The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, December 07, 1984, Page Page 2, Image 2
Final shnu
Gamecocks, Cowl
D.. T U!w.n.
oy navy miAsuit
Two teams that had once made plans for a New Year's Day
celebration in the Orange Bowl will instead be playing 348
miles away and four days earlier than expected.
The two teams are bound for the Gafor Bowl Dec. 28 in
Jacksonville, Fla., for a contest said to be this yeai's second
best post-season showdown.
The makeup, as well as the stories, of USC and OSU are
remarkably similar. Both top 10 squads rely on speed, a solid
defense and the ability to pull off the "big play."
W \
AND THEY both wanted to go to the Orange Bowl.
The Gamecocks, 10-1 and ranked seventh in the nation,
blew their chance at the "orange ring" when they tell to [Navy
Nov. 17, 38-21.
The loss to the Midshipmen ended an unofficial
"gentleman's agreement" between USC and the Orange Bowl
Committee. Even a 22-21 season-ending victory over Clemson
couldn't change the outcome of the Gamecocks' bowl fate.
In the West, if OSU had beaten arch-rival Oklahoma
University in the regular-season finale and Big-Eight Conference
title game, the Cowboys would have traveled to the
Orange Bowl Jan. 1 in Miami.
9(JT A 24-14 loss to the Sooners ended Oklahoma State's
hopes for an Orange Bowl bid. Oklahoma, 9-1-1 and ranked
second in tfte feetion, will meet fifth-ranked 10-1 Washington
in the more lucrative bowl.
"It's a really tough loss, but it's nothing to be ashamed of,"
said Larry Roach, the Cowboys' all-Big Eight place kicker.
"Wp'H h?vp like tr> hp in the Oranoe Rowl. hut we're extreme
ly happy with the Gator Bowl. I just wish during my four years
we could have beaten Oklahoma."
OSU head coach Pat Jones shrugs off the missed opportunity
of playing in the New Year's Day classic, chosing instead to
look forward to the game played four days earlier.
"We're honored to play in the Gator Bowl," he said. "It'll
be a high stakes game and you know the stadium will be stuff
ed with South Carolina fans. It's the second largest bowl in the
nation and in my opinion, OSU and South Carolina are the
two premier Cinderella teams in the nation."
AND^JSC head coach Joe Morrison said he's excited to go
to any bowl, since he has never guided a college team to postseason
action.
"Playing in a bowl game should be a reward for your
nlavers rnarhpi; anrl fans for a pnnri season and we did have a
v.v/, " ? ? O ?
fine season," said USC's second-year coach, who was named
national Coach of the Year last week by the Walter Camp le
Football Foundation.
"Playing in a bowl game should be a reward for your th
players, coaches and fans for a good season and we did have a tc
fine season," said USC's second-year coach, who was named
national Coach of the Year by the Walter Camp Football ti
Foundation last week. B
"We want them to have a good time and enjoy Jacksonville i
and the functions that go along with the bowl. But we don't
want to lose sight of the fact that we are going there to play 5'
and win a ball game.
T
"WE ARE appreciative of the invitation and look forward w
to playing (OSU). They are a fine football team and I think we a
1 .1 I ? e .U ? ? nll >U? ?'
LUU1U nave uuc ui uic iup gauio ui an uic uums,
The Gamecocks, 10-1 with upset victories over Georgia, ir
Notre Dame, Florida State and Clemson, lost its only game to r<
Navy, a team that finished 4-6-1.
Linebacker James Seawright and offensive guard Del (1
Wilkes have led USC in its success. As co-Most Valuable f<
Players of the 1984 Gamecock squad, both were named to The F
Associated Press' All-America first team, making USC one of (1
only two schools to have two first-team representatives. s
Seawright, a 218-pound senior who was also named to the
All A m rv% 111 f cA/*An/^ Anltr C
rvu-ninci iv^a itam, luiaitu t jj iuvivivj, jvwiiu v/mj v.
io linebackci Paul Vogel's 152. y
USC's "FIRE ANT" defense wrecked havoc on its opnnn#?nt<;
with its swarminc. aecressive and auick stvle of olav. C
Wilkes, USC's senior offensive lineman who was also nam- t
ed to the Coaches and Walter Camp All-American teams,
Tm*/'m ' i
.* ?|iw > ^|\ 'vj ;:;>;& %&&',<'>;?> /"^%:&*&$?'.
