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USC Schedule Women’s soccer vs. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. Volleyball at Georgia Tech tourney, today-Saturday UHlC 0Q1TICCOCk Friday, September 10,1999 USC set for ‘Dawgfight’ in Athens by Jared KeloWitz Sports Editor Tomorrow evening, the Gamecocks travel to Athens, Ga., to face the daunt ing task of playing the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs. If the first conference match-up of the season wasn’t enough motivation, South Carolina will be looking for some v payback. The ‘ Dawgs have defeated USC the past two years by scores of 31 -15 and 17-3. Do the Gamecocks have a chance in this one? Let’s look at the tale of the tape. Quarterbacks USC will start Phil Petty for a sec ond straight game. As a starter last week, Petty completed four of 10 passes and had one interception. Backing up Petty will be freshman Mikal Goodman and junior college trans fer Josh Rogers. Goodman will be used primarily in running situations, while Rogers will see the majority of his play ing time when USC airs it out. UGA will start sophomore sensation Quincy Carter. Last week, Carter com pleted 24 of 35 passes and had two touch downs to go along with his 320 passing yards. Not only is Carter a threat through the air, he can hold his own on the ground, too. Last week, Carter rushed for 58 yards on five carries, an average of 11.6 yards a carry and one touchdown. As for Carter’s back-ups, who cares? Who needs back-ups when you have Superman? “Quincy Carter is a fantastic quar terback, and we cannot pressure him because of his elusiveness and quickness,” USC coach Lou Holtz said. Advantage to Georgia. Runningbacks One position where South Carolina might be more dangerous than anyone else in the conference is tailback. With the combination of senior Boo Williams and freshmen Derek Watson and Ryan Brewer, USC appears very deep at this position. And, for those of you who just crawled out from underneath a rock, Wilson rushed for 118 yards on 15 carries last Saturday, the first game of his college career. Not even Heisman winner George Rogers did that at USC. Meanwhile, Brewer gained 24 yards on four carries, while Williams garnered just 13. “Derek Watson is very, very special,” Holtz said. “ He has the chance to be a great back, and his enthusiasm and his field awareness will help him get to where he wants to be.” For Georgia, the starting tailback will be Jasper Sanks. Georgia’s running attack is very limited, and their leading rusher on the season thus far is the quarter back, Carter. Advantage to South Carolina. Receivers USC has one of the most dangerous receiving corps in the Southeastern Con ference. With Jermale Kelly, Brian Scott, Kerry Hood and Ben Fleming, Carolina has several players who can make great catches and then make great things hap pen afterward. The only thing the team needs is someone who can throw the ball. In all fairness to Petty and his receivers, though, not even Joe Montana, with Jer ry Rice and John Taylor, could have succeeded in the weather Saturday. The UGA wide receiving unit is an other powerful one in the conference, and maybe in the country. Two of its most dangerous components are Terrence Edwards and Thad Parker. Edwards and Parker, Nos. 1 and 6 in the SEC in receiving, respectively, have accounted for 16 catches for 295 yards and two scores. Taking into consideration who these guys have throwing to them... Advantage to Georgia. Preview see page n • ' Sean Rayford photo editor USC coach Lou Holtz addresses reporters at Monday’s press conference after the North Carolina State game. Holtz said he was pleased with his team’s performance, but not satisfied. USC-Georgia Virginia-Clemson Notre Dame-Purdue UCLA-Ohio State Georgia Tech-FSU Jimmie (4-1) Georgia Virginia Purdue Ohio State FSU Jules Winnfield (4-1) Georgia Virginia Purdue Ohio State FSU Vincent Vega (5-0) use Virginia Notre Dame Ohio State Ga. Tech English Dave (1-4) Georgia Virginia Notre Dame Ohio State FSU Winston Wolf (1-4) Georgia Virginia Purdue Ohio State FSU Georgia Virginia Purdue UCLA Ga. Tech USC vs. Georgia: The war of the words returns Good things to come out of the University of Georgia: 1. Lewis Grizzard 2. ??????????? Well, it’s that time of year again, when the USC Game cocks once again travel south to play that bastion of mental illness, the University of Geor- David Cloninger gia. Most people are already is a journalism predicting a Georgia win, but senior who writes The Gamecock's