The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 03, 1988, NEW STUDENT EDITION, Page 12, Image 12
Ellis cai
By the Associated Press
With his third college football
season less than two months away,
South Carolina quarterback Todd
Ellis is feeling the growing burden of
being the trigger man in the
Gamecock offense.
tveryooay warns to asx ine questions
'Am I getting better, and am I
as good I've been labeled to be," said
Ellis. "Everybody, including myself,
has had big expectations of what I
have to do."
South Carolina earned a bid to the
Gator Bowl and a No. 15 ranking in
the past season, but Ellis' skeptics
grew when he threw 24 interceptions
and only 10 touchdowns. He also
finished second in televised battles
against Steve Walsh of Miami and
LSU's Tommy Hodson.
"I had the highest passing ratinjg
of any quarterback coming back
after my freshman year and I had
some big numbers last year, but not
in some areas.
"I didn't throw 20 touchdowns,
but Harold (Green) ran for (15),"
Ellis said. "Things balanced out in
our offense and I think that's where
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File Photo
Sporting Gamecocks
In less than a month, the
Gamecock football team will take on
its first gridiron opponent, North
Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium
on Sept. 6.
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people got a misconception of
whether I was progressing enough.
"Last year I don't think the team
or myself progressed well enough in
the offense to the point we could take
advantage of the run-and-shoot. I
feel like we're on the right track
now," he said.
Ellis will still be under the gun in
the revamped pro-style defense, but
not with the intensity of the past two
years. Much of the success in the runand-shnot
had rpcfpd nn his ahilitv fn
make the correct read on the run, and
to thread the often shifting "eye of a
hole" in the defense.
Defenses knew the spread offense
so well by the close of the 1987
season that Miami forced the
Gamecocks to run some plays for the
first time, including a 47-yard
touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe.
"Sometimes people expected so
much they tended to forget that Todd
was just a sophomore," said Coach
Joe Morrison. "We handled our
situation last year as well as anyone
could have."
"You could always say he needs to
throw less interceptions, but for the
number of times he threw the ball
Morrison s<
From staff reports
Fred Jackson, receivers coach at tl
Naval Academy last season, was named
coach at USC. Jackson will coach the
receivers and tight ends.
Jackson brings 16 years of coaching
high school and collegiate levels to Soi
was an all-conference quarterback in hi
Jackson State. Jackson began coaching t
in 1987 after having served on the staffs
of Toledo from 1979 to 1982 and tl
Wisconsin from 1983-86. He coache
quarterbacks at Toledo and also served <
dinator there from 1981-82. The 1981
the Mid-American Conference champi
won the California Bowl. From Toledo
Wisconsin where he coached the Badj
quarterbacks for three seasons and servi
offensive coordinator for the 1986 ses
prize pupils at Wisconsin was A1 To
receiver for the New York Jets.
USC Head Football Coach Joe Mc
Jackson "brings an outstanding bac
Gamecock program."
"We're pleased to announce the app<
Jackson as our receivers coach," said M
very impressed with him, both as a coach
He has coached some outstanding pi;
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254-2663
1 of expeci
(432), 24 really wasn't too many," Stf6(
the coach said. "That number will be
cut drastically this fall because of the I Op
nature of the (pro-style) offense."
USC improved from 3-6-2 to 8-4
last year, but Ellis at times struggled ;
as defenses charted the Gamecocks'
offensive tendencies. His number of
touchdown passes was sliced in half
tn in anH hie infprr?pritinnc rncp h\/
two. But he passed for 3,206 yards
and still completed 55.8 percent of 1
his attempts.
Now Ellis should benefit from a
recharged rushing attack and the addition
of offensive coordinator A1 1
Groh.
"The new offense is going to help
my progression for the pure fact that
when we go out each game, defenses
can't say Ellis is going to throw 35-40
times and that's what we've got to
stop," he said.
"I hope the attention and the excitement
and the expectations people
have of me will always be there
because I expect a lot of myself.
"I just hope they will learn to
understand how the quarterback fits
into a system, not how the system fits
around the quarterback," Ellis said.
elects assistant
career and has a good, s
receivers. He is highly resp<
le United States we're glad to have him a
assistant football staff."
Gamecock wide Jackson said that he w
Gamecock program,
experience at tne "It's very exciting for n
jth Carolina. He come in and work with suci
s playing days at coaches like there are at So
he Navy receivers iug a quarterback the calibe
at the University tial of the receivers we ha\
tie University of possibilities. I feel fortunati
:d receivers and grateful to Coach Morrisoi
3S offensive coor- Tar-t-cnn ic a native r?f Ra
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roledo team won tered three years in footl
ionship and also Scotlandville High School.
, he moved on to at Jackson State, earning a]
?er receivers and year. He received his B.S.
ing in addition as 1971 and holds a Master
ison. Among his Michigan,
on, all-pro wide Jackson began his coac
High School in Flint, Mich
jrrison said that his teams went 56-14. H<
kground to the honors in both football anc
Jackson also spent one year
aintment of Fred League,
orrison, "We are Jackson replaces Willian
i and as a person. the assistant coaching posi
ayers during his business firm.
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et & Smith's 1988 1|L
20 Pre-season poll:
5. UCLA ' ^ -L.
5. SOUTH CAROLINA ,, Mmuk
7. Auburn Jt fl
8. Miami
Oklahoma
10.Nebraska
11. Iowa
12. Alabama
13.Michigan State
14.Texas j|H^K
15.Penn State ? ^
16. Michigan
17.Notre Dame ^,. *??.** *'*
18.Louisiana State
19.Washington
20. Pittsburgh
coach A Cocky Art
olid background in coaching Quarterback Todd
ected in the coaching field and season with the new pi
s a member of our coaching
'as excited about joining the 198*
le to have the opportunity to Sept. 6
h a fine group of receivers and
uth Carolina," he said. "Hav- Sent jo
:r of Todd Ellis with the pocen- P
rt presents some very exciting Sept. 17
e to be in this position and I'm
i for this opportunity." Sept. 24
iton Rouge, La., where he let>all,
basketball and track at Oct. I
He was a four-year letterman
ll-conference honors his senior Oct. 8
degree from Jackson State in
of Arts degree from Eastern Oct. 15
:hing career at Southwestern Oct. 29
ugan in 1971. in eignt seasons
; earned Coach of the Year Nov. 5
i track during his stay at Flint,
playing in the World Football Nov. 12
l "Tank" Black who resigned Nov. 19
tion in June to join a private
_
CAROLINA PI
August 21 - A
New Students - Welcome to cam]
party and sessions on campus invc
college life in and outsid<
Call Student Orientation at
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Ellis will lead the Gamecocks through an 11-game
o-style offense. The team posted an 8-4 record in 1987.
8 use Football Schedule
NORTH CAROLINA HOME
7 p.m.
WESTERN CAROLINA HOME
7 p.m.
EAST CAROLINA HOME
1:30 n.m.
GEORGIA HOME
1:30 p.m.
APPALACHIAN STATE HOME
1:30 p.m.
Virginia Tech Away t
1 p.m.
Georgia Tech Away
1 p.m.
North Carolina State Away
1 p.m.
FLORIDA STATE HOME
1:30 p.m.
NAVY HOME
1:30 p.m.
Clemson Away
1 p.m.
IE VIE W '88 II
Lugust 25
jus! Pep rally, dance, pool
dvement and adjustment to
i of the classroom.
777-2780 for details.
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IN STOCK
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