The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 31, 1990, Page 8, Image 8

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Woods deser time to builc There seems to be some criticism and rumbling going on concerning the ineffectiveness of USC head football coach Sparky Woods. The questions being asked are: Can he get the job done, and is he the right man for the job? Woods does not deserve the criticism he is receiving. Sure, the Gamecocks are struggling right now. Yes, the team is making a lot of fundamental mis taices sucn as missing tackles. out golly geez, Wally, give the man time to get the job done. Woods is only in his second season at USC. It takes longer then two years to develop a program. Does anyone remember the state of the USC football program when Woods arrived? The Gamecocks were reeling from a season gone sour. In 1988, USC lost four of their final six games, including the Liberty Bowl. The season saw a steroid scandal brought into the national limelight with the Sports Illustrated exposure. The death of USC's head football coach "the man in black" Joe Morrison at the end of the season was both an emotional setback and a program setback. USC was without a head football coach smack dab in the middle of recruiting season. The hiring of Woods was a signal that the university wanted a man of integrity to fill the role of one of the most scrutinized jobs in the state. And Sparky fit the bill. Several Gamecock players have lost eligibility (defensive back Dale Campbell, linebacker Tim High and receiver Carl Piatt to name some of the more noteworthy ones) because of rule violations under Woods' system. This is a clear sitmal that Wnrwk k a nn nonsense type coach. 4 i The Gold Universii ( Fall: C ab Shi I i OFFICE HOURS: M-F 9:30-5:30 211 MAIN ST. ves patience, I program f Doug Aube Pep Talk The criticisms concern USC's two consecutive losses to teams that most people expected the Gamecocks would beat. Parity is here in college football, and anyone can get beaten on any given Saturday (as evidenced by Notre Dame's loss to Stanford and Tennessee's loss to a 1-3 Alabama). Granted, USC shouldn't have lost to The Citadel, and it's a shame the Gamecocks are seen as a model for what can happen in college football. But let's not pin the team's dissapointments on one person. Coaches get too much of the credit when their team wins and receive too much of the blame when they lose. If you take a look at the big picture, you will see that Woods has a 10-7-1 record since arriving at USC, which isn't that bad. The team did suffer some blowout losses last year but was able to put together a winning season none the less. There are a lot of struggling football programs across the nation who would die for a 6-4-1 record (USC's mark last season). Just two weeks ago, the Gamecocks were 4-1 and playing host to four bowl scouts (including the Citrus Bowl) and were entertaining the idea of receiving a Top 25 ranking. There weren't many criticizers at that point, or at least they weren't very vocal. TV - ? ii s easy 10 praise wnen me going is good and even easier to See PEP TALK page 9 en Key National Hone Ly of South Carolina cordially invites all Oolden Key Member to the 1990 Induction Cere for New Members November 1,1990 7:00pm lussell House Ballroc What's the BIG DEAl out Whaley s l\ uttlecock service across s Full furniture package Laundry facilities Sleep/Study lofts Swimming pool Security U/HALEYX MILLji ~wr 254-7801 ( ^Hjjj^Hfck^l^^Ppjjjj^^^F - i^2~m 11 iHk^K^W WrlMp- TmMil~" aR y"-**||.>| | File ph USC senior guard Karen Middleton puts up a shot in a game la year. Middleton and the Lady Gamecocks open the 1990 seasc Nov. 9 with an exhibition aame aaainst the Beloium national team Thinkof the six women closest toyoi Now guess which one will be raped this year. One out of six college women will be sexually assaulted this year. But you can chang the odds of it happening. Simply by trying to avoid situations that leave you or yoi friends vulnerable. For starters, follow security measures. Don't prop residence ha doors open. Walk with a friend after dark. And be aware that date rape is a maj< problem on college campuses. With many of these rapes involving drinking. Then share these facts with six of your friend. And maybe none of them will becom another statistic. 