The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 03, 2004, Page 8, Image 8
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I \/A I \ r | 1 (~^4 GAME SCHEDULE
Jm 1 I_J' I ' WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Houston, 7 p.m. tonight
-r, 0 I I ■ B""*m I . VOLLEYBALL at Wake Forest Invitational, tonight, Sunday
^age 8 I IflllLl MEN’S SOCCER at Winthrop, 1 p.m. Saturday
Friday, September 3,2004 B \^_y B B fK^y WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Iowa State, 12:30 p.m. Sunday
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THIS ISSUE: SPECIAL TEAMS
<f'COU'NT,DOWN TO KICKOFF: 1
USC, Vandy to tap specialists
KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
Senior kicker Joey Bowers goes through warmups in a practice earlier this
preseason. Bowers will be the kickoff man for the Gamecocks this season and
to begin the season will be the backup place kicker behind kicker Josh Brown.
By DANIEL KERR
THE GAMECOCK
Saturday’s game against
Vanderbilt is expected to be
close. With the Gamecocks
favored by only four and a
half points, the contest could
come down to the play of
special teams.
Junior punter Josh Brown
will add placekicking to his
list of duties this season.
Brown led the team with a
40.5 yards-per-punt average
last year but struggled kicking
field goals. He was 0-for-2
last season while serving as
Daniel Weaver’s backup and
also missed two field goals in
the spring game. However,
Brown made all four extra
points he attempted last year.
Senior Joey Bowers will
again handle kickoffs and
short-yardage punts. Bowers’
rugby style, punt-on-the-run
approach landed 11 of his 21
punts inside the 20-yard line
in 2003.
On the other side of the
ball, sophomore running back
Demetris Summers will
return punts. Summers
averaged 12.3 yards per
return in limited duty last
season. That average helped
put the Gamecocks in the top
six in the nation for punt
returns. With more
opportunities, he will be
tough to bring down in the
open field. Sophomore
receiver Noah Whiteside will
also get a chance to return
punts and show off his speed.
Junior Troy Williamson
and senior Matthew Thomas
will return kickoffs.’ Both
have blazing speed. Thomas
had a 74-yard return last year
and averaged 19.2 yards per
return.
Gamecock Grade: D+
If this team can’t kick field
goals it will be very hard to
win close games this year.
Consistency is key.
Vanderbilt will also have a
new kicker this season. After
finishing last in the SEC in
field-goal percentage at 50
percent last season, the
Commodores will start true
freshman Daniel Lee, who
was a Prep Star All-American.
Vanderbilt’s punting
wasn’t any better than its
place kicking in 2003,
averaging only 33.4 yards per
kick. The Commodores are
also having trouble finding a
reliable long snapper.
“We’re auditioning just
about anybody,” head coach
Bobby Johnson told Lindy’s
magazine of the snapper
position.
Junior running back Kwane
Doster will handle the kick
returns. Doster averaged 21.8
yards on 26 returns last year.
Another Vanderbilt special
teams faction that ranked dead
last in the SEC last year was
punt returns. Junior wide out
Erik Davis managed just 8.3
yards per return last season.
Don’t expect that statistic to
get much better this season.
Gamecock Grade: D
The only team in the SEC
with bigger special-teams woes
than the Gamecocks is
Vanderbilt. Thus, Vandy’s unit
gets a slightly more insulting
grade.
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USC hopes to slam
3Dores in opener
By ALEX RILEY
THE GAMECOCK
The good news: USC has
the chance to take an early
lead in the race for the SEC
Eastern Division crown. The
bad news: USC has to play at
Vanderbilt first.
A couple of years ago, that
would have been the punch
line to a great college football
joke. But today, it’s a totally
new Commodore team the
Gamecocks will face come
Saturday.
Vanderbilt returns 21 of
22 starters from last year’s
squad, 10 on offense and 11
on defense, that only
managed to go 2-10 but
played exceptionally well in
most of its games last fall.
