The Gamecocks have won four in a row, including last Saturday’s SEC victory over Kentucky, 28-26. Alabama is undefeated in its last 18 regular-season games and is coming off a 22-3 victory at then-No. 20/16 Ole Miss last week. The Gamecocks won the last time they played at Bryant-Denny Stadium, taking a 20-3 victory on Oct. 2, 2004.
QUICK HITS
• Head coach Steve Spurrier is 6-4 all-time against Alabama. He is 2-0 against UA coach Nick Saban.
• A win today would give Coach Spurrier his 105th conference win as an SEC head coach, tying him
with Vince Dooley for third all-time, trailing only Bear Bryant (159) and John Vaught (106).
• South Carolina is ranked 22nd in both polls for the first time this season, appearing in the USA Today/
Coaches’ poll this week after only being in the AP top 25 last week.
• Senior linebacker Eric Norwood set the school record for career sacks with his 27th and 28th against
Ole Miss. He is now tied for eighth in SEC history in the category. Norwood also has 49.5 career tackles
for loss; he is one away from entering the league’s top 10 in that category as well.
• Senior wide receiver Moe Brown is only 51 yards away from 1,000 receiving yards in his career. He
would become the 22nd player at South Carolina to achieve that milestone.
• Stephen Garcia topped the 2,000-yard mark in career passing yardage last week against Kentucky. He
needs 406 more yards to move into the all-time top 15 in South Carolina history.
‘COCKS AND CRIMSON TIDE
This is the 14th meeting all-time between South Caro-
lina and Alabama. The last meeting came in Columbia in
2005 when the Crimson Tide left Williams-Brice Stadi-
um with a 37-14 victory. Carolina’s last win came in the
Gamecocks’ last trip to Tuscaloosa in 2004 when South
Carolina won by a 20-3 margin. Since joining the SEC
in 1992, South Carolina has played Alabama six times,
posting a 2-4 record. The Gamecocks are 1-7 all-time in
games played in Tuscaloosa.
SPURRIER VS. SABAN
South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and Alabama’s Nick Sa-
ban have faced each other twice, both while Spurrier was
at Florida and Saban was at LSU. Spurrier’s Gators won
both meetings, downing the Tigers 41-9 in Gainesville
in 2000 and 44-15 in Baton Rouge in 2001. They are two
of the four active head coaches in the SEC that own na-
tional championship rings (the others are Florida’s Ur-
ban Meyer and LSU’s Les Miles). Spurrier won his title
in 1996 at the University of Florida, and Saban earned
his ring following the 2003 season while the head coach
at LSU. The two coaches have combined to win eight
SEC Championships.
BACK IN THE POLLS
South Carolina moved up in both major national polls
following its victory over Kentucky on Saturday. The
Gamecocks are at No. 22 in both the Associated Press
and USA Today Coaches polls, joining the latter for the
first time this season. Last week was Carolina’s first win
as a top-25 school since 2007 when it defeated North Carolina.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Kenneth Darby rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown,
and Alabama logged 338 yards of rushing offense in a
37-14 win over South Carolina on Sept. 17, 2005, in Co-
lumbia. Brodie Croyle, whose absence because of injury
played a big part in Alabama’s 20-3 loss to the Gamecocks
in 2004, was 12-of-21 for 115 yards and a touchdown. He
also ran for a score on a 15-yard draw play, carrying the
ball four times for 28 yards. Glen Coffee ran for 75 yards
on 15 carries for the Tide. The Gamecocks’ offense looked
sharp at first on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended on a
1-yard fourth-down scoring run by Mike Davis. But then
the offense started to misfire. South Carolina gained just
21 yards and no first downs over the rest of the first half.
South Carolina ran for just 71 yards, while starting quar-
terback Blake Mitchell went 20-of-38 for 173 yards with
an interception and a touchdown.
THE LAST TIME IN T-TOWN
For the first time ever, the Gamecocks won at Alabama,
20-3 on October 2, 2004. Relying on its stingy defense,
Carolina mixed in a solid kicking gmae along with a ball
control offense. Josh Brown kicked a pair of field goals in
the opening half as the Gamecocks took a 6-3 lead into
intermission. The Carolina defense picked off three of its
four passes in the final 30 minutes of play and limited the
Tide to 21 total yards and nine first downs in the contest.
Alabama was also 0-for-11 on third down conversions.
Syvelle Newton started the second half at quarterback and
scored two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter to put
the game away. Carolina had no penalties in the game.
BACK ABOVE .500
In its 116th year of intercollegiate football, South Caroli-
na is now 532-531-44 all-time, getting back above .500
overall with a victory over Kentucky on Saturday.