1 United VNtey of the Midlands dp Society I Chapter ^ Ynn monj Jt j We can guarantee fast sei because we have a lens labors staffed with expert technicians r in our store. In fact, most presc J tions can be made in just one h But if you don't receive your gla when we promise them, you gel lenses free. ;treet Coli Located in th upper level n 736 yjsr I rv /-* rree i I Test for vi I balance a determiro Offer expires 11-30-90 eyBOHIII iF*SS UUfiggU^H Try our Ci Not valid with any other offer DliraSOft ( KJLUUUmLhA&I | or on previous purchases. diSDOSabk & ASSOCIATES i^Ofee^esn^M I Women's be has hopes f( By RICH TAYLOR Staff Writer Coach Nancy Wilson's Lad) Gamecock basketball team is bus) preparing for their final Metrt Conference season, and despite All-American Beth Hunt's defec tion, are excited about the possibil itv of brincine home the confer I-? O O ence crown. The team must offset the loss o Hunt and a murderous schedule with team balance, enthusiasm ant great perimeter play. Leading the Lady Gamecocks i< Karen Middleton, a 5-foot- 10-incl sharpshooting senior guard, whe averaged 13.2 points per game las season. The team's leading return ing sewer, Middleton is one of the nation's deadliest three-point shoo ters. The McBee, S.C. product al ready holds every three-poin school record, including most at tempted (447), most made (202 and highest pecentage (.452). Point guard Sherry David, a 5-foot-6-inch senior from Ben nettsville, S.C., is the team's othei oto returning starter. Blessed with lightning-quick hands and the ability to make outstanding passes and >n steals at any given moment, David will team with Middleton to comprise one of the Metro's finei guard tandems. She looks to improve on last year's 3.7 points pei [J game while continuing to distribute the ball to open teammates. David is tied for fifth in career as sists per game ana ranxs ninin ir total assists in the USC record books. ;e Also returning at guard for the ir Lady Gamecocks is 5-foot-4-inch II Lori Joyner who played in all 33 3r contests a year ago. Joyner should contribute heavily in a back-up role. Newcomer Nicky Bass, a highly regarded freshman from Newberry, Fla., is rumored to be a Martha Parker clone, which is good news for Lady Gamecock ipPfor iHaMeTc bBeliev vice You will receive our complete itory 20-step eye examination that inight eludes tests for glaucoma, periphrip eral vision and refraction. And every our. exam is conducted by an experiisses enced Doctor of Optometry. Make t the an appointment or simply walk in. utnbia e Columbia Mall I ext to J.C. Penney ? * -U -8600 WQ. "W 1^0? isual acuity, muscle I j i/ nd color vision. This test | s if a comprehensive | is necessary. GC I offer expires 11 -30-90 tact | 2Q%OI basoft contact lenses, 'OlorS Or New Vue ' Not valid with any other c I Contact lenses. I or on previous purchases. GC | Offer expires 11 -30-90 isketball team 3r Metro title fans. The 5-foot-7-inch Bass is f said to be a fundamentally sound f player who will help make the 3 backcourt one of the team's great3 est strengths. A pair of centers will vie for playing time in the middle this C I HK1U yc41. oupiiuiiiuit ivioiana yy uiiaius, the team's tallest player at 6-feet* 4-inches, comes off a solid fresh; man campaign in which she 1 backed up departed 1000-point scorer Schonna Banner. A member 5 of the Metro All-Rookie team a 1 year ago, Williams looks to be} come a more dominant rebounder 1 and shot blocker as she patrols the middle this season. Competing with Williams for playing time at center will be 6-foot-3-inch sophomore Michelle 1 Murray. The Columbia (A.C. Flora) product contributes size and ) a wealth of potential to the Lady Gamecock frontcourt. 1 A bevy of talented but inexperienced players will compete for r playing time at the forward posi1 tion. At the top of the list is 5-foot-11-inch Shayla Wilkins, ' who sat out last season fulfilling ' Prop 48 requirements. Able to swing between guard and forward, Wilkins' versatility should bring her substantial playing time. Ann Gardner, Beverly Hawkins, Treka McMillian and freshman Wendy Moss will all play a role in the team's success. All but Moss 1 are seniors, and Coach Nancy WilI son expects leadership as well as solid play from the veteran trio. The Lady Gamecocks begin 1 piay inov. v againsi ine Belgium National team in Carolina Coli' seum. A trip to the Hawaii Invita1 tional Tournament follows on Nov. 1 23-25. The rest of the schedule in1 eludes games with traditional powi ers Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and N.C. State, in addition to Metro Conference play. id )See e It. *T!t unconditional I 1 satisfaction M Nobody else in the business offers a "no risk" guarantee like OptiWorld. If you're not completely satisfied with your new eyewear, simply return it within 90 days and we'll exchange it for free. No questions asked. At Opti-World, you don't pay more, you just get more! )PTIMD, ! ff Prescription | Eyeglasses | Choose the perfect pair of glasses ,ffer (frames and lenses) from our extensive selection. cc | I [f Non-Prescription j Sunglasses i You've got it made in the shade I iffer with our Ray-Ban, Serengeti and | Vuarnet sunglasses. GCj