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USC Schedule ■ Women’s soccer at Georgia, Friday ■ Volleyball at Florida, Friday ■ Men’s soccer vs. Mercer, Friday me ©amecock Headed for a ‘Lousing’ season Carolina sputters, stalls aaain by Todd Money Sports Editor What was the part in that sports adage about offense selling tickets and defense winning games? This year’s South Carolina foot ball team is surely determined to prove that wrong on both counts. ^tfter all, USC’s 30-10 loss to Kentucky at Williams-Brice Stadi um on Saturday saw another in spired defensive effort by the Game cocks mostly go to waste. And if offense really does sell tickets, one can only wonder what kind of crowd Carolina could draw with a team capable of lighting up the score b.oard. What the 73,150 in attendance did sec was the nation’s 114th ranked offense smother itself with many of the same mistakes it’s made all season. Failed third-down conversions? Nine out of 11. Fumbles? Five, two of them re co^red by UK, one of them run in for a touchdown. Missed assignments on blocks and coverages? Several. Bad snaps from center? Far too many to count. “It wasn’t like somebody came up out of the stands and did it to us,” USC coach Lou Holtz said af terward. “It’s just mental weakness — we can’t do it.” Carolina’s 16th consecutive loss began with Kentucky quarterback Dusty Bonner driving his team 63 yards to the USC 1-yard line in the game’s first five plays. It was rem iniscent of Mississippi’s first drive of its game with USC a week ear lier, where the Rebels took control of the game on their first posses sio#and went on to an easy win. This time, the Gamecock de fense pulled together, however, and Senior wide receiver Kerry Hood emerges from a crowd of Pirate defenders during UM/s game against East Carolina Hood caught a 78-yard touchdown pass from Mlkal Goodman In Saturday’s loss to Kentucky. UK settled tor a cmp-snot Held goal and a 3-0 lead. Carolina’s first two drives weren’t as impressive, with fresh man quarterback Mikal Goodman being sacked twice for losses on third down. But on Kentucky’s third series, the Gamecock defense came up big, with defensive end John Abraham forcing a fumble to put USC at the Wildcats’ 21. Williams Brice Stadium came to its collec tive feel. As they have for much of the season, though, the Gamecocks stag nated, gaining two yards on three piays ana getting on tne ooara wun a 42-yard Steve Florio field goal. After another Kentucky field goal; South Carolina started the dri ve that Holtz would later call a “mi crocosm” of this season. First, Shel don Brown took the subsequent kickoff at the goal line and was brought down by UK’s Otis Grigs by at the USC 4. A penalty stuck Carolina back at the 2, and Good man’s first pass of the game fell in complete to Jermale Kelly. On second down, Andrew Pin nock took a handoff and stumbled ahead, just before the Wildcats’ Marion Mc»„ree Knociceo me can out of his hands. Anthony Wadja then scooped the ball off the ground at the 5 and followed two defend ers into the end zone for perhaps the easiest touchdown in Kentucky football history. “The people that complain about the way the ball bounces are usu ally the guys dropping it,” Holtz said. “We’re the ones who got the clip, we’re the ones on the 2 and we’re the ones who fumbled.” It was the fifth time this season a USC opponent has gotten a touch down while Gamecock defenders stood on the sidelines. It also turned this game’s momentum to the Wild cats for good. On the next series, Kentucky took advantage of another USC mis take, this time by Goodman. On third-and-15, Wildcat cornerback Eric Kelly took a tipped pass near midfield and ran all the way to the Gamecock 27 before being cut off by USC running back Derek Wat son. From there, Kentucky took just four plays to score again, on a 27 yard pass from Bonner to Brad Py att. The lead was 20-3, and any hope USC held of surprising one of the country’s highest-powered offens es was all but lost. The teams would score three times in the second half, Kentucky on a touchdown run by Bonner and a 27-yard field goal by Marc Samuel, and Carolina on Goodman’s 78-yard bomb to a sprinting Kerry Hood. Afterward, Holtz didn’t suggest a new quarterback situation was in order for the team, despite playing second-stringer Kyle Crabb more against Kentucky than he had all year. But he did lament severalof Goodman’s mistakes, such as the miscommunication on snaps and his inability to call plays in time. “Mikal will get better,” wide receiver Jermale Kelly said. “Some times, he’ll get a little frustrated' and get down on himself, but that’s when we have to just help him out.” Kentucky tight end James Whalen, who caught nine passes for 119 yards, complemented the USC defense. “They played a good ball game, especially when we got into the red zone,” he said. “We had to settle for a few field goals, but points are points, and that won us the ball game today.” Sports Roundup The Gamecock Volleyball USC’s volleyball