miic (5amccock
Adkisson a key part
of Carolina offense
by George Simpson
The Gamecock
I James
Adkisson was al
most not a
Gamecock.
The
USC wide re
ceiver previous
ly played foot
ball in junior
ADKISSON college and had
prominent Div
sion I schools such as Arizona State,
Michigan State and Missouri ask
ing for his services.
Adkisson liked each school, but
points out that they didn’t have one
important catch South Carolina has:
Lou Holtz.
He won’t let anyone believe that
Coach Holtz is the reason he came
to USC, but Adkisson admits he was
impressed with the veteran coach.
“Coach Holtz told me what he
wanted out of me,” Adkisson said.
“I wanted to play for a solid pro
gram and I knew that [Holtz] did
n’t get to where he was with
luck.”
*
Prior to his arrival at USC, Ad
kisson played two years of junior
college football in his home state of
Missouri. There the All-American
wide receiver drew interest from
many Division I teams.
His breakout game came against
NE Oklahoma when he caught sev
en passes for 256 yards and two
touchdowns. He also had his most
thrilling athletic moment while play
ing in Missouri.
I In his first game, and his sec
ond week on campus, Adkisson
hauled in eight passes for 175 yards
and three scores, including the game
winner. Adkisson ended his JUCO
career with 59 catches for 1375 yards
and seven touchdowns.
The man known around the lock
er room as “Little Moss” or “Ak
bone” has certainly been Moss-like
at times this season. Like his idol
Randy Moss of the Minnesota
Vikings, Adkisson’s 6 foot 4 inch,
210 pound frame and his 4.4 sec
ond forty-yard sprint helped him
overshadow helpless cornerbacks.
Take, for example, his third
down catch in Saturday’s game
against Mississippi State, in
which quarterback Phil Petty threw
a jump-ball down the sideline while
being chased by Bulldog defenders.
“Little Moss” leaped over All
American cornerback Fred Smoot
and picked up a crucial fourth quar
ter first down for the Gamecocks.
This season Adkisson has very
high expectations for himself and
his team.
“Personally, I am striving to be
come a better player than I was in
Junior College,” he said. “As far as
the team goes, we want to get a bowl
game and prove the nation wrong.”
When game day approaches,
Adkisson is very technical in his
preparation. He has no outlandish
superstitions or quotes to bring him
good-luck. He said he prefers to go
day by day, take care of himself and
not worry about what everyone is
doing.
He puts his luck aside and says,
“If the Lord is with me, then I don’t
need luck.”
Adkisson holds a certain ap
preciation for the SEC, comment
ing on its ainicuity ana excitement.
“It is difficult to handle the ex
pectations, but you have to abandon
all excuses and get the job done,”
Adkisson said. “The reward comes
from the excitement of playing in
front of a national audience every
Saturday.”
When he’s not on the football
field or in the classroom, Ad
kisson says he spends a lot of his
time sleeping. He says the most re
laxing thing for him to do is hang
out with friends, which helps relieve
stress.
Adkisson advises aspiring col
lege athletes that the most impor
tant thing to do is be in shape. He
hopes this same advice will also help
him move to the next level.
He dreams of being in the
NFL someday, but if that falls
through, he plans to exercise his op
tions in the field of business.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Women’s soccer to play two at home
by Chris Foy
The Gamecock
The USC women’s soccer team is
looking to make it three wins in a row when
they return to Stone Stadium this weekend to
open up SEC play against the Georgia
Bulldogs (5-4-1) and the Tennessee Volunteers
(4-5).
USC (3-7) got their third win of the
season Tuesday night as they pulled out of
Wofford with a 3-2 win, handing the Terriers
their first loss of the season.
South Carolina is looking to take an
early lead in the SEC as they take on Georgia
tonight, and historically the two teams are
matched even as the series record is 2-2-1.
However, the Gamecocks have a slight advan
tage over the Bulldogs at the “Graveyard” as
they are 1-0-1. In the series, each team has
scored a total of six goals.
Although Georgia boasts a better record,
the two teams have each taken a turn in mid
season.
The Bulldogs started the season with
a record of 5-1-0 but have dropped their past
four matches for an overall record of 5-4-1.
The Gamecocks, however, have won three out
of their past four matches after starting the
season 0-6. Also, since being shutout in their
first three games, the Gamecocks have not
failed to score a goal in any of their matches.
The Bulldogs have a very strong offensive
front led by junior forward. Amy Berbary. She
leads the team with six goals, 19 shots and 12
points. Alongside Berbary, sophomore forward
Beth Culver leads the team in assists with five
and has two game-winning goals.
Tennessee’s 2000 squad also has a strong
offense. The Vols have a team effort at work,
and as a team they have taken 182 shots, with
55 points on 19 goals. Their offense is led by
freshman Rhian Wilkinson (five goals, 13
points) and senior Laura Lauter Smith (three
goals). Smith is tied for first in all-time goals
for the Vols.
The goalkeeper for Sunday’s matchup
will be junior Ellen Dean who has put up a
.736 save percentage since her freshman year.
The Vols have not lost a game to
South Carolina in their four-game history.
Three of those games were decided by only
one goal.
The Gamecocks are led by freshman
Becca Epstein, who has put up 10 points this
season off four goals and two assists.
Sophomore Becky Leeper scored a goal and
an assist Tuesday night against the Terriers,
raising her season point total to six. Juniors
Lydia Bienias and Morgan McIntyre have each
put up two goals on the season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Elise
Matthews has started all 10 matches for. the
Gamecocks this year and has registered a 2.7
GAA with 43 saves.
