5 Keys to a Carolina win v UGa

As I leave this morning to head to Athens, let me leave you with my 5 keys to a Gamecocks win.  I will try to "tweet" from the game so be sure to follow LOHD - http://twitter.com/LOHDgamecocks .

Make sure you read my preview HERE of the game.  I think it will be a close game till the end due to a timely Georgia turnover that will make it a 20-10 win for Carolina.  I hope I am wrong and Carolina can win this game flat out and not have me nervous as I sit in section 603.

Here goes my 5 keys:

1.  USC's ability to move the ball in the air --- this is a must for Carolina today as it will free up the running game and open up the field.  I hope to see Spurrier or the devil test the UGa secondary by throwing deep some.  He has targets in Moe, Gurley and at TE with Saunders.  Also get the ball in the hands of the playmakers by trying a screen pass or swing pass to a RB.  Open up the playbook today and Garcia please have confidence yet play smart - no forced throws.

2.  USC must control the line of scrimmage --- on both sides of the ball today we need a good showing from the linemen.  The OL must provide a pocket for Garcia as he needs time to make a decision and we need running lanes.  On the other side the DL must get after it, they must pressure whoever is under center (I predict shared duties today with Cox & Gray), and they must shut down the UGa rushing attack.

3.  Gamecocks success on 3rd down --- I hope and pray that Carolina can stay out of 3rd and long situations.  This boils down to USC has to have success in moving the ball down the field, working the clock, controling the tempo of the game and keep UGa offense watching.  The flip of this is Gamecocks D must shut UGa down and limit their threats.

4.  Gamecocks Special Teams --- Spencer please be accurate and have that foot ready.  Coverage teams do not make mistakes and return guys just run like your hair is on fire.  Need a strong performance today as it could be the difference maker.

5.  Win the TO battle and limit mistakes--- some mighty good defenses will be on the field today and I am sure we will see some loose balls and tipped balls.  Gamecocks must get a lucky bounce or have a pass fall in their lap today.  Carolina offense, I would love to see you guys play perfect today and don't turn it over.  It has seemed like the team that limits the TOs and captializes on the other teams mistakes wins...today will be no different.

There you go so tune it tonight at 7pm on ESPN2 and look for me in section 603 as I will be wearing Garnet. Go Cocks!

Also check out these previews...........
-From ACC/SEC Blog -Georgia vs. South Carolina Preview
-ESPN South Carolina-Georgia Preview
-The State Gameday preview: USC vs. Georgia
-Garnet & Black Attack - Previewing South Carolina at Georgia: Three Keys, Fun Fact, and Prediction

Gamecocks Basketball gets a huge pledge - Bruce Ellington

South Carolina picked up a huge men's basketball commitment Friday night when point guard Bruce Ellington commitmented to being a gamecock!

This a huge for USC Coach Darrin Horn as this kid is a "game changer" and can feel the void of not having Downey in years to come. 

More HERE and HERE

Ellington becomes the third commitment of the 2010 class for Horn and his staff joining R.J. Slawson and Eric Smith. Ellington chose USC over offers from Clemson, Southern Cal, Auburn, Miami and others. He also held football offers from USC, Clemson and others.

Gamecocks found success last time between the hedges

South Carolina snapped a 5 game losing streak to Georgia when it went into Athens and came away with a 16-12 win on Sept. 8, 2007.

The Gamecock defense stepped up to the challenge, keeping Georgia out of the end zone.  Maybe we can do it again?

South Carolina jumped ahead early with a six-play, 62-yard drive in the first quarter. Mitchell connected on 3-of-4 passes, including a 19-yarder to Kenny McKinley over the middle, and Boyd finished it off with a nifty 9-yard touchdown run.  From there it was a battle of field position and defense, mixed in with some FGs from each team.  Succop connected from 41, 35 and 34 yards, the last of those giving the Gamecocks at 16-6 lead with 9:25 remaining. Brandon Coutu of Georgia accounted for all of UGa's points via FGs.

