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I " ' GAME SCHEDULE! o MEN’S SOCCER at Pennsylvania, 2:30 p.m. Friday _ p, , . _ VOLLEYBALL vs. Michigan State, noon Saturday Fnday, September 17, 2004 FOOTBALL vs. South Florida, 7 p.m. Saturday § KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK Running back Daccus Turman fights to regain his balance as Georgia defensive lineman David Pollack chases him. Turman will get more carries this weekend as the Gamecocks look to get back on track against the South Florida Bulls of Conference USA. Turman will be joined by Cory Boyd, Gonzie Gray and Andrea Gause in the backfield. Gamecocks look to rebound against South Florida squad By TERENCE WASHINGTON THE GAMECOCK The Gamecocks (1-1, 1-1 SEC) look to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to No. 3 Georgia Saturday in a non-conference game against the University of South Florida Bulls. The Gamecocks lost a 20-16 thriller last week while USF (1-0, 0-0 CUSA) beat Tennessee Tech 21-7. The Gamecocks play out of conference for the first time this season, meeting USF for the first time ever. The Bulls showed great focus last ,week after their game against Pitt was postponed until December because of Hurricane Frances. Two quarterbacks shared duties for USF in last week’s defeat of Tennessee Tech. Starting quarterback Pat Julmiste ran for a three-yard score, but he turned his knee on the play and gave up his spot to Ronnie Banks. Neither quarterback was very successful, as the Bulls could not seem to sustain drives. Special teams and defensive squads were the stars as they gave the offense incredible field position on numerous occasions. The two scoring drives for the Bulls both started inside the Tennessee Tech 40-yard line, and the defense scored on an interception return. USF only allowed 16 yards rushing on 33 attempts against Tennessee Tech while also notching five sacks. However, it still seems that this is the game to get USC’s offense back on track after it stalled in the second half against Georgia. The Bulls lost by three to UAB last year, a team the Gamecocks beat by 32. USC senior quarterback Dondrial Pinkins has started the season well, passing for 368 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in two games. Pinkins was nominated for SEC Offensive Player of the Week after the Gamecocks’ blow out win over Vanderbilt. Pinkins was unable to throw in practice because of a shoulder bruise suffered against Georgia. The senior will not start on Saturday and the offense will fall into the capable hands of sophomore. Syvelle Newton, who was an all-state quarterback in high school. Newton has completed both of his passes this year for 16 yards and appears ready to lead the team in the absence of Pinkins. Sophomore tailback Demetris Summers will not dress for Saturday’s game after spraining his ankle against Georgia, but USC’s multi-headed rushing attack should be all right with Daccus Turman, Cory Boyd and either Newton or Pinkins. The Gamecock receiving corps should have a big game this Saturday against the so-so South Florida secondary. Troy Williamson is leading the SEC conference in receiving and all purpose yards this season, and Cory Boyd is third in the SEC in receptions. The Carolina defense has grabbed the nation’s attention after blowing out Vanderbilt and shutting out Georgia in the first half Saturday. Carolina’s defense has allowed fewer than 100 yards rushing and only two touchdown passes in two games this season. USC boasts one of the best defensive-end tandems in the SEC in senior George Gause and junior Moe Thompson, a preseason All SEC selection. Senior Jamacia Jackson is also making an impact this season, emerging as a defensive leader with 18 solo tackles and a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Gamecocks face the USF Bulls Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium at 7 p.m. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu Bulls’ QB question highlights practice By THOMAS SIMONETTI THE ORACLE (U. SOUTH FLORIDA) (U-WIRE) TAMPA, Fla. — The expression on Pat Julmiste’s face told one side of the story. “Yup,” Julmiste said as he jogged off the practice field Tuesday after hearing his leg ’ looked good. But there is a bleaker side to the question of whether Julmiste will be able to play in the South Florida Bulls’ game against USC on Saturday. USF’s starting quarterback was held out of practice for the second consecutive day Tuesday while backup Ronnie Banks took all the snaps with the first team. Freshman Louis Gachette took snaps with the second team. “He threw some balls,” coach Jim Leavitt said of Julmiste. “But we’re resting him right now.” “If he’s 100 percent ready to go, then we’ll play him, and if he’s not, then he’s not going to play. It doesn’t matter who you play — you better be 100 percent ready to go. He’s not 100 percent right now,” he said. Leavitt said he would make a decision Wednesday as to whether Julmiste can practice Wednesday afternoon. Banks came in tor Julmiste in the second quarter against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles on Saturday after Julmiste turned his knee on a play near the end zone. Julmiste left the game after he completed 4-of-6 passes for 23 yards and ran for 14 yards. He also ran in a three-yard touchdown. Banks filled in and completed 9-of-17 passes for 70 yards with an interception. Leavitt has not given a timetable as to when he will make a decision on who will start against the Gamecocks. Senior running back Clenton Crossley doesn’t seemed concerned either way. “It’s all the same to me,” he said. “I’m going to run the ball regardless of who hands it off. It really doesn’t matter. “They’re both ready.. They’ve been rotating all year. They both know what they’re doing. I’m confident ♦ Please see USF, page 9 Pinkins out with shoulder injury, Newton to start first game at QB By JONATHAN HILLYARD THE GAMECOCK USC quarterback Dondrial Pinkins will be on the bench this Saturday, and unlike previous occasions, it will not be because of poor play. The senior, in his second season as starter, has not been able to practice this week because of a sore shoulder in his throwing arm that he injured during the Georgia game. “It happened sometime during the game. I can’t really pinpoint when it did happen,” Pinkins said Wednesday. “I felt OK after the game. I woke up Sunday and it was kind of sore. It got worse as the day went along.” After reporting the injury to team trainers, Pinkins was told he had a bruised AC joint in his right shoulder. Pinkins’ absence means sophomore Syvelle Newton will get the nod under center, his first start at quarterback during his collegiate career. “I don’t feel the butterflies like I’ve -had the first few weeks,” Newton said. “It kind of reminds me of high school. I’ve got to be ready to run the team in case I’m needed.” The injury is timely for Pinkins, who performed fairly well in his first two games this season. Pinkins completed 24 of 39 passes for a total of 368 passing yards. He is also the team’s leading rusher with 33 carries for a total of 109 yards. Newton has given almost every indication he is capable of being a starter at the position, but Pinkins’ experience gave him the nod in preseason practice. In the spring game, Newton was very impressive, completing 14 of 27 passes for a total of 277 yards. The dual-threat quarterback also demonstrated the ability to be an extra running back for the Gamecocks, rushing for 71 yards on 11 carries in the same spring game. All of this came following a season in which Newton was the team’s third-best receiver, averaging 23.1 yards per catch. “I just saw some things about him that I liked as a quarterback,” USC heed coach Lou Holtz said. “I’m anxious to see him play.” Holtz said Newton has had a good week of practice working with the first-team offense and he seems to be doing fairly well. Newton “is a very confident quarterback,” Holtz said. “That’s a great asset. But with the same token, all .1 want him to do is execute what needs to be done and play as a team, and I think he will do that.” With a young quarterback under center, Holtz is looking for the players around him to step up their games. “The offensive linemen are the leaders of this football team. I’m counting on the offensive line to put (Newton) in a baby carriage, so to speak,” Holtz said. Newton was clear in an interview Tuesday that this will not start a quarterback controversy. “Dondrial is the starting quarterback,” Newton said. “There’s no question about that. It’s like when you take a long road trip in a car. After a while, you change drivers. Someone gets tired, and you usQianother driver. That’s what I am — another driver.” SUMMERS OUT FOR SATURDAY Head coach Lou Holtz announced Thursday that sophomore running back Demetris Summers would not dress in Saturday’s game against the South Florida Bulls. Holtz said the carries would be addressed by committee with junior Daccus Turman, sophomore Cory Boyd, senior Gonzie Gray and senior Andrea Gause all getting carries. Summers leads the running backs with 100 yards on 13 carries. KICKERS’ STRUGGLE CONTINUES USC’s kickers continued to fail to prove themselves for Holtz this week and the head man said the kicking situations are still unresolved. “We haven’t made an extra point all week,” Holtz said. Comments cm this story? E-mail gamecocksports@jrwm.sc.edu DAVID STAGG/THE GAMECOCK Senior quarterback Dondrial Pinkins, right, waits on the sidelines in the Gamecocks’ opener against Vandy. Pinkins was 24 of 39 for 368 yards in the team’s firs, two games before injuring his shoulder.