The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 03, 1980, Page Page 13, Image 15
Sports *s
Dogs edj
(Jarlen, R
By Richard Meyers
Assistant Sports Editor
ATHENS ? It isn't often two people will
take the blame for losing a football game,
but that was the case Saturday when the
fourth ranked Georgia Bulldogs held off the
14th ranked Gamecocks for a 13-10 victory.
UfUU I ?l - '
wiiii i^ad man six minuies remaining in
the contest and USC down by a field goal,
Heisman Trophy candidate tailback George
Rogers returned to the lineup after being
shaken up on the previous play. On a second
down and seven from the Georgia 17-yard
line Rogers carried the ball for the 35th time
in the game. He fumbled, and Georgia
recovered to hand USC its second loss in
eight games.
"It was a dumb play on Coach Carlen's
part to play George Rogers when he was as
tired as he was," Carlen admitted. "I
shouldn't have put George back in. That's
what I think.
"I blew it because I made a young man,
who gave us all he had. go back in whon ho
was too tired to go back in. But that's on me
as a head coach. I take total blame for
that."
ROGERS, HOWEVER, disagreed with his
coach.
"I take the blame for fumbling down
there," Rogers said, 'i shouldn't have done
it. It just goes to show I'm human. I wish I
hadn't done it but now that it's happened,
what can I say?"
The drive came after the Gamecocks
clawed their way back from a 13-0 third
quarter deficit before millions of viewers on
national television, 62,200 fans at San ford
Stadium, and nine bowl scouts.
The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard first
with no time remaining in the initial
quarter, on a career-best 57 yard field goal
by Rex Robinson. The field goal was set up
when Georgia quarterback Buck Belue
completed a 41-yard bomb to split end
Lindsav 5^ntt
Robinson had missed a 22 yard attempt
earlier after freshman tailback Herschel
Walker ran all seven plays in the Bulldogs
second possession to put the ball on the
Carolina four-yard line.
The pattern of the game was established
in the first quarter as both teams gave the
ball to their Ail-American tailback canUT
vjcuiyia 5 l itsi
the next Geor<
By Mike Chibbaro
Sports Editor
ATHKNS - When USC Heisman candidate
George Rogers was created, the mold must
not have been broken or thrown away. Instead,
it was probably used to create a
George Rogers prototype named Hersehel
Walker.
In Georgia's 13-10 victory over IJSC
Saturday, the Bulldogs' Walker ran like a
George Rogers - picking up 219 yards on 43
carries.
After the game. Walker fielded questions
from the press in a modest gentlemanly
manner - just like George Rogers.
Despite the many similarities between
these two Georgia natives, there is one big
difference. Walker is only a freshman, while
Rogers is a senior. And as George Rogers
said after the game, "1 wasn't near as good
as lie is when I was a Ireshman."
After only f>(i seconds had elapsed in the
second halt of Saturday's contest. Walker
demonstrated why he is being considered as
a definite Heisman candidate of the future.
Faced with a third and six situation at the
Gamecock 24-yard line, Georgia quarUnnlr
llf-ll
iv i nm.i\ muvn Dtiuv iitiimuu ui i IU waiter un
a draw play. Walker cut through an inside
hole and then darted 76 yards down the
sidelines for Georgia's only touchdown of
the game.
YVHKN K()(iKKS IS questioned about one
of his spectacular runs, he usually credits
his blocking. Walker is no different. ,
In reference to his spectacular 76-yard
iaunt Wnlknr Kilid ".limmv U'limiici:
, ^ ??..mvn ..UU.V
a good block on the linebacker and Amp
Arnold and Lindsay Scott made good blocks
on the outside and that was they key."
Saturday's game was billed as a classic
match-up between two great running backs.
Walker, however, shied away from comparing
himself to his USC counterpart.
je GamprnrUc 1
ogerstake blame for key r
Georgia linebacker Pat McShea (41) zeroes in on USC Heisman ca,
George Rogers. (Photo by John Parnell)
didates. Rogers carried 11 times in the line when cornerback Harry Ski
quarter compared to 13 times for Walker. Belue after a fake handoff to Walk<
managed to get the ball off, but the
WITH THE GEORGIA eight man incomplete. The half ended v
defensive front keying on Roger, and (JSC Gamecocks down 3-0.
quarterback Garry Harper unable to Walker, the second leading rush
establish a passing game, the Gamecock Southeast Conference entering th
offense sputtered in the second quarter. showed why some people think h
After Chris Norman punted into the end- future Heisman trophy winner
vjreurgia uegan a yy yard marcn that excellent run in the third quarter,
totalled 18 plays. The big play of the series On a third down and six situatioi
was a Belue dump pass to fullback Jimmy 215 pound tailback broke up the
Womack which he took for 31 yards to the veered to the right after a fine blc
USC 41. Womack and sprinted down the s
The drive stalled at the Carolina one-yard Several members of the USC s<
schelWalker:
t\oQ6rs .
