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USC Schedule • Men’s golf at P\r\g/Golfweek NCAA Preview tourney, today through Tuesday, Opeika, Ala. I • Men’s soccer vs. William & Mary, Wednesday Gamecocks Fall 21-3 In Home Opener Pirates prolong USC’s misery h _:_:_ ■ — - • .i Sean Rayford photo editor Running back Boo Williams finds a rare hole against the East Carolina defense Saturday night. Williams gained 49 yards on 10 carries, but it wasn’t enough. The Gamecocks lost for the 13th straight time, 21-3. Mistakes, missed chances spell 13th straight loss for USC by Jared Kelowitz Sports Editor While Gamecock flags blew through out the parking lots around Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, another flag loomed over the game itself. The Jolly Roger, the flag traditionally representing pirates every where, flew proudly Saturday evening as East Carolina defeated USC, 21 -3. Although the teams seemed to match up evenly, it was not at all what you’d call a swashbuckling contest. It was more as if the Gamecocks were being forced to walk the plank, as their plummet to the cellar of college football continued. USC, currently holding the second longest losing streak in college football, struck the first blow. With 5:32 remain ing in the first quarter, junior Steve Flo rio nailed a 34-yard field goal to give Car olina a 3-0 lead, its first of the season. If Gamecock fans’ hopes were re newed by the coaching staff finding a kick er who could kick, the hope didn’t last long. And how much hope could one have when the soccer team scores as many points in a weekend as the football team? After a tremendous first series by the Gamecock defensive unit, the Pirates were forced to punt. USC returned the punt 13 yards, but a costly running-into-the-kick er penalty allowed Andrew Bayes to punt again. On Bayes’ second try, a 57-yard boot, tailback Boo Williams fumbled the ball at the 1 -yard line, and Kevin Mon roe of ECU recovered it for his team’s first score. With ECU leading 7-3 after the blunder, Gamecock fans probably felt their hopes diminishing. “The only word that comes to mind is frustration,” quarteiback Phil Petty said. “We keep shooting ourselves in the foot, and we can’t do that and win.” The second quarter was marred by turnovers at critical times for both teams. After a 15-yard passing play to Trey Pen nington and a 22-yard reception by An tione Nesmith, USC was at the ECU 33 yard line and seemed to be driving. But on the ensuing down, Petty’s pass was picked off at the ECU 7-yard line by defensive back Jerome Steward. The interception would be Petty’s first of three in the game. “This will be the last time a quarter back has three interceptions in one game,” coach Lou Holtz said afterward. “From now on, after the second one, they will be taken out.” On the other side, a fumble in the end zone by ECU quarterback David Garrard that was recovered by USC defensive back Ray Green was just as costly. That turnover put a sour note on an impressive 64 yard drive. In the third quarter, ECU relied on tailback Jaime Wilson to seal the deal. It was in the quarter that he compiled most of his 145 rushing yards, gaining 66 yards on eight carries. With that total, Wilson accounted for more than half of ECU’s 274 total yards, including a pivotal 31 yard burst during the Pirates’ final touch down drive. That third-quarter march ran the score to 21-3, and the Pirates never looked back. Also, USC’s defensive line seemed to wear down late in the game, allowing Wil son to run for 108 yards in the second half alone. He averaged almost seven yards per carry for the game. “That’s the only time I didn’t think the defense played hard,” Holtz said. Football see rage ti ^-rm. —-m Second half says it all in Lady Gamecocks' win by Shannon Rooke Staff Writer Once again, a big second half proved to be the biggest fac tor in the Lady Gamecock soccer team’s 6-0 win over Vir ginia Commonwealth on Sunday. After 32 minutes of dominance by the Lady Gamecocks, sophomore forward Jennie Ondo knocked in the first goal off of a cross by junior Megan Gutstadt. The second came when sophomore Moigan McIntyre powered in a shot from outside the 30-yard line and through the hands of surprised VCU goalie Lindy Brown. Heading into the second half of the game, the Game cocks’ offense had recorded 14 shots to VCU’s none. After ward, head coach Sue Kelly attributed that to the hard work of senior forward Leslie Lamb, who ended the match with two goals and one assist. “We got Leslie out early to go at their defense,” Kelly said. “We had a bunch of quick through-balls, and we wanted to fo cus on that again in the second half.” On the defensive side, the girls thought they succeeded in the second half, as well. “We definitely stepped it up towards the end of the game,” sophomore sweeper Lydia Bienias said. “There were some quirks, but we talked about it at halftime and worked them all out.” The Lady Gamecocks didn’t slow down on their scoring track. Lamb’s first goal of the afternoon came in the 51st minute off a perfectly placed comer kick by senior Angela Austin. Three minutes later, Lamb once again came up big, this time on a cross from senior Mindy Sanders. The younger side of the Gamecock team then appeared, with freshman Becky Leeper controlling a deflected shot by Lamb on the 3-yard line and pushing it past the VCU defense. The Gamecocks put the final cap on the match in the 56th minute, when Ondo came up with her fourth goal of the season. With that play, Sanders got her third assist of the after noon in this play, crossing the ball to Ondo, who tapped it in with VCU defender Katie Doyle tight on her back. Although this game wasn’t important for SEC competition, the girls