Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Steve Parker Sports Editor Following Coach Paul Dietzel'8 decision to announce his resignation Saturday night after the mildly shocking loss to Duke came a great deal of speculation as to why he chose that particular time to make the decision public. But the speculations raised most often by those around the Carolina community are wrong. Two reasons are presented frequently, but both are based upon an ignorant understanding of the situation. One reason, and perhaps the most prevalent, is that Dietzel chose Saturday night because the loss to Duke would really put the pressure of criticism upon him, perhaps to a worse degree than existed two years ago when the "Get Rid of Dietzel" (GROD) campaign thrived in Columbia and throughout the state. Dietzel told oofficials But this speculation is wrong. Dietzel had made the decision to announce his retirement on Saturday night sometime earlier in the week, and had informed various members of Carolina's upper echelon of his plans to make the resignation public on Friday and Saturday afternoon. So Dietzel did not announce the resignation in the wake of the Duke setback as a means of relieving pressure on himself. For when he first decided to in form the public following the game he surely could not have foreseen losing to the weaker Blue Devil team. Another reason the public seems fond of believing is more of a possibility, but is also probably not true. This speculation has Dietzel finally giving up on the situation of building a power at Carolina and resigning so as to make himself available for another coaching job, either already lined up or in the process of. being so. The rumors of coaching in the World Football League are the chief means of substantiating this speculation, after all, the Shreveport, La. owners who were rumored to have been interested in Dietzel now have a WFL franchise. But the reasons Dietzel gave for leaving Carolina contradict this view. Dietzel cited his health, which last year put him in the hospital and caused him to undergo an operation, as his reason. How, therefore, can he, being an honest man, leave Carolina one year to coach another team the next? According to Dietzel, his health should have placed him on the sidelines this year but he came back because he "really wanted to coach this team this year." Protection was silly But even if another job offer was the reason, and it is probably not, it would still fail to explain why he chose the postgame show after the Duke game for making the public aware. Dietzel, according to his statement, had planned to make the decision known later in the season. What caused him to push up it several weeks? The coach quite probably was hiding nothing when he said he made the decision so as to take pressure off himself, but more so off of the team, the team's~families and friends and Dietzel's family and friends. Dietzel told the press, "The team is kind of shocked now. I just told them is was kind of silly for them, my family and friends to go around protecting me. The only way for me to protect them is to get myself out of the Dicture." Admittedly, the resignation decision will take pressure off the entire Carolina football family. The media was not nearly as critical following the Duke game as they were after the Georgia Tech game. Dietzel probably intended to make the decision following a victory and so he mistakenly chose the Duke game. After all, Carolina's team will be undergoing some rugged weeks these next few. Georgia, Houston, Mississippi, North Carolina and North Carolina State are all capable of soundly thumping the Gamecocks. Dietzel's decision, announced early in the season, would make these possible losses, and maybe even beatings, less full of harrassment and fan pressure for the team. Despite an 0-2 mark and some tough games coming Cointinued on Page 7 Mar Duke bac] Gamecoci Larry Martinez says many thoughts flash through his mind when he is lined up in the Duke backfield before a running play. Finally, he says, "I just say the hell with it; I'm going to get those ypirds." Martinez got 199 of 'those yards' Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium as Duke gave Carolina its second straight loss to start the season, 20-14. In addition, he scored all three Duke touchdowns. For the second consecutive week, Carolina's defense was unable to stop the opposition's. running attack. Last week Georgia Tech gained 487 yards rushing; Duke had 345 on Saturday. Fullback Mike Bomgardner also Sbroke the 100-yard mark for Duke, gaining 109yards rushing. Actually, Martinez, the game's hero, came close to being the goat. With the score 14-14 early in the fourth quarter,he fumbled the ball at the Carolina 36 after picking up enough yardage for a first down on a third-and-two situation. "It was a lack of concentration on my part," Martinez said after the game about the almostcostly fumble. "I was holding the ball out in the open and was trying to pick up some more yards. Somebody just yanked at the ball and it just fell out. "1 had the first down and I should have been satisfied with that, but I wanted to go all the way,"Martinez said. However, three plays later USC quarterback Ron Bass threw an interception to Duke's Earl Cook, one of Cook's two interceptions, and Martinez scored his third touchdown of the game seven plays later to give Duke its first win of the season. In the last touchdown drive, Martinez carried the ball six times, gaining 38 yards. In Duke's first two games (they lost to North Carolina State) Martinez has scored six touchdowns, all of Duke's total. "'Running is all situations," Martinez said. "You call the play in the hudd'e and then get on the line. Then you look at the play you've caled and the way the -inez off and runn Martine2 L defense ir defense is lined up, and you think about how the defense will play it and how you'll adjust. "Then I just say, the hell with it. I'm going to get those yards. The offensive line is working so hard to open up the defense a little and they're counting on me to get those yards.' Meanwhile Carolina had of fensive troubles. Quarterback Jeff 'Ve Boit cr. . b ee.. s a 7 ..1 emy Entree from ear Meug and ind Beat the house - i Chap ped 51,0.1. S5sa...... w ...ske.m gau.e Ras Eye S.e=6............ N.Y- SkiOin Steek ........ FBtMi me............... sROuimE ALASKAN KIG CE w Les... Uune LOCATED I DO!IUI,ER 4 Corne.r Main and W IENEATH THE AR4 Cabarets. Pu..a .n Staff photo by Ron Russell ling runs agged Grantz threw three in terceptions and Bass threw another. Two of the interceptions were in the fourth quarter, with the score tied. 14-14. Running back Jay Lynn Hodgin was one of the Gamecocks' few bright spots. He rushed for 104 yards in just 10 carries, only three of which were in the second half. HERSH br Rcom ded wN hew ak eed pehete er *er f'ee heme wia. er hear. ICKPOT SPECIALS .........*. 4...29s ~~.--$ 5.....s -- .5..... ..5.75 as.....6 .5.50ss ashington Sts. ADE MALL Rstaura.$.