GREATEST DECADE
With the win over Ole Miss, South Carolina made the
2000s the winningest decade in school history with their
64th win since 2000; that total now stands at 66. They
surpassed the mark held by the 1980s Gamecocks that
rolled up 63 victories, including 10 by the 1984 “Black
Magic” team.
LAST TIME OUT: KENTUCKY
Stephen Garcia threw for three touchdowns and ran for
another and No. 25 South Carolina stopped a potential
tying two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to beat
Kentucky 28-26 on Saturday, keeping coach Steve Spur-
rier a perfect 17-0 against the Wildcats. The Gamecocks
(5-1, 2-1 SEC) won their 10th straight over Kentucky
(2-3, 0-3). Garcia had touchdown passes of 10, 28 and
22 yards to freshman Alshon Jeffery. Garcia added what
proved to be the winning margin with his leap from the
1 with 8:22 remaining to give South Carolina a 28-20
lead. Kentucky had a chance to tie after Randall Cobb’s
2-yard TD run with 4:34 left. But Will Fidler’s pass was
knocked down by defensive end Cliff Matthews. Facing
third-and-4 moments later, Garcia gained 5 yards leap-
ing over a Kentucky defender to keep South Carolina
moving with 3:02 to go. Kentucky never got the ball back
as South Carolina matched its best start in Spurrier’s five
seasons. South Carolina’s Kenny Miles finished with
100 yards on 17 rushes. Jeffery had 138 yards on seven
receptions.
HOLD THAT BALL
The Gamecocks rank seventh in the SEC and 54th in
the country in turnover margin at plus-2 (nine take-
aways - six fumbles and three interceptions - and seven
turnovers - four fumbles and three interceptions). While
that might not seem impressive, through six games last
season, the Gamecocks were 10th in the league and
110th in the country with a turnover margin of minus-5.
Saturday’s win over Kentucky was the first time all year
that the Gamecocks failed to force a turnover by their
opponent and lost both the turnover battle.
HALFTIME INSPIRATION
Head coach Steve Spurrier and his staff must be coming
up with some key halftime adjustments or inspirational
speeches, as the Gamecocks have come out like gang-
busters in the third quarter this season. Carolina has
outscored its opponents by a 64-13 margin in the third
stanza, easily their highest scoring quarter and their
fewest points allowed quarter. The Gamecocks have out-
scored their opponents by 54 points this season, 51 of
those coming in the third quarter.
AS A RANKED TEAM
Under Steve Spurrier, South Carolina has been a Top 25
team coming into 12 contests. The Gamecocks are 5-7
in those opportunities as a ranked team. Here’s a year-
by-year breakdown...
• 2005: After defeating Florida, the Gamecocks were
ranked 19th with Clemson coming to town for the annual
Palmetto State showdown. But the Tigers upset Carolina
by a 13-9 score.
• 2006: Carolina was never ranked.
• 2007: The Gamecocks were ranked in eight contests,
going 4-4 in those games. At No. 17, they defeated
South Carolina State, 38-3, and moved up to 12th be-
fore losing at LSU, 28-16. As the No. 16 team, Carolina
then defeated Miss. State, 38-21, to move up to No. 11.
They then defeated No. 8 Kentucky, 38-23, to jump into
the top 10 for the first time since 2001. As the No. 7
team, they beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill, 21-15, to
jump to No. 6. But losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and
Arkansas over the next three contests dropped Carolina
from the polls.
• 2008: Carolina dropped both contests as a ranked
team, both times as No. 24. Vanderbilt downed the
Gamecocks in Nashville during the second week of the
season, 24-17, and No. 3 Florida beat Carolina 56-6 in
Gainesville in mid-November.
• 2009: South Carolina moved into the polls for the first
time at No. 25 prior to their game with Kentucky. They
defeated the Wildcats on Oct. 10 in Columbia, 28-26.
AGAINST RANKED FOES
South Carolina got its first win over a ranked opponent
in its last seven tries with its 16-10 win over No. 4 Ole
Miss on Sept. 24. The Gamecocks are 6-13 under Spur-
rier against opponents in the top 25. Here’s a year-by-
year breakdown...
• 2005: Carolina was 2-1 against ranked opponents,
knocking off No. 23 Tennessee and No. 12 Florida after
losing to No. 9 Georgia.
• 2006: Carolina was 1-5 against ranked opponents
with their lone win coming against No. 24 Clemson.
They had losses against No. 12 Georgia, No. 2 Auburn,
No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Arkansas and No. 6 Florida.
• 2007: The Gamecocks were 2-3 against ranked op-
ponents, winning over No. 11 Georgia and No. 8 Ken-
tucky, but falling to No. 2 LSU, No. 17 Florida and No.
