The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 12, 2004, Page 8, Image 8
GAME SCHEDULEj
„ 0 SWIMMING at Florida, 11 a.m. 1
Fage 8 VOLLEYBALL at Florida, 5 p.m.
Friday, November 12, 2004 FOOTBALL at Florida, 7 p.m. Saturday
Holtz, Spurrier address rumors
USC head coach Lou Holtz, right, has been asked about his retirement and the possibility of being replaced by Steve Spurrier.
■ HOLTZ
Continued from page 1
The site also repotted that USC
Athletic Director Mike McGee would
retire in six months to a year.
This is not the first time Holtz’s
retirement has been brought up.
Following USC’s game with Tennessee,
Holtz said he was “tired” and
“irritable,” which prompted questions
about his future.
Holtz is in his 33rd year as a college
football head coach. Prior to coaching
at USC, Holtz made stops at William
& Mary, North Carolina State,
Arkansas, Minnesota and Notre Dame.
While at Notre Dame, he won
aNational Championship and was
named national coach of the year.
Holtz has repeatedly said that his
goal was to change the USC football
culture and turn around a program that
has been infamous for over 100 years
for losing. He said Monday he felt the
culture had changed, regardless of
whether he returns.
While the retirement of the 67-year
old Holtz might not be a surprise, his
possible replacement could be. Steve
Spurrier, former coach at the
University of Florida from 1990-2002,
has had his name mentioned as the next
Gamecock head coach.
Holtz, when asked about Spurrier,
spoke very highly of him. He went as
far as to say it would be “great for South
Carolina” if Spurrier were his
replacement.
“I could understand why he would
want to come because I .think the
program is pretty solid. I think it still
has to go to the next level,” Holtz said.
“We’re close to competing for the
championship, and I thought maybe
we could this year, but the loss to
Georgia, the loss to Ole Miss, but we
aren’t far away.”
Holtz said he and Spurrier are
known golfing buddies and have been
friends for a number of years.
ESPN.com reported Wednesday
that a USC representative had
contacted Spurrier to gauge his interest
in the job. Spurrier said that he might
be interested, but that the job is not
open right now so he would not
speculate. He also said that he was only
interested in a college job at a state
university in* the South.
Spurrier is rumored to have
purchased a home on Lake Murray. He
said he had never heard of Lake Murray
before being asked about it.
Spurrier, who has been well noted as
an accomplished and addicted golfer,
has also been said to have been offered
an Augusta National Golf Club
membership. The club’s president is
Hootie Johnson, an alumnus of USC.
Spurrier recently pulled his name
out of the running for the opening at
his former school and alma mater,
Florida. The job came available after
head coach Ron Zook was fired after a
38-31 loss at Mississippi State. Zook
has lost six home games in just less than
three seasons as the Gators’ coach, the
same amount Spurrier lost in 12 years
as Florida’s head coach.
Spurrier was also rumored to be the
leading candidate for the Miami
Dolphins coaching job until the
organization announced Tuesday that
he was not on their list of potential
coaches.
Whether the rumors of Holtz’s
retirement and his succession by Steve
Spurrier are true, the Gamecocks have a
very important game this weekend
against the Of Ball Coach’s former
team.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockspvrts@gwm.sc. edu
USC, Florida '
to square off
By JIM ROCHE
THE GAMECOCK
If there was ever a time for a win
against the Gators, now is the time. The
Gamecocks (6^3, 4-3 SEC), after their
dramatic come-from-behind win
against the Arkansas Razorbacks last
Saturday, will travel to the treacherous
Swamp to attempt to do something no
Gamecock team has done since 1939:
beat the Florida Gators.
Both teams come into this
weekend’s game carrying some heavy
baggage'. The Florida Gators have
struggled during the past few weeks.
After losing to Mississippi State 38-31,
the Gators fired head coach Ron
Zook. The following week, the Gators
lost to the Georgia Bulldogs for the
first time since 1997. Zook, however,
will coach for the remainder of the
season.
