USC Hoops on tap to take on Auburn

Men's Hoops Hosts Auburn In SEC Opener Saturday

Auburn (10-4) comes in having won seven consecutive games. Can Horn's boys keep the uptempo play up?
South Carolina's 11 wins have it in position for an NCAA run. But now SEC play begins and SC has not finished above .500 in SEC play in a decade. USC has won five or fewer SEC games five times since going 11-5 in 1997-98. Since the only NCAA run of Odom's tenure, in 2004, the Gamecocks have won seven, six, four and five league games a season.

Go cocks!

Will this be the new USC secondary coach?

Current Arkansas secondary coach Lorenzo Ward...rumors are he is Ellis Johnson's No. 1 choice for this job and has been offered. Snag is the multi-year contract thing....is it true? I hope we can land him.

09 College Football Talk starts...

Tony Barnhart at the Journal-Constitution has issued his College football’s Top 25 teams for 2009.
This is just as the final 2008 Poll is realesed...HERE.

Vandy are you that good going into 09...Thoughts on the top 25 list?

Former SC Qb to play baseball at Bama

Looking for a second chance....Mentioned yesterday was the surprise amongst Gamecock nation that Chris Smelley was going to transfer. Well now it seems we know where to and that is Sweet Home Alabama......

"The Gamecocks’ third-year quarterback is transferring to Alabama to play baseball for his hometown Crimson Tide. But Smelley did not rule the possibility of playing football at Alabama, where his younger brother, Brad, is a freshman tight end."

I am still in a little disbelief in all of this and hoping through all of this the answer will rise up. I mean we have coaches leaving, players leaving for NFL or other things, new staff, etc. The team will be real young in 09 but loaded with potential. Check out the ESPNU150 and see all of those gamecocks coming....I guess it goes like the "half glass theory."

Well Garcia you are the man now. Garcia can be good but it is up to him really. He needs to work. This is the SEC and it is not easy, the stripes must be earned. Question now is will Spurrier go after a QB for what is shaping out to be a solid recruiting class.

thoughts?

Give back that scholly Davis

USC Pulls Offer From Committed Player

USC has withdrawn its scholarship offer to committed defensive back Jonathan Davis (5-9 205) of Tucker, Ga. This is I can understand as this was one of former SC coach Cooper's boys.

USC now has 25 commitments for the 2009 class, including six who are enrolling mid-term.

Smelley OUT just as a new QB Coach is hired

Chris Smelley to transfer from USC

Smelley plans to pursue a career in collegiate baseball....I feel there are some deeper issues going on here..... 2009 is already interesting....

"The news leaves Stephen Garcia as the only returning quarterback with playing experience, and only three on the roster for now. Freshmen Reid McCollum and Aramis Hillary redshirted this season. The team has no commitments from a quarterback, with South Pointe star Stephon Gilmore projected as a defensive back."

So will USC pursue another QB for this recruiting class like a JUCO player? Chance for Marve or Boyd....It kinda scares me to have all the faith in Garcia for 09 after the Outback showing. This could open up a real chance for Hillary and some package plays for Gilmore?

Also a new qb coach - Spurrier Adds MTSU Offensive Coordinator to Staff

Care to Beer Fest anyone?

In just two weeks, beer drinkers from all over the world will descend on Columbia for The World Beer Festival so go now and practice.

Recently, All About Beer Magazine and Green’s Discount Beverages announced 10 of 100 brewers expected to be at World Beer Festival to be held Jan. 24 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Thomas Creek Brewery of Greenville has committed so make sure to try the Dockside Pilsner....Other brewers include: Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Md.; Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Highland Brewing Co., Asheville, N.C.; Lagunitas Brewing Co., Petaluma, Calif.; Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, Col., New Holland Brewing – Holland, Mich.; Oskar Blues Brewery, Lyons, Col.; Smuttynose Brewing Co. – Portsmouth, N.H.; and Terrapin Beer Co., Athens, Ga.

Nikki Lee and The H Bomb, Brian Conner and His Amazing Friends, Danielle Howle, and Brent McDonald are scheduled to perform at the festival. Brewery recruiting is still underway, with 100 or more brewers expected to be represented. Should be a good time and a great way waste away on a Saturday now that college football is not dominating our lives.

The festival offers two four-hour sessions. The first session will be from noon to 4 p.m., and the second session will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Standard admission to a single session is $40, which includes beer samples, music by local bands, educational sessions by industry experts, and a festival tasting glass. A portion of the proceeds from the WBF go to support two Columbia non-profits, Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR) and The River Alliance.

Moose - I expect on the ground coverage of this event and taste testing....

USC WR Freddie Brown to Transfer

Brown Transferring From USC

Freddie was not a big factor over his 3 yr tenure but still not happy to see him go as one thing we need on the team is leadership.

Seems "the non-starting rising seniors on the team are being encouraged to look for new programs?" Interesting....

USC tight end Jared Cook is leaving USC for the NFL

Gamecocks tight end headed to NFL

Not really a surprise here as most fans and us here at LOHD figured he was gone. I mean he is 6 foot 5 around 240 lbs and runs a 4.37 in the 40. He is the next Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates or should I say All-Pro TE.

Time for Weslye Saunders to step up his game and LOHD predicts he too is the next TE to be drafted from the Gamecocks when his tenure is over too.

Petty might be on his way back to Columbia

Per The State newspaper Phil Petty might be coming back to USC as the new QB Coach.  Petty is currently coaching at East Carolina with Skip Holtz.  Spurrier has also mentioned Noah Brindise as a potential hire for the open QB coaching position.  As a gamecock fan I think we should bring back Phil, Spurriers guys haven't really worked out all that well so far.  

Spurrier hires a new OL coach

Spurrier hires Eric Wolford as OL Coach

Welcome to the gamecock nation Mr. Eric Wolford. We hope you will do a better job than John Hunt did b/c we have to build a solid foundation up front for the Spurrier Offense to work.

h/t - http://www.garnetandblackattack.com/

Former Gamecock Syvelle Newton Surfaces

Harrisburg Stampede Signs Quarterback Syvelle Newton

The Harrisburg Stampede of the American Indoor Football Association announced the signing of quarterback Syvelle Newton recently.
Newton was a great player during his days as a Gamecock. Heck he has over 4000 friends on his MySpace page. I guess the performances after his album dropped are slowing down so now it is time to take his game to the AIFA.

LOHD would like to wish Mr. Newton the best after no luck in Georgia or Montreal. It would be interesting to see Newton vs. other former gamecock qb Blake Mitchell. The Stampede take on the Carolina Force on 3/7/09 and then on 6/6/09.

Who would you pull for Mitchell or Newton?

Gamecocks beat Wofford

South Carolina Defeats Wofford, 78-61

Devan Downey continued to light up the scoreboard as he scored 17 points to lead South Carolina over the Terriers.

That is win number 11 and next up Auburn on 1/10/09.

Gamecocks Safeties coach Ron Cooper has accepted a job at LSU

Breaking news: Cooper leaving USC for LSU

That gives Spurrier 3 coaching vacancies....

Interesting quote from Cooper -

"Every year I think they’ve got a chance to compete for a national championship.”

So what you are saying is Carolina can not win?

Thank you Mr. Norwood for coming back in 2009

Per The State newspaper, Eric is going to comeback for one more year.