Georgia did have one last chance to pull out a win, getting the ball back at its own 20 with 1:20 remaining. But the Bulldogs never seriously threatened, taking a couple of penalties before Matthew Stafford threw up a desperation pass that was picked off by Jasper Brinkley.

Spurrier v Richt

Steve Spurrier has faced UGa's Mark Richt 5 times as a head coach, winning 2 of those contests.  He won the 2001 meeting in his last season at UF, then is 1-3 since taking over the Carolina program in 2005.

Georgia Bulldogs Preview / Prediction from LOHD

SEC play is here kids and I will be heading to Athens Saturday to watch a great game.

The undefeated gamecocks will travel to Athens, Ga to take on an unhappy bunch of bulldogs in a SEC opener for both teams. Georgia is coming off a tough loss to Oklahoma State that sent the bulldogs from 13th in the AP poll to 21st. South Carolina squeaked out a 7-3 win in Raleigh. But with this game, records don’t matter as this game is always close and seems to shed light on which team will have a better season.
It's been 13 years since Georgia started the season with a losing record and this is the first time since Mark Richt took over that UGa had a losing record for the season, at any point during the season. So trust me when I say...Georgia will be fired up against the Gamecocks! USC will try to open a season with back-to-back road wins for the first time.

Last season, Gamecocks quarterback Chris Smelley threw an interception inside the Georgia 10 with 13 seconds left in a 14-7 South Carolina loss. Georgia’s 18-0 win in 2006 is the only shutout of Spurrier since he arrived at South Carolina (the only other came at Duke in 1987). The 2007 Gamecocks are the only squad to keep a Richt-coached Bulldogs team out of the end zone.

In the past three games between the teams, the Gamecocks and Bulldogs each have just two touchdowns. Spurrier has gone 1-3 against Georgia as the gamecocks coach, his team scoring less than 10 points a game and tallying just three offensive touchdowns in four contests. Neither team has scored more than 20 points in the last six meetings between the schools. And don’t expect anything different Saturday. Both coaches are trying to jump start offenses that struggled during the opener without changing things too radically.
The offenses for No. 21 Georgia and South Carolina struggled in their openers, combining for 17 points. The Gamecocks (1-0) gained just 256 yards in a 7-3 win over North Carolina State, while the Bulldogs (0-1) had just one more yard in a 24-10 loss to fifth-ranked Oklahoma State.

Let’s look at this series, which began in 1894, since 2000:

2008/09/13 South Carolina 7 - Georgia 14
2007/09/08 South Carolina 16 - Georgia 12
2006/09/09 South Carolina 0 - Georgia 18
2005/09/10 South Carolina 15 - Georgia 17
2004/09/11 South Carolina 16 - Georgia 20
2003/09/13 South Carolina 7 - Georgia 31
2002/09/14 South Carolina 7 - Georgia 13
2001/09/08 South Carolina 14 - Georgia 9
2000/09/09 South Carolina 21 - Georgia 10

South Carolina has won 3 times since 2000. South Carolina is (14-45-2) against Georgia all-time. But most important from the above is the fact that you can see (minus 2003 with the 31-7 beat down) this game is always a close contest since 2000.

I feel that 2009, will be no different. Expect a close game.

What to watch for….success in this game will be determined by which team has success throwing the ball. Whichever team can air it out and spread the field and allow a balanced attack to transpire, thus leading to ball control and smart play. So look for Spurrier to test the passing game early. Richt will tell his boys much the same as both teams had poor offensive showings in game 1. Look for them to go a little deeper in the playbook in week 2.

For Georgia to win…Four main things must go right for them to win: Joe Cox has to be great at moving the ball through the air against a stout USC ‘D’, the offensive line for UGa must stop a very good defensive front from SC, AJ Green must be a star for the ‘dawgs at receiver and the Georgia D must limit Garcia through the air.

For Carolina to win…Garcia must have success in the air and deep, the SC offensive line must control the line of scrimmage, USC special teams must execute and the USC Defense must be lights out.