The Gamecocks picked up their
sixth win of the season against
Arkansas, making them eligible for a
bowl bid in late December or early
January. But the Gamecocks are
banged up. Quarterback Dondrial
Pinkins is out with a rotator cuff
injury. Running back Cory Boyd and
defensive lineman Marque Hall sat
out of practice earlier this week with
flu-like symptoms but have since
returned to practice. Wide receiver
Matthew Thomas is limited With a
virus.
The Gamecocks will bring the
three-way attack of quarterback Syvelle
Newton, running back Demetris
Summers and wide receiver Troy
Williamson. The Gamecock defense
has remained poised, led by SEC
defensive player of the week, free safety
Ko Simpson. Simpson is tied in the
SEC for most interceptions this year
with five. Simpson had four solo
tackles, a 57-yard fumble recovery that
was run back for a touchdown, and an
interception that closed out the game.
‘They are a well-coached football
team. They are an athletic team.
Defensively, they are a team that plays
extremely hard. They might do a few
things different than they did last year,
and they use a lot of different coverages.
Their two freshmen lead the league in
interceptions, and their defense plays
hard up front and chases the football,”
Zook said.
The Florida Gators have slipped
this season, but they haven’t fallen yet.
Florida is second in the SEC in team
scoring, averaging 33.8 points a game. j
The Gators are first in passing offense I
with 21 touchdowns this year. Florida
quarterback Chris Leak is as
dangerous as it gets. He leads the SEC
in passing yards, averaging 265 yards
per game. Leak is a powerful thrower
in and out of the pocket. Leak is
elusive with his feet and can make
defenders miss throughout the game.
Gator running back Ciatrick Fason
leads the SEC in rushing yards with
1,050 and nine rushing touchdowns
this season. On defense, Florida
linebacker Channing Crowder is third
in the SEC in tackles with 69 and has
two sacks, but might be held out of
the game with a torn ligament in his
foot.
USC head coach Lou Holtz could
be entering his final three games at the
helm of the Gamecocks. Rumors are |
circulating around Columbia that
former Gator head coach Steve
Spurrier has expressed interest in
USC’s program. Florida’s defensive
coordinator Charlie Strong is a former
defensive coordinator for the
Gamecocks. The winner of this game
will have control of third place in the
SEC East. The Gamecocks look to
spoil the Gators’ homecoming and
beat them in the Swamp for the first
time in 65 years. The game will start at
7 p.m. Saturday and will broadcast on
ESPN2.
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gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu
Zook to skip Gator Growl
amid post-firing atmosphere
By BRIAN SHAFFER
and ANDREW ABRAMSON
INDEPENDENT FLORIDA
ALLIGATOR (U. FLORIDA)
(U-WIRE) GAINESVILLE, Fla. —
Perhaps expecting a less-than-approving
response from the fans, lame duck
University of Florida coach Ron Zook
will not be attending tonight’s Gator
Growl.
Traditionally, the head coach
introduces the outgoing seniors before a
packed crowd at the Swamp.
This year, Zook is opting out.
“I don’t want anything to happen
that would interrupt a special time for
them,” Zook said. “This is their time,
and I would hate for something to
happen that would take away from their
moment.”
It is unclear whether an assistant
coach, a player representative or
somebody else will introduce the
seniors.
While he might be all right with
passing on the opportunity to
introduce this year’s seniors, Zook
might not be emotionally past his
midseason dismissal. During his weekly
news conference, Zook went through
some of the Gators’ offensive statistics
but found time to take a slight shot at
his firing.
“Offensively, they have done a
ptetty nice job,” Zook said. "(We have
the) number one running back in the
SEC, number one quarterback in the
SEC, number one receiver in the SEC,
number one player in all-purpose
yardage in the SEC. (We’re) first in the
SEC in pass offense, first in total
offense, first in first downs — which is
a big one — first in third downs,
second in scoring and the first staff to
be fired.”