15 Clemson.
• 2008: Carolina dropped all three contests against
ranked foes, falling to No. 2 Georgia, No. 13 LSU and
No. 3 Florida.
• 2009: The Gamecocks are 1-1 against ranked oppo-
nents, falling to No. 21 Georgia 41-37 before scoring a
huge victory over No. 4 Ole Miss, 16-10.
PLAYING THE BEST
South Carolina has played 33 games in its history
against teams ranked in the top-5 in the country, post-
ing a 2-31 record in those contests. They are 1-19 at
home against top-5 teams, 1-11 on the road and 0-1 at
neutral sites. Carolina got its second all-time win over
a top-5 team on Sept. 24, 2009, when it downed No. 4
Ole Miss, 16-10, snapping a 23-game losing streak. The
lone other win was a 31-13 win at No. 3 North Carolina
on October 24, 1981. This is the fourth straight year in
which Carolina has played at least one top-5 team; two
more top-5 opponents loom on the Gamecock slate in
No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Alabama.
AND DEFEATING THE BEST
South Carolina’s best win over a ranked opponent came
in the 1981 season when they knocked off No. 3 North
Carolina by a 31-13 score. It’s one of only two wins over
a top-5 opponent in school history; the other came on
Sept. 24, 2009, in a 16-10 victory over No. 4 Ole Miss.
Here are the other top wins:
BEST SOUTH CAROLINA WINS BY RANKINGS:
Date Opponent Rank Score
10/24/81 at North Carolina 3 31-13
09/24/09 vs Ole Miss 4 16-10
09/24/88 vs Georgia 6 23-10
10/04/07 vs Kentucky 8 38-23
11/21/87 vs Clemson 8 20-7
11/14/53 at West Virginia 8 20-14
09/09/00 vs Georgia 9 21-10
10/23/58 vs Clemson 10 26-6
09/08/07 at Georgia 11 16-12
11/10/84 vs Florida State 11 38-26
11/12/05 vs Florida 12 30-22
09/29/84 vs Georgia 12 17-10
• One “upset” that often escapes notice was a 20-20 tie
with Auburn in 1932 before rankings began. The Tigers
were 9-0 and a likely contender for the Rose Bowl before
the Gamecocks ruined their perfect season on Dec. 3 in
Birmingham. It was Auburn’s final game as a member
of the Southern Conference; the SEC was chartered the
next year.
THE HBC AND BIG NUMBERS
• In 20 years as a collegiate coach, Steve Spurrier is
85-3-1 when scoring at least 37 points. The 41-37 loss
to Georgia on Sept. 12 was the first time in the Spur-
rier era at South Carolina that the Gamecocks lost when
scoring 37 points or more; they had won the previous
eight such occurrences. The last time South Carolina lost when scoring 37 points or more was Nov. 1, 2003,
when Carolina lost at Ole Miss by a 43-40 score.
• With the 41-37 loss at UGA and the 38-16 win over
FAU, it marked only the second time in the Spurrier era
that Carolina scored 37 or more points in consecu-
tive outings. The previous time was in 2007, when the
Gamecocks downed Mississippi State 38-21 and Ken-
tucky 38-23 in back-to-back weeks.
NOTES FROM KENTUCKY
• Coach Steve Spurrier remains undefeated against
Kentucky, never losing in 17 meetings with the ‘Cats.
The win, however, was the closest call yet at two points.
• The Gamecocks have won 10 straight against Ken-
tucky, their longest active streak against an FBS school.
• Freshman Alshon Jeffery caught 7 passes for 136
yards and 3 TDs (all career highs), becoming the first
Gamecock to catch three touchdown passes in a game
since Sidney Rice caught five against FAU in 2006.
• Kenny Miles ran for 100 yards to give the Gamecocks
a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver (Jeffery) in
the same game for the second time this season (Jarvis Giles and Tori Gurley vs. FAU).
• Chris Culliver became the school’s all-time leader in
kick return yardage, passing Dick Harris’ total of 1,946
on his second return of the day in the first quarter.
NOTES FROM SC STATE
• Spencer Lanning connected on his only field goal at-
tempt of the night, running his streak to 10 consecutive
field goals made.
• Eric Norwood blocked a field goal - the first of his
career - and had an interception in the game. It was
Carolina’s first blocked field goal since Jordin Lindsey
blocked one against Kentucky last year (it was returned
81 yards for a touchdown by Captain Munnerlyn).
• Moe Brown turned in the first multi-touchdown game
of his career, catching scoring passes of 9 and 40 yards.
He amassed 100 receiving yards, his second career
100+ yard game.
• Stephen Garcia threw for two TDs and rushed for an-
other, going 13-for-19 for 132 yards through the air.