What will decide the winner…Two things –

1. Field position – which team controls that aspect and limits the threat then it will lead to a victory.
2. The team that does not “shoot themselves in the foot” and wins the TO game then it leads to a win.

This game may not have the most potent offenses coming in but these two teams have 2 of the best defenses in the SEC and if not the nation. This game will come down to who can move the ball effectively, field position, who wins the TO battle, special teams play and who does not mess up. Sounds like a good game is in store...and yes Spurrier's best offense may be his defense. But "W's" are wins and Carolina faithful will take them anyway we can!!!

This game in my view is the Gamecocks to lose. I feel Spurrier wants this game badly as it would swirl some “winds” in Athens concerning Richt and his decisions. Spurrier loves to be the catalyst for things like that and what better way to do it then to kick them when they are down. Don’t get me wrong as this game will be low scoring but look for the Gamecocks to win by the score of 20-10 due to some timely Georgia turnovers.

Gamecocks DYK

As the University of South Carolina football team prepares for its game this weekend against No. 21 Georgia, it is worth noting that a win over the Bulldogs would even USC’s lifetime record at 529-529-44.

Gamecocks Depth Chart vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Offense

QB
5 Stephen Garcia R-So. 6-2 219
14 Reid McCollum R-Fr. 6-3 218

FB
47 Patrick DiMarco Jr. 6-0 243
46 Dalton Wilson R-Fr. 6-0 223

RB
10 Brian Maddox Jr. 5-11 224
3 Jarvis Giles Fr. 5-11 183
31 Kenny Miles R-Fr 5-9 190

WR
81 Tori Gurley R-Fr. 6-5 227
1 Alshon Jeffery Fr. 6-3 217

WR
9 Moe Brown Sr. 6-0 183
18 Dion LeCorn Jr. 5-11 220

WR
4 Jason Barnes R-Soph. 6-4 199
82 D.L. Moore R-Fr. 6-3 202

LT
76 Jarriel King Jr. 6-5 312
73 Rokevious Watkins Jr. 6-4 340

LG
60 Terrence Campbell R-Jr. 6-3 290
62 Pierre Andrews R-Jr. 6-2 285

C
70 Garrett Anderson Sr. 6-4 315
57 Lem Jeanpierre R- Sr. 6-4 300

RG
55 T.J. Johnson R-Fr. 6-4 300
74 Heath Batchelor R-Jr. 6-7 308

RT
72 Quintin Richardson R-Soph. 6-3 296
66 Hutch Eckerson R-Jr. 6-6 290

TE
88 Weslye Saunders Jr. 6-5 280
87 Justice Cunningham Fr. 6-4 240

Defense

DE
98 Devin Taylor R-Fr. 6-7 232
96 Clifton Geathers Jr. 6-8 281

DT
95 Nathan Pepper R-Sr. 6-1 300
6 Melvin Ingram R-So. 6-2 297

DT
42 Travian Robertson Jr. 6-4 283
94 Kenny Davis R-Fr. 6-3 287
DE
83 Cliff Matthews Jr. 6-4 249
92 Byron McKnight R-So.. 6-4 229

WLB
40 Eric Norwood Sr. 6-1 252
44 Tony Straughter Jr. 6-0 209
33 Reggie Bowens R-Fr 6-2 233

MLB
16 Shaq Wilson So. 5-11 210
41 Josh Dickerson Jr. 6-1 221

SPUR
25 Alonzo Winfield R-So. 6-0 222
26 Antonio Allen Soph. 6-2 210

CB
5 Stephon Gilmore Fr. 6-1 188
36 D.J. Swearinger Fr. 5-11 196

FS
17 Chris Culliver Jr. 6-0 190
11 Jarrett Burns R-Fr. 6-2 180

SS
24 Darian Stewart Sr. 5-11 216
21 Devonte Holloman Fr. 6-2 211

CB
3 Akeem Auguste Soph. 5-10 180
12 C.C. Whitlock Soph. 5-10 173

ESPN reports Cox to start vs. gamecocks

Seems the rumor mill proved to be just that a rumor--- as this morning we reported that there was a chance that USC QB Joe Cox was injured and not going to start.  LOHD was one of the first out the gates with the news of the conflicting stories about Cox after reading Rivals and ugasports.com. 