team continued its strong start in Southeastern Con ference play last weekend with vic tories over Mississippi and Mississip pi State. With the victories, USC moved to 5-1 in the SEC and 11-6 overall. Friday's match saw the Game cocks blast the Lady Rebels 3-0 for their eighth consecutive win over Ole Miss, dating to 1993. USC was led by freshmen Sam Alban (.615 hitting, nine kills) and Bema Dwyer, (.455, 13 kills, seven digs). nPL. i * j.. _cx in t r_. j xuv juouj t/uuuuga vi uumi no better Sunday as they lost 3-1 to the Gamecocks. USC won its seventh consecutive match over the Bulldogs, who fell to 0-5 in the SEC and 8-8 overall. Once again, Dwyer led USC with 19 kills and 16 digs, while senior cap tain Crystal Moore contributed 18 kills and 15 digs. USC will travel to Gainesville, Fla., Friday to take on the No. 4 Flori da Gators. Florida has been picked to win the SEC East this season, so the match is crucial to both teams. Men’s Soccer USC’s match against Clemson on Sunday was canceled thanks to wet conditions at Clemson’s Riggs Field. The match has been rescheduled for 5:45 pan. Oct. 22. USC will go into the match at 5 3-2, and is looking for its first victory over the Tigers since 1995. Clemson is 3-5-2 this season. Women’s Golf The Lady Gamecock golf team took fourth place at the Tar Heel In vitational thanks to a strong final round performance. Freshman Kristy McPherson was the top Gamecock performer, finish ing tied for 10th with a 13-over 229 score. The 10 best sports films of all time Jared Kelowitz At Least I'm Not From Jersey _ Two weeks ago, I went to see the latest Kevin Costner flick, “For Love of the Game.” The movie impressed me instantly and made me think of what the last sports movie was that I had seen combining humor, ro mance, drama and action. Then, I start ed taking about the 10 best sports movies of all time. This was an interesting question, one that could not be answered easily. 1 spent days thinking about it, and after hours of laborious research (watching movies in my dorm room and debating constantly with friends), I have com piled my list of the 10 greatest sports movies of all time, other than “For Love of the Game” and “Caddyshack,” which everyone knows is the absolute best sports movie of all time. And NO, there aren’t any Adam Sandler movies on here. No. 10 “The Longest Yard” Believe it or not, before Burt Reynolds became a toupeed old fart playing a Florida politician with an af fection for Demi Moore’s ass in “Striptease,” he was a pretty good actor. One of his best movies of all time is “The Longest Yard.” The movie actually takes place in a prison run by a comipt warden. Warden Hazen, a man who selects his guards based on football skill, challenges the former pro quarterback to put together a team of cons to play the guards. The cons must overcome racial problems and other monumental differ ences in order to give the guards’ team a run for its money. The ensuing game is probably the greatest football scene ever. Picked with violence and action, the game comes down to a final play in which Reynolds needs to decide whether to throw the game and be free, or win the game and spend life in prison. No. 9 ‘The Bad News Befiis” Anyone who has ever been on any team that sucked can relate to this movie. Walter Matthau plays Morris Buttermaker, a middle-aged bom loser who has quit everything he’s ever taken on. Buttermaker decides to coach a Lit tle League team, the Bears, made up of fat kids, geeks, punks and foreign kids. In the early part of the season, the Bears are embarrassed, but in the middle of the season, they acquire Buttermaker’s estranged daughter. The girl, played by Tatum O’Neal, has a great fastball and a helluva curve to go with it. As a result, the Bears make a run to the league championship and have lots of screwball and high jinks antics on the way. No. 8 “Bull Durham” The movie that started Kevin Cost ner’s baseball movie career. Costner plays Crash Davis of the Durham Bulls, a middle-aged, broken-down catcher. Many believe Davis has nothing left, so the management sends him to Durham, N.C., to groom a head case of a rookie pitcher, Nuke Laloosh. Laloosh, played by Tim Robbins, only feels comfortable on the mound when he is wearing his girlfriend’s underwear. Along the way, Davis falls in love with a baseball groupie, played by Susan Sarandon. When Nuke is called up to the bigs, Davis is forced to find a new line of work, as the Bulls release him. No. 7 “Major League” This pick is self-explanatory. 