Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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

SEC f By TIM THORSEN Sports Editor The 1992 season marks the 60th anniversary of Southeastern Conference football, and the conference is celebrating by beginning a new era in its rich heritage. Divisional play, expanded schedules, bowl alliances, and a first-ofits-kind championship game are the results of the conference's vision yS for the future. This was all made possible through the additions of the two newest members into the SEC family, the University of South Carolina and the University of Arkansas, July 1, 1991. Since that date, anticipation has built toward what could be the most historical and exciting season in SEC history. Perhaps the most exciting development brought forth by the additions of the Gamecocks and Razorbacks is the SEC Championship Game, to be held Dec. 5 at 83,091 seat Legion Field mi in Birmingham, Alabama. This Di game will feature the champions of ev< the Eastern and Western Divisions tic of the SEC, battling for an auto- N( matic bid to the USF&G Sugar wh Bowl. Fo "The excitement surrounding the tea inaugural game will be unsurpassed fe\ in SEC history," Commissioner nil Roy Kramer said. "It certainly is Th fitting that our 60th season be cele- sei brated with a game of this magni- bal tude," Kramer said. The game, which will be tele- w* vised nationally by ABC Sports at lar 3:30 pm Eastern time, will also ke mark the debut of the newly-for- stc Gamecocl BY ROB RODUSKY Staff Writer The TTniversitv of South Carolina wi ~ ?? ???'?? kick off one of the most challengin schedules in the schools history as the enter a new era with its football prograj as they battle the Georgia Bulldogs o _ _ A 1 _ 11 ooiDau /sou77^smmlM0s:' ?_,??? ilated tie-breaker system in score. T1 vision IA college football. In the points ir jnt of a tie at the end of regula- be declai in, the SEC will implement The s< ]AA Rule 3-1-3 (Extra Periods) has also rich was altered by the NCAA SEC cor otball Rules Committee to allow team wi ims to have a tie breaker with as its divisi v exceptions as possible to the teams in es pertaining to regulation time, division e extra period will consist of two with rota ies with both teams putting the Thus, e; 11 in play from the opponents 25- switch b rd line. From there the overtime three int 11 be played exactly like a regu- school h season game, with each team which tl eping the ball until they are and theii )pped in four downs, or they from or c football s Sept. 5. Head Coach Sparky Woods begins ? fourth year with a very demanding sch 11 ule as eight teams that played in be g games a year ago help compromise the ; :y slate. These schools combined for a 72m 1 (.755) record last season. 1 >n Gamecocks will play a full eight ga Spor I turns opposing d example, the each of the Division teai Arkansas an a rotating b 1 v eighth game 88| 1116 next tw( go to Louisi S; 1995, Aubui J involved in t originally d the New Ye The winn Championsh an automatic Sugar Bowl. In additic provide te< Citrus Bowl he team to score the most f?r the next i the overtime period will Bowl repre, ed the winner. second rated :hedule of each SEC team team will be hf^n exnanded from seven lowing c itests a year to eight. Each Championshi 11 play the other teams in Conference I on once, and three of the or better re the opposing division. The team rani al games will be played Today/CNN iting home field advantage. Eve places < ach year, the venue will pating in th etween the schools. For the Game, as of tra-division contests, each the regular si as two other SEC schools The confe ley will play every year, , remaining i third game will be chosen Jacksonville le of the four remaining member of tl quad has 1 schedule in addition to taking on no his ference opponents East Car ed- Louisiana Tech and longtime inti >WI rival Clemson. fall New faces will need to step forwa 23- play key roles for South Carolina, wl he 1,000-to-l shot to win the SEC, this me Offensively, new starters will line fflflgiB ^ ^ JK>- 1 Btil ts /TA SEC has of its Ion . . , , c BY ROB RODUSKY lvisional teams. For ..... .. ^ , ? . Staff