After many conflicting reports it seems ESPN has gotten to the bottom of this for us.....

ESPN is now reporting that Joe is going to start on Saturday ....HERE and Mr. Tucker with the AJC writes No truth to rumor - Cox will start

Still a interesting situation 2 days before the game.....Mark Richt will be speaking to the media around 4pm today aso stay tuned.

Question #1 for Coach Mark Richt ..... Does Joe Cox have a lingering shoulder issue?

Dawgs QB Joe Cox out vs. Gamecocks?

LOHD BREAKING NEWS

Rivals is reporting that Joe Cox has shoulder problems and won’t play Saturday night. 
UGASports.com is reporting that Logan Gray will start at quarterback for UGA this Saturday against South Carolina.  Seems Cox has a issue with his deltoid and surgery could be in future....

developing....

- seems this is or has been a lingering shoulder issue for Joe Cox.

-Gray did see increased reps with the No. 1 unit, I'm told it was simply a matter of getting him better prepared for times when he is used on game day and that Joe still took the vast majority of the first-team reps.
-Mark Richt to speak to media as normal around 4 p.m. today.


WOW!

News out of Athens for Carolina Fans

Gamecock Fans - Here is some news out of the Georgia Camp for ya -

• South Carolina game bigger than usual for Georgia
• UGA has big issues on offense
• A Shaky Start for Georgia’s New Quarterback
• Georgia finds itself in very unusual position
• Caleb King to return against Gamecocks
• Mr. College Football says that UGA needs better QB play
• Early scores to decide Dogs vs. Gamecocks? .....certainly would make it tough for either team to mount a comeback.
• Joe Cox suddenly has critics, but he really doesn’t care
• Richt, Bulldogs Preview South Carolina
• Rennie Curran: UGA reputation at stake against South Carolina
• Columnist Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that something is missing at Georgia, and it's not talent.
• Green sharper, more confident in second year with Bulldogs
• Earlier on Sunday, it was announced that for the second time in his Bulldog career, sophomore offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant will miss a season due a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. A 6-5, 306-pound native of Wadesboro, N.C., Sturdivant injured his left knee midway through the third quarter this past Saturday against ninth-ranked Oklahoma State. Sturdivant missed the entire 2008 season and spring drills in 2009 due to reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation after his first ACL injury. In 2007, he earned Freshman All-America honors after starting all 13 games for the Bulldogs at left tackle.

Garnet & Black Attack Blog Post of Note
Previewing South Carolina at Georgia: Q & A with Bulldog in Exile

LOHD Post of Note
Implications of the Georgia Bulldogs versus the South Carolina Gamecocks Showdown

Gamecocks Mid-Week Clippings / News

Here goes some gamecocks news for your garnet and black soul...

Gamecocks Football

• SEC power rankings per Chris Low of ESPN
• Wanted: Offense
• Defense has ruled recent Spurrier, Richt meetings
• Gamecocks recruiter recognized as a Top 25 recruiter
• Steve Spurrier wants to open it up a little more offensively this week against Georgia
• Defense rules in USC-UGA games
• Morris: Call single-digit wins 'walking up the score'
• Spurrier has seven reasons on offense to worry
• Steve Spurrier's Weekly Press Conference Quotes

Gamecocks Basketball

• Downey Among Athlon Sports All-Americans For 2009-10

Gamecocks Baseball

• South Carolina Baseball Set To Begin Fall Practice

Other Gamecocks Sports

• The women’s soccer team are ranked No. 18 in this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. The team has only allowed 22 shots in its last four games.
• The men’s soccer team also cracked the national rankings, coming in at No. 25 in this week’s Soccer America poll.

