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For USC < BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports E The Gamecock football team t tne roaa Saturday to iaoe anotner dog football squad. This time they hope the result better. The Gamecocks again face a 1 that's had two weeks to prepar them, which means Mississippi St fensive Coordinator Joe Lee Dunr an extra week to prepare some surp for the USC offense. "I can't imagine what Coach I has come up with in that 14-day od," USC Head Coach Brad Scott "(Playing against MSU], you bette get one-dimensional." Dunn is famous for his blitz-1 style of defense, in which hell blitz one from anywhere at anytime. It doesn't hurt that the Bull return eight starters on defense the three starters they lost were three linebackers. The big concern for the Game this week will be the size of the dogs. Defensively, MSU has two sta on the line that weigh more thai pounds. Plus, they have an All-A ica candidate in Greg Favors 01 end. Former US STAFF REPORTS Trinity Johnson, a three-turn tional Fastpitch Coaches Associi (NFCA) All-America softball playei led the USC program to nationa claim last season, has been name recipient of the 1996-97 He Award as the nation's top collej softball player. Johnson becomes the first S Carolina student-athlete to be r nized as a Honda Award winner. The Honda Awards Pro gran ognizes the top woman collegiate lete in each of 11 sports. The H Award winners in the 11 sports an didates for the Honda-Broderick which recognizes the outstan Collegiate Woman Athlete of the' announced Jan. 12,1998, at the ? al NCAA Convention. Volleyball BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports Edit. Clem son ? The Lady Gamecocl leyball team was swept Tuesdf Clemson in front of a packed hoi 820 at Jervey Gym. A tired Carolina squad was played in every aspect of the mate! ing 15-11,15-8,15-2. Game 1 saw the two teams \ through two lead changes and fiv before Clemson pulled away. Car opened up by scoring the first t points off the serving of Dee Dee man. But the Tigers would come and tie the game at three, and again at six, before outscoring th dy Gamecocks the rest of the w win 15-11. Spo Supporting the USC Ga you rent from Thrifty. V\ current model Chrysler Caravan. This roomy m road trip! Forworldwidr travel anent nr rail 1-ffll In Columbia (Columbia Metro Airport) 822-2300s Thrifty features quality products o A licensee of Thrifty Rcnt-A-Car S offense, it's a ditor "Their defense is very similar as far as size goes and ifll be a great chalakes lenge for us to go up against a team Bull- with their style of play," Scott said. "Greg Favors is a fine player and one s are the hest 'n the SEC." In their first three games, MSU team (2-1) has given up an average of 19 e for P^ts and 322.7 yards of total offense De_ per game. l had The Gamecocks must continue to (rises spread ?ut their attack if they want to be successful. A good mix of runs and passes are the only way to keep a Dunn *ur^1 defense from bringing the house every P6"" time. said. Offensively, the Bulldog line is one r no of the biggest and most physical lines in the SEC. All five starters weigh over trieg 280 pounds and they feature two 300 any- pounders in 6-foot-4-inch, 333-pound Anthony Kapp and 6-foot-8-inch, 351jjQgg pound Robert Hicks. , but Scott said Hicks is one of the largest their players he's ever seen. "I looked for his birthday in their cocks P1^88 gtade and it said Jan. 5,6 and 7." Bull- Senior linebacker Shane Burnham irters said the key to shutting down the Bull1300 dog offense is simple, mer- "We have to stop the run," he said, l the "They're going to try to run you over and then run the play-action pass off C Softball star h This award is just one of many Johnson has been given. Earlier this s Na- summer, she was named the SEC Featjon male Athlete of the Year and was also ,wh0 named the 1997 SEC Softball Player of dac- the Year. d the Johnson completely dominated the >nda SEC last season, posting a 14-1 giate record with a perfect 0 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 95.1 innings pitched in louth lea&ue game8ecog She led the team to the school's first-ever SEC regular season and tour1 rec_ nament titles in the same sport, and , ath_ also led the team to the Women's Colonda lege World Series, i can- "This is a great honor not only Cup, for me, but for the school," Johnson said, ding "I have worked extremely hard to get Year, where I am, but of course, no individinnu ual honor could be achieved without the help of my teammates and coachswept, women's sr In Game 2, Clemson came out and took advantage of USC's mistakes, wini vol- ning 15-8. iy by In Game 3, the Tigers came out ise of and disposed of a tired USC squad, allowing them only two points in the . 