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Friday, October 11, 1996 Gamecocks BRYAN JOHNSTON Asst. Sports Editor Looking to break out of their threegame losing streak, the Gamecock football team travels to Lexington, Ky. this Saturday for a game against the Kentucky Wildcats. Playing the 1-4 Wildcats could be exactly what USC needs to break out of this streak. "This is one we need to win, and we need to get our focus off Auburn and on Kentucky," Carolina head coach Brad Scott said. Consider these numbers: in five games this season, Kentucky has scored 27 points; they have given up an average of 32.4 points per game; their offense is ranked last in the SEC with only 155 yards per game; they average only 73.2 yards per game through the air (SEC worst); and they average an SEC-low 8.6 first downs per game. As bad as these numbers look, Kentucky is a team that has given USC ! fits in the past. Since the two team's first game in 1937, Kentucky leads the series 4-2-1. "Our biggest challenge is this Kentucky football team," Scott said. "Kentucky has had our number over the years. Last year, they just gave us a real physical whipping." In that game, the Wildcats came to Columbia and beat Carolina 35-30 behind 299 rushing yards from Moe Williams. But Williams is gone, and this year's Kentucky team misses him. The one > win the Wildcats managed to pull off was a 3-0 victory over Indiana. Volleyball tea DWAYNE MCLEMOWE Asst Sports Ector The USC volleyball team hits the road to Tennessee and Kentucky this weekend trying to improve their best cuiiiei ciiue suu i cvci. The Lady Gamecocks, 13-3 overall, have began SEC play 4-0 for the first time in history. The team will be put to the test this weekend against two teams that have traditionally done well against Carolina. The Lady Gamecocks travel to Lexington to battle the Kentucky Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. \ USC-head coach Kim Hudson is impressed with the Lady Wildcats' play this season despite their 6-10 start. "Kentucky has really shown improvement since starting SEC play two weeks ago," Hudson said. "Their record is very deceiving." Kentucky is undefeated in SEC play at 3-0, a record that includes a threegame sweep over Georgia in Athens last . Friday. Despite losing two matches to USC last season, the Lady Wildcats lead the all-time series 9-3. Gina Heustis leads Kentucky with 195 kills, 127 digs and 13 aces on the season. USC then travels to Knoxville Sunday COS Achim Hi jjppp Friend of all Animal Bryan John Ijjfc'jR: Friend of all Wome; C< Dwayne McL( |j| " Friend of all V-Ball Pla> | : d Rob Gioie [ rh Hair Guru (M A WEIG] A/r a xt a nc iYini Y nvj Jj PROGRA FOR STUDE LIGHTEN UP! is emphasizes the ni necess Sponsored by the Thomson Student Ht i look to bri The Wildcats are led by one of two quarterbacks, Billy Jack Haskins or Tim Couch. Haskins was the signal caller 1995, but the heralded freshman Couch has this season put some pressure on Haskins for the job. Haskins has completed 28 of 63 passes for 223 yards while Couch has completed 16 of 50 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown. The tailback position features Raymond McLaurin. He leads the team with 209 yards and one TD. As for the receivers, six wide receivers have caught at least one pass this season. True freshman Quentin McCord is the leader with 10 catches for 97 yards. n v Tr n "t n oopnomore j\evin ^oieman nas six catches for 66 yards. The Kentucky offense is not potent, and if the Gamecock defense plays the way it has the past two weeks, don't expect the Wildcats to break out of their slide this week. The Wildcat offense does not feature a powerful running game as their 81.8 average rushing yards per game shows, but the passing game can do some damage. USC will need to put pressure on either Haskins or Couch. The linebacking trio of Darren Hambrick, Shane Burnham and Benji Young has played well lately. Hambrick is tied for bang the secondleading tackier on the club with 44 hits (23 solo). Last week, he had seven tackles, one QB