Garnet & Black Attack Blog

• Previewing South Carolina at Georgia: Georgia's Defense
• Previewing South Carolina at Georgia: The Dawg's Offense

SEC Power Poll
Week 1 results

Implications of the Georgia Bulldogs versus the South Carolina Gamecocks Showdown

This was first posted on SECRivals.com - HERE.  They asked me to weigh-in on just how important the UGa vs SC game is in relation to the SEC East hunt.  Read below my post....

Implications of the Georgia Bulldogs versus the South Carolina Gamecocks Showdown

Some may call it a border war and some just call it another day in SEC football as every contest is of crucial importance. Ask many Carolina fans who they consider a rival after Clemson and most will say Georgia. Even Georgia fans have certain distaste for Carolina and having Steve Spurrier roam the sidelines does not help. Make no mistake about this…this game means a lot to the way the SEC East will shake out. Both teams want to win this game but only one will. I say the winner of the 2009 match-up finishes second in the SEC East- it is considered a “must win” by both teams.

The undefeated gamecocks will travel to Athens, Ga to take on an unhappy bunch of bulldogs in a SEC opener for both teams. Georgia is coming off a tough loss to Oklahoma State that sent the bulldogs from 13th in the AP poll to 21st. South Carolina squeaked out a 7-3 win in Raleigh. But with this game records don’t matter as this game is always close and seems to shed light on which team will have a better season.

It's been 13 years since Georgia started the season with a losing record and this is the first time since Mark Richt took over that UGa had a losing record for the season, at any point during the season. So trust me when I say...Georgia will be fired up against the Gamecocks! USC will try to open a season with back-to-back road wins for the first time.

Most, coming into the 2009 college football season picked UGa to finish 2nd in the SEC East so for them to accomplish this expectation, well it begins this Saturday on ESPN. For the Gamecocks and having one of the toughest schedules in the nation, this is an early SEC test and a “must-win.”

Generally, the winner of the USC v UGa game goes on to win on average 8 games for the season. So this game is vitally important for both teams to start the season. Beginning, 0-1 in SEC play is not what either team wants to do in ’09.

Let’s look at this series, which began in 1894, since 2000:

2008/09/13 South Carolina 7 - Georgia 14
2007/09/08 South Carolina 16 - Georgia 12
2006/09/09 South Carolina 0 - Georgia 18
2005/09/10 South Carolina 15 - Georgia 17
2004/09/11 South Carolina 16 - Georgia 20
2003/09/13 South Carolina 7 - Georgia 31
2002/09/14 South Carolina 7 - Georgia 13
2001/09/08 South Carolina 14 - Georgia 9
2000/09/09 South Carolina 21 - Georgia 10

South Carolina has won 3 times since 2000. South Carolina is (14-45-2) against Georgia all-time. But most important from the above is the fact that you can see (minus 2003 with the 31-7 beat down) this game is always a close contest since 2000.

I feel that 2009, will be no different. So much is riding on this game for both teams from SEC conference success to recruiting battles.

If Georgia loses this game, you will begin to hear rumbles amongst the bulldog faithful. Not saying Mark Richt will get fired but many will begin to question louder some decisions and play calling. If Georgia should win then things do not get any easier with Arkansas then Arizona State before LSU. As you can see from this upcoming slate that the USC game is a “must-win” for Mark Richt.

For the Gamecocks, for them to build upon the NC State win and have a successful 2009 then winning in the state of Georgia is a must. If this game is won they could easily begin the season 3-0 before heading into an ESPN Thursday night game against a Top 10 team in Ole Miss. Lose this game and not only are bragging rights lost (over 12 players from USC are from the state of Georgia) but work will be left to do to finish higher than fourth in the SEC East due to the schedule. Spurrier wants this ‘W’ as he wants to prove progress is being made under his tenure. Winning this game will make a lot of people in Columbia happy.

