Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

I f I 1 C 'l VOLLEYBALL at Kentucky, 7 p.m. Wednesday CONTACT US YJi 1 Lf f I ’ XJ MEN’STENN,S at AA Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn., .„ I I ill I L MEN’S SOCCER at No. 3 Wake Forest, 7 p.m. Friday Story ideas? Questions? Comments? I\/I||k/ WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m. Friday E-mailusatgamecocksports@hotmail.com _■ rN—/ FOOTBALL f x " Mississippi St. in (1-4, 0-3 SEC) USC 34 (4-2,2-1) BY BRAD SENKIW THK (IAMKC0CK The USC football team used a stingy defense and a quick-scoring offense to-down the Mississippi-State Bulldogs 34-10 in what cou].d be considered its strongest performance of the season. Carolina (4-2,2-1 SEC) jumped on MSU early and dominated the game using a well-balanced attack from the offense, defense and special teams. Andrew Pinnock scored the team’s first touchdown of the day to cap an 89-yard drive highlighted by Troy Williamson’s 21-yard run off a reverse. Pinnock finished the afternoon with 47 yards rushing. Quarterback Corey Jenkins increased Carolina’s lead to 14-0 with a 26-yard strike to tight end Hart Turner, wide open along the sideline. The score was TRimer’s first of his ca reer. Jenkins had an exceptional game before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. The senior threw for 103 yards and scored two touchdowns — one passing and one rushing. Jenkins also led the Gamecocks with 52 yards rushing. In the second quarter, USC free safety Deandre Eiland recovered a fumble and re turned it to the Bulldogs 3-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by Jenkins. USC led 21-0 at halftime and held on easily in the second half. Dondrial Pinkins came in for Jenkins and performed admirably. He and tailback Kenny Irons made big plays running the ball, and the offense racked up 408 toted yards, 230 of those on the ground. “We were pleased with how things went,” Pinkins said. “It feels good to be able to do what the team needs me to do when I get called on. With Corey’s ankle problems, it felt good to step in and do what I was asked to do.” A lot of the credit has to go the USC offen sive line, which had a big performance despite recent injuries to starters Shane Hall and C.J. Frye. Tackle Travelle Wharton played despite the tragic death of his grandmother earlier in the week. “The offensive line played well, specifical ♦ FOOTBALL, SEE PAGE 11 ...• .d '_fed.: v ./• PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK Andrew Pinnock opened the scoring in the Gamecocks’ 34-10 thrashing of Mississippi State on Saturday, running for a 1-yard touchdown. The senior fullback from Bloomfield, Conn., had 47 yards on 12 carries. FOILED AGAIN Men’s soccer defeated by Clemson in 2 OTs Clemson 9 (7-1-1) * eusc 1 (7-2-1) BY KYLE ALMOND THE GAMECOCK Sunday’s men’s soccer match between USC and Clemson followed what is start ing to become a predictable plot: a closely contested game in front of the season’s largest crowd, with the Tigers tri umphing in the end. Dimelon Westfield scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the second UVtJl Lllllc, iu lead the No. 9 Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the No. 1,1 Gamecocks at the Graveyard. The defeat extends Clemson’s re cent domi nance in the ri valry. The Tigers (7-1-1) have won sev en of the last eight meetings with Carolina. with the eighth result being a draw. USC (7-2-1) hasn’t beaten Clemson since 1995. “It was a disappointing loss for us,” USC head coach Mark Berson said. “I thought our guys did a great job.” Carolina outshot Clemson 12-8 in the match and held the advantage in corner kicks 9-3. But the Gamecocks couldn’t come up with the goal when they needed it. “I thought we had the ad vantage. in good (scoring) chances,” Berson said. “But that’s not really what counts. What counts is sticking them away.” Westfield opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when he took a piass in the box from Andre Borges and slotted it past USC goalkeeper Michael Bachmeyer. USC answered just five min utes later, however, when Anthony Stovall scored to tie the match. Lawson Vaughn chased down a through ball by J.C. Desriac on the left flank, and he dropped the ball back to an open Stovall, who drilled a point-blank shot past Clemson’s Doug Warren for his second goal of the year. The first half was evenly matched, but Carolina took control after halftime. USC dis rupted Clemson’s possession time after time and looked for the quick counterattack. USC outshot Clemson 5-1 in the sec ond half. The Gamecocks continued to control the majority of play well into overtime, but once Clemson got their chance to score, it took advantage. Borges served a cross in from the left and once again found Westfield, who headed the ball past Bachmeyer for the golden goal. “The guys did a good job sta tistically in every category,” Berson said of his team. “We dominated the game, but we didn’t get the game-winner — and that’s the only statistic that counts.” With the two goals, Westfield now