The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 06, 1996, FOOTBALL FEVER, Page 2, Image 12
2
Brad Scott (
ACHIM HUNT Sports Editor
When Brad Scott arrived in Columbia
on January 2,1994, he was billed
as the savior of the USC football program
that had struggled to records of
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5-6 and 4-7 during the last two years of
the Sparky Woods era.
Scott immediately went to work on
his first recruiting class, and pulled in
Anthony Wright and Zola Davis as his
prized recruits.
Although past coaches would snag
one or two big namea.and a load of
mediocre players, Scott got one or two
great players, and then the rest of players
were not great, but above average.
Scott then took the returning players
from 1993 (who were not that great)
and added his first freshman class, and
sent them through what Coach Scott
called "the most aggressive work-outs
this school has ever seen."
TT. i. . . 1_ _ x . x 1 J __ x
ne looK a team inai corn a not compete
in the fourth quarter in 1993, and
not only conditioned them to compete,
but led them to the first bowl win in the
history of Gamecock football. That history
is 104 years old this season.
In his first game against Georgia in
1994, Scotfs team fell just short of winning,
as a late interception thwarted the
Gamecock comeback. How did the
T7 4-1 11 4
ruuiuaii i<
BRYAN JOHNSTON Asst. Sports Editor
The Gamecock football team has
high hopes for improving in the 1996
season, following last year's disappointing
4-6-1 record.
With a great recruiting class put together
by Brad Scott and his assistants,
the next few years could be good for
Carolina.
But down the road is not what fans
want, they want a winner now to cheer
for.
This year's team should be better
than last year's, but the Gamecocks are
still a year or two away from competing
week-in and week-out.
So expect better results this year,
I
The Gamecock I
continues to r
_ team respond? "That play CO
They went on a r *
four-game winning 3SK60 my C03I
streak, including wins thought the Ik
over Danny Ford and CaUSe thOSe tt
Arkansas, and a win
at Death Valley Brad Scott, footb
apainst 1511. kirknff anainct P.l*
D rawnvii w^uii iwi vn.
And who can forget and a bert|
his gutsy call on the ??*
second half kickoff
against the Clemson Tigers in the regular
season finale in 1994.
He called the kickoff return throwback
that went from Brandon Bennett
to Reggie Richardson.
"That play could have went either
way," coach Brad Scott said.
"I asked my coaches if we should
have run it, and I thought the headphones
were broken because those
things went silent.
"So I decided to run it because I
knew it had a chance against their
swarming defense."
i nen ne iea tne team to a Dig wm
against West Virginia to finish his first
year 7-5, and record the first ever bowl
win for the football program.
Then he brought in another high
ranking recruiting class that featured
Auturo Freeman, Chad Barnhardt, and
Darren Hambrick.
sam will ha
but don't set your sights on the SEC s<
championship...yet. A
There are two important reasons h<
the Gamecocks are a step away from pi
greatness.
First of all, they are young, lb start U
things off, one of two sophomores, An- fo
thony Wright (a redshirt) or Chad
Barnhardt, will direct the offense. Nei- m
ther have started a college game, so ex- &
perience is a problem. The two are set
to battle it out in pre-season. CI
Sfmnd tVip (tnmprtvlra have a verv V;
difficult schedule. After an easy opener
against Central Florida, the Game- uj
cocks host Georgia, East Carolina and
Mississippi State. U
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uld have went either way. I
ches if we should run it, and I
ladphones were broken belings
went silent."
all head coach, on the second half
jmson in 1994 that led to a 33-7 USC
h to the 1995 Carquest Bowl
Expectations for a big winning season
were rampant and people were expecting
a nine- or ten- win season, and
a major bowl.
And then came along a little thing
i:u~ 4. li i:i~.
we iiA.e w can rcaiiiy.
Coach Scott said the Gamecock fans
were on a wild ride, not really knowing
where they were going.
Well, the fans found out soor
enough when they came crashing of
that horse against Georgia.
Last season was awful, as the defense
struggled to even show up foi
some of the games, especially thos<
against Kentucky, Tfennessee and Flori
da.
After the horrible showing last year
Scott made some changes in his coach
ing staff, including his secondary anc
defensive line coaches.
Then he went nnt and nnlleH ir
some of the nation's top rated players
,ve ups ar
:hedule begins. Road games at
uburn and Kentucky, followed by a
)me game against Arkansas, should
ove to be a challenge.
After a light week with Vanderbilt,
SC better hold on, because they're in
r a rough trip.
On November 2, USC hosts Tenessee,
and then travels to "The
vamp" to take on Florida.
Finally, the annual grudge-fest with
lemson is on November 23 in Death
alley.
Here's the way I see things shaping
3 for the 1996 Gamecocks:
SC 49 Central Florida 3. The
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Friday, September 6,1996
im towards n<
including Jacob Bush, Courtney Leavitt
and Troy Hambrick. All of these
players have been impressive thus far
in practice, but the true test comes Saturday,
not only for them, but in many
? fans' eyes, as it is time for the Gamecocks
to start winning games.
Will he produce? My answer is that
coach Scott has all of the right players
? to compete, but those players are really
young and have not experienced
much, if any at all, big time college footl
ball.
Most people do not understand this
I concept. Think back to our first day on
campus.
j You were probably nervous and did
t not know where anything is or did not
know anybody.
i Well, that is the same for those firstf
year ball players.
They have been exposed to only
- three weeks of the Gamecock playbook,
r and even the players that have come
i from the larger high schools have only
- played in front of maybe 10,000 fans
tops.
, There will be 80,000 in the stands
- on Saturday.
1 So coach Scott continues to build a i
program that was struggling, at best. ,
i Will he accomplish his goal? Stay tuned |
s and find out. I
H owns fV
X. V4- Vi-vy T T JL AU UX .
but will serve as an early season feast ti<
for the Gamecocks. th
use 24 Georgia 19 This will be A
a great ball game. USC wants ta
revenge for last year's second-half col- of
lapse in Athens. of
d?
USC 27 East Carolina 17. This
ii
will be a much closer ball game than "
some expect. Two years ago, the Pirates
came into Willi am s-Brice and won. If
USC takes them lightly, it could happen
again. ^
USC 35 Mississippi St. 13. br
The Gamecocks should remain unde- _
feated and keep their hopes of a na
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File Photo
Samecock football head coach Is
known as both a good coach and a
motivator. At Florida State he
coached stars such as Delon
Banders and Charlie Ward.
Carolina fans are hoping that he
can uo i.itf ?am*> iw piayan lino
Zola Davis and Anthony Wright,
rhe Gamecocks play their home
?pener tomorrow against Central
Florida at 7:00 pm. The next game
Is against Georgia Sept. 14.
lis season
Mial championship alive by thumping
le Bulldogs.
uburn 31 USC13. Carolina
kes the day off against the wrong
>ponent and gets waxed. The dream
anational championship is
ished.
SC 35 Kentucky 28. This
iould be an offensive show as the
Gamecocks come back strong to resem
themselves.
rkansas 22 USC 21. Ahearteaking,
last-second loss to the
PREDICTIONS page 3
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