The biggest name on offense
of those returning starters is
quarterback Jay Cutler. As a
junior this season, Cutler has
received his second term as a
team captain and was named to
the Preseason All-SEC second
team, behind Heisman Trophy
candidate David Greene.
Cutler’s stats are nothing short
of impressive. In two seasons,
he’s totaled 3,780 yards,
including 2,347 yards in 2003,
on passing alone. As a
freshman, Cutler earned two
different first team All-SEC
honors and took home third
team All-America honors.
In summary, the USC
defense must shut down Jay
Cutler.
If the Gamecock front four
and linebackers can get pressure
on Cutler, they might cause him
to make mistakes, and that
could help their cause. The
dynamic duo of George Gause
and Moe Thompson will have
to find a way through a highly
talented offensive line if the
defense wants to force Cutler to
make mistakes. USC’s young
corners and safeties will have to
be on their toes as Cutler’s
receivers are very experienced,
forcing the secondary to stick
close to everyone and keep tabs
on their man.
“Vanderbilt’s quarterback
is going to be a challenge for
us,” cornerback Fred Bennett
said. “1 feel like he’s going to
try to come at us. We have
some young guys back there,
like myself for one, but I think
if we execute like we’ve been
taught in practice, we can do a
pretty good job.”
“We’re going to do
everything in our power to
win this game,” Cutler said.
“We’re just concentrating on
ourselves right now and doing
what we have to do.”
With most of the
Commodores’ defensive talent,
it might be hard for senior USC
quarterback Dondrial Pinkins
to throw in an experienced
defense, and holes could be
limited for the rotating running
backs. Also, USC head coach
Lou Holtz decided to use a
two-quarterback system, giving
both Pinkins and sophomore
Syvelle Newton time under
center. While Newton has !
shown outstanding promise
and could be the quarterback
of the future, Pinkins is the
starter on the depth chart and
rhythm is key in a game of this
magnitude.
Demetris Summers, Cory
Boyd and Daccus Turman will
each have to use their specific
running styles to keep the
Commodore defense guessing.
Summers is the most elusive of
the backs, while Boyd and
Turman try not to run into
tackiers, but run over them.
“We have a lot of good
backs,” Summers said. “I’ll wait
my turn and see what
happens.”
“The running backs have
looked good the past couple *
of days,” Holtz said.
“Demetris Summers has
practiced well. I’d say either
he or Cory Boyd will start at *
tailback Saturday. But we have
several backs who are playing
well right now:”
The Commodores have a
ton of talent on the defensive
side of the ball, including junior
linebacker Moses Osemwegie.
♦ Please see FOOTBALL, page 9
Salute to Carolina rallies USC football fans
By ALEX RILEY
THE GAMECOCK
Since the 2002 Outback Bowl,
USC hasn’t had an event solely
designed as a big celebration for fans
to show support for the football team.
This was the case until
Wednesday night, when USC put
on t|jie first installment of Salute to
Carolina, an event designed to rally
fans and celebrate the upcoming
fall season.
A crowd of more than 4,000
people turned out for the event,
which featured all but two of USC’s
head coaches, the entire football
team, the cheerleaders and, of
course, Cocky.
Former Gamecock quarterback
and current play-by-play announcer
Todd Ellis was on hand to emcee
the event, which had something for
everyone.
USC President Andrew Sorensen
and USC Athletics Director Mike
McGee introduced the program, as
well as distinguished guests from
the board of trustees, numerous
county and city councils, and the
board of the Capital City Classic,
which will be played Saturday at
“I don’t know if we will
win a single football
game. But I don’t know
if we will lose a single
game, either.”
LOU HOLTZ
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
Williams-Brice Stadium.
Head baSeball coach Ray Tanner
and head track and field coach
Curtis Frye each received standing
ovations for their accomplishments
during the last few months. Tanner
took the USC baseball squad to its
third consecutive College World
Series appearance, while Frye just
made his return from Athens,
Greece, as an assistant coach to the
United States track and field squad.
