The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 19, 1995, Page 7, Image 7

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;ks silem Tuesday, September 19,1995 Gamecoc E LARRY WIliiAMS Sports Editor Before South Carolina's third football game of the season Saturday, there was a myriad of questions surrounding the status of the team, such as: Would the Gamecocks make an opposing running back a Heisman trophy candidate for the third straight week? Could the offense finally get on track and become the explosive offense that it was once billed? Would the fans show their disappointment over the first two losses by staying home? In their 68-21 trouncing of Louisiana Tech on Saturday, the impending questions were answered with flying colors, and the team's critics were silenced ? for the time being. Before the game, few expected the Gamecocks would rout the Bulldogs with the ease at which they did. Sure, Tech wasn't a powerhouse football team, but after being blown out at Georgia and Arkansas the previous two weeks, no one was placing any bets on the Gamecocks. On radio talk shows in the week proceeding the game, many expected USC to have trouble with the Bulldogs before emerging victorious. Few expected Carolina to lose the football game, but all agreed on one thing; if Louisiana Tech was able to run the ball with the ease that Georgia and Arkansas did, it was going to be a long day for the gamet and black. From the outset, it appeared that the Gamecocks were determined to stop Tech's running game at any cost. On j their second offensive play from scrim- , mage, the Bulldogs were stuffed, trying to run, the ball for a two yard loss. On ] their second and third rushing attempts, ' Tech managed two yards. For a defense j that yielded rushing yardage by the mile in the two previous games, this was cer- i tainly a start. i For the most part, Carolina's defense < answered the challenge and held Tech's i running game in check throughout the ] rest of the game. If you look at the numbers, however, you could be deceived. For the game,. Tech accumulated 210 rushing yards, which is pretty good on paper for the Bulldogs. When we look Wisconsin Carolina midfielder David Tart drills i loss to Wisconsin In the UMBRO Gamecocks face Wake Forest Wednei iTJfePk ,, 1 ^ ^ ^ ' In Saturday's 6S-21 rout of Louisiana recorded their first win this season, back, however, it remains clear that 1 rech's running game didn't exactly "have a its way" with the USC defense. a At the end of the first half, Tech had i a total of 97 rushing yards. 72 of those ' Mime on a run by receiver Chad Mack- < ey, who took a laterally thrown pass and i took advantage of poor Carolina tackling to score a touchdown. Take that i away and USC has given up a grand to- 1 tal of 25 total rushing yards in the first ] half. 1 Take away the 76-yard run by Tech's | survives la Is u JAMIE CLARK The Gamecock > header In the Gamecocks' 3-2 Kick-off Classic Sunday. The tday at 7 p.m. at the Graveyard. SPOI ce critics I i Tech, Gamecock fullback Stanley Prttc while opening a four game home stand. Lee Ragsdale late in the fourth quarter, ling c idd it two the 72-yard run by Mackey, some! md you have a total of 148 rushing yards are st n two plays. Subtract the 148 from the S< 210 yard total, and we have the Game- run tl :ocks giving up only 62 yards rushing the bi for the game. assui Of course, we can't do that, but it's win t interesting to look at the two plays. On sume the first, Mackey scored as a result of gave poor tackling by the USC secondary. On game the second, Ragsdale scored late in the they1 *ame with Carolina's second and third whicl 3tringers in the ball game. Poor tack- calibe te Carolina I University of theg? i/Vinconsin's quick start ^t{ leflates Carolina's confidence early in ti Sunday's loss. come 'ATRICK DOHERTY Senior Writer 2,232 fans attended Sunday's game it the Graveyard to watch the Gameocks begin their regular season home chedule against the No. 17 Wisconsin ladgers with a 3-2 loss. The Badgers opened up early on the J|| lamecocks, scoring three unanswered w oals against USC in the first 58 min- ? ites of play. Wisconsin's Bryan Grimm scored Klb, he first goal at the 22:05 mark, and Ihea Huston followed closely with a goal t the 32:08. The first half ended with Wisconsin in the lead, 2-0. Mathl The second half began much as the ag rst half ended, with Wisconsin's Travis ?c toy scoring a third straight goal 13 min- . ^ tes into the half. ^ After the seemingly devastating third oal, the Gamecocks came out fighting, gjvg ^ ressing on the defense and moving the gQn ^ all consistently into Wisconsin territo- cutTfir f. Clint Mathis scored at the 6702 mark, amm iitting the deficit to two goals. Six min- 01" Wl1, tes later, Josh Wolff scored, making Now we you the b Monda Monday SKo ITS , muzzle hett finally showed some of the rui The Gamecocks play SEC foe Kentu :an be corrected; at least it's not T 1 ' il ill. 1 J __T _ tiling mai me coacnes ana piayers one e ill trying to figure out. ing c ) you might say, "Well, Tech didn't Tane he ball as much, they could've run rippi all all day on Carolina." We must recor ne that Tech's coaches wanted to hill,! he game, so we can therefore as- his p ! that they devised a scheme that favoi them the best chance to win the Zola i. They might have believed that read ?uld exploit Carolina's secondary, rece; 1 hasn't exactly played to All-SEC recor ir in past weeks. en rt rally 3-2 Vc ime a-2. ine liamecocks were un- _ >] 3 score again, though, and the Bad- wa leld on for an upset of the No. 4 we, scocks. Coj le fact the Gamecocks were able to taU back against such a lead does say en( 'or the team, even in defeat. The ?ta ophy for the team so far has been foi rerance and determination the face of a positive or e(j ^ negative situation. jn . fey Although their En record stands at En ; gH 2-1, the Game- Cai HP cocks have als showed the abili- tea] ty to continue a We< high level of play j|g|g|HK in any situation. 