This game will prove worth watching with lots of stories lines going into this game from the close games in the past to implications in the SEC East hunt. Expect a nail-bitter as usual and expect each player to give their all. Whoever wins this game in 2009 gets the bragging rights, quiets the doubters and finishes behind Florida in the East.

Early thoughts on the Gamecocks vs Georgia game

After watching the UGa v OK State game on ESPN360.com over the weekend, I've got some early thoughts before I actually get to a preview of the game to be later this week.

It's been 13 years since Georgia started the season with a losing record and this is the first time since Mark Richt took over that UGa had a losing record for the season, at any point during the season.  So trust me when I say...Georgia will be fired up against the Gamecocks!  USC will try to open a season with back-to-back road wins for the first time.

The Gamecocks-Dawgs game means a lot more to Georgia, coming off a loss at Oklahoma State. Undefeated South Carolina — 1-0 thanks to a 14-yard touchdown drive in a 7-3 win at N.C. State — can stay at least close with its speedy defense because the USC offense has much to improve on this week too.

Like the Gamecocks, the Bulldogs scored a quick early touchdown and didn't get into the end zone again in a 24-10 loss at No. 9 Oklahoma State. Joe Cox struggled at times in his first game as No. 1 quarterback, and Georgia had trouble getting the ball to Summerville native A.J. Green.  Georgia did not seem balanced in their offensive attack which I feel hurt Cox as he seemed pressed. Oh, in a close game between good teams the turnover battle and special teams are usually the deciding factors.  Well, for UGa 3 TO's and some questionable special teams play proved to hurt them.

The Gamecocks Defense must be ready for Joe Cox to throw more.  I do not see UGa trying to be a run-it-up-the-gut team this week.  They will try to get the ball to their playmakers - AJ Green and others.  So I feel this week will be a much greater test for the USC secondary.  They must be ready to knock down passes and not try to be a hero.  Also USC will have to tackle and wrap-up this week.  UGa has good players and I feel is better than NC State.  So like most games in the SEC and most games for USC - defense is key.

Offense for S Carolina can only get better.  I think Spurrier will try to air it out more as noted in the article, seems the pass will be a larger part (as it should) vs. the dawgs.  USC's run-pass ratio in the opener was nearly 2-to-1, with the Gamecocks running 42 times and attempting 22 passes.  I expect more 1 to 1 this week.

I still feel the gamecocks can win this game even it the dawgs will be fired up.  USC has a better defense than OK State and they will keep the gamecocks in this game.  This game is always close but a Carolina win lies in the offensive package for USC.  If they can bring more of a passing attack and spread the field with some screens or throws to the RBs not to mention some looks deep or to crossing TEs.  Well, Carolina can escape Athens victorious.

A offical preview later on....thoughts?

Questions for week 2 of the College football season

Questions that I have after watching hours upon hours of college football over the Labor day weekend about the upcoming week and season.

1.) Is the ACC really that bad, or was it just a bad showing in Week 1?
2.) Miami Vs. FSU Great game, are both teams back?
3.) Can Ohio State handle the speed of Southern Cal, after Navy had their way with the Buckeye’s last Saturday for the most part.
4.) Will any sort of Offense show up for the USC/ UGA game Saturday night, or are we in for another South Carolina/ NC State borefest?
5.) Can Oklahoma win with our their captain Sam Bradford?
6.) What would Tim Tebow Do?
7.) Does Clemson have a better chance of winning the ACC this year then the past 18 years?
8.) What would Willy Korn Do?
9.) When does the National Championship talks begin for Tennessee, they won their first game? ND National Championship talks began 4 months ago.
10.)Is Mark Ingram the best running back in the SEC?

SEC Games for Week 2

All times are EST and the lines come from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

SATURDAY
Troy at Florida
12:21pm
ESPN Regional Syndicated Package
Florida -36

UCLA at Tennessee
4:00pm
ESPN
Tennessee -7.5

Florida International at Alabama
7:00pm
Pay-Per-View
Alabama -34

Mississippi State at Auburn
7:00pm
Fox Sports Net
Auburn -14.5

South Carolina at Georgia
7:00pm
ESPN2
Georgia -7

Vanderbilt at LSU
7:00pm
ESPNU
LSU -14.5

Who ya pickn' above?

