The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 10, 2004, Page 12, Image 12
GAME SCHEDULE
u VOLLEYBALL at Florida, 5 p.m. Friday
rage AZ SWIMMING at Florida, TBA Friday
Wednesday, November 10, 2004 FOOTBALL at Florida, 7 p.m. Saturday
\
The Swamp to be Newton’s toughest challenge
KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
Sophomore quarterback Syvelle Newton gets pumped up before the
Tennessee game. Newton will start Saturday’s game against Florida.
■ Sophomore QP
heeds warnings about
Florida’s rowdy house
By STEPHEN FASTENAU
STAFF WRITER
Sophomore Syvelle Newton has had
his share of experiences in his first
season at quarterback. Among the
highlights this season are a win in his
first-ever start against South Florida and
leading a game-winning drive Saturday
against Arkansas. Newton’s toughest
test will come this week, as the
quarterback leads USC against Florida
in the Swamp.
“(My teammates) said it was one of
the loudest places in the country,”
Newton said Monday in an interview
with GamecockCentral.com. “I know
the crowd is going to be a factor because
they have a lot of great fans, and they’re
going to be there to support them.”
Newton will be thrust into his fourth
start of the year after senior Dondrial
Pinkins re-injured his shoulder while
stretching for a first down against
Arkansas.
Still hampered by an ankle injury
suffered against Kentucky, Newton took
over the offense in the second half
against Arkansas, running for a
touchdown and completing the game
winning touchdown pass to Troy
Williamson with just over a minute
remaining.
USC head coach Lou Holtz noted
that Newton was noticeably affected by
his injury.
“It was obvious he doesn’t have the
quickness he had, but he made good
decisions, protected the ball and threw it
very, very well,” Holtz said.
Gainesville should prove an
extremely different environment from
the friendly confines of Williams-Brice
Stadium.
The Gamecocks are 3-0 on the road
in the SEC this season with Newton
contributing in each win. Saturday is
homecoming for the Gators, and Florida
has not lost a homecoming game in 15
years.
“I’ve never heard of a team having a
homecoming game this late in the season
and then playing it at night,” Holtz said.
Opposing quarterbacks have found
themselves bogged down in the Swamp
this season.
Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones,
arguably the best all-around quarterback
in the conference, threw three
interceptions and fumbled once in
Gainesville. Kentucky quarterback
Shane Boyd was held to 134 yards
passing with one interception and a lost
fumble. LSU was able to beat the Gators
on its home turf despite Tiger
quarterbacks being intercepted three
times.
Gamecock quarterbacks have faced
similar futility in Gainesville. The last
“Almost every great
quarterback that I’ve
ever known either had
a strong faith in God
... or they have
unbelievable
confidence.... I can
promise you Syvelle
has one of them.”
LOU HOLTZ
USC HEAD COACH
time USC played at Florida, Pinkins was
sacked twice while throwing for just 74
yards in a 28-7 loss.
The venue’s pressure will be an
intimidating factor for Newton to
overcome. Holtz said he thinks his
young quarterback is ready for the
challenge.
“Almost every great quarterback that
I’ve ever known either had a strong faith
in God, very religious, or they have
unbelievable confidence in themselves,”
Holtz said. “I’ve never seen a great
quarterback that didn’t have one or the
other. Without elaborating any further,
I can promise you Syvelle has one of
them.” Although Holtz has noticed
maturation in Newton over the course
of the season, the coach also cites
Newton’s relative inexperience as a point
of concern.
“One of the more difficult things is a
particularly young football team,” Holtz
said. “We have some young people
playing major roles, and I’m talking
about sophomores. Watching them
grow is rewarding but can also be
frustrating, much like being a parent.”
One point of frustration for Holtz
has been Newton’s tendency to scramble
before allowing a play to develop.
Running around in the backfield cost
USC a shot at a field goal against
Mississippi and backfired when Newton
injured his ankle while scrambling
against Kentucky.
If Newton can stay poised Saturday,
he will have a good shot at exploiting a
Florida defense that has at times
♦ Please see NEWTON, page 13
SEC
News & Notes
bimpson nonorea
for Arkansas annihilation
USC safety Ko Simpson has been
named SEC defensive player of the
week for his efforts in the
Gamecocks’ 35-32 win over
Arkansas. The freshman from Rock
Hill recorded four tackles, one
interception and a 57-yard
touchdown return off a fumble.
Simpson’s game-sealing interception
came with 45 seconds left in the
game and ties him for the SEC lead
with five.
Alabama tailback Kenneth
Darby has been named offensive
player of the week for his part in a
30-14 win over Mississippi State.
Darby’s 200 yards on 36 carries are a
career high and the 12th-highest
mark in Alabama history. Darby’s
only touchdown came late in the
first half to give the Tide a 17-7
lead. Darby is second
SEC with 933 yards o
carries and
touchdowns.
have its best chance at a conference
win this week.
Georgia travels to undefeated
Auburn and will try ruining its
rivals’ National Championship
hopes. The rivalry is the SEC’s
oldest and longest. The teams have
met 107 times since 1898.
USC will play Florida in
Gainesville to determine third place
in the SEC East. The Gamecocks
have never beaten Florida in their 12
seasons in the SEC and have not
beaten the Gators since a 7-0 win in
1939.