• Reid McCollum hit Alshon Jeffrey for a 20-yard touch-
down in the fourth quarter, the first career scoring plays
for both freshmen. Adam Yates kicked the extra point
after the score, also the first of his career.
NOTES FROM OLE MISS
• It was the second time in school history for South
Carolina to knock off a top-5 team. It was the first-ever
victory over a top-5 opponent at Williams-Brice Sta-
dium.
• The win over No. 4 Ole Miss came 21 years to the
day after Carolina’s previous best win by ranking at Wil-
liams-Brice Stadium. On Sept. 24, 1988, the Gamecocks
knocked off No. 6 Georgia, 23-10.
• Linebacker Eric Norwood became the all-time leader
in sacks at South Carolina with his 27th in the first quar-
ter. He finished the game with 28 for his career, moving
into a tie for 8th place all-time in SEC history.
• The Gamecocks’ first offensive play of the third quarter
was a 69-yard pass from Stephen Garcia to Moe Brown,
the longest pass completion for South Carolina since
Sept. 18, 2004, when Syvelle Newton hit Troy William-
son for a 74-yard gain against South Florida.
• Patrick DiMarco scored his third career touchdown
in the third quarter; it’s his second score on a Thursday
night against a top-10 team (the other came in 2007
against No. 8 Kentucky).
NOTES FROM FAU
• The FAU game marked the first time since 2007 that
the Gamecocks boasted a 100-yard rusher and a 100-
yard receiver in freshman Jarvis Giles (113 yards rush-
ing) and freshman Tori Gurley (100 yards receiving).
The last time, it was Cory Boyd and Kenny McKinley
turning the trick at Tennessee on Oct. 27, 2007. It’s the
first time for a pair of freshmen to pull off the feat since
Sidney Rice and Mike Davis did it twice during the 2005
season (vs. Clemson and in the Independence Bowl vs.
Missouri).
• Sophomore running back Brian Maddox eclipsed his
career high in scores in a big way with three touchdowns
(two rushing, one receiving).
• Moe Brown’s 50-yard end-around on the opening play
of the game was his career-long rush and was the lon-
gest Carolina rushing play since Mike Davis also scam-
pered for 50 against NC State on 8/28/08.
• Brian Maddox’s opening-drive touchdown at the
13:39 mark of the first quarter was the quickest score
for a Gamecock team since Nov. 6, 2003, at Arkansas,
when Carolina kicked a field goal at the 13:53 mark of
the opening period. It was the fastest touchdown by a
Gamecock team since joining the SEC in 1992.
NOTES FROM GEORGIA
• Georgia returned a kickoff for 100 yards and a touch-
down in the first quarter. It was the first kickoff return
for a touchdown against the Gamecocks since Leodis McKelvin of Troy accomplished the feat on Sept. 24,
2005.
• Carolina’s 17 points in the first quarter marked the
most in an opening period since scoring 17 against
South Carolina State on Sept. 15, 2007.
• South Carolina got two points for a Georgia safety in
the third quarter when a bad snap on a punt when out of
the back of the end zone. It was the first safety for South
Carolina since the 2007 Arkansas game.
• Eric Norwood’s interception return for a touchdown
was his first career pick and third career defensive
score; he returned two fumbles for TDs vs. Kentucky
in 2007.
• Darian Stewart equaled a career-high with 11 tackles
on the night.
NOTES FROM NC STATE
• With the win at NC State, South Carolina snapped a
three-game losing streak dating back to the 11th game
of the 2008 season. The Gamecocks dropped games to
Florida, Clemson and Iowa to end the ‘08 campaign.
• The Gamecocks held NC State to 133 yards in the
game, the lowest total in the Spurrier Era and the lowest
since the 1999 season - also NC State (99).
• Brian Maddox’s first-quarter touchdown gave the
Gamecocks their first lead since the end of last year’s
Arkansas game, a span of 12-plus quarters.
FOR STARTERS
The Gamecocks officially return 12 starters from the
2008 squad (five on offense, six on defense and one
specialist). The returning offensive starters are OC Gar-
rett Anderson, WR Jason Barnes, OG Terrence Camp-
bell, FB Patrick DiMarco and OT Jarriel King. The re-
turning defensive starters include DT Ladi Ajiboye, FS
Chris Culliver, DE Cliff Matthews, LB Eric Norwood, DT
Nathan Pepper and S Darian Stewart. Junior Spencer
Lanning is the returning punter and will handle place-
kicking duties this fall as well.
NEW STARTERS
The Gamecocks have had 15 players make their initial
collegiate start this season.
•Seven Gamecocks made their first career starts in the
season opener against NC State: CB Akeem Auguste,
CB Stephon Gilmore, SPUR Alonzo Winfield, OG T.J. Johnson, OT Quintin Richardson, WR Tori Gurley and
DE Devin Taylor.
