Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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a Gamecock Sports Schedule ^^^A B Men’s basketball vs. Tennessee Tech, Friday, 7:30 p.m. W M ^k H■ Volleyball vs. Georgia at SEC Tournament in 1 ^^B ■ ^B ■ ■ ■ ■ ^^^k Gainesville, Fla., Friday-Sunday [^r B Swimming at Northwestern Invitational, Friday ■ Football at Clemson, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Men’s soccer NCAA-bound Gamecocks receive seventh seed, will face Duke in first round by Kyle Almond ' The Gamecock The selections for the men’s soccer NCAA Tournament were announced Monday, and South Carolina received the seventh overall seed and an oppor tunity to play two home games. This is the 14th time the Gamecocks (12-3-3) have advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and Sunday at the Grave yard, they will play their first round match against the Duke Blue Devils (14-5). If the Gamecocks win, they will also get a second round home game against the winner of Brown and Vermont the fol lowing week. “We are very pleased (with the sev T enth seed),” USC head coach Mark Berson said Tuesday. “I’m proud of the • 1 team. They worked very hard, and they -1 earned the right to a home game.” After a one-year hiatus, the hard work . has the Gamecocks back in the tourna ment. Last season, the Gamecocks failed to qualify for postseason play for the first time since 1996. The tournament has been a staple of the Carolina program in the Berson era. USC has played in 13 of the last 16 NCAA Tournaments, and since 1979, USC has won 15 NCAA Tournament games. In 1993, the Gamecocks advanced all the way to the championship game before falling to Virginia. Virginia earned itself the No. 5 seed in this year’s tournament, which seeds eight teams in its field of 32. North Car olina received the first seed, followed by Clemson at No. 2. That gives the ACC three seeded teams in the tournament. The Gamecocks’ opponent on Sunday, Duke, gives the ACC four teams overall in the tournament, the most of any con ference. Despite being favored against an un seeded opponent, Berson comes into the Duke game cautious. “Duke is a tremendous team,” he said. “They have been nationally ranked all year. They are also a senior-laden team, which always concerns you (as a coach).” However, Berson has confidence in his squad, pointing out that USC finished 1-1-1 against the three ACC teams that are seeded ahead of them. The Game cocks lost to North Carolina 2-0, battled Clemson to a scoreless tie and defeated Virginia 2-1 earlier in the season. “[Duke] can bring a lot of experience, but we are ready,” Berson added. “We’ve met the best teams, and we’ve won our share of games against them.” The Gamecocks are currently ranked No. 20 by the NSCAA, and Duke is ranked higher at No. 16, but the polls aren’t associated with the NCAA Tour nament. The selection committee has its own criteria for ranking teams. The No. 1 team in the country, San Jose State, is seeded No. 8 in the tournament. Berson stresses the key to success for USC in the tournament will be individ ual focus. “We must have our top game ready,” he said. “Every player has to be on his best. If we do that, I like our chances.” “We know we can score goals on teams, and we know we are well-orga nized defensively,” he added. “The key is that every player brings his ‘A’ game.” Sunday’s kick-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tickets for students will cost $5 and tickets for adults will be $8. The USC athletic department usually doesn’t charge for home soccer games, but the NCAA requires it. All tournament ticket money goes to the NCAA. Berson hopes the fans will still come out to cheer the Gamecocks to victory. “We have great fans and the student support has been great,” he said. “Hope fully fans will come back from the Clem son football game ready to finish things off on Sunday.” Tournament to charge students The NCAA charges admission for all of its tournament games, regardless of school policy. For Sunday’s game against Duke, admission prices are as follows: USC Students (with ID) — $5 Adults — $8 The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports@hotmail.com. Gamecocks, Holtz try to recover by Michael Haney The Gamecock t « # ► It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Gamecocks were supposed to go into Florida last weekend and upset the mighty Gators to continue their dream season and earn the SEC East title. It looked like they would after roar ing to a 21-3 lead in the first quarter. But Florida, knowing they had a shot at a national title, responded with a flurry of points in the second quarter to dampen the spirits of Carolina and roll to a 41 21 victory. “It’s the type of game that haunts you,” USC head coach Lou Holtz said. “You go back and look and say, ‘Why’d you do that?’ I don’t know. I’ve never done that before. I can’t tell you. We were like deer in headlights.” “It hurts,” senior nose guard Cleve land Pinkney said. “I wanted to play for the SEC championship. ... Now that that’s gone, a part of me is gone. It’s verv disaDDointine.” Despite their disappointment, the Gamecocks will need to be ready to play this weekend as they face their hated ri val from the upstate, the Clemson Tigers. Holtz says the team’s focus can be on nothing more than winning. “I think we’ll focus on Clemson pret ty quickly,” Holtz said. “But this is going to be hard to get away (from) be cause when you’re up 21-3 and you look at some of the dumb things we did as a team and as a staff, it’s discouraging.” Carolina comes into this weekend’s game with more on the line than Clem son. Regardless of how the Tigers finish, they will be headed to the Gator Bowl. However, if Carolina wins, it will get strong consideration for the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Lose, and the Gamecocks are almost assured of a Peach Bowl berth in At lanta, although a bid to the Outback Bowl in Tampa isn’t out of the question. “This is a big ballgame because who ever comes out of this game will prob ably be nationally ranked going into a bowl, and whoever loses probably won’t be nationally ranked,” Holtz said. “But also the fact it’s Clemson. You recruit against them. You live here. It makes for a marvelous game.” Offensive woes Carolina has been much improved this year, most obviously in the offen sive game. However, Carolina has strug gled against some of the better defen sive ball clubs they’ve faced. USC has only been able to amass a total of 14 offensive points against Ten nessee and Florida, while their running game has struggled to a meager 105 yards total in both of those contests. That is something Holtz worries about head ing into the final regular season game, especially with injuries along the of fensive line. “We’re having some trouble on the inside of the line. You hate to do it in the 11th game, but we’re gonna have to look at some personnel changes there,” he said. The rivalry The Carolina-Clemson rivalry is the fourth longest uninterrupted rivalry in college football at 92 straight games. The rivalry began in 1896, but was not played in 1901 and 1903-1908 due to a near riot incited after the teams played in 1902. Clemson holds a 58-35-4 lead in the series. TV exposure Carolina has had seven of their 11 games televised this year. Saturday’s contest will mark the third consecu tive television appearance for the Game cocks. Kick-off for the game is sched uled for 3:30 p.m. on ABC. This is Carolina’s first appearance on ABC since 1985 when they hosted Michigan. The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports@hotmail.com. Sean Rayford The Gamecock USC head coach Lou Holtz offers a difference of opinion to a referee dur ing last Saturday’s loss to Florida. An early look at Clemson/USC by David Cloninger Who Else? The Gamecock A forecast of Saturday’s game: 3:37 p.m.-Kickoff is delayed five minutes because of an improper uniform penalty against the Tigers. Clemson tailback Travis Zachery is ordered to change his jersey after the referees discov er the phrase “I’m ‘Bout It” (a plug of Zachery’s Web site, http://peopIe.clemson.edu/~tzach er/) stitched on the back in stead of his name. 1st quarter 14:48 - USC’s Derek Watson re turns the opening kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown, but the play is called back due to a crack back chop block from Gamecock kicker Jason Corse on Clemson counterpart Tony Lazzara. 10:04 - The Tigers score first on an 88-yard run from scrimmage by quarterback Woodrow Dant 7lpr TTQP rnaernt C'rwlrv ic piprt ed for dropping the People’s El bow on Mr. Tiger while the latter is trying to do his pushups. CLEMSON 7, USC 0. 