The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 22, 1996, Page 7, Image 7
Friday, November 22, 1996
Gamecoc
BRYAN JOHNSTON Asst. Sports Editor
Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and
^ Florida are all big games on the
Lramecock football schedule.
But this Saturday is The Game.
It's time, once again, for USC fans
from all over to make their semi-annual
trip to the rolling hills and pastures of
the Palmetto State for the CarolinaClemson
battle.
The 94th episode of this epic rivalry
has the makings of a classic.
The game will feature two excellent
v defenses that have stopped some of the
better offenses around, and two offenses
that have the capabilities of exploding
at any moment.
Clemson comes into the game 7-3.
The Tigers started off 2-3, but have since
reeled off five victories in a row, two of
which were against Top-25 teams. The
Tigers broke into both the Coaches' and
AP polls this past week and are most
likely headed to the Peach Bowl.
"Clemson is one of the hottest teams
in the country. They've looked very
impressive coming off five straight wins
and have looked somewhat unstoppable
on both sides of the ball," Carolina head
coach Brad Scott said.
South Carolina, on the other hand,
I I i 111
% Jft11 oC
I ?r
m wu < _
rl I f X l
"I i 8 j o LZ
|k Offi
i
So...If y
i 0U pttU>C FUI
Specializing in ci
Ken Dennis, R.C.
(803) 561-9818
1900
' d.isc<
/Q services
I The <
8 Bir-r
1 1
I B
i T
tjjj Now Open in ][)) I
Five Points I
AM
4
ks one vu
started off strong, winning their first
two games. They then proceeded to drop
three in a row. After winning three
consecutive games, they dropped backto-back
games to then-No. 6 Tennessee
and No. 1 Florida.
As of right now, the Gamecocks are
5-5 and are one win shy of qualifying
for a bowl bid.
Their last shot to qualify comes
Saturday against archrival Clemson in
Death Valley.
Clemson's defense is led by sophomore
linebacker Anthony Simmons and junior
defensive end Trevor Pryce.
Simmons is a name that Gamecock
fans remember from last year's game.
Simmons made 19 tackles, three of which
were for loss against USC last season.
Pryce has been on a roll as of late.
He had eight tackles for loss in a twogame
span. Against Maryland, Pryce
had 10 tackles, including four tackles
for loss and two sacks. He now has 51
tackles in seven games and has 14 tackles
for loss.
"He's been a tremendous impact
player for them," Scott said. "I've not
seen a player in a long time dominate
the line of scrimmage like Trevor Piyce."
As much pressure as the Gamecock
offense is going to face Saturday, it is
C;
Achim Hunt r,
Boss Hog 39-27
ryan Johnston ci
Hash 42-24
'ayne McLemore r.
Sheriff Little 41-25 __
Josh Penrod 73
Uncle Jessie 23-17 c
T. Wagenheim C1
The General Lee 3-2
ennifer Stanley cc
Daisy Duke 27-13
5ric Caldwell Cc
Bo Duke 99-1-1
\dam Snyder c,
Roscoe 13-7
Chris Jackson
usmilfljgppcoin
REALTORS;'" INCORPORATED
ce: 252-6332 Beeper: 612-07
3-Mail: ACTIONJ247.aol.com
our looking for A.C.T.I.O.N. ... e. >
NATIVE HAIR CL
LL SFRVIHF SAI
* vhmbbbewmb ?
jstomizing hair coloi
uts for your lifestyle.
By appointment only
i Broad River Rd., Suite B
Hint on all 4 CQ
i with coupon | ,
cold wet
-r-rkens
RKENSTOC
he original comfort shoe
pmaNt^
-
six:
in shy of
good news to hear that senior Duce Staley
will De DacK.
The senior All-SEC candidate returns
for the first time after suffering a severely
sprained ankle in USC's 27-0 victor
over Vanderbilt on Oct. 26.