favorite a column on columnist is here to tell you Wednesday. He it's not going to happen. can be reached Why, you might ask, is it at: gamecock not going to happen? Because sports @hot USC, behind new head coach maj|.Com. and savior Lou Holtz, is going to shock everyone in the na tion by going into Sanford Sanitarium and pulling out a win. To make such a brash prediction, I had to do months of research. Oh wait, am I going too fast for UGA students? Ree-sir-ch (Just sound it out) involves going to a place called a ly-brare-ee and taking part in this bizarre ritual known as stud-ee-ing. You people wouldn’t know anything about that because you don’t have to do research about how many beers a Georgia coed can hold before uttering that now fa mous mating call, “Lordy, I am sooo drunk.” Georgia is such a bad school that, instead of home less guys running out to wash your windshield at an intersection, they have professors trying to throw a diploma in your car. At least R.E.M. had the good sense to leave school before the rotten teaching sys tem at UGA affected their music. I do have one confession to make. Back in 1996 when I was still a young and impressionable schmuck, I gave serious consideration to attending Georgia be cause it was the alma mater of my hero, Lewis Griz zard. However, I didn’t have enough pimples to get in. Getting back to the game, USC will definitely go between the bushes (not hedges; we don't have hedges in the South) Saturday and show the Jawja “team” how to play football. Never mind the debacle at Raleigh last week - you have to crawl before you can walk. You try to throw a football while stand ing in a hurricane. The primary reason the Gamecocks will beat the puppies Saturday? Crowd atmosphere. Carolina has played in front of sold-out crowds at Williams-Brice CLONINGER see page 11 I, Dairen Epps, have just one less bowl win than South Carolina does in its entire history. Since the arrival of the Gamecocks to the SEC in 1992, one wonders why they didn't head to the Middle-East ern Athletic Conference in- ® stead. Darren Epps South Carolina has made jS sports editor at only one friend in the SEC - the University of fellow cellar dweller Vander- Georgia's student bill -and has posted a pathet- neWspaper, the ic mark since coming over Red and Black from the ACC. He can be Anyone who's met a reached at; Gamecock knows they can't . „ blame their poor performance ,. , . , randb.com. on their school s high acade mic standards. Is “pathetic” strong enough of a word? Last year, South Carolina rang up a grand total of zero wins in conference football play. And, after last week's lackluster performance against North Carolina State, it doesn't appear to be getting any better for the Gamecocks. With little talent at any of the skill positions coming into the season, who do the Gamecocks bring in? A 60-year-old man. Sure, Lou Holtz has put up a staggering number of wins in his career - at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are a football tradition rivaled by few other schools. I'm pretty sure former Georgia head bas ketball coach Ron Jirsa could have won a national championship or two if he were there instead of Holtz. But, as everyone knows - Holtz included - the Gamecocks just don't have the talent to win games, especially in the SEC. If he were coaching at USC, legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant would probably walk away from Columbia if he didn’t pass out from the stench first. A look at last week’s numbers in their 10-0 loss to N.C. State prove the wretched play of the Game cocks. Quarterbacks Phil Petty and Mikal Goodman combined to complete 5-of-14 passes for 79 yards. In comparison, Georgia quarterback Cory Phillips threw one pass for 53 yards. I know Holtz can be eccentric at times, but run ning plays in which your team goes in the wrong di rection? The Gamecocks lost 90 yards of offense last week. Epps SEE PAGE 11 The Slate (late games not included) National League Eastern Division W L Pet GB L10 Str Atlanta 89 52 .631 - 7-3 W-3 New York 85 55 .607 3 6-4 W-l Philadelphia 68 72 .486 20 1-9 L-6 Montreal 53 73 .421 25.5 5-5 W-3 Florida 50 76 .397 28.5 2-8 L-6 • Central Division Houston 86 56 .606 - 8-2 W-7 Cincinnati 82 58 .586 3 6-4 W-3 Pittsburgh 69 71 .493 16 5-5 L-l St. Louis 67 74 .475 18 4-6 L-3 Milwaukee 61 78 .439 23 4-6 W-l Chicago 56 84 .400 29 2-8 L-3 West Division Arizona 83 57 .593 - 6-4 L-l San Francisco 76 64 .543 7 7-3 L-l Los Angeles 65 74 .468 17 5-5 L-3 San Diego 65 75 .464 18 7-3 W-l Colorado 