11] Sr The game was Err J~ marked by an extra-sperial event, a tv otie and the Blowfish drummer 10, kmi" Sonefeld was presented with gan jy honoring his No. 15. was e loss is especially stinging for the 211 cocks, who pulled off an impres- add ctory against the then-No. 2 Clem- ] gers a week ago. The Gamecock's coc! it schedule puts USC in a good po- 15-* to rebound, though, with a 7 p.m. kills Wednesday at home against Wake 121 ( opei day : Sol: p.m rHT 7/^ give wo ird on " mm vers .vs. scor mat folio at 8: the! iper ? in hi I - dyG XR t Bulldog * Wiiii * jf %r >t W fll ^ k -tfb* pm![ & m;? % at# <# I J^HPI^HnppP^jn^ llf^iP^ J * 8 ^ ^ lining skill that made him powei icky Saturday at 12:30 at Wllliai "he offense finally looked like eveiysxpected it to before the season. "Goleep" was the order of the day, as syhill, Means, Staley and Company ed the Tech defense for a schoold 679 total yards. TaneyhillisTaneyMonty Means is finally living up to otential, and Duce Staley is a crowd nigarat, who was the MVP at the < rolina Classic two weeks ago, was 0 named to the All-Tournament i m at the University of Arizona last ikend. < The Lady Gamecocks lost to No. 1 Michigan State 15-1,15-1,15-10. < aigarat had 10 kills and 10 digs. > Against Maryland, Carolina built 1 vo-game lead, winning 15-13,15- ' but went on to lose the next three S les, 15-11,15-10,19-17. Carolina 1 led again by Ermigarat who had 1 tills. Sophomore Heather Larkin i ed 18 kills with two blocked shots. In Friday's action the Lady Garnets defeated Cleveland State, 15-2, 3, 15-13. Ermigarat recorded 12 and seven digs, while Larkin added tills. Carolina nnw fl-S nn thevoac is up their SEC schedule Wednes, as they take on No. 4 Florida at Blatt P. E. Center. Gametime is 7 . and admission is free. men's Soccer he Lady Gamecock soccer team ck for three goals in the first 21 utes of play to down Radford Unility, 3-0, Sunday at the Dedmon ter Stadium. funior Tessa Kenerson opened the ing for Carolina at 2:05 into the ch. Freshman Lexi Tourtellotte wed with a goal off a direct kick f 41 and Jennifer Miller closed out > scoring at 20:28 on a breakaway. JSC outshot Radford 13-5. Fresht Emily Crain made four saves e recording her first solo shut out sr first start of the year, n earlier weekend action the Laam ecocks defeated Virginia Cornwealth Friday, 1-0, at Richmond. IS 68-21 , # t s | ite (Duuuuuuce!). Also, freshman Davis calls for salivation. He's aly on pace to break Robert Brooks' iving record for a freshman. The d is 34, and Davis is averaging seyiceptions per contest through only SC SPORTS urn illeyball fhe Lady Gamecock volleyball squad s hit with a little sports reality this ekend: the road can be a lonely place, ach Km Hudson and her squad were ight this lesson twice over the week1, losing to Maryland and Michigan tte Saturday at the Michigan State lrnament in East Lansing, Mich. Senior Kori Ermigarat was elect- 1 to the third All-tournament team as many weeks. On the weekend, 1 nigarat had 43 kills in three games, i TO ^ | :: ... ' rful weapon last season. Carolina ns-Brice Stadium. three games. So things are looking up for the Gamecocks. Sure, the rest of the season will be tough, but give the players, coaches, and fans credit. Let them bask in the glow of victory, for they deserve it. No, Louisiana Tech isn't exactly an SEC-caliber team, but USC won more than convincingly when they weren't necessarily expected to. And, judging from eras gone by, Carolina fans need not be reminded of losses to teams that they were supposed to beat. Tourtellotte scored the winning goal in the 101st minute from a Tessa Kenerson pass. Freshman goalie Amy Toms made four saves on ten shots for her third shutout on the year. The Lady Gamecocks face Charleston Southern Wedenesday at 4 p.m. at the Graveyard. Cross Country The USC women's cross country team finished fourth at the Wake Forest Cross Country Classic held on the Wake Forest University campus Saturday. The leading performer for the Laiy Gamecocks was Tracey Capper, who alaced fourth with a time of 18:21.1. Others scoring for the Lady Gamecocks vere Lisa Monti (20th, 19:18.8), Claire Kelly (22nd. 19:409). Marv Barrv (27th. JO: 13.2), and Katrina Smith (31st, 20:24.5). Carolina will travel to the Nike nvitational on Sept. 30 in Minleapolis, Mn. COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25 The Top 25 in the Associated Press college football poll, with previous ranking in parentheses. Si 1. Florida State (1) 2. Nebraska (2) 3. Texas A&M (3) 4. Florida (4) 5. Southern Cal (6) 6. Penn State (7) 7. Colorado (9) 11 8. Ohio State (10) 9. Michigan (11) 10. Oklahoma (14) 11. Virginia (16) 12. Oregon (20) io. lexas ^ io; 14. Auburn (5) 15. Tennessee (8) 16. UCLA (12) 17. Miami (12) 18.LSU (nr) 19. Kansas State (22) 20. Georgia (23) 21. Notre Dame (24) 22. Washington (18) 23. Alabama (13) 24. Maryland (nr) 25. Arizona (17) _