The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 14, 1980, Page Page 9, Image 9
Sports
Fairy
for W
By Tracy Helms
Staff Writer
Sometimp Hurinu (hp off
season, Wake Forest lost its
glass slipper and football's
1979 fairy tale came to an
end.
Last year's rag-to-riches
performance may not have
won the Deamon Deacons an
Academy Award, but their 8a
?i ? i
t i clui u ? unci iwu consecutive
one-win seasons ?
did award Wake with its first
bowl bid in 30 years. The
Tangerine Bowl tabbed the
Deacs right after last year's
USC Wake clash.
Unfortunately for the folks
from Winston-Salem, N.C.,
that won't happen this
season. Unlike a vear aeo
^ ?cy - y
the bowl scouts will only be
eyeing the host team when
the Deacs confront Carolina
Saturday in the Gamecocks'
1980 home finale.
"1 don't know why we
aren't doing so well this
season," ponders Wake
quarterback Jay Venuto.
"Last year we won the close
ones, but this year we
U 'i
iicjvtrn i.
"I think we are a better
football team than last
year," continues the 1979
ACC player-of-the-year. "We
have got better balance,
particularly on defense."
TIIE DEACONS have lost
some heartbreakers this
season. After a 27-9 loss to
North Carolina, Wake fell
prey to three more ACC foes
? Maryland, Virginia and
Clemson ? by no more than
three points. Boosted by a
late-game rally, the Deacons
downed Duke 27-24 Saturday
to end the four-game skid
Column
Why G?
With two games remaining ir
two questions are looming fon
Gamecock fans.
Those two questions are; wh<
Bowl? and will George Rogers v
As far as USC's Dec. 29 Ga
your guess is as good as mine.
In response to the second q
George Rogers will win the 19H
in my mind, I believe he deser\
Unfortunately, when the Heisn
?u;<- i ....... ?:?i..-J?i
11 1*) wci:iv, i wiia iiui uiciuufu
list. .
There are three simple reas<
Heisman; 1. George Rogers
player in America today, 2. Hi
necessary to win the trophy, an
player deserves the award mor
As you may have detected. I
the USC runnine h;irk lint aft*
on the gridiron for the past f
possible to retain any sense c
Rogers has done what the critic
Skeptics said, "wait till he g<
show him what big-time coll
Rogers survived the Troja
remained, however, and they
1,1 r . _ ! A ^ n
wuuiu penoriu againsi i*ig i
again, Rogers silenced the criti
Til Kit K WKltK TIIOSi: who
proper amount of exposure I
candidate needs. The list of s
have visited Rogers in Columbi
World Series...New York Ti
Illustrated, The Washington I
Sports, ABC, Newsweek.. .the
featured the USC superstar.
Hut there is another aspect
makes him a sentimental favor
220-pound senior is a true-to li
i 1
caie ei
ake F<
'It could be a Ion<
they will throw a*
came at us with ai
front, then we 'II thi
and raise the season mark to
4-5.
"I think we showed
everyone what we can do
when we play 60 full
minutes," reflected Venuto,
who threw for 291 yards
against the Blue Devils. The
6-0,202-pound senior has now
completed 160 of 329 attempts
for 1951 yards and 15
touchdowns in the present
campaign.
Carolina Coach Jim
Carlen is well aware of
Wake's pass-happy offense.
"They do the things that
we are not very good at
defending ? and that s the
throwing game," cites
Carlen. "I think that Wake
Forest is better on defense
and throwing the ball than
last year.
"It could be a long af
ternoon. I know they will
throw all day, and if they
come at us with an eight- or
nine-man front, then we'll
throw more, too."
THE ABSENCE of USC
dfifensivp hnrk Rnhprt
Perlotte, who suffered a
knee injury against Citadel
and is out for the season,
may prove costly against
Wake's air-oriented attack.
"He's the best player I've
ever lost at a key position,"
jorqe R<
<* M
i USC's 1980 football season,
^most in the minds of many
) will USC play in the Gator
vin the Heisman Trophy?
tor opponent is concerned.
uestion, my verdict is yes,
*) Heisman Trophy. At least
/es to win the coveted prize,
lan ballots were mailed out
on that prestigious mailing
ins why Rogers deserve the
ic tho /?/\I Inrtn (Vv/\tkoll
?u VIIV MVOV I \f\ f L I /Cl I J
t* has received the publicity
d 3. No other college football
e than George Rogers,
am slightly partial towards
?r watching Rogers perform
our years, it is nearly im>f
impartiality. Repeatedly,
s said he could never do.
its to Southern Cal ? they 'll
ege football is all about."
n ambush. Skeptics still
waited to see how Rogers
Pen power Michigan. Once
cs.
said, he would never get the
:hat a legitimate Heisman
ports media, however, that
<i i I'uiia iirvi" |ti oh hjvv til lilt"
mes. Daily News. Sports
*ost. Sporting News. Inside
ise and many more have
about George Rogers that
ite for the Heisman. The <>-2
fe rags to riches story. His
mds
orest N
g afternoon. I know ||
fl day, and if they F
i eight or nine man
row more, too.' B
- Jim Car/en H
says carlen of the f>-(), 170- Impound
junior. r
The Deacon defense which p?
yielded 545 yards (469 P
passing) to Duke also has a L
harsh assignment: stop pf
George Rogers & Co. | ^
"No one has really stopped il|
Rogers," says Wake Coach |||
John Mackovic, the ACC ?|
coach-of-the-year in 79. I
"He's big, fast and strong, |
and just Ixmnces off of |?j
tacklers. We must do an ((
effective job of stopping I?8
Rogers to stay in the game."
Venuto continued the
compliments.
