NOVEMBER 18, 2015 | ISSUE no. 6
Extra Special Teams South Carolina’s MVPs just might be Elliott Fry and Sean Kelly
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carolina VS. CITADEL
CONTENTS CONTENTS
6
EXTRA SPECIAL TEAMS South Carolina’s MVPs just might be its special teams players
4 11 12 14 15
ON THE COVER: Junior kicker Elliott Fry kicks an extra point against North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 3, 2015. Photo by Gwinn Davis / Gwinn Davis Media
CAROLINA FOOTBALL 2015 SCHEDULE 9/3
vs.
OPPONENT PREVIEW: The Fight in the Dog The Gamecocks cant’ dog it against The Citadel
9/12
vs.
ILLUSTRATION
9/19
SENIOR PROFILE: Rock Chalk Gamecock Graduate transfer Isaiah Johnson is right at home in the Gamecock secondary
9/26 10/3
OPINION: Sacrificial Dog South Carolina needs a win. Enter The Citadel.
10/10
TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
10/17 10/31
PUBLISHER: Charlie Nutt | charlien@free-times.com, ext. 129 EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Dan Cook | danc@free-times.com, ext. 133 MANAGING EDITOR: Patrick Wall | sideline@free-times.com PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lisa Heinz | lisaw@free-times.com, ext. 121 SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Joey Ayer | joeya@free-times.com, ext. 150 GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Dré Lopez | drel@free-times.com, ext. 145 CONTRIBUTORS Travis Bell, Paul Collins, Gwinn Davis, Chris Dearing, James Harley, Scott Hood ILLUSTRATOR: Dré Lopez SALES MANAGER Hyatt Drake | hyattd@free-times.com, ext. 153 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Angie Bledsoe | angieb@free-times.com, ext. 131 Sue Miller | suem@free-times.com, ext. 134 Jessica Rowland | jessicar@free-times.com, ext. 141 Hunter Wise I hunterw@free-times.com, ext. 123 Zoe Levy I zoel@free-times.com, ext. 130 Josh Findlay I joshf@free-times.com, ext. 128 ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Xavier Edwards | xaviere@free-times.com OFFICE MANAGER Anton Dela Cruz | antond@free-times.com, ext. 132 VICE PRESIDENT-OPERATIONS Jen Coody | jenc@free-times.com, ext. 124
11/7 11/14 11/21 11/28
at vs. at vs. vs. at at vs. vs. vs.
NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte, N.C.
W, 17-13
KENTUCKY
Columbia, S.C.
l, 26-22
GEORGIA
Athens, Ga.
L, 52-20
CENTRAL FLORIDA Columbia, S.C.
w, 31-14
MISSOURI
Columbia, Mo.
L, 24-10
LSU
Baton Rouge, La.
L, 45-24
VANDERBILT Columbia, S.C.
W, 19-10
TEXAS A&M
College Station, Texas
L, 35-28
TENNESSEE Knoxville, Tenn.
L, 27-24
FLORIDA Columbia, S.C.
L, 24-14
CITADEL Columbia, S.C.
12 P.m.
CLEMSON Columbia, S.C.
TBA
= SEC game
THE SIDE LINE IS PUBLISHED BY RESORTS MEDIA LLC 1534 Main St., Columbia, SC 29201 PO Box 8295, Columbia, SC 29202 (803) 765-0707 • free-times.com Advertisers in The Side Line assume responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of all advertisements. In case of error or omissions in advertisement, the publisher’s sole liability shall be to publish the advertisement at a later date. Notice of error must be made within ten days of first insertion. © 2015 Resorts Media. All rights reserved.
NOVEMBER 18, 2015 | ISSUE no. 6
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OPPONENT PREVIEW
BY Chris Dearing
CITADEL
bulldogs CONFERENCE: Southern 2014 RECORD: 5-7 (3-4 SoCon) 2015 RECORD: 7-3 (6-1 SoCon) SERIES RECORD: Carolina leads, 40-7-3 COACH: Mike Houston YEARS AS COACH: 2 RECORD AT THE CITADEL: 12-10 (9-5 SoCon) LAST MEETING: Carolina 41, Citadel 20 (Nov. 19, 2011, in Columbia, S.C.)
