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Practice report: Garcia could play Saturday
CommentsNews of the day
USC quarterback Chris Smelley will start for the second week in a row, although the big news involves the players behind him on the depth chart.
Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia could make his long-anticipated debut Saturday against No. 2 Georgia. Garcia has moved ahead of redshirt junior Tommy Beecher, who started the season-opening win against N.C. State but has lost 22-23 pounds in recent weeks due to an intestinal infection.
“They don’t think it’s real serious, but that’s a lot of weight loss in the last two, three weeks,” Spurrier said Thursday on his radio call-in show. “He just doesn’t feel right. He’s sort of banged-up from that first game, so we’re letting him rest up a bit and getting Stephen Garcia ready.”
Garcia, the highly touted right-hander from Lutz, Fla., who was suspended for spring practice the past two years, could be called on to run “a couple plays maybe he can do something with,” Spurrier said.
But Spurrier hopes Smelley, who had two interceptions but set career highs with 23 completions and 39 attempts in last week’s loss to Vanderbilt, will go the distance against the Bulldogs.
“He seems to be physically, mentally ready to play a little bit better than all the other guys. So he’s our guy,” Spurrier said. “He’s had a good week of practice and hopefully he can take care of the ball a little bit better this week, and we’ll play our best offensive game.”
Stock rising
Tailback Eric Baker. The freshman from Jacksonville, the leading high school rusher in Florida two years ago, is expected to see his first action Saturday. “He’s got some quicks,” Spurrier said. “We need somebody to break a tackle every now and then, do something big.”
Stock falling
The Gamecocks have not fared well when appearing on CBS, which will carry this week’s game. USC has lost its last 10 games on CBS and has not won on the network since a 1995 Carquest Bowl victory vs. West Virginia.
Injury report
All-SEC receiver Kenny McKinley is out with a strained right hamstring and might not be able to play next week vs. Wofford, Spurrier said on his call-in show.
Quote of the day
“Nah, he can’t play unless he gets a healing Friday night somewhere. You should never say never, but it’s very unlikely,” – Spurrier on McKinley.
Extra point
Fifth-year senior Jamon Meredith will start at left tackle, and could see action at guard, according to Spurrier. Meredith sat out the first two games because of an NCAA ruling that restored his redshirt season. “Right now he’s not playing a whole lot better than our other guys,” Spurrier said. “He’s been a two- or three-year starter around here, but anyway, we’ll see how he plays. I hope he plays well. He’s certainly capable.”
Scouting report
Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno can expect busier day than he had last year vs. USC. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, when Mark Richt was told Moreno had 14 carries in the Gamecocks’ 16-12 win in 2007, the Georgia coach said: “Ugh. Yeah, that’s not good.”
Moreno rushed for 104 yards last year and added two catches for 14 yards.
USC vs. UGA video preview
-- Joseph Person
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