Till-: MODKST VVrightsville, Ga. native
If W.'lllf/Il" flrtOL'll't oimnwIoM u;.v?..?lf L- " - -
than Rogers. then how does lie explain the
fact that he gained 219 yards Saturday in : PI |i
comparison to Rogers' 168'.'"Well, 1 hate to 4 MT wHH/v:
say it, but our offensive line <s better than 1811^9
theirs and that was the difference."
USC head coach Jim Carlen praised
Georgia's talented back, but he said Walker Ik SB
is not yet on the level of Rogers. "He's a BL
nhenomenal fppshman " r^rion c<>;a
f ? .. \>M? ivn ouiu, ?^ui jnpp jBffSSfe1,
George is a more experienced runner. *. I
Walker isn't running in traffic like George jpi. ?
is. Georgia ran an eight man line against us ||2|m|mR
and we ran a seven man line against them. '
That one extra person makes a big dif- fBpP|||^p '
ALTHOUGH WALKKIt has been mentioned
as a possible lleisman candidate in
1980, he saidI he feels that kind of speculation
"I'm not rcarlv for fhn H(>i?mnn " u;oii???
yet and I have a long way to go."
If Hersehel Walker could vote for the 1980 (JSC middle guard Emanuel I
Heisman Trophy, who would he vote for? r,.nn;nn u u~i /
"George Rogers, of course." running back Hersehel Walker. I
3-10
mistakes
Ml appeared to have an ingle on Walker, but
Hi ffif; ^ sPeecty freshman easily outraced them
L ' lip! , "We tried to get him to stay inside,"
|||M middle guard Emanuel Weaver said "When
ni he ran f?r the touchdown, he got to the
outside and we couldn't get him. The young
Ml I man has sensational speed."
"I WAfi fin thf> nthor ci/lo onrl Knfnrn I I'
v.%/ v.. v..v, wiavt oiuv uuu va;iui c i rviicrw
J?mH it he was going down the sidelines," safety
Pat Bowen said. "It was just a matter ol
WBpMII watching him run. You have to keep them
JjftjBll|g from making the big play. That's the whole
yj|pj||^p thing about Georgia, they have a big play
mm offense."
|tj|&g|9 Georgia's momentum continued as the
'V'ivl Rll IIHotrv; ntnnnoH P'irnlin'i l>"
? ? wpjw ^ W/|^|/VV4 vui UII1IU 111 I lit"
|., ^ ] Gamecock's next series which lasted three
?BL 'Jpg plays and less than two minutes.
R BEIX'E IMMEDIATELY went back to
work on the USC defense, hitting tight end
BjllP~ %' Norris Brown for a 26 yard gain to the
v-aronna 1 ne defense tightened alter
that, causing i fourth indl4 situation from
the 34 yard line. Robinson kicked a 51-yard
' fielci goal that dropped just over the
ig^ crossbar for a 13-0 Bulldog lead.
: Harper connected on an eight-yard pass to
IXyJIlli flanker Horace Smith, his first completion
MM of the day to move Carolina on a 53 yard
Bp|||n^| drive. Rogers added runs of 11 and 15 yards
gj to bring USC to the Georgia 28 yard line.
V,-"; Eddie Leopard came on to hit a 45-yard
hSBHTi field goal, the longest of his career to cut the
rionrffio Irv lO O T L. A A - ?*
\jiwi ^iu iv/qu tu i j'o. ljuupdi u udb yci 10 ihiss
7didate an extra point or field goal this season.
Fullback Carl W t entered the game for
USC in the third quarter and promptly burst
through for a *9 yard touchdown on hisfirsf.
pper hit play of the game.
;r. Belue Leopard s PAT closed the Bulldog margin
pass was to three 13-10 with 3:33 left in the third
/ith the quarter.
"A little hole was there and I took ader
in the vantage of it," West said. "1 give all the
e game, credit to thp 1 i ru*mr>n Thou
? - wativia. & iivjr iiiquc DV/illC
e'll be a great blocks. I didn't see any secondary
with an men back there so I just ran."
l, the 6-2 NORMAN BACKKI> the Bulldogs deep in
middle, their own territory to the six yard line with
>ck from 10:29 remaining in the game. Belue was
idelines. sacked by Bowen on a blitz to set up a fourth
fcondary see page 14
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Veaver attempts to bring down Georgia's star | I
Photo by Barry Newman) ' I
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