1 mean, if you’ve never seen this movie, you are simply not American. “Wild Thing,” Jake Taylor, Roger Dorn and who could foigel the man who made this movie, Harry Doyle, the voice of the Indians, played by Bob Uecker. Uecker is brilliant in this one. In stead of teaming up with a fat butler like Mr. Belvedere, Uke teams up with a not-your-run-of-the-mill baseball club. The Indians are trying to win a pennant to spite an ex-Vegas showgirl owner who wants them to lose so their lack of attendance would allow her to move the team to Florida. The season has a rocky start, but the “comeback kids of the Cuyahoga” make it thrilling in the end. Another reason this movie made my list: Rene Russo. Rene, you make my heart sing. No.6 “Tbe Natural” Roy Hobbs, played by Robert Red ford, has loved baseball since he was 14 years old. The movie carries Hobbs and his bat “Wondeiboy” all the way through his career, ending in the major leagues with the New York Knights. The Knights'manager, “Pops,” played by Wilford Brimley, looks after Hobbs as his life and career become more com plicated. Mysterious women, crooked gamblers and a gunshot all hinder Hobbs’ goal, which is to win a pennant. Hobbs hits a light-shattering homer to win the pennant and end the film. No. 5 “Rocky” All right, before there were more Rocky movies than flavors of Baskin Robbins, Sly Stallone had a pretty good concept. The little hometown under dog, Rocky Balboa, gets the shot of a lifetime from the overconfident champ Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. Weathers takes Balboa for granted, and the fight is a lot closer than he wants, as both men end up in a Philly hospital to end the movie. Along the way, Balboa finds love, doubters and fans. One of his biggest critics is his trainer Mickey, played by Burgess Meredith. “You got the heart, kid, but you ain’t got the tools.” No. 4 “Eight Men Out” This story is the truest version of the 1919 Black Sox scandal ever put on the big screen. The story includes Shoeless Joe Jackson, played by D. B. Sweeney, as the main character, but it also delves a little deeper in showcasing Buck Weaver. Weaver, played by John Cu sack, is often overlooked in the history books, but it has been proved that Weaver is the only of the eight men banned for life who absolutely did not participate in the scandal. No. 3 “Tin Cup” This is the most recent movie in my list. Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy, a bank nipt driving-range pro, decides to enter himself in the U.S Open in order to win the heart of his pupil and psychologist, played by Rene Russo. Who wouldn’t, right? Well, along the way to his destiny, McAvoy encounters many things to stall him, including an ex-girlfriend stripper, a fiery temper, a pompous rival and alcohol. Most detrimental to the “Tin Cup,” though, is what he likes to call his inner demons. McAvoy always has to live up to the challenge, and in the end this prevents him from winning the U.S. Open. But he does win some thing more significant: Russo’s heart. No. 2 “Hoosiers” Based on an incredible true story of how a small town’s high school basket ball team becomes Indiana state champs in 1954. The film follows a controversial newcomer, Norman Dale, as head coach. Played by Gene Hackman, this man is not afraid to upset the apple carl in this conservative town. On the way to glory, the team encounters many challenges, stemming from commit ment to discipline and an alcoholic fa ther. No. 1 “Field of Dreams” Possibly the best in the Costner li brary, this movie has all the excitement, romance, magic and humor of a classic. Farmef Ray Kinsella builds a baseball field in his cornfields and brings baseball history to life in Iowa, of all places. The Slate NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE '-----■ East Division W L Dallas 3 1 Washington 3 1 New York Giants 2 3 Arizona 2 3 Philadelphia 1 4 Home 2-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 Road 1-1 2-0 1-2 1-2 0-2 Div 2-1 1-1 1-2 2-1 1-2 Str L-l W-3 L-l W-l W-l Central Division Green Bay Chicago Detroit Minnesota Tiiqjia Bay tlf_•_ 3 1 3 2 2 9 2 3 2 3 3-0 2-1 1-1 1-2 1-1 0-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 2-1 W-2 1-0 W-2 1-0 L-2 1-2 L-l 0-2 L-l L/ivioiui i St. Louis 4 0 San Francisco 3 2 New Orleans 1 3 Carolina 1 3 ^llant^i 1 4 3-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 0-2 1-0 1-2 0-2 0-2 1-2 !/ 2-0 W-4 1-1 L-l 1-2 L-3 0- 1 L-l 1- 1 W-l AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE East Division W L Buffalo 4 1 New England 4 1 Miami 3 1 Indianapolis 2 .2 New York Jets 1 4 Home 3-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 0-3 Road 1-1 4-1 2-0 1-1 1-1 Div Str 2-1 W-4 2-0 L-l 1-1 W-l 1-2 L-l 0-2 L-l Central Division Tennessee Jacksonville Baltimore Pittsburgh Cincinnati Cleveland 4 1 4 1 2 3 2 3 1 4 0 5 3-0 1-1 1-1 0-2 0-2 0-3 1-1 3-0 1-2 2-1 1-2 0-2 4-0 W-l 1-1 W-2 1- 2 L-2 2- 1 L-3 1-1 W-l 0-4 L-5 west Division Seattle San Diego Kansas City Oakland Denver 3 1 3 1 3 2 2 3 1 4 1-1 1-1 3-0 1-1 0-2 2-0 2-0 0-2 1-2 1-2 1-0 W-3 1-0 W-2 1-1 W-l 0- 2 L-2 1- 1 W-l TUESDAY’S TOP NEWS • MLB playoff update - Braves, Mets, Yankees and Red Sox advance to League Championship Series • 49ers QB Steve Young being urged by friends and family to retire after recent concussion • O. J. Simpson places 911 call for woman he says was on drug binge • Dallas expects WR Michael Irvin to return this season after spinal cord injury • Conference USA rejects SMU, invites TCU