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Sports 8 THE GAMECOCK Friday, September 4, 1987 Mountain HU<-*" . ) T "Ifli J*jt ^ "ffiir in ISfefll * i < .' '"* ' '* ,'# ^ . ir USC's new "50" defense will be Che eer Fire Ants e> By TRACY MIXSON Staff writer USC's "Fire Ants" are dead. Nicknamed five years ago for its garnet-colored jerseys and tenacious style of play, the Gamecock defen it _ i 1. | ? Sive unn win nave a new iuok anu u new game plan when USC opens its season Saturday against Appalachian 1 State. ** New defensive coordinator Joe Lee ^ Dunn replaced USC's 4-3 defense with an aggressive, odd-man 50 -_z front, which was installed this past 3* spring. ^ And what of the Fire Ants? cl "As far as I'm concerned, that ^ term is dead," Dunn said. "We've ^ got a new plan here, and we think it T dei - chs enl N ^ T ss JLC mot h exei vn j r 1! A?MYI?fstr / \ 1 \ ? To find c Call Cap at Lcgarc leers lool PC ,W '' Ipi iter of attention Saturday when the Gan J crerminuieu ? best fits the personnel we have." The coach must rebuild a unit that had its problems this past season, allowing 366 yards and 26 points a game and greatly contributed to a dissapointing 3-6-2 record. Under former defensive coach Tom Gadd's design, the unit read opponent's offensive setups before plays began and responded with a pre-planned attack. But the new 50 allows the defense to read and res^ ?l ,lm "This is a multiple-look defense," said Dunn, who has worked with the 50 defense since his early coaching days at the University of Tenn.-Chatanooga 16 years ago. "We're going to be doing a lot of UC U1US mandii allengii jghteni igorou atisfyiri iifficuli wardii ivating itinsrco u cant n nnllar \/F nrarFPCTR v L- W 1 1 ^ ?ut yourself about ROTC tain Schlcssman at 777-6. : College on the Horseshc k nrrTT-niT^r ring to en lecocks take on Appalachian State. for new "5 things that people won't expect. With this defense, we're going to blitz more often than most people with it do." Dunn adapted the defense from the 50-man front used by the University of Michigan. To overcome a lack of size, the front line will blitz more often rather than playing man-to-man, which was used with the 4-3. The greatest change will be for the noseguard, who will line up across from the center and will play the football rather than the opposing guard. Another change will come in the secondary, which will play more man-to-man coverage, but will have to adiust to losing the support of the I it Iff. lig, mg, o a, & t, lor ^and rnrse ake ye. :ainTnc corps scholarships visit lis )C. id Gamec is m v i 0" defense linebackers used with the 4-3. The new defense adds a second linebacker to fill any gaps left open by the front line. Directing the unit's setup will be the middle linebacker, where honorable mention All-American Derrick Little will get the start. Noseeuard Rov Hart, who led USC's line this past year with 73 tackles and four sacks, said he prefers the new defense. "We don't have to sit and wait on the snap ? now we can react to the offense and keep them off guard," he said. "We're going to be blitzing more, and based on that, we'll be able to move in faster and try to make the first move." 5 SruutNi i At Thi s J 1. Each Week of Eac Monday Room 2 !; Tuesday Main Lc p Wednesday Mai f *2. Exception Secon J Tuesday Room 2 f'j 2 Wednesday Mai 0 Thursday Main L P J. Tickets Remaining Stadium At Stud 1 J iNdEpENdENT ORC \ j Fratesn i 1 handicappcd or d faHHHHn I ock dom ty WAYNE WASHINGTON >ports editor Gerald Ford was in the White louse. Todd Ellis was eight years old, and im Carlen was USC's football 1. lOiltll. Those arc characteristics of the fear 1975 ? the first and previous ime Appalachian State defeated JSC in football. That season, Carlen's team went 7-5 for the season and on to a 20-7 oss in the Tangerine Bowl at the lands of Miami, Ohio. This season, there arc a few amerences. Ronald Reagan is president; Todd Ellis no longer plays Little League; and the Gamecocks arc coached by Joe Morrison. There is, however, one similarity between this season and the season of 1975. Now, like '15, Columbia is alive with predictions of post-season play. The Gamecocks are in the Top 25 of most college football publications. "South Carolina looks like a bowl team to me," Mountaineer head football coach Sparky Woods said. "1 think they are very talented, having some very explosive skilled kids and great speed at receiver." Perhaps the most explosive is Ellis, a 6-3, 203-pound sophomore quarterback. Ellis shattered many freshman passing records this past season, but the record most people remembered was USC's 3-6-2 final mark. ir I Sou^h Carolina Va.: [ 1972: ' -SC ,4 lj-7 ' 1973: I?- - SC,i35 -14 . l*197i:1\ h ' Sc,<2 l ktr: \1975: | V\ -- /?$, 1976: it\\ ''SC,il-10r - , lt^7:.3>- " SG, 12417! | 1985: \ -SC, 20-13 ' -i WILLIAMS ? B Tickers Will Be D e Russell House As h Home Game 03 8:00 AAA - 4:00 PAA >bby 9:00 AAA - 4:00 PAA n Lobby 10:00 AAA - 6:00 d Game AAonday 7 Sept. !03 8:00 AAA - 4:00 PAA n Lobby 9:00 AAA - 4:00 F obby 10:00 AAA - 6:00 PAi 3 Will Be Available At W ent Ticket Window, on G BLOCK SEATIN )ANizATioNS ? Check With : Office 777-2654 ! r* I L u/:iL l u Tits ? v.ntJLK vvim jut? n isAbud Stucents Can G 777-6744 1 ination ! "The way people measure you is if you win," Ellis said. Winning is something the/" ^ ^ Gamecocks have made a habit of in^ w ^ season openers. USC has compiled a .651 winning percentage in season openers. This past year, however, Heisman Trophy-winner Vinny Testaverde led the Miami, Fla., Hurricancs to a 34-14 drubbing of the Gamecocks. The Mountaineers will look to do the same when they travel to Columbia this Saturday to take on the Gamecocks. ASU went undefeated in the Southern Conference this past season and won nine of 12 games. "Year in and year out, Appalachian State always fields a very competitive football team," Morrison said. "They were picked to win^ , k M the Southern Conference in their ^ league's pre-season poll, and I know they are expecting to have another good year." One thing fans at Williams-Brice Stadium can expect to see is USC's new "50" defense. A healthy Derrick Little will lead the Gamecock defense, which gave up more than 27 points per game this past season. ? :..i- l?. Lvi I lie | wuu v*aa nuii iui uiuvu v?i the season, switched to linebacker after coming to USC as a defensive end. Fans in Mountaineer country expect ASU to continue their winning tradition. Local fans expect USC to establish one. Something's got to give. { | ^ Appalachian Swte ~\... \ i I I 1 ymuiiiuiu i I. J atCc Idmbia j '"3 ?-= ' 7 i-?tthCalumbia RICE STADIUM SC leads, 6-1-0 x. Q ? ( r+ | ^isTRsbuTEd fj* I Follows: i-1 | PM [S Is A School Holiday | >M |n | illiams-Brice jv? j { ! 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