&&& ln9IHH9Hli^^^BBHBH^BHsHB^^HHI^n&> r : mM : ;--. < tf>\ :;:
vdown
wvs head for bowl
nn Lfl?u.iNA\
W^fT^X/
tests:
ads a sometimes-explosive offensive unit. inc
Quarterback Mike Hold, the "big play man" who came off tea
ie bench this season to spark Carolina to victory, is expected M<
> run the veer offense in the bowl.
The junior transfer from Scottsdale, Arizona earned a star- kn
ng spot by the Clemson game after backing up senior Bill
radshaw and scrammbled his way to victory. ag
pc
VIAV v?viT\r?r\ ^ 1 1 ? e i_ m ?L
nuLu ine season wun 1,^13 passing yaras, wnn un
7 completions on 117 attempts.
The Gamecocks use a four-man running back scheme,
homas Dendy and Quinton Lewis share the starting slots, ta!
'hile backups Raynard Brown and Anthony Smith also see qu
onsiderable action. sh
Kent Hagood, who led USC's running attack before break- sh
lg his leg against North Carolina State, is not expected to be
sady for the game. lo
Also out for the game are linebacker Kenneth Robinson pc
broken arm), offensive tackle Jeff Teague (knee injury), ofensive
guard Ray Bingham (broken neck), defensive tackle wi
Loy Hart (knee surgery) and defensive back Shawn Sadler ti<
knee surgery). All were injured during the course of the
eason. re
For the Cowboys, OSU is led by defensive tackle Leslie B1
)'Neal, who racked up 134 tackles ? 16 for negative 112 lo
ards ? and 13 sacks for another 107 yards lost.
THE 6-4, 248-pound junior was named Big Eight- B
Conference player of the year and was one of 12 nominees for 1c
he Vince Lombardi Trophy. 1<
In addition to O'Neil, OSU's defense is loaded with talent,
I "Ml vm I.J.JJI i nil pi
A
of the top games of all the ^s" _ J
- Joe Mormon
USC held faotbail coich s
. , - *
.;; %$M~mXMWllSfl' : ^>K
? " ' : <: V . . - '
' > . " ' ' . v'-,
A JLk A >4* i?3 M M ?
snuui -uui I
n\
r?r\
V En i \
a rrv \ r \
ftU I'^l 1
Ht-i tmrnmrnw
._a
:luding standout linebacker Mike Monger, who joined the
im as a walk-on in 1980, and sophomore cornerback Mark
oore.
Monger has totaled 175 tackles during 1984, while Moore is
own for his speed and vicious hitting.
As a unit, the Cowboys are ranked fifth in the nation
ainst scoring, holding opponents to an average of 12.2
lints. They are also eighth in total defense and 14th against
e rush.
ON OFFENSE, OSU doesn't enjoy the same caliber of
lent, but is nevertheless a constant scoring threat with
larterback Rusty Hilger. A senior who won the last scholarip
offered at OSU in 1981, Hilger earlier underwent
oulder surgery, which has affected his passing game.
Jones, in his second year at Cowboys head coach, said he's
oking at the Gator Bowl as an opportunity to rise in the final
>le rankings.
"It's another chance for us to become the first OSU team to
in 1 (~\ norviAr in o rinrtla /nn/^\ /\iif U i r* ni_
in i\j gaiuwa 111 a aiugit; staduu, Vaxiu7 maniiam uui 111511 110?nal
ranking," he said.
The Cowboys may have the edge in the game with a 6-2
cord in post-season play, beating Baylor last year in the
luebonnet Bowl, 24-14. The Gamecocks are 0-5 in bowl play,
sing the first Gator Bowl to Wake Forest, 26-14.
? A _* 1: * 1
1 Mciumi 11 in me nauuu, inc vjaiui
owl was sold out last year ? 81,293 watched Florida beat
>wa, 14-6. Only the Rose Bowl holds a larger crowd, with a
31,385 seating capacity.
The Jacksonville classic is the fifth largest post-season
ayoii game, guaranteeing about syou.lXX) tor each team.
The Gator Bowl contest will kick-off at 8 p.m. Dec 28 on
kBC-TV, as the only nationally televised game that day.
The Cowboys may find the Florida sunshine more to their
king ? at practice this week, members of OSU's ground
rew reportedly had to scrape five inches of snow off the
r:_i j _ 0 Ai * ?
racucc nciu oeioreine team couia oegin worKouis.
The cover photo was taken by Win
WcNamee> and the graphics used
hroughout this Gator Bowl special edition
)f The Gamecock were designed by assistant
ports editor Joe Sitarz.