GoGamecocks.com
Maddox happy, but not satisfied
Brian Maddox tries to get past Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes on a third quarter run.
Gerry Melendez/gmelendez@thestate.com
CommentsBrian Maddox was given several chances to crow about his performance, to talk about how happy he must be to be the featured tailback again.
It was hard for the junior to say too much. First off, his team lost.
Secondly, Maddox felt he could have done better.
Maddox rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
"It felt great to get out there and run the ball. Wish we would've won. It would've felt even better. ...
"I could've made some longer runs," he said. "Stumbled there one time. It could've been an even bigger run. But I felt like I had a decent game."
There could be another reason for the cautious words: The tailback position has become a revolving door, and Maddox is only the latest to get the ball.
The Gamecocks have had four different players lead them in rushing this season. Maddox was the first, with 66 yards at N.C. State. Now he's the most recent too.
The coaches told him earlier this week he would be the starter. Coach Steve Spurrier said he liked Maddox's more bruising style, which would work well against Florida's blitzing style.
"(The) coaches told me to get ready to run downhill, get four yards, four or five yards," Maddox said. "But it opened up, started getting bigger gains. But it could've been better."
Maddox entered the season as the starter, having inherited the job after playing as a reserve the past two seasons behind Cory Boyd and Mike Davis.
But talented freshmen Kenny Miles and Jarvis Giles soon got their chances too. Each of them is more explosive than Maddox, lending themselves to longer runs - and more mistakes.
Miles leads the Gamecocks with 488 rushing yards, including a pair of 100-yard games. But his production slipped at Arkansas last week.
Miles got on the field once against Florida, and the result was a muffed handoff from Stephen Garcia. Giles didn't get any carries, while walk-on Bryce Sherman got one chance, gaining a yard.
Maddox, meanwhile, got his fourth rushing touchdown, tying him with Garcia for the team lead.
Afterwards, he shrugged off a question about whether he thought he had the starting job permanently.
"That's what coach Spurrier wanted this week, so he went with that," Maddox said. "He thought it'd be good at times. Tough loss, though."
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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