1.  Despite injuries and youth, Carolina’s defense has continued to play well.

2.  This notes column covers USC’s special teams, Jarvis Giles’ disappearance and — yes — play-calling.

3.  Eric Norwood is a finalist for the Butkus Award.

4.  This writer doesn’t think Carolina should be trying to set up any coach-in-waiting deals.

5.  In basketball news, Carolina held off LaSalle 78-68 last night despite a poor night from Devan Downey.

6.  Dominique Archie led a balanced attack for USC.

7.  The Gamecocks will face South Florida in the second round of the Charleston Classic tonight.

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1.  A win over Clemson would help South Carolina’s bowl options.

2.  Some Clemson vandals have painted part of Williams-Brice Stadium’s south end zone orange.

3.  According to this notes column, Eric Wolford feels good about the future of his offensive line.

4.  And according to this notes column, defensive end Cliff Matthews will likely put off shoulder surgery until after the season.

5.  In basketball news, the Cocks get underway in the Charleston Classic tonight, hoping to build a solid nonconference resume.

6.  Here’s a quick preview of tonight’s game with LaSalle.

7.  “The field is tremendous,” said Darrin Horn.  “That’s not a normal first-round opponent in a tournament like this.”

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* Most of Carolina’s injuries have been on defense this year.  Clemson in two weeks will be “a tough game for us, but we’re looking forward to it.”

* No questions for Spurrier at all.  “Not too many people in our open date, huh?”

* Spurrier wasn’t waiting around for calls, either.

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1.  Garrett Chisholm looks to have earned another start on the Gamecocks’ offensive line.

2.  Pass rusher Cliff Matthews will play next week against Clemson.

3.  Freshman DeVonte Holloman knows both sides of the Carolina-Clemson rivalry.

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1.  Get a new org chart, Gamecock fans.  Whether he’s been calling the plays this year or his son has, Steve Spurrier says next year the duties will probably go to GA Mangus.  (And that will last for about two games and the “who’s calling plays” junk will start yet again in Columbia.)

2.  Carolina’s players are glad to have an open date for healing purposes.

3.  Next week’s season finale with Clemson will kick off at high noon.

4.  In basketball news, the Cocks shook off a slow start and dunked Georgia Southern 90-66 last night.

5.  Was it home-cooking or just a foul-prone opponent?  GSU nearly had as many fouls as rebounds last night.

6.  Highly-touted freshman Lakeem Jackson showed some flashes last night.

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1.  Stephen Garcia says the Clemson game is “a must-win” for the 6-5 Gamecocks.

2.  In two weeks, the battle with the Tigers will determine bowl location, bowl payout, and the mood of the USC fanbase during the offseason.

3.  Steve Spurrier has reversed field on a crucial interception in Saturday’s loss to Florida, saying that game tape showed him what Garcia saw.

4.  Spurrier said earlier this year that he was very involved in calling the plays.  Last week, he said he’d get more involved in calling the plays.  Now he says that things weren’t “much different than what I’ve been doing all year.”  Whatever.

5.  On the hardwood, Darrin Horn’s 1-0 squad will face Georgia Southern tonight.

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COLUMBIA — He jogged off the field at Williams-Brice Stadium with big bruises and a bigger smile as the Florida band played victory songs and friendly fans cheered his every step.
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COLUMBIA — For three quarters Saturday, South Carolina played some of its finest football of the season. And it didn’t matter after the first play of the fourth quarter.
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It was national exposure for the South Carolina football program … the kind it would like to avoid.

The Gamecocks were front and center at the Heisman Trophy award ceremony two years ago – as the team that Florida’s Tim Tebow and Arkansas’ Darren McFadden put highlight-reel performances up against.

Two years later, South Carolina needs to guard against a repeat.

Tebow is again in the Heisman running, and he and his No. 1 ranked Gators visit today in a nationally-televised game. Two weeks later, Clemson’s C.J. Spiller visits Williams-Brice.