knew a big win against VCU (1-5) would help them out in temis of postseason possibilities. “We knew we needed to win by a lot today,” Lamb said. “The second half, they came out packing their defense, but we’re working on possessing the ball more. I think that helped.” The team’s pregame talk gave Kelly the confidence that her team would win, she said. “The girls know that right now, all we need are big wins,” Kelly said. “The first half, we weren’t quite finishing. But what I love about these girls is that they listen to their adjustments and go out even stronger afterwards. -VCU SEE PAGE 11 Sean Rayford photo editor Forward Leslie Lamb celebrates after scoring one of USC’s six goals against Virginia Commonwealth. Lamb had two goals and an assist. The Slate (late games not included) National League Eastern Division W L Pet GB L10 Str Atlanta 92 57 .617 - 5-5 L-l New York 91 58 .611 1 7-3 W-l Philadelphia 70 78 .473 21.5 2-8 L-l Montreal 63 85 .426 28.5 5-5 W-l . Florida 58 90 .392 33.5 2-8 L-l Central Division Houston 91 59 .607 - 7-3 L-3 Cincinnati 88 61 .591 2.5 7-3 W-l Pittsburgh 72 75 .490 17.5 4-6 L-l St. Louis 70 78 .473 20 3-7 W-2 Milwaukee 66 81 .449 23.5 6-4 W-l Chicago 59 89 .399 31 3-7 L-l West Division Arizona 89 59 .601 - 7-3 W-l San Francisco 82 66 .554 7 7-3 L-l San Diego 70 79 .470 19.5 6-4 W-l Los Angeles 68 80 .459 21 3-7 W-l Colorado 67 82 .450 22.5 5-5 L-l - ak .f American League Eastern Division W L Pet GB L10 Str New York 89 59 .601 - 5-5 L-l Boston 86 62 .581 3 8-2 W-4 Toronto 77 72 .517 12.5 3-7 L-4 Baltimore 71 76 .483 17.5 10-0 W-10 Tampa Bay 64 85 .430 25.5 3-7 L-l Central Division Cleveland-x 90 58 .608 - 4-6 W-l Chicago 67 81 .453 23 4-6 W-3 Detroit 60 87 .408 29.5 4-6 L-3 Minnesota 59 88 .401 30.5 1-9 L-6 Kansas City 59 90 .396 31.5 5-5 L-l West Division Texas 89 60 .597 - 6-4 W-l Oakland 81 66 .551 7 6-4 W-l Seattle 74 74 .500 14.5 5-5 W-3 Anaheim 61 88 .409 28 6-4 L-3 x-clinchcd division title . v « >* Weekend’s Top News •NFL action: Colts blow 28-7 lead, fall 31-28 at New England • Braves’ RF Brian Jordan possibly out for season with hand injury • Oscar De La Hoya coasts too early, falls to Felix Trinidad in 12 rounds • Sosa hits 61 st dinger, McGwire hits 58th • Tennessee Titans’ QB McNair out for six weeks with back surgery • Penn State and Florida climb to Nos. 2 and 3 in both polls Charlie Wallace Senior Writer Gamecock fans waiting in vain I’ve been a Gamecock fan as long as I can remember. I started going to the games in 1987, as a four eyed 8-year-old. That year, my parents decided to get season tickets, and we sat on row 39, the top row in the upper deck. Sterling Sharpe, Brad Edwards and Todd Ellis dazzled Gamecock fans with the kind of play that hasn’t been seen in Williams-Brice Stadium since. Head coach Joe Morrison was “The Man in Black” who struck fear into his players and opponents with his penetrating stare and blitzing, take-no-prisoners defense. It was during those early years of my life that I realized my blood flowed garnet and black. I was in love with Carolina football. 8mce the late 80s, there nasn t been a team at USC that has come close to that kind of success. The death of Morrison after the 1988 season came unexpectedly. Soon after, Sparky Woods was named head coach and forced to come into a very difficult situation. The athletics department was knee deep in controversy by then, with the NCAA looking down USC’s neck. Woods cleaned up the situa tion, but in his five years, the records of his teams went from a high of 6-4 1 to a low of 3-6-2. That wasn’t good enough at USC. In 1994, Brad Scott came in and led the Gamecocks to their first-ever bowl victory. After that season, though, the team’s records digressed anda 1-10 season in 1998 sent Scott packing. Enter Lou Holtz. Three weeks into Holtz’s first season, Carolina is 0-3. Year in and year out, Gamecock fans who re member those years when Carolina seldom lost in Williams-Brice yearn for the kind of success experienced more than a decade ago. And with every passing year, it seems that the level of play diminishes even more. Holtz promises improvement, and athletics director Mike McGee has promised the same, but fans are starting to wonder. hor the past IU years, Carolina fans have been promised that their beloved Gamecocks would someday break into the nation’s elite. Those yean have come and gone, and USC is further away now than it has ever been. An SEC championship in bas ketball in 1996 was great, but people remember the past two NCAA tour nament first-round losses even more. Olympic sports are on the rise at USC, but in the past two yean, the school’s two major sports teams, men’s basketball and football, have won a combined nine games and lost a startling 34. Yet, every year, USC fans be come rabid about their team again. Carolina fans are a phenomenon the rest of nation has no explanation for. Being a Gamecock fan is a spe cial thing that one really can’t ex plain. The only feeling it compares with is love. Like that sometimes heart-wrenching emotion, being a Gamecock fan is a feeling a person can’t help and oftentimes wishes he never had. Being a fan of a college team should never be this frustrating. But unlike love and other normal rela tionships, USC fans just can’t bring themselves to the point of breaking up with their team. It’s a love affair with few re wards. With all the heartbreak and frustration over just one football team, you would think that Game cock fans would just dump the team. But they keep coming back for more. If awards were given for per severance, Carolina fans could fill a whole closet. Right now, USC is struggling, and Holtz is secretly wondering, “What in the world have I gotten Wallace see rage «