15-2 win. i outi los- USC was their own worst enemy, committing 24 match errors and finishing with a hitting percentage of >attle 013. e ties Up next for the Lady Gamecocks XJlina /o o\ oi?r? : ? n VO-o;i? iiicii ouvy-upciiex ugomBi vrcui hree gia (5-7) tonight in Athens. Fort- The Lady Bulldogs, who lost both matches to USC last season, are led by back last season's SEC Freshman of the Year, then Rebecca Dady. e La- "Georgia has been playing some ay to tough opponents and they will be ready," Hudson said. ' Stk _^p ITS van. mecocks away from home is easy when /e offer the lowest prices on a variety of cars, trucks and vans like the Dodge inivan is the perfect choice for your next 5 reservations contact your professional O-FOR-CARS (1 -800-367-2277). ^ Dodge Curiven it the Chrysler Corporation and other tine cars ystem. Inc. f A SPC Dunn deal of that. But, you have to stop the run first." Scott agreed. "We have to penetrate their lineof-scrimmage, and yet we have to be able to hold our own in there," Scott said. "That's going to be a big challenge for us to see if we can go toe to toe and make them earn their first downs." Mississippi St. is averaging only 291 yards of total offense per game. USC's rushing defense is ranked No. 11 in the nation, while giving up only 62 yards per game. Carolina must continue to lower those numbers if they want to be competitive. When the Gamecocks take the field Saturday, they'll not only be looking tc improve to 3-1 on the season, but they're also looking for revenge for last season's 14-10 loss in Williams-Brice Stadium. In that game, MSU turned two o] USC's three turnovers into all 14 of its points and the Gamecocks couldn't gel on track offensively. South Carolina is 2-3 lifetime against the Bulldogs and the series is tied, 1-1, in Starkville. Game time is 12:30 p.m., and it will be televised bj jr-bports as the bhC Game or the Week. onored again es. This is a great way to culminate three wonderful years at South Carolina." This past season, Johnson helped lead the Lady Gamecocks to a schoolrecord 63 victories, including an NCA^ Division I single-season record 38-game winning streak. She set school records for victories (34), perfect games (3), nohitters (6.5) and shutouts (24). Her 1,032 strikeouts at USC is a school best. This past summer, Johnson posted a perfect 9-0 record with an 0.57 Elb4 and 110 strikeouts while competing for the USA Softball National Team. "I am extremely proud of Trinity for winning such a prestigious honor,' USC Head Softball Coach Joyce Comp ton said. "This is a fitting final toucl on a great collegiate career here." > soccer wins Women's Soccer The USC women's soccer team de feated Furman 3-0 Wednesday behinc a pair of goals from sophomore mid fielder Mindy Sanders. USC's first goal came at the 8:3i mark, when Sanders collected a Gim Iacovella pass seven yards out and bea keeper Jen McNutt to the left side. Lin da Greene increased the score to 2-( when she blasted a shot from 8 yards out at the 43-minute mark, with assists from Karen Sloan and Jennie Ondo Sanders would strike again at 49:2( in the second half, when Iacovella sen a comer kick that McNutt knocked clear but it was collected by Sanders for th< goal and a final tally of 3-0. USC (4-4) hits the road this week end with key SEC matches at Arkansas tonight and LSU Sunday. $10 OFFANY iet? s u 739 Min. Age 18 Years Wide Range of Cars, Trucks and Va Hoik# YA/ctoL-lw A. Mnnthlv/ Pontalc 1- L^UIIJ, f f UUIMJT VA HIVIIMIIJ I IVIHMIW Free Local Pick-Up & Delivery ?Competitive Low Rates I Gamec* ^Save^^ i k $30 7 r with thi^^ i ^ ad! p ^ call nov >RTS Compute WILLIAM FOLKS Staff Writei i So who says computer pre don't have feelings? Somewhere deep in the net coils, inside mega-bite macn ory of some stat-crunching digil cessing chip, couldn't there be a g [ compassion? If so, this week that compul belongs to Mr. Jeff Sagarin, i football's ultimate online gur the compassion goes out to the Carolina football team. In Sa| latest computer-generated rai Brad Scott's Gamecocks find selves ranked No. 25. Impressive No, not really. At least not to I nior offensive guard Ed Hrubi "Sure, ifs nice to hear aboul like that," the 300-pound Berlin, native says of the national ra "But ifs not that important. Th has to keep things like that in th er perspective. We have to be r f about it. If it took us one weel i in, it could take us one week ; right back out again." So much for "computer lo follrc i kJlyUll IOJLiVk7 r 1 | ACHIM HUNT "Well, our goal this week is to , upon the win we had at East Carol USC Head Football Coach Brad; said. "No question we're facing i ferent type of football team in M 1 sippi St. I thought our team did a cellent job of pulling together thr l a difficult week last week and sh > a lot of emotion during the game 5 especially after the game. "Our senior leadership steppi > in both those areas prior to the g and just before the game. So I'm ing that we'll build a strong found as we head into a much more dif 1 part of our schedule. "We played with a little bit attitude Saturday that we ha< r shown in our first two ball gan ? think our kids now understand they have to do for us to be a te? j compete week in and week out. \ Bryan Johnston UJ Sports Editor 11-4 \ Achim Hunt U! j. Sports Editor 10-5 ) 3 Nathan Brown U! 3 Senior Sports Writer 12-3 t Kelly Maguire U! ') Sports Writer 11-4 e Emilie Glover U 3 Guest 9-6 3DAYRENTA1 n s e t Bind. >-2770 No Credit Cards Nee ms But Major Credit Cards Acc< Cash Rentals Welcome Over 400 Locations Worldw >w The I acks To... ARKANSAS FROM $319.00 Spaces Limited? v to reserve your spot. I For more details call: 803-256-0547 or 800-968-7658 a ^1fj& BS II TRAVEL service ? 