Reserve receiver Chris Hail and seldom-used defensive tackle Donte'e Nicholls have been dismissed from the team for multiple violations of team rules.
Also USC campus police are investigating an incident involving USC backup offensive lineman Ryan Broadhead, who allegedly caused $300 in damages to a door at the dormitory where the majority of the players live.
Come on....Hail and Nicholls were non-factors but Broadhead needs to get in line!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Sports Blog Heisman Trophy - LOHD Ballot
LOHD was asked to particpate in the first annual Sports Blog Heisman Trophy process. And here is our ballot ---
1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Sam was the fuel to a powerful offensive machine in 2008. What sealed it for me was not the number of TDs but the helicoptering leap that failed to score at Oklahoma State. He showed the leadership that is the essence of the Heisman.
2. Colt McCoy, Texas
Not this year but if he stays can we say 09 Heisman?
3. Tim Tebow, Florida
Will go down in the top 3 best QBs in college football history but truly is a product of the system plus he already has one and the legend is getting watered down as the comparisons of Superman continue.
To view the winner and get a understanding of the process please visit The Blue Workhorse and view the RESULTS.
UPDATE (12/14/08) --- Oklahoma quarterback Bradford wins Heisman
1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Sam was the fuel to a powerful offensive machine in 2008. What sealed it for me was not the number of TDs but the helicoptering leap that failed to score at Oklahoma State. He showed the leadership that is the essence of the Heisman.
2. Colt McCoy, Texas
Not this year but if he stays can we say 09 Heisman?
3. Tim Tebow, Florida
Will go down in the top 3 best QBs in college football history but truly is a product of the system plus he already has one and the legend is getting watered down as the comparisons of Superman continue.
To view the winner and get a understanding of the process please visit The Blue Workhorse and view the RESULTS.
UPDATE (12/14/08) --- Oklahoma quarterback Bradford wins Heisman
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Playoffs or end to Gamecock Chicken Curse
Which one do you believe will happen first?
I found a good read today over at our pal's site - Team Speed Kills - with his discussion yet most important his 6 team playoff system. As you know LOHD is big fans of a playoff system but it will be years until it happens. It all boils down to money. Greed that is.
As long as we have a hundred or so bowl games dishing out millions of dollars and don't forget conference profit sharing....well the chance of a playoff race is slim despite the recent Congressman wanting to replace the BCS with playoff. I do feel the system is broken and almost to the point of a joke with some of the bowls and their names. Not to mention how some teams get chosen for a bowl game....just look at Clemson going to the Gator Bowl for example number 1. Something is wrong with the system - yes - but until we find a way to remove (or make the playoffs as lucrative) the money issues then the BCS and bowls will continue.
The Gamecock "Chicken Curse" well not sold on its existence but have always said that Gamecock football is king for finding ways to beat themselves in games and a lot of people point that to the "Chicken Curse." Where did this originate you ask ...... well legend has it that "Pitchfork" Ben Tillman, a former South Carolina Senator and a founding father of Clemson, during heated debate in the South Carolina State Legislature over the establishment of Clemson University as some in the body that day did not want to establish Clemson College...well due to this heated exchange Tillman later that day slammed a pitchfork into the ground on campus at Carolina, declaring the USC to be cursed. As we know, the establishment of Clemson moved forward but the "curse" still lingers.....
Anywho.... go check this out and make sure to vote!
I found a good read today over at our pal's site - Team Speed Kills - with his discussion yet most important his 6 team playoff system. As you know LOHD is big fans of a playoff system but it will be years until it happens. It all boils down to money. Greed that is.
As long as we have a hundred or so bowl games dishing out millions of dollars and don't forget conference profit sharing....well the chance of a playoff race is slim despite the recent Congressman wanting to replace the BCS with playoff. I do feel the system is broken and almost to the point of a joke with some of the bowls and their names. Not to mention how some teams get chosen for a bowl game....just look at Clemson going to the Gator Bowl for example number 1. Something is wrong with the system - yes - but until we find a way to remove (or make the playoffs as lucrative) the money issues then the BCS and bowls will continue.