THREE TO WATCH Junior quarterback Perry Orth catches a touchdown pass against Florida on Nov. 14, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
The Fight in the Dog The Gamecocks can’t dog it against The Citadel
S
outh Carolina fans will remember Oct. 20, 1990, for a long time. The Citadel came into Williams-Brice Stadium and stunned the heavily favored Gamecocks 38-35. The Bulldogs think they can pull off the upset again. The Bulldogs lost to Chattanooga and missed out on clinching the Southern Conference championship and automatic bid to the FCS playoffs last week, but they nonetheless come into the contest with a lot of confidence — plus a runheavy offense and a defense that has created a ton of turnovers. The Bulldogs deploy a wishbone attack that averages nearly 350 yards a game on the ground. They have six players with more than 60 carries, and five with more than 400 rushing yards. Quarterback Dominique Allen leads the way with 593
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and 11 scores. Cam Jackson (491 yards, four touchdowns), Isiaha Smith (490 yards, seven touchdowns), Evan McField (416 yards, 3 touchdowns), Vinny Miller (400 yards, 1 touchdown) and Tyler Renew (363 yards, 1 touchdown) will make the Gamecocks stay disciplined on defense, or the Bulldogs will break off a long one. The Bulldogs average only eight pass attempts per game. Allen has thrown for 636 yards and two touchdowns but is averaging only 70 yards per game. His top two targets are Brandon Eakins and Joria Jordan,
but neither has double-digit receptions through the first nine games of the season. Defensively, The Citadel has 17 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. More impressively, the Bulldogs have returned five of those 24 turnovers for touchdowns. DeVonta Delaney leads the pack with five interceptions with one returned for a score; he’s also added a fumble return for a touchdown. Tevin Floyd has returned two of his three picks for a touchdown. Quinlan Washington also has a pick-six on the season.
Dominique Allen, QB Isiaha Smith, RB The Bulldogs boast the FCS’ second-best rushing attack, posting almost 350 yards per game on the ground, and their 33 rushing touchdowns lead the FCS. The Bulldogs’ unique triple-option look means that no one runner takes the lion’s share of the carries, but the team’s two most dangerous weapons are quarterback Dominique Allen and running back Isiaha Smith, who rank Nos. 80 and 91, respectively, on the FCS rushing list. South Carolina owns one of the FBS’ worst rushing defenses, allowing 5.24 yards per rush and 208.3 yards per game. While the run D has improved under Shawn Elliott, the Bulldogs have six rushers with more than 360 yards on the season — and that poses a problem for the Carolina defense.
Sam Frye, OL The biggest linchpin for the Bulldogs’ success on the ground? Their experienced offensive line, which has flattened opposing defensive lineman and paved the way for a rushing attack that’s hit No. 2 in the FCS two years straight. Frye, a senior from Charlotte and a three-year starter, is the leader up front; he was named to the first-team All-Southern Conference this preseason.
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NOVEMBER 18, 2015 | ISSUE no. 6
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Junior punter Sean Kelly runs on a fake punt against North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 3, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
Extra Special Teams South Carolina’s MVPs just might be its special teams players
BY SCOTT HOOD
E
lliott Fry’s improbable journey from little-known prep standout to one of the top placekickers in South Carolina history began with a simple text message.
Sitting in class at Prince of Peace Christian School in Carrollton, Texas, in the fall of 2012, Fry got a message from his high school coach informing him that Gamecock special teams coordinator Joe Robinson was interested in recruiting him. He’d never been to South Carolina. But soon Fry visited Columbia, liked it and spurned a scholarship offer from Louisiana Tech for the opportunity to walk on at South Carolina and kick in the SEC.