At the moment, both Tebow and Spiller seem to trail Alabama’s Mark Ingram, who may have gained front-runner status by rushing for 246 yards against the Gamecocks on Oct. 17.
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1.  According to this notes column, there’s no guarantee defensive end Cliff Matthews will return to the field tomorrow.

2.  Florida’s offense is taking a backseat to the the Gators’ defense this year, but…

3.  Florida’s offense is still potent.

4.  The Gator D is excellent again… so why is Charlie Strong still just an assistant coach?

5.  Has Steve Spurrier finally started to believe in POSITIVE reinforcement?  Let’s see how long this lasts.

6.  Brian Maddox looks to be the starter at tailback tomorrow, mainly because Spurrier wants a bigger back to help protect against Florida’s blitzes.

7.  Here are five questions surrounding the Cock basketball team as it heads into tonight’s opener against Alabama A&M.

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1.  Offensive line coach Eric Wolford isn’t big on numbers.  “The only time I look at stats is when people try to attack what we’re trying to do.  At the end of the day, I know we’re better than we have been.”

2.  Steve Spurrier and his offense just aren’t what they used to be.

3.  Shaq Wilson has turned into the leading tackler on Carolina’s team.

4.  According to this notes column, USC has taken yet another hit on their defensive line.

5.  In basketball news, Darrin Horn wants his team to improve on his surprisingly good first season in Columbia.

6.  Horn has already lined up a Top 15 signing class, too.

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1.  Steve Spurrier sounds upbeat about his future and the future of the Carolina program.

2.  This writer wonders who’s buying Spurrier’s “the future’s so bright” routine.

3.  This notes column covers everything from Spurrier’s praise of Charlie Strong to his praise of Arkansas and right on in to the Cocks’ 5-0 record at home.

4.  As we told you yesterday, the Ol’ Ballcoach will be taking on a greater role in play-calling this weekend.

5.  Not everyone believes there will be much change in how plays are called.

6.  Spurrier believes Florida is a more complete team this year than they were last year.

7.  Florida — perhaps because they can’t protect him as well as they’d like — is asking Tim Tebow to throw the ball less.

8.  If Florida isn’t paying attention, this writer thinks Carolina can put a scare into them.

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Notes from Steve Spurrier’s teleconference:

* “Our team is a little banged up on defense.”  However, Cliff Matthews might have a chance to play.

* “We haven’t played all that well lately, but I’m proud of this team.”

* “Some other teams have given (Florida) close games so we’re hoping that’s what happens here Saturday.”

* Spurrier says he hasn’t thought about “spoiling” Florida’s season. 

* Spurrier won’t be wearing a special outfit on Saturday.  His team will wear a camouflage uniform. 

* Asked about getting Carolina to a new level, Spurrier said, “We just haven’t quite put it altogether, as they say.”  Spurrier pointed to the fact that he has 6 new coaches and his recruiting is up.  He also said that USC is bowl eligible for the fifth straight year… the first time in school history that that’s happened.

* “We’re hoping our big years are in the next two or three years.”

* Spurrier mentioned Alshon Jeffrey and Stephon Gilmore as new players who have bright futures.

* Spurrier says he continues to pull for Florida. 

* Spurrier says he continues to recruit Jacksonville pretty hard.

* Stephen Garcia has “a pretty good idea” of what’s going on this year.  “He was a lost Gamecock down in the Swamp last year.”  Garcia is doing a better job of taking care of the football this season.  Spurrier said he continues to need to study the game and learn the game.

* Spurrier thought when he left Florida that he’d coach in the NFL for “five or six year and then hang it up.”

* Asked how he deals with recruits and players who have family serving in the military overseas, Spurrier took his time.  I don’t think he knew how to answer such a bizarre question.

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Steve Spurrier is taking over play-calling duties from his son.

Most of the play-calling responsibilities had been turned over to Steve Spurrier, Jr before last season.

Spurrier the Elder tried to claim on Sunday that he was still mostly responsible for the offensive calls, but he announced today that he was taking over the full deal.

He also said that he plans to coach Carolina for three or four more years.

When reminded that he said after last year’s ugly loss in the Outback Bowl that he had considered walking away, Spurrier said, “Who wouldn’t have?”

