Spurs & Feathers 917

September 17, 2014 • Volume 36 • Issue 13 • $1.50

Dawgs Shock and

Georgia upset rockets Gamecocks in the polls

2 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Gamecocks inch by Georgia in top-25 showdown by brian hand bhand@spursandfeathers.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. - In a game for the ages, No. 24/23 South Carolina (2-1) picked up a 3835 victory over No. 6/6 Georgia (1-1) before a crowd of 84,232 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

In a game full of big plays the biggest play of the game was probably a one-yard quarterback keeper by Dylan Thompson that allowed the Gamecocks to pick up a crucial first down by inches with under 1:30 left in the game. The Gamecocks from there would be able to move into victory formation and procure the exciting three-point win.

The victory was South Carolina’s fourth in the last five years against Georgia. South Carolina has now claimed three straight home wins over Georgia.

With the win, Spurrier acquired his 16th victory over the Bulldogs, which is the most ever.

The win also propelled Spurrier to his 201st win as a head coach at an SEC institution, tying him for the second-most ever with former Georgia head coach Vince Dooley.

“Some wins are better than others,” Spurrier noted after the Gamecock victory. “I think this one was better than most others ... we feel very fortunate and blessed and hopefully we can use this as momentum and start playing a lot better.”

After an almost 90-minute delay, South Carolina started the game by winning the toss and Spurrier and the Gamecocks decided at that point they wanted the football.

The Gamecocks took advantage of receiving the opening kickoff by marching 75 yards on nine plays to score the inaugural touchdown of the game on an impressive 10-yard catch from Shaq Roland from Thompson. Three different Gamecock receivers had catches on the drive with Nick Jones (21) and Rory Anderson (20) both having 20 or more yard completions from Thompson. Roland had two catches for 23 yards on the scoring drive for the Gamecocks.

Thompson was a perfect 4-of-4 on the first drive, passing for 64 yards and the touchdown.

Georgia responded quickly to South Carolina’s opening touchdown as they evened the game at 7-all on its first drive. The Bulldogs needed just two plays to score in 31 seconds as Sony Michel scored on a 33-yard pass from quarterback Hutson Mason. The touchdown pass from Mason to Michel was Georgia’s first touchdown pass in Williams-Brice Stadium since 2004.

On South Carolina’s next offensive possession Brandon Wilds would fumble the football to give the Bulldogs opportune field position at the South Carolina 26-yard line. Georgia would score on their next offensive drive, but the Gamecocks would be able to limit the Bulldogs to just a field goal as Marshall Morgan connected on his SEC-record 19th straight field goal to give Georgia a 10-7 advantage. The record field goal by Morgan was 36 yards.

The Gamecocks would set the score at 14-10

in their favor on their next possession as Thompson, who connected on his first eight passes in the game, would find Pharoh Cooper on a swing pass and then Cooper would do the rest, juking past the Georgia defense to race in for an eightyard touchdown that capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive that took 5:05 off the clock.

South Carolina’s second touchdown of the day was made plausible by two penalties by the Georgia defense with a pass interference call and a roughing the passer penalty really placing the Gamecocks in position for the touchdown.

Thompson concluded the drive having completed 10 of his first 11 passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

The first quarter concluded with South Carolina clinging to the 14-10 advantage over Georgia. South Carolina out-gained Georgia, 137-115, in the first quarter. The Gamecocks held a 10:47-4:13 time of possession advantage in the opening quarter on 23 plays compared to Georgia’s nine.

Georgia would get back to within one point a little while later as Morgan’s 20th consecutive field goal set the score at 14-13. Morgan’s 26-yard field goal was the culmination of a 10-play, 50-yard drive for Georgia. The drive lasted 4:53.

The Gamecocks would respond on their next possession with the football, marching 75 yards on 10 plays to acquire their third touchdown of the game and claim and eight-point lead at 21-13 with 5:34 left until the halftime break.

Anderson captured the Gamecock touchdown when he caught an 18-yard pass up the middle from Thompson to end South Carolina’s scoring drive that lasted 3:22.

Georgia looked as if might score again on its next possession, but Morgan missed a 44-yard field goal to snap his impressive streak of made field goals and keep the game at 21-13 in favor of the Gamecocks.

South Carolina would conclude the first half with a field goal of its own to take an 11-point lead into intermission. Elliott Fry’s 32-yard field goal capped a nine-play, 59-yard drive for South Carolina that took the final 2:16 of the first half of play.

The first half closed with South Carolina owning a 298-203 advantage in total yards.

The Gamecocks had 44 plays in the first two quarters, while Georgia had 26. South Carolina owned a 17:28-12:32 time of possession advantage in half No. 1. South Carolina claimed 17 first downs in the first half to Georgia’s nine first downs in the half.

Thompson finished the opening half passing for a first half-best 240 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts in the inaugural half.

The second half commenced with Georgia running back Todd Gurley finishing off an 11-play, 85-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run to cut the Gamecock lead to just four at 24-20. Georgia’s second half-opening

photo by travis bell/sideline carolina

Nick Jones with the South Carolina students after the huge victory over No. 6 Georgia. drive lasted 5:37. The big play in the drive was a 40-yard run by Gurley. Georgia converted a fourth and one from the South Carolina six-yard line with a four-yard run up the middle. He then scored the two-yard touchdown.

The Gamecocks from there would methodically go on a nine-play, 75-yard drive of their own to push their lead back to 11 points at 31-20.

Thompson captured South Carolina’s fourth touchdown of the day when he scored on a quarterback keeper from one-yard out. South Carolina running back Brandon Wilds was the catalyst for the Gamecocks on the drive with 33 yards rushing.

The fourth quarter would start with Georgia getting to within three points at 31-28. Mason completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Jay Rome to score the Bulldog touchdown. Georgia then went for two with Mason finding Michael Bennett for the two-point conversion that set the score at 31-28 in favor of South Carolina.

Wilds got it done again for the Gamecocks on their next possession as he broke loose outside left to score a 24-yard touchdown and give South Carolina a 10-point lead at 38-28 after Fry’s extra point went through the uprights.

Wilds’ touchdown run concluded a four-play, 58-yard drive that took just 1:54 for the Gamecocks.

Shon Carson gave the Gamecocks prime field position when he returned the kickoff after the Georgia touchdown 42 yards. Mike Davis started the four-play drive when he broke off a 16-yard run. Davis then rushed for another three yards before Wilds picked up the next 39 yards in the scoring drive on a 15-yard run and then the 24-yard touchdown run.

The 10-point lead wouldn’t last long with Georgia’s Quayvon Hicks finishing an 11-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 5:51 for the Bulldogs with a one-yard run. The Hicks touchdown run pulled the Bulldogs back to within three at 38-35.

On South Carolina’s next possession, Thompson was intercepted and then Georgia looked as if they would tie things up when they got the football at the Gamecock four-yard line, but after stalling offensively Morgan missed a chip shot field goal from 28 yards out to preserve South Carolina’s lead at 38-35.

The Gamecocks would close it out from there and pick up the thrilling three-point victory.

South Carolina ended its win over Georgia with 447 yards of total offense on 72 plays.

Georgia managed 408 total yards of offense on 60 plays.

The Gamecocks had 27 first downs in the game, while Georgia had 18.

The Gamecocks owned the time of possession battle at 31:27-28:33.

Thompson ended the game with 271 yards passing. He completed 21 of his 30 passes with three touchdowns and one interception. Thompson also rushed for one touchdown.

After the game, Thompson was not necessarily worried about him putting together a great game. He was just happy the Gamecocks were able to pick up the win.

Wilds just missed on a 100-yard game with 93 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He averaged 6.6 yards on 14 carries. Davis collected 66 yards rushing on 17 carries.

Skai Moore led the Gamecocks in tackles with 10. He had six solo tackles. T.J. Gurley claimed six tackles in the contest.

Gurley ended the Georgia loss with 131 yards rushing and one touchdown on 20 carries.

Mason passed for 191 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and completed 16 of his 22 pass attempts.

South Carolina will next travel to Nashville, Tenn. to face off against SEC East rival Vanderbilt at 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, Sept. 20. The game will be televised by the SEC Network and will also be available on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network.

Spurs & Feathers • 3

September 17, 2014

Spurs & Feathers Published by Aiken Communications, Inc.

What’s Inside? - Table of Contents KeenanSuggs Player of the Game ............................4

Something to crow about!

Gamecocks willing to do whatever it takes...........5 Border Bash celebrates rivalry....................................5 Postgame notes/quotes................................................6

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Columbia, SC 29210 (803) 335-1399 To subscribe: Please call 800-559-2311; annual subscription price is $50 Ellen Priest Publisher Aiken Communications, Inc. Tim O’Briant General Manager tobriant@spursandfeathers.com (803) 335-1400 Ext. 500 Brian Hand Executive Editor bhand@spursandfeathers.com (803) 335-1399 Ext. 506 Mike Kucharski Reporter mike@spursandfeathers.com (803) 335-1399 Ext. 507 Ed Girardeau Contributing Editor/Sales Account Executive ed@spursandfeathers.com (803) 646-9807 Dee Taylor Advertising Director (803) 644-2371 Kathy Boyette Advertising Sales Manager (803) 295-3654 kboyette@spursandfeathers.com Brooks Rogers Account Representative (803) 446-4022 brooks@spursandfeathers.com Cover Design: Tim O’Briant (photo by Allen Sharpe) Postal Information: SPURS & FEATHERS (USPS 12779) (ISSN 7454368X) is published 26 times annually. The frequency is monthly from December to July and weekly from the third Wednesday in August to the fourth Wednesday in November. SPURS & FEATHERS also publishes three slick-paper magazine issues — one in January, one in July and one in August. The annual subscription price is $50 for non Gamecock Club members. Members of the Gamecock Club receive a discounted subscription as a member benefit. Spurs & Feathers is published by Aiken Communications, Inc., 326 Rutland Drive NW, Aiken, SC, 29801-4010.

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Previewing the Vanderbilt football team............... 8 Gourment Gents winning in parking lot.................9 Basketball greats impressed with Martin............11 Depth Charts..................................................................12 Another way to give back to the University.......14 South Carolina honors Garnet Society.................15 Rosters....................................................................... 16-17 Fall tennis Previews......................................................19 Equestrian preparing for season opener.............20 Softball building foundation for spring...............22 View from the Georgia locker room......................23 Recruiting Roundup....................................................24 Inside Look with Glenn Snyder................................25 Langston Moore column...........................................27 Inside the Chart.............................................................30 Unique views from Ed Girardeau............................31

Gamecock men’s golf captures comeback victory The 12th-ranked South Carolina men’s golf team captured its first team title of the season after firing a final-round 276 (-12) on the final day of the Carpet Capital Collegiate at The Farm Golf Club.

The Gamecocks, who were three strokes off the lead heading into the round, wrapped up the weekend with a 54-hole total of 848 (-16) to win its first Carpet Capital Collegiate title in 24 appearances against one of the strongest fields in collegiate golf. The Gamecocks made their comeback after an incredible back nine as all five golfers in the lineup combined to shoot 10-under.

Senior Will Murphy led the charge up the leaderboard as he fired a 6-under 66, which matches his career low. A native of Columbia, S.C., Murphy finished the weekend tied for eighth with a total of 211 (-5).

Junior Will Starke was the highest Gamecock finisher, tying for fourth place with a total of 209 (-7) after shooting a 69 (-3) in the final round. Junior Matt NeSmith posted a final-round 68 (-4) to finish in a tie for 18th with a total of 214 (-2).

Sophomore Ben Dietrich tied for 32nd with a total of 218 (+2) after shooting a 73 (+1) on Sunday, while senior Caleb Sturgeon and junior Sean Kelly finished tied for 41st with a total of 219 (+3). Sturgeon shot a 74 (+2) on Sunday, and Kelly carded a 76 (+4).

Key Stat The Gamecocks made their move with another outstanding day on the back nine with just three bogeys among the five golfers in the lineup and nine birdies and two eagles. Carolina played the back nine at 10-under.

Notables • The win marks South Carolina’s best finish at the event in 24 appearances. Carolina tied for first in 2007, but lost in a playoff.

• The Gamecocks’ round of 276 (-12) is their lowest ever at the Carpet Capital Collegiate.

• Carolina’s 54-hole total of 848 (-16) is its lowest ever at the event.

• Murphy matched his career low with a 6-under 66.

• NeSmith’s 68 and Starke’s 69 were both season lows.

• Sturgeon, Starke and Murphy were all bogey free on the back nine, while NeSmith was bogey free on the front nine.

• Starke recorded an eagle on the par-5 12th for the third straight round, which led the tournament.

• As a team South Carolina had the most eagles at the event with five.

• Starke’s total of 209 (-7) is a career low.

• The Gamecocks led the tournament in par-4 scoring at 5-under with an average of 3.97.

Quotable South Carolina head coach Bill McDonald: “I couldn’t be more proud of this team. We came out today (final round) focused and ready to play. Matt (NeSmith) and Will (Murphy) got hot early and then it was really exciting on the back nine. We posted a great number and were fortunate that no one was able to catch us. This is a tremendous win for our program and hopefully it will help our guys believe in just how good they are and what they are capable of.”

(Story/photo courtesy of South Carolina Athletics Media Relations)

4 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Thompson leads Gamecock offense to pivotal win by mike kucharski mike@spursandfeathers.com

kind of writing us off, saying ‘let’s just play a close game’ … we always want to win the one against Georgia; it’s a big one,” Thompson South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompcommented. son had an outstanding performance in the The Gamecock offense was able to take the 38-35 victory over Georgia, but he was quick game’s opening drive 75 yards for a touchdown to credit his teammates and coaches for his as Thompson went 4-for-4 for 64 yards and the success. touchdown pass to Shaq Roland on the drive.

“Really the whole game coach called some Thompson said that the offense wanted to great stuff. Y’all can watch the tape and see make a statement with that opening possession. guys were open. That’s just all it was,” Thomp“I think really the first drive of the game was son said after the win. “The gameplan was just huge for us … I just wanted to come out and easy and simple and when we do that, we’re a let our offense set the tone. I think we did that. really good team. I’m just really proud of our We had a great first drive. I’m just really, really team and the way that we battled tonight.” proud of our team and coaches,” Thompson Thompson said the team was focused this explained. week and The first half was one of the best Thompson believed in has played as he went 19-for-26 for 240 yards themselves and three touchdowns. His complete game even though performance ranks as one of his best in a Dylan Thompson many othGamecock uniform as well. He went 21-for-30 KeenanSuggs ers may for 271 yards and three touchdowns through Player of the Wek not have the air, while adding a one-yard rushing touchgiven them down in the third quarter. Thompson found a chance eight receivers in the game - five for multiple against the sixth-ranked Bulldogs. catches - and completed six passes for at least “We try not to let wins or losses define who 20 yards. you are and I feel like our team did a good job Head coach Steve Spurrier said of Thompof doing that this week. We prepared this week son’s play, simply “Dylan had an excellent to win the game. I think a lot of people were game and threw the ball well, especially in

photo by allen sharpe

the first half.” Tight end Rory Anderson - who caught five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown - said that he thought it was Thompson’s best game.

“I believe so. He came in, had his mind right and everything was just clicking for the offense. I felt like we got going pretty early and he made all good throws. You didn’t see too many overthrows, too many dropped balls, any of that. I think we just came out and executed

the gameplan,” Anderson said.

Thompson said he did not know if it was his best performance, but was just glad to get the win and deflected praise to his teammates and coaches.

“I don’t want to take credit for this. It’s much bigger than myself … it was good to come out as a team, believe in each other and have that atmosphere that we had tonight,” Thompson concluded.

Spurs & Feathers • 5

September 17, 2014

Gamecocks willing to do whatever it takes

The buildup was fairly predictable.

Things like Todd Gurley’s too good, did you see what they did to Clemson in the second half?, East Carolina was a nice win, but they aren’t that good of a football team were all said.

Well, Todd Gurley is good and he showed he is as elite as we all thought, but he couldn’t put the Bulldogs on his back in Columbia. Plus, either Clemson just is not as good as some expect or the Bulldogs just played really well in the second half.

Also, East Carolina is pretty good football Brian Hand team as they beat Executive No. 17 Virginia Editor Tech in Blacksburg, Va. the same day the Gamecocks beat Georgia. That’s the same Virginia Tech team that went in to Columbus, Ohio and collected a road win over then No. 7 Ohio State just one week earlier.

All of this is to illustrate that football is different each and every week. Sometimes you get the bounces and sometimes you don’t. It’s all about positioning.

The Gamecocks truly got the bounces against the Bulldogs and proved that they are ready to compete at the elite level that we all expected

them to compete at before the commencement of the 2014 season.

As Al Pacino noted in sports movie classic “Any Given Sunday,” football is a game of inches just like life.

The Gamecocks proved just like Pacino implored his team in the movie to fight for that inch that they did have that fight in them.

They were willing to scrap for everything they could manage in the game and in the final minutes of the game they grabbed the only inches that mattered in the contest and made sure they claimed victory as they picked up arguably the most critical play of the game on a one-yard quarterback keeper by Dylan Thompson at the 50-yard line.

South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier remarked after the game that the crucial spot that garnered South Carolina the chance to move into victory formation in the final seconds “was very close, that’s all I can say. It was very close the first time, very close the second time. Their guys were pointing their way, we’re pointing our way and the referee gave it to us. It was a lot closer than the Michigan game; I will say that. It was leaning on it.

Usually if the nose is leaning on it, they give it to you. It was some good fortune that they gave it to us.”

Much maligned after the season-opening loss to Texas A&M, the South Carolina defense put together a fairly solid performance in the win over Georgia.

Lorenzo Ward’s unit was flying around everywhere and just like the Gamecock offensive unit

photo by jenny dilworth

they were willing to fight for every single inch and made the plays when it mattered most.

Everybody expected South Carolina to fold up its tent after the loss to Texas A&M, but the nationally-ranked Gamecocks on offense and defense have bought into what their coaches have been preaching and have gotten better each and every game since then and now they head into the Vanderbilt game 2-1 and coming off a huge win over the No. 6 team in the country.

Spurrier said after the game “sometimes all you can say is it was our turn to win and we were meant to win this game and Georgia was not.”

That’s true, but Spurrier and his coaching staff put the Gamecocks in position for that to be a

reality.

His fifth-year senior quarterback pointed out just that after the South Carolina win over Georgia.