• LB Shaq Wilson got his first career start at Georgia
on Sept. 12.
• LB Tony Straughter and DB Antonio Allen earned their
initial career starts against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 19.
• CB C.C. Whitlock, OL Kyle Nunn and RB Kenny Miles
got their first career starts vs. South Carolina State on
Oct. 3.
• TE Justice Cunningham and LB Josh Dickerson made
their first career starts against Kentucky on Oct. 10.
BY LAND OR BY AIR
The Gamecocks threw the ball 53 times against Geor-
gia, the most passes attempted in the Steve Spurrier Era
at South Carolina, completing 31 for 313 yards. They
came back the next week against Florida Atlantic and
rushed for 287 yards, the most in the Spurrier Era, sur-
passing the previous high mark by 64 yards.
UNDER COACH SPURRIER
Head coach Steve Spurrier is 33-23 in his five seasons
in Columbia. His 33 wins ties him with Lou Holtz for
sixth on the school’s all-time list. He tied the school
record for wins (7) in his first season at the helm; tied
for the most wins (15) in his first two seasons of any
Carolina head coach; recorded the most wins (21) by
a Carolina head coach in his first three seasons; and
surpassed Warren Giese (25 wins from 1956-59) for
the most wins by a coach in his first four seasons on
the Carolina sidelines. He has logged a .500 or better
record in four straight seasons, the first coach to do that
at Carolina since the final four years of the Jim Carlen
Era (1978-81). Coach Spurrier is the first coach in Car-
olina history to take his team to three bowl games in his
first four seasons on the sidelines. He also has matched
Jim Carlen and Joe Morrison for the most bowl appear-
ances (3) as a Carolina head coach.
WINNING MORE OFTEN
The Gamecocks have posted five consecutive seasons
of at least a .500 record, going 6-5 in 2004, 7-5 in
2005, 8-5 in 2006, 6-6 in 2007 and 7-6 in 2008. It’s the
first time they have accomplished that since 1928-34.
One more win in 2009 would give the Gamecocks their
sixth straight regular season at .500 or better.
THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
In the Spurrier Era, South Carolina is 6-2 in Thursday
night contests, with four of those six victories coming in
season openers. The Gamecocks played two on Thurs-
day nights this season. Carolina opened the 2009 cam-
paign with a 7-3 victory at North Carolina State, then
downed No. 4 Ole Miss in Columbia, 16-10, on Sept.
24. South Carolina is the only SEC team scheduled to
play in multiple weeknight contests this year; Alabama
and Auburn will play each other on Friday, Nov. 27, in
the only remaining weekday contest involving an SEC
school.
STREAKING AT HOME
The Gamecocks have posted six straight wins at Wil-
liams-Brice Stadium, defeating Tennessee and Arkan-
sas last season and topping Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss
and South Carolina State to start the 2009 campaign.
The last time the Gamecocks won at least six straight
games at home was from the 1986-88 seasons when
they posted 13 straight home wins. That streak, oddly
enough, started following a loss to Florida State, then
was snapped with another loss to the Seminoles.
COACHING CHANGES
Steve Spurrier made numerous changes to his coach-
ing staff in the off-season, promoting Ellis Johnson to
assistant head coach-defense and bringing in Jay Gra-
ham (running backs/asst. special teams), Jeep Hunter
(tight ends/asst. special teams), G.A. Mangus (quar-
terbacks), Lorenzo Ward (defensive coordinator), Eric
Wolford (offensive line/running game coordinator) and
Craig Fitzgerald (strength and conditioning).
WORKING OVERTIME
The Gamecocks have played just two overtime games in
their history, both at Tennessee. They dropped a 23-20
decision in Knoxville on Sept. 27, 2003, then fell by a
27-24 score on Oct. 27, 2007, also at Neyland Stadium.
Every other SEC team has played at least three overtime
games since the rule was established in 1996.
PIPELINE TO THE NFL
South Carolina tied for having the second-most play-
ers selected in the 2009 NFL Draft of any school in the
nation, matching Oregon State and Ohio State for that
honor behind Southern California. Selected were:
• Jared Cook (3rd round, Tennessee)
• Kenny McKinley (5th round, Denver)
• Jasper Brinkley (5th round, Minnesota)
• Jamon Meredith (5th round, Green Bay)
• Captain Munnerlyn (7th round, Carolina)
• Stoney Woodson (7th round, N.Y. Giants)
• Ryan Succop (7th round, Kansas City)
SERVING OUR COUNTRY
Deep snapper Matthew Grooms joined the Gamecocks
after serving as a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps
for four years as a mechanic, included a six-month
stint in Iraq. Grooms, 26, is the oldest player on the
squad Walk-on freshman linebacker Matthew Ansley,
a member of the Army Reserves, spent 18 months in
Iraq, working as a gunner for convoy security and route
clearance.
