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w5 mjj « GAME SCHEDULE CONTACT US SWIMMING AND DIVING vs. Kentucky, 5 p.m. Friday 1 MEN’S SOCCER vs. Coastal Carolina in Charleston, 5 p.m. Friday Story ideas? Questions? Comments? ^ VOLLEYBALL vs. Ole Miss, 7 p.m. Friday E-mail us at gamecocksports@Jwtmail.com WOMEN’S TENNIS in Southern Intercollegiate (in Columbia), Friday USC looks to end drought PHOTO BY CANDI HAUGLUM/THE GAMECOC Above: Andrew Plnnock, shown here against Georgia, will be the Gamecocks’ prime rushing threat next to quarterback Corey Jenkins this weekend. Right: USC fans ^won’t be ^shirtless Saturday. Many will wear garnet as part of the “Garnet Gameday” promotion. PHOTO BY ROBERT GRUEN/THE GAMECO< j With Vols vulnerable, ) Gamecocks could halt \ 10-year losing streak T No. 25 Tennessee at USC 3:30 p.m. Saturday Williams-Brice Stadium TV: CBS BY NICK YOUNG THE GAMECOCK Ten years. That’s how long it’s been since the USC football team has beaten the University of Tennessee. But the Gamecocks (5-3,3-2 SEC) look to end that streak this Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium against a struggling No. 25-ranked Volunteer team. UT is coming off two consecu tive losses in the SEC, including a 34-14 blowout against Alabama last week. In the game, the Volunteers committed six turnovers and were held to only 222 yards of offense, a season low. That loss dropped Tennessee (4 3,1-3) to its worst conference record since the 2000 season. tyUai lei uciur. turned from a collarbone injury and looked rusty. Clausen threw three interceptions and was sacked three times. This game could prove to be a big one for him, as he tries to redeem himself K against a tough Carolina pass de 1 fense. |l USC head coach Lou Holtz is es ? pecially worried about Clausen. “You have Clausen, who I think is the best quarterback in the con ference,” Holtz said. “He has com pleted 66 percent of his passes and has great peripheral vision.” To do well, Clausen will need some help. One of the four running backs in Tennessee’s committee will have to step up and have a big game against a Gamecock run de fense that allows 154 yards per game. Wide receiver Kelley Washington will need to come back big after suffering a concus sion against Alabama, to take some of the pressure off Clausen K and the rushing attack. Throughout the years, Tennessee has had a dominant de fense and an especially good run defense. This year, though, has been different. The Volunteers have allowed a substantial amount of rushing yards, especially to Alabama and Arkansas. This is one of the areas that Carolina is looking to exploit. The brightest spot for Tennessee has been their special teams. Handling Tennessee’s re turn duties will be Corey Larkins, who leads the nation in kickoff re turns with an average of 28.2 yards per return. Punter Dustin Colquitt is fourth in the nation with an av erage of 44.2 yards per punt. Holtz doesn’t think this Volunteer team is any different from past ones. “What they have done is lost some difficult games,” he said. “I don’t see a different Tennessee foqm T coo fV»o coma Torvnoccoo team that I have seen in the four years that I have been here.” For Carolina, injuries are the top story for the third consecutive game. Wide re ceiver Ryan ySC Brewer is out with tailback/ a sprained ankle, receiver/ The coaching staff returner will use either Ryan Thez Robinson, Brewer Michael Ages or Saturday’s Andrea Gause to game replace Brewer in because of the slot receiver a sprained position. Coaches left ankle, are still undecided about who will return punts and kickoffs in Brewer’s absence. Defensive end Jason Capers and backup running back Gonzie Gray are also unavailable Saturday. Offensively, Corey Jenkins should be ready for a possible field day. This year, Tennessee has had trouble with strong rushing at tacks, especially ones with running quarterbacks. Tennessee has also struggled in pass coverage, partic ularly against the long ball, Jenkins’ specialty. He should also ♦ TENNESSEE, SEE PAGE 8 UTs Washington questionable for game KNOXVILLE, TENN. (AP) - Tennessee receiver Kelley Washington said Wednesday he is more concerned about the heel injury that has kept him out of practice even as team doctors 4| .nonitor his recovery from a con cussion. Washington was held out of the 25th-ranked Volunteers’ 34-14 loss to Alabama last weekend because doctors said he still had some symptoms from a concussion he sus tained Oct. 12 at Georgia. Tennessee (4-3, 1-3 SEC) plays Saturday at South Carolina, and Washington’s sta tus remained ques- Washington tionable. He has not practiced this week and wouldn’t speak to reporters until Wednesday. Normally players who don’t nractice do nnt h-i„o honor re quests for media interviews, but •s coach Phillip Fulmer said he wanted Washington available so no one would think the school was trying to hide information. Washington said he hurt his heel last week during practice. He was wearing a walking boot on his left leg Tuesday but didn’t have the brace on Wednesday when he was interviewed after practice. “I’m just disappointed I can’t help our team win. I’m just trying to get as much treatment... as pos sible right now,” he said. Fulmer said the team trainers would probably know by Friday if Washington’s concussion symp toms had cleared enough that he could play Saturday. “That’s up to the medical staff to do that,” Washington said about the concussion. He referred questions about his concussion, such as his symp toms, to the medical staff. Earlier in the week, head trainer Keith Clements said he couldn’t talk about the specifics of the concus sion because of privacy issues. Washington said he wanted to play against Alabama and denied he didn’t for any reason other than medical. The Vols had counted on Washington to be their main re ceiver this season. In four games he has 23 catches, one touchdown and a team-leading 443 yards. He missed the first two games be cause of a sprained knee. “As far as my season, I’m just trying to get out of the training ..._ T nncitiuO Tlmnn.n.1_x IWllJ.iOiwj f- -- I can do when I’m healthy,” he said. Washington, a former profes sional baseball player, has said he planned to leave Tennessee af ter this season to enter the NFL draft. Asked if his injuries this sea son had changed his mind, he replied: “Definitely not.” Around the SEC NO. 5 GEORGIA VS. FLORIDA: The Georgia Bulldogs can take control of the SEC Eastern Division when they face the Florida Gators at the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. With a victory, fifth-ranked Georgia (8-0,5-0 SEC) will win the SEC Eastern Division and book a spot in the conference title game. Florida (5-3,3-2) hopes to retain the dominance it has had over Georgia in the last 11 meetings. The Gators have only lost once — a 37-17 decision in 1997. AUBURN AT OLE MISS: Auburn (5-3, 3.