“I know everyone was probably writing us off after week one and that’s fine,” Thompson said.

“That’s completely fine, but we believe in each other and tonight was a great example of that.

We bent, but never broke. I’m proud as heck of our team, the coaches and the staff.”

There is a lot more football left, but the Gamecocks are right where we expected them to be at the start of the 2014 season, which is in the thick of things in the SEC. That’s a pretty nice position to be in entering the fourth week of the season.

21st Border Bash celebrates rivalry by mike kucharski mike@spursandfeathers.com

celebrate being a part of the greatest college football conference in America - the SEC. We encourage all the fans to be respectful of each The rain held off for Gamecock and Bulldog other and every year they are. We all cheer for fans to come celebrate their rivalry for a good our team, but tonight we come together to have cause at the 21st Annual Border Bash in Ausome fun and support a good cause.” gusta, Ga. on Friday, Sept. 12.

The South Carolina-Georgia border rivalry Augusta Gamecock Club president and Border runs particularly hot in the CSRA as Aiken Bash Foundation board member Tom Rogers County Gamecock Club president Chris Fulmer was pleased with the number of fans that came can attest. photo by mike kucharski out to share in the fun of the rivalry the night “It gets fierce down here and we always want before the Georgia-South Carolina showdown in River Area (CSRA). In 2013, 26 local charities to win, but this night is fun and my wife Kathy Williams-Brice Stadium. received grants from the Border Bash Foundaand I try to come every year. It’s a fun time be“We really lucked out with the weather staytion which has raised over $750,000 in its hisfore everything really gets going on gameday. ing away,” Rogers commented. “We’ve always tory before this year’s event.

You see a lot of Bulldogs, but Gamecock fans been pretty lucky with the weather and we’re The fans in attendance at the Augusta Comhave been out a lot more the last few years as glad to see this many people come out here tomon - an estimated 4,000 - were treated to perwell,” Fulmer remarked. night. This is a lot of fun and it’s a way for fans formances by the South Carolina and Georgia Gamecock cheerleader Zack Metts said that to get together the night before the game, see the cheerleading teams along with Cocky and Hairy he and the rest of the squad who come to Border cheerleaders and hear some good music. The Dawg and music from Phillip Lee, Jr., Joe SteBash enjoy the event as well. best part is that this is all goes for a good cause.” venson Band and Kristian Bush of Sugarland.

“We get to come out and really interact with After all the proceeds are totaled the Border “This is such a fun time and I love playing the fans, which is a lot of fun. We really like Bash Foundation awards grants each year to here,” Joe Stevenson said. “I’m a die-hard to get everybody going and primed up for the children’s charities in the Central Savannah Georgia fan, but here we all come together and game, so we just have a blast. It’s a great way to

get ready for a big game and we appreciate the chance to come out and represent Gamecock Nation,” Metts said.

6 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

South Carolina-Georgia postgame notes/quotes south carolina athletics media relations

GENERAL NOTES • South Carolina picked up a 38-35 win over Georgia, marking Steve Spurrier’s 201st win as the head coach of an SEC institution, tying him with Vince Dooley for second on that list.

• Spurrier also tallies his 16th career win over Georgia, the most for an opposing coach against the Bulldogs, breaking a tie with Auburn’s Shug Jordan.

• Captains for South Carolina were senior spur Sharrod Golightly, senior quarterback Dylan Thompson, junior free safety T.J. Gurley and senior offensive tackle Corey Robinson.

• Attendance for today’s game at WilliamsBrice Stadium: 84,232. It’s the fifth-largest crowd in stadium history.

• The start of the game was delayed for 1:26 due to lightning and rain around WilliamsBrice Stadium.

• The Gamecocks have won four of the last five over Georgia, including three straight at home.

• Senior left guard A.J. Cann made his 41st photo by allen sharpe career start today, tying him for seventh on the Brandon Wilds had one of his best games as a Gamecock in the victory over Georgia. career starts list with Chris White (2003-06).

OFFENSIVE NOTES • Junior tailback Mike Davis ran for 66 yards, moving into 22nd on South Carolina’s career rushing yards list. He passed Jeff Grantz (1972-75), Troy Hambrick (1996-98) and Mike Dingle (1,364) in the contest and now has 1,640 yards. He’s now 12 yards shy of tying Spencer Clark (1,652) for 21st.

• Senior tailback Brandon Wilds tallied 93 yards on 14 carries, a season best.

• Senior tight end Rory “Busta” Anderson caught a career-best five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.

• Joining Anderson in catching a TD pass from Dylan Thompson were junior Shaq Roland and sophomore Pharoh Cooper.

• Thompson completed 21-of-30 passes for 271 yards and three TDs. • South Carolina held the ball for 31:27 compared to 28:33 for Georgia.

• Sophomore defensive end Gerald Dixon matched his career high with four tackles and one sack while also tallying his first career pass breakup.

• Junior defensive end Mason Harris posted his first full tackle for loss.

• Junior defensive tackle Gerald Dixon Jr. had four tackles, matching his career best set last season against the Bulldogs.

• Also with pass breakups were freshman Al Harris Jr. and senior J.T. Surratt. Harris also recorded his first tackle for loss.

Sometimes all you can say is it was our turn to win and we were meant to win this game and Georgia was not. I’m proud of our players.

Our guys played very hard, made a few stupid plays that could have come back to haunt us but we ran the ball pretty decent. Brandon Wilds had some good runs and Mike [Davis] had a few good ones. Georgia’s defense was pretty good at times and other times they weren’t quite as good. We were able to score touchdowns on almost all of our drives; we only kicked that one field goal at the end of the half, which is always crucial in close games.

QUOTES We feel very fortunate and blessed and hopefully we can use this as some momentum and South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier start playing a lot better.”

Opening Statement “Some wins are better than others. I think this one was better than most others. I just told our guys, ‘if we can stop some people DEFENSIVE NOTES on third down, we’re not that bad at defense, • Georgia’s offense posted 217 rushing yards, we’re really not.’ We weren’t all that great on the most against a Gamecock team since Wis- third down, we made a bunch early and then consin’s 294 in the 2014 Capital One Bowl. after that we didn’t make very many. Dylan • Georgia’s 191 passing yards and the 408 [Thompson] had an excellent game and threw yards of total offense are the lowest for a the ball well; especially the first half and then Gamecock opponent this season. Georgia’s 18 we ran the ball the second half. I’ll tell you one first downs are also the least for a Gamecock thing, when we had to stop them, some way or foe in 2014. another we stopped them. We got that inten• Sophomore linebacker Skai Moore had a tional grounding penalty and that was a good career-best 10 tackles, including six solo stops. play for us. Their kicker, I guess he hadn’t • Sophomore defensive end Darius English missed a field goal in two years or something, posted his first career solo sack.

20 in a row and then he missed two tonight.

On the running game “Brandon Wilds is an excellent inside runner, that’s what he does best. Mike [Davis] had some good runs in there also. Sometimes Mike wants to stop, juke around and go wide, so we have to get him going forward more because that’s when he’s best when he gets those shorter passes. The guys did run well. We had that one fumble and I was a little disappointed, ‘I said Brandon go get on it.’ We do the fumble recovery drill about five out of seven days of practice. He didn’t get two hands on it; we’ll work on our fumble recovery again next week.

Overall I’m proud of the guys, it could have gone either way.”

Defensive Coordinator Lorenzo Ward

On defensive improvement “I think we definitely got better but we still left a lot of plays out there. In the first half I don’t think they had a third down other than the penalty that they converted and then we gave up five in the second half. We still have a lot of things we need to improve on. I’m very proud of the way the guys played and the way they fought.”

Senior quarterback Dylan Thompson

On preparation “Our coaches tell us some things to help us during the week. They were telling us all week those guys up in Athens are talking about ‘it’s going to be a war, it’s going to be a war.’ When you go to war you need soldiers. That’s what I thought we brought. Every time we got on the field we had soldiers.”

On the fans “We have the best fans in America; I think everybody knows that. When they missed that field goal, I think that is the loudest it has been in a long time. We love our fans, we know how great they are and we are blessed to have them.”

Senior wide receiver Nick Jones On what was going through his mind during the spot of the ball in the fourth quarter “I’m praying. I’m asking the Lord God to help us. He is amazing.”

Senior defensive tackle J.T. Surratt On preparing for Todd Gurley “Last year they put a big chip on our shoulder, so this year we came in, and we knew they were going to try to give him the ball a lot. Our main focus was to get 11 hats to the ball, to get him on the ground. We practiced all week trying to get 11 hats to the ball. It worked out for us. I give all praise to the defense as a team because we did what we came to do.

On this game after the loss to Texas A&M “It feels great. Every win feels great. This was just the next one. And the next one on the list, we’ll try to get that one too. Wins are always what we try to get. That’s what we strive for. Fans like winning, so that’s what we try to do.”

Junior running back Brandon Wilds On running the ball in second half “We were trying to run out the clock, and that was a key part in the last couple of drives.

Getting a first down and being able to take a knee at the end of the game was a key part for us.”

Spurs & Feathers • 7

September 17, 2014

South Carolina Gamecocks

2014

football Schedule 08/28/14 ..........vs. #21 Texas A&M # ........... Columbia, S.C. ..................... L, 52-28 09/06/14 ..........vs. East Carolina .................. Columbia, S.C. ....................W, 33-23 09/13/14 ..........vs. #6 Georgia # ................... Columbia, S.C. ....................W, 38-35 09/20/14 ..........at Vanderbilt # ...................... Nashville, Tenn. .........7:30 p.m. EST 09/27/14 ..........vs. Missouri # ......................... Columbia, S.C. .............................TBA 10/04/14 ..........at Kentucky # ........................ Lexington, Ky. ..............................TBA 10/18/14 ..........vs. Furman ............................. Columbia, S.C. .............................TBA 10/25/14 ..........at Auburn # ........................... Auburn, Ala. .................................TBA 11/01/14 ..........vs. Tennessee # ..................... Columbia, S.C. .............................TBA 11/15/14 ..........at Florida # ............................. Gainesville, Fla. ...........................TBA 11/22/14 ..........vs. South Alabama .............. Columbia, S.C. .............................TBA 11/29/14 ..........at Clemson ............................ Clemson, S.C. ...............................TBA

Standings SEC East

W-L PF

PA W-L PF PA

STRK

Florida

1-0 36

30 2-0 101 30 W2

South Carolina

1-1 66

87 2-1 99 110 W2

Missouri

0-0 0

0 3-0 125 52 W3

Tennessee

0-0 0

0 2-1 82 60 L1

Kentucky

0-1 30

36 2-1 109 53

Georgia

0-1 35

38 1-1 80 59 L1

L1

Vanderbilt

0-1 3

41 1-2 44 109 W1 PA W-L PF PA

SEC West

W-L PF

Ole Miss

1-0 41

3 3-0 132 31 W3

STRK

Auburn

1-0 45

21 2-0 104 34 W2

Texas A&M

1-0 52

28 3-0 163 41 W3

Mississippi State

0-0 0

0 3-0 131 37 W3

Alabama

0-0 0

0 3-0 126 35 W3

LSU

0-0 0

0 3-0 115 24 W3

Arkansas

0-1 21

45 2-1 143 80 W2

8 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Previewing the Vanderbilt football team by kyle heck Contributing Writer

Throughout the first few weeks of the 2014 season, it is obvious how important James Franklin was to Vanderbilt. Franklin posted a 24-15 record in three seasons as coach of the Commodores, including back-to-back nine win seasons in 2012 and 2013. However, Franklin bolted for the vacant Penn State head coaching job during the offseason.

Vanderbilt has struggled mightily in its first season under Derek Mason. Their losses include a 30-point home loss to Temple and a 38-point home loss to Ole Miss. The Commodores garnered their first win of the year this past weekend with a 34-31 home win over Massachusetts, who missed a game-tying 22-yard field goal attempt with two seconds left.

To go along with the loss of Franklin, the Commodores have had to replace a lot of talent, including star wide receiver Jordan Matthews, a second-round NFL draft pick that is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. Matthews left the Commodores as the SEC’s most prolific receiver, catching 262 passes for 3,759 yards, both SEC career-bests.

In total, Vanderbilt is without its starting

quarterback and top two wide receivers from 2013.

Vanderbilt quarterback Stephen Rivers, the younger brother of San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers, had a rough start in the first two games of the season, opening up questions marks about the position. The team does have an option in sophomore Patton Robinette, who played in 10 games a season ago and threw for 642 yards and four touchdowns. True freshman Wade Freebeck started at quarterback in the win over UMass for Vanderbilt.

The Commodores are starting a redshirt freshman at tailback in Ralph Webb, who has been one of the bright spots for Vanderbilt this season. Junior tight end Steven Scheu, one of the few upperclassmen on the Vanderbilt offense, has emerged as the top receiver on the team. Two sophomore wide receivers, Jordan Cunningham and Latevius Rayford, are atop the depth chart, and neither has done much to start the season, thanks to the instability at the quarterback position.

On defense, Vanderbilt lost six of its top eight tacklers from a season ago, including safety Kenny Ladler, who led the team with 91 tackles and five interceptions. However, the Commodores do get back their second leading tackler,

submitted photo

Three-year-old Michael Forrester reading what he likes to refer to as his “Gamecock news.” Reading and eating popcorn is a nightly ritual according to his father, Seth.

junior linebacker Darreon Herring, who will be one of the players looked upon to lead a defense that has been gashed to start the season.

All in all, 12 underclassmen are listed atop Vanderbilt’s most recent depth chart, meaning that this season will likely consist of a lot of growing pains for the Commodore fans.

Despite the early season struggles for Vanderbilt, South Carolina fans should be wary of the team. The Commodores have given the Gamecocks fits over the last couple of years. In Columbia last season, the Gamecocks held on for a 10-point win.

It was even closer during South Carolina’s most recent trip to Nashville in 2012. It was the Thursday night season opener and it took a gutsy performance by Connor Shaw and Marcus Lattimore for the Gamecocks to pull out a 17-13 win.

However, both of these teams look vastly different two years later. The Commodores will be looking for redemption against South Carolina, who has beaten Vanderbilt the last five times the two teams have met.

The Commodores do not want to go back to the team they were before Franklin arrived, consistently losing 10 games every season and hardly ever winning in league play.

photo by allen sharpe

Spurs & Feathers • 9

September 17, 2014

Gourmet Gents in Gamecock Tents winning in the parking lot by mike kucharski mike@spursandfeathers.com There is tailgating before a South Carolina football game and then there is the way the Gourmet Gents in Gamecock Tents tailgate.

The Gourmet Gents won the Home Depot Tailgate Challenge in 2013, a national contest, and were recently nominated by the My Carolina Alumni Association to represent South Carolina in the “Cookoff before Kickoff” Tailgate Competition.

This group of four men, their wives and families all met by chance about five years ago as they all were in the same parking lot for a tailgate. Chris Millar, who takes on set-up and planning duties, said that by the second game everyone in the row had become friends.

“We’re all kind of in a lot of cases cut from the same cloth. We all love Carolina football and sports. We also all like to enjoy each other’s company and have a great time, but also in our minds have an idea of what a tailgate is. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but our idea of a tailgate does not include a Bojangles chicken box. I love Bojangles and it’s got its place, but I think for us part of the enjoyment of all this is the planning and actual implementation of what we would consider to be over and above what everybody else does. Our wives and families are a huge help in this whole process. Without their efforts and understanding we couldn’t come close to making such an incredible time for everyone,” Millar described.

The Gourmet Gents hail from all over the state - Millar from Myrtle Beach and the others in Fort Mill - and have become close friends even outside of football as well. This winter they all plan on going on a cruise together, they travel to away games and bowl games together and just enjoy being around each other.

Aside from Millar, Don Iorio, Dan Weaver and Kyle Fadeley and their families make up the Gourmet Gents. The “Board of Directors” meets each week prior to the game to plan out the theme and menu for the week.

Weaver - a self-described “nerd” - handles the entertainment from making themed playlists each week to loading Gamecock football highlight clips onto an iPad to be played on the TV at the tailgate. He also set up a Google Group and blog for the Gourmet Gents with a shared spreadsheet for planning purposes for each week.

“I like to try and do a playlist with the theme each week and make sure that I have video of games that we can put on our TV out here before the game. It takes some time to do all that, but I think that it really helps enhance the tailgate with the Gamecock highlights going and the theme music. It’s a

photo by brian hand

lot of fun and I think we all take pride in doing the tailgate right, which really takes the work of all of us,” Weaver explained.

Iorio has two children who are students at South Carolina, owns a travel agency which helps with trips and is in charge of the menu most times. Millar noted “the fact that he has never owned a restaurant is amazing.”

Iorio handles food from low country boils, a carving station with smoked turkey and roast beef, prime rib, smoked shrimp, lobster, crab legs and ribs to just name a few examples.

“This is so much fun what we do. We really lucked out to all meet at a game and we have just developed the relationship from there. I love food and I take pride in making this stuff and it is just a great way for us to all have fun together,” Iorio commented.

The tailgate the week of the East Carolina game had a Caribbean theme with seafood - from jerk shrimp to crab legs to a delicious lobster guacamole - an ice sculpture of a sinking pirate ship and “bloodied Pirate punch” mixed drinks as just a sampling of the offerings.

The relationship founded around Gamecock football has expanded throughout the seasons of tailgating together for the Gourmet Gents.

“We see each other outside of football season and have really become friends, but this is the most fun for us. We all love Carolina football and we all have an idea of what tailgate should be, so we try to show that off for each game. We’re all planning to go on a cruise together this winter too, so it is a friendship we have cultivated beyond just gameday as well,” Iorio explained.

Millar also handles the social media for

the Gourmet Gents - Twitter handle is @ GGentswGCtents - which has helped them earn their recognitions and awards. The prize for winning the Home Depot Tailgate Challenge last year was an all-expense-paid

trip to the Chick-Fil-A bowl, but the group had to decline the prize.

“That was great and I would have loved to have seen what turned out to be a terrific game between Duke and Texas A&M, but we had other plans of all going to Orlando for the Gamecocks’ Capital One Bowl win the next day,” Millar said. “So we turned the prize down, but we are happy to be able to say that at that point in our mind, we were national tailgate champions. To us, I think that Twitter handle that I set up really says a lot in that ‘I think it is ALMOST as important what goes on with the tailgate before and after the games as what goes on in Williams-Brice.’

