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> fii It's not time for the Gamecocks to panic, but the alarm is about 60 minutes from going off. Sixty minutes of football action, that is. V All Aim nt?a rv-f o i AM CnfiiK/lr.tf x uu.i v^uancio ui aiwiuii uatuiuaj will go a long way in determining the | outcome of the 1997 South Carolina " football team. "I think this is a crucial game, and we, on the defense, we feel like this is a must win game," cornerback Lee Wiggins said. Of all the teams the Gamecocks could face to turn their season around, it's kind of ironic that this game comes against the one team that has given them fits over the years, East Carolina. 1. ? uou nas lost its last two contests to ECU, with the Pirates averaging nearly 40 points a game. The last time Carolina traveled to Greenville, the results were the same as USC was downed 3120. The last time a USC football team defeated ECU in Greenville was in 1985, when USC beat the Pirates 52-10. But when the Gamecocks (1-1) travel to Greenville Saturday to play the Pirates (1-1), they will not only be look| ing for a win but will be looking to play better than they did in their first two games. "I don't think our football team has played up to our capabilities yet," USC coach Brad Scott said. "When we do that, I think we're going to be a solid football team." * Scott gives 1 1 Achim ljuni | "Well, we didn't play well against Georgia," USC coach Brad Scott said. "I think that is very obvious. We didn't ^ execute early on especially. Then we didn't step it up in the second half when we had an opportunity to do that. "Georgia is a good football team, and they certainly had a great game against us. I thought that they kept us off balance very well, and their preparation for us was outstanding. We are going to get that straightened out, and that is the most important thing, we are going to get this thing straightened out. "I don't think our football team has played up to our abilities or our capabilities. When we do that, I think we are going to be a solid football team. Singleton sp< | new world order | ^ "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." - Ernest Hemingway When I arrived at Sanford Stadium at the University of Georgia, I had high hopes for a close game. When I left, however, I had this Sartrerian feeling of nausea over what had transpired. I had broken one of my own tenets ^ of Singletonian philosophy (No. 9: It is better to be cynical and surprised than to be optimistic and disappointed). By now, everyone has read the various news articles and columns about Saturday's game, and many people have started to make their plans for basketball season, but I haven't. Nevertheless, it is only the third week of the season, and already, Gamecock fans are pressing the panic button. ^ I have heard friends say that the football team will go 3-8,4-7 and even 1-10 this year. To all of these people, I don't think you would be saying that if we were 2-0, no matter how badly we played in those ball games. Besides, we're only 1-1. WtMlfMijiiiuiijud com surasl After a di k Carolina lo f w story And a solid team they will have to to Gonz be Saturday if they want to beat a tal- got to C ented East Carolina football team. Offe "We're playing a very good football lish the team this weekend and a very danger- first twi ous football team," Scott said. ly 98 ya The Pirates come into the game on This an emotional high after coming back Gamec< from a 21 point, first half deficit to beat well as 1 Wake Forest 25-24. an aver For those who endured the "Noah's "I th Ark Bowl" last year, you remember how offensi\ PPTT tnilU 1. O 4-4- TJ 1 C? oni 1? uwj uxuuain. uiutt naiicjr xaii iui &v? uurseivt yards and one touchdown. Stopping said. "T Harley will be the key for the South they rui Carolina defense. The Gamecocks must shut down the starters running game and force ECU to go to their fir the aerial attack if they want to im- the ECI prove to 2-1 on the season. of 383.5 Forcing the Pirates to throw is es- average sential for three reasons. One, quar- So th terback Dan Gonzalez is in his first year cocks to of starting at the position after the starts v departure of Marcus Crandell. The 6'3" the ear] Gonzalez started the last four games still opti of the 1996 season when Crandell went down with a knee injury. pjay a j Two, ECU's best receiver, Larry Georgia Shannon, is out after suffering a severe way to r sprained ankle in a preseason scrim- victory, mage. The 6'5", 210-pounder led the na- ting rig] tion in yards per catch at 21.4 in 1996. a 2-1 rei And three, the offensive line of ECU This is as green as a Boston pub on St. ateamt Patrick's Day. With the loss of four the yeai starters, the USC defense needs to