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> e9 1-^1 I I ^ GAME SCHEDULE AA j A aaa I \ / I I I LI WOMEN’S SOCCER at Furman, Tuesday, 7 p.m. Monday, August 30, 2004 _1_ V^/ \_|_ MEN’S SOCCER vs. William and Mary, Wednesday, 7 p.m. ___=^=_==___=____ THIS ISSUE: RECEIVERS «,rCOU'k[Tj>OWN TO KICKOFF: "J"A Gamecocks hope to catch on against Vandy I_* wm.__I ■j JOHNNY HAYNESCTHE GAMECOCK. Junior wide receiver Troy Williamson is congratulated by a teammate after catching a 99-yard touchdown against Virginia last year. Williamson should lead the Gamecock receiving crew this season. By DANIEL KERR THE GAMECOCK Wide receiver will be a crucial position when USC faces Vanderbilt in the first game of the 2004 season. While Cdrolina has a decisive edge in talent, the emergence of quarterback Jay Cutler has given Commodores’ receivers more on-field production to show for. The knock on USC’s receiving unit is that it has under-achieved the past two seasons. Despite operating out of the shotgun formation using four receiver sets, the Gamecocks finished 81st in the nation in 2003 in passing, averaging just 193.7 yards per game. This year the offense will most likely set up more in the “1” formation and will only have two or three receivers on the field at one time. This is the result of a Lou Holtz-dictated offense. The good news is the Gamecocks return both leading receivers. Junior Troy Williamson (31 catches for 428 yards in 2003) and senior Matthew Thomas (24 catches i for 442 yards) may have a better chance for more production in 2004 despite the switch to two receivers. If the running game succeeds out of the “I,” defenses will be forced to put more players up on the line, freeing up the passing game. Other receivers hoping to make an impact are sophomore Noah Whiteside and freshman Sidney Rice. Whiteside showed last season that he can make the most out of his time on the field, recording two touchdowns on just five catches. At 6 feet, 4 inches tall, many believe Rice can be the big-target, game breaking receiver USC so desperately craves. For the third time in as many years, the USC wide receivers have a new position coach. Rick Stockstill comes to Columbia after spending a year as East Carolina’s offensive coordinator and 14 previous seasons as Clemson’s receivers coach. Stockstill coached big-name receivers such as Rod Gardner and Derrick Hamilton. The biggest thing Stockstill has stressed to his new players is precision route running and catching. Matthew Thomas spent the off-season working on these facets of his game and says he has “improved greatly.” “If the opportunity comes for me to make a big play, I’m going to make it” Thomas said. This unit is long on raw talent but short on production. If the running game has success early, look for that to change. Gamecock Grade: B All three of Vanderbilt’s top receivers are back to help preseason second team all-SEC quarterback Jay Cutler. Junior Erik Davis is back after leading the team with 41 catches for 638 yards and eight touchdowns in his first year as a starter. Brandon Smith is a 6-foot-l-inch, 185 pound senior who had an up and down junior season. Smith had five games with 70 yards or more and five games with 25 yards or less and scored just two touchdowns all season. Davis finished eighth in the SEC in receiving while Smith finished 10th. The Commodore’s third receiver is 6-foot-4 inch, 205 pound Marlon White. White earned freshman all-SEC honors after catching 21 balls as a rookie. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edit College football never changes ■ After a long, drawn out summer, my old favorites are finally back Ah, yes, college football is back. And through all the controversy involving Mike Williams and the NCAA, and the typical rumors about what coaches will be fired next, it’s great to know that some things never change. And why would we want them to? Like Ryan Clary i™“ FOURTH-YEAR the USC ELECTRONIC Virginia JOURNALISM t u STUDENT Tech game Saturday night with great anticipation. Once again, I kicked off another college football season with a game that has nothing to do with my favorite team, and thanks to the geniuses behind the BCS, neither will the Hawaii-Fresno St. game. Finally, a good move by the so-called masterminds. Saturday’s game was your typical ESPN night game, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The underdog takes the lead early ♦ Please see CLARY, page 10 OLYMPIC UPDATE By ALEX RILEY THE GAMECOCK When the 2004 Olympics were