“But trust me, as a guy who was there when we went 1-21 my last two years before I graduated, I’ve enjoyed more fantastic football in the past nine years with coach Spurrier than I thought I would ever see in my lifetime. Our idea of what goes on in that parking lot is what makes it so enjoyable for us all. The planning, the anticipation of Saturday and then getting into that parking lot and hanging out with people you enjoy hanging out with and then really putting on a show is what we try to do and have fun doing,” Millar concluded.

10 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

A life filled with great Gamecock memories

by jay alverson Guest Column (jay@alversonsports.com)

cock Club. It was a decision that affected the rest of my experience at USC. In the beginning the club was so small that our first softball uniforms For Father’s Day in 1998 I bought my dad a and first flag were put on the credit card I had rebrick on the Horseshoe at USC in appreciation ceived when I got my first free t-shirt on campus of my graduation. He appreciated the gift, but (for the record I think I am still paying for them). it didn’t quite measure up to his graduation gift For intramural football, we got really lucky as my mom gave him in August of 1975; a bounc- the football team was swapping out jerseys. We ing baby boy who would see his first Gamecock were able to pick up 15 game-worn jerseys. That victory at the age of 4 weeks, a 23-17 win over was a dream come true for a kid who used to Georgia Tech. The win laid the foundation for a pretend the tree in his back yard was a field goal. lifelong Gamecock fan. This is that graduation The remaining years with the SGC were filled gift’s story… my story; a reflection on USC’s with hanging out with the “Third Base Heckinfluence on both my life and my 20 year career lers,” having great seats for the basketball team’s in the US Military.

SEC Championship run.

I grew up in Boiling Springs, SC, pre-Dylan More importantly though were the people I Thompson and even before Phil Petty would met. One person is Glen Fosnacht, his sister make the small suburb of Spartanburg a house- Katie is currently on the tennis team. Glen and hold name. My life was the very definition of I were part of a group of people that routinely middle class America. My room was filled with painted our bare chests for basketball games and posters and bumper stickers that declared the then added volleyball halves to our heads for Gamecocks “number 1” with little or no supvolleyball games. One weekend Glen and I deporting documentation. My mom always made cided to make an epic road trip to catch an away sure I had a set of garnet, black and white sweat football game and volleyball match in the same pants for the epic battles the “Junior Gameweekend. We set out for Lexington, Ky. with a cocks” fought in my imagination and backyard. sign in the window that read “need tickets” and Santa also did his part delivering a jersey, full a plan to drive from Lexington to Knoxville for set of pads and a helmet one Christmas. the Sunday volleyball match. When you have In the days before car flags, fall Saturdays great seats and act like complete fools you tend were spent displaying handkerchiefs in the to draw attention from news reporters and even car windows before the drive to Columbia.

ESPN’s SportsCenter with regularity. This Carolina/Clemson games were always special weekend would be no exception. We managed for our family. Dad would, often over my very to see the football game, with more than a little loud protests, “hang” my stuffed “Tigger” in the help from then University President Dr. Palms. back window on our way to the games. SomeAfter driving to Knoxville, we slept in the car at thing that I expect was pretty common for most the parking deck closest to the Volunteer Navy Carolina families. What made Clemson hold a “Home Port.” That morning after a quick “sink unique place in our particular family was the shower” in the bathroom at Hardee’s and after fact Dad had gone to Clemson and even played we had breakfast we arrived at the UT Volleyin the Tiger Band before joining the Army. ball building (which looked more like a church When he returned home he saw the light and than an athletic facility) with our chests emblaswitched to South Carolina. His brother was a zoned “S” and “C.” different story. He is now retired from Clemson I can’t express enough how great my time in as both an alumnus and tenured professor. But the SGC was. My senior year I was privileged his passion was flying. Specifically he flew enough to be elected president, giving me the Clemson’s coaches and senior university leader- chance to work with a young intern by the name ship all over the country often returning with of Patrick McFarland. While Patrick and others some morsel of information about schedules or from the SCG have gone on to great success livbowls or recruits. His daughter followed in his ing the Gamecock life, mine went in a different footsteps and was at Clemson the same time I direction. I left Columbia under less than perfect was at South Carolina. Yet despite their clear conditions and was considering full time service lack of common sense we loved them anyway. in the USMC. That all changed with the help of After graduating high school, I joined the the best man in my wedding: a fine Air Force United States Marine Corp Reserve and applied Officer, and Gamecock in his own right, David to USC. When I arrived at Parris Island shortly Lowery. Dave, now a Lt. Col., was working in before Valentine’s Day, 1995, I had no idea how the recruiting service and presented me with I was going to survive 13 weeks, let alone 20 three choices: learn how to work on jets, learn a years. About six weeks into basic training, I new language or join the intelligence commureceived a package announcing my acceptance nity and look at pictures from reconnaissance to USC and paperwork needed to register for my aircraft such as the U-2. Since I couldn’t change freshman year classes. It was a very welcomed the oil in my own car and I failed Spanish the mental break from all the “fun” Parris Island first two times at USC, I went with looking at had to offer. pictures figuring it couldn’t be all that difficult.

My time at USC was amazing. My freshman It was a decision that shaped not only my life but year, I joined the then fledgling Student Game- what would become my family’s as well.

My Air Force years have been more challenging than I could have ever imagined. But throughout my career my ties to USC would come through at the most opportune times. In the fall of 2001 I had the privilege of coaching seventh and eighth grade football at Wheatland High School near Beale Air Force Base in California. The entire team gathered in my home to watch Lou Holtz’s Gamecocks spread an American flag across the field before beating Mississippi State. That team went on to win the NORCAL State seventh-eighth grade title and three years later the California High School League State Championship for their class.

Work-wise, after 9-11 I spent many nights watching imagery coming from U-2s flying over Afghanistan and eventually Iraq. We had a lot of cutting edge classified technology at our fingertips, but it was a new internet gadget called “Gametracker” that I ended up using the most. I used it to keep one of the pilots, also a USC alumnus and huge fan, informed of what was happening in the games as he flew his missions miles above the other side of the earth.

In 2003, I was transferred to what was at the time called The Joint Forces Command in Hampton Roads, Va. My new duty assignment allowed me to return to SC for a few games each year. It was in 2005, that I attended the funeral of a good friend who was 22 years old when he died in Iraq. It was the first, but sadly not the last time that I would deal with the ghost that haunt those who lose a friend or co-worker. I thought that a football game would be the best diversion, so I headed down to SC for a game that USC would lose. During the eight hour drive home, I heard Coach Spurrier lament the attitude of the team and it struck a nerve in me. It was in a moment of mixed emotions that I fired off an email to the team expressing my views about how lucky they were to be at USC playing sports when guys their age were dying in a desert thousands of miles from loved ones. When I logged off my computer that night I never thought the letter would go anywhere, but about a week later I received an autographed picture of the HBC in the mail with a very personal inscription. It remains on my desk to this day.

I have taken 122 trips for the US military. I have been in 10 countries and six continents or islands. I have seen the epitome of evil while working for the Joint Detention Operations Group at Guantanamo Bay and the wondrous grace of God in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. I was flown home from South Korea when my youngest daughter battled back from surgery repairing a hole in her diaphragm. She was 13 months of age. I have swelled with pride at the sight of my oldest daughter singing her first solo and been amazed at the steadfastness of my wife’s devotion after so many trips and so many trials.

Yet one thing that always amazes me is how the Gamecocks can simultaneously be a distraction from the daily routines and a unifying force

for complete strangers. The best example, I have, occurred at Osan Airbase in South Korea.

At about 2 a.m., I was eating at the 24 hour diner on base watching the American Forces Network (a.k.a. the Armed Forces Network) broadcast of the one and only time Dabo would get the better of the HBC. To my surprise there were about 20 other Gamecock fans eating with me. We were thousands of miles from our families, but we found a temporary new family under the banner of an unofficial Gamecock Club. We got together whenever a game was on. It culminated with us eating breakfast at the Base Exchange when the Gamecocks trounced fourth ranked Ole Miss.

Just as picking my classes had provided a needed break at Paris Island, the family known as “The Osan Gamecock Club” provided a much needed break 100 miles from one of the last bastions of Communism in the world.

I have been lucky enough to have had a great life filled with such Gamecock memories. I remember hiding under a poncho with my mom under the stadium during the rain soaked 1979 Hall of Fame Bowl because my dad wasn’t leaving no matter the score, sitting on the AstroTurf earlier that year as dad snapped a picture that appeared as part of the montage on the Aug. 11, 2014 Sports Illustrated, working for ESPN during a freezing November game vs. Florida and watching my daughter’s eyes grow wide the first time she saw the majesty that is Williams-Brice Stadium. From seeing “The Hit” on a cold New Year’s Day in Hampton Roads to sitting in a restaurant in Montgomery, Ala. when the last “blast” at the Blatt went sailing into right field.

These and so many more memories (more than time or space will allow) have played such a key part in making me who I am.

For years I have tried to explain the pride I have in my University, but it wasn’t until I wrote this article that I realized the perfect words had been right above my head all those years ago.

On one of the bumper stickers in my room in bright red letters it read “South Carolinian by birth, Gamecock by the grace of God”… indeed.

September 17, 2014

Spurs & Feathers • 11

Basketball greats think Martin has program going in right direction by brian hand bhand@spursandfeathers.com

who played for the Gamecocks from 1969-71, mused that “I think coach Martin has the right attitude and spirit to get the program back in Frank Martin came to the University of shape. I think that he’s working hard toward South Carolina knowing that in the past the that and you can already see some of the proGamecock men’s basketball program was a gression that we hope to see. It’s a hard task, national juggernaut. but I think he’s up for it.”

Just like all Gamecock fans he can tell you South Carolina basketball legend Henry of the exploits of South Carolina under the Martin (1943, 47-49) just turned 90 years old, watchful eye of legendary head coach Frank but he still keeps tabs on the Gamecocks and McGuire. he believes Frank Martin is doing all the right During the McGuire years, South Carolina things to bring South Carolina basketball back reached No. 1 in the country, reached nuto national notoriety. photo by brian hand merous NCAA Tournaments and won ACC “He’s a great coach, he’s a good man and he Left-to-right is Frank Martin, Mike Dunleavy and Mark Greiner at Lettermen golf outing. really cares about those kids … I think he’s goregular-season and tournament titles.

He knows that the Gamecocks have made ing to get Carolina’s program where it should eight NCAA Tournament appearances, three bloods of Kentucky was part of five conferGamecock men’s basketball player Mike Dun- be just like Dawn (Staley) has done with the Sweet Sixteen appearances and won two NIT ence wins for the young Gamecocks in the leavy (1973-76) into the University of South women’s team,” Martin pointed out. championships.

2013-14 season. The five SEC wins were one Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, Chuck SherGamecock basketball great and former NBA Martin is also keenly aware that South Caro- more than the year before. wood (1974-77) has been following Martin and first-round pick Gary Gregor (1965, 67-68) lina was able to pick up the 1997 SEC regularThe win over Kentucky was also part of a the Gamecocks closely. thinks the upcoming year is going to be a season championship and a share of the 2009 strong last 11 games for South Carolina that “I graduated in 1977 and I would say I’ve strong one for the Gamecocks.

SEC East division title. saw the Gamecocks win two SEC Tournabeen back to the University at least 30 times,” “I think it’s going to be a real good year this Martin wants all of these things for his proment games for the first time since 2006. The Sherwood noted. “I come back almost every year,” Gregor commented. “I think Frank has gram. He says he wakes up “every day to work Gamecocks bested Auburn and Arkansas in year and I have been following the program got some real good recruits coming in. You hard to make all Gamecock fans proud.” the SEC Tournament before falling to Sweet closely. I think coach Martin will do a good know there is a lot of history here ... I totally Simply, Martin states “we have one expecta- Sixteen participant Tennessee in the quarterjob and he has things moving in the right think Frank is taking all the steps to get the tion (as a program) and that is what we do as finals. direction. I’ve heard that there are a couple of program back to where we’d like to see it. a whole and that’s demand we all work and South Carolina commenced its conference kids that are really good players who might “You’ve got to understand that when Frank believe that we’re going to win an SEC cham- campaign last year at just 1-9, but the Gameconsider coming here. From what I hear, if we got here, he didn’t have a recruiting class his pionship.” cocks in total were 6-5 in their final 11 games can get a couple of them to commit, that would first year. Last year was actually his first reIn Martin’s first year at the helm in the 2012- of the year including the two league tournabe a big help to the program. I think he has the cruiting class and it’s going to take time to get 13 season the Gamecocks put together a 14-18 ment victories. team improving and you will see them coneverything started. He’s working on getting some big men because you’ve got to have those record.

The Gamecocks won four of their last six in tinue to come along.”

With the ninth-youngest roster in all of the 2013-14 season.

An NBA coaching legend, Dunleavy in turn in the Southeastern Conference. The thing is that what he’s got he has developed and they’re NCAA Division I basketball in his second Martin starts his third season at the helm is excited about the future of Gamecock basgetting stronger every day. When a kid comes year in the 2013-14 campaign, South Carolina of the Gamecocks in the 2014-15 season still ketball. out of high school, he’s not developed and he’s closed out its year with a record of 14-20 rebuilding, but the efforts of him along with “I talked to him (Frank) ... and it seems like not as strong as he needs to be, so strength is a According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, South his coaching staff have not gone unnoticed by he’s really excited about the team, who he’s Carolina had Gamecock basketball legends like Bobby Crgot coming in and I’m looking forward to him big thing in the Southeastern Conference and you’ve got to give them a couple of years to get one of the emins (1968-70), who knows a little bit about having a great year,” Dunleavy relayed.

40 toughest coaching himself as he had successful head Heavily around Gamecock athletics over the there,” Gregor continued.

South Carolina third-year athletic director schedules in coaching stints at Appalachian State, Georgia recent years with his son, Grayson, an Allall of college Tech and College of Charleston.

American catcher on the baseball team (2012- Ray Tanner is excited about the fact so many Gamecock basketball greats appreciate the dibasketball.

“I like Coach Martin a lot,” Cremins said.

14), Mark Greiner, who played basketball at rection the program is taking under Martin.

Despite so “When I was coaching at the College of Carolina from 1973-76, also believes Martin “Everybody agrees that coach Martin’s pasmuch youth Charleston I wasn’t able to get to games, but has things going in the right direction. sion and enthusiasm are unprecedented and on the rosI came for one last year honoring coach Mc“I think they’re going to be better this year All Gamecock basketball Guire with the big reunion. Coach Martin and and they’ve got a couple of big prize recruits he wants this program to be as strong as it was ter, South coverage sponsored by during the McGuire era,” Tanner stated. “He’s Carolina was the University really put on a show for us and out there who may come in,” Greiner reYesterdays still able to treated us first class. I hope to make a couple of marked. “If we can get a couple of those guys, embraced players of the past. He seeks them out. They appreciate what he stands for and his capture the games this year and I like the way the program then we’re just going to keep on going. We’re building process. That’s extremely valuable.

14 overall is progressing. Coach Martin had a young ready to get behind him and get that Colonial We’re pulling for coach Martin and I think wins, which included besting then No. 17 and team that improved throughout the year and Life Arena filled and rocking. We’re looking NCAA national championship game particithat should continue going forward. I think he forward to big things coming for the program.” he’s made improvements since he’s been in this program and certainly hope he’s able to pant Kentucky in Columbia, S.C. on March 1. has them heading in the right direction.”

Heavily involved in the basketball comcontinue to do that moving forward.”

The league win over the traditional blueIn town recently for the induction of fellow munity in South Carolina, Dennis Powell,

12 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Depth Charts for September 20, 7:30 p.m.

South Carolina OFFENSE: WR: 4 Shaq Roland

1 Damiere Byrd

8 Shamier Jeffery WR: 11 Pharoh Cooper

80 K.J. Brent WR: 3 Nick Jones

83 Carlton Heard

85 Kane Whitehurst LT: 53 Corey Robinson

74 Mason Zandi LG: 50 A.J. Cann

75 Will Sport C: 70 Alan Knott

54 Clayton Stadnik RG: 51 Cody Waldrop -OR- 75 Will Sport RT: 71 Brandon Shell

55 Na’Ty Rodgers TE: 81 Rory Anderson

89 Jerell Adams

90 Cody Gibson

88 Drew Owens QB: 17 Dylan Thompson

10 Perry Orth -OR- 6 Connor Mitch FB: 41 Connor McLaurin

6-1, 176, Jr. Lexington, S.C. 5-9, 170, Sr. Sicklerville, N.J. 6-1, 198, Jr. St. Matthews, S.C. 5-11, 201, So. Havelock, N.C. 6-4, 192, Jr. Waxhaw, N.C. 5-7, 168, Sr. Moore, S.C. 6-0, 188, Jr. Athens, Ga. 5-11, 169, Jr. Duluth, Ga. 6-8, 344, Sr. Havelock, N.C. 6-9, 301, So. Irmo, S.C. 6-4, 311, Sr. Bamberg, S.C. 6-5, 291, Jr. Milton, Fla. 6-4, 280, R.Fr. Tyrone, Ga. 6-3, 273, RFr. Greensboro, N.C. 6-2, 309, So. Seffner, Fla. 6-5, 291, Jr. Milton, Fla. 6-6, 333, Jr. Goose Creek, S.C. 6-5, 280, RFr. Waldorf, Md. 6-5, 227, Sr, Powder Springs, Ga. 6-6, 242, Jr. Pinewood, S.C. 6-7, 278, Sr. Tallahassee, Fla. 6-6, 238, Jr. Charlotte, N.C. 6-3, 218, Sr. Boiling Springs, S.C. 6-1, 204, So. Ponte Verda, Fla. 6-3, 211, RFr. Raleigh, N.C. 6-0, 243, Sr. Raleigh, N.C.

TB:

31 Jordan Diaz 28 Mike Davis 22 Brandon Wilds 33 David Williams 7 Shon Carson

6-1, 236, Sr. 5-9, 223, Jr. 6-2, 222, Jr. 6-1, 214, RFr. 5-8, 201, Jr.