SEC Power Poll 2009: Week 1 Ballot

Well, week 1 of the college football season is done now and SEC football is in full swing.

As mentioned HERE, LOHD is part of the SEC Power Poll again this year and we will be ranking the teams from 1-12.  Seems my outlook on the SEC has changed a bit from my SEC Preseason Poll as UT and Auburn looked good or better than I had thought. 

Feel free to comment and here goes week 1...

1. Florida
Tebow plus 11 returning starters...enough said for now.

2. Alabama
The Tide got it rolling against VT and fared better than I thought.  Defense looked good and the offense got things going in the second half.  As long as their new qb does his job, this team could end up best in the west.

3. LSU
The team looked a little rusty at times.  Could be the travel but still did not do anything to harm their chances for SEC West glory.  Defense needs to get a bit more aggressive but team overall still has many weapons which will prove handy in games to come.

4. Ole Miss
The Rebels looked slow out of the gate.  Not sold on this team being Top 10 material.  QB Snead did not look so great early on but they held off Memphis or should I say Memphis held themselves off?

5. Tennessee
The Vols played a cupcake but I don't care who you are and who you play when you put up 650+ yards on offense something is going right.  They looked much improved and the Lane era is off to a good start.  Keep playing like that and some streets around the stadium will have to be renamed.

6. South Carolina
Ugly wins count as wins.  Offense just could not get it going.  Call it conservative or whatever...bottom-line is thank god for the defense as they made a promising NCSU offense look real bad.

7. Georgia
Offense struggled.  From bad throws, to drop balls...well, let's just say they sucked trying to move the ball.  Defense looked good at times but towards the end looked tired.  Mark has to get the offense going or some UGa faithful may start asking questions around Athens.

8. Arkansas
I now it was was Missouri State.  But their were signs of good things to come out of this team.

9. Auburn
Yes this questionable team going into '09 did put up 400+ yards against a so-so Louisiana Tech. Auburn nation can exhale now.

10. Kentucky
Kentucky's offense looked good but still questions on their defense.

11. Vanderbilt
Vandy shined in their opener on both sides of the ball.

12. Mississippi State
The Dan Mullen era is in full swing but he still has ways to go before he gets out of the SEC West cellar.

Next up for the Gamecocks - Deem Dawgs

This coming Saturday at 7 p.m. the Gamecocks will take on Georgia in Athens, a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Anyone got early thoughts on the game? Will the 'dawgs have bite this year after losing to OK State?
Post your comments, predictions, etc.

Please visit the following blogs to learn more about the other team:
Hey Jenny Slater
Georgia Sports Blog
Dawg Sports
Get the Picture

A Gamecock named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

The SEC named their players of the week today and one gamecock stood out and was named the top DL in the SEC for week 1; another got a mention.

The top defensive lineman goes from a "hot dog hero" to tops in the SEC for week 1 is...

DEVIN TAYLOR
DE, USC
6-7 • 232 • True Freshman
Beaufort, S.C. (HS)
• In his first snap from scrimmage, Taylor forced a fumble, recovered by South Carolina, leading to the only touchdown of the game, in the Gamecocks’ 7-3 win over N.C. State.
• Taylor finished the game with six tackles, including a game-high three for losses, including a sack.
• On N.C. State’s second possession, Taylor blocked a punt.
• Carolina held the Wolfpack to just 133 yards of offense, including 59 on the ground.

Also a USC Linebacker got a mention for great play in week 1 -
LB ERIC NORWOOD (South Carolina) -- Had team-high eight tackles, including a pair of sacks, in South Carolina’s 7-3 win at N.C. State.

Update on Gamecocks in the NFL

First reported by Seth Emerson of The State - HERE , the NFL trimmed their roster over the weekend and several gamecocks were affected.

