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BffiSSBifflHHSti Gamecoc ACHIM HUNT Sports Editor From the monsoon to the desert. The weather at this year's game in Greenville, N.C. was very different from last year's in Columbia. Last year, fans were leaving at halftime because of the torrential rain at Williams-Brice Stadium. But this year at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, the sun was out bright as temperatures reached the mid-90s, and the only water on the field was from the spray fans that rest on both teams sidelines. But the weather was not the biggest difference between this year's and last year's game with the Pirates from East Carolina (a 23-7 ECU win). The biggest difference was the Gamecocks success Saturday. Last year, the Pirates came into Columbia, and before all the fans could pack the stadium, they had already let running back Scott Harley loose for a touchdown. On the first drive this year, the Pirates were not nearly as lucky. Two incomplete passes and a holding call backed the Pirates back to their one-inch line where they went ahead and punted to the Gamecocks on third down. The Gamecocks got the ball on the Pirate 25-yard line and converted that good field position into three points as junior place kicker Steve Florio nailed a 36-yard field goal to give the Game cocks the lead 3-0. After the defense stopped the Pirates on their second drive, the Gamecock offense was ready to draw more blood. After the Pirates appeared to have stopped the Gamecock's AnGamecock PHIL KORJNBLUT Special to The Gamecock Heading into the third game of the season the East Carolina Pirates stood between salvation and purgatory for the Gamecocks. Pew in the preseason felt that way. But the way the season is unfolding, the Gamecocks had to return from Greenville with a "W" or kiss off any hopes of a bowl trip. The 1-1 start and the lousy performance last week in Athens, Ga., had some Gamecock fans up in a arms A a a a 5MA ONT( TELE Win a tri| intheCoi College t What's the video (no loneer the tape to Conar 30 Rockefeller P NY 10112. Videos 1997. Tapes will t anceand rocksp legal U.S. reside 3/4 of members equivalent) by S rules, send a SA! Plaza, Room 486 THE 12TH ANNUA COLLEGE BANDS ks sink the thony Wright on third and long, he broke were the hold of a Pirate defender and found USC sophomore Kerry Hood, who raced down Wri| the field after making the catch for a grou] 41-yard touchdown to give the Game- j cocks a 10-0 lead to end the first quar- the fi ter. ofth After an ugly second quarter, which Gam featured running backs running into ' their own men and loads of penalties cockf that led to three third and long situa- yardi tions. i With less than two minutes left in quarl thp first half tV?o Pirntoa waro /Irlvincr am 1 ( ?fV*V Ull XV on what had been a dominant Game- set u] cock defense. But after two near in- a 29 terceptions, the Gamecock defense ft- cocks nally got their hands on the ball. Junior college transfer Kevin stop Brooks intercepted the ball and returned Gam it 43 yards to the ECU 42-yard line, time i After a nifty 22-yard scramble by eat"3 Wright on the first play of the drive, he tossed a 20-yard touchdown to sopho- fourt more fullback Jacob Bush who was wide with open as he raced to the Pirate end zone ' untouched. With that touchdown, the the b uamecocKs iook a i /-U lead and all the the L momentum of the game. fourt "That was the big momentum shift ^ie.^ of the game," head football coach ? ^ Brad Scott said. "If they were able to go into halftime with anything there, Flori even three points, the momentum would every have been with them. That was a 14- i point swing. To be able to come back mqnr and counter with a score of our own, cocks that was just huge." their USC continued to roll in the sec- s^t1 ond half as they took the opening dri- thouj ve right down the field behind the run- 218-4 ning of sophomore Troy Hambrick and ] senior Scott Moritz. The Gamecocks Gam< :s gain some Those fans listened when Brad ! Scott talked in the summer about this loyal being his best team. They bought *0 ^ tickets when the SEC media picked the wor^ Gamecocks to finish third in the East. And they traveled to Athens last weekend expecting to see the expected gkou] .. a finely tuned team with a high pow- r ered offense and a stiff defense. two r OOOPS!!! What they saw was a of ser confused group of players stunned by Satui their own inability to compete with the r Bulldogs. cocks SH YOUR WA ) LATE NIGHT VISION! ) to New York ... ?s^ i nan O'Brien j land Search! ^ jbBF 5 gig-' Make a five-minute !) of your band, VHS only. Send i O'Brien's College Band Search, laza, Room 4880E, New York, jjB must be received by October 15, IBf )e judged on creativity, perform- j EHta lirit. Band members must be nts and be 18 or older to enter; 'NBr| must be enrolled in college (or jfjHb eptember 30,1997. For official 5E to: Conan Rules, 30 Rockefeller tHI foE, New York, NY 10112. Rock on! LCONAN O'BRIEN , EARCH IS PRESENTED BY: j SPOR Pirate's sh only able to move the ball to the even the t three-yard line as on third down cocks woi jht was called for intentional The ndin&- the Game Steve Florio promptly came onto that thej eld and kicked his second field goal much sue e day, a 37-yarder to expand the session, ecock lead to 20-0. ?