DEFENSE: DE: 44 Gerald Dixon

34 Mason Harris DT: 97 J.T. Surratt

52 Phillip Dukes

93 Deon Green DT: 92 Gerald Dixon, Jr.

99 Abu Lamin

94 Kelsey Griffin DE: 5 Darius English

55 David Johnson

18 Cedrick Cooper MLB: 11 T.J. Holloman

8 Kaiwan Lewis

21 Marcquis Roberts WLB: 10 Skai Moore

28 Jonathan Walton

4 Bryson Allen-Williams SPUR: 42 Jordan Diggs

9 Sharrod Golightly

32 Larenz Bryant

Hamilton, N.J. Atlanta, Ga. Blythewood, S.C. Philadelphia, Pa. Scranton, S.C.

6-2, 274, So. Rock Hill, S.C. 6-3, 235, Jr. Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. 6-2, 310, Sr. Winston-Salem, N.C. 6-3, 323, Jr. Manning, S.C. 6-4, 289, So. Windermere, Fla. 6-3, 323, Jr. Rock Hill, S.C. 6-4, 302, So. Fayetteville, N.C. 6-2, 310, So. Buford, Ga. 6-6, 241, So. Powder Springs, Ga. 6-1, 275, RFr. Lithonia, Ga. 6-2, 225, Jr. Lithonia, Ga. 6-2, 234, So. Stone Mountain, Ga. 6-0, 228, Jr. Mays Landing, N.J. 6-1, 216, So. Powder Springs, Ga. 6-2, 213, So. Cooper City, Fla. 6-0, 228, So. Daphne, Ala. 6-1, 231, Fr. Ellenwood, Ga. 6-0, 217, So. Fort Myers, Fla. 5-10, 187, Sr. Decatur, Ga. 6-0, 220, So. Charlotte, N.C.

CB: 12 Brison Williams

3 Chris Lammons

30 Sidney Rhodes SS: 6 Chris Moody

25 Kadetrix Marcus FS: 20 T.J. Gurley

17 Chaz Elder

26 Jasper Sasser CB: 1 Rico McWilliams

31 Al Harris Jr.

SPECIALISTS: KO: 19 Landon Ard

29 Elliott Fry PK: 29 Elliott Fry

19 Landon Ard P: 13 Tyler Hull

18 Patrick Fish KR: 7 Shon Carson

11 Pharoh Cooper PR: 11 Pharoh Cooper SSN: 58 Ryland Culbertson LSN: 47 Drew Williams H: 18 Patrick Fish

13 Tyler Hull

5-11, 208, Sr. Warner Robbins, Ga. 5-10, 172, Fr. Sunrise, Fla. 5-10, 182, Sr. Easley, S.C. 6-1, 210, So. McDonough, Ga. 6-1, 194, Sr. Stone Mountain, Ga. 5-10, 194, Jr. Cairo, Ga. 6-2, 195, So. Union City, Ga. 6-0, 203, RFr. Jacksonville, Fla. 5-11, 184, So. Hampton, Ga. 5-11, 162, Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 5-9, 178, Jr. 6-0, 165, So. 6-0, 165, So. 5-9, 178, Jr. 6-2, 207, Sr. 6-0, 194, Sr. 5-8, 201, Jr. 5-11, 201, So. 5-11, 201, So. 6-4, 267, Sr. 6-2, 201, So. 6-0, 194, Sr. 6-2, 207, Sr.

Rock Hill, S.C. Frisco, Texas Frisco, Texas Rock Hill, S.C. Mount Airy, N.C. Shelby, N.C. Scranton, S.C. Havelock, N.C. Havelock, N.C. Laurens, S.C. Irmo, S.C. Shelby, N.C. Mount Airy, N.C.

Vanderbilt OFFENSE WR: 84 Jordan Cunningham 6-1, 175, So. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

19 C.J. Duncan 5-11, 195, RFr. Montgomery, Ala. 18 Chandler Dorrell 6-0, 190, RFr. Nashville, Tenn.

7 Josh Grady 5-11, 200, Jr. Tampa, Fla. WR: 86 Latevius Rayford 6-1, 192, So. Memphis, Tenn.

82 Kris Kentera 6-4, 220, Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo.

85 Trey Wilkins 5-11, 210, Sr. Cordova, Tenn.

15 DeAndre Woods 6-3, 215, RFr. Clay, Ala. 4 Caleb Scott 6-1, 180, Fr. Suwanee, Ga. QB: 2 Johnny McCrary 6-4, 230, RFr. Decatur, Ga. -OR- 4 Patton Robinette 6-4, 212, So. Maryville, Tenn.

-OR- 17 Stephen Rivers 6-7, 235, Grad.

Athens, Ala. -OR- 12 Wade Freebeck 6-4, 212, Fr. Davie, Fla. RB: 26 Ralph Webb 5-10, 196,, RFr. Gainesville, Fla.

28 Dallas Rivers 6-1, 225, Fr. Stone Mountain, Ga. 3 Jerron Seymour 5-7, 196, So. Hialeah, Fla. -OR- 25 Brian Kimbrow 5-8, 185, Jr. Memphis, Tenn.

FB: 42 Kellen Williams 6-1, 230, Sr. Winter Garden, Fla. TE: 81 Steven Scheu 6-5, 250, Jr. Evansville, Ind.

80 Davis Dudchock 6-4, 245, Grad.

Birmingham, Ala. 89 Dillon van der Wal 6-6, 252, Sr. Woodland Hills, Ca. 83 Nathan Marcus 6-5, 238, RFr. Glen Ellyn, Ill. OT: 50 Andrew Jelks 6-6, 305, So. Paris, Tenn.

72 Sean Dowling 6-5, 288, RFr. Fallbrook, Ca. OG: 53 Jake Bernstein 6-3, 305, Jr. Lake in the Hills, Ill.

64 Delando Crooks 6-5, 312, RFr. Atlanta, Ga. C: 57 Joe Townsend 6-4, 312, Sr. Hendersonville, Tenn.

56 Barrett Gouger 6-4, 305, So. Soddy Daisy, Tenn.

OG: 77 Spencer Pulley 6-4, 300, Jr. Germantown, Tenn.

OT: -OR-

78 Kevin McCoy 74 Will Holden 52 Andrew Bridges

DEFENSE DT: 69 Adam Butler

94 Torey Agee 44 Barron Dixon NT: 53 Vince Taylor

77 Nifae Lealao DT: 55 Caleb Azubike

74 Jay Woods OLB: 92 Kyle Woestmann

54 Jimmy Stewart 99 Landon Stokes ILB: 35 Darreon Herring

41 Zach Cunningham 40 Ja’Karri Thomas ILB: 52 Nigel Bowden

13 Jake Sealand 43 Hawkins Mann 11 Harding Harper OLB: 45 Stephen Weatherly

49 Jonathan Wynn BC: 37 Devin Bowman

31 Shattle Fenteng CB: 4 Tre Bell

31 Tre Herndon 6 Darrius Sims SS: 20 Oren Burks

6-5, 295, So. Tampa, Fla. 6-7, 310, So. Green Cove Springs, Fla. 6-6, 285, Sr. Atlanta, Ga. 6-5, 305, So. Duncanville, Tx. 6-4, 286, So. Opelika, Ala. 6-4, 285, Sr. Alpharetta, Ga. 6-2, 312, Sr. Hattiesburg, Miss.

6-5, 314, Fr. Sacramento, Ca. 6-4, 255, Jr. Nashville, Tenn.

6-3, 288, RFr. Jackson, Ga. 6-3, 252, Sr. Marietta, Ga. 6-4, 240, Jr. Cape Coral, Fla. 6-4, 235, RFr. Orlando, Fla. 6-1, 232, Jr. Stone Mountain, Ga. 6-4, 230, RFr. Pinson, Ala. 6-1, 230, So. Tallahassee, Fla. 6-1, 245, RFr. Macon, Ga. 6-2, 232, Jr. Tucker, Ga. 6-3, 225, Fr. Burbank, Ca. 6-2, 240, So. Montgomery, Ala. 6-5, 255, So. Snellville, Ga. 6-5, 244, RFr. Stone Mountain, Ga. 6-0, 179, Jr. Rossville, Ga. 6-2, 187, Jr. Loganville, Ga. 5-11, 174, RFr. Union, N.J. 6-1, 172, Fr. Chattanooga, Tenn.

5-9, 182, So. Memphis, Tenn.

6-3, 212, RFr. Fairfax Station, Va.

FS:

CB:

NB:

27 Jahmel McIntosh 6-1, 205, Jr. 32 Andrew Williamson 6-1, 208, Jr. 14 Ryan White 5-9, 188, RFr. 5 Torren McGaster 6-0, 192, So. 21 Paris Head 6-0, 185, So. 3 Taurean Ferguson 5-9, 185, RFr. 15 Ladarius Wiley 6-1, 192, Fr. 14 Ryan White 5-9, 188, RFr. 2 Tre Tarpley 6-0, 195, Fr.

SPECIALISTS P: 16 Colby Cooke

29 Taylor Hudson PK: 17 Tommy Openshaw

99 Hayden Lekacz H: 29 Taylor Hudson

82 Kris Kentera SN: 34 Andrew East

37 Wilson Johnson KO: 99 Hayden Lekacz

16 Colby Cooke KOR: 19 C.J. Duncan

6 Darrius Sims PR: 19 C.J. Duncan 6 Darrius Sims

Cleveland, Miss.

San Antonio, Tx. Louisville, Ky. Daphne, Ala. Lawrenceville, Ga. Jonesboro, Ga. Los Angeles, Ca. Louisville, Ky. Pittsburgh, Pa.

6-3, 220, So. Goochland, Va. 6-3, 220, Jr. Powell, Ohio.

6-2, 185, RFr. Jacksonville, Fla. 6-1, 175, Fr. Glen Ellyn, Ill. 6-3, 220, Jr. Powell, Ohio.

6-4, 220, Jr. Colorado Springs, Co. 6-2, 230, Sr. Indianapolis, Ind. 6-2, 210, So. Nashville, Tenn.

6-1, 175, Fr. Glen Ellyn, Ill. 6-3, 220, So. Goochland, Va. 5-11, 195, RFr. Montgomery, Ala. 5-9, 182, So. Memphis, Tenn.

5-11, 195, RFr. Montgomery, Ala. 5-9, 182, So. Memphis, Tenn.

*These depth charts are taken from the listings from each team’s previous game. Spurs & Feathers goes to print shortly after the conclusion of each game. Please visit www. spursandfeathers.com over the course of the week for updated depth charts.

September 17, 2014

Spurs & Feathers • 13

14 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Endowed Suggs Scholarship illustrates another way to give back to University by brian hand bhand@spursandfeathers.com

to spend a great deal of its operating fund on paying scholarships for its student-athletes in all areas.

Sometimes it takes legends to help bring about “What I hope, because of one, Tommy’s popunew legends in college athletics. larity and the fact that he is a Gamecock legend Just look at the Head Ball coach. Steve Spurri- was that at least it would give us a chance to eder won the Heisman Trophy as a player and also ucate the public if you will, or to make the gencoached a Heisman Trophy winner. He played eral group of Gamecock Club members aware in the NFL and has sent countless numbers of of the importance of scholarships,” VanHuss players on to the next level, including this past elaborated. “The message we hoped to send was year’s No. 1 pick in Jadeveon Clowney. that it is critical to have a big endowment fund Tommy Suggs is another one of those legends and use just the earnings to pay for scholarships that has helped inspire greatness in others. for student-athletes. Donors were affecting not Suggs quarterbacked South Carolina to its just this year’s recipient, but were making a gift only conference championship in 1969 and after in perpetuity to benefit future recipients. his playing days were over (1968-70) he has VanHuss sees having the ability to use Suggs’ since went on to become President and CEO of name and Marcus Lattimore’s name with the a large company in KeenanSuggs, while also recently unveiled endowed scholarship in his somehow finding time to provide analysis of name as giving the Gamecocks a recruiting Gamecock football broadcasts for the past 40 advantage. If recruits know they have an opyears. portunity to earn a scholarship named after a It makes sense then that when it was decided legendary athlete whom they like to emulate, it to have an endowed scholarship that it would gets their attention. bear Suggs’ iconic name.

“If you know that you have a scholarship John Harloe, a two-time South Carolina named after a big legend and it’s going to give graduate and one of Suggs’ Sigma Nu fraternity you some incentive and if they know ahead of brothers, had the idea for the endowed scholartime that we have scholarships that are named ship and he passed along his thoughts to fellow after people they like to emulate as student-athfraternity brother, Peter McCausland. letes it’s something that they look forward to,” Together they both made the first large gifts VanHuss commented. “It also gives you a little ($75,000) for the project. They at roughly the motivation when you give it for one year, the same time enlisted the help of Susie of VanHuss name of it, but every year there’ll be a Tommy who would serve as the chair of the endowSuggs scholarship, so it’s whoever earns it in the ment’s steering committee that also included eye of the coaches.”

The Honorable William Hubbard, Jimmy AdThe whole process was not easy, but it was dison and Suggs’ fellow Sigma Nu members well worth it according to VanHuss as to date Alden Sweatman and Stan Juk. over $400,000 has been raised with more than VanHuss was pleased to be asked to be part of 150 donors contributing. the process.

“Fundraising is never easy,” VanHuss re“I was at the University foundations for nine marked. “It takes a minimum of $300,000 to years, so they were aware that I could do that, endow an athletic scholarship, so we started out and I was also faculty rep for nine years and thinking we’ve got it halfway and most of our was very familiar with the athletic program,” givers gave in about three or four big categories.

VanHuss noted. “I looked at it when I agreed to We had the two large gifts, a $25,000 gift, somedo it as a ton of work, but it was fun. I agreed thing like four $10,000 dollar gifts and probably to do it for two reasons. One, obviously, a good about 15 $5,000 gifts. And we had a group of friend of Tommy’s, neighbors in fact, and I think $1,000 gifts and a lot of donors who called and he really deserved it. But, more importantly, said, ‘I can’t afford the big bucks, but we’d like from my perspective on the athletic department, to give something.’ We told them we welcomed one of the things I observed over the years was any gift and if they wished they could continue that many of the other universities in the SEC giving over the years; it doesn’t have to stop and across the country had large endowment now.” scholarship programs that had a huge impact on Harloe is grateful that Suggs is the first of the them.” endowed scholarships because he’s a ‘gentleVanHuss mentioned SEC schools like Alaman’s gentleman.’ bama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M “He represents himself, his family, the state, as having large endowments and to her it was the University in just a five-star fashion. He’s about “leveling the playing field” since the been doing these things his entire life. So many South Carolina athletic department was having people just graduate and go about their way and

he’s never been like that. It would take an hour to list all the things Tommy has done (for the University). Tommy’s the kind of friend that once he’s your friend, he’s your friend for life and one you can count on. Pete and I were just happy to do something for somebody so deserving.”

To celebrate the Suggs endowed scholarship a black-tie event was held at The Zone at Williams-Brice Stadium on Nov. 8, 2012. It “was truly quite an evening” according to VanHuss and to her it showed once again “the kinds of things we can do if we set out our minds to do them as Gamecocks.”

South Carolina did not utilize any scholarship dollars given to fund the event, raising all the money through different sponsors. They even kicked in the remaining $800 raised from the event towards the Suggs’ scholarship.

The whole experience has been a little surreal to Suggs, but he is thankful that it is benefitting the University he loves so much.

“First, it was a total surprise and I am honored that friends, colleagues, teammates fraternity brothers and all would do something like that,” Suggs stated. “It’s just something I never thought would happen. Secondly, I think it’s very important that we as a University athletics program move in a direction of establishing these endowed scholarships. Some of the universities around have done that and have been very successful with it, and I was, again, honored and pleased to be the first one and now we’ve got one for Marcus Lattimore and I hope we have many, many more. It’s a nice way for people to be involved with the University, give back and recognize someone, so I’m excited about that.”

Suggs thinks the importance of endowed scholarships for the University of South Carolina cannot be overstated.

“I think it’s very important,” Suggs said. “It’s clearly just another way a person that has interest in our University, and athletics particularly, and actually on the academic side as well to recognize someone and make a contribution back to the University. If you don’t want to make a contribution and have your name on the side of a building or a sidewalk or something, you can do the endowed scholarship, which is very, very welcomed by the athletics department and the University as a whole because it gets people to participate and give back and I think that’s very, very important. So, it’s very important going forward.”

Everyone involved in the formation of the scholarship is ecstatic that current Gamecock starting quarterback Dylan Thompson has been awarded the Suggs scholarship with Harloe ar-

submitted photo

Tommy and Jane Suggs enjoy the blacktie gala in Tommy’s honor on Nov. 8, 2012 at The Zone in Williams-Brice Stadium.

ticulating “he’s perfect. He’s the perfect fit.”

“I was so glad they picked Dylan because he’s not just a very good athlete, he’s probably is as good as an all-around student that you’ll ever get,” VanHuss relayed. “He’s a great person, great kid in every respect. I had a chance to get to know him fairly well as I’m on the Garnet cabinet and Dylan served an internship this year with Ray Tanner and, of course, he came to all our cabinet meetings and he is a tremendous representative of not just of athletics, but the University. He’s an ambassador. He and (Gamecock baseball legend) Michael Roth remind me a lot of each other in their attraction and appeal at every level.”

To donate to the Tommy Suggs Endowed Scholarship or learn about giving opportunities, please contact Jeff Crane in the athletics development office at (803) 777-7546 or crane@ sc.edu.

Spurs & Feathers • 15

September 17, 2014

South Carolina honors Garnet Society members by brian hand bhand@spursandfeathers.com

Tanner one of the things that South Carolina has made sure to do is thank those who have helped take South Carolina to the next level.

Richland County Gamecock Club chapter Recently the South Carolina athletics depresident Harry Gregory, Jr. knows it takes velopment office and the Gamecock Club a great deal of money and effort to make the thanked the Garnet Society members that University of South Carolina athletics depart- have given over $25,000 as part of the Garnet ment into one of the best in the country.

Way campaign at a special event at WilliamsThrough the efforts of Gregory and nuBrice Stadium on Friday, Sept. 5, 2014. merous others, South Carolina athletics has The evening featured drinks, hors d’oeuvres indeed become one of the strongest overall and the opportunity to hear from Pastides and athletic programs in the nation.

Tanner.

Under the leadership of University president During the event there was also a chance for Dr. Harris Pastides and athletics director Ray those in attendance to take their picture in the

all photos by allen sharpe

stands at Williams-Brice Stadium with the Garnet Society logo on the videoboard.

Gregory noted how he was “extremely appreciative” of the efforts of the University, while at the same time he was glad to have the chance to see and be around all those that are willing to go above and beyond for South Carolina in their efforts to remain among the elite in the SEC and nation.