get It's a "re keys to Saturda Not sure we are anywhere close to be- "Of ( ing a good football team right now. So standin certainly have got to be more consis- teruack tent in our play on both sides of the football. We need to begin to execute be- *0U] cause football is a game of execution, So he h and that was not a big part of our game senior a this past Saturday gin wit "Now we play a very good football pressed team this week again, a very dangerous team as always, in East Carolina. ' We have not beaten East Cairolina in reason i our two previous meetings that we've last thr been here. They had a big win last Sat- defense urday, a confidence builder, I am sure, , as they came back from a 21-point deficit t epou early in the first half to win the ball last yes game. ?Th( "They return about nine or 10 ball tea starters from last year's ball club, which ? J . , rrn_ well anc was a very impressive team. Ihey run well on defense and have a lot of team against speed on both sides of the football. That ce eaks his mind oi Clemson is 2-0, but they haven't Thes played stellar either. If they lose to Flori- alize thi da State (which they will, of course), you're n and we beat ECU in Greenville, we will for bfe> have the same 2-1 record. XT 1>UW I will say the same thing I said dur- true q& ing last year's NCAA tournament. There me e. are too many fair-weather fans here at doesn't * into the Our football team has played Geor- ^ gia and Central Florida, who, by the way, almost beat Nebraska last Saturday. Instead of saying that our team but y?u is pathetic, have these fair-weather fans a^er a ( ever thought that the teams we've weekth played could actually be pretty good? goalie g The sad truth is that they probably anothei haven't because it takes just that, ken, all thought, and that takes too much ef- For fort in this fast-paced society called Mortal USC. been ^ Everyone is a fan when you're youguj winning, but the real fans are the ones the firs who are there through the good, the heart 01 bad and the ugly, and boy, have we seen p all three in the first two weeks of the ,, . T^r this Un season. resent Real Gamecock fans are there iemsah through rain, sleet and snow, as well as sunshine. Real Gamecock fans make Crit it to the actual game, even from Tal- been p lyho! Real Gamecock fans aren't just You've around for a game or two or even a sea- now wl son, but every season. self? SP0R1 :e?ocfts I amimie sappointing start to t oks to rebound with ; Carobna Saturd and photo by bryan johnsto alez in the same manner they W "v" ~ rCF QB Daunte Culpepper. nsively, Carolina must estab- * ! running game. Through the * :' *% 3 games, USC is averaging on- ** * rds per game. would be a good game for the )cks to start rushing the ball he Pirate defense has given up age of 191.5 yards per game. W< ink for us to get back on track rely, we have got to establish 3s in the running game," Scott hey re very big up front, and JJ mgp i well on defense." ECU defense returns only four I ^ i and has had a rough time in st two games. In those games, J defense gave up an average J yards of total offense and an f # . f, Jm of 24 points per game. ie time has come for the Game- 1 turn the season around, and it nth Saturday's game. Despite ly misfortunes, coach Scott is mistic about his team's season. re going to have to play well and ot better than we did against ," Scott said. "If we can find a 4 egroup and come away with a * then our program will be sittit where it was last year with ? ? _ Freshman Mi game isn't about just beating East Carolim hat has given them trouble over ran for 291 rs, it's much more important, kickoff and v lust win" game. ty's game :ourse, Scott Harley is an outg runningback, and their quar., Dan Gonzalez, started their r ball games for them last year. go a lnt rtf ovnon'onpo onr] ia a md has played very well to be- Achim I h. I have been also very im- The Sweedisl with their defense, and as I said they run very well. I think the or ECUs improvement over the Nathan 1 ee years is they way that their Kermit the Fi has really come on. They got to it to where they led the nation ,r in takeaway*, ^dly M Miss Piggy ;y are another aggressive foot m. We are going to have to play 1 play a lot better than we played Rosaline Georgia. And we need to do that. Goazo 0-0 rtainly is our plan." ti football Me e fair-weather fans better reit when you're a Gamecock fan, W"C3] ot a fan for a day or a year but The 21 that I have explained what a versity of mecock does, it's now time for men's gol: xplain what a true Gamecock four-undei do by inducting a new member Tuesday a i Singletonian Hall of Shame title of the 2 "U Suck" Award. metto Claa lot saying exactly who you are, Point Golf know who you are, especially The G, :ertain soccer game earlier this w e r e 11 e ( at ended in the opposing team's ranked C1 getting knocked senseless and ^ j* ( player getting his ankle bro- first tourn' of it intentional. ^ ^ starters, it's just a game, not 72,6,871-; Kombat. None of you have ever Individ a war zone, but I have, and if freshman rs probably went, you would be birdied th it to die because you have no hole and t r honor. mate Eric ;hermore, you're a disgrace to ^ honors iversity and the system you rep- Thomp a system that has enough prob- under 71 eady and doesn't need new ones. ished his i . ,,. , nament at ics of you and the system have roven right by your actions. er i . . 