set to begin in Athens, USC fans knew the Gamecock contingent had a chance t.o take Greece by storm. And that they did. The Gamecock faithful brought home a total of seven medals, four of which were gold. Shannon Johnson and the USA Women’s basketball team slashed through their Olympic bracket and cruised to the gold medal game against Australia. The team fell behind early in the first half on some cold shooting, but Johnson rallied the troops for her second consecutive double-digit day, pouring in 12 points and leading the ladies to a 74-63 win over the Aussies. The win continues to show proof that the women’s Dream Team is for real, as they have now won 25 consecutive games for three gold medals and two world championships. Even with the women’s team success, USC-based athletes had their best performances in the events of track and field. Leading the way was USC senior Otis Harris, who claimed his second total medal as a member of the USA gold medal-winning 4x400 meter relay team. Harris was the lead-leg runner of the group that absolutely dominated the event, clocking the world’s third fastest time ever with a 2:55.91 finish. “It feels great to get a gold medal. I missed getting a gold medal in the open event,” Harris said. “It was a blessing for me and my teammates to get a gold medal.” “Otis ran fantastic, both individually and with the relay,” USC head coach Curtis Frye said. “We are so proud to now have a gold medal at Carolina on the men’s side. He’s now ready to be the man on the world’s stage.” Harris also claimed the silver medal in the 400 meter earlier in the games. Senior Aleen Bailey also helped her native country of Jamaica take home gold in the women’s 4x400 meter relay. Bailey, who has taken home three NCAA track titles over ♦ Please see OLYMPICS, page 10 DUSAN VRANIC/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS USC graduate Shannon Johnson displays her country’s colors after she and her teammates won their 25th straight Olympic basketball game. The U.S. women’s team won their third straight gold medal. Women’s soccer splits opening weekend By MATT NAGY THE GAMECOCK The USC women’s soccer team came away with one victory and one defeat after a tough weekend of action against two quality opponents. The (gamecocks squared off against Georgia State Friday night at the Graveyard and then traveled to James Madison University to face the Dukes Sunday. The Gamecocks provided fans on hand at the Graveyard (Stone Stadium) a strong opening game as they tocjj: a 1-0 victory from the Georgia State Panthers. The Gamecocks played suffocating defense right from the start, aiding freshman keeper Laura Armstrong in her first collegiate start. Armstrong’s aggressive play led to five saves in the shutout victory. Coach Shelly Smith relied heavily on h*r new crop of talent, playing nine'Yreshmen during the game. When asked about the how the freshmen played, Smith said, “They stood up to the challenge,” adding that the players controlled the game and created a lot of opportunities for their teammates. While the defense was solid ♦ Please see SOCCER, page 10 SARGE FRYE FIELD _ JONATHAN HILLYARD/THE GAMECOCK Sarge Frye Field was named for Weldon B. “Sarge” Frye on May 11, 1980. Frye worked for the university for a total of 45 years. USC officials negotiating new stadium options By STEPHEN FASTENAU THE GAMECOCK Officials from USC and the city of Columbia are still in negotiations for a new baseball stadium that would ideally host the Gamecocks and the Capital City Bombers, the Class-A minor league affiliate of the New York Mets. Four proposals are being considered. One plan involves a joint stadium that would be paid for primarily by the city. Another joint stadium plan exists that would have the facility privately financed. Ripken Management and Design, a development group headed by former Baltimore Orioles stArt Cal Ripken Jr., will be in town Tuesday to discuss the possibility of building a stadium. A recent third plan would have USC and the city of Columbia financing a stadium/amphitheater, which would exclude the Bombers and essentially end their tenure in Columbia. If none of these plans can be agreed upon, USC has the option of renovating existing Sarge Frye Field, a stadium that seats 5,000. A renovation would not be unprecedented. Several SEC teams have updated their stadiums in recent years. As a result, Baseball America has consistently ranked SEC teams in their top-ten list of best collegiate stadiums. ♦ Please see STADIUM, page 10