The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 21, 2005, Page B6, Image 16
Defense looks to wrap up tackling woes
Coordinators bench veteran Hurley
in attempt to ignite stagnant play
Dlyssa fiber
FOR THE GAMECOCK
I
The Gamecock defense’s
mediocre performance through
the first six games of the season
has left many USC fans
wondering whether what was
supposed to be the team’s
strong point might actually be
its weakness.
One of the areas of most
concern has been tackling.
“Our linebackers need to
make more tackles. I think we
all agree with that,” USC coach
Steve Spurrier said during his a
Tuesday news conference.
This week, in an attempt to
rejuvenate the defense, co
defensive coordinator John
Thompson gave sophomore
linebacker Dustin Lindsey the
nod to start against Vanderbilt.
Lindsey will start in place of
senior linebacker Ricardo
Hurley, wfjo’s been on the
roster as the starting middle
linebacker for every game of the
season before this week. Hurley
is second only to sophomore
free safety Ko Simpson for total
tackles on the season; he has 42
tackles, including 27 solo stops.
Hurley is also ranked 10th in
the SEC in tackles for a loss
with six and is tied for fifth in
forced fumbles with two. The
senior had started 17 straight
games in a Carolina uniform.
Simpson, named SEC
Defensive Player of the Week
after posting a game-high 13
tackles two weeks ago against
Kentucky, leads the team with 50
tackles, including 29 solo stops.
Spurrier was vocal Tuesday
about more of his defensive
players needing to increase their
physicality.
“Our front seven need to
make more (tackles) instead of
relying on Ko back there to
make about all of (them),”
Spurrier said.
Thompson added Lindsey to
the starting lineup after Lindsey
made five tackles and recovered
a fumble against Kentucky.
“He just told me that I
deserved it; I’ve been working
hard every week, and he’s going
to give me a chance this week to
show what I’ve got,” Lindsey
said when asked -about
Thompson’s motivation for
changing the lineup.
Lindsey is excited about the
chance to prove himself on the
field as. a starter, and said he
plans to play as hard as he can
and hopefully keep the starting
spot. The anticipation of his
first start is only heightened by
starting alongside his twin
brother, sophomore defensive
end Jordin Lindsey.
“I’ve got a lot of family
coming up, especially since it is
going to be the first game that
my brother and I are starting
together; it’s going to be fun,”
Dustin said.
In the past week, the defense
has stepped up its drills during
_ conditioning, increasing time
spent on tackling drills, and
Lindsey' said he feels the
Gamecocks will have something
for Vanderbilt during the
Homecoming game Saturday.
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this week. ... Our coaches work
hard trying to get everything
where we can stop the run and
the pass, so we are pretty
confident about this week,”
Lindsey said.
It appears Spurrier is hoping
to hit on some noticeably
absent chemistry among his
defensive players by rewarding
hard-working athletes such as
Lindsey. The Gamecocks are
allowing their opponents to
score 75.9 percent of the time
when entering the red zone, a
statistic the team and fans
would certainly like to see
improved upon.
Spurrier said to fans that
Hurley would play during the
game and said the lineup change
will “... hopefully keep the guys a
little fresher. ...We are trying to
give guys opportunities that can
make some tackles.”
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu
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Nick Esares/THE (JAMECOCK
Senior linebacker Ricardo Hurley will miss his first start in 18 straight games Saturday when sophomore Dustin Lindsey starts instead.
Turman remains constant in ever-changing program
Running back endures
multiple ups and downs
during collegiate career
RJ Bembry
STAFF WRITER
Daccus Turman has seen it
all during his career at Carolina.
It doesn’t matter what “it”
might be. He’s seen it.
The senior tailback from
Washington, Ga., has played
for two coaches, two offensive
coordinators (three if you count
Lou Holtz’s play-calling from
last year), five quarterbacks in
only the last three years, and
he’s split the backfield with
more running backs than
anyone can count. He’s even
seen guys such as Kenny Irons
and Demetris Summers come
to school and leave, and
eventually played against Irons
at Auburn earlier this season.
Through the turmoil and
changes of USC’s football
program during the last several
years, there’s been one constant:
Turman has been there,
wearing No. 32 and sporting
his trademark beard. That’s
quite impressive for a guy who,
in a different twist of fate, could
have been chasing Herschel
Walker’s ghost across the
Savannah River at UGA.
Turman is in Georgia high
school record books for most
rushing yards in a season: 3,167
yards in 2000, breaking the
mark set by Walker in 1979.
But when it came time to
choose his college, Turman
welcomed the chance to leave
the state.
“Well you know, growing up
20 minutes away from (the
University of) Georgia, I didn’t
think it was a good idea to go
that close to home, and I didn’t
want to go too far away from
home either. Carolina’s only a
couple hours away. And then
when I was on my visit, they
just convinced me.”
But that was a different time,
a different coaching staff, even
different jerseys. He was one of
Holtz’s biggest recruits in
spring 2001, but now Turman
is playing for a coach who
contrasts pretty sharply to the
one who recruited him.
“The biggest difference is ...
their style. Coach Holtz was
more of a motivator. Coach
Spurrier, I mean, he does a lot
of motivation, but he’s more of
a perfection type guy,” Turman
said. “I mean, (with him)
practice makes perfect.”
With an extra week of
practice to get ready for the
Homecoming tilt against
surprising Vanderbilt, the
Gamecocks have a chance to
build off the near-perfection
displayed in the second half
against Kentucky. When asked
what a perfect day included,
Turman, one of four senior
captains for the game, offered a
selfless answer.
“I think the perfect day on
the field is, of course, first off
you’ve got to have a victory and
you know, I think the perfect
day for me personally as a
running back is when I know
that I didn’t have any missed
assignments, and I played the
game hard and to the best of
my ability.”
Playing with Blake Mitchell
at quarterback, Turman finds it
easier to perform at a high level.
“I enjoy playing behind
Blake ... I just got to be
honest,” Turman said. “Blake is
a real calm quarterback, you
know, like when things get
tough, he’ll still be calm, and if
he can keep the other players
calm and keep himself calm,
that’s just something to feed off
of.”
The 230-pound back also
has some help staying calm in
the huddle. A large tattoo on
his left bicep shows an open
Bible, a sign of a faith in which
Turman takes pride.
“It’s just a tattoo of a Bible. I
got the answer, y’know, I’m just
a firm believer. I’m a Christian,
and I believe in the Bible.”
His belief and his work ethic
have made him a staple in
Carolina’s backfield for the past
several years. These same traits,
coupled with an obvious talent,
are what typically separate men
who play Sunday from those
who watch at home. But even if
he can’t latch on to an NFL
team by this time next fell.
Turman’s got plenty of options,
as he’ll be armed with a degree
in hotel, restaurant and tourism
management and an
entrepreneurial father involved
in real estate.
Still, this weekend,
moil • 3
Katie Kirkland/T! IE CAMECOCK
Senior running back Daccus Turman breaks a tackle Oct. 8 against the Kentucky Wildcats.
-Was USC’s leading rusher in 2003 with 646 yeards
and seven touchdowns in Lou Holtz's offense
-Broke Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker's
single-season rushing state record in high school by
_ rushing for 3,167 yards in the 2000 season
Graphic illustration by Laura-Joyce Gough 17*1 IE 0AMEC0LK