The Gamecock "Chicken Curse" well not sold on its existence but have always said that Gamecock football is king for finding ways to beat themselves in games and a lot of people point that to the "Chicken Curse." Where did this originate you ask ...... well legend has it that "Pitchfork" Ben Tillman, a former South Carolina Senator and a founding father of Clemson, during heated debate in the South Carolina State Legislature over the establishment of Clemson University as some in the body that day did not want to establish Clemson College...well due to this heated exchange Tillman later that day slammed a pitchfork into the ground on campus at Carolina, declaring the USC to be cursed. As we know, the establishment of Clemson moved forward but the "curse" still lingers.....
Anywho.... go check this out and make sure to vote!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Gamecocks thinking NFL
Alright these are the guys rumored to be exploring the NFL standing....
DE/LB Eric Norwood said Monday he filed his paperwork last week with the NFL's advisory council, which, well, advises prospects where they'd be drafted in April. Makes sense for him after the All SEC nod recently and let's be honest he is a beast.
Norwood is USC's all-time leader with 42 tackles for loss and is third on the all-time list in sacks with 22. He is the active SEC leader in sacks and tackles for loss. Norwood also was selected first-team All-SEC by the league's coaches in 2007.
Other Gamecocks expected to check their statuses through that council are SS Emanuel Cook, TE Jared Cook, CB Captain Munnerlyn and spur Darian Stewart.
Jared Cook, selected to the AP second team All SEC Monday, is a semifinalist for the Mackey Award, which goes to the nation's top tight end. He is second on the team with 35 catches for 550 yards and two touchdowns. He led the team in yards per catch (15.7).
Emanuel Cook, also a second-team choice for All SEC by AP, led USC with 87 tackles and topped the SEC in solo tackles with 62.
The Cooks are gone in my view and especially E Cook. Just look how USC has been recruiting this year with Gillmore and others coming in....Spurrier & Co I think know that E-Cook is gone. I feel Darrin Stewart is also just putting his toe in the water here and will stay to finish out his senior year. Probably wise too as he will be looked to in 09 to "be the man."
Oh and don't forget Jasper Brinkley. Brinkley, a senior, ranked fifth on the team with 54 tackles, including five for loss. He has 182 tackles in a little more than two seasons with Carolina, including 132 solo stops. I feel confident that he will be playing in the NFL on Sundays.
So who do you think will leave?
DE/LB Eric Norwood said Monday he filed his paperwork last week with the NFL's advisory council, which, well, advises prospects where they'd be drafted in April. Makes sense for him after the All SEC nod recently and let's be honest he is a beast.
Norwood is USC's all-time leader with 42 tackles for loss and is third on the all-time list in sacks with 22. He is the active SEC leader in sacks and tackles for loss. Norwood also was selected first-team All-SEC by the league's coaches in 2007.
Other Gamecocks expected to check their statuses through that council are SS Emanuel Cook, TE Jared Cook, CB Captain Munnerlyn and spur Darian Stewart.
Jared Cook, selected to the AP second team All SEC Monday, is a semifinalist for the Mackey Award, which goes to the nation's top tight end. He is second on the team with 35 catches for 550 yards and two touchdowns. He led the team in yards per catch (15.7).
Emanuel Cook, also a second-team choice for All SEC by AP, led USC with 87 tackles and topped the SEC in solo tackles with 62.
The Cooks are gone in my view and especially E Cook. Just look how USC has been recruiting this year with Gillmore and others coming in....Spurrier & Co I think know that E-Cook is gone. I feel Darrin Stewart is also just putting his toe in the water here and will stay to finish out his senior year. Probably wise too as he will be looked to in 09 to "be the man."
Oh and don't forget Jasper Brinkley. Brinkley, a senior, ranked fifth on the team with 54 tackles, including five for loss. He has 182 tackles in a little more than two seasons with Carolina, including 132 solo stops. I feel confident that he will be playing in the NFL on Sundays.
So who do you think will leave?
- J Cook
- E Cook
- Captain
- D Stewart
- E Norwood
Former Gamecock Duce Staley is loose
I commend former Gamecock RB Duce Staley for taking issue with former USC assistant now traitor....I mean now the current Tennessee assistant David Reaves. Seems Duce, along with many within the Gamecock Nation, are calling out David Reaves for his dirty recruiting tactics. The latest spat happened on a gamecock radio call in show, and Reaves participated in the call in show to try to defend himself. I give him kudos for calling in and having the balls to face the accusations but now it is a true case of "he said / she said" and no matter how you twist it David Reaves has burned the bridge in/to Columbia. This is the second dose of kerosene on the UT - USC rivalry as the first was Spurrier calling out Kiffin for getting to work very quickly.
