TheState.com: GoGamecocks

Kentucky sweeps USC volleyball

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:10 EST

At Lexington, Ky., South Carolina (14-14, 5-13 SEC) dropped a 3-0 decision (25-13, 25-19, 25-12) to 10th-ranked Kentucky (27-2, 17-1). ...

Clemson (22-8, 12-6 ACC) defeated Virginia Tech (18-11, 8-10), 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-18, 27-25).

- From Staff Reports

Last-second goal ends USC's soccer season

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:19 EST

Wake Forest's Jill Hutchinson sprinted to the corner as the second-half clock ticked down in Friday's NCAA third-round tournament game against South Carolina.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6 ...

With the Deacons' lining up for a corner kick in a scoreless match that appeared headed to overtime, Hutchinson quickly placed the ball on the ground and lofted it to the front of USC's net.

5, 4, 3, 2 ...

There, Bess Harrington had positioned herself for a header as the ball hung in the air. And with a flick of her head at the 89:59 mark - one second before the end of regulation - she scored the goal that stunningly ended USC's greatest season before a record women's soccer crowd of 4,347 at Stone Stadium on Friday night.

Norwood a finalist for Butkus Award

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:15 EST

After arriving at USC as a defensive end, Eric Norwood is among five finalists for the award given to the nation’s best linebacker.

Norwood, a two-time All-SEC selection, is one of three SEC players among the final five linebackers in contention for the Butkus Award.

The other finalists, which were announced Thursday, are Alabama’s Rolando McClain, Florida’s Brandon Spikes, Texas’ Sergia Kindle and Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon.

Norwood, a senior from Acworth, Ga., who was a defensive end his first two seasons at USC, is second in the SEC with seven sacks and is tied for third with 10.5 tackles for loss.

Norwood is No. 1 on USC’s career lists for sacks and tackles for loss, and is the SEC’s active leader in both categories.

USC wary of Spiller on kickoffs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:48 EST

For a South Carolina team that struggled with its kickoff coverage for much of the season, kicking it to Clemson's C.J. Spiller next week would seem to be the perfect storm.

Spiller, a Heisman Trophy candidate, is the nation's fourth-leading kick returner with a 33.9-yard average and has three returns for touchdowns.

So why even kick it to him?

Gamecocks special teams coordinator Shane Beamer said the other options are not that great, either. Kicking it out of bounds would give Clemson possession at its 40-yard line, increasing the Tigers' chances of scoring.

USC could squib-kick, but Clemson aligns tailback Andre Ellington and receiver Jacoby Ford, a sprinter on the Tigers' track team, in front of Spiller.

USC holds off La Salle

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:10 EST

After three games, two trends are becoming evident about this year's version of the South Carolina basketball team:

It doesn't necessarily need its star to have a huge game, and it has the ability to turn a close game into a runaway.

Both of those were on display in Thursday's 78-68 victory against La Salle in the first round of the Charleston Classic.

Star guard Devan Downey was held to 10 points, and he might have been better off in the second half hanging out with NBA legend Joe Dumars, who was in the crowd to see his son, a freshman for South Florida, whom USC will play tonight.

Instead the Gamecocks were spurred by numerous players during a 30-5 run that started at the end of the first half and gained steam in the second half.

Tigers toe the line in double overtime

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:15 EST

The Clemson women's basketball team worked the free throw line to close out double overtime and hold off South Carolina, 94-92, at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Tigers (2-1) used 21 points from junior Sthefany Thomas and 20 from sophomore Shaniqua Pauldo to win their second game in a row against the Gamecocks (1-1).

"I came into this game telling the girls they needed to play a hard 40 minutes," Clemson coach Cristy McKinney said. "I didn't realize it would turn into a 50-minute game, but the girls rose to the challenge and played hard."

With the Tigers up one, Clemson's April Parker fouled Valeria Nainima with 7.6 seconds remaining in double overtime. Nainima hit the first of two free throws, but the second rimmed out to Clemson's Kirstyn Wright. After a scrum, Wright found Pauldo, who raced down court, launching a 3-point attempt with three seconds on the clock. However, Pauldo was hit by USC's Kesley Bone while she was shooting, sending her to the line in a 92-92 game.

Pauldo missed the first attempt, but drained the second.

USC women's soccer team bonds, wins despite differences

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:51 EST

Following the South Carolina women's soccer team requires more than a roster. An atlas comes in handy, too.