COMING IN EARLY
The Gamecocks welcomed in three scholarship players
who graduated from high school in December and went
through spring drills for the first time in 2009 in Jarvis
Giles, Stephon Gilmore and DeVonte Holloman. Over
the past four seasons, the Gamecocks have seen nine
players arrive on campus earlier than the norm. Clark Gaston did so in 2006, while Stephen Garcia and Tra-
vian Robertson arrived in January 2007. Jay Spearman,
C.C. Whitlock and Shaq Wilson all went through spring
drills in 2008 after graduating from high school in the
previous December.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
South Carolina celebrates three major anniversaries
during the 2009 season. This year marks the 75th year
of competition in what is now Williams-Brice Stadium.
The 80,250-seat structure on George Rogers Drive held
its first game on Oct. 6, 1934, as South Carolina de-
feated VMI, 22-6. It’s also the 40th anniversary of South
Carolina’s only conference championship as the 1969
Gamecocks won the Atlantic Coast Conference title
under head coach Paul Dietzel by going 5-0 in league
play. This year is also the 25th anniversary of the 1984
“Black Magic” team that posted the winningest season
in school history, going 10-2 under head coach Joe
Morrison and rising as high as No. 2 in the polls.
FEW SENIORS
South Carolina has just nine players on its roster who
are seniors. Of those, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Nathan Pep-
per and Gerrod Sinclair are fifth-year seniors, while
Garrett Anderson, Moe Brown, Eric Norwood and Dar-
ian Stewart are in their fourth year. Former walk-ons
John Guerry and Scott Spurrier earned scholarships
during fall practice. With only nine seniors, the Game-
cocks are tied with Duke for the second-fewest seniors
in the country. Boise State has the fewest with four.
O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN...
Although defensive back Captain Munnerlyn has taken
his talents to the NFL, the Gamecocks have no shortage
of leadership. Four captains were elected for the first
time in the Spurrier era, two of them on the defensive
side of the ball. Senior LB Eric Norwood and junior DE
Cliff Matthews were the two defensive selections, with
senior WR Moe Brown and junior FB Patrick DiMarco
picked from the offensive side of the ball.
FRESH FACES
The Gamecocks have received solid performances from
several freshmen this season. Defensive end Devin
Taylor, a redshirt freshman from Beaufort, started the
first five games and was the SEC Defensive Lineman of
the Week for his efforts in the opener at NC State. True
freshman tailback Jarvis Giles from Tampa became the
first Gamecock frosh to rush for over 100 yards since
2006 when he went for 113 against FAU, earning SEC
Freshman of the Week accolades. Three weeks later,
redshirt freshman Kenny Miles hit the century mark
with exactly 100 yards against Kentucky. He leads the
team in rushing with 268 yards on the year. True fresh-
man and Rock Hill, S.C., native Stephon Gilmore has
started all six games at cornerback and has intercepted a
pass, forced a fumble and recovered another fumble. He
also has a sack among his 23 tackles, and he had a 35-
yard punt return against South Carolina State. Redshirt
freshman wide receiver Tori Gurley is the Gamecocks’
second-leading receiver. He has caught 18 passes for
256 yards in six games, including a four-catch, 100-
yard performance against FAU. Redshirt freshman T.J.
Johnson from Aynor, S.C. has started all six games at
right offensive guard. And true freshman Alshon Jef-
fery had a big coming-out party against Kentucky with
a seven-catch, 138-yard performance that saw him score
three touchdowns, earn SEC Freshman of the Week hon-
ors and give him the team lead in touchdowns scored.
Overall, the Gamecocks list 15 freshmen on their two-
deep this week.
EARNING THEIR KEEP
On August 18, coach Steve Spurrier announced that
several walk-ons had been awarded scholarships for
the 2009-10 school year. The list includes seniors John
Guerry and Scott Spurrier, junior Blake Baxley, and
sophomores Stephen Flint, Cedrick Snead, Brandan Da-
vis and Zac Brindise.
SIZE MATTERS
The Gamecocks come in all shapes and sizes. The tall-
est player on the roster is Clifton Geathers, who checks
in at 6-8 this fall. He is followed closely by his backup,
Devin Taylor. The shortest players are Cedrick Snead,
Bryce Sherman and Scott Spurrier, all listed at 5-6. The
Gamecocks have eight players that tip the scale at 300
pounds or better, including seven offensive linemen.