sack, one QB pressure and two tackles for a loss. Young had four stops and one tackle for a loss against Auburn. Burnham ims faces roac to take on the Tennessee Volunteers at 2 p.m. Hudson also knows not to take the Lady Vols lightly. "Tennessee is also much improved this year, having defeated Georgia in Athens last weekend," Hudson said. The Lady Vols are 10-8 on the season, and 2-1 in the SEC, also winning on the road against Georgia, 3-1. USC also swept Tennessee in their two matches last season, but still trails 16-7 overall. Tennessee, led by junior Jenny Meeks, plays at Florida tonight (17-1,4-0) before being the host for USC. Both USCs matches will be broadcast live on Sports Radio 1400 AM and will begin about 10 minutes before of each matcn. ine Laay uamecocKs voice will be Keven Cohen. This weekend, Hudson hopes to benefit from lessons learned throughout the season. "We have gained a good bit of confidence and volleyball smarts the last few weeks," Hudson said. "We will need every bit of that this weekend." Laridn wins SEC Flayer of the Week Junior Heather Larkin was named SEC Player of the Week following her . ; ! s f Kfll int USC Flc s 21-10 ru ston use Fl< n 20-11 *more USC Fk ras 20-11 p USC Fl< jijxjiv ' . . : : :x: ~W T B A n up: MENT m an 8-week, self-pacec - , 111 i mriuonai, Denaviorai a ;ary to help you lose w AND KEEP IT OFF! ?alth Center and implemented by Open i Call 777-8248for more information. fifth in the SEC and 24th nationally. Sophomore free safety Arturo Freeman is the team's leading tackier with 51 total hits (31 solo). Strong safety Ben Washington has 33 total tackles and had seven hits against the Tigers. USC's scoring defense of 18.6 points per game rates seventh in the SEC. The Gamecock defense has come up with nine turnovers through the first five games - five interceptions and four fumble recoveries. The South Carolina offense came to life this past week in Auburn and looks to continue this week. Quarterback Anthony Wright has been solid in his first five starts at the helm. Wright has thrown for 1,209 yards and five touchdowns and is completing 59.4 percent of his passes. He is the third-rated passer in the SEC with an efficiency mark of 143.7. Against Auburn, he completed a career-best 20 of 27 passes for 271 yards and a pair of TDs. Senior running back Duce Staley had his consecutive 100-yard games broken at four. He came up one yard short with his 99-yard effort. Staley enters Saturday's game ranked 11th nationally in rushing, with 133.8 yards per game. He is the second i challenges tl performance this past weekend against Auburn and Alabama. Larkin recorded 19 kills, 11 digs and five total blocks against Auburn, and served the match-winning point in game fivp She then had 15 kills against Alabama, hitting .429. "Heather is hitting more than .300 in SEC matches," Hudson said. "She is proving she is one of the best middles in the conference." On the season, Larkin has 191 kills, 150 digs and 20 service aces, and is hitting .304. Carolina Firsts The team and individual players are atop several SEC statistical categories. As a team, USC is first in digs per game (24.63) and assists per game (16.00). Individually, sophomore Ashley Edlund is first in assists per game (15.13) and freshman Fe Laires is first in digs per game (6.13). Home Sweet Home The Lady Gamecocks return home next weekend to face SEC-rival Georgia Oct. 18. In-state rival College of Charleston visits on Oct. 22. la/ LSU FSU/Miami Texa )rida Miami I orida Miami Te; )rida FSU K Drida FSU Tej I program which inH fitnpQQ phanapQ XA VAAVL7U N/XAM.Ai^VU 'eight... Door Health and Wellness Programs. SPO jak out of I has made 44 tackles (16 solo), which is tied for second on the team. He had seven stops and .5 sacks against Auburn. The secondary has been efficient in shutting down the opposition's passing game and must continue to do so this week. USC's Dass-efficiencv defense rates naaxner Lamm wocn? me oaii. ? > Tech/Kansas Texas A&M/lovva St. Cansas Texas A&M tas Tech Iowa St. .ansas Texas A&M