4. 209 after proven the stereotypes correct, ? lat do you have to say for your hole lip] Thompsor for the vie "Iamt to my | nament," rs [OOli Pirates i n .1 :ne season, Soutn a victory over East ay. re, sports editor i l- " . .. arco Hutchinson and the rest of the Gamecoi i if they want to beat the Pirates. Last season yards and one touchdown in ECU's 23-7 vie nil be shown locally on FOX SportSouth. Chai HEBSSBBS >hnston - USC Tenn. r - Hon T?I :J? lUni UiL riunua i Chef 8-2 Brown USC Florida og 4-1 aguire USC Florida. 7-3 1 Harvey USC Florida n's golf wins I men's soccer st-ranked Uni- tive of Easley, S.C. said. "It's South Carolina more important, however, f team posted a that the team won more * 284 team score than myself. I think we can nd captured the be a national contender this 30th-annual Pal- year if we can continue to sic at the Osprey play up to our abilities." Course. "Winning this tournaamecocks, who ment doesn't surprise me; I 1 with second- knew it would be matter of .emson entering time once I saw the score we lay, outshot the were putting up in qualify10 strokes in the jng rounds," Puggy Blackament of the year m0n, Carolina golf head earns on the par coach said. "We are a deeppard course. er team this year and our ually, Gamecock chemistry is very good. This Kyle Thompson win gives us a tremendous e second playoff amount of confidence be;ased past team- cause our players now beEcker for medal- lieve we can win after being head to head with a team son carded a one- like Clemson. We were just Tuesday and fin- very focused." first college tour- The Gamecocks captured seven-under 209. their first team crown in also finished at more than five years and ala four-under 68 so won the Palmetto Clasbut had his birdie sic for the first time since tie par 5, second the inaugural event in 1968. ped out, while In the process, Carolina l birdied the hole set a school record for the ;tory. lowest three-round tourruly very honored nament total with a 19-unfirst college tour- der-par 845, besting the preThompson, a na- vious best of 849 set at the r *rl '* -JI P!w*# < v.-?irt.;T?? <rf.7#ll?y* &* y :k defense will have to shut down the running attack of against the Gamecocks, ECU runningback Scott Harley tory over USC. Saturday's game is slated for a 3 p.m. "lie Mac and the gang will have the call on AM-560. Fla. St. Wash. LSU clemson Wash. LSU Fla. St. Nebraska LSU Fla. St. Nebraska LSU Fla. St. Nebraska LSU n nooi /i . cuiiicuu blanks Wofford par-70 Gator Invitational in the game remained 0-0. In 1995. the second half, Carolina Carolina and Clemson struck for its ^ when were tied entering the final a direct was caded ^518 final Tuesday and re- yards out. mained tied after nine holes. Austin took the kick and But the Gamecocks blasted a rocket to the right pulled away and held on post. Eleven minutes latdown the stretch, despite be- er, Mindy Sanders was ing 11-under-par as a team brought down right at the at one point on the back 18-yard mark and again a ninp direct kick was called. Individually, East Car- Austm bl?fted a sh?ttotoe olina's Marc Miller also post- ?PI*r nght corner tha time ed a seven-under 209 but f?rthes?>rebogeyed the first playoff hole. F or the game, USC (3-2, Clemson's Charles Warren, 0-2 SEC) outshot Wofford, the 1997 individual nation- 18-7. Junior Emily Crain al champion, finished in a made her first start of the four-way tie for fourth at year in the Carolina net, 212. making two saves in recordRounding out the Car- team 3 s^utout olina individuals were Brent yearRoof, Stewart Ginn, and The USC rugby club Mark Catalano. defeated TNC-Charlotte The USC women's Satur(*ay, 32-10. soccer team defeated Wof- The B-side team deford, 2-0, Wednesday at feated the 49ers, 15-7 and Stone Stadium behind a pair the women's team won 7of direct kicks from sopho- 0. more defender Angela 'Phe teams play against Austin. Saturday at 2 p.m. against In the first half, Caroli- Emory at the P.E. Fields na outshot the Terriers 7-4, next to the Blatt P.E. Cenbut at the end of 45 minutes, ter.