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GAME SCHEDULE 1 fl MEN’S SOCCER at Charleston Tournament, 5 p.m. Friday rage iu WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs. LSU, 7 p.m. Friday Wednesday, November 3, 2004 FOOTBALL vs. Arkansas, 12:30 p.m. Saturday Bowl hopes could ride on Clemson showdown ■ Both teams could enter rivalry game needing one more win Even though Halloween was a few days ago, I’m still haunted by a frightening possibility. No, I’m not talking about the election. Around here, politics is just about the only subject more volatile than USC football, and I have no desire to inject myself into that little fray. It started about halfway through the third quarter of the Tennessee game. JOEL WALLACE FIFTH-YEAR PRINT JOURNALISM STUDENT The fair weather fans had already left with the Gamecocks down 22-8 — come on guys, two touchdowns is not as insurmountable as you might think — and even die-hard fans had to come to grips with the possibility that not only might we lose, but the next two games against Arkansas and Florida are also very losable. Just like they were last year, and the year before that, and, well, you get the idea. So anyway, yes, we could very easily lose these next two games. That would leave our record at 5-5, right? That leaves Clemson as our last chance to qualify for a bowl and avoid the shame of going 0-13 over the past three years in games where a win would make USC bowl-eligible. Well, Clemson’s terrible this year, right? I mean, from what I’ve been ♦ Please see CLEMSON, page 11 Holtz optimistic after third loss _.1..... .. .:_ • _:z_lu KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK USC head coach Lou Holtz leads the team out of the tunnel Saturday against Tennessee. Holtz said Monday that his team might only be a few plays from being in the thick of the SEC East race. By TODD GREEN THE GAMECOCK Despite what looked like a lopiided scoreboard, USC head coach Lou Holtz found some positives to take away from Saturday’s 43-29 loss to Tennessee. “That was one of the best games we have played since I have, been here, with the exception of about eight plays on offense and eight plays on defense,” Holtz said at a Monday news conference. With Cedric Houston scoring in the fourth quarter to give Tennessee a commanding 21-point lead, many USC fans seized on the negative and began heading to the parking lot with 14 minutes left in the game. What they missed was a team that was not willing to go away. The USC offense opened up, putting 21 points on the board in the final period. At one point, with the score 28-14, the defense forced Tennesseean to a three-and-out, giving USC the ball with-.l 0 minutes to go and an opportunity to Thake it a one touchdown game. The optimism of the remaining*fans began to fade soon after. On a crucial third-and-one, Dondrial Pinkins was hit as he threw. The ball was intercepted by UT’s Omar Gaither, ending USC’s comeback hopes. Tennessee would score six plays later to seal the victory. Despite the loss, USC is 5-3 on the year. The Gamecocks are only one win away from bowl eligibility with games remaining against three opponents, none of which have winning records. Clemson is 4-4, Florida is 4-4 and Arkansas is 3-4. USC’s final two games are on the road where the Gamecocks are undefeated this year, having won at Vanderbilt, Alabama and Kentucky. Even after losing handily to Tennessee, Holtz continued to emphasize areas where USC has improved since the beginning of the year. “Demetris Summers played an excellent game, the best game he has played since he has been here as a total game — running, catching and blocking,” Holtz said. “I thought (Pinkins), with the exception of one play, was outstanding.” If the Gamecocks are to reverse the trend of their late-season slides from the past two years, it will take a complete team effort. In 2002 and 2003, USC lost its final four games to finish with five wins on the season, one win shy of a potential bowl birth. The list of opponents causing USC misery is also familiar. In 2002, the Gamecocks began the collapse with a loss at home to Tennessee, and then lost to Arkansas, Florida and Clemson. Last year, USC started its slide with four games to go against Ole Miss, then again lost to Arkansas, Florida and Clemson. USC fans might see changes in the offensive strategy as the Gamecocks seek their critical sixth win of the season. “Maybe we need to be more wide “We are also close to being an outstanding football team. I’m not talking about an average team — I’m talking about an excellent team.” LOU HOLTZ use HEAD COACH open, maybe we need not to be as conservative, and let’s have a little bit more faith and confidence,” Holtz said. At the beginning of the year, Holtz said his goal was to change the culture of losing that has been associated with Gamecock football for so many years. The potential for reaching that goal will be greatly affected by the outcome of these last three games. Holtz spoke affectionately about the determination of his players. “They believe they can win, and they want to win. We are also close to being an outstanding football team. I’m not talking about an average team — I’m talking about an excellent team.” Comments an this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu Lack of red-zone success plagues Gamecock offense ■ Inability to finish drives