Tanner was very pleased to have the chance to honor all those in the Garnet Society.

“We are extremely grateful for the impact that you’ve made to this University and our student-athletes,” Tanner said. “This morning

(Friday, Sept. 5), I stopped by to see coach Spurrier for a few minutes and of course as it gets closer to gametime that gets a little dicey.

“Being a former coach, that’s not always great timing, but I stuck my head in and visited with him for just a few minutes and I looked out of the window and said, ‘my goodness coach, this field is absolutely beautiful’ and he said, ‘the entire University, the athletic department and this campus is that way.’ That’s our head football coach that recognizes where we are. I thank y’all for the impact that you have made for being great Gamecocks,” Tanner continued.

16 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

South Carolina Gamecocks Football Roster # Name Pos. 1 Damiere Byrd WR 1 Rico McWilliams CB 3 Nick Jones WR 3 Chris Lammons CB 4 Bryson Allen-Williams LB 4 Shaq Roland WR 5 Darius English DE 5 Brendan Nosovitch QB 6 Connor Mitch QB 6 Chris Moody SS 7 Shon Carson TB 7 Wesley Green CB 8 Shamier Jeffery WR 8 Kaiwan Lewis LB 9 Deebo Samuel WR 9 Sharrod Golightly SPR 10 Skai Moore LB 10 Perry Orth QB 11 T.J. Holloman LB 11 Pharoh Cooper WR 12 Michael Scarnecchia QB 12 Brison Williams SS 13 Tyler Hull P 13 Grant Davitte QB 14 Shaq Davidson WR 14 Ali Groves CB 15 Austin Hails QB 16 Zack Cimaglia K/P 17 Chaz Elder FS 17 Dylan Thompson QB 18 Cedrick Cooper DE 18 Patrick Fish P 19 Terry Googer WR 19 Landon Ard PK 20 T.J. Gurley SS 21 Marcquis Roberts LB 21 Andrew Bunch WR 22 Brandon Wilds TB 22 Jamari Smith CB 23 Larenz Bryant SPR 24 D.J. Smith DB 25 Kadetrix Marcus FS 26 Jasper Sasser FS 28 Mike Davis TB 28 Jonathan Walton LB 29 Elliott Fry PK 29 Matrick Belton WR 30 Darius Paulk FB 30 Sidney Rhodes CB 31 Al Harris Jr. CB 31 Jordan Diaz FB 32 Rod Talley TB 33 David Williams TB 34 Jonas Price K/P 34 Mason Harris DE

Hgt. 5-9 5-11 5-7 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-6 6-1 6-3 6-1 5-8 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-2 5-11 6-4 5-11 6-2 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-4 5-9 5-10 6-1 5-11 6-2 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-9 6-0 6-0 6-4 5-8 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-2 6-3

Wgt. 170 184 168 172 231 176 241 221 211 210 201 176 198 228 192 187 213 204 234 201 189 208 207 180 170 187 220 170 195 218 225 194 210 178 194 216 173 222 197 220 189 194 203 223 228 165 215 199 182 162 236 201 214 165 235

Cl. SR RS SO RS SR FR FR JR RS SO RS SO RS FR RS SO RS JR FR RS JR JR FR RS SR SO RS SO RS SO SO FR SR RS SR RS FR FR RS FR RS JR RS SO RS SO RS SR RS JR RS SR FR RS JR JR RS SO RS SO RS JR SO SO FR SR RS FR JR SO SO RS SO RS SO RS SR FR RS SR RS SO RS FR RS FR RS JR

Hometown/High School/Last College Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek Hampton, Ga./Lovejoy Moore, S.C./Byrnes Sunrise, Fla./Plantation Ellenwood, Ga./Ceder Grove Lexington, S.C./Lexington Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern Allentown, Pa./Central Catholic Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield McDonough, Ga./Henry County Scranton, S.C./Lake City Lithonia, Ga./Martin Luther King St. Matthews, S.C./Calhoun County Pleasantville, N.J./St. Joseph Inman, S.C./Chapman Decatur, Ga./Southwest DeKalb Cooper City, Fla./University Ponde Verda, Fla./Ponte Verda/Florida State College Stone Mountain, Ga./St. Pius X Havelock, NC./Havelock Fleming Island, Fla./Fleming Island Warner Robins, Ga./Northside/Fork Union Military Mount Airy, N.C./Mount Airy/Guilford College Columbia, S.C./Irmo Gaffney, S.C./Gaffney Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park/North Carolina A&T Union City, Ga./Banneker Boiling Springs, S.C./Boiling Springs Lithonia, Ga./Lithonia Shelby, N.C./Burns Atlanta, Ga./Woodward Academy Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe Cairo, Ga./Cairo Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Bishop England/Presbyterian Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood Jacksonville, Fla./Fletcher Charlotte, NC./Vance Marietta, Ga./Walton Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson Jacksonville, Fla./Wolfson Atlanta, Ga./Stephenson Daphne, Ala./Bayside Academy Frisco, Tx./Prince of Peace Christian Columbia, S.C./Keenan/Hampton Columbia, S.C./Richland Northeast/North Greenville Easley, S.C./Wren/Western Carolina Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West Laurens, S.C./Laurens/Gardner-Webb Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter Cockeysville, Md./St. Paul’s Fort Oglethorpe, Ga./Ridgeland

Coaches Steve Spurrier - Head Coach Deke Adams - Defensive Line Kirk Botkin - Linebackers/Spurs Grady Brown - Secondary/Assistant Special Teams Coordinator Shawn Elliott - Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive LIne G.A. Mangus - Quarterbacks/Tight Ends Joe Robinson - Special Teams Coordinator Everette Sands - Running Backs Jamie Speronis - Associate AD/Football Operations Steve Spurrier Jr. - Co-Offensive Coord/Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator Lorenzo Ward - Defensive Coordinator Joey Blake - Director of Football Nutrition Robbie Liles - Director - Recruiting Operations Patrick Shine - Administrative Coordinator - Recruiting Scott Spurrier - Quality Control Coordinator (Offense) Shaq Wilson - Quality Control Coordinator (Defense)

# Name Pos. 35 Shannon James DB 39 Demetrius Smalls DB 40 Jacob August TE 41 Kyle Morini LB 41 Connor McLaurin FB 42 Jordan Diggs SPR 43 Benjamin Russell DB 43 Garrison Gist FB 44 Gerald Turner FB 44 Gerald Dixon DE 45 Brandon Sturdivant FB 46 Cedrick Malone SPR 47 Drew Williams LS 48 Nick McGriff TE 49 Garrett Shank SS 49 Devin Potter TB 50 A.J. Cann OG 51 Cody Waldrop OC 51 Devin Washington DE 52 Phillip Dukes DT 53 Corey Robinson OT 54 Clayton Stadnik OC 55 David Johnson DE 55 Na’Ty Rodgers OT 58 Ryland Culbertson LS 59 Coleman Harley LS 65 Brock Stadnik OG 69 D.J. Park OT 70 Alan Knott OC 71 Brandon Shell OT 72 Donell Stanley OL 74 Mason Zandi OT 75 Will Sport OG 76 Mike Matulis OT 77 Malik Young OL 80 K.J. Brent WR 81 Rory Anderson TE 82 Caleb Hines WR 83 Carlton Heard WR 84 Matthew Harvey WR 85 Kane Whitehurst WR 86 Kevin Crosby TE 87 Sean Odom WR 88 Drew Owens TE 89 Jerell Adams TE 90 Cody Gibson TE 90 Taylor Stallworth DT 91 Blake McClain DE 92 Gerald Dixon, Jr. DT 93 Deon Green DT 94 Kelsey Griffin DT 95 Michael Washington DE 97 J.T. Surratt DT 99 Abu Lamin DT

Hgt. 5-7 5-11 6-6 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-8 6-3 6-1 6-5 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-9 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-5 5-11 6-0 6-8 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-6 6-6 6-7 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-4

Wgt. 153 170 247 221 243 217 175 260 250 274 218 201 201 220 203 203 311 309 221 323 344 273 275 280 267 246 287 328 280 333 346 301 291 307 318 192 227 160 188 22 8 169 230 190 238 242 278 293 265 323 289 310 237 310 302

Cl. RS SO RS FR FR RS SR RS SR RS SO RS FR RS JR RS FR RS SO RS SO RS SO SO FR RS SO RS SO RS SR RS SO RS FR RS JR RS SR RS SO RS FR RS FR RS SR RS JR RS SO RS FR RS FR RS JR FR RS SO RS JR RS JR FR RS JR SR FR RS JR RS JR RS JR FR SO RS JR JR RS SR FR FR RS JR RS SO SO RS JR RS SR RS SO

Hometown/High School/Last College Florence, S.C./South Florence Bluffton, S.C./Bluffton Columbia, S.C./Cardinal Newman/Fork Union Warner Robins, Ga./White Knoll/Gray Military Raleigh, N.C./Garner Fort Myers, Fla./Island Coast Atlanta, Ga./Woodward Academy Rock Hill, S.C./Northwesterm Goose Creek, S.C./Goose Creek Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe Fort Mill, S.C./Nation Ford/York Tech Camden, S.C./Camden/Coastal Carolina Irmo, S.C/Dutch Fork Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville Marietta, Ga./Lassiter Granite Falls, N.C./South Caldwell Bamberg, S.C./Bamberg-Ehrhardt Seffner, Fla./Armwood Orlando, Fla./Jones Manning, S.C./Manning Havelock, N.C./Havelock Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford Lithonia, Ga./Lithonia Waldorf, Md./McDonough Laurens, S.C./Laurens Academy Aiken, S.C./South Aiken Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford Dillon, S.C./Dillon Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek Goose Creek, S.C./Goose Creek Floydale, S.C./Latta Irmo, S.C./Chapin Milton, Fla./Pace Boynton Beach, Fla./Park Vista Pelzer, S.C./Woodmont Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern Cornelius, N.C./Hough Athens, Ga./Clarke Central/Gardner-Webb Rock Hill, S.C./Rock Hill Duluth, Ga./Chattahoochee/Arkansas Bamberg, S.C./Bamberg-Ehrhardt Orangeburg, S.C./Orangeburg Prep Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell Pinewood, S.C./Scott’s Branch Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln Mobile, Ala./Murphy Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern Windermere, Fla./Olympia Buford, Ga./Mill Creek Allendale, S.C./Allendale-Fairfax/S.C. State Winston-Salem, N.C./Parkland Fayetteville, N.C./Trinity Christian/Fort Scott C.C.

Spurs & Feathers • 17

September 17, 2014

Vanderbilt Football Roster # Name Pos. 2 Tre Tarpley DB 2 Johnny McCrary QB 3 Jerron Seymour RB 3 Taurean Ferguson DB 4 Patton Robinette QB 4 Tre Bell DB 5 Torren McGaster DB 6 Darrius Sims DB/RS 7 Emmanuel Smith S 7 Josh Grady WR 8 Ronald Monroe WR 9 Caleb Scott WR 10 Shawn Stankavage QB 11 Rashad Canty WR 11 Harding Harper ILB 12 Wade Freebeck QB 13 Jake Sealand ILB 13 Trent Sherfield WR 14 Ryan White S 15 Ladarius Wiley DB 15 DeAndre Woods WR 16 Colby Cooke P/PK 16 Curtis Graves WR 17 Stephen Rivers QB 17 Tommy Openshaw PK/P 18 Chandler Dorrell WR 19 C.J. Duncan WR 20 Oren Burks DB 21 Paris Head DB 22 Casey Hughes OLB 23 Khari Blasingame S 24 Jalen Banks S 25 Brian Kimbrow RB 26 Ralph Webb RB 27 Jahmel McIntosh S 28 Dallas Rivers RB 29 Taylor Hudson P 30 Bryce Lewis DB 31 Tre Herndon DB 32 Andrew Williamson S 33 Derek King RB 34 Andrew East SN 35 Darreon Herring ILB 36 Trey Ellis WR 37 Wilson Johnson SN 38 Alex Hysong DB 40 Ja’karri Thomas ILB 41 Zach Cunningham ILB 41 Chris Martin FB 42 Kellen Williams FB 43 Hunter Bowman FB 43 Hawkins Mann ILB

Ht. 6-0 6-4 5-7 5-9 6-4 5-11 6-0 5-9 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-2 6-0 5-9 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-7 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-11 5-8 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-1 5-9 6-2 5-10 6-1 6-4 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-3

Wt. 195 230 196 185 214 176 192 182 205 202 185 180 185 212 240 212 232 185 188 192 215 220 185 235 185 190 195 212 185 220 205 190 185 196 205 225 220 175 172 208 205 230 232 165 210 182 230 225 234 230 220 225

Yr. FR RS FR JR RS FR SO RS FR SO SO FR JR FR FR FR FR SO FR JR FR RS FR FR RS FR SO SO GS RS FR RS FR RS FR RS FR SO SR FR RS FR JR RS FR JR FR JR FR FR JR JR SR JR FR SO SR SO RS FR JR SR SR FR

Hometown/Previous School Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic Decatur, Ga./Cedar Grove Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah Jonesboro, Ga./Jonesboro Maryville, Tenn./Maryville Union, N.J./St. Peter’s Prep Daphne, Ala./Daphne Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven Murfreesboro, Tenn./Oakland Tampa, Fla./Armwood Houston, Texas/Fort Bend Bush Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett Durham, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons Riverdale, Ga./Riverdale Montgomery, Ala./Carver Davie, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas Tucker, Ga./Tucker Danville, Ill./Danville Louisville, Ky./Trinity Los Angeles, Calif./Cathedral Clay, Ala./Clay-Chalkville Goochland, Va./Goochland Alpharetta, Ga./Alpharetta Athens, Ala./Athens HS/LSU Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside Nashville, Tenn.Stanford Montgomery, Ala./St. James School Fairfax Station, Va./South County Lawrenceville, Ga./Buford Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin New Market, Ala./Buckhorn Markham, Ill./Thornton Township Memphis, Tenn./Memphis East Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville Cleveland, Miss./Cleveland Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty Lilburn, Ga./Parkview Chattanooga, Tenn./East Hamilton San Antonio, Texas/John Paul Stevens Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy Indianpolis, Ind./North Central Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson Charlotte, N.C./Kell HS Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell Academy Bethesda, Md./Whitman Tallahassee, Fla./Godby Pinson, Ala./Pinson Valley Princeton, N.J./Princeton Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange Savannah, Ga./Savannah Country Day Burbank, Calif./Burroughs

Coaches Derek Mason - Head Coach Karl Dorrell - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach David Kotulski - Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Charles Bankins - Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Gerry Gdowski - Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Keven Lightner - Offensive Line Coach Marc Lubick - Wide Receivers Coach Frank Maile - Defensive Line Coach Brett Maxie - Defensive Secondary Coach Kenwick Thompson - Outside Linebackers Coach Tosin Abari - Director of Player Development Tyler Barnes - Director of Player Personnel Matt Britain - Assistant Director of Operations Cedric Calhoun - Assistant Sports Performance Kevin Colon - Associate Director of Student Athletics Jason Grooms - Director of Football Operations Bill Hughan - Director of Football Sports Performance Jamey Mroz - Assistant Sports Performance Matt Ruland - Assistant-Recruiting/Operations Chris Singleton - Equipment Manager Vavae Tata - Assistant-Player Development Teddy Thompson - Assistant Sports Performance Ryan Anderson - Defensive Graduate Assistant Rod Chance - Quality Control Defense A.J. Haase - Offensive Graduate Assistant Chandler Henley - Offensive Graduate Assistant Johnell Thomas - Defensive Graduate Assistant

# Name Pos. 44 Barron Dixon DL 45 Joseph Hoffman FB 45 Stephen Weatherly OLB 47 Charles Wright OLB 48 Jalen Dansby WR 49 Josh Gregory S 49 Jonathan Wynn OLB 50 Andrew Jelks OL 51 Davis Winkie SN 52 Andrew Bridges OL 52 Nigel Bowden ILB 53 Vince Taylor DL 53 Jake Bernstein OL 54 Jimmy Stewart OLB 55 Caleb Azubike OLB 56 Barrett Gouger OL 57 Joe Townsend OL 60 Jacob Schultz SN 60 Cole Hardin OL 61 Bruno Reagan OL 64 Delando Crooks OL 65 Campbell Vise OL 69 Adam Butler DL 72 Sean Dowling OL 74 Jay Woods DL 74 Will Holden OL 75 Bailey Granier OL 77 Nifae Lealao DL 77 Spencer Pulley OL 78 Kevin McCoy OL 79 Ryan Brockway OL 80 Davis Dudchock TE 81 Steven Scheu TE 81 Alex Grecco WR 82 Kris Kentera WR 83 Nathan Marcus TE 84 Jordan Cunningham WR 85 Trey Wilkins WR 86 Latevius Rayford WR 87 Blake Fromang TE 88 Mitch Parsons TE 89 Dillon van der Wal TE 90 Sekou Clark DL 91 David Holtgrave PK 92 Kyle Woestmann OLB 94 Torey Agee DL 95 Riley Tindol DL 96 Gaither Barker SN 97 Reid Nelson P 98 Mack Weaver TE 99 Landon Stokes OLB 99 Hayden Lekacz PK

Ht. 6-4 6-0 6-5 6-3 5-11 5-11 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-6 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-7 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-5 5-10 6-4 6-5 6-1 5-11 6-1 6-7 6-3 6-6 6-3 5-10 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-1 6-2 6-5 6-4 6-1

Wt. 295 220 260 230 190 170 244 305 250 285 245 310 306 232 260 305 312 220 305 315 312 285 305 288 280 310 345 314 300 295 285 245 250 175 220 238 175 210 192 288 250 252 260 190 250 280 275 230 215 255 235 175

Yr. SR JR SO FR FR SR RS FR SO FR SR RS FR SR JR JR JR SO SR SO FR FR RS FR FR SO RS FR RS FR SO FR FR JR SO SR GS JR JR JR RS FR SO SR SO SO FR SR FR SO SR SO FR SO FR RS FR RS FR FR

Hometown/Previous School Alpharetta, Ga./Chattahooche Scarsdale, N.Y./Edgemont Snellville, Ga./Shiloh Irvine, Calif./Beckman Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette HS Goodlettsville, Tenn./Davidson Academy Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson Paris, Tenn./Henry County Cumming, Ga./South Forsyth HS Atlanta, Ga./Westminster Macon, Ga./Central Hattiesburg, Miss./Oak Grove Lake in the Hills, Ill./Crystal Lake South Cape Coral, Fla./Island Coast Nashville, Tenn./McGavock Soddy-Daisy, Tenn./Baylor School Hendersonville, Tenn./Hendersonville Murfreesboro, Tenn./Siegel Florence, Ala./Florence Clarksville, Tenn./Clarksville Atlanta, Ga./Carver Flowood, Miss./Jackson Prep Duncanville, Texas/Duncanville Fallbrook, Calif./Fallbrook Union Jackson, Ga./Jackson Green Cove Springs, Fla./Clay Galliano, La./South Lafourche Sacramento, Calif./Capital Christian Germantown, Tenn./Evangelical Christian Tampa, Fla./Armwood Los Angeles, Calif./Loyola Birmingham, Ala./Oak Mountain/Stanford Evansville, Ind./Reitz Memorial East Greenwich, R.I./Bishop Hendricken Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West Fort Lauderdale, Fla./University School Cordova, Tenn./St. Benedict Memphis, Tenn./Central Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep Parker, Colo./Chaparral Woodland Hills, Calif./Oaks Christian Denton, Texas/Ryan Louisville, Ky./Country Day Marietta, Ga./Walton Opelika, Ala./Opelika Billingsley, Ala./Autauga Academy Dunlap, Tenn./Sequatichie County Hueytown, Ala./Hueytown HS Collierville, Tenn./Harding Academy Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West

18 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Spurs & Feathers • 19

September 17, 2014

Gamecocks focus on development for SEC by mike kucharksi mike@spursandfeathers.com

and Brigit (Folland) being freshmen last year, there were a lot of adjustments in terms of how hard we work and that sort of thing,” Epley The South Carolina women’s tennis team had explained. “I think having a year under their a strong run to finish the 2013-14 season mak- belts, I think after the SEC season - you know ing the 20th-consecutive NCAA Tournament during the SEC season it’s hard to catch your appearance, but head coach Kevin Epley is breath - after they sort of collected themselves. looking for the next step.