The goalkeeper hails from Ohio. The leading scorer calls Florida home. The co-captain playing midfield is a New Yorker. The four-time All-SEC defender stayed in state. The Rhoades sisters are from Delaware. In all, the 11 starters have converged in Columbia from nine states, with Georgia, Connecticut, Kentucky and Pennsylvania also in the mix.

Survey the 30-player roster, and 15 states - including California and Washington - and one other country, Canada, are represented. As the Gamecocks prepare to play Wake Forest tonight at Stone Stadium in the third round of the NCAA tournament, one thing is as clear as the voice on your GPS:

A national recruiting effort equals national prominence.

"We've always known that," said USC coach Shelley Smith, who scours the nation with her top recruiter, her husband and associate head coach Jamie Smith. "We try to find the best players we can. That's always been our goal."

Emerson: Hold off on wait and see coaches

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:47 EST

OCCASIONALLY YOU HEAR a few rumblings that South Carolina should implement a succession plan for Steve Spurrier, like other schools have done. The idea, supposedly, is to have a smooth transition.

OK. Well let's see how that's working at other places, shall we?

Jimbo Fisher's presence as the designated successor at Florida State hasn't prevented the Bobby Bowden situation from becoming a disaster. Fisher may not be the problem - but how many people are sure he's the solution?

Maryland designated James Franklin as the successor to Ralph Friedgen in February. Now the Terps are 2-8. If Friedgen gets the boot, the school either lets Franklin (the man guiding the sputtering offense) take over, or gives him $1 million to go away. Nice choices.

The jury remains out on Wisconsin's Brett Bielema and Oregon's Chip Kelly. At Kentucky, Joker Phillips is on deck - but with Rich Brooks continuing to get it done, what's the hurry?

USC baseball signs 13 for 2010 class

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:35 EST

The USC baseball program has announced the signing of 13 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period. The class consists of eight high school players and five junior college transfers.

"It was imperative that we signed a class that can make an immediate impact," said head coach Ray Tanner. "We have eight seniors on our 2010 team and expect a number of our players to be drafted."

The Gamecocks added prospects from eight different states including two players from the state of South Carolina, right-handed pitchers Forrest Koumas (Elgin/Lugoff-Elgin HS) and Drake Thomason (Taylors/Eastside HS).

"We were searching for athleticism and experienced pitchers," said associate head coach Chad Holbrook. "We felt we were able to add some power arms and we are excited about the speed and power of the position players. We think it is a versatile group and they are all passionate about being part of the Gamecock baseball program."

2009-10 GAMECOCK SIGNEES

Gamecocks' bowl bid needs 1 for the road

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08 EST

Unlike two years ago, South Carolina will not be left home for the holidays this year come bowl season.

Barring the unexpected - Florida losing to Florida International, Alabama falling to Chattanooga or Mississippi State beating Arkansas and Mississippi the next two weeks - the Gamecocks will snag one of the SEC's bowl slots regardless of how they fare against Clemson next weekend.

By defeating the Tigers, USC (6-5) could improve its bowl stock in a muddled middle-of-the-SEC pack. With the possibility that 10 conference teams could finish with at least seven wins, the Gamecocks would be headed to one of the SEC's bottom-run bowls - probably the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham against a Big East team - if they finish the regular season 6-6.

But there should be a spot for them, which was not the case in 2007 when the Independence Bowl took 6-6 Alabama over a USC team with the same record.

USC's omission prompted SEC officials to line up a ninth bowl slot - the so-called Pizza Bowl in Birmingham, where the conference office is based.

USC's Charleston trip brings a boost

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00 EST

Starting tonight, the USC men's basketball team has three chances in four days to do something it failed at once last year: Winning in Charleston.

More importantly, the Charleston Classic offers a chance for the Gamecocks to do something else they didn't last year: Build a good nonconference resume.

It starts with a first-round matchup with La Salle, a solid mid-major. Then there's a potential second-round game against a Big East team (South Florida) and a Sunday game against perhaps a team from the ACC (Miami) or Big 10 (Penn State).

"We just knew it was going to be a good tournament with quality teams, which is what we were looking for," Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn said.

Two purposes of a nonconference schedule are to find opponents that will help a team's NCAA tournament resume but also prepare it for conference play. That can be a tricky balance.

ACC stands in the way of USC success

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:59 EST

South Carolina's road to the final four in women's soccer will go through the Atlantic Coast Conference.