could have cost USC wins this season By STEPHEN DEMEDIS STAFF WRITER The USC coaching staff say they are frustrated at not being able to score, despite moving the ball well on offense for much of the season. This week, the Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3 SEC) will focus on improving their production in the red zone as they prepare for Saturday’s game against Arkansas (3-4, 1-3 SEC), a team that Carolina has not defeated in four years. While USC is a better team than Arkansas in the standings and in most statistical areas, the trend does not include the red-zone production of each team. Carolina is dead last in the SEC with a league-low red-zone scoring percentage of 63.9. Inside the 20, the Gamecocks have committed a league-high six turnovers and scored just 14 touchdowns, third lowest in the SEC. Arkansas has performed exceptionally well in the red zone. Head coach Houston Nutt’s team is second in the SEC. The Razorbacks have scored on 88.9 percent of their trips inside the 20. Of their 27 red-zone appearances, they have 22 touchdowns and just three field goal attempts to show for their efforts. “Our inability to score in the red zone is discouraging,” USC head coach Lou Holtz said at the Monday news conference. “Our problems are coming from two big things, and that’s in the red zone,” Holtz said. “They are turning the ball over and running plays for negative yards. We do a lot of good things on offense, yet we had nothing to show for it, and that is the bottom line.” The team tried to improve its efficiency in the red zone over the bye week. Holtz said the team installed a package that was designed for red-zone play before playing Tennessee, but any improvements made in practice were not apparent in the game. Carolina moved the ball inside the Tennessee 20-yard line seven times during the game, resulting in three field goal attempts, one interception and three touchdowns. After reaching the red zone three times in the first half, Carolina had just eight points, two of which were scored defensively. This proved critical, as the Volunteers were able to tie the game with just one score before the half. Tennessee scored a touchdown in its only trip to the red zone, but also added four touchdowns from just beyond the 20. The end result was a 14-point deficit for the “We do a lot of good things on offense, yet we had nothing to show for it, and that is the bottom line.” LOU HOLTZ use HEAD COACH Gamecocks despite out-gaining the Vols by 155 yards. Holtz compared this statistic to playing golf. “In golf, you can reach the green in two, then three putt and you have nothing to show for it,” Holtz said. “We have been moving the ball up and down the field but don’t score.” It was not the first time this season the Gamecocks out-gained their opponent but still lost. USC racked up 491 yards against Ole Miss, compared to 414 by the Rebels, but still lost 31-28. Holtz said the team would go back to working on the red-zone offense in practice this week. The team might try to spread out the formation instead of playing in tight like they have in previous games. Regardless, the team has to find a way to be productive when it drives inside its opponents’ 20. Comments, on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gumt.sc. edit KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK Running back Andrea Gause sneaks into the end zone during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to Tennessee. Carolina did not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter. __ _ SEC News & Notes Greene’s performance earns offensive honors Georgia quarterback David Greene has been named SEC offensive player of the week. The senior completed 15-of-23 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns Saturday to lead Georgia to a 31-24 win over Florida. The win was Greene’s 39th as a starter, tying him with Peyton Manning for the most wins by an NCAA Division I-A starting quarterback. Junior Auburn linebacker Travis Williams has been named SEC defensive player of the week for his efforts against Ole Miss. The Spring Valley High School graduate accounted for 12 total tackles and a sack in the Tigers’ 35-14 win. Williams was part of a defense that earned seven sacks and kept the Rebels from scoring on the ground for the eighth time in nine tries this season. Croom to face alma mater for first time in week 10 Arkansas comes into Columbia trying to deny the Gamecocks an elusive sixth win. This might be USC’s best shot at becoming bowl eligible this season. Georgia plays at Kentucky while still holding on to \ hopes of winning the East. However, time is running out, and Tennessee's schedule just keeps getting easier. Florida goes to Nashville hoping to inch closer to bowl eligibility. The Gators have won the last 13 games against Vanderbilt. Tennessee gets a solid out-of-conference test against Notre Dame this week. The game has no effect on the SEC standings, but any national title hopes would be dashed with j another loss. Sylvester Croom will take Mississippi State into Tuscaloosa to play his old team this week. Alabama is one win away from going to a bowl for the first time since being put on probation by the / NCAA. /. DANNY JOHNSTON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS J Georgia quarterback David Greene passes during the fourth quarter of UGA’s win over Arkansas.