8:25 - Lou Holtz is smacked in the face with a wad of tobacco thrown from the stands. A fan bearing a striking resemblance to former Clemson coach Dan ny Ford is hustled out of Death Valley. End of the 1st quarter - USC kicker Dan Weaver, in place of Corse, shanks a 21-yard field goal wide left. In a fit of anger, Weaver rips Tiger tackle Terry Jolly’s helmet off and drop-kicks it, this time placing it wide right and getting himself benched in favor of Reid Bethea. 2nd quarter 9:28 - On second-and-goal from the Clemson 7-yard line, Wat son’s leaping touchdown is called back for offensive interference. Further investigation reveals line men Melvin Paige and Philip « Jones each grabbed one of Watson’s arms and slung him over the pile and into the end zone. 9:14 - USC scores on a naked bootleg run from quarterback Phil Petty. Petty is slapped with a 15-yard penalty on the en suing kickoff and told to pull his pants up. CLEMSON 7, USC 7. 1:04 - While attempting a field goal, Clemson holder Jeff Scott (son of Tiger tight ends coach Brad) starts to run for a first down on a trick play. Gamecock line backers Marco Hutchinson, An dre Offing and Kenny Harney, plus tackle Cecil Caldwell, plow into him for a 20-yard loss, im mediately whipping out packets of Heinz ketchup and splatter ing Scott’s uniform with the red goo. Halftime - In the middle of its 38th chorus of “Tiger Rag,” the Tiger Band is attacked on the field by The Mighty Sound of the Southeast. Clemson beats the USC band in head-to-head com petition when its flag line is cho sen “More Feminine” by a close margin. In the undercarrl IISP an nouncer Charlie McAlexander takes on Clemson’s Jim Phillips in a boxing match. Charlie Mac records a knockout when Phillips is caught analyzing with color man Mike Eppley over the question, “Who was better, William Perry or his brother Michael Dean?” 3rd quarter 12:22 - Dantzler is sacked by nose guard Cleveland Pinkney. Pinkney is dragged off the downed QB by enraged Clem son Athletics Director Bobby Robinson, who shouts, “No Knocks on Woody!” 6:15 - Tiger cornerback Robert Carswell intercepts a Petty pass and returns it to the USC 15, where he is hit by Gamecock center Scott Browne. Wide re ceiver Jermale Kelly, Petty’s in tended target, spies Carswell los ing control of the ball, picks it up, and returns it to the Clemson 5 before being leveled by All American Butkus Award candi I 4 date Keith Adams. Adams strips the ball from Kelly and runs to the 50-yard line where he is tripped up by Gamecock fullback Andrew Pinnock. Adams can’t hold on to the ball, which takes a bounce right into the hands of multi-purpose man Ryan Brew er. Brewer immediately punts the ball to the end zone, where Pet ty, unnoticed in all the confusiori, has run. Petty catches the ball for a Gamecock lead. USC 14, CLEMSON 7 3:13 - Jackie Robinson catches a 5-yard Dantzler pass for the ty ing score, but suffers an agonis ing loss when his left ring finger is eaten by Kalimba Edward^. CLEMSON 14, USC 14 4th quarter 14:56 - USC spur Rashad Fai son gets tangled up in Tommy Bowden’s headset wire while chasing an out-of-bounds pass. Bowden comments to offensivi coordinator Rich Rodriguez on how stupid Faison looks in h£ uniform, unaware that Faison $ picking up every off-color word. 14:00 - USC eets the ball back. and Faison lines up behind center. His only play as quarter back is a complete pass to Bow den’s upper lip. 11:11 - The Tigers score on a 70 yard touchdown run from wide receiver Rod Gardner. By fak ing a punt and then throwing to Gardner, Clemson takes the lead on the famous “puntrooskie” play. After the two-point con version, it’s CLEMSON 22, USC 14. 9:20 - USC defensive backs Shel don Brown and Jonathan Martin sack Clemson backup Willie Simmons on a run. Unfortunately, Simmons was holding a lump of cow manure, not the football. The ball is discovered in the hands of fullback Terry Wither spoon, who crosses the goal line. CLEMSON 29, USC 14 7:51 - Disgusted with the kick* ing game, Holtz picks a fan at random to convert a must-have 35-yard field goal. USC Student Government President Jotaka Eaddy boots the ball right down Clemson see f*ge 1$ * i