The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 30, 2004, Page 9, Image 9
> 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