63 78 .447 20 4-6 W-l \ s x American League Eastern Division W L Pet GB L10 Str New York 85 54 .612 - 5-5 W-l Boston 79 61 .564 6 7-3 L-l Toronto 74 67 .525 12 5-5 L-3 Baltimore 63 76 .453 22 6-4 W-2 Tampa Bay 61 78 .439 24 4-6 L-3 Central Division Cleveland 86 53 .619 - 7-3 L-2 Chicago 63 77 .450 23 1-9 L-4 Minnesota 58 80 .420 27 3-7 L-2 Detroit 57 81 .413 28 6-4 W-3 Kansas City' 54 85 .388 32 3-7 L-l' West Division Texas 85 56 .603 - 6-4 W-4 Oakland 76 64 .543 8 5-5 W-l Seattle 70 69 .504 14 7-3 W-2 Anaheim 55 84 .396 29 4-6 W-3 ■ afe Thursday’s Top News • Jim “Catfish” Hunter loses battle to Lou Gehrig’s Disease at age 53 •USC offensive coordinator Skip Holtz released from hospital after receiving treatment for abdominar infection • Sammy Sosa hits his 59th home run as Cubs fall to Reds • Steelers’ Jerome “The Bus” Bettis to be ready for Sunday evening’s opener in Cleveland • Receiver Rob Moore signs one-year contract with Arizona Cardinals Ring, Harr key men’s soccer win Sports Roundup The Gamecock Men’s Soccer The Gamecock men’s soccer team scored three goals in the first half and held on for a 3-2 win at UNC Char lotte on Tuesday night. Although the 49ers outshot the Gamecocks 11-6, USC All-Ameri can goalkeeper Henry Ring was able to deflect all but two goals to preserve the victory for the struggling Carolina squad. USC improved to 2-1 on the season, while UNCC fell to 1-1. At the 11:30 mark, Ryan O’Neill managed to head a John Harr comer kick past goalkeeper John McDonough to give USC a one-goal lead. Harr man aged to get an assist on the second goal, as well, as his indirect kick to Chris Mormon was thrown into the net for' a 2-0 lead. The ‘Niners came roaring back courtesy of a Stephen Miller kick right after a one-on-one breakaway to the goal, but their effort was in vain as USC’s Alex Balasco squirmed through the UNCC defense soon after to pick the top comer of the net with a shot. Although USC went into the break with a two-goal lead, UNCC’s Miller struck again at the 63:00 mark. This time, Miller got help from teammate Matt Bradner to score and pull with in 1. As if he hadn’t already done enough, Miller headed a ball in the di rection of the back of USC’s net, but a Gamecock defender was able to de flect the ball two inches shy of the goal line. USC will play Wake Forest 7 p.m. Saturday at Stone Stadium. Women’s Soccer The Lady Gamecocks will start Southeastern Conference play this weekend with games against Vander bilt Friday and Kentucky on Sunday. The Friday game will begin at 7 p.m. and is coming on the heels of a victo ry against Charleston Southern. Richland School District Two chil dren are invited to attend the game for a special price of $ 1 per child. Men’s Golf The USC men’s golf team, com ing off a strong performance in the 1999 NCAA tournament, was awarded with a preseason No. 10 ranking in the Mas terCard Collegiate Golf poll. The Gamecocks were led last year by junior Kyle Thompson, who was named the No. 10 male golfer in the nation by the same poll. USC will be staring up at the archrival Clemson Tigers, who received the No. 1 rank ing. Women’s Cross Country The USC women’s cross country team opened its 1999 season with a first-place finish in the Charleston Southern Classic at Charleston. USC held off Coastal Carolina, 25 30, for the victory. Five USC runners finished in the top 10, with Joyce Pee bles, Sara Hardwin and Rachel Smith finishing two-three-four, Sarah Davis finishing seventh and Katie England placing ninth. USC will host the Gamecock In vitational Saturday in Columbia. Volleyball The USC volleyball team, flying high after a win over defending ACC Champion Florida State, wifi take its 3-1 record and ballyhooed freshman class to Atlanta today to compete in the Geoigia Tech Tournament. USC will play Arizona State at 9:30 tonight and then face the host Yel lowjackets at 2 p.m. Saturday’s match es include a 2 p.m. match against No: 8 California-Santa Barbara and then Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. Head Coach Kim Christopher will be trying for her 300th career win, needing just three victories to reach the milestone. Christopher is 297-113 overall, with a 127-69 record in seven years at USC. USC will play at Clemson Wednes day. The Gamecocks will try to add on « their streak of winning three of the last four matches against the Lady Tigers, including a 3-0 sweep in 1998. All-SEC sophomore Cally Plum mer is still doubtful for today because of a shoulder injury. She is expected back for the Clemson match. I