Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Turman’s return bolsters backfield After serving suspension, senior running back ready to return to gridiron i Brian Dauis FOR THE GAMECOCK The Gamecocks’ running game will get a shot in the arm Saturday when freshman running back duo ' Bobby Wallace and Mike Davis will be backed by fullback Daccus Turman and guard Freddy Saint Preux. Turman, USC’s leading rusher in 2003, and Saint-Preux return after serving one-game suspensions for their roles in the fourth-quarter brawl at Clemson last November. The USC .passing assault that spirited fans Sept. 1 should expect greater support with the return of the 230-pound Turman, a proven backfield blocker. “I’m hoping I can be a good runner, but I take pride in being a good blocker out on the field,” Turman said Monday. Turman is 2 to 4 inches taller than the freshman duo and 20 to 40 pounds heavier, a sign that he could be Carolina’s best option between the tackles. Turman had three 100-yard funning games in 2003 and led the team in touchdowns with seven. Saint-Preux, at 6-foot-5-inches and 314 pounds, should certainly help against a formidable Bulldog defensive line with multiple All-SEC candidates. “We hope we’re going to try to do a little bit more running,” Turman told the media. “We got Saint-Preux Katie KirltlanJ/THK (iAMECOCK Senior running back Daccus Turman powers his way past the Gamecock defense during the Spring Game in April. back, and we had to make some adjustments.” Georgia’s run defense last week was impressive on paper but still appeared to have its holes, allowing nearly 5 yards per carry and two touchdowns in the Dogs’ opener against Boise State. The going will likely be tough regardless, as Georgia pummeled a notorious Boise State offense with six turnovers, tops in the country. A poor performance from the running game against UCF places USC 59th in the nation in team offense, despite quarterback Blake Mitchell being the nation’s most efficient passer thus far. “If we want to have a chance, we better come much better prepared to perform then last game,” USC coach Steve Spurrier said. “And I think we will. I think we can play much better.” Sidney Rice, a 6-foot-4-inch freshman wide out, could see some action for jump-ball passes after missing week one with a broken finger, another asset to Spurrier’s red zone offense. Former USC coach Lou Holtz’s prediction of a win at Georgia not long ago caused a stir among the media. For Turman, that’s all the prediction was. “Predictions are just predictions until the final seconds go off the clock,” Turman said. While no predictions can be made for Turman’s output, his inspiration will be there. This is the seniors’ last game against Georgia, an important opportunity for Turman, a Washington, Ga., native. “This is my last chance to play against Georgia, so I just want to go out there and give it my best shot.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu USC defense sets sights on Shockley Dale Zanine / UGA Georgia quarterback DJ. Shockley is the No. 2 passer in the nation. Loss of key veterans puts Bulldogs’ fate in hands of inexperienced talent RJBembry FOR THE GAMECOCK If USC’s football team hopes to leave 92,000-plus red-and-black clad fans disappointed Saturday evening in Athens, the Gamecock defense will have to bring its A-game. Ip a nationally televised affair with then-ranked Boise State, UGA senior quarterback D.J. Shockley threw for five touchdowns and rushed for another, setting a school record for total touchdowns. He was responsible for 285 yards through the air and another 85 on the ground — 374 total yards of offense. « Facing the monumental task of trying to hamper the multi-faceted Shockley will be the Carolina linebacking corps, anchored by senior Ricardo Hurley and junior Mike West. Last week against UCF, the two combined for 11 total tackles and half a sack. Their goal will be to confine Shockley to the pocket, forcing him to throw into a talented Gamecock Scouting UGA Sanford Stadium Graphic by Laura-Joyce Gough /THE CJAMECOCK secondary containing reigning SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year Ko Simpson and sophomore cornerback Johnathan Joseph, who led Carolina in tackles last week with nine. “We’ve got to eye the quarterback a little bit more, because I think he’s more dangerous back there in the backfield than what we saw last week (in UCF QB Steven Moffett),” Hurley said. Even if Shockley is kept corralled in the pocket, he still has plenty of options at receiver. Georgia lost last year’s starting wideouts Fred Gibson and Reggie Brown to the spring’s NFL draft, but as with most top-tier programs, coach Mark Richt’s Bulldogs simply reload. Junior WR Sean Bailey had four receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns, while true freshman Mohamed Massaquoi caught two passes for 47 yards. The most dangerous weapons in Richt’s passing attack, however, might very well be his tight ends, senior Martrez Milner and junior Leonard Pope. The tandem had 156 yards of receiving on six catches, with Milner finding paydirt with a touchdown of his own. Georgia’s offense doesn’t end with Shockley and his receivers. A healthy stable of capable and highly