The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 07, 1986, Page 8, Image 8
Kickoll *
o Friday, November 7, 1986
nui win in.mi m
JOHN BOYETTE'S
pEARLESS FORECAST
The Fearless One picks
USC to beat Seminoles
Somebody famous once said there's a thin line between being
good and being great.
Those arc painful, but true, words.
A case in point is my fearless football forecast last week. 1 compiled
an 8-2 record, which was good for a winning percentage of
.800.
But it could have been even better. Two, count 'em, two lousy
points kept inc from being unbeaten, untied and football picker extraordinaire
at Carolina.
Of course, everybody knows I'm talking about the Gamecocks'
23-22 loss to N.C. State and Florida's 18-17 upset win against
Auburn.
I know my critics had to be down in the dumps when the
Gamecocks had a 22-17 lead and no time showing on the clock.
But, wouldn't you know it, the Atlantic Coast Conference officials
spit in my facc and didn't even give me a towel to wipe with.
As for the Auburn-Florida game, I apologize. As Jim Lampley
repeatedly pointed out on ABC Saturday, no team has gone
unbeaten and untied the year after having a Heisman Trophy winner.
How was I supposed to know Kerwin Bell was going to come
out of the Everglades and play like a man possessed?
Well, enough of my troubles. Posting a mere 8-2 record is
nothing compared to hangovers, flunked exams, parking tickets
and eating cafeteria food, which are problems USC students face
every day.
So, since I bet you're just dying to find out how the Gamecocks
will do this weekend, let's get on with the show:
Mipmi at Pitt ? The Hurricanes passed their stiffest test since
their season onener last wcclf aoolnct o?~?~ \n
. -vvn ugumoi * ivjiiuci jiaic. V iimy
Testaverde proved why he's the best college player in the nation.
The Panthers just haven't been able to put it together this year.
Playing in the cold of Pittsburgh won't help Miami, but look for
the top-ranked team to roll anyway . . . Miami 35, Pitt 17.
Maryland at Penn State ? This is a great rivalry that somehow
doesn't get a lot of attention in these parts. The Nittany Lions are
looking good, whereas the Terps have gone downhill rapidly. Emotion
will keep Maryland close, but Penn State won't lose because it
wants a shot at redemption by going undefeated. The pick here is
. . . Penn State 31, Maryland 24.
Michigan at Purdue ? If Michigan can get past Ohio State later
this year, it is conceivable that the Wolverines could join Miami
and Penn State in the ranks of the unbeaten. It seems like the
Boilermakers always give M Blue a hard time, but don't look for an
upset this weekend . . . Michigan 37, Purdue 10.
LSU at Alabama ? The Crimson Tide has the inside track to the
Sugar Bowl by virtue of its perfect record in SEC Dlav. The Tioerc
I / ? - ~o^~ ?
were upset at home last week, and you can bet Bill Arnspargar's
boys will be ready to play come Saturday. This game always seems
to dccidc the host of the Sugar Bowl, and it will again this year
when LSU bumps 'Bama out in a major upset . . . LSU 21,
Alabama 20.
Georgia at Florida ? The world's largest outdoor cocktail party
is usually a humdinger, and 1 expect this year to be the same.
Georgia has me worried because they only beat the Fighting Spiders
of Richmond by 15 points last weekend. The Gators, on the other
hand, would like nothing better than to follow up their upset of
Auburn with a victory over the Bulldogs. Kerwin Bell will do it
again . . . Florida 28, Georgia 24.
SMU at Notre Dame ? This is really a strange matchup. The sinners
of the Southwest Conference versus the angels of the midwest.
I ne Irish started slowly but Lou Holtz has them on the right track.
Don't look for this to be a close contest . . . Notre Dame 31, SMU
14.
Wake Forest at Duke ? My hat's off to the Demon Deacons.
They don't have a great record, but they've put up some pretty
good fights against N.C. State and Clemson. Duke, meanwhile, is
Duke, which is to say they're sorry. The only question here is what
the Deacons margin of victory will be . . . Wake Forest 45, Duke
17.
N.C. State at Virginia ? I would like to say that the Wolfpack's
string of luck is going to end this week. However, they're playing
Virginia, and even most mediocre ipamc Hr?n'? ioc? /-* ?