More SEC Honors for Gamecock Players
The other day the SEC handed out AP All SEC Team Honors, now the league's coaches voted on what they viewed as the best in the SEC and University of South Carolina junior linebacker Eric Norwood received the 1st team hononrs as did junior tight end Jared Cook on Offense. On Second Team Defense there was Senior linebacker Jasper Brinkley and junior strong safety Emanuel Cook.
Good News Ellis not leaving Gamecocks
Seems that Ellis Johnson's former employer will end there interest in him as their new head coach as it has been reported by ESPN that Mississippi State will hire Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen to be its next football coach.
Again this is good news for Gamecock Fans as Ellis has been a great hire and hope he sticks around for many years.
Will be interesting to see how Dan does with MSU without a Tebow and now without Wesley Carroll, who started this season as Mississippi State's quarterback, who has been granted a release and plans to transfer.
Again this is good news for Gamecock Fans as Ellis has been a great hire and hope he sticks around for many years.
Will be interesting to see how Dan does with MSU without a Tebow and now without Wesley Carroll, who started this season as Mississippi State's quarterback, who has been granted a release and plans to transfer.
What Iowa is expecting in the Outback.
News article from the Des Moines register
Iowa City, Ia. — Here’s all you have to know about the South Carolina offense: They have a quarterback named Smelley.Smelley — Chris Smelley — alternates under center with Stephen Garcia, and, collectively, the two of them make Adam Weber look like Tim Tebow.The Gamecocks, Iowa’s dance partner for the 2009 Outback Bowl, rank 54th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing offense, 109th in rushing offense, 97th in total offense and 92nd in scoring offense. In losses to LSU, Florida and Clemson, South Carolina averaged 243.6 yards of offense and converted just 10-of-41 third-down opportunities.
Some bowls are designed to be shootouts.This isn’t one of them.“I wouldn’t have predicted that,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said tonight when asked about the Gamecocks’ struggles. “I really don’t know that much about them. I know this: (South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier) knows how to coach and he knows offense. And they’ll be ready to go, I know that.”So will Iowa fans. Take a bow, folks, once you find an airfare that won’t destroy your Christmas budget. The Hawkeyes are playing on New Year’s Day for the fifth time in seven years not so much because of star running back Shonn Greene (although that helped), or that massive win over previously unbeaten Penn State (although that helped too), but because of you.Northwestern beat Iowa, in Kinnick Stadium no less, and posted a better overall record (9-3), but bowls aren’t about standings — they’re about the bottom line. To the suits in Tampa, the Wildcats are a private school with a small fan base, alumni scattered across the country, and only a marginal presence in the Chicago media market.They’re a nice story. The Hawkeyes are a safe, proven investment.Bowls want fannies in the seats. Iowa faithful flock to bowls like ants to a picnic. If there’s a game in Uzbekistan, they’ll find a tent big enough to host a Hawkeye Huddle.Of course, the same could be said of South Carolina fans, which is part of what makes this game so intriguing — or, if you’re a bowl selection committee, so lucrative.The Hawkeyes and Gamecocks have never met on the football field, but they’ve got quite a bit in common. Each is the largest public university in a historically rural state. Each has a large-school rival that resides in another conference (here, Iowa State; there, Clemson). Ferentz has reportedly been on the radar for NFL teams for years; Spurrier, um, used to be.But the comparisons sort of end there.While the Hawkeyes galvanized their offensive identity over the final six weeks of the season — a little play-action and a lot of Greene — the Gamecocks have gone through more extended funks than the Dow Jones Industrial Average. South Carolina closed out its slate by dropping three of five, including back-to-back ugly setbacks against Florida and Clemson that saw Spurrier’s men outscored 89-20.“Hopefully,” the Ol’ Ballcoach told reporters tonight, “we can get back to playing the way we were (during) the middle of the season.”After a 31-14 loss to Clemson, Spurrier dumped his offensive line coach and his quarterbacks coach resigned to take a job with Tennessee. Through his first four seasons in Columbia, he’s made at least nine changes to his staff.“I’ve heard they’ve got a pretty good defense, though,” Greene said of the Gamecocks. “So I look forward to that challenge.”He heard right. They’re quick, salty and legit. First-year defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has a reputation for being as creative — and aggressive — as they come. The Gamecocks have allowed eight passing touchdowns all season.Of course, it says here they’ve also surrendered 20 scores on the ground. If you’re an Iowa fan, you have to like the smell of that.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Giles is a Gamecock
Gaither (Tampa, FL) 4-star running back Jarvis Giles, one of the most heralded running back prospects in America this recruiting year, has chosen South Carolina over Tennessee. This is huge as the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder will play a great role in the USC backfield. Welcome!