Gamecocks who made the cut:
- Gamecock former WR Kenny McKinley is safe in Denver.
- Jared Cook is safe as a Titan but could see time at WR.
- CB Captain Munnerlyn, a seventh-rounder pick, made the Carolina Panthers. Munnerlyn will see time on the special teams unit as a punt returner.
- MLB Jasper Brinkley made the Minnesota Vikings and will start out as a back-up.

Here is a run-down of former gamecocks who did get cut:
- OL Jamon Meredith was let go by Green Bay.
- Cornerback Carlos Thomas, an undrafted free agent, was cut last week by the San Francisco 49ers.
- Stoney Woodson, drafted in the seventh round by the New York Giants, was released after reaching an injury settlement with the team.
- The Panthers, they did waive defensive lineman Casper Brinkley.

Former Gamecock who should have stayed in school but instead went pro and got cut:
- Emanuel Cook was cut by by the New York Jets. The safety, who was USC's leading tackler last season, was undrafted after leaving the Gamecocks following his junior year.

Gamecock traded:
- Veteran safety Ko Simpson was traded by Buffalo to Detroit, where he has a better chance to play in the secondary and on special teams.

Weekend Gamecocks Clippings / News

Here is a quick lowdown on gamecock related news for you to catch up on today:

First....Gamecocks Beat Clemson in Soccer or Futbol by the score of 1-0!
Gamecocks Football

• USC Fairground - Grass, trees star in $5 million overhaul that has 400 fewer spaces
• One-on-One with Eric Norwood
• South Carolina's Matthew Grooms has a story that goes beyond football
• Spurrier tackles offense; Paulk done for '09
• USC off to fast start
• Junior defensive end Clifton Geathers returned to practice on Saturday and he'll be eligible this week and Kenny Davis will be eligible this week.
• Junior linebacker Rodney Paulk confirmed that he has a torn ACL in his right knee and will undergo surgery in the near future. He will miss the remainder of the season.

Former Gamecocks

• With just the right audible, Beecher can rewrite ending

Horn's team

• In basketball news, Malik Cooke has been officially added to Darrin Horn’s roster.

News on USC's next opponent
Cowboys down Georgia 24-10

Spurrier Quote of the Day
"......I’m going to just coach my tail off and see if we can’t get some offense around here.”

SEC Power Poll Returns for 2009

The SEC Power Poll returns for 2009, with several new bloggers joining -- The ACC & SEC Blog (General), Get the Picture (Georgia), Over the Pylon (Kentucky), Hog Database (Arkansas), And the Valley Shook (LSU) represented by Poseur and the Ghost of Chucky (Ole Miss).

The SEC Power Poll combines the wisdom of some of the most insightful SEC blogs on the Web to rank each team 1-12, irrespective of division. The rankings will be announced each Tuesday evening at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Team Speed Kills Now.

Please visit all the blogs listed below

SEC POWER POLL is ---

GENERAL SEC

• Team Speed Kills
• The ACC & SEC Blog

EAST

Florida

• Orange and Blue Hue
• Alligator Army

Georgia

• Hey Jenny Slater
• Georgia Sports Blog
• Dawg Sports
• Get the Picture

Kentucky

• A Sea of Blue
• Over the Pylon

South Carolina

• Garnet and Black Attack
• Leftover Hot Dog

Tennessee

• Rocky Top Talk
• Gate 21
  

Vanderbilt

• Save the Shield
• Vanderbilt Sports Line

WEST

Alabama

• Roll Bama Roll

Arkansas

• Arkansas Expats
• Hog Database

Auburn

• The Joe Cribbs Car Wash
• Track Em Tigers
• The Auburner

LSU

• And the Valley Shook

Mississippi

• The Dead Guy's SEC Rebelations
• Ghost of Chucky
• The Hotty Toddy Blog
• Red Cup Rebellion

Mississippi State

• For Whom The Cowbell Tolls