-2) comes off a resounding 31-7 victory over LSU last week, while the Rebels (5-3,2-2) would like nothing better than to snap a two-game conference skid. KENTUCKY AT MISSISSIPPI STATE: After starting off 4-0, the Wildcats (5-3,1-3) haven’t found much suc cess inside their own conference, especially after receiving a beat ing against Georgia last week. Mississippi State (3-4, 0-3) wants its first SEC victory. ALABAMA AT VANDERBILT: Alabama (6-2, 3-1) continues to have a strong season despite their inability to play in the post season. It looks like Vanderbilt (2-6,0-4) will be in SEC East cellar for an other year. TROY STATE AT ARKANSAS: Arkansas (4-3, 2-3) is having a rough season in a very competi tive division, while the Trojans (3-6) have played close games against Nebraska, Marshall and Mississippi State. Who has the edge? No. 25 Tennessee (4-3,1-3 SEC) at USC (5-3,3-2) USC’s pass against the Tennessee defense: Ryan Brewer will be missed in the passing game. He always comes up with the tough, third-down catches in big games. QB Corey Jenkins hasn’t really found a rhythm yet and could struggle against a talented secondary. USC’s rush against the Tennessee defense: The Gamecocks can always count on having the edge here, with Jenkins and FB Andrew Plnnock rumbling over opponents. And Daccus Turman and Kenny Irons provide solid depth and will keep the main men fresh. Tennessee's pass against the USC defense: If WR Kelley Washington can play, it will help the Vols. But it’s not looking like he’ll be ready. That’s not good for QB Casey Clausen, who is feeling the effects of his own injury, suffered against Georgia (collarbone). Tennessee’s rush against the USC defense: The Gamecocks are giving up 154.1 rushing yards a game, and they'll have to tighten up if they want to stop UTs traditional power game. There’s not a true No. 1 tailback for the Vols, but it won’t matter with USC. Intangibles: With the Vols 1-3 in the SEC, spirits are down in Knoxville. And with its star players battered and their confidence bruised, UT is in trouble. The Gamecocks are hungry and will have a raucous crowd behind them. — COMPILED BY KYLE ALMOND AND MATT ROTHENBERG ' ADVANTAGE: No need for little kids to be batboys MATT ROTHENBERG GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM Young children should be sitting in the stands, not in the dugouts. * One of the numerous camera shots following Darin Erstad’s World Series-winning catch Sunday night caught Darren Baker, San Francisco Giants’ man ager Dusty Baker’s 3-year-old son, with tears streaming down his face. But I, for one, felt no sympathy for him whatsoever. Call me a mean ogre or whatever you’d like, but if I had the opportu nity that kid had these last few weeks, I don’t know if I’d cry. Despite his father being a Major League Baseball manager, he’s a lot luckier than most people 1 know, who would die for the chance to be a Major League batboy. Little Darren DaKer is tortunate in another respect, namely that, in Game 5, Giants first baseman J.T. Snow saved him at home plate before an oncoming runner barreled him. My question is this: Since when has it become acceptable for young children to sit in the dugout and be batboys for Major League Baseball teams? As far as I know of, the Giants are the only team that has done it, but according to Monday’s New York Daily News, Commissioner Bud Selig will ban the little visi tors beginning next season. I don’t understand why this wasn’t the case before. In no other professional sport I can think of, ath letes’ children are not sitting on the bench or standing on the sidelines. While I do think it’s OK for them to come on the field during cham pionship celebrations, that should remain the only time—other than special presentations/events — that a child should be on the field. Any child, especially a 3-year-old, might be aware of certain things, but what would have happened had Baker, or any other kid, been injured in a collision? The Giants may claim that hav ing kids like Baker in the dugout might be a good-luck charm for the team. In my opinion, it’s just inap propriate and dangerous. One baseball official called it a “trav esty” and “very unprofessional.” Yes, 5-year-old Kannon Kile, a son of the late St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, was allowed to serve as an honorary batboy during the playoffs, after MLB granted the team permission to do so. But by no means should the Giants have enrolled their own “Kiddie Korps” to act in the same nature. Maybe he doesn’t realize it now, but Darren Baker should come to appreciate his stint as a Giants hatbov. There are a lot of npnnle who’d want to be in the same dugout with guys like Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent, much less during the World Series. Major League Baseball is right; young children do not belong in the dugout during games, espe cially acting as batboys. Baker won’t receive much sym pathy from me. He just might get a whole lot of envy, though. On to the Rothys ... THE "I DONT THINK HE READ MY COLUMN" AWARD: Brenton Poole, a student at the University of Arkansas, takes this category. Poole ran on to the field during the third quarter of the Arkansas-Ole Miss game Saturday in Fayetteville, a day after my column blasted people interfering with a sporting event. He was wearing a red thong with an Ole Miss Rebel doll on the front and an Arkansas Hog hat on his head. I think Poole ought to come to his senses, and then subscribe to The Gamecock. THE "ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END” AWARD: The defending Grey Cup champion ♦ ROTHENBERG, SEE PAGE 8