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“To be honest, I didn’t know anything about South Carolina,” Fry said. “I had never been there. The closest I had been was Atlanta. I looked it up and knew it was in the SEC, so I thought it would be a pretty cool thing to do. I came here and I love it.” Three years later, Fry, who still looks boyish, is on track to become the school’s all-time points leader. By developing into one of the most steady and dependable placekickers in the country, Fry is one of three
players in Carolina history with 250 or more points. A big part of that success: He is connecting on about 75 percent of his career field goal attempts. “Surreal is probably the word I would use,” Fry says. “When I came in, I didn’t have any expectations for that. First and foremost, I just wanted to play and be a good kicker. I never thought coming here that it would turn out like this. I didn’t expect to have this big of an impact.” Soon after arriving on campus carolina VS. THE CITADEL
REMODELING I RENOVATIONS I REPAIRS ROOFING I MASTER CARPENTRY I DOOR/WINDOW REPLACEMENT ELECTRICAL I PLUMBING I HVAC I CUSTOM CABINETRY I SIDING/METAL WRAPPING HARDWOOD I DECKING CUSTOM/DECORATIVE TILE I GRANITE/MARBLE COUNTERTOPS PAINTING CARPETING I MASONRY I CONCRETE CUSTOM IRONWORK I SHEETROCK/DRYWALL I CUSTOM TRIM PORCH RAILINGS I WATER DAMAGED FLOORS I INSULATION GUTTERING I PRESSURE WASHING I HANDYMAN SERVICES TERMITE DAMAGE
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Junior punter Sean Kelly and junior kicker Elliott Fry follow a kick against Tennessee on Nov. 7, 2015. in Knoxville. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
in the fall of 2013, Fry claimed the placekicker job and ever since has tightened his grip around the spot. By the end of this season, Fry should be behind only Collin Mackie, the kicker who racked up 330 points between 1987 and 1990, on the school’s all-time scoring list, and he could assume the top spot by the middle of next season. Fry earned a scholarship in the spring of 2014 after his solid freshman campaign, when he earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team and led Carolina with 99 points, the fourth-highest single season total in school history. His early success made his decision to turn down the scholarship offer from Louisiana Tech look to be the correct one. “If I was going to play college
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football and be a kicker, I wanted to be at a big-time school in a big-time conference like the SEC,” Fry says. “I didn’t want to go to a smaller school to play football. I wanted to be on the biggest stage I could be on. For me, that was South Carolina and the SEC. I was confident I could kick at a bigger school.” Virtually automatic from inside 40 yards, Fry sought to expand his range in 2015. Coming into the season, his career long field goal was 47 yards. His goal? Connect on a 50-yarder. He accomplished the feat by drilling a 51-yarder at the end of the first half against Georgia. A week later, he drilled a 52-yarder in the win over Central Florida, the longest field goal by a Gamecock placekicker since Ryan Succop
connected from 54 yards out against Arkansas in 2008 and tied for the sixth-longest in school history. “[Kicking a 50-yard field goal] was something I was glad to get because I struggled with it in my first two years,” Fry says. “But my accuracy has gone down a little bit, which I’m not happy about. Kicking a 50-yarder, you have to hit a perfect ball, unlike an extra point or short field goal.” Fry’s most important field goal of his career was probably his game-winning 40-yarder in the second overtime as Carolina stunned Missouri on the road in 2013. “Looking back, that is probably the biggest one I have had,” said Fry, who booted four field goals against Florida a few weeks later in the Gamecocks’ 19-14 win at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Along with the punting of Sean Kelly, Fry’s deadeye placekicking has spearheaded a special teams revival for the Gamecocks. Historically, Carolina has finished at or near the bottom of the SEC rankings in most special teams categories. Not this year. With the regular season winding down, Carolina finds itself in the top half of the SEC in multiple special teams categories, including punting and kickoff returns. When asked a couple of weeks ago about Carolina’s special teams, interim head coach Shawn Elliott said that punter Sean Kelly might just be Carolina’s most valuable player to date. “Sean Kelly may be the MVP of the football team to this point based on the way he goes out carolina VS. THE CITADEL
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NOVEMBER 18, 2015 | ISSUE no. 6
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Then-sophomore kicker Elliott Fry follows a kick against East Carolina on Sept. 6, 2014 in Columbia. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