^re That opening drive for the Game- ance aftei j took up 6:25 on 16 plays for 59 game," Sc 3. the place Then on the next drive of the third more bala ;er, the Gamecocks moved 43 yards these firs1 ) plays while chewing up 4:32 to hind, I m p Florio's third field goal of the day, I forgot n -yard effort to give the Game- The1 i a 23-0 lead. 23 minuh After another Gamecock defensive offense h to start the fourth quarter, the and a ha ecocks continued to control the did. of possession as they drove 12 plays < a lin nf tVip rWlr * i ? ^ siraignt; The drive was capped by Florio's wasn't be h field goal of the day, a 30-yarder film. It w? 9:10 left in the game. and after rhe Pirates were unable to move week, we all for the rest of the game, and We came lamecocks ran the ball the whole ourselves h quarter as the clock expired and That ramecocks came away with the 26- olina defe was so go 'My confidence is high right now," of rest bei 0 said. "I'm hitting pretty much win the ti ihing I kick." And \fter two disappointed perfor- looked so ?s to start off the year, the Game- they got t 1 looked like they did last year on the offeni way to a 6-5 season. The biggest the ball e of them all was not rushing al- the Game jh the Gamecocks won that battle resting. ^ Anoi [t was not even passing where the Gamecoc scocks won 131-89. And it was not the specii respect aga 3o now the Gamecocks and their ed. They following make the five-hour ride were an J te end of the college football 1, also known as Greenville, N.C. Gamecocl rhere, they found a team that at Mississ /es no one outside of their quaint quieted tl lunity believes in them. If anyone off Scott. I id believe, it's the Gamecocks. 2-1 is ab fhe Pirates have only won the last should be neetings and four of the last five One < ies. And they were favored to win Gamecocl ^ay. Miss., ant rhis is not a team the Game- though M should take lightly or for grant- two week MWPPPliii?i - t mm H /;:^MT "WBypr te*^ 2 ' Wl I I I TS ip with urnover battle that the Game- HF most important statistic for icocks and the one that shows r were the team that had so *1 cess last year was time of posfound out we needed bal (last year's) Mississippi State :ott said. "We threw it all over k 1 . Against Auburn, were were U need. I could kick myself about fc two games. When we got bets too confident with the pass. ? ly basics." Gamecocks won the battle by js. That means the Gamecock ad the ball for a full quarter .If longer than the Pirates lip were going to line up and go at thorn * TTamV>ri/<lr aairl aTt cause of anything we saw on | is because we're an SEC team, the embarrassment of last * 'j took it as a matter of pride, out and had an attitude about meant lots of rest for the Car;nse. That's how the defense Eat od last year. They got plenty Sat cause the offense was able to ime of possession. ^ that is why the Gamecocks ^ i good on defense Saturday, the ;he rest they needed because * coc se was able to run and pass ffectively, therefore keeping icock defense off the field and sail tha ther big difference for the anc ks was the excellent play of goi] al teams that have been the inst East should approach this as if it SEC game. the win Saturday put the the wh a at 2-1 with a winnable game 2 s ippi State coming up. The win Aul le critics and took some heat js n Did anyone expect a 3-0 start? w-r out where the Gamecocks ^ for can assume that a confident t squad can go to Starkville, 1 have a chance to win, even den ississippi State will have had dov s to prepare. beg I P M illtf ****** IfiJaBP 1 foH Jllllai r *%! afn it Carolina quarterback Dan Gonzalez urday. The game was USC's first shutoul iK part or tne uamecocRs ail year, field >homore Courtney Leavitt and Flo- play had strong days with their legs, and selv< Carolina return men gave the Gameks good field position all day long, "After that performance last week, good had to go back to the basics," Scott Dau i. "I challenged the team this week shov t we were not going to come in here stop 1 try to trick anybody. We weren't way rig to throw the football all over the year Carolina I However, a loss would have put i Gamecocks into a tailspin from jjjj ich they could not recover. With a 1tart and the prospects of losses to lurn, Tennessee and Florida, there to room for error in getting the six g is necessary to qualify for a bowl, it's why Saturday was a must-win the Gamecocks. qc With the win, there's new confice and hope. With a loss, the count- 15 m to basketball practice would have un. ALPHA EPSILt Premedical Hor invites all interested Pre TUESDAY, SEPT! 7:00 P] COKER LIFE SCIEN Speake Dr. Bill Rambo, Chairman of Admissic Ms. Wanda Taylor, Director of Admissi Medical Students, from MUSC. Come and get answ< Medical School ( Loaf V*..M IUU VI What's the rush? Enjoy a i Eat lunch and relax Have dessert for a change of bread. After all, at Ri Bread Company, loafinc The Much K.neaded > 827 Harden Street Five F Irmo Station Shopping Center 7491 i shutout ' * vv - - gp jps |pa ACHIM HUNT The Gamecock is sacked by USC's Sly Miller t since last year's Vandy game. . We were just going to line up and football and find out about ourn 2S. And finally, the Gamecock defense Lly showed that they can be pretty i. After playing second fiddle to the nte Culpepper and Mike Bobo air v the past two weeks, they finally ped the run and the pass on their to their first shutout since last 's Vanderbilt game. Playing the first match of the imada New Carollton Tournamt, the University of South Carna beat George Mason 3-0. Carna is 7-1, while the Patriots move 4-6. The game scores were 15-7,1515-8. Saturday, No. 23 Maryland deited the Lady Gamecocks 3-1 at >le Field House. The game scores were 15-10, -11,10-15 and 15-9. ichim Hunt 3N DELTA ior Society s-Medical students EMBER 23rd M iCES - RM # 211 rs: ?is Committee from MUSC cms from MUSC. irs to all your Juestions! W~ /ant soothing cafe latte. on our deck. . Take home a loaf sing High Natural I is encouraged. Mternative oints 254-3113 St. Andrews Rd. 749-BEST