Although USC has a low win percentage
right no^v, the team isn’t discouraged. The
SEC as a whole has been struggling through
their 2000 campaigns. With Georgia and
Tennessee still having low winning percent
ages, the Gamecocks still have a chance to
make some noise in the SEC East.
Looking constructively and critically -
at where her team is right now, Gamecock
head coach Sue Kelly still finds reason for
optimism for the rest of the season, as the
remainder of the schedule will be all SEC
matches except one.
“As this team continues to develop
and show its depth, the future certainly looks
bright,” Kelly said. “There’s only one way we
can look right now and that’s forward.”
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Soccer
from page 10
opponents 21-8 and led in comer kicks,
10-1.
Twenty-one Gamecocks saw ac
tion in the game, including three
different players in net. RedsKirt se
nior Henry Ring, sophomore Michael
Bachmeyer and redshirt freshman Zac
Jordan saw time in goal for USC. It
was Jordan’s collegiate debut.
In the history of the two schools,
South Carolina has won all four meet
ings. Last season, USC defeated
Winthrop 5-0 at the Graveyard. Juk
ka Sundquist had a hat trick in the
game, and Joey Worthen and Alex
Balasco also added a goal.
Since dropping their second game
of the season at home against UNC
Charlotte, the Gamecocks have been
on a roll, winning six games, losing
none and tying one. Along the way,
USC upset previous No. 1 Virginia
and No. 8 Maryland.
Quinn and Daley have been the
catalysts of the Carolina attack, scor
ing two-thirds of all of USC’s goals.
The defense has allowed only 10
goals thus far, an average of 1.1 goals
a game.
The Gamecocks are now 2-0-1 on
their current road trip. They wrap it
up with a visit to No. 2 Penn State on
Sunday. The Nittany Lions squeaked
past USC in their meeting last year,
2-1, in the Mt. Pleasant Invitational
at Charleston. Penn State is also un
defeated on the year, with a record of
6-0.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Football
from page 10
ly every position. Linebacker Saleem Rasheed was a pre-season Playboy
All-American and was SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.
Special teams will be another battle this week. The Tide is averaging 39
yards per punt to Carolina’s 33.2. The Gamecocks are six for .eight on
field goal attempts this year, while Alabama is two of four.
Holtz voiced concern about playing somewhere other than Williams
Brice Stadium.
“Playing on the road is a different bear,” Holtz said. “I don’t know if
we’re ready to handle it. Now we’re going to find out something about our
selves.”
The sports desk can he reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Gamecock Sports Challenge
f
Sports
Editor
(12-8)
Alabama
Clemson
Arkansas
Florida
Michigan
Sports
Editor
(11-9)
Alabama
Clemson
Georgia
Florida
Michigan
Editor in
Chief
(13-7)
Alabama
Clemson ,
Arkansas
Florida
Michigan
Defending
Champion
(11-9)
use l
eiemson - (
Georgia j
Florida 1
Michigan P
Brandon
Larrabee
(14-6)
JSC
Jemson
Arkansas
lorida
lichigan
For the Away . .
Clemson us. USC Game
nouember18,2000
Students may have their ID cards scanned to enter
the lottery on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,
October 2, 3, and 4 from 9:00 am til 4:00 pm in Room
205 in the Russell House. This will be during
football distribution for student tickets for the
Arkansas and Tennesse Games.
A list will be posted of the students who will be
eligible to buy a ticket by 9:00 am Monday,
October 9 in the Student Government Office.
The list will contain 1200 primary students and
2 alternative lists of 100 each.
Primary students - Tues. October 9 RH Rm 205 9am-4pm
First 100 alternates - Wed. October 10 RH Rm 205 9am-4pm
Second 100 alternates - Wed. October 11 RH Rm 205 Noon-4pm
Students must be full time, fee paying students
and present a valid ID card when signing up for a
ticket and when purchasing a ticket.
-:
It s football season, and like your favorite football team, maybe it’s time to make an
extended road trip. So grab some friends and board the nearest Amtrak* train. With huge,
^ comfortable seats, food aplenty, and all your friends around, it's like the world’s fastest tailgate
party. For information on fares to our over 500 destinations, call your travel agent or Amtrak
at 1-800-USA-RAIL, or visit our website at www.amtrak.com. Amtrak*
■ENTER TO WIN■
AN ALL-EXPENSE-PAID TRIP TO SEE THE
GAMECOCKS PLAY THE GATORS IN THE SWAMPI!
TRIP INCLUDES:
*ROUND-TRIP ACCOMMODATIONS FOR 2
ON AMTRAK'S SILVER STAR
*2 NIGHTS HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR 2 AT
TEAM HOTEL
*2 TICKETS TO THE USCIUF GAME
*$500 SPENDING MONEY
Schedule subject to change without notice. No purchase
necessary. Open to U.S. residents over age 18 except
sponsor’s employees, spouses & dependents. Odds of
winning depend on number of entries. Estimated trip por
tion of prize valued at $1,424; all taxes responsibility of
winner. Entries must be received by 11/01/00; need not
be present to win—notified by phone. Winner must sign
eligibility/liability waiver statement. Void where prohibited.
For winners' list write to address on entry form.
-— — — - — ^
CATCH THE ACTION!!!
Team Handball...it's not off the wall! Looking for men
and women interested in playing this fun, fast-paced
sport.a combination of basketball, soccer, water
polo and hockey.
The Southeast Team Handball Conference is looking
to add both a men’s and women's club team from USC.
-J
For more information,
please contact Lisa Eagen at
1-888-752-9842 (toll free) or email
lisaeagen @ usateamhandball. org.
Check out www.usateamhandball.org for more exciting team handball information.
* * * >