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there and does it,” Elliott says. Like Fry, Kelly took an unconventional route to Carolina. He joined the Gamecocks in January, in time for spring drills, after spending the fall of 2014 at Tallahassee Junior College following a two-year stint as the punter for Florida Atlantic. “I left Florida Atlantic in the spring [of 2014] and focused more on academics,” Kelly says. “I ended up taking seven classes at Tallahassee Community College. Halfway through the semester, I decided I wanted to get back to playing again, so I started making calls.” “Coach Robinson answered and I came up for a visit,” he continues. “I went to a home game here and liked the SEC environment. I ended up enrolling in the spring [as a walk-on] and started working. My game experience and having played before really helped me a lot.” Kelly has been everything Carolina hoped for and more, averaging around 43 yards per punt this season. He enjoyed one of his best games of the season two weeks ago at Tennessee, when he averaged 49.7 yards on six punts, including a long of 56 yards. At one point against Florida, he nearly had as many punting yards as Florida had offensive yards. Poor punts? Few and far between. When Kelly punted for Florida Atlantic, the Owls played at Alabama, Auburn and Georgia, so he was hardly a novice in terms of kicking in front of large and raucous SEC crowds when he arrived in Columbia. “Being able to see those environments and then come here and transfer that experience over definitely helped a lot,” Kelly says. “I definitely wasn’t expecting to start right away. I knew they had a couple of other guys coming in and battling. It just turned out in my favor to be able to start.” Kickoff specialist Landon
Ard has been solid as well, booting almost 70 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. “Landon Ard, gosh,” Elliott says. “I remember standing on the sideline a couple of years back and thinking, ‘Don’t kick it out of bounds, don’t kick it out of bounds, don’t kick it out of bounds.’” The cherry atop the sundae? After 13 years of futility, Carolina finally had one of its most ridiculed streaks halted when true freshman Rashad Fenton, on his first touch of the football, returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown at LSU on Oct. 10. It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Gamecock player since Matthew Thomas went 95 yards at Virginia on Sept. 7, 2002. Fenton immediately became Carolina’s primary kickoff returner, although he missed the game against Tennessee two weeks ago due to an undisclosed academic issue. Nonetheless, life is pleasant at the moment for Carolina special teams coach Joe Robinson, currently in his fourth season with the program. Given the Gamecocks’ lackluster performance on special teams the past few years, Robinson has been widely criticized by Gamecock fans since joining the Carolina staff in 2012. This season, though, special teams have been a rare standout for a struggling team. For his part, Kelly likes playing for the veteran coach because he seeks to get the most out of his players. “All those guys are phenomenal,” Elliott says of Carolina’s special teams performers. “You really can’t measure how crucial they are in our preparation and our competitiveness as a football program. They’ve worked very, very hard.” “Those guys are all really good guys,” he adds. “They’re fun to be around. They’ve certainly made our football team better, and will continue to do so.” carolina VS. THE CITADEL
NOVEMBER 18, 2015 | ISSUE no. 6
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SENIOR PROFILE
BY Chris Dearing
Senior free safety Isaiah Johnson upends Central Florida wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith on Sept. 26, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
FS HOMETOWN: CARY, N.C.
ISAIAH JOHNSON HEIGHT / WEIGHT:
6-0 / 209
EXPERIENCE:
SR
Rock Chalk Gamecock Graduate transfer Isaiah Johnson is right at home in the Gamecock secondary
I
t didn’t take long for Isaiah Johnson to figure out he wasn’t in Kansas anymore. The transfer graduate student was making the transition to Columbia and eating at Olive Garden this past summer when he was approached by a group of South Carolina fans. They recognized Johnson, even though he had never played a down in the SEC. That never happened during his two seasons playing at Kansas.
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“Having people come up to me, that’s something I had never really experienced,” Johnson says. “They asked to take photos and knew who I was. I obviously know I’m in a bigger spotlight that I was at KU.” Co-defensive Coordinator Lorenzo Ward was happy to get Johnson in the fold. As soon as he arrived, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Johnson became the best safety on the team, and he’s helped solidify carolina VS. THE CITADEL
Senior free safety Isaiah Johnson wraps up Kentucky wide receiver Dorian Baker on Sept. 12, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
a secondary that was facing plenty of question marks before the season started. “He’s a guy that had played at a high level,” Ward says. “Plus, he played in a league where they threw it almost every down. We knew he would be helpful and I don’t think he’s disappointed. He’s stepped up and is making a lot of the defensive calls and adjustments, like another coach on the field.”