Tanner, Frye and head volleyball
coach Kim Hudson all took part in
a “coaches corner” on what it takes
to produce a successful program.
Assistant head football coach
Skip Holtz and defensive
coordinator Rick Minter also spoke
to the crowd, as Minter told the
♦ Please see SALUTE, page 9
Men’s soccer defeats
By STEPHEN FASTENAU
THE GAMECOCK
The USC men’s soccer team is
beginning to see a pattern from
year to year. The Gamecocks
defeated perennial Colonial
Conference contender William and
Mary 2-1 Wednesday night — the
eighth straight home opener the
program has won.
The win did not come easily, as
the two teams engaged in a physical
contest at Stone Stadium. The
officials’ decision to call a rather
loose game had tempers flaring.
“I thought the officiating was
pretty good,” USC head coach
Mark Berson said. “The guys went
out there and played a hard,
physical game, and the officials let
them play.”
When fouls were called, they
more frequently targeted the
Gamecocks, who were whistled for
20 fouls to the Tribe’s 10.
USC struck first, with striker
Ayo Akinsete sneaking a shot past
Tribe goaltender Kris Rake just
nine minutes into the first half.
William and Mary attempted to
answer a few minutes later but a
Brendan McCurdy header via a
penalty kick sailed off line.
The two defenses then took over
for several minutes as the teams
alternated possessions. William and
Marv forward Patrick Scherder had
his shot from the right side stopped
by sophomore goalkeeper Brad
Guzan. Freshman midfielder JD
Moon entered the game with 19
minutes remaining after fellow
freshman Jose Ramos left the game
bleeding from the mouth.
USC could not capitalize on
other opportunities to score in the
first half. Junior defender Josh
Alcala sent a pass up the left side of
the field to forward Sebastian
Lindholm. Lindholm quickly gave
it up to Akinsete, whose header
missed high.
The lone goal for the Tribe came
on one of the most exciting
sequences of the game. With Guzan
out of position, what appeared to
be a sure goal was turned into an
unlikely save by a hustling USC
defender. Guzan was unable to get
back, however, and Scherder’s kick
from the left, just outside the box,
got by Guzan’s outstretched arms
to knot the score at 1-1 with 2:30
remaining in the half.
USC came out energetic in the
second half. Akinsete had an
unsuccessful shot on goal just one
minute into the half. The
sophomore was called for a foul
minutes later and became visibly
upset, shouting at the linesman.
Th£ deciding goal came five
minutes into the second half on a
nifty pass left of the box from
Alcala to Lindholm in front of rbe
goal, who then put it past Rake.
Alcala “played outstanding,”
Berson said. “He really opened the
game up and created attacking
chances.”
Things got heated midway
through the half. USC sophomore
Michael Sambursky shoved Tribe
defender Chris Rodd after Rodd
appeared to pull his arm in an
attempt to wrestle the ball away.
William and Mary senior Bryan
Hinkle and Gamecock sophomore
Cody Perrot were then involved in
a brief shoving match also
involving Alcala.
USC had its chances to put the
Tribe away for good late in the
game. At one point, Lindholm,
Akinsete and junior Ryan Deter all
missed shots from just in front of
the William and Mary goal.
Berson was pleased with his
team after the game but was also
impressed by his team’s opponent.
“What was most impressive
about this win is that William and
Mary is a good team,” Berson said.
“They are very experienced and I
thought (Rake) did an outstanding
job.”
USC returns to action at home
next weekend when it hosts the
Gamecock Classic. The team takes
on Bucknell on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
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tamecockst>orts®<nirm sr edn
William and Mary
KATIE KIRKLANDTTHE GAMECOCK
Sophomore forward Michael Sambursky leaps over a William and Mary defender in Wednesday night’s 2
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