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1.  For starters, Ron Morris of The State writes that fans who want Steve Spurrier to step down “are nuts.”  He makes an awfully good pro-Spurrier case by recapping just how horrible Carolina football has been over the years.

2.  Offensive line coach Eric Wolford is defending his players.

3.  Left tackle Jarriel King is trying to recover from a concussion he suffered against Tennessee.

4.  Urban Meyer is singing the praises of Carolina.

5.  The Gamecocks — who’ll wear special camouflage jerseys on Saturday — met with a wounded solider yesterday.  “I hope we’ll be inspired,” Spurrier said.  “We were actually inspired pretty well the last game.  We just didn’t play very well.”

6.  In basketball news, Seth Emerson of The State predicts each game of the Carolina season in his latest blog entry.

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1.  Last week, Steve Spurrier was in no mood to hear about another potential year-end collapse.  But it looks like he’s in the middle of one.

2.  Ron Morris of The State tells Cock fans not to hold their breath believing that Carolina will get better long range.

3.  Spurrier doesn’t believe tight end Weslye Saunders was out of line after Saturday’s loss when he said he wanted more passes thrown his way.

4.  Things going bad on offense?  Must be the play-calling.  Lord knows it can’t be that a team just can’t execute.  So once again, play-calling is what everyone’s talking about in Columbia.

5.  Spurrier said he’s the main play-caller, even though Saunders said Steve Spurrier, Jr was the man making most of the calls.

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. | Ryan Mallett went 23 of 27 for 329 yards to lead Arkansas to a 33-16 victory over South Carolina on Saturday.

Mallett was 12 of 13 in the second half, and the Razorbacks scored 23 unanswered points to finish the game. Arkansas (5-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) needs only one more win to become bowl eligible.

D.J. Williams caught seven passes for 137 yards for the Razorbacks, including a 69-yard reception near the end of the first half that set up an important field goal.

Stephen Garcia passed for 327 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Gamecocks (6-4, 3-4), who have lost three of four and are in danger of a third straight late-season fade. Mallett and Garcia entered the game ranked 1-2 in the SEC in passing.

“We are just not real good right now. I don’t know how else to say it,” Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said. “Maybe all of the good fortune we had earlier is catching up with us a bit. … I don’t know how else to say it. Coaches are coaching. … Just not getting the results right now.”
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FAYETTEVILLE — The Weather Channel doesn’t have a more accurate Arkansas barometer than the Arkansas-South Carolina game.

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Injury report; five game storylines; five questions with wide receiver Tori Gurley; and more.

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Injuries

USC – DE Cliff Matthews (shoulder), FS Chris Culliver (shoulder), FS Jarrett Burns (finger) and OT Jarriel King (concussion) are out.

Arkansas – CB Ramon Broadway (hamstring) is questionable; RB Michael Smith (hamstring) is probable.
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1.  Steve Spurrier isn’t allowing starting safety Chris Culliver to make the trip to Arkansas because he walked out of practice on Monday following an argument with an assistant.

Spurrier must be given credit for benching his starting safety as he heads to pass-happy Arkansas.

2.  Ellis Johnson, however, says he’s “tired of all the Chris Culliver bashing” and reminded fans that he was hurt in the Tennessee game.

3.  This notes column has more on the Culliver situation, the rise of DeVonte Holloman at safety and Bobby Petrino’s fear of Lorenzo Ward.

4.  Garrett Chisholm has impressed coaches enough to go from walk-on to starting offensive lineman.

5.  Seth Emerson of The State spoke with an Arkansas beatwriter to help preview this weekend’s game.

6.  Athletic director Eric Hyman wants fans to remember that this year’s team is 6-3 despite the fact it is one of the youngest teams in America.

7.  In basketball news, center Sam Muldrow showed an ability to put up points in last night’s 78-55 exhibition win over Kentucky Wesleyan.

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1.  Carolina is having to shuffle their lineup (again) due to injuries.  Pass rush specialist Cliff Matthews is likely out until the season finale against Clemson.