Johnson registered six interceptions and 148 tackles in two seasons at Kansas, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors on a team that struggled on the field. Johnson graduated in May from Kansas with a degree in sociology, but he was able to transfer without having to sit out with the new NCAA rule that allows graduates to transfer without being penalized. “No disrespect to Kansas, but
Columbia has been the right fit for me,” he says. “The palm trees, the weather — everything is a huge difference. Plus Columbia is only about three hours from my house. I like both places but Columbia is a perfect fit.” The journey to Columbia was one well traveled. Johnson was a standout receiver and safety at Panther Creek High in Cary, North Carolina, before he signed with Western Carolina. He was granted a medical redshirt in his only season with the Catamounts, after which he transferred to Iowa Western Community College, where he helped lead the Reivers to the NJCAA National Championship in 2012. He was an Honorable Mention All-American after totaling 41 tackles and eight interceptions. Those numbers drew the attention of several FBS schools, and he selected Kansas over Texas Tech, New Mexico, Wyoming, Northern Iowa and South Alabama. When it came time to transfer, he picked South Carolina over Louisville and Florida. “I knew right away coming off the plane this was the place for me,” Johnson said. The transition for Johnson has been rather smooth, even if the wins have been hard to come by. He’s started every game, and his 60 tackles are second on the team behind junior linebacker Skai Moore. He’s also registered 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and an interception. Johnson is a bit surprised the interceptions haven’t come — but
even without that, his play has been steady. He’s had at least five tackles in every game but one, and he finally got his first pick when he intercepted Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs on a Hail Mary attempt to end the first half of the 27-24 loss to the Vols. “I think my strengths are more in coverage and the passing game,” Johnson said. “I’m more of a ball-hawk and play-making safety, but I can lay the wood sometime.” Ward says Johnson has lived up expectations. “I know we’re better off having him here,” Ward said. “He doesn’t have the picks we thought maybe he would get but he’s been excellent. He creates havoc from his safety position. He’s going to get a chance to play at the next level for sure.” Johnson is aware that his college career is winding down. After the Gamecocks had to play six of their first nine games away from Williams-Brice Stadium, Johnson was looking forward to playing the final three games at home. He wants to close with a flourish and make the most of playing his one season in Garnet and Black. “Even though we haven’t won some games that we probably should have, this has been the biggest time of my life,” Johnson says. “I had to prove myself all over again to a new staff and a new conference. It was exciting to get to play in the SEC. I’m glad the coaches gave me a chance. I love this team and am thankful for everything they’ve given me.”
GAMECOCK Game STATs Passing GP Perry Orth Lorenzo Nuñez Connor Mitch Pharoh Cooper M. Scarnecchia
Rushing Brandon Wilds Lorenzo Nuñez David Williams Shon Carson Pharoh Cooper Team Total
EFFIC. COMP-ATT-INT PCT
10 7 2 10 1
118.5 130.0 104.0 155.6 175.6
GP 7 7 10 9 10 10
ATT 104 49 76 42 20 360
102-190-8 31-51-3 13-29-0 2-4-0 1-1-0
53.7 60.8 44.8 50.0 100.0
GAIN LOSS NET 529 349 299 222 126 1,803
10 49 23 4 5 200
519 300 276 218 121 1,603
NOVEMBER 18, 2015 | ISSUE no. 6
YDS
TD
AVG
TD
1,343 374 165 11 9
5.0 6.1 3.6 5.2 6.1 4.5
8 3 1 1 0
2 2 0 1 1 9
LG 78 35 27 17 9
LG 43 33 18 48 29 66
AVG/G
Receiving
AVG/G
Defense
134.3 53.4 82.5 1.1 9.0
74.1 42.9 27.6 24.2 12.1 160.3
Pharoh Cooper Jerell Adams Brandon Wilds Matrick Belton David Williams Team Total Skai Moore Isaiah Johnson T.J. Holloman T.J. Gurley Jordan Diggs Team Total
GP 10 10 7 10 10 10
GP 10 10 8 10 10 10
NO. 51 22 14 10 10 149
YDS
696 316 126 110 82 1,902
AVG
TD
13.6 14.4 9.0 11.0 8.2 12.8
6 3 0 0 0 13
SOLO ASST. TOT 56 38 30 36 23 438
39 24 18 12 19 234
LG 78 36 20 25 21 78
AVG/G
69.6 31.6 18.0 11.0 8.2 190.2
SACK INT TFL-YDS
95 62 48 48 42 672
2 0 0 0 0 19
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6.5-21 1.5-2 2.5-3 1.5-6 0.5-0 55-202
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OPINION
BY james harley
Junior wide receiver Matrick Belton pulls in a pass between Florida defensive backs Quincy Wilson and Nick Washington on Nov. 14, 2015. Photo by Travis Bell / Sideline Carolina
Sacrificial Dog South Carolina needs a win. Enter The Citadel.