If the Gamecocks are to make it to the College Cup in College Station, Texas, they must first defeat Wake Forest on Friday at Stone Stadium and then the winner of the UNC-Maryland game next weekend.

"We have a lot of respect for the ACC," USC senior midfielder Lindsay Small said. "They bring a lot of good soccer to the table. When people think of women's soccer, they think of UNC and the ACC."

The ACC has seven teams in the round of 16 - Wake Forest, UNC, Maryland, Florida State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Boston College. USC (19-3-2) remains the only SEC team out of the six that made the 64-team field still playing.

"I'm kind of surprised Florida lost. Our conference has been so strong," USC sophomore defender Ellen Fahey said. "I know the ACC has always been a really strong conference, and I'm really excited to go up against these good, hard teams and get the challenge of playing them."

Wolford optimistic about the future

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08 EST

Eric Wolford tried to strike the right balance, playing for the present and the future, in his first season as offensive line coach.

The results for the present were far from what he or many other people wanted. He thinks the plan for the future is going better.

Three reasons Wolford feels good: He saved some red-shirts (on guards Nick Allison and Rokevius Watkins), the recruiting and the work the players are putting in the weight room under Craig Fitzgerald, also in his first year.

"We'll start to look like Florida's offensive line a little bit, as far as having some size to us and some guys that could play potentially pretty well," Wolford said.

The Gamecocks rank last in the SEC in sacks allowed and rushing offense. Wolford has said some of those stats are deceiving, but grants that overall the production of his line has been below par.

[Video] USC Practice report, Nov. 18

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:07 EST

Vandals strike at Williams-Brice

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08 EST

Whenever Clemson scores a touchdown, Tigers play-by-play announcer Pete Yanity makes his signature call, “There’s orange in the end zone.” A week and a half before the Clemson-USC game, vandals painted orange in the south end zone at Williams-Brice Stadium overnight Tuesday. USC equipment manager Chris Matlock saw an aerosol can and “a little orange paint” on the field Wednesday morning. Matlock said the damage was minimal and would not require workers to re-sod the grass before the rivalry game Nov. 28. Matlock said the graffiti message, which included a ‘C,’ appeared to be incomplete. The stadium vandalism has become a destructive part of the rivalry. Last year, vandals sprayed orange paint on the weight room windows at Williams-Brice. Matlock hopes officials can identify the culprits through surveillance videos.

Women's pregame: USC vs. Clemson

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:38 EST

WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, South Carolina

TV: None

RADIO: WISW, 1320AM

RECORDS: USC 1-0, Clemson 1-1

SEC notes: Tebow isn't Heisman-worthy

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:56 EST

Tim Tebow will get an invite to New York. But Tebow doesn't deserve your first-place vote this year.

Like the rest of Florida's offense, he's competing against himself. But it's not just that; Tebow is nowhere near his Heisman standard in 2007.

This year, he'll probably finish around 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Total. Not passing.

Tebow threw for 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns in '07, adding another 895 yards and 23 TDs on the ground.

More than numbers, he doesn't look the same. Really hasn't since that concussion.

SEC-ACC football rankings

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:56 EST

1. Florida (5) 120 1

Come on, Gators. Florida International? Really? You can schedule someone better than that.

2. Alabama 115 2

Greg McElroy isn't spectacular, but he has thrown four interceptions in 10 games.

3. Georgia Tech 110 3

Matthews will not be held back vs. Clemson

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08 EST

Growing up in Cheraw, Cliff Matthews viewed the South Carolina-Clemson game as his native state's version of the Super Bowl.

And the USC defensive end said it would take "a lot more" than a shoulder injury to keep him out of next weekend's Palmetto Bowl CVII.

Like what, exactly?

"A knee maybe," Matthews said.

Or a broken leg?

Freshman sees both sides of USC-Clemson

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08 EST

Had he stuck with his original decision, DeVonte Holloman would be on the other side of the USC-Clemson game next week.

Holloman, a freshman safety, committed to Clemson as a 10th-grader at Independence High in Charlotte. By his senior year, Holloman was at South Pointe in Rock Hill, and Clemson had a new coach.

So Holloman re-opened his recruitment, and ended up at South Carolina.

"I made a premature decision," Holloman said Tuesday. "Really didn't get to know the people I was going to be talking to, like the defensive coordinator. I kind of fell in love with coach (Billy) Napier, who was recruiting me at the time. But he coached offense.

"When I finally got to know the people I really was going to be dealing with, I figured out I didn't make the right decision. So I opened it back up."