cas Tech Texas A&M I 1 E X C L U 5 i ISLE FAMDCQ 9300 Two I Student IVIen & RX or S Call 7J iRTS osing skid leading rusher in the SEC and is averaging nearly five yards a carry. USC is developing an explosive passing attack largely because of the number of receivers Wright has to choose from. Marcus Robinson, Corey Bridges, Ben Fleming, Calvin Owens, Zola Davis, Staley and even fullback Steve Mixon have allowed Wright to pick from a wealth of talented receivers. The Wildcat defense could have their hands full this week if the Gamecocks continue to execute the big plays. Wright has the two longest pass plays this season in the SEC with passes of 77 yards to both Bridges and Robinson against Mississippi State. Staley has the sixth longest run in the SEC with his 51-yard TD run against Georgia. The bottom line is that this is a game South Carolina can and should win. The Wildcats are a struggling team and the Gamecocks are a "hurting team that is hungry for a victory," according to Burnham. The thing to be worried about is the Gamecock's history of making a good showing against stronger teams, but having a tough time and often losing to teams of lesser quality. If this team shows up, USC could be headed for its fourth consecutive loss. On the other hand, if the past-twoweeks' Gamecock team shows up, it should even its record at 3-3 and be back on track for a bowl bid. his weekend Kj - ? *<. \ W"- t i f - v i * ' it I *w r , ma Special to The Gamecock SEC Player of tho Week junior T? am /^v /-? 1 -ri riccinaii iiidKi in Gamecock: JOSHPENROD Senior Writer r Once, someone said there are two types of people in life: the leader and the follower. Someone else then said there is always an exception to the rule. Consider true sophomore defensive back Arturo Freeman that exception. Freeman, in his second year as a defensive starter,' sees himself as both a leader and a follower. _ "In a sense, I consider 1 myself as both. With one year of experience [as a starter], I" ' may be considered a leader to V certain people. On the defense, 9 certain players like Darren 9 Hambrick and Benji Young have been places that I haven't ^9 been yet. In that case, Tm a 9^| follower that listens to them | first Instead of saying Tm freeman the leader of this defense, rm like a leader and a follower. "In the secondary, guys that play with me, like Terry Cousin and Ben Washington, are leaders. I put myself with them, and I also follow them," said a very humble Freeman who is good at dodging attention to himself and redirecting it to the entire team. The youngster of the South Carolina secondary, Arturo Freeman has been conducting his own game of follow the " leader, lately. He leads the defense with 51 total hits, 31 tackles and 20 assists, and leads the rest of the defensive pack by seven hits. Freeman also leads the squad in pass breakups with five to go along with the one interception acquired in the Auburn game. Freeman has been perfecting leadership for years, but playing the role of the follower will be something of an adjustment. Freeman did-his share of leading during his career at OrangeburgWilkinson High School. As a Bruin, Freeman saw more playing time than a Casey Casim Top 40 hit. The O-W star played wide receiver, defensive back, was a return specialist and set a state record with 108 receptions Not to mention, Freeman boasted 1,318 receiving yards, 16 touchdowns, 3 1AO L 1_1~_ 3 O * i i.: ana iuo uacjues ana o interceptions on defense. The honorable mention All-American made all-state, all-region teams and was named the AAAA Offensive Back of the Year. So it is no surprise coach Brad Scott starting making contacts with Freeman during his junior year of high school and near the end of Scott's career as a Florida State coach. "I had a lot of offers from schools like Tennessee, N.C. State, Notre Dame, some SEC and Big Ten schools," Freeman said. "Coach Scott recruited me when I was in high school and he was at Florida State. "So, I always remembered that face. Pait nets two ii ft* ff n ||m|m Man Kopons ] The USC