Since they know the landscape of what’s comThat next step begins with work in the offing, it’s much easier for them to prepare for it. season and building toward competition in the “I think both of them worked really hard over spring. Over the summer the student-athletes the summer and they’ve come back as commust take care of training and competition on pletely different people from when they left. So their own and Epley said he was pleased with that bodes well for us as far as a continuation of the work they put in. instilling the culture. Then it will be good for “We’re really happy with the returners. They them because we’re going to need them to play all put in the hours and that shows that they’re at a higher level this year,” Epley continued. motivated and they’ve done a great job of kind Epley explained that the fall season is not as of helping the newbies along,” Epley comcutthroat with competition and serves as a time mented. for the coaches to really develop the players.

A number of the Gamecocks had strong sum- “What we’re doing in the fall is focusing mers competing on the ITA summer circuit individually on their games. This is the time in including Caroline Dailey who won a pair of the fall where we get to make some improvedoubles titles. Epley mentioned that freshman ment in their games and really develop the Hadley Berg had a successful summer as well. relationship among the girls. You have time to Epley noted that the freshmen experience for do a retreat, team dinners and things can be a Dailey and Brigit Folland was good for them to little bit more low key in the fall. It’s very much learn what it will take to compete in the SEC. more a developmental mindset in the fall and “I think with Caroline (Dailey) in particular in the spring, particularly when you get into the

SEC, it’s more of competition and survival,” Epley said.

Epley said he has been working with the team in a progressive system that builds upon itself in helping the team improve for the spring.

“We have sort of a progressive system where each element builds on the last, so the first part is culture, next we’re going to start getting into mental work and routines, then we have the developmental side,” Epley commented. “Every player is going through individual lessons.

We’re developing their game, particularly their game style, strengths, weaknesses, patterns of play, who they are. It’s long hours.

“Learning how to suffer is a big part of it, so we push them and we push them hard. The reason is that when you get into SEC it’s just modeling. The SEC matches in that moment when they’re stretched thin physically, are they going to be the one to break through? It’s to gain confidence in their fitness and their mental strength that we’re working on too,” Epley expounded.

All the work over the summer and through the fall will be in hopes to help the team break through and get some of the big wins they look for this spring. While 20-straight NCAA appearances is fantastic, Epley hopes to see

the team win matches against some of the topranked teams this year.

“That’s what we’re hoping for, we’re hoping to break through. I feel like we’ve done well, but we haven’t really broken through. We’ve had a lot of these close matches against some of the best teams in the country. You know Alabama, we were points away from winning and they were No. 2 in the nation, so we’ve just got to get over the hump. That’s why we’re going to make sure to put in the work now,” Epley said.

by mike kucharski mike@spursandfeathers.com

ship of this team. The newcomers are a breath of fresh air. They’re kind of that next elite crop to come in and lead this team,” Goffi commented. “They will be the future of Gamecock tennis and they understand that. They’re doing everything right and they’re striving to be the best.

“They’re not okay with playing second fiddle to the seniors or even to the sophomores, so there is a lot of really good, healthy competition. The older crowd feels that pressure from the young guys and they’re making sure they’re up to speed.

I think that had a lot to do with everyone going out playing and working hard over the summer as well,” Goffi continued.

The goals for the team during the fall are focused on individual improvement rather than team goals of wins and losses Goffi noted. He said that each player is working on their progression whether it is technical, mental or physical to be playing their best tennis for the spring.

“The whole idea is to get these guys to be as complete of a player as possible, or at least on their way there, by January and really to be honest, by May. That’s the entire goal. We’re gearing up for the first tournament and just as all the tournaments

are in the fall, they’re just tests. They kind of let us know where we are as players and where we are as a team. Then we come back to work and keep on the development track and stay there all year. Hopefully by May we’re good enough to make a run to the finals,” Goffi said.

Goffi said that the returners understand what it will take to be successful in the spring. He added the attitude and desire of all the players is good so far and they are all excited and anxious for the season to get under way.

“I think the way we ended the season, we learned quite a bit about ourselves as a team and what it actually takes, the tangible things that we have to bring to the table for every single match … that’s a maturity of any competitor at any stage of his career,” Goffi said. “We’re building off of that progression right now and our guys have come to work every single day thus far. They’ve come ready to get after it. I’m expecting good things. I don’t know how great we’re going to be because we’re a little bit young, but at the same time we’ve got a decent senior core. I honestly think that we’ve got something special going here right now.”

photo by travis bell/sideline carolina

According to Kevin Epley, the Gamecocks are looking to take the next step this year.

Men’s tennis training for success

South Carolina men’s tennis team is pushing each other and improving individually during the fall to prepare for the gauntlet of SEC play this spring.

Gamecock head coach Josh Goffi says he sees a level of healthy competition in fall training this year that will help push each of the players to improve.

“That healthy competition is something that great teams have and that’s something that we haven’t had to be honest,” Goffi said. “This year we’re going to have eight guys that are flat-out just good. They can play in our lineup at a lot of different spots. This is the first year that we’ve had that, so everybody is on their toes. They’re going to have to stay disciplined and nobody is going to be comfortable this year, which is in essence what creates a great team.”

Building that great team starts in the summer when the players can make their biggest jumps according to Goffi. He said collectively the team worked hard through competition and training over the summer.

“This group really took it to heart. They

went out and played a lot of tournaments and really developed. A lot of guys trained if they didn’t have the access to tournaments and trained very hard. The summer is where these guys make their biggest jumps. The reason is that during the year they get inundated with a ton of information and in the summer there is no coach telling them anything,” Goffi explained.

“They have to go back to the file cabinet in their head and figure out why things are breaking down or why they just played a great match. They end up being their own coach which creates ownership of their game.

“At that point they get to know themselves inside and out as a player which is important. Any high-level athlete has to know themselves inside and out just to keep on pushing themselves and pushing their limits. It’s really evident the work they put in,” Goffi added.

Goffi is excited not only about the talent level of the team, but also the work ethic.

He noted that there is a good mix of solid veterans and exciting newcomers on the roster.

“Our returners are amazing; they’re leaders and they really have taken owner-

20 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Gamecocks prepare for season-opening road test by mike kucharski mike@spursandfeathers.com

South Carolina’s back-to-back SEC champion equestrian team prepares to embark on a new season on the road at Kansas State on Sept. 19.

With the championship pedigree of the team, head coach Boo Major said that they must still treat this season as regular business. Major is also the reigning NCEA National Coach of the year and was named SEC Coach of the Year each of the past two seasons.

“You have to just look at it as a new team,” Major said. “We have 12 new freshmen. We have a great group of seniors; a very strong group with all but two of them as starters. That’s a pretty strong group to lead us. We’re looking a lot toward them to help the team. I think really it’s mostly about just starting at the beginning. We’re not going to know what we have until Sept. 19. I’d like to say that we’ve got a great team - I think we have a great team - but time will tell when we start competing. I think Kansas State is going to give us everything we could ask for and more really, so we’ve got to be ready for that.

“We’ve never had an away competition as our first meet and Kansas State has always been a little bit difficult for us, so I honestly think coming out of the gate we’re going to be tested. We’ve got to just be ready to go on Sept. 19,” Major continued.

In a change to the coaching staff this season, Major welcomed Hillary Dobbs as a new assistant coach. Dobbs has competed for a spot on the United States Olympic team and was the youngest professional rider to earn $1 million in prize money.

Major said that despite her lack of coaching experience, Dobbs has been an excellent addition for the Gamecocks.

“One of the things that she said she enjoyed was competing for the United States on a team. It was that whole team aspect that really intrigued her … she really loved college athletics as well,” Major explained. “That’s another thing is that you have to love college athletics. I think with that she had not had any college coaching experience, but she’s just come right in and fit right in. We love her. She’s great to bring in … she’s a little bit younger than Ruth and I and she’s got the recent experience that all they girls we’re recruiting and have on our team know who she is.

They respect her and frankly I think she is going to be a fantastic recruiter for us as well even thought she hasn’t been in the college coaching ranks.

photo by allen shapre

South Carolina enters the 2014-15 season coming off back-to-back SEC championships.

“We thoroughly enjoy having her. Some- the veterans. We just tried to make sure times it takes a little while for people to that everybody that we thought would warm up to others, but she just came in and hit the ground running. We just feel that we’ve been very fortunate to have her,” Major added.

South Carolina only lost only one rider from last season’s championship lineup on the hunt seat team. A very deep and talented group will be led by Katherine Schmidt (30-3 record last season, two-time firstteam All-American, two-time SEC Rider of the Year). Other key riders are senior Amber Henter (13-6 record last year), Samantha Smith (23-12-1 record last season) and Alexa Anthony (18-9-5 record last season). Major said it will be important for this group to continue to prove themselves in competition.

“I think on the hunt seat side we’ve got to look at not getting complacent and not going out there thinking ‘oh we had a really great year last year, so we’re going to be really great again this year.’ Every team every year is different and they’re different dynamics,” Major commented.

The Western team will have to replace five competition slots from last year’s championship lineup (three in horsemanship and two in reigning). Major noted that she tried to get some experience last year for those who would likely compete this season.

“One thing that we made sure with the Western group too is that we got kids in there as the year was going on that we knew were going to be replacing some of

be replacing people got some experience competing last year. We’ve also got two or three very good freshmen that I think you’ll see competing pretty quickly, if not starting out there at Kansas State,” Major explained.

Major said that the Gamecocks are excited to be back, but also knows that they will be tested early.

“We have a different schedule from what we had last year, it’s much more difficult this year … going away for our first meet I think is a very difficult task to do,” Major said. “It’s always difficult to win away from home and then it’s earlier than normal in the year. We were only at practice for a week and we were three weeks away from Kansas State. I think it’s hard to get everybody up to speed in this short period of time.

“To me it will be fun to get going early because then we really do see where we are and we can get prepared going forward. After we do our competition with Kansas State, we can see where we are as far as competing on the road and then make some decisions on who we’ll have start when we do our first home meet with Georgia on Oct. 3,” Major concluded.

Spurs & Feathers • 21

September 17, 2014

Gamecocks a family tradition for Legendary Fan by mike kucharski mike@spursandfeathers.com

Some of his best memories align with some of the great highlights in the history of South Carolina athletics.

Wes Gentry III grew up a sports fan - par“I’ve gotten to see some great highlights like ticularly a Gamecock fan - and said supporting when they won the ACC basketball championthe Gamecocks is “a family tradition for us and ship. Kevin Joyce made that tip for the basket we’re all Gamecock fans here.” to win and it was the only time Carolina ever Gentry said that supporting South Carolina has won that ACC championship,” Gentry recalled. been important to he and his family his whole “I remember us playing Michigan in football life, saying “between my dad and I we’ve probwhen we beat them out there in 1980. I got to ably got 85 years of commitment to the Gamesee George Rogers run a touchdown back in the cock Club. He’s got about 45 and I’m around 40.”

Rose Bowl that year which was pretty neat too.”

After graduating from South Carolina in 1971, Gentry said he has enjoyed watching attenGentry said he immediately started supporting dance and support for the Gamecocks grow the University through the Gamecock Club. He over the years, particularly recently under the graduated with a degree in physical education guidance of athletics director Ray Tanner, saying and considered coaching before coming back “he also knows what it takes to win a National to his family business - Gentry’s Poultry Co. in Championship and he can help lead the departSaluda, S.C. ment to those levels.”

“I can remember back when we’d get five or six Gentry noted the big changes that he has seen wins and think we had a good year,” Gentry said. throughout the athletics department in his time “We would celebrate just making it to a bowl following the Gamecocks. game. I’ve been here through the tough times “I think that all the programs have improved and the good times, so that’s why I understand at South Carolina. The facilities that they’ve got that it just takes a while and a lot of support. now are incredible and that’s pretty constant “Supporting South Carolina has always been across every sport. With what they’ve done photo by allen sharpe important to me and my family. I always have across athletics and with Gamecock Park is really interesting to see the changes they’ve done,” Wes Gentry III (center) was the Legendary Fan for the ECU game. He was presented a special supported the Gamecocks and I’m sure I always plaque by Patrick McFarland (left) and a blazer by Brent Skinner of B.P. Skinner Clothiers. will,” Gentry concluded.

Gentry remarked.

The Vanderbilt Game

Site: Nashville, Tenn. in Vanderbilt Stadium Time: 7:30 p.m. ET TV: SEC Network (check local listings)

Radio: Gamecock IMG Sports Network Series: South Carolina leads 19-4-0 Vanderbilt seems to be in a rebuilding year under first-year head coach Derek Mason.

This will be the first time the Gamecocks hit the road in 2014 as they make the trip

to Nashville. Last season the Commodores gave the Gamecocks a run for their money in Williams-Brice Stadium, but this is not the same team as 2013. Vanderbilt has struggled to replace all four defensive backs and the Gamecocks will look to unleash the passing attack to take advantage of the inexperienced backfield. The Gamecock defense will look to shut down a Commodore attack that has lacked a punch early in their year. Although Vanderbilt has always challenged the Gamecocks, particularly in Nashville, South Carolina should come away with its first road win of the season if everything goes according to plan.

22 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Gamecocks building a foundation for the spring by mike kucharski mike@spursandfeathers.com

South Carolina head softball coach Beverly Smith could not wait to get the team together for fall practices starting on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

“Honestly for me, I was like a kid who was getting ready for the first day of school - you don’t sleep well, you’re excited. I was that way and this is my fifth season,” Smith said. “I was so excited for the first day of practice. I really have been ready to get them together as a group. Obviously we spent some time together individually, but not as a whole team.

“I had been up early waiting for practice to start. I felt like a kid getting ready to start school. The excitement is high for sure,” Smith added.

The excitement level for Smith and the team has been raised after a pair of 30-win seasons and appearances in the NCAA Tournament at the end of the year. In her fifth season Smith has established a culture with the program and is looking forward to continuing the progress.

A player who will be able to help that progress is senior pitcher Julie Sarratt. Sarratt has already graduated and is taking graduate-level courses to as she enters her fifth year in the program.

photo by allen sharpe

Beverly Smith (right), Sarratt and the Gamecocks started their fall practices on Sept. 9.

“With a fifth-year senior you almost feel like you have an extra coach on the field. She’s been here since day one and seen how we’ve done it all, so she’s going to do a super job being our captain this year,” Smith said of Sarratt.

That leadership will be key because Smith recognizes that she does have somewhat of a young team with 15 players either freshmen or

sophomores.

“I’ve got 15 kids in my freshmen and sophomore class, so we’re young but talented. So for us, we’re specifically young in the middle infield, so for us practice No. 1 was about a lot of fundamental work with the focus of getting better every day,” Smith said.

Smith said that practices have been restructured to allow for more individual and

fundamental work with the young squad. She also noted that there are a number of former players around the program as volunteers or graduate assistants to help set the example for the young players. That example will also be set on the field with the returners.

“We’ve got a great core group of returners for sure and we’ve added a tremendous group of freshmen with a lot of talent. I’m excited about this group. I am. We’ve got a big team and I think that’s going to provide a lot of competition at practice. I love the personality and work ethic of this group so far,” Smith commented.

The work in the fall will set the foundation for the season in this spring and Smith said the focus remains on improving daily to create a strong team when the season begins.

“I’ve talked to the girls about this being a journey and this is the first step on our journey. For us it’s about individual focus. We play eight games this fall where we’ll get to see a little bit of what we can do as a team, but for us our focus is: what are you getting out of this workout and what are you doing to get better today?” Smith explained.

With that focus the Gamecocks will work to continue improving and build upon the successes of the past few seasons.

Spurs & Feathers • 23

September 17, 2014

View from the Georgia locker room by kyle heck Contributing Writer

the first half. Morgan nailed a 36 and a 26-yard field goal prior to that, setting a SEC record with his 19th and 20th straight made field goal Georgia tried its best to break its losing attempts. streak at Williams-Brice stadium, but in the That’s what made the two late misses by end the Bulldogs came up short, falling to Georgia so surprising. But it’s something that South Carolina, 38-35. you have to live with and overcome, according The Bulldogs’ Marshall Morgan missed a to Richt. potential game-tying 28-yard field goal with “I didn’t talk to (Morgan),” Richt said. “Not just over four minutes to go. It was Georgia’s that I was ignoring him, but you just go on to third straight loss in Columbia. the next play. He missed a couple, which is not The missed attempt came after UGA safety normal for him. He’ll get back on track. He’s a Damian Swann intercepted Gamecock quargreat kicker.” terback Dylan Thompson and took the ball all With the win, the Gamecocks have now the way back to the four-yard line to set up a won four out of the last five meetings with the first and goal. However, an intentional ground- Bulldogs. ing call on Bulldog quarterback Hutson Mason “Hats off to the South Carolina program and pushed Georgia back. the job they did,” Richt said.