Til stand by my statement that he's
going to be able to participate in the
game How much heTl be used, we might
wait until Saturday to find out" Scott
said.
Staley needs only 17 more yards to
become the first back since Harold Green
in 1987 to rush for 1,000 yards in a
season.
"Even if they have to roll him out
there in a stroller, I want to see him get
1,000 yards," USC quarteiback Anthony
Wright said. T don't care if I have to
carry him on my back."
What capacity Staley will be at is
undetermined, but what is known is
that USC has found a quality back to
fill-in for Staley if he can't go.
In last Saturday's 52-25 loss to the
Gators, freshman Troy Hambrick
emerged as a budding star. The
Lacoochee, Fla., native rushed for 120
yards and had one TD on 20 carries
against a very good Florida defense.
The Plamcnn rlafarica V?oc ohlo
A llv VlVlilUWli UViWl^V 11UO k/VVll UWIV
to shut down the run most of the year,
arolina/Clemson Auburn/'Ban
irolina 34-29 War Rag It
emson 22-16 Roll Tide R
emson 29-17 Roll Tide R(
trolina 21-14 War Eagle
emson 35-13 War Eagle
irolina 27-24 Roll Tide R<
trolina 24-13 Roll Tide R<
trolina 21-20 Roll Tide R<
Inside this Realtor:
A wareness
p C ommitment
T horoughness
I nnovation
O ptimism
N imbleness
JNIC M C0SMET0L0G\
I ASSOCIATION
Q^j MEMBER
ing and unique
Beside Lizard's Thicket 2
doors down from Hooters
I0Q around the back.
1/ discount on all
f 0 products with coupon
ither I
tock. f
I
s
P
Memphis ^
K g
i
631 Harden Street
U . Beside Yesterday's
j?l 254-9488
Ik i
>RTS
bowl bid
but has been susceptible to the pass,
especially the deep one.
"That is a concern," Clemson head
coach Tommy West said in his Tuesday
press conference. "I would anticipate
tnat they 11 watch the him, and 1 m sure
they'll take their shots on the deep ball
on us."
Wright, who has thrown for 1,730
yards and only five interceptions in 10
games, will have to get the ball to wide
receivers Marcus Robinson, Corey Bridges
and Zola Davis if USC is to move the
ball.
If they can establish the pass,
Clemson will have to honor it, and, thus,
the running game will open up.
Defensively, the Gamecocks must
stop the run if they want to win the ball
game.
The trio of tailback Raymond Priester
and fullbacks Kelton Dunnican and
Emory Smith have combined for 1,646
of the 1,951 (84.4 percent) Tiger rushing
yards this year.
Priester has rushed for 1,087 of those
yards. The junior has six touchdowns
and averages 4.9 yards per carry. Last
season, Priester carried for 85 yards and
had one TD on 17 carries against
RIVALRY page 12
sum
??
Michigan/ OSU WVa/VT
^ Buckeyes Hokies
oil Buckeyes Hokies
311 Buckeyes Hokies
Buckeyes Hokies
Buckeyes WVa
3ll Buckeyes WVa
d11 Buckeyes Hokies
oil Buckeyes Hokies
And'
OWLl
!
In A Civil aut
one of the fiercest and
Army-Navy game. Fei
season, and in the proc
j
Little, Brown
1 Buckle up.
*
SEC Volleyb
kicks off at
DWAYNE McLEMORE Asst Sports Edtor
c
The 1996 SEC Volleyball Tournament
begins today and runs through Sunday,
^flfAYeaf foskia College Football's Purast Rivalry H
Now Available At:
Phone: 803/777-4160 Fax: 803/777-861
http://www.usc.bkstr.com
buttercup, i
It's the law.
and the Lady Gamecocks will be looking
to win their first conference title ever.
Carolina enters the tournament 217
and 104 in the SEC, its best conference
record ever. The team finished second
in the SEC Eastern iJivision, earning a
first-round bye, and will take on
Mississippi at 7 p.m. today at the
Volleyball Competition Facility.