men's soccer team downed the Bulldogs of The Citadel, 6-0, i Wednesday night at Eugene E. Stone j IB Stadium in front of 428 fans. i The Gamecocks outshot the Bulldogs, .16-3, and improves its record to 3-5-1 j on the year as The Citadel falls to 3-8 1 in 1996. < Junior All-American Clint Mathis J. i-l_ _ n 1 1 A - _LiL pui ine vjamecocKis up, i-v, in uie eignin minute after taking a Chuck Prosser i pass 30 yards out on the left side and ] drilling a curling shot to the upper right corner of the net. j MVELY! AT ' VISIONCTR Notch Road Discount Women iunwear 16-9114 1 ng an impact secondary I was not so much interested in South Carolina at tnat time oecause in nign school everyone wanted to get away and go somewhere else. But Coach Scott kept his interest up, and I took a liking to him. I came up here and felt like this . was the place for me," said Freeman, who is now only about 30 minutes away from his home in Orangeburg. Freeman and his Gamecock defensive team mates will set their sights Ion Kentucky's lackluster offense this weekend. However, the Wildcats have two solid quarterbacks, junior Billy Jack Haskins and freshman Tim Couch, who both h?ive not performed on averaged this year, but could potentially have a breakout game at any given time. The Wildcat offensive unit has only made it into the end zone an anemic three times in five games. Nonetheless, Freeman and his victorystarved mates could really use a win over the Wildcats although, technically, they can spare two more games and still get into a bowl game. The Gamecocks are playing Kentucky as if the game had all the value of the SEC championship. This game is very important Every game is important. The games that we lost are behind us now, but we can make them up, Freeman said. "We've got Kentucky this week, and we're only focused on Kentucky. We know this can be a strong team and a good team. "In the SEC, during any given week, anybody can be beaten. Kentucky played us hard last year and proved that they are a good team. urm a i i i ney come at you nam ana pnysicai. We're going to go up to [Lexington] with our mind focused on beating Kentucky and doing it well," Freeman said. Keeping in mind that Arturo Freeman is only a sophomore, he could potentially have two more seasons left, which is a lot of time to reach the goals he has set for himself. Freeman admits that he has thought about his collegiate future. "Sometimes, before [I] sleep at night, I think about what I want to accomplish my junior and senior years. [I think] about what I want to accomplish, what I want to do, where I want to be. "I try to keep it all in perspective, but I have a lot of expectations. "I want to establish myself as a leader in the secondary at USC and a leader in the SEC," said Freeman who is already on his way to doing both. Last year, Freeman was chosen for the SEC All-Freshman team and was USC's third leading tackier. Kentucky head coach Bill Curry may also have a few things on his mind before he goes to bed and with Freeman and the Gamecock defense probably on that list, it is likely that Curry will not get a good nighfs sleep. m soccer win At 11:12 Robbie Pait took a Chris Morman pass in the middle of the field 40 yards away from the goal and dribbled down the left side and beat Bulldog goalkeeper Robert Fluhr to the bottom right corner. Prosser increased the score to 3-0 it the 32:01 mark. Forty-five seconds later at the 32:46 mark, Ryan O'Neill scored in the middle of the field from 10 yards to close the half at 4-0. In the second half, Hans Whetstone scored his first career goal at the 45:23 nark. Pait added his second goal at the 32:01 mark to end the game at 6-0. (Whistle Sound Here) TIME OUT! Read Gamecock Sports. (Game On) The Long Kiss Goodnight (R) Sc.#l 1:40 4:15 7:00 9:30 The Long Kiss Goodnight (R) Sc.#2 2:10 4:40 7:30 10:00 D3: The Mighty Ducks (PG) 2:05 4:35 7:15 9:35 First Wives Club (PG) 1:50 4:20 7:20 9:45 Fly Away Home (PG) 2:00 4:30 Trainspotting (R) 7:25 9:55 Emma (PG) 1:45 4:25 7:05 9:40 . A Time To Kill (R) i:zu 4:iu im v:3U