Rokevious Watkins is the heaviest player on the squad
at 340 pounds, followed by Jarriel King at 312. Kevin Young (310), Heath Batchelor (308), Garrett Anderson
(307), Seaver Brown (303), Nathan Pepper (300) and
Steven Singleton (300) round out those at three bills.
Scott Spurrier (160) and C.C. Whitlock (173) are the only
returning players listed under 175 pounds. Newcomers
Jimmy Legree (170), DeAngelo Smith (170), Bryce Sher-
man (155), Brandan Davis (175) and Marty Markett (170)
all tip the scales at 175 or less.
INJURY REPORT
• Junior DT Travian Robertson tore his ACL in the win
over Ole Miss and will miss the rest of the season.
• Junior linebacker Rodney Paulk suffered a season-
ending ACL tear in his right knee in the season-opening
win at NC State. It’s the second straight year that a knee
injury has sidelined him early in the season.
ACCOLADES
Here is a rundown of the various awards and honors
earned by the Gamecocks during the 2009 season:
• Devin Taylor - SEC Defensive Player of the Week
(Week 1 vs. NC State)
• Jarvis Giles - SEC Freshman of the Week (Week 3 vs.
Florida Atlantic)
• Eric Norwood - SEC Defensive Player of the Week
(Week 4 vs. Ole Miss)
• Alshon Jeffery - SEC Freshman of the Week (Week 6
vs. Kentucky)
GAMECOCKS IN THE NFL
A total of 21 former Carolina Gamecocks are on
National Football League rosters - either on the
active roster or the practice squad. Below is a list
of former Gamecocks on NFL rosters:
Bengals: Jonathan Joseph
Bills: Jamon Meredith
Broncos: Andre Goodman, Kenny McKinley
Buccaneers: Rod Wilson
Chiefs: Ryan Succop
Eagles: Sheldon Brown, Stoney Woodson (practice
squad)
Falcons: John Abraham
Jaguars: Troy Williamson
Jets: Emanuel Cook (practice squad)
Lions: Ko Simpson
Panthers: Captain Munnerlyn, Travelle Wharton
Saints: Jamar Nesbit
Seahawks: Lance Laury
Texans: Fred Bennett, Dunta Robinson
Titans: Jared Cook
Vikings: Jasper Brinkley, Sidney Rice
BAMA TIES
The Gamecocks feature tho players from the state of
Alabama: Jarrett Burns (Huntsville) and Darian Stewart (Huntsville). In addition,
assistant head coach-defense Ellis Johnson had two
stints on the Alabama coaching staff (1990-93 and 1997-
2000), while defensive coordinator Lorenzo “Whammy”
Ward played his collegiate ball for the Crimson Tide and
served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater.
UP NEXT
It will be homecoming week and State Fair week in Co-
lumbia as the Gamecocks welcome SEC Eastern Division
rival Vanderbilt to Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday,
Oct. 24. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with a national TV broad-
cast on ESPNU.
GARCIA’S THE GUY
Redshirt sophomore Stephen Garcia is without question the Gamecocks’ top quarter-
back and has taken every significant snap this season. The 6-2, 219-pounder from
Lutz, Fla. has completed 61.2 percent of his passes this season (109-for-178) for
1,268 yards with nine touchdowns and just three interceptions. After a solid but un-
spectacular start in the season opener at NC State in which he completed 13-of-22
passes for 148 yards, he turned heads in Sanford Stadium and all around the SEC on
Sept. 12 with his 31-for-53, 313-yard, two-touchdown performance in a heartbreak-
ing loss to Georgia. All of those statistics were career highs. His 53 attempts equaled
the second-most ever by a Carolina quarterback, and his 31 completions tied for the
fourth-best day by a Gamecock signal-caller.
MORE ON NO. 5
Garcia has played 14 games for the Gamecocks, starting nine over the past two sea-
sons. He is 6-3 as a starter. He has completed 58.0 percent of his passes (174-for-
300) for 2,080 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He ranks third in the
SEC in total offense in 2009, accounting for an average of 222.2 yards per game. He
is also fourth in the league in passing average yards per game at 211.3.