"George is a heckuva
hack," he said. "Some of his |
runs are unbelievable.
"South Carolina is a great
football team," added
Venuto. "We watched the
Goorei.l nnri Michiaan
garner on film and saw just
how powerful they are."
Mackovic has seen that,
too. "They are every bit as
good as any team we have
played."
Now in his third season as
Deacon mentor, Mackovic i
joked about always playing j
the Gamecocks in Columbia:
"We've played there so L?
often, we have our own spot
on the scoreboard."
ogers dej
V '
background is common knowlcdi
one more time.
wnen ueorge was six, his r
divorced. Later, Rogers' father v
He served nearly eight years in
tiary.
George and his family struggle
small Georgia towns. Around the
up in Atlanta where he rarely attc
to running around with a street ga
Before his sophomore year in h
to Duluth to live with his aunt <
tending Duluth High School,
dream to play football. The rest is
KQl-AI'I'Y IMIMUvSSIVK as
from the (ieorgia ghettos, is Koj
ball, on the Heisman, and on life.
"I'm a blessed person," Koge
ordinary for a guy to come out <i
and accomplish the things I have i
"I don't like to be self centered.
?f tu,. /.II,,... if i ? 11. ?t
i/i mi- wuifi ^uys. ii I win (lit* fit
Twenty-two guys will have it, not <
But even if Rogers doesn't win
m 1 11
Wlllf ' I , I|'|l,' "|" l' " ll' l|"l|
'tmy< | >.
Mfe- "" . ?5^BB8BBBBEi8B3^^^B^^BMK^^^PMcfj- ^
^K:- \T
^SmEBS*!* % x j Mwf
? Wg^wm .r*iB K. *
HK,.. "vSHnUBi
Jen
George Rogers, (JSC's
jersey officially retired di
Wake Forest game Saturc
The event will honor th
rushing records and was
last year.
Rogers will become on/
retired, and the only living
late great Steve Wadiak
Johnson, an offensive ce
i,io /w~
IIU I VI/. I (7til CU I UlIU Wll
Rogers presently has 4
leading rusher currently,
ranks fifth on the NCAA
native has rushed for ovt
by John Parnell)
serves t
Mike Chibbaro
iports Editor
r * f\ u..# ;> Iww.
ma u iiLMift i I'pt'ciiiu^
not her and father were
i-as convicted for murder,
a Georgia State penitencl
to survive in a string ot !
age of 15, George wound 5
mded school and admitted
igh school. George moved
Ottella Rogers. While at
jers was captivated by a
history.
Iiis remarkable escape
?ers' persDective on loot
rs likes to say. "it's not
if a background like I did
iccomplishcd.
1 wish they'd talk to some
?isman, it's for the team
im> " liailnrc cii/l 1
the Hcisman. it won't he j;
HHHBHHHSHHSHHHHnKKBK
'; v'j,; . .'
?ey to be retired
Heisman Trophy candidate v
I ring ceremonies at half time
fay.
e 6-2 220-pound Rogers, wh
r the school's first ever cons
y the third South Carolina pi a y
g player so honored. The num
was the first number ever n
nter who became ill prior to hi
ig his death in 1965.
, 746 career rushing yards. Ht
uvcritjymy lijj.u y atfJtJT
I all-time career rushing cha,
v 7 00 yards in his last 19 str,
1 T T c
ne neisr
the end oi the world because he is
player. To a lot of young kids. K<
title the modest Rogers would p
lortable with, hut it's a title whicl
following story helps to illustrate n
AKTKK THIS I*AST Saturday's
viiiino hnvt lho\ li> l\?> ->K
7 #*# T VIIVT unruvvi 11/ ?/V HI/
old, were in the IJSC locker room (
wearing a Carolina jersey with (ie
of the kids were seeking Big (ieorg
As the two boys were introduced
that they were a little nervous to 1
hero. Hut in a matter ol seconds
mirers at ease The eyes ol tl
scoreboards when (Jeorge began t<
The scene was not uncommon
seems to have time to sign autog
kids. And to me. that s what being
NCAA Leading Rust
Car Yds
Rogers. SoCaro 231 143(
Allen. So Cat 287 127
Mitchell Citadl 238 141*
Walker. G<> 222 133'
Redwine. Neb ; 26 934
Crtchfeld, lowaSt 23 7 116
Brooks. Auburn 222 1 14i
McNeil. UCLA JS1 885
Wysocki. Md 266 110
Lawrence VaTech 24 1 109
' ''i^jHp' JRH flf- ;^J
* " I
* r
..f'^ '* : x
' .x-5f: :<
v/// /7a ve /i/s no. 38
of Saturday's USC
o holds all of USC's
ensus All-American
er to have his jersey
ber 3 7, worn by the
3tired at USC. Mike
;s junior season , had
? ts a/so tne nation s
game. Rogers a/so
rt. The Duluth, Ga.
aight games. (Photo i
||| |
nan
more than just a fool ha II \
ngers is a hero That's a
robably never I eel com
1 he truely deserves. Thr
ny point ?
i
('itadel game, a couple ol
out seven or eight y?\ir)ne
of the youngster^ ,iorge's
number on it Roth
e's autograph ?
to Rogers. 1 could detect
>e in the presence ol then j
, (leorge put the two ad
le two kids lit up hk<
>chat with them. ;
lor Kogers He always '
raphs or to talk with In*
a hero is all about
]
wrs '
A vg Yds pg '
s 6 2 159 6
5 4 4 159 4 I
0 5 9 156 7 !
^ 6 0 148 2 \
7 4 133 4'. |
5 4 9 129 4
S 5 2 127 3
5 5 7 26 4
5 4 2 7 22 S
5 4 5 1217 \