Writer i Gamecocks will play i other five Eastern ' 'ie Southeastern tns, as well as playing ^as ^cen at t^lc ^orc| i Mississippi Slate on nat,onal scene oeic tkp year history and agai uoio. ixiv \jaiiivvwivo , . .. , , AI , e leadership in this tim will be Alabama for t-on 1 , yerns, and wiU .hen 1 Af(er competing wil 3113 fnni" a ^ers s*nce 1966,the rn in 1996 and 1997, corned the Univ ss in 1998 and 1999. Arkansas and the Ur it contracts are so that South Carolina in 19 ill have one home and charter members me against each foe. Auburn, Florida, C is also heavily Kentucky, LSU, W he new Bowl Alliance, State, Tennessee and esigned to produce a on July 1, 1991, Ar ip matchup in one of South Carolina becan ar's Day bowl games. schools to be added er of the SEC ence history, ip Game will receive Arkansas and Soul : berth in the USF&G participated in SE( onships for all sports m, the SEC will also footbal1 du g ^ 19' .ms for the Florida emic ^ and the Gator Bowl cpr'", !- ,, ~ The SEC currentl' three years. The Ctm njne spons fm bo(h jtJ senlativc will be the women's programs as team in the SEC. The Men- baseball, I selected using the fol- football, golf, swimn riteria: (1) SEC and track (cross cour ip Game runner-up; (2) and outdoor), cam that has an equal Women- basket cord; (3) Conference gymnastics, swimmi ted in the USA track (cross country, Coaches' Poll within outdoor) and volleybai of either team partici- SEC schools beg; e SEC Championship competition with oi the first Monday after almost 100 years ago i? of thp Sonthprn Tntf sasun cuus. ? ? rence will then allot a Athletic Association, representative to the . ^everal institutions based Gator Bowl as a Auhum Oeorgta, Ge re bowl coalition II. North Caroltna. Se' ong road ah n-con- quarterback, both receiver spots, cen olina, and offensive tackle, astate Redshirt senior quarterback Wri< Mitchell will get the nod to conduct Soi rd and Carolina on the offensive side of the b; ho is a He beat out competition from redsh year. sophomores Kurk Frederick and Ei : up at McDowell,N redshirt freshman Bla fVPVfVVHHFVI imiiBii j 1 reason to be proud g football tradition Vanderbilt) attended the SIAA organizational meeting in Atlanta Conferefice December 22, 1894. ront of the Student teams from the lout its 60- schools began meeting in various in provided sports with little pattern to their e of transi- contests. Baseball was the most popular campus sport, but footLh 10 mem- was quickly embraced by SEC wel- Southern schools, ersity of The ^irst football game in the tiversity of Southeast was played April 9, 90. Joining 1880, on the ground now called Alabama, Old Stone Field at the University Georgia! Kentucky. Kentucky, then lississippi known as Kentucky A&M, was Vanderbilt, host to the contest in which kansas and Transylvania College, then called tie the first Kentucky University, upset in confer- Centre College 13 3/4 to 0. The Southeastern Conference th Carolina certainly features a tradition-rich 2 champi- football history. Over the years, except for 11 SEC schools have won or 51-92 acad- shared national championships, the football The SEC annually leads the nation in home game attendance, y regulates with last year's per game average > men's and of 66,610 far and away the counfnl 1ah;c* c laodor iuiiw w o. u j o ivauvi. basketball, On the gridiron South Carolina ling, tennis has played every school in the ltry, indoor SEC with the exception of Arkansas and Mississippi State, ball, golf, The Gamecocks have faced ng, tennis, Georgia the most, with this fall's indoor and clash being the 45 th game of the 11. series. an athletic Speaking of Georgia, the ae another Bulldogs were the second oppoas members nent South Carolina played in its ircollegiate long football school history. The two teams squared off in (Alabama, Columbia on November 3, 1894, orgia Tech, with Georgia earning a 40-0 wanee and shutout. . ead in SEC ter Williamson and true freshman Steve Taneyhill. jht For the first time in recent memory, the jth Gamecocks appear to have quality depth at ill. runningback. To best utilize that talent the irt Gamecocks are expected to feature more See GAMECOCKS page 32