Although Carolina defeated
Mississippi on the road this season, Lady
Gamecock coach Kim Hudson said the
match with the Lady Rebels will be no
easy contest.
"Mississippi is a good team," Hudson
said. "We will have to play well. They
have consistently gotten better throughout
the year and have beaten some good
teams."
The Lady. Rebels were 18-9 and 6-7
in the SEC, and finished third in the
SEC Western Division. The team is ,
coming off a big 3-2 win over Western
Division Champion Arkansas this past
Sunday.
The team everyone will be gunning
for is Florida, ranked No. 1 nationally
in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches' Poll.
The Lady Gators were 29-1 and 14-0 in
the SEC, finishing first in the SEC
Eastern Division, and will be looking to
win its fifth straight tournament title.
'Hudson said Florida is certainly the
favorite to win the tournament, but
doesn't rule out any surprises.
"Tournament time is always a time
when teams can be upset," Hudson said.
"That's why it's exciting. Arkansas,
Auburn and South Carolina are playing
voru u/oll ricrVit nirai "
Arkansas and Auburn tied for the
SEC Western Division title at 11-4 in
the conference. The Lady Razorbacks
were 21-9 this season and have been on
top in the West for three straight yeare.
Arkansas coach Chris Poole said the
tournament feels like a whole new season.
The Lady Razorbacks face the winner
of the Mississippi State/Tennessee match
at 5:30.
The Lady Tigers finished the season
21-8 and have won eight consecutive
conferences matches. The total wins are
the most ever for Auburn.
Lady Tiger coach Liz Bitzer said she
and the team are excited about the
WmTmmi
War Was 1
hor John Feinstein provides
most storied rivalries in col
nstein focuses specifically o
ess paints a vivid picture of
?
7
all Tourney
Carolina
tournament and taking on the winner
of the Alabama/Kentucky match.
"We're looking forward to giving
ourselves a shot at the SEC title," Bitzer
said.
The Lady Gamecocks will be looking
to advance past the semi-finals, where
the team has lost to Florida the past two
seasons. A Carolina/Florida match won't '
be possible until the finals.
Hudson, however, said the team will
be operating under the same philosophy
it has all season: one match at a time.
Larkin, Edlund named All-SEC
Carolina junior Heather Larkin and
sophomore Ashley Edlund were named
to the All-SEC First Team Thursday.
Sophomore Cindy Robarge was selected
to the All-SEC Second Team.
Larkin leads the Lady Gamecocks
in kills, with 336, and in hitting, at .297.
It is the second straight year for Larkin
on the first team.
"Ifs nice to know the coaches have
recognized my hard work," Larkin said.
Edlund leads the team in assists,
with 1,146, and added 100 kills and 285
digs. Her 12.93 assists per game was
fourth in the SEC.
If s a great honor because the SEC
is real competitive and there are some
good setters," Edlund said.
Robarge was third on the team in
kills and had 10 SEC matches in doublefigure
kills.
Tfs certainly an honor for me because
I am from South Carolina, and I'm sure
it means a lot to the state for volleyball,"
Robarge said.
Florida coach Mary Wise was selected
SEC Coach of the Year while Lady Gator
Jenny Wood earned Player of the Year.
Georgia's Rebecca Dady was selected as
the Spalding Freshman of the Year.
Also named to the first team were:
Denise Baez and Tina Rico of Arkansas;
Allyson Beecroft and Rani Whitson of
Auburn; Nina Foster, Auiymar Rodriguez,
Nikki Shade and Jenny Wood of Florida;
Gina Heustis of Kentucky; and Carmis
Franks ofLSU.
I
MM AMM
KTI1HE '
Wm XHk Ml
IISTORY
a riveting account of
Lege football: the annual
n the breathtaking 1995
honor, glory, and victory.
JIbh^ perfect gift
for your
favorite
pi football
I
Ir ship out!