 

Since the Clemson game in November, the Gamecocks had six coaches depart.  Coach Steve Spurrier has been busy remodeling his staff and now has a new coaching staff finalized.

 

Departed Coaches:

-Offensive Line: John Hunt (fired after the Clemson game)

-Special Teams/Tight Ends: Ray Rychleski (left USC for the Ind. Colts)

-Recruiting Coord/Quarterbacks: David Reeves (left USC for Tennessee)

-Running Backs: Robert Gillespie (left USC for Oklahoma State)

-Safeties: Ron Cooper (encouraged to leave; now at LSU)

-Strength & Conditioning: Mark Smith (left USC for Tennessee)

 

New Coaching Staff:

-Head Coach: Steve Spurrier

-Assistant Head Coach in Charge of Defense/Linebackers: Ellis Johnson

-Defensive Coord/Cornerbacks/Free Safeties: Lorenzo Ward

-Recruiting Coord/Special Teams Coord/Strong Safeties: Shane Beamer

-Tight Ends: Johnson "Jeep" Hunter

-Run Game Coord/Offensive Line: Eric Wolford

-Quarterbacks: G.A. Mangus

-Running Backs: Jay Graham

-Defensive Line: Brad Lawing

-Strength & Conditioning: Craig Fitzgerald

 

In 2007, Wolford's veteran offensive line led the Illini offense to 3,338 rushing yards, the most in school history, and paved the way for running back Rashard Mendenhall's record-setting season. The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Mendenhall broke school records for rushing yards, rushing TDs and total TDs in a season. The offensive line also protected quarterback Juice Williams at a record pace, allowing just 16 sacks, a school record and the second-fewest in the Big Ten. Individual honors followed, with left guard Martin O'Donnell earning Associated Press first-team All-America honors as well as first-team All-Big Ten recognition. Fulton and McDonald were named second-team All-Big Ten.

 

Norwood helped the Gamecocks to a 7-6 record in 2008, including a 4-4 mark in

the SEC. After the regular season, Carolina ranked 11th in the nation in total defense, allowing an average of 288.9 yards per game.

COLUMBIA — One way or another, the Outback Bowl was likely the final game at South Carolina for its most tenured assistant coach.

In the end, Ron Cooper, who coached USC's safeties in 2008 and had been with the Gamecocks since 2004, will move on to become Louisiana State's new secondary coach.

Cooper received a three-year deal worth $300,000 a season to join coach Les Miles, new coordinator John Chavis and the Tigers. He made $175,000 this past year at USC.

Cooper has known Miles since Miles was an assistant at Michigan and Cooper was the head coach at Eastern Michigan. They lived in the same Ann Arbor-area neighborhood.

Miles had reached out to vet Cooper's interest in the days before USC's bowl game. Cooper preferred the defensive coordinator job, which went to Chavis, but told LSU officials he was also interested in the defensive backs role.

Cooper was also in the mix for a job as Maryland's defensive coordinator.

Interestingly, because of increasing in-house friction, sources have told The Post and Courier that Steve Spurrier very nearly dismissed Cooper in mid-December. But Cooper was allowed to stay on through the bowl game, with the idea that he could find another job.

Any slight chance that Cooper could stay with the Gamecocks was erased this past weekend when, according to sources, Spurrier told Cooper it was in his best interest to find work elsewhere.

When asked about the situation Dec. 27 in Tampa, Cooper contended more than once that he didn't plan to leave USC unless he received a defensive coordinator job at another school. He chose his words very carefully when describing that meeting with Spurrier, but maintained he had not been fired.

Things evidently hadn't been the same for Cooper since Tyrone Nix wasn't retained a year ago. Nix left for Ole Miss, in a move that Spurrier said "worked out for everyone."

Nix and Cooper were close and, with Nix in control as the defensive coordinator, Cooper was allowed to have a lot of input.

On Nix's defensive staff on 2006 and 2007, Cooper was considered an assistant head coach. That title was removed this past season.

Cooper had previously been a head coach at Louisville (1995-97) and Eastern Michigan (1993-94). He'd also served as a defensive coordinator at Mississippi State (2003).

Cooper's role had been reduced with Ellis Johnson's arrival, and that had led to some natural tension.

That said, Cooper, the 46-year-old native of Huntsville, Ala., has long been respected for his ability to recruit and his knowledge as an X's and O's coach.

The Gamecocks were in the top five in pass defense most of the past two seasons.

They gave up 159.2 yards a game this season, second in the country only to Southern Cal.

Cooper coached USC's defensive backs under Lou Holtz in 2004. Holtz hired Cooper at Notre Dame in 1991.

Spurrier retained Cooper upon arrival, assigning him to outside linebackers and special teams. Cooper coached the secondary, along with that assistant head coach title, in 2006 and 2007.

He split the secondary this season with cornerbacks coach Shane Beamer.

In addition to the defensive position, Spurrier is working to replace offensive line coach John Hunt, quarterbacks coach David Reaves and strength coach Mark Smith.

Hunt was fired just after the Nov. 29 Clemson loss. Reaves and Smith left USC for Tennessee.

After some conversations in the past few weeks, Vanderbilt offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell has decided to stay on Bobby Johnson's staff. Spurrier is thought to be working to net either TCU's Eddie Williamson (a South Carolina native) or Louisville's Brent Myers.

As far as the other offensive opening, former UNLV, Washington Redskins and Florida assistant Noah Brindise's name has again surfaced. But that's only if Spurrier wants to use the position to bring in a quarterbacks coach. There's been some discussion that he'd move Steve Spurrier Jr. to coach quarterbacks and then hire a receivers coach.

 

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Iowa's Shonn Greene rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns Thursday, helping the Hawkeyes defeat South Carolina 31-10 in the Outback Bowl.

Iowa (9-4) won for the sixth time in seven games since losing three straight to fall to 3-3. South Carolina (7-6) lost three straight down the stretch while being outscored 118-30.

Greene scored on a pair of 1-yard runs to help Iowa build a 21-0 halftime lead, then added an 11-yarder to make it 31-0 late in the third quarter. South Carolina scored on Chris Smelley's 10-yard TD pass to Jared Cook and Ryan Succop's 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

After struggling offensively in lopsided losses to Florida and Clemson, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier decided to start quarterback Stephen Garcia, a highly regarded redshirt freshman from Tampa who was the centerpiece of his recruiting class in 2007.

But Garcia turned the ball over four times in the first half and was replaced by Smelley after going 9-for-18 for 79 yards and three interceptions.

His first pass was intercepted and returned 29 yards set up an Iowa touchdown, then the dual-threat quarterback fumbled on his first run to give the Gamecocks turnovers on two of their first four offensive plays.

The next two South Carolina possessions ended with interceptions. After Bradley Fletcher picked off Garcia in the end zone, Iowa drove 80 yards to take a 21-0 lead on Greene's second touchdown.

Ricky Stanzi was intercepted twice before halftime, but neither mistake really hurt the Hawkeyes. Iowa was trying to turn's Garcia's third interception into a quick TD when South Carolina's Chris Culliver made a leaping pick in the end zone.

Smelley, who started nine games for South Carolina this season, replaced Garcia at the start of the second half. Moe Brown fumbled on the quarterback's first completion to set up an Iowa field goal, but the Gamecocks did have some success moving the ball the rest of the game.

Stanzi was 13-for-19 for 148 yards, including a 6-yard TD throw to Trey Stross on the first drive of the game. Smelley finished 16-of-31 for 174 yards and no interceptions.