has a team-high 11 goals in nine games. Despite the tough loss, the team’s second in a row, Berson was encouraged by the perfor mance of his younger players. “We played some young players today that played sig ♦ SOCCER, SEE PAGE 11 Clemson’s Dimelon Westfield finished off Carolina with a header in the 112th minute. Two-headed monster’ a force for USC Jenkins, Pinkins sharing position and frustrating USC opponents BY KYLE ALMOND THE GAMECOCK Meeting with reporters after 'USC’s 34-10 victory Saturday over Mississippi State, Corey Jenkins wasn’t talking until Dondrial Pinkins got a chair right next to him. The two quarterbacks shared playing time throughout the game — a convincing offensive display from Carolina — and Jenkins wanted to make sure they both shared the spotlight afterward. “The two-head ed monster is tough to stop right now,” he said. MSU definitely couldn’t stop the monster, which ac counted for 250 yards of total of fense. Jenkins, the «tartpr nassed for 103 yards, rushed for 52 yards and scored two touchdowns. Pinkins, the backup, added 50 yards rush ing and 45 passing. “We rotate real well together,” Jenkins said. “We play well to gether and get along real well.” Competing for the same posi tion can breed animosity between teammates, especially at quarter back. But Jenkins and Pinkins have formed a bond, and their sup portive relationship has been in strumental in the team’s success. Jenkins, the 26-year-old senior, is the talker of the two. He’s al ways smiling, and he exudes the confidence that comes with his maturity. Pinkins, the redshirt sopho more, is normally more reserved, almost shy. But with Jenkins next to him, he opens up more. “I feel great with the playing time I’m getting,” Pinkins said. “Hopefully, I can get in a little more. But Corey’s doing a great job.” The two quarterbacks even man aged to play at the same time Saturday. Jenkins lined up at tail back for a couple of plays with Pinkins at quarterback and Andrew Pinnock at fullback, and he ran two sweeps for 7 and 5 yards. “You didn’t see everything you were supposed to see out of that personnel, but, in the future, I’m pretty sure you will,” Jenkins said. Head coach Lou Holtz didn’t take credit for that for mation. “That was Skip’s idea more than mine.” he said, referring to offensive coor dinator Skip Holtz. “He wanted to get Dondrial in and Corey in and play Corey some at tailback. “I thought they did a nice job with it. I thought that Corey ran well at the tailback position; he gives you a little bit more bulk.” Jenkins and Pinkins continued to switch on and off at quarterback until the third quarter, when Jenkins sprained his left ankle. But by that time, the damage had been done. Carolina was up com Jenkins Pinkins “I feel great with the playing time I’m getting. Hopefully, I can get in a little more. But Corey’s doing a great job.” DONDRIAL PINKINS USC QUARTERBACK fortably, 27-7. Pinkins spent the re mainder of his game handing off the ball and keeping the clock run ning. With next week’s big game at Kentucky looming, Jenkins’ in jury worries the coaching staff. Pinkins has performed well in a reserve role, but it’s still uncertain as to whether he’s ready to take over the offense full time. “I’d like to see him be a bit fur ther along,” Skip Holtz said. “He’s doing some very good things, but he’s inexperienced.” If Jenkins is healthy, then there’s no question that he’s the starter. “I need to get (Pinkins) as much playing time as I can, but I have an obligation to this offense,” Skip Holtz said. “And right now, Corey Jenkihs is playing very well. He’s making some good reads; he’s • throwing the ball well.” Jenkins is confident he’ll be ready to go Saturday. “I’ll get treatment two or three times a day to make sure I’m ready,” he said. “I’m here to play. I’m here to play every day and have a good time. “But if I get tired or if I can’t go, I’m confident in the guys behind me.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@kotma il.com PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK Dondrial Pinkins has been seeing more playing time lately at quarterback for the Gamecocks. Offensive coordinator Skip Holtz is trying to play both Pinkins and Corey Jenkins. GAME 6 THE GAMECOCK’S GAME BALL OT Travelle Wharton Wharton played just clays after the tragic loss of his grandmother and led the way for the offensive line. Holtz forgot to give him a game ball, but we won’t. “They dominated us.” JACKIE SHERRILL MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH Corey Jenkins' 26-yard pass to tight end HartTumer in the first quarter put Carolina up 14-0 and set the tone for a rout. Jenkins bumped awkwardly into Ryan Brewer on the fake handoff, but he still managed to turn and find Turner wide open for the score. It was Turner’s first touchdown as a Gamecock. THE STAT 230 The Gamecocks piled up 230 yards of total offense in the first half - the highest output all season for USC in a half. Most of the yards (158) came on the ground, as Carolina pounded the ball down the Bulldogs’ throats.