The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 31, 2001, Image 11
Boise
Gamecocks take on
Boise State on
Saturday night
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
will be junior flanker Lou
Fanucchi. Fanucchi led the
Broncos last season in receptions
(43), yards (828) and touchdown re
ceptions (8). Accompanying
Fanucchi will be wide receiver
Jay Swillie (602 yards, five TDs)
and tight end Jeb Putzier (627
yards, 3 TDs). Another target to
keep an eye on is running back
Brock Forsey, who had nearly 500
yards receiving last season with
seven touchdowns.
Although the Broncos are for
midable in the air, the Gamecocks
have one of the SEC’s best secon
daries. Senior cornerbacks
Sheldon Brown and Andre
Goodman lead a very deep squad
of defensive backs.
Rashad Faison, Willie Offord
and Jonathan Martin head an
overload at the “Spur” position.
Adding to the strong secondary
are talented free safeties Antione
Nesmith and Deandre Eiland.
Eiland was one of the defensive
heroes in last year’s Outback
Bowl victory with two intercep
tions, giving him four during his
freshman campaign.
Holtz has made it clear in pre
season press conferences that he
is “scared” of the BSU passing
game. He and defensive gurus
Charlie Strong and John
Gutekunst should have the perfect
game plan prepared.
ADVANTAGE: USC
RUSHING: For the Broncos to
have success, they must run the
ball effectively. Last year, Forsey
compiled 982 yards rushing and 10
touchdowns. Forsey will run be
hind an experienced offensive line
anchored on the left side by senior
tackle Peter Naumes and senior
guard Jeff Cheek.
Forsey will share time with an
other comparable back - sopho
more David Mikell. Mikell gained
352 yards rushing and averaged
5.5 yards per carry in 2000.
BSU does have experience on
the offensive line, but it is under
sized, averaging only 291 pounds
on the starting team. In compari
son, the USC starting offensive
line averages 304 pounds.
What most people seem to ques
tion is the Gamecocks’ defensive
line. Senior John Stamper and ju
niors Dennis Quinn and Langston
Moore will be the ones attempting
to answer that question. Junior
college All-American Shaun
Smith won’t start, but he is ex
pected to make a bigger impact as
the season moves on. Senior
Willie Sams will split time with
Quinn at right end.
Seniors Kalimba Edwards and
Kenny Harney will man the line
backing corps. Edwards is a pre
season All-American and is seen
by many as a future first-round
draft pick.
When senior linebacker
Shannon Wadley went down for
the season, the Gamecocks were
put in a hole. But the problem ap
pears to be solved. Junior Rod
Thomas seems to have filled in
nicely and other players such as
junior Jermaine Lemon and red
Special Teams
KICKING/PUNTING: USC goes
into the game with junior Tyeler
Dean handling punting duties.
Sophomore Dan Weaver willkick
field goals, he has been having hip
problems. Joey Bowers will be in
charge of kickoff duties. Weaver
connected in one of two field goal
attempts last season.
BSU ' junior kicker Ryan
Calaycay is one of the best in the
nation. Last season, Calaycay con
nected for 15 of 16 field goals, in
cluding eight of nine from 30 to 49
yards. Junior punter Keith
Schuttler will be on duty for the
first time in his collegiate career.
ADVANTAGE: BSU
RETURNING: In the return
game, Holtz has made room for
several players.
Speedy senior wideout Corey
Alexander will be in the mix for
kickoff returns with two other
players. Donnings and Watson
will return kicks because of their
ability to make big plays.
Donnings and Brewer will be
available to receive punts.
The dangerous running back
duo of David Mikell and Forsey
will return kicks for the Broncos.
Speedy sophomore Tim Gilligan
is scheduled to field punts.
USC has a threat they might not
have had before in this area in
Chavez Donnings. Donnings and
Watson could be one of the most
lethal kickoff return combinations
in the country, barring problems
holding onto the ball.
ADVANTAGE: USC
Overall outlook:
A new team and a first-time
head coaching staff hope to leave
town with an upset that could
spark smother very successful sea
son for the Broncos. But their in
experience on offense and defense
should lead to a cakewalk for the
Gamecocks.
FINAL SCORE:
use 34 Boise St. 7
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Gamecock Sports?
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Foy
BCS changes
bowl formula
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
and ESPN polls is that even if
fans didn’t agree with them, they
understood them.
When the NCAA decided to let
the BCS determine who has the
right to play for the title, they
should have devised a system
more comprehensible to the av
erage fan.
When they released the rank
ings for the first time last year
during a Monday Night Football
game, I was appalled to see
Clemson with such a high rank
ing. Of course they were unde
feated at that point... who had
they played?
Let’s face it, the ACC doesn’t
offer the same level of competi
tion that the SEC or the Big 10 of
fers. Record isn’t everything.
Just because you can blow
away a Duke or a Wake Forest
■doesn’t make you a great team.
Beating a Miami would show you
deserve to be listed at the top.
The key to the turnaround for
this system is that we will see
what kind of people really run
the better football teams. Don’t
get me wrong, I like to see
blowouts. It would be nice to see
USC blow out a good team every
now and then. And sometimes
teams just can’t help it.
Last season, the Gamecocks
tried to run down the clock
against Eastern Michigan but
ended up scoring a touchdown
because Trevin Smith broke
loose. The 41-6 score wasn’t ex
actly a blowout, but you get the
idea.
Coaches, at least, won’t be able
to blame countless slaughters on
the computers in the BCS. They
may just have to fess up and ad
mit they’re just flexing their mus
cles.
