Big Bens out,
Brady ready
for tough test
facing Falcons
Week five pins offensive
studs against defensive
leaders in Fantasy games
Week five in the fantasy
football season was marked by
injuries to mediocre players that
could cause backups to step up
into starting roles and perform
well.
The best example of this is in
New Orleans. Running back
Duece McAllister is out for the
remainder of the season;
Antowain Smith will get the start
next week. This might cause New
Orleans’ offense to take a hit;
consider dropping quarterback
Aaron Brooks for a better
alternative.
Pittsburgh
quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger
also was injured
Monday night
against the
Chargers. Although
he might still start
next week, it might
cause his
production to go
down, and
Pittsburgh does not have a viable
1
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The Packers lost their second
running back of the year in Najeh
Davenport. Tony Fisher will get
the start in two weeks after a bye
week unless Ahman Green is
healed. Fisher could be a quality
pickup on the free agent wire.
This week’s top performers are
not strangers to the category. Tom
Brady was the leading scorer in
many leagues, passing for 350
yards and three touchdowns. His
performance came against a tough
Atlanta Falcons’ defense that led
defensive scoring last week.
Ffliunsv • 13
Running back Tatum Bell breaks
for a 34-yard touchdown run.
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Brent Greenberg
fra the enmecocH
He can throw out of the
shotgun. He can run the deep
post. But next Saturday, junior
Syvelle Newton could be running
... the halfback sweep?
“The way he ran with the ball
yesterday, you can see he’s a natural
runner,” USC coach Steve Spurrier
said. “Some way or another, he
needs to run with the ball more.”
In limited action at wide out,
Newton managed to catch five
balls for 63 yards, along with
rushing for 49 yards and one
touchdown on three attempts
from the quarterback position.
During his Sunday
teleconference Spurrier praised
Newtons ability to make the big
plT
“He’s got natural instincts on
where to go. Were trying to figure
out how to use him the best way
we can,” Spurrier said.
Many expected to see a lot
more of Newton at quarterback
after such a dominant offensive
performance, but concluding
Monday’s practice, Spurrier had
other plans for his explosive play
maker.
“He’s not a quarterback
anymore,” Spurrier said. “We
found a new position for him.”
After seeing how well Newton
carried the ball against Kentucky,
Spurrier has decided to give
Newton a shot at tailback. The
Gamecocks’ running game has
struggled thus far in the season,
averaging just less than 3 yards per
carry.
“The way he ran the other day,
I’d like to see him run again,”
Spurrier said. “We’re just not
making many yards. Maybe he
can make some.”
Spurrier would not say if
Newton would start at running
back against Vanderbilt.
When asked what he thought
about yet another position
change, Carolina’s newest running
back was upbeat.
“I’m willing to do anything
coach asks me,” Newton said.
“We’re hurting in the rushing
game right now, so coach wants to
try me and see what I can do.”
Running back is not something
new to Newton. It’s a position he
played from time to time in high
school. He said that while at
Marlboro County High School he
played about four games at running
back, where he accumulated most
of his rushing yards.
That was a far cry from what he
will face weekly in the SEC. Now,
he has to adjust to the college
game.
“I got to hit a few big linebackers
today in practice,” Newton said.
“It’s something I’m going to have to
get used to before next weekend.”
-*ri
Running back will be the third 5k*|
position Newton has played since
arriving at Carolina. He spent his
first season and the first four
games of this season strictly at m,%f
wide.receiver. With 26 receptions,
he is tied for the most receptions
by any player in 2005. In 2004, |pj
Newton was USC’s leading passer
at quarterback, his natural
position in high school.
Newton’s versatility and speed MMj
makes him dangerous, whether he
lines up out wide, under center or Sm
in the backfield.
“He made some really nice cuts, ktS
had some nice moves out there. J
Syvelle can play just about cMr
anywhere on the field,” offensive
tackle Jabari Levey said. “I have |S
100 percent confidence that he
can get the job done. We’re all ,f ■
behind him.”
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gy.im. sc. ed.u
Knee injury sidelines outside hitter Vanden Hull for season
Team working to find
positives in absence
of junior leader
niyssa fiber
FOR THE GAMECOCK
At 6 feet 2 inches, it is hard to
overlook junior outside hitter Lynae
Vanden Hull; but lately, Gamecock
volleyball fans have been missing
Vanden Hull on the court.
Vanden Hull, 2003 SEC freshman
of the year, blew her knee out while
warming up Sept. 13 before a game
against Clemson.
“We were at Clemson and before
;the game started, we were having a
hitting warm-up and I went up for a
ball, hit it and I came down, and mv
knee just blew out,” Vanden Hull
said.
Vanden Hull had torn her ACL
and MCL and would need
reconstructive surgery as well as
extensive rehabilitation. The first
major injury of Vanden Hull’s career,
its serious nature necessitated her
absence from the court for the season.
USC coach Nancy Somera quickly
selected a new lineup that could
maintain the chemistry achieved with
Vanden Hull.
“We kind of fiddled around with a
couple of different lineups and ended
up just moving one of our left sides
over there,” Somera said.
Freshman Marija Milosevic was
moved into Vanden Hull’s spot on the
right side from the left side. Then
senior libero Sarah Morgan was
moved into Milosevic’s spot, and
freshman Dinelia Concepcion was _
moved into Morgan’s spot as libero.
The Gamecocks are 9-7 overall and
2-4 in conference play after losses to
Georgia and Florida last weekend.
“We definitely miss Lynae,”
Somera said. She said she expects
Vanden Hull to make a full recovery,
barring any complications. “With
ACL tears nowadays, you actually
come back stronger than ever. They
rebuilt her ACL, so it’s actually going
to be stronger and better than the one
that she tore. I have coached a couple
of athletes who have had the surgery
and both of them have come back as
strong, if not stronger, from the
rehabilitation. It’s not a career-ending
injury by any means.”
Vanden Hull will spend the season
completing rehabilitation and
supporting the team from the
ln-IIIRU * 11
Charlie Davenport!TilE OAMECOCK
Junior outside hitter Lynae Vanden Hull digs a ball in a match last season.