1 r ranmngs me - At the moment, Hrubiec is much more concerned about the task at hand, )grams namely Mississippi State's defensive unit, a group that has two 300fiber P?nnders of its own on the line (360>mem P?nnd nose guard Eric Dotson and 331tal Dro- Poun(^ left tackle James Grier), not to renuine menti?n preseason All-SEC defensive end Greg Favors and the madcap, blitzing style of MSU (and former USC) ter chip Defengive Coordinator Joe Lee Dunn lege pulling the whole package together. 11^ and i South "Their defense is a big threat garin's because of the size factor alone," Hrulkings, biec said. "But, then you throw in their them- blitz package and it gets even tougher. ;, right? This week will definitely be a big chalFSC se- lenge to our team, ec- "We went through some of their t things blitzes in practice and they're extremely Conn., difficult to pick up. If you don't make nking. the right split-second decision, they is team put you in a whole lot of trouble. Joe le prop- Lee Dunn is an excellent coach and he ealistic has an excellent scheme. He likes to i to get bring the house." to fall Despite the effectiveness of Dunn's "bring everything including the kitchen ve." sink" defense, Hrubiec feels the team ? about his team's "I am certainly pleased with the play of our defensive team, and the ability of the offense to control the footkoll oa mn/"?Vi r%a tV\o\r wan ao iiiu.^/11 ao tiicj uiu. build "Now Mississippi St. is a different ^na' type of football team. They're the most bcott physical team we'll play. They definitely a dif- are biggest football team that we 1SS1S- will play. 11 ex- _ _ . ? ough averaSe ?* offensive line owed *s we^ over ^ pounds, and their'right 1 and tackle is 6 feet 8 inches [tall] and about 360 pounds. I looked at his birthday in the press guide and it said it was Jan. ^UP 5,6, and 7. ;ame, h0p. "So, their offense plays well, and ation their defense is very similar as far as ficult s*ze g068-1 think thafsjust a great challenge for us, to hold up to their style f of play, which is run the football on ? an offense, and set up the passing game. n?T They're very good on ball control and ie?' holding on to the football, not to men^ tion they have a good kicking game. "Greg Favors, their fine defensive end, is probably one of the best players >C UNC Michigan SC UNC Michigan SC UNC Michigan SC UNC N.D. SC UNC Michigan 3^-?? Come and explc Andi Const You are cordially Ian information s* Date: Septen Tune: 5:00 PM-7: 7:00 PM -9:00 PM Location: Ccq If you have any > contact Kim at(800) We look) seeing y ^ Tune out, Turn ( I an nothing gained some needed confidence following last week's 26-0 shutout over East Carolina. "Overall, I think we did a fairly good job last week," Hrubiec said. "But, there's so much that we saw on film that we've had to work on this week in practice. We made a lot of mistakes, dumb mistakes, especially on our side of the football. We can't expect to win games making those mistakes against the teams we play." Isn't that the truth. The same computer poll that has USC at No. 25 also has four of the Gamecocks' remaining eight opponents ranked ahead of them. Florida (No. 1), Tennessee (No. 4),'Auburn (No. 8) and Clemson (No. 23) all occupy slots in front of Carolina. Fortunately for Hrubiec and the Gamecocks, three of those four games will be played at Wilhams-Bnce Stadium, where Sagarin's computer gives the home team an added three points. Talk about showing some love. Too bad the Gamecocks can't expect any from their conference schedule this season. new attitude in our conference. Special teams impress you. Their punter does extremely well. Their field goal kicker is top in the conference, and he has hit clutch field goals all the way down the stretch for them in close ball games. "And if that is not enough to wor- " ry about, their kickoff returns are impressive. They're averaging about 30 yards per return. So, they have good skill people in their kicking game. They play field position, field position, field position, punt the football, and they lull you into making mistakes. "So, I think that Mississippi St. is another fine representative of our conference as far as a very physical SEC-type ball club. " Our challenge is to go ahead and be ready for that, and hope that we can have some of the success that we had last year on offense, and then to take care of the football. "And on defense we need to stop their fine running game." clemson Marshall Ga. Tech Marshall Ga. Tech Marshall rlftncnn Marshall clemson Marshall m\ >re a career with LRSEN JLTING > invited to attend ession to be held: tier29,1997 00 PM Undergmds 1 Graduate Students vital City Club questions, please Leatherman 776-6411 forward to ou there! = in, Read a book.