Or maybe it’ll encourage them
not to look like jackasses by con
stantly destroying lesser football
teams.
Good ol’ fashioned sports
manship just might re-enter the
college ranks, and while we will
still see good football, weaker
teams won’t suffer as much em
barrassment.
AROUND THE SEC'
«*•
Alabama volleyball
opens in New Mexico
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The
University of Alabama volleyball
team starts the 2001 season
Friday night in tournament ac
tion at the New Mexico State
Hilton Classic.
The Tide, the defending SEC
Western Division champions,
open play against Nicholls State.
UA will also face NCAA-touma
ment participant Ball State at 4:30
p.m. in first day action.
Alabama's slate on Saturday in
. eludes matches with Pittsburgh
(2 p.m.) and host New Mexico
State (7 p.m.)
“I am looking forward to us fi
nally playing against somebody
other than ourselves,” said sixth
year UA head coach Judy Green.
“We have had a solid fall practice
and are ready to begin our pre
season schedule. This weekend
looks to be a very exciting field of
competitive teams.”
Following the Hilton Classic,
the Tide will remain on the road
for two more in-season tourna
ment trips. Mixed in that stretch,
Alabama will host Mercer on
Sept. 11 in the squad's 2001 home
opener.
Former Razorback
leads heptathlon
BEIJING, China — Former
University of Arkansas Lady
Razorback track athlete Gi-Gi
Miller is in first place in the hep
tathlon after the first day of com
petition with 3,586 points at the
World University Games in
Beijing, China.
Miller, competing for Team
USA, leads the competition by 36
points over Jane Jamieson of
Australia in the first interna
tional competition of her post-col
legiate career.
“Gi-Gi is incredibly blessed,”
Arkansas associate head coach
Rolando Greene said. “To take
seven weeks off from competition
between the USA Championships
and the World University Games
and then score that many points
is a testament to her abilities. I
am very proud of her.”
Miller got off to a great start at
the games by winning the 100-me
ter hurdles with a time of 13.61
seconds. Miller would bookend
the start with another first-place
finish in the 200 meters at 24.02.
In between her first-place finish
es, Miller found time to tie the
Arkansas school record for a hep
tathlon in the high jump.when
she cleared a season-best 5-91/4,
good for sixth overall. In the shot
put, Miller tossed 38-7 to round
out the first day.
The 3,586 points would have
set an Arkansas record for first
day score had she not already
crushed the record at the U.S.
Championships on the way to her
second-place finish in that com
_ petition. At the championships,
Miller scored a career-high and
Arkansas school record 5,925
points, a mark she is currently
chasing.
“I think that Gi-Gi has all the
abilities to reach 6,000 points in
Beijing,” Greene continued. “If
she can long jump around 20 feet,
throw the javelin 110 feet and run
the 800 meters in 2:10,1 think that
she can not only win a gold medal
at the games, but also break 6,000
points.”
Miller will conclude the hep
tathlon competition at the World ,
University Games on Wednesday
afternoon but won’t be done com
peting until the weekend. She
also participates in the triple
jump competition with prelims
on Friday, Aug. 31. Miller’s
Arkansas teammate, Tawa
Babatunde, competes for Team
Canada in the 400 hurdles on
Thursday, Aug. 30.
Auburn swimmers bring
home medals
BEIJING, China — The Auburn
swimmers have done it again,
capturing four medals in the fi
nal day of competition here at the
2001 World University Games
bringing their total to 14 medals
in the meet.
The 2001 Games is by far the
most successful international
meet in Auburn swimming his
tory, with the Tigers earning 14
total medals including eight gold,
three silver and three bronze.
"The primary determining fac
tor of success is typically shown
in how many medals a team has
won,” said head Auburn swim
ming coach David Marsh. "If that
is the case, then certainly this is
the most successful international
meet ever for Auburn.”
"They won’t need a wheelbar
row to carry their medals home,
but it will definitely add some
weight to their luggage. ”
On the final day of competi
tion, the Tigers captured two
events, including incoming fresh
man Clay Kirkland taking the
200-'meter freestyle and Andy
Haidinyak and Dave Denniston
taking gold in the 400 medley re
lay.
Kirkland, a native of
Jacksonville, Fla., took first in
the 200-meter freestyle with a per
sonal-best time of 1:50.03 for the
U.S. team. He also is taking home
a silver medal in the 400 free re
lay for his participation in the
prelims.
"It was my goal to win a gold
medal here, and I’m excited to
have done so,” Kirkland said. "I
know that if I go out too fast on
that first hundred, I won’t be able
to hold on, so it’s my strategy to
go out conservatively and then
really turn it on the last 100. It
worked for me Since I posted my
best time ever. I will be training
at Auburn for the next four years
and aiming to make some teams
and then hopefully make the
Olympic squad in 2004.”
Also winning their event on
the day was Denniston and
Haidinyak, with Denniston
swimming the breaststroke leg
and Haidinyak contributing in
the fly. The team combined for a
time of 3:39.49, which is a new
Universiade record. Denniston
split a time of 1:01.96 in the breast
while Haidinyak split a 53.42 100
fly.
FROM STAFF AND WIRE
REPORTS
shirt freshmen Jack Johnson and
Brian Brownlee will see playing
time behind Thomas. Sophomore
Jeremiah Garrison is suspended
for the BSU game and will return
to fill the void at Georgia next
week.
The Broncos’ offensive line
shouldn’t be able to handle the
Gamecocks’ combination of
strength and depth.
ADVANTAGE: USC
Junior tailback Derek Watson takes the handoff from Erik
Kimrey against Mississippi State last season, file photo
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