GAME-BY-GAME WITH GARCIA
In his first significant action at Carolina, Garcia played the bulk of three quarters
against UAB on Sept. 27, 2008, and completed 13-of-20 passes for 131 yards and
rushed for a game-high 86 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He came off the
bench two weeks later at Kentucky to lead the Gamecocks to a come-from-behind vic-
tory while playing only one-and-a-half quarters. Garcia completed 10-of-14 passes
for 169 yards and a touchdown, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors and a
start the next week against LSU. In that game, he was 14-of-26 for 215 yards and a
touchdown. He got his first win as a starter two weeks after that in a 27-6 victory over
Tennessee, where he completed 9-of-19 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
But all of those performances
pale in comparison to his night
at Georgia on Sept. 12 when he
completed 31-of-53 passes for
313 yards and two touchdowns,
all career highs. He was also the
Gamecocks’ leading rusher in
the game with 10 carries for 42
yards. Garcia kept up his strong
play against Florida Atlantic
with a 20-for-27 night, the best
passing percentage (.741) of his
young career. He was 16-for-34
for 220 yards and a touchdown
with no interceptions while play-
ing with bruised ribs against Ole
Miss. He was 13-for-19 for 132
yards and two touchdowns in the win over South Carolina State. He followed that up
with a career-best three touchdowns and 233 yards on 16-of-23 passing in the win
over Kentucky.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Senior Moe Brown put together the second 100-yard game of his career against South
Carolina State, amassing exactly 100 yards on six catches while scoring twice in the
win over the Bulldogs. It was the second-best day of his career, as he caught seven
passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in the 2008 loss to Georgia. With 949 yards on
73 catches for his career, Brown is on the doorstep of the Carolina record books. He is
tied with Jared Cook for 22nd all-time at South Carolina with 73 receptions and is just
three away from moving into the top 20. Also, if and when he reaches the 1,000-yard
plateau, he’ll be the 22nd player in Gamecock history to reach that mark.
DELIVERING BY GROUND AND BY AIR
The Gamecocks can be effective moving the ball through the air (313 yards passing at Georgia) as well as on the
ground (287 yards rushing versus FAU and 213 yards rushing against SC State).The Sept. 19 game with Florida
Atlantic marked the first time since 2007 that the Gamecocks boasted a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in
freshman Jarvis Giles (113 yards rushing) and freshman Tori Gurley (100 yards receiving). The last time, it was Cory
Boyd and Kenny McKinley turning the trick at Tennessee on Oct. 27, 2007. It’s the first time for a pair of freshmen to
pull off the feat since Sidney Rice and Mike Davis did it twice during the 2005 season (vs. Clemson, vs. Missouri). The
Gamecocks turned the trick again - also with two freshmen - on Oct. 10 against Kentucky when Alshon Jeffery racked
up 138 receiving yards and Kenny Miles rushed for 100.
RUNNING BACK BY COMMITTEE
• Redshirt freshman Kenny Miles is penciled in as this week’s starter as the team’s leading rusher. He is averaging
6.0 yards per carry, rushing 45 times for 268 yards and a touchdown. He carried five times for 56 yards in the first half
of the FAU game before leaving with shoulder discomfort. Miles got another chance to shine against Ole Miss and led
the team with 13 rushes for 52 yards. After making his initial start against SC State, he made a big splash with his first
career 100-yard game as he ran for exactly 100 yards on 17 carries in the win over Kentucky.
• True freshman Jarvis Giles put on a show for the
home crowd against FAU, picking up 113 yards and his
first career touchdown on 11 carries. It was the first 100-
yard game for a Carolina tailback since Mike Davis ran for
101 against NC State last season. For his efforts, Giles
was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week. He is sec-
ond on the squad with 245 yards and a 5.8 yard average.
• Junior Brian Maddox was the starter in the season-
opener at NC State, carrying the ball 23 times for 66 yards
(both career highs) and the Gamecocks’ only touchdown.
Maddox’s previous career highs had been 12 carries and
52 yards, both coming in last season’s game against Wof-
ford. Maddox had another big night against FAU, logging
a pair of rushing scores and another through the air. He
leads the team and is tied for eighth in the SEC with five
touchdowns.
ALSHON’S ALL RIGHT
After only catching five passes through his first five
games at Carolina, true freshman Alshon Jeffery had a
huge coming-out party against Kentucky. He hauled in
7 passes for 138 yards and 3 touchdowns, earned SEC
Freshman of the Week accolades and becoming the first
Gamecock to score 3 receiving TDs in a game since Sid-
ney Rice hauled in 5 TD passes against FAU in 2006. It
was the best game for a Carolina receiver since Kenny
McKinley had 151 yards vs. Tennessee in 2007.
SHERM THE WORM
The most pleasant surprise in fall practice was walk-on
sophomore Bryce Sherman. The diminutive former track
athlete quickly became a Gamecock internet sensation.
Nicknamed “Sherm the Worm” or “The Shermanator,” he
has rushed five times for 54 yards, an average of 10.8
yards per carry. He has also returned six kickoffs this
year.
JUGGLING THE O-LINE
The Gamecocks, under new offensive line coach Eric Wol-
ford, have used the same starting five along the offensive
line just twice this season, going with King-Campbell-
Anderson-Johnson-Richardson from left to right in each
of the first two games. In all, nine different offensive line-
men have earned at least one start. Only right guard T.J.
Johnson has made every start through six games.
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