recruited running backs includes sophomores Danny Ware, Kregg Lumpkin, and Thomas Brown and senior Tyson Browning. The four rushed 19 times for 87 yards. Compile that with Shockley’s rushing statistics, and the Dogs had an impressive ground game against the Broncos, gaining 172 yards. Hoping to slow the down the running attack will be an improved Carolina defensive line, looking to be bolstered by the addition of senior end Charles Silas, coming off a one-game suspension. Co-defensive coordinators Tyrone Nix and John Thompson have installed a quirky defensive front scheme that occasionally has the linemen standing up, as evidenced in last week’s victory against UCF. “We’re basically trying to confuse the offensive linemen, confuse their blocking schemes a little bit,” Hurley said. Thompson has matched wits with Richt, UGA’s offensive architect and primary play-caller, twice before. The last meeting was in 2002, when Thompson was defensive coordinator at the University of Florida. Thompson won that matchup, as his defense only gave up 13 points to Richt’s offense. The game is going to be covered on national television by ESPN, the second time in as many weeks that USC and UGA have received such exposure. Hurley, for one, can’t wait for the opportunity on a grand stage to square off against Shockley. “I’m looking forward to it man, I’m looking forward to it,” Hurley said. “I’ve heard a lot about him, and I’m just looking forward to playing him.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gurm.sc.edu Tobacco juice, hideous women not good enough for UGA win Georgia fans should look out as Spurrier brings offense’s cock ‘n’ fire style to Athens In 1995 an assistant coach at Florida said no opponent had ever scored 50 points in Athens. A few □ hours later, after hanging 52 on the Georgia Bulldogs, Steve Spurrier was just minding his own business and jogging back to the locker room. As he crossed the BrOOID goal line, one of the few Third-year Georgia fans that political hadn’t left tossed a cup Student filled with tobacco spit at Spurrier. The cup missed, not surprisingly. If they had that much trouble getting in the end zone during the game, why would afterward be any different? Ah yes, Georgia — where tobacco spit is the weapon of choice, and the women don’t just look like dogs, they bark like them, too. I guess they can’t help it. They come from a state that incorporated the confederate battle flag as the major design on their state flag until 2001, and a university whose alumni and students are known for barking at opposing players. Even the campus is suspect. Athens is like Columbia, only with less diversity and more Birkenstocks. Take away Atlanta and Georgia is just another Alabama — moonshine making mouth-breathers with nothing to do but sit around and grossly overestimate their importance to the rest of the college football world. Coming off their victory against Boise State, Georgia fans are busy touting quarterback D.J. Shockley as a Heisman candidate and are predicting a blowout versus the Gamecocks. Well, if you’re looking for us to be scared, stop wasting your time. You beat a team from Idaho that plays on blue turf. Congratulations. Not only that, but their quarterback, Jared Zabransky, coughed up the ball six times in the first half. SIX TIMES in the FIRST HALF. It looked like he was channeling Ryan Leaf out there. I’ve only seen one meltdown like that ever in college sports, and let me just say that the year was 2000, the place was Williams-Brice Stadium and Quincy Carter was prominently involved. ns rar as onociciey Deing a neisman candidate, he might be the No. 2 passer in the nation, but that also makes him the No. 2 passer in the stadium Saturday night — behind Blake Mitchell. I’m not sure if the Heisman has ever gone to a guy that rode the bench for four years, but don’t let me rain on your parade. Instead of the Heisman maybe he should be in the running for the slightly less prestigious Woody Dantzler Overrated Player of the Year award. Speaking of overrated, if I see a shot of an overweight sweater-wearing bulldog being paraded down the sidelines by an equally overweight cheerleader one more time, the next dog I see is getting spayed and/or neutered. You, and every other unoriginal school in America, are the Bulldogs. We get it. As if the barking wasnt enough to let us all know they are rednecks, they made “Glory, Glory” (also known as “Battle Hymn of the Republic”) their fight song for good measure. The last time I heard that song wasn’t after a Georgia touchdown but when a horn from a rust-colored 1987 Chevy blew at me on Interstate 20 West. With all that said, I’ll give them this: They have been the better ( football team lately (although their record against us the last five years is 3 2). But Dawg fans, the: only problem is that there is a new guy in town, and he won’t sit on a 16-0 lead like last year. If anybody knows that, it’s you. A Georgia fan once told me that after Steve Spurrier lost to UGA as a player, he dedicated himself to making sure that one weekend a year every Georgia fan’s life was a living hell. He was right. Saturday night, USC’s Fighting Gamecocks are coming to Athens — and hell’s t . , f f coming with ’em.