“We didn’t seize the moment,” UGA coach Thompson was able to torch the Georgia Mark Richt said. “Especially after we got that defense for 271 passing yards and three touchbig turnover deep in their territory and get zero downs and Swann attributed a lot of that to the points out of it. Very disappointing right there. time that Thompson had in the pocket.

No matter what happened throughout the day, “When a guy has time to sit back there that was the moment where we had a chance and throw it, anybody can get picked apart,” to, at worst, tie it up, and we’re not able to do Swann said. “I think they kind of gamethat and that’s one of the things that got us.” planned well on our rush to where our pass The missed 28-yarder came after Morgan rushers couldn’t really get back there like they missed a 44-yard field goal toward the end of normally could.”

photo by allen sharpe

The passing attack by Thompson helped out the Gamecock rushing game as well, something that was a dagger to the Bulldogs, as they knew that was South Carolina’s bread and butter.

“That’s what they do,” Swann said. “They’ve got great backs and a great line. We know what their backs can do. It’s just we didn’t really stop it like we were supposed to stop it, and that’s all there was to it.”

The Bulldogs nearly forced the Gamecocks into another turnover in the waning moments of the game. South Carolina faced a fourth and inches at the 49-yard line with 1:26 left in the game and elected to go for it. Thompson kept the ball on a quarterback sneak and the chains were brought out to measure if it was a first down or not. After a lengthy look at the measurement, the referees judged that Thompson got the first down by the tip of the football.

24 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

South Carolina Gamecocks

Recruiting Round-up DL DJ Jones of East Mississippi JC and Wren High School committed to Florida State in July after a visit to Tallahassee and has remained well off the recruiting radar since then. But he’s far from finished with recruiting. He had an official visit with USC this past weekend. He also plans to take a visit to Clemson. Asked to qualify the strength of his commitment to Florida State, Jones said: “About medium. Still trying to feel some teams out, including FSU.” USC commitment DE Shameik Blackshear of Bluffton has seen his senior season come to an end. A source said last Tuesday night an MRI of his injured knee revealed a torn ACL. Blackshear will need surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Blackshear was injured in the second game of the season on a non-contact play. He planted his foot and made a cut and his knee twisted. At first, Blackshear thought he had just sprained his knee and would miss about three weeks. Blackshear had an MRI last week and it took several days before team doctors got the chance to read the MRI. The bad news was passed on to Blackshear and his coaches last Tuesday afternoon.

Blackshear committed to USC in May of 2013 and has never considered another school since then.

WR Darius Slayton of Norcross, Ga. took an official visit to USC for the Georgia game.

Phil Kornblut It’s the first official visit Contributing he scheduled. Slayton Writer visited USC in June for a camp and got a tour of the campus but Saturday was his first game there. “I like them,” Slayton said. “I want to go on the visit to hopefully increase my interest. I just like them. I like the institution, coach Spurrier and stuff like that.”

Slayton also plays cornerback for his high school but the Gamecocks, who lost committed receiver Michael Bowman to legal issues, likes him as a receiver. “They are recruiting me offensively, a guy to be a gamechanging type person,” Slayton said. He had 33 catches for 940 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. Slayton also has talked recently with Georgia and Auburn and he was in Athens for the Clemson game. He said he doesn’t have a favorites list right now though at one time he had USC, Clemson, Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Ohio State, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida on such a list. He’s no longer hearing from Clemson.

He wants to make his decision sometime this fall.

Juniors: OL Terrance Davis (6-4 305) of Hyattsville, Md. visited USC earlier this summer and plans

By Phil Kornblut

a return trip. “I’ll definitely go back to South Carolina,” he said. “I visited in July so I didn’t get to talk to the coaches. I thought their campus was beautiful and the facilities are great. That’s bigtime football.” His offers include USC, Alabama, Florida State, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Penn State and Tennessee.He also visited Alabama and Florida State this summer and he is planning a visit to Maryland for the Ohio State game.

ATH Mecole Hardman (5-11 170) of Berton, Ga. took his visit to USC Saturday for the Georgia game. Both schools have offered Hardman. He also checked out the Gamecocks in late July. “South Carolina is a great school with great academics,” he said. “Steve Spurrier is a legendary coach and anyone would love to play for him. I love their coaching staff.” Hardman plays quarterback for his high school but said the Gamecocks are recruiting him at several different positions. “They like me at wide receiver but told me they would use me wherever they needed me,” Hardman said. “They have a great history at defensive back, so that would be a good place to play if I end up playing defense.” Though he had great things to say about the Gamecocks, Hardman named Tennessee his leader. USC, Clemson, Tennessee, Georgia, Charlotte, Miami, Penn State, Old Dominion, Wisconsin and AlabamaBirmingham have offered. As a sophomore he rushed for 1672 yards and 17 touchdowns. Hardman added 508 yards passing and another four scores.

RB Tavien Feaster (6-0 193) of Spartanburg ran through defenses last year to the tune of 1557 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also caught 50 passes for 746 yards and 12 scores. Virginia offered Feaster last week, joining USC, Clemson, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Penn State and North Carolina.

“I’m just getting started,” he said. “The coaches just started talking to me and I’m in no rush. I’m looking for a place where I will feel comfortable playing, a great environment and a place where I can make a difference for the team.” Feaster has been to USC and Clemson for camps and regular visits and said there’s no favorite between the instate schools. But he said Clemson and Auburn have “been on me hard. Clemson, Auburn, North Carolina and Tennessee are stepping up with bigtime interest.”

RB Elijah Holyfield (5-10 195) of College Park, Ga. certainly has the bloodlines to be a tough, physical football player. He’s the son of former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, so his athleticism certainly is not in question. Several schools have already offered and he wants to see what happens with USC, Georgia, Alabama and Auburn. Holyfield said that USC

has not contacted him recently but he does expect to hear from them soon. Georgia recently began to show more interest in Holyfield giving him confidence an offer is his in future. He feels the same way about Auburn. Schools that have offered include Michigan, Ohio State, Virginia, Boston College, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Wake Forest, Louisville, Duke, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech.

WR Bryan Edwards (6-3 208) of Conway attended the USC-Georgia game this past weekend. He was at Clemson the week before. USC, Clemson, North Carolina, Florida, Duke and Virginia Tech have offered Edwards and he’s been drawing interest from Texas, Tennessee, Georgia and Michigan State among others. “Clemson and USC are definitely up there,” Edwards said.

“USC is telling me they like that I’m a bigger receiver,” Edwards said. “They said that I could be a big threat in their offense and mentioned that they haven’t had a real big receiver in a while.

They also said I could move to tight end if I keep growing. I like their stadium atmosphere and they play in the SEC, so that would give me a chance to go up against the best.” He also plans to visit Florida, Duke and North Carolina this season and is not planning to announce a decision any time soon.

Basketball News: 6-8 Chris Silva, the Africa native who attends prep school in New Rochelle, N.J., spent last Tuesday-Thursday on an official visit to Rhode Island. That was his second official visit. Earlier he visited Seton Hall. This past weekend he took his official visit to USC and he will take an official visit to Kansas State. He plans to make his decision in late September according to his coach. USC head coach Frank Martin and assistant coach Matt Figgers have remained in touch with Silva said his coach Dave Boff. “They’ve done a good job and are recruiting the kid hard,” Boff said. “They are doing a nice job. We’ll just have to see how he enjoys these visits and what he’s thinking about doing.”

6-5 Jacob Evans of Baton Rouge, La. also had an official visit to USC this past weekend. He visited Tulane last weekend and is scheduled to visit Cincinnati next weekend.

Martin last week offered 7-0, 318 pound center Rozelle Nix of Pensacola State JC, FL “He said he was really looking for a big to handle business down in the post,” Nix said. “Coach Martin is good friends with my head coach here (Pete Pena). He really does like me and is trying to build up a relationship with me. We talked about a visit.” Martin was in to watch Nix workout on Wednesday. Nix is a native of Cincinnati. He went to a prep school in Columbus,

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Ga. and almost signed with LSU but he went to the junior college to improve his grades and his skills. There is no rush for Nix to make a decision because he doesn’t plan to make one until next spring. He also has offers from Morehead State, Miami of Ohio, Ball State, Bowling Green, Idaho and Loyola Marymount, and he’s getting interest from Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Southern Cal. Nix said he averaged 6.5 points and 5 rebounds per game last season.

Martin and his entire staff, Clemson coach Brad Brownell and VCU assistant Mike Morrell were present for Dreher’s 6-5 Tevin Mack’s workout early last Tuesday morning, the first day recruiters could visit with senior basketball prospects. Mack has set his official visit to USC for October 16th.

Martin also had his in home visit with Spring Valley PG PJ Dozier last Tuesday. “Had a great home visit with the hometown school today,” Dozier tweeted. The official visits begin later this month with Michigan on September 26th.

Louisville is set for October 3rd and then he will visit Georgetown October 17th, North Carolina October 24th and USC will get the final official visit on October 31st. Dozier has not indicated a favorite.

Baseball News: RHP Michael Bienlien (6-3 205) of Chesapeake, Va. committed to USC according to John Whittle of TheBigSpur.com. PerfectGame has this break down:“Tall well- proportioned athletic build, room to get stronger. Steady mid-80’s fastball, topped out at 87 mph, lots of running life on his fastball and works the bottom of the zone well, fastball gets in on right handed hitters hands with movement.”

Spurs & Feathers • 25

September 17, 2014

It was just meant to be for the Gamecocks When asked during the week what I thought about Carolina’s chances against Georgia, my answer was a shrug of the shoulders, or a “we’ll certainly have to play better” reply.

My eternally-optimistic heart was losing the battle to my realistic head. I just worried that the Bulldogs that I had watched dominate that Upstate National Championship contender two weeks ago might be too strong for a Gamecock team still finding its way.

What optimism I could muster was based on a couple of factors. One, when the Cocks beat the Dawgs, 17-6, in 2010, I wrote words I confessed were never in even my wildest dreams – “South Glenn Snyder Carolina has equal Inside or better talent Look than Georgia!”

With their tradition, so much homegrown talent, legacies born to be Bulldogs, I thought Georgia (and Florida for the same reasons) had built-in advantages that USC would never be able to overcome in recruiting.

When the Gamecocks won 45-42 in ‘11 and blistered the silver pants, 35-7, in WilliamsBrice in ’12, I didn’t get much argument about my statement, even from some of my friends who are Georgia fans.

Another factor was that in 2011, I wrote that there were two staffs that Coach Spurrier and his staff would always out-coach – Mark Richt’s at Georgia and Dabo Swinney’s at Clemson. Look at the facts. The Head Ball Coach has won four of the last five over Richt, with three in row at home. He now has 16 victories over the Bulldog program. He is at five in a row and counting against the Tigers. Once Coach had the players and fine-tuned his staff, those boys (and others) were in trouble.

One other factor was that in recent years, Georgia has never looked “comfortable” playing in Williams-Brice. Whether it’s “Sandstorm,” or the 80,000 screaming fans, the Bulldogs never seem to play with the same swagger as they do in Sanford Stadium.

With all the time I had to think about those factors during the weather delay, my confidence level elevated to hopeful that the Gamecocks would play their best game of the season and that “I hope the best team wins,” which translated meant I hope the Cocks can hang with them.

And to be honest, I don’t think the best team won. I think the more determined team won, but what a great moment in Gamecock football history it was. What made it special was that it was a total team effort, from coaching to execution to intensity. This was a well-prepared, confident Carolina team.

Everything had to come together in order for us to win this game. The defense had to manage (no one controls him) Todd Gurley. Most of the betting pools were about how many yards over 200 he would get. Holding a potential top5 draft pick to 131 yards and one touchdown – priceless.

The defense gave up some big plays and 35 points, but as good units do, they made some big stops that ultimately made the difference.

Limiting the Bulldogs to two field goals in the first half denied them the momentum of taking the lead. Yes, Georgia fans will moan recordsetting field goal kicker Marshall Morgan. He missed twice, the last a 28-yarder that would have tied the game, but it was USC’s defense that put him in those situations.

The offense needed to run the football, control the clock and put points on the board. To do that the O line had to step up their aggressiveness in the running game and to protect Dylan in the passing game. They passed with flying

photo by allen sharpe

colors. Mike Davis and Brandon Wilds combined for over 150 yards rushing. Dylan threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns and he was sacked only once by a Georgia defense that often brought pressure.

This game will certainly rank at the top of Carolina fans’ list of favorite wins over Georgia. Heavily favored, the sixth-ranked team in the country, the Bulldogs were going to take care of business and move on. It is so much fun to say that now Georgia has the chicken curse in Williams-Brice.

Coach Spurrier said it best as his post-game press conference, “It was just meant to be.” It was.

26 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Upcoming Events: Gamecock Club NYC Gamecocks Game Watching Party When: Every time the Gamecocks play football this season Where: The NYC Gamecock Club home, The Mason Jar, at the intersection of 30th St. and Park Ave. Come out and enjoy Gamecock Football with the best NYC Gamecock fans you will ever meet. Enjoy drink specials, giveaway items, cool raffle items, great food and dozens of TV’s with only Gamecock Football!

Wear your gameday gear, take a photo with our inflatable Cocky mascot and be proud to be a Gamecock in NYC! If you are not at Williams-Brice, you want to be here!

Charlotte Gamecock Club Watch Party When: Every time the Gamecocks play football this season Where: Icehouse in Southend; 2100 South Blvd., Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Guaranteed to watch the game, listen to the audio with free parking, free entry and right off the light rail. Come watch the game with plenty of Gamecocks with Gamecock trivia, specials and a revenue share to help the University!

DC Gamecocks Watch Party When: Every time the Gamecock play football this season Where: Greene Turtle Ballston: 900 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, Va. or Redline DC: 707 G Street, NW Washington, D.C. Join your fellow Gamecocks at Greene Turtle Ballston for “2001,” “Sandstorm,” the GameCocks chant and the other great traditions you miss so much from Columbia.

As always, we will host a raffle, provide free Gamecock swag, and offer great food and drink specials: Food: $5.00 Chicken Quesadillas, Hog Hammers, Chicken Tenders, Sweet Potato Fries, and Fried Pickles. Drinks: $3.00 for 16 oz. Coors Light, Bud Light, Miller Lite Yuengling, Budweiser, Bloody Mary, and Mimosas; $5.00 for Firefly, Fireball, and Jager Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.. We look forward to seeing you all there or at our D.C. game watch location, Redline DC. Spartanburg Gamecock Club First Fall Meeting

When: Thursday, Sept. 18; 7 p.m.

Where: Downtown Marriott in Spartanburg, S.C. The featured speaker is TBD with details to be released when known. Make sure to attend the first fall meeting for the Spartanburg chapter.

Nashville Gamecock Club Vanderbilt Weekend When: Sept. 19-20 Friday, Sept. 19 from 7 p.m.-11 p.m.: Vandy Game Pre-Party at Tin Roof Demonbreun with Musical Guest Ricky Young. Local South Carolina Alum and diehard Gamecock Ricky Young will be headlining. They have a lot of drink and food specials set up as well, including from 7-10 p.m. $5 Chick Dilla, $5 build you own Nachos, $40 Crowd Control (bucket of Wings/Nacho combo) and from 7-11 p.m. $2 domestic drafts, $3 craft drafts and $6 Gamecock shot. Please feel free to stop by, where you will be given a wristband so you can enjoy specials and the evening.

Saturday, Sept. 20, All Day: Vandy Game Tailgate at Jed’s off West End. They will have music, tents, and all sorts of other events set up in the lawn outside. You ARE allowed to bring your cooler to this event, but you cannot take alcohol that you bring outside the fenced in area or inside Jed’s.

You are also allowed to purchase drinks from Jed’s, but you cannot take them outside to the tailgate area.

Vanderbilt Parking Information Terrace Place & Wesley Place Garages: Park at no charge in the garages located just off of 21st Ave. and then enjoy a scenic 15-20 minute walk through the heart of campus to Vanderbilt Stadium.

Additional Parking: Fans can park for $10 per game in the 25th Ave. Garage, located at the corner of 25th Ave. and Jess Neely Dr. .

RV Parking: The Nashville Fairgrounds offers RV parking. Parking is $35 per night and no reservations are required. Please call (615) 862-8980 or (615) 862-5016 for more information. No RV parking is available on campus.

Jacksonville Gamecock Club Florida Weekend When: Nov. 14-15

South Carolina Athletics Events: This week Friday, Sept. 19 zz Volleyball vs. Norfolk State ............................................................................ 10 a.m. zz Equestrian at Kansas State ...................................................................................2 p.m. zz Volleyball vs. Eastern Kentucky ..................................................................... 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 20 zz Volleyball vs. The Citadel ................................................................................ 3 p.m. zz Men’s Soccer at East Tennessee State .................................................................7 p.m. zz Football at Vanderbilt ......................................................................................7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 21 zz Women’s Soccer vs. Auburn ............................................................................ 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 23 zz Men’s Soccer vs. UNC Greensboro ................................................................. 7 p.m.

Friday - Sunday zz Men’s Golf at DICKS Collegiate Challenge Cup..............................................All Day

Friday - Monday zz Men’s Tennis at SEC Fall Invitational ..............................................................All Day Bold............................................................................................................... Home game **For more South Carolina schedule information, visit: http://www.gamecocksonline. com/calendar/events/ for a complete master calendar.** The Jacksonville Gamecock Club invites all Hall (904) 591-4877, dhall88@comcast.net; Carolina fans to Jacksonville to prepare to Rick Williamson (904) 699-7952, rwilliambeat the Gators again! November 14 & 15, son1301@yahoo.com.

2014. Reserve your bus tickets and party tickets now! Friday night party starting at 7 p.m. at Jacksonville Marriott @ Southpoint; cost is $20 per person with The Sensational Epics performing.

Game day bus ride on Nov. 15 five hours prior to kickoff; leaving from Jacksonville Marriott @ Southpoint with a coast of $40 per person, does not include ticket to game.

Hotel accommodations at Jacksonville Marriott @ Southpoint, Gamecock Club rate $79/ night. (904) 296-2222. Make checks payable to Jacksonville Gamecock Club, 2948 3rd Street South #328, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250-5847. Please include email for confirmation.