_ ? ~ ^x/.i i iwjv vvy hiv v.avaiitl d,
This is an ACC game, so look for some sloppy officiating and some
intersting clock-keeping as Dick Sheridan keeps on winning I
. . . N.C. State 35, Virginia 7.
North Carolina at Clemson ? My heart tells me to take the Tar
Heels, but my good sense says Clemson's too good to lose in Death
Valley. The Tigers arc a tough team to tigure out. Sometimes they
look good, and sometimes they look pretty pitiful. 1 expect this
week they'll be ready to avenge last year's loss at Chapel Hill
. . . Clemson 35, North Carolina 21.
Florida Slate at South Carolina ? I'll make no bones about this
one. The Gamecocks are going to win, believe it or not, and by
mnrp fhnn a tmiphHAtiyn Potn u ? - ?1 - - *?1 *?
~ ~ n?, i ?iv. auu uau iuca netvc piaycu 100 many
tricks on the Gamecocks this season. The Seminoles had No. 1
Miami on the ropes for three quarters last week, but they've got to
be letdown. Todd Ellis and Co. will continue to rack up impressive
numbers, and the defense will do a semi-decent job of containing
Florida State's explosive offense. I'm not ashamed to pick
. . . USC 38, Florida State 28.
Well, there you have it. This week's picks has its share of upsets,
but you've got to go out on a limb every once in a while to be successful
in this profession.
Remember ? I'm not infallible. After all, I did lose two games
last week.
John Hoyette is managing editor and Kickoff editor of The
Gamecock.
i
If 'its' and 'buts' were candy a
USC has hi
By JOHN BOYETTE
Kickoff editor
iviurpny's law states whatever can g
wrong, will.
Gamecock football law says something wi
go wrong no matter what.
That may be overstating the plight c
USC's football team this year, but it's not fa
J from the truth. The Gamecocks have been th
victims of some poor plays, bad luck an
questionable officiating.
The recent losses by the Gamecocks brin
to mind two adages about sports in genera
The first says that good teams win the clos
ones.
The other is by Don Meredith, a forme
iooioau commentator on ABC's Monda
Night Football. He said, "If 'ifs' and 'buts
were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merr
Christmas."
It's definitely not wrong to say USC is hav
ing one of those "if" seasons. If Todd Elli
hadn't thrown last-minute interception
against Georgia and Nebraska, if Scot
Hagler hadn't missed three field goals agains
Virginia Tech, and if Kenneth Robinson isn'
called for offsides on the last play of the gam
with N.C. State, USC might have a totall
different record.
But on the other hand, it's not fair to singl
out these players for mistakes. What if Elli
hadn't completed a sinele nass this spaenn
What if Hagler never came close on an extr
point or a field goal attempt? What if Robin
son never made a tackle?
But for long-time followers of USC, th
latest series of misfortunes should be nothin
new. The Gamecocks have taken highly
favored opponents down to the wire ? onl
to lose ? on numerous occasions. And in :
similar vein, USC has been taken to th
I--- A-1 J " 1 * -
cicrtncis uy uuitiassca, ngniweignt opponent
too many times to mention.
A trip through USC football history in th
last 15 years reveals several near-misse
against such teams as Louisiana State
Georgia, Notre Dame and Clemson. Let'
take a look at how the Gamecocks have fare(
over the years against some of the nation';
top-ranked teams:
Louisiana State ? The Gamecocks are 1-11
overall against the Tigers. In 1973 LSU was i
top-ranked team and USC came within ar
eyelash of upsetting the Tigers in Columbia
With Ipff flrant7 9c ninrtoT-Uo^l/ I IO/~" ~ ?
...... .<r.. Mil VJUU1 VV1 fUVIV , UOV 111(11
ched downfield and nearly pulled the upse
off, but lost 33-29.
Georgia ? The Gamecocks and Bulldog!
have hooked up for several memorable con
tests. However, Georgia still leads the series
by a 32-7-2 margin. Two games in particulai
stand out as "almost" wins for USC. In 1980,
Georgia was undefeated and the Gamecocks
only blemish was a loss to Southern Cal. USC
was headed for an apparent touchdown wher
George Rogers fumbled deep in Bulldogs' ter
niQannnintinn Inec
IUOO
doesn't have coach
down in the dumps
8y JOHN BQYETTE
Kickoff editor
(JSC head coach Joe Morrison has faith
that KSe 1 ?- r *
mm ma ibaiii van tunic uacK. irom meir laicsi
disappointment when the Gamecocks play
Florida State Saturday in a 1:30 p.m. contest
at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The latest setback for the Gamecocks was a
23-22 loss to N.C. State on a 33-yard "Hail
Mary" touchdown pass after time had expired.