IN SCHOOL
Regardless of how the team fares
down the stretch, the Gators must deal
with a coaching change at the end of the
season.
Still angry about losing Zook, players
have approached their coach about
transferring after the season.
If Zook has his way, nobody will
leave UF.
“A lot of them have talked to me,”
Zook said. “The thing I’ve said is that
(whatever coaching staff) comes in here
is going to be good people. The reason
(the players) are going to like them is
because our players are good guys,
competitors and winners. I’ve told
several of them just give the thing a
chance, and it’ll be fine.”
INJURY UPDATE
Linebacker Travis Harris, who
missed the Gators’ game against
Vanderbilt with a high ankle sprain,
could be back in the lineup for UF’s
homecoming game against USC. Zook
said that the senior told him Tuesday
morning that he’ll be ready to play his
last home game as a Gator.
In other linebackers news, Earl
Everett should be back after missing last
week’s game with a head injury.
However, Zook said that junior Todd
McCullough (ankle) and sophomore
Channing Crowder (foot) are “probable
to questionable," making their status
uncertain.
“I think if there is a way that
Channing can play, I think you’ll see 55
out there,” Zook said.
Running back DeShawn Wynn is
battling a groin injury. Zook said that
Wynn is still another week away from
playing, but he did not rule out a
possible Saturday return.
rnuIu ouunitbT ur mt MdauvsiMit.u
Florida Gators head coach Ron Zook makes a point to Travis Harris
as h'e leaves the field in the third quarter against Georgia.
Sophomore receiver Noah Whiteside runs after rolling over an Arkansas defender in USC’s 35-32
win Saturday. The play occurred on USC's final drive in which Whiteside made two crucial catches.
Whiteside silences critics
■ Receiver’s hand in
Arkansas win muffles
bowl-crazy detractors
By STEPHEN FASTENAU
STAFF WRITER
Hear that? Silence. It is what Noah
Whiteside has enjoyed this week from
critics who are normally quick to harp
on his punt-returning troubles. These
days the sophomore is letting his
receiving make all the noise and was a
major factor in helping USC become
bowl eligible.
Whiteside fielded just one punt for
12 yards in last week’s win against
Arkansas but was instrumental in the
Gamecocks’ game-winning drive.
USC head coach Lou Holtz praised
Whiteside and fellow receiver Troy
Williamson for th^if development as
players this season, while Williamson
once seemed the only target of USC
quarterbacks, Whiteside has emerged
as a secondary threat that keeps
defenses honest.
“It’s amazing how the offense has
taken on a different concept,” Holtz
said. “Troy Williamson and Noah
Whiteside have developed. It’s really
something.”
In the past three games, Whiteside
had 10 catches for 91 yards whereas
he managed to grab just two balls in
the first three games of the season.
The low point came with Whiteside
being suspended for the Georgia
game for a reported housing
violation.
Whiteside’s punt returns were also
once a concern. Holtz showed faith in
his yourig receiver, and instead of
replacing him with Demetris Summers
as he had once suggested, he left him in
to gain valuable experience. Whiteside
has gradually become more consistent
in his decision-making anci is averaging
8.8 yards per return.
Whiteside has 19 catches for 279
yards on the season. While only
averaging a little more than two catches
a game, some of those catches have
been key in some games’ outcomes.
In the Gamecocks’ win last week,
two of Whiteside’s three catches came
on the final drive. Whiteside had only
one catch against Kentucky — a 16
yard grab on third down as USC
marched for the winning score.
Despite fumbling once against
Mississippi, Whiteside had one of his
best games with four catches for 89
yards and had a season-high sot catches
in a loss to Tennessee.
The way Holtz has talked this week,
Whiteside might have the opportunity
to make more big plays this week
against Florida. Holtz has generally
been more aggressive offensively in big
games in the past and will likely be the
♦ Please see WHITESIDE, page 9