2.  The two leading passers in the SEC aren’t Tim Tebow and Jevan Snead as expected… they’re Ryan Mallett and Stephen Garcia.

3.  Tailback Jarvis Giles has become a forgotten freshman in Columbia.

4.  South Carolina is breaking up the rough stretch at the end of their schedule next year.

5.  In basketball news, Darrin Horn is looking for someone to replace the scoring of former Cock Zam Fredrick.

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Notes from Steve Spurrier’s teleconference:

* Cliff Matthews will not play against Arkansas and will be out two or three weeks.  Spurrier said his team — other than that injury — is “pretty well ready to go.”  Sounds like Chris Culliver will miss the game more because of discipline than his shoulder injury.

* On Arkansas’ defense: “I see ‘em stuffing a lot of people for a lot of plays.”  He admitted that they have been hurt by big plays.

* “Our offense has struggled for most of the year.”

* Asked about Monte Kiffin, Spurrier said, “I don’t know that he’s brought a whole new bunch of schemes in there.”  He praised Kiffin for teaching fundamentals to his players and said that is the best thing he does.  “Monte’s an excellent coach.”

* Spurrier would like to move one of his last big games earlier up in the schedule.  “We’re happy to be 6-3 right now.  That’s a pretty good accomplishment for our team.”  He said he won’t put a lot of pressure on all the freshmen he has playing.

* Carolina’s best teams will come in a year or two.

* Spurrier said that he talked to another SEC coach today about how that coach was still trying to get his sixth win.

* Asked about Vanderbilt’s Warren Norman, Spurrier said he would vote for his own cornerback Stephon Gilmore as the SEC’s freshman of the year.  He said his own team didn’t have anyone who could catch Norman when he broke a kickoff against the Gamecocks.

* “LSU is still in the mix for everything.”

* Alabama’s defense is “pretty tough to run on.”

* Spurrier didn’t sound like he liked talking about other teams, players and coaches.

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1.  All the talk of another November swoon isn’t getting Steve Spurrier down.  “We don’t feel bad and you guys (the media) can’t make us feel bad.”

2.  The Cocks are taking on “a bunker mentality.”

3.  Safety Chris Culliver won’t even make the trip to Arkansas due to a bum shoulder.  His sit-down is also related to a disciplinary issue.

4.  This notes column has injury news (Jarriel King is out with a concussion) and word that walk-on lineman Garrett Chisholm will start at left guard.

5.  Shane Beamer wasn’t happy with the effort his kickoff coverage unit gave on Saturday.

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1.  Steve Spurrier wasn’t happy with safety Chris Culliver’s tackling against Tennessee.  According to this notes column, Culliver had an excuse — he hurt his shoulder during pregame warm-ups.

Also in this column… Spurrier wasn’t too pleased to be asked about Carolina’s history of last-season slides.  “We beat Arkansas last year.  Weren’t you here?  We beat Tennessee last year.  We had a two-game win streak right there at home. … We got beat the last two and the bowl game.”

A little ditty in honor of the Ol’ Ballcoach:



2.  Defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward doesn’t think his season at Arkansas last year will help him much against the Hogs on Saturday.  “(Petrino’s) one of the smartest coaching offensive minds I’ve ever been around.”

3.  Looks like there’ll be more shake-ups on the Gamecocks’ offensive line.

4.  According to this Arkansas notes column, Hog tailback Michael Smith is questionable for this weekend’s game.

5.  This writer believes fans are overreacting to Saturday’s loss at Tennessee.

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1.  According to this notes column, Steve Spurrier says Stephen Garcia has improved, but he still “needs to play a lot better if we’re gonna win big around here.”  (It also looks like defensive end Cliff Matthews will miss the Arkansas game.)

2.  Carolina’s players want to practice better and harder in an effort to avoid yet another late-season collapse.

3.  Spurrier doesn’t necessarily agree with his players’ worries about practice.  (He’s also not happy with the play of safety Chris Culliver.)

4.  The Cocks are pointing fingers (would those be chicken fingers?) at themselves over their four giveaways in Knoxville.

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