Alabama plays at LSU in a
match-up of two of the top four
defenses in the nation. The visiting
team has won six of the last eight
meetings between these two.
Alabama running
back Kenneth
Darby
Georgia to reignite
Auburn rivalry in
week 11
Ole Miss plays
at Arkansas with
both teams looking
for their fourth win
of the season. This is
the 51st meeting
between, the two
teams, the most
games Arkansas has
played against any
SEC team. The
Razorbacks are 6-6
against the Rebels since joined the
SEC in 1992.
Vanderbilt plays at Kentucky
looking for its third win of the
season against the 1-8 Wildcats.
Kentucky is 0-6 in the SEC and will
]
CHARLIE DAVENPORT/THE GAMECOCK 1
U$C head coach Lou Holtz answers questions after Saturday’s
victory over Arkansas. Holtz talked abouroowl eligibility and the t
UDeomine same against Florida at his weeklv news conference. <
Basketball earns sloppy win
■ 18-point victory
marred by turnovers,
lack of lane presence
By ALEX RILEY
THE GAMECOCK
USC earned its first, last and only
exhibition win of the season Monday
night, beating USC Upstate, 81-63.
The small but lively Colonial Center
crowd of 3,452 was eager to see how this
year’s team would look with a young
lineup.
The night started off right for the
Gamecocks, as they took the early 2-0
lead on their second possession with a
Carlos Powell throw down from
Tarence Kinsey. The Gamecocks cruised
to an 8-0 lead behind perfect free-throw
shooting and a beautiful, nothing-but
net jumper by Paulius Joneliunas.
USC then took control behind a
Kinsey three and a huge block by John
Chappell. Upstate managed to pull the
score to 16-11, befo/e a feed to Josh
Gonner from mid-court resulted in a
layup, followed by a full-court pass to
Powell for another jam, putting USC up
26-17.
USC closed out the first half with
two three-pointers from Powell and
Gonner to take a 48-31 lead into the
locker room.
Upstate started the second half on a
tear, forcing two USC turnovers for two
points. Another turnover looked like it
would give Upstate another deuce,
before Chappell came in for another big
time swat. However, the block seemed
to get nothing going as USC went ice
cold for the first four minutes, missing
two shots, committing five turnovers
and allowing Upstate to pull within
seven, 48-35.
The rest of the second half was as
much about sloppy play as solid play for
both squads. Carolina forced eight
turnovers but also turned the ball over
eight times. Added to that was the
sloppy shooting by both squads,
♦ Please see BASKETBALL, page 13
CHARLIE DAVENPORT/THE GAMECOCK
Senior guard Josh Gonner drives down the court after a steal Monday against USC Upstate. Gonner
scored 15 points in the exhibition, but he and his Gamecock teammates committed 23 turnovers.
Bowl velocity to propel match-up
■ USC will not be
satisfied resting on its
bowl-ready laurels
Jy TODD GREEN
rHE GAMECOCK
USC (6-3, 4-3 SEC) secured a
vinning season and a spot in a postseason
>owl game after defeating Arkansas 35
\2 on Saturday.
A tough loss to the Tennessee
Volunteers a week ago had many
jamecock fans dreading another
>otential O-for-November finish. USC
las entered November needing one win
o become bowl eligible for two straight
easons, both times falling short.
USC head i coach Lou Holtz was
teadfast in hi* optimism last week but
lownplaved the victory’s significance
during his Monday news conference.
“It’s a sense of relief only in the fact
that the more people talk about it the
more pressure it brings upon you,” Holtz
said.
Gamecock fans seemed relieved,
exploding in joy after watching Troy
Williamson take a Syvelle Newton pass
and scamper 14 yards into the end zone.
With freshman standout Ko
Simpson’s interception of a Matt Jones
pass, USC was able to send in the most
precious of all offensive units, the
victory formation, and run out the
clock.
The Gamecocks now travel to the
Swamp, one of the most feared places in
all of sport, for a homecoming showdown
with the Florida Gators in front of a
nationally televised ESPN2 audience.
Florida has won 15 straight hjmecoming
games.
“I’ve never had any place where the
momentum can swing as abruptly, as
quickly, and as thoroughly as (the
Swamp) does,” Holtz said.
The Gamecocks will be looking to
bring their own momentum into this
game. At 6-3, USC can greatly improve
its prospects for landing a prestigious
bowl bid with a strong finish. USC could
also lock a third-place finish in the SEC
East.
Florida stands at 5-4 with a date
against rival Florida State looming at the
end of the season. If the Gators are to
prevent a losing season, they will certainly
look at their game against USC as a must
win.
Florida is led by sophomore
quarterback sensation Chris Leak and an
offensive unit ranked first in the SEC in
total offense.
“He is just a special quarterback,”
Holtz said. “He’s got great poise/he’s got
a strong arm and he’s very elusive. He’s
“I’ve never had any
place where the
momentum can swing
as abruptly, as quickly,
and as thoroughly as |
(the Swamp) does.”
LOU HOLTZ
use HEAD COACH
got an unbelievable touch. He can put
the ball where he really wants to. He
throws a quick pass as well as anybody
I’ve ever seen.”
Florida players will look to win their
last home game for beleaguered head
football coach Ron Zook. The players
have remained fiercely loyal to Zook after
he was fired Get. 25.
♦ Please see MOMENTUM, page 13