Any questions call: Belk Ingram: (904) 2545969, bingram@pbclubrealty.com; Rod Brace (904) 755-4041, rrbrace@gmail.com; Dane

September 17, 2014

What got you here won’t get you there

“What got you here won’t get you there” This is the title of Marshall Goldsmith’s book on success “How successful people become even more successful.” Appropriate for the young Gamecocks and where they are on their own “success” journey. “So how did we get HERE,” well over the last decade the Gamecocks have ascended the ranks of the SEC, winning 40+ games in the last four seasons. Much of this success comes from the addition of a Steve Spurrier and his staff, his winning ways (Tao of Spurrier), and ongoing recruitment of top-notch talent to the Palmetto State.

Langston Moore Couple this Contributing together and Writer the Gamecocks have gone on to make traditional series more “digestible” against the likes of the Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Clemson.

“So where the heck are we now?”

As the 2014 season kicked off the expectations for this year’s team would be at an all-time high regardless of the fact that we would lose our all-time winningest QB, future #1 overall draft pick and others to the NFL or graduation.

With those expectations comes some delusion, not because we don’t have the plan, players, or process in place to succeed, but winning brings on delusion. All the positive reinforcement from past success gives everyone, players, fans and coaches alike a sense that “past” dominance is indicative of what’s to come in the future. As a young player in the program you automatically walk in the door with the feeling of “I have succeeded,” even if they weren’t a part of the team successes the previous years. Add to it the ongoing search for the next emotional leader to lean on, something the Gamecocks have been accustomed to having the past years, makes for a recipe of staying stuck in the “trap” of past success. A softening of “want to” and “desire” to be great.

“HERE” We’ve all seen the wonderful campaign that the athletics department has put together around the state. Billboards, posters and commercials showing our Gamecocks with the word “HERE” displayed on it. I get what the department was going for, but we have to take the lessons from past years and make a new path or we will be relegated to staying “here” or even worse going back to what was. Young players must

take the baton handed to them by the previous Gamecocks and run with it, but the most important part is the “exchange.” It’s not enough that we HAVE talent, it’s not enough that we HAVE won, it’s not enough that we HAVE prepared, it’s about this young team taking the fundamentals of winning and defining their own journey.

Not comparing themselves to past teams or even worry about the expectations of those outside the locker room. It’s about doing what winners do and allowing their play to define them. By doing that leaders will emerge, stars will emerge, as well as the coveted championship that is “seen” as the next step for the Gamecocks.

What got us “HERE” To have success over these SEC “powerhouses” consistently these Gamecocks would have to follow the recipe for success - play great defense: For example, the Gamecocks entered this year’s win over Georgia having held the Bulldogs to under 20 points for 20 YEARS in Columbia!

Run the ball effectively: Carolina is 3-0 in Columbia vs UGA with a rusher over 100 yds. To do these things our players had to combine their talent/ability, with the various gameplans, along with execution to come out victorious year in and year out over the last half a decade. Stepping out on the faith on our preparation and relying on our passion to be great to carry us. A school that once posted a 1-8 bowl record before the year 2000, the Gamecocks now sit on a 6-4 bowl record in the last century. That comes not by accident. That comes from Gamecock teams of the past deciding to make their mind up to create a standard and exude that in their play, challenging each other to outwork the next. “Standard” is defined as “a level of quality, achievement, etc., that is considered acceptable or desirable.” This what we have come to expect from our precious Gamecock squads.

“The Future is a whole string of NOW’s” With the exodus of talent constantly coming in and out of the Gamecock program and the constant change from season to season, the only thing left behind for the next crop of Gamecocks to hold on to is the “standard.” Continuing to blaze a trail and step out into the unknown of the season. Our play at the beginning of this year hasn’t been up to the “standard,” most notably our enthusiasm and lack of “gang tackles” that USC is accustomed to, but finding new ways to WIN is a must! The “standard” is what allowed us to win five straight over our instate rival, create an 18-game home winning streak and continues to keep us ranked in the top-25 in the nation for the last 68 weeks. All great feats, but the question is “do we want to stay HERE?” and become the school that’s always on the verge of winning the BIG ONE or do we want to get THERE (championship)?

Spurs & Feathers • 27

28 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014

Gamecock Radio/Television Information The Gamecock Sports Network from IMG College counts 23 affiliate stations for the 2014-15 season. For Sirius/XM subscribers, follow the Gamecock Radio Twitter (@ GamecockRadio) page for weekly updates on channel information for Gamecock broadcasts.

The weekly Carolina Calls show will air from 7-8 p.m. on the flagship station of the Gamecocks, WNKT-FM (107.5 FM), and over the Internet at www.GamecocksOnline. com. The show takes place each week at Wild Wing Café, located at 729 Lady Street in the Vista. Wild Wing Café, which is South Carolina’s home for the best wings south of Buffalo, has 12 locations in the Palmetto State. Visit www.wildwingcafe.com for more information.

Inside the Roost

South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner and Derek Scott from the Gamecock Sports Network from IMG College host an hour long radio show every Monday night at 7 p.m. from Hilton Columbia Center in the Vista. The show is broadcast on 107.5 FM and features discussions on current issues with Ray Tanner and interviews with coaches and athletics department staff.

South Carolina-Vanderbilt television

The game will be televised by the SEC Network. Please check local listings.

2014-15 Radio Affiliates

City Call Letters Frequency Football Abbeville WZLA-FM 92.9 X Johnston/Aiken WKSX-FM 92.7 X Allendale WDOG-FM 93.5 X Anderson WRIX-FM 103.1 X Camden WPUB-FM 102.7 X Camden WCAM-AM 1590 X Charleston WWIK-FM 98.9 X Chesterfield WVSZ-FM 107.3 X Columbia WNKT-FM 107.5 X Florence WHYM-AM 1260 X Florence WFRK-FM 95.3 X Gaffney WZZQ-FM 104.3 X Gaffney WZZQ-AM 1500 X Greenville/Spartanburg WROO-FM 104.9 X Hilton Head WVGB-AM 1490 X Hilton Head WVGB-FM 94.5 X Myrtle Beach WSYN-FM 103.1 X Newberry WKDK-AM 1240 X Rock Hill WRHM-FM 107.1 X Seneca WSNW-AM 1150 X Seneca WSNW-FM 94.1 X Sumter WIBZ-FM 95.5 X Union WBCU-AM 1460 X

Gamecock Golf announces agreement with The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood south carolina athletics media relations

The South Carolina men’s and women’s golf programs have reached a long-term agreement with The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood to make it a home course of the Gamecocks, South Carolina and The Members Club announced recently.

The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood joins Cobblestone Park as the official home courses for the Gamecock golf programs. The agreement gives South Carolina’s golfers and coaches full practice and playing privileges, allowing the teams to use both the Woodcreek and WildeWood golf courses, practice facilities and use of a portion of the pro shop as a meeting room and player lounge.

With the addition of The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood, the South Carolina golf programs now call two of the premier clubs in South Carolina home. The Members Club was named the 2012 Club of the Year by the South Carolina Golf Association, while Cobblestone Park was recently named one of the 30 best courses you can play in South Carolina by the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel.

The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood - Woodcreek Course has a spacious 10-acre practice range with dual tees and a 6,000 square foot practice putting green. Currently, plans are being reviewed for an additional two-acre scoring game facility. The Woodcreek course was designed by world renowned golf course designer Tom Fazio and features a par-72, 7,022-yard layout from the back tees. The

WildeWood course was designed by Russell Breeden and plays at par-72, 6,751 yards from the back tees.

What They Are Saying About The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner “The addition of the prestigious Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood is another major step in providing our student-athletes with the finest facilities in the country. The two outstanding layouts, impressive practice facilities and enthusiastic membership greatly enhance our quest to be the very best. Many thanks to Members Club officials Charley Potok, Bill McDougall, Mark Black and many others who made this possible.”

Spurs & Feathers • 29

September 17, 2014

NFL Gamecocks (through Week 1) Arizona Cardinals Cincinnati Bengals John Abraham, LB - Played in the CardiT.J. Johnson, G/C - Did not play in the Bennals’ season opener, but suffered a concussion. gals first game of the season.

Abraham is currently taking a leave of absence from the team to recover.

Cleveland Browns Jimmy Legree, CB - Member of the pracSpencer Lanning, P - Recorded seven punts tice squad. for a 44.9 yard average with one inside the 20.

Connor Shaw, QB - Member of the practice Atlanta Falcons squad.

Patrick DiMarco, FB - Played in the season opener, but did not record any stats.

Dallas Cowboys Cliff Matthews, DE - Played in the Falcons’ Ronald Patrick, G - Member of the practice first game and registered one tackle. squad.

Travian Robertson, DT - Member of the practice squad.

Detroit Lions Devin Taylor, DE - Played in the Lions’ seaBaltimore Ravens son opener, but did not record any stats.

Darian Stewart, S - Started the first game of the season for the Ravens and made nine Houston Texans tackles (four solo).

Jadeveon Clowney, DE - Started the season opener and recored one solo tackle before inBuffalo Bills juring his knee. Clowney is expected to be out Stephon Gilmore, CB - Did not play in the 4-6 weeks.

Bills first game of the season.

Johnathan Joseph, CB - Started the Texans’ first game and recorded 11 tackles (all Chicago Bears solo).

Alshon Jeffery, WR - Started the Bears’ D.J. Swearinger, S - Started the season first game and made five catches for 71 yards. opener and recorded eight tackles (six solo).

submitted photo

Gamecock fan Caiden Roland showing off his Spurs & Feathers’ magazine before ECU game.

Indianapolis Colts Jamon Meredith, T - Did not play in the Colts’ season opener.

San Francisco 49ers Chris Culliver, CB - Started the season opener and recorded two tackles (one solo) and recovered a fumble that he returned for a Jacksonville Jaguars touchdown.

Ace Sanders, WR/PR - Sanders is suspendBruce Ellington, WR - Did not see action ed for the first four games of the season. in the 49ers first game.

Marcus Lattimore, RB - On the reserve/ Minnesota Vikings non-football injury list.

Jasper Brinkley, LB - Started the Vikings’ first game and recorded five tackles (all solo).

St. Louis Rams Captain Munnerlyn, CB - Started the seaJared Cook, TE - Played in the Rams’ first son opener and recorded four tackles (three game, catching four passes for 56 yards. solo).

Justice Cunningham, TE - On the injured receiver list.

New England Patriots Kelcy Quarles, DT - Member of the pracTennessee Titans tice squad.

Ryan Succop, K - Went 4-for-4 on field goals with a long of 47 yards in the season New York Jets opener along with 2-for-2 on extra points.

Antonio Allen, S - Started the Jets’ first Also had seven kickoffs with four touchgame and recorded five tackles (all solo) and backs. one pass deflection.

Washington Redskins San Diego Chargers Clifton Geathers, DE - Played in the season Melvin Ingram, LB - Started the Chargers’ opener, but did not record any stats. season opener and recorded three tackles (two Chaz Sutton, LB - Member of the practice solo). squad.

30 • Spurs & Feathers

Earlier in his career, South Carolina cornerback Brison Williams made it a point to hang around D.J. Swearinger, eager to soak up the veteran safety’s wisdom.

“He was always a leader. I sat down and watched him. I used to talk to him a lot when we were at safety,” Williams told me last week.

Williams has played with a bumper crop of pros in the Gamecock secondary, from Swearinger to Stephon Gilmore to DeVonte Holloman to Antonio Allen.

Together, they burnished South Carolina’s reputation as “DBU,” making every running route feel like it was razor-wired and booby-trapped.

In the last three years, the Gamecocks never finished lower than 21st nationally in pass defense.

One by one, Andy Demetra though, those Contributing players all left.

Writer Now Williams is the old hand, charged with carrying on the tradition of “DBU.” A senior from Warner Robins, Ga., Williams is the suddenly salty veteran of a Gamecock secondary that has been tested early by opposing offenses. South Carolina has counted on Williams – voted preseason 3rd-Team All-SEC by the league’s coaches - to give them consistency during an opening month they figured would be challenging.

September 17, 2014

“Brison has played a lot of plays here, and we expect a lot of Brison Williams. And he has given it to us,” said defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward.

Ward knew he’d have a young secondary in 2014, with cornerbacks Jimmy Legree and Victor Hampton both using up their eligibility. To strengthen the ranks, Williams switched from strong safety, where he had made 24 career starts, to cornerback, where he hadn’t played since high school.

That created a sort of transition-withina-transition: Williams, changing positions amid a sea of new starters in the Gamecock secondary. Williams says he’s leaned on his experience at safety to speed his development.

“Just playing with my eyes. Other than that, it’s still the same. Footwork is still the same.

I think it’s just playing with my eyes in the right position. That’s the difference,” Williams said.

Ward thinks Williams has made a smooth adjustment. He can tell, oddly, by his inactivity.

“He hasn’t had a lot of people throw at him,” Ward said. “The couple plays he’s had, even in the East Carolina game, he made a play on the ball. So I think he’s done well.”

Holloman understands what his former teammate is going through. Like Williams, Holloman played strong safety his first three seasons at USC before switching positions as a senior – in Holloman’s case, to Spur linebacker – to firm up depth at that spot.

“The coaches trust him enough mentally to be able to make that switch. They wouldn’t be doing it if they didn’t trust him,” Holloman said.

“In my case, I was playing closer to the line. Everything happens faster at that level ahead of you. But for Brison, it might be less of a burden. At safety, you have to do a lot of

photo by jenny dilworth

adjusting and reading. Him playing on the they’ll do the same things that I’m doing. I outside, it’s a lot of reacting,” he added. think that’s a good plan for them,” he said.

Film study has also helped – something It’s all part of keeping “DBU” going.

Williams might have the earliest experience with of anyone on the roster. As a four yearold, he used to tag along with his uncle, Mark Allen, for film sessions while Allen played at Warner Robins’ Northside High School.

Williams blossomed into a prospect of his own at Northside, where he was rated a threestar cornerback by Rivals.com and Scout. com. He made his first career start for USC in 2011 against Florida, replacing an injured Holloman. Later, he found the quickest way to a Gamecock fan’s heart: by picking off passes in back-to-back games against the Clemson Tigers.

Ward says Williams has been more vocal, both on the field and in the locker room, since he’s taken the reins of the Gamecock secondary. Williams agrees, saying he’s eager to share the wisdom he learned from the veterans before him.

“When [the young players] become seniors,

Spurs & Feathers • 31

September 17, 2014

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What a win! We are back in business!

Beating Georgia never gets old. Beating them more frequently is pretty sweet as well. With the win Saturday South Carolina has won four out of the last five between the two and five out of the last eight.

By far, the best streak by the Gamecocks, which dates back to 1894.

USC is 5-5 in the Steve Spurrier era, the best 10-game span in the history of the 67 games for the Gamecocks and the most wins by a Gamecock head coach against Georgia in Carolina history. The HBC has won 16 games over the Dawgs as a head coach. That’s a nice accomplishment given that it’s the most that any head coach has beaten UGA. Can you tell that I am enjoying this? Relishing it is probably a Ed Girardeau better term. This, Contributing as much as any Editor game, reestablishes just how far we have come as a program. When Carolina joined the SEC in 1992, Georgia saw this game as a bump in the road on their way to the SEC East championship. Ironically, Georgia did not win the East until 2002, while Florida coached by Coach Spurrier won it seven times. Typical Georgia.

Dylan Thompson said it best in the postgame press conference that basically we were just tired of hearing all week long just how good Georgia was and just how bad they were going to beat us. Amen brother!

If you listen to talk radio, Dawg fans calling talking about how bad they were going to run up the score. I have heard that since I was a little boy from UGA fans.

All of that aside Saturday will go down as a classic. Carolina jumped on top, scoring a touchdown on the opening drive on a great throw and catch from Thompson to Shaq Roland.

Georgia responded and looked every bit as good in the early going as the callers on the radio told us. Two plays and the score was tied. Then a turnover and a field goal and the Dawgs led 10-7. Carolina responded with a touchdown to regain the lead and would never trail again, but it sure didn’t feel that way.

An interesting turning point, at least in the first half occurred when Todd Gurley ran 54 yards seemingly untouched, right through the middle for a touchdown. It was called back on a holding call. Gurley went to the bench to catch his breath and South

Carolina got their first stop on defense of the night.

Up to that point, it looked like Georgia would just have their way, looking every bit the bulldozer that hit Clemson two weeks ago in the fourth quarter in Athens.

However, adjustments were made and the South Carolina defense started to have some success stopping Gurley and their stable of running backs. Make no mistake, we didn’t truly stop Gurley as he still got 132 yards and he was as good as advertised. He brings back memories of other great backs that I have seen play live like George Rogers and Herschel Walker, to name two.

And we got some help. Georgia’s play call on 1st and goal to throw a pass rather than give the ball to Gurley will be talked about forever, especially in Athens. In Columbia, it was a great call and helped lead to the win.

As far as drama, nobody in the stadium from either side will ever forget the 4th down sneak and the ensuing measurement.

What seemed like a full minute, the referee bent over the ball, while the Georgia defense pointed to the north and the Gamecock offense pointed to the south. Then as we all held our breath, the referee stood up and pointed to the south. The place just exploded! What a moment.

So yes, we are back in the game and we control our own destiny. Someone called the postgame call-in show and wanted to talk about the Gamecocks and their chances in the National Championship.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It will not be easy and now the road challenge begins. Vanderbilt has not looked particularly good here in the early going, but did win on Saturday. Don’t sleep on the Commodores. Who can forget the “Game on” loss to Vandy in 2007? Carolina came in undefeated and was taken to the woodshed that day.

South Carolina has had three very tough games. Texas A&M, East Carolina (as Virginia Tech found out) and Georgia are all legit and finishing 2-1 with those three is probably about right in hindsight. Road trips to Kentucky (Florida is still trying to catch their breath from the 3OT win over the Cats on Saturday), Auburn and Florida follow the Vandy trip.

There is also the final regular-season game in the Upstate, so there is no need to worry about national titles, much less SEC championships. Just enjoy the ride with the knowledge of knowing if we win, all of this will come to pass.

But forgive me if I enjoy this win for a little longer. Spanking the Dawgs! It never gets old!

photo by jenny dilworth

32 • Spurs & Feathers

September 17, 2014