Counting the losses to Georgia and
Nebraska and the tie with Virginia Tech, it
was the fourth time this season that USC had
a potential victory taken away in the final
minute of play.
"l trunk our young men have been coming
back all year long," Morrison said at his
USC-FSU series
The last time Florida State played the
Gamecocks in Columbia, USC came away
with a 38-26 victory, a No. 2 national ranking
and a perfect 9-0 record.
That was in 1984, the year USC posted a
10-2 mark and earned a trip to the Gator
Bowl. In a game nationally televised by ABC,
USC jumped out to a 17-7 lead at halftime
and scored three quick touchdowns to take a
commanding 38-7 lead. The Seminoles
rallied, but it was too little too late to catch
use.
Last year's meeting between the two
schools in Tallahassee, Fla., was quite different.
Florida State led 35-7 at the half and
was never seriously challenged by the
Gamecocks in posting a 56-14 win before
54,721 fans and a national television audience
on ESPN.
Seminoles lead series
The series between the two schools began in
1966 and Florida State leads it 10-3. The
Seminoles have a 4-2 mark In games played In
Columbia and a 6-1 record in games played In
Tallahasiet.
The two independents will not play each
nd nuts, we'd all have a merry Christ
story of unde
it "
* USC't 27-24 lots to Nebraska was just another in a loi
y
ritory, and Georgia held on to win 13-10. The
e other near-miss the Gamecocks had was this
s year when Todd Ellis threw an interception
? inside the Georgia 15-yard line with less than
a a minute to play.
Notre Dame ? There's no doubt Notre (
e Dame has had one of the nation's most sueg
cessful programs. But you have to wonder
aoout the luck of the Irish, particularly in
y their game with USC in 1979. The Gamecocks
a jumped out to a big lead in that game in South ?
c Bend, Ind., and looked like they were going
s to pull off a gigantic upset. Notre Dame trail- i
ed 17-10 late in the game, but came back to ;
e win it 18-17 with a touchdown pass and a twos
point conversion. Back in 1976, USC played i
, the Irish tough, but lost 13-6 in a game attend- ;
s ed by President Gerald Ford. USC's only win
i against Notre Dame in four tries was in 1984. <
s <
1
Clemson ? The games with the Tigers have
I produced several upsets over the years. Un- i
i fortunately, Clemson has pulled off more <
i upsets and leads the series 49-31-3. In the last |
few years, the 1977 and 1980 games stand out. i
Carolina was down 24-0 at halftime against a <
t good Clemson team in 1977, but came back
with 27 unanswered points in the second half.
The Tigers, though, had the pass-catch com- 1
5 bo of Steve Fuller and Jerry Butler. Those I
two led the Tigers on a long drive and the win- <
? ning touchdown in the final minutes of nlav i
In 1980, Clemson was 5-5 and USC was 8-2 t
, and Gator Bowl-bound. Danny Ford put his
> Tigers in all-orange uniforms and the rest was <
' history. Clemson whipped USC 27-6, and in I
i the process intercepted a pass for a \
touchdown and kept George Rogers out of s
PREVIEW
]
weekly press conference. "I've really got a 1
great deal of faith in them that they're going <
to bounce back this week as well.
"They've shown a great amount of
character all season long and 1 think they'll 1
continue to show that," Morrison continued. <
i
The Gamecocks and the Seminoles have a i
' lot of similarities. Both teams are relatively
young and inexperienced, but potentially ex- <
plosive, on offense. The two defenses have '
i given up lots of points.
I The Seminoles' starting quarterback, Danny
McManus, is not expected to play due to a 1
I jammed thumb on his throwing hand. He will !
be replaced by freshman Peter Tom Willis.