For you myspace kids show Jarvis some Gamecock Nation love on his page HERE . Do notice how in his picture he is standing with Michael Phelps in Williams Brice.
For you myspace kids show Jarvis some Gamecock Nation love on his page HERE . Do notice how in his picture he is standing with Michael Phelps in Williams Brice.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Gamecocks make All-SEC Team
USC linebacker Eric Norwood was named to the AP first-team All-SEC defense today according to the SEC Site.
Tight end Jared Cook and safety Emanuel Cook were named to the second team.
USC WR Kenny McKinley and Kicker Ryan Succop get Honorable Mention accolades.
Here is how the AP handed out the other big awards -
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR---Tim Tebow, Florida
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR---Eric Berry, Tennessee
COACH OF THE YEAR---Nick Saban, Alabama
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR---Julio Jones, Alabama
Tight end Jared Cook and safety Emanuel Cook were named to the second team.
USC WR Kenny McKinley and Kicker Ryan Succop get Honorable Mention accolades.
Here is how the AP handed out the other big awards -
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR---Tim Tebow, Florida
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR---Eric Berry, Tennessee
COACH OF THE YEAR---Nick Saban, Alabama
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR---Julio Jones, Alabama
Gamecock Recruiting Going Well
Rivals has the Gamecock recruiting efforts listed in the Top 10 thus far....keep it up!
Just need RB Giles to sign and OL Farms to come back on board to add icing to the cake.
Oh and we join Garnet and Black in welcoming DE Duane Chisolm (6-4, 245) of Beaufort who committed recently to the Gamecock Family.
I feel strongly that we need a Outback Bowl win to help keep the momentum as it seems the battles are beginning to occur heavier now with Dabo and Kiffin. Speaking of Lane did anyone see this article where he is talking to Giles about UT basically going towards a Southern Cal type offense...thoughts? Not sure if it will work up there in rocky top, just look what happened to Auburn when they tried to institute the spread. Gotta have the right athletes in place and something tells me the UT patience is thin.
Just need RB Giles to sign and OL Farms to come back on board to add icing to the cake.
Oh and we join Garnet and Black in welcoming DE Duane Chisolm (6-4, 245) of Beaufort who committed recently to the Gamecock Family.
I feel strongly that we need a Outback Bowl win to help keep the momentum as it seems the battles are beginning to occur heavier now with Dabo and Kiffin. Speaking of Lane did anyone see this article where he is talking to Giles about UT basically going towards a Southern Cal type offense...thoughts? Not sure if it will work up there in rocky top, just look what happened to Auburn when they tried to institute the spread. Gotta have the right athletes in place and something tells me the UT patience is thin.
Monday DYK related to USC Football
Did you know...
This is the 115th season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 102nd-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906.
Carolina owns an all-time record of 528-528-44.
That is right boys and girls the USC football team is a cool .500 ! Let's hope that the game vs. Iowa puts us going in the right direction and let's stay there as it has been a wild ride for Gamecock Nation to simply get to .500.
This is the 115th season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 102nd-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906.
Carolina owns an all-time record of 528-528-44.
That is right boys and girls the USC football team is a cool .500 ! Let's hope that the game vs. Iowa puts us going in the right direction and let's stay there as it has been a wild ride for Gamecock Nation to simply get to .500.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Gamecocks Outback Bowl Bound
The University of South Carolina football team has been invited to participate in the 23rd annual Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 1, 2009, it was announced Sunday. The Gamecocks (7-5, 4-4 SEC) will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten).
Gamecocks Invited to Outback Bowl
Thoughts? I like the match-up at first glance....more later.
Gamecocks Invited to Outback Bowl
Thoughts? I like the match-up at first glance....more later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