I
t’s been an undeniably tough year for the Gamecocks. There was hope of a bounce-back year after the season opener, as the team squeaked by North Carolina 17-13 in Charlotte. But that hope was dashed almost immediately when lowly Kentucky edged the Gamecocks for a second straight year the following week. From that point on things have only become more stressful. Steve Spurrier resigned midway through the season after suffering beatdowns from Georgia and LSU. Interim head coach Shawn Elliott experienced a couple of heartbreakingly close losses at Texas A&M and Tennessee.
That anxiety continues as the Gamecocks prepare to defend their home territory against rival Clemson next week. Carolina’s not in contention for any titles, and
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even a bowl bid is highly unlikely now, so nothing could be better right now than a week off from the heavy competition innate within both the conference and the in-state
rivalry. Enter The Citadel. People often criticize FBS programs for scheduling games against small FCS schools, but in some cases it’s exactly what’s
needed in order to give a struggling team a charge. It allows a coach to rest his star players and give some playing time to the back-ups; it also sometimes lets the starting team feel better about itself and have some fun for a change. Better than a bye week could possibly be, scheduling the Bulldogs at this point in the season allows Gamecock players to return to the days when as sought-after recruits they ran all over everyone around them, building confidence and the attitude that they were truly headand-shoulders above the rest. Clearly, this attitude has not been experienced by many Gamecocks lately, but it may return, if only briefly, on Saturday as they finally face an obvious underdog. There will be plenty of time to rest in a couple of weeks after the Clemson game, so this Saturday is best spent padding stats and trying to run up the score in order to reestablish some confidence. This is not to completely overlook The Citadel. The old-timers will always remember the shocking surprise the Bulldogs gave Carolina with a 38-35 upset back in 1990. It’s a historic loss somewhat comparable to Appalachian State’s unexpected 2007 win over Michigan or James Madison’s over Virginia Tech in 2010. Indeed, this is a much better Citadel team than the one which embarrassed the Gamecocks 25 years back. The Bulldogs come into Williams-Brice as the current leader of the Southern Conference. It’s essentially up to the Gamecocks to either win the game or give it away, but based on size and speed alone, Carolina retains the clear advantage. With this game likely in the bag, the Gamecocks can now begin to focus on the one title that is still within reach: the state championship. Consider The Citadel game as a cupcake semi-final (Clemson whomped Wofford early in the season). With this smarter scheduling, Carolina can get a much-needed happy fix this week by pounding the Bulldogs while the Tigers face Wake Forest, a slightly more challenging foe with the potential to wear Clemson down a little as Carolina grows stronger. It may still be a stretch to dethrone Clemson, but a blowout win this week would certainly serve the Gamecocks well in the process of mental preparation. Gamecocks 45, Bulldogs 13. carolina VS. THE CITADEL
TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
“E
xcuse me, is that yours?” I ask, pointing to the sidewalk at the intersection of George Rogers Boulevard and Bluff Road about five minutes before kickoff against the Florida Gators. Dressed in garnet and black, the man next to me responds with a smile, “I think you
just found a $50 bill.” A state trooper blows his whistle and the crowd floods across the liveliest intersection outside of Williams-Brice Stadium. Instead of picking it up, I place my foot over President Grant and continue shooting photos. As the crowd fills up Springs Brooks Plaza, ticketless
NOVEMBER 18, 2015 | ISSUE no. 6
words & Photos BY Sean Rayford
fans hit up scalpers in the open-air market. A young man is blindsided by the competition while previously negotiating with a woman attempting to sell her season tickets. “Eighty bucks for both on the lower lower level?” he asks. The crowd at the intersection eventually subsides, and I pick up
my foot. To my satisfaction, the $50 is still there, and I take a photo for Instagram before the wind can snatch the bill from me. I pick it up and hastily shove in my jeans pocket and return to shooting. One of the scalpers looks at me with envy and says, “Lemme borrow that.”
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go gamecocks! cit
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carolina VS. CITADEL