I I
"We won't know (about McManus) until !
the end of the week for sure, but I would <
think it would be very doubtful," Florida <
State head coach Bobby Bowden said. i
has been exciting
I
Todd Ellis Sterling Sharpe <
c
t
other in 1987. However, a 10-year contract 1
has been made between the two schools and 1
the series will resume on Nov. 5, 1988 in
Columbia. I
?
Sharpe on record pace 1
i
Junior wingback Sterling Sharpe continues t
his assault on USC's receiving records. In
eight contests, he's caught 54 passes for 721 r
yards and seven touchdowns. He now 1
averages 6.8 receptions per game and 13.4 c
yards per catch. j
Sharpe has a good chance to break a pair of t
mas." ? Don Meredith
rachieving
JENNIFER STEIB/Th? Qamacock
lg string of noar-upsets for the Gamacocks.
the end zone, making him scoreless against
the Tigers for his entire career.
Lowly-regarded opponents have also ambushed
the Gamecocks on more than one occasion.
Division I-AA Southern Conference
opponents Appalachian State and Furman
have each beaten USC in Columbia. The
Mountaineers knocked off Jim Carlen's first
USC squad in 1975 39-34. And in 1982, the
Paladins of Dick Sheridan beat the
Gamecocks 28-23.
Lightweights of Division I have nl?n taken
the measure of USC. The most notable loss by
a highly-ranked Gamecock squad came in
1984 when Navy ambushed them 38-21 in Annapolis,
Md. Little-known Pacific beat USC
23-21 in Columbia in 1981. ,
It's true the Gamecocks have pulled off
some memorable upsets in recent years.
Gamecock fans will tell you with glee how
USC beat Michigan 17-14 in Ann Arbor in
1980, or how Gordon Beckham completed 17
3f 18 passes in leading USC past No. 3 North
Carolina 31-13 in 1981. Morrison has also
pulled off some upsets, in particular a 38-14
romp over Southern Cal in 1983 and a 36-32
:ome-from-behind win over Notre Dame in
19R4
But despite these great moments for USC,;
history shows that the Gamecocks haven'tfinished
off the good teams when they had the
opportunities and they haven't taken some of
heir lightweight opponents as seriously as;
hey should have.
This season's games with Virginia,
3eorgia, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and N.C.
state have continued the trend. Let's see
vhich Carolina team shows up the rest of the;
season.
As well as the similarities in personnel, the ,
teams are also comparable schedule-wisc. '
C* Ait i * ? *
i lunua oiaic, h-j-1, nas iosi only to
Nebraska, Michigan and Miami of Florida, in
addition to a tie with North Carolina. USC
has lost to Miami of Florida, Virginia,
Georgia, Nebraska and N.C. State and tied
Virginia Tech.
"They've been an unlucky football team,"
Bowden said of the Gamecocks. "There's
about four games they've nearly won. They
:ould be right up at the top like they've been
in the past, and so could we.
"I think South Carolina's just on the verge
3f doing something great," he continued.
"You just hope they don't do it against you." )
Despite the "most disappointing" loss in
[lis nearly four years at Carolina, Morrison
>aid his philosophy hasn't changed.
"I feel so badly for our young men to put
forth such great effort week after week," he
said. "It just hasn't worked out for them, but
*e haven't changed our philosophy. If they
:ontinue to work hard, then something good
is going to happen to them."
, high-scoring ; ,
.ingic-scason records set Dy hred Zeigler in1968.
Zeigler set the standard for passes:aught
in a season with 59 and yards in a!
.eason with 848.
Ellis sets new records:
Todd Ellis, USC's freshman quarterback,!
;et two more school records in last week's loss;
o N.C. State. His 297 yards passing and 22;
lompletions raised his season totals in those*
:ategories to 2,264 yards and 152 compleions.
The old records were 2,030 yards and
136 completions, both set by Tommy Suggs in )
1970.
earner xnis year, tins set records for com-.
)letions in a game with 26 against Nebraska
md yards in a game with 394 against Virginia;
rech.
For the season, Ellis has completed 152 of^
554 attempts for 2,264 yards and 15
ouchdowns. He also has 17 interceptions.
He has a good chance of breaking the;
ecord for total offense in a season, which i?
1,288 set by Jeff Grantz in 1973. Ellis has ac-i
umulated 2,238 yards of offense and ntftdt
ust 31 yards against the S?tniholll to break ,)
he record.
/