Knee injury jeopardizes Hill’s season
Freshman, among logjam at receiver, wants to return and avoid a redshirt
By JOSEPH PERSON - jperson@thestate.com
Joseph Hills picked a bad time for his first injury.
After making it through high school unscathed, the freshman receiver went down with a torn knee ligament after making a catch during South Carolina’s first practice Aug. 4.
Hills, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound native of Palmetto, Fla., could miss another two to three weeks with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Hills, who said he does not need surgery, would like to play this year despite missing preseason camp.
“If they redshirt me, I wouldn’t mind, but my goal is not to be redshirted,” Hills said Tuesday. “It’s kind of iffy right now. If I can come back and do it, then they’ll let me play. But if not ...”
Hills, one of five freshman receivers, said he is not accustomed to the view from the sideline.
“This is my first time ever being hurt. So it’s been kind of new to me,” he said. “I’m not used to watching. I’m always used to being in the game.”
Wallace out. Backup tailback Bobby Wallace will miss up to six weeks with a broken collarbone, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said after Tuesday night’s practice.
Wallace, a junior from Conway, sustained the injury Monday after landing hard on his shoulder — much like former Oklahoma tailback Adrian Peterson did in breaking his collarbone during the 2006 season.
Spurrier expects Wallace to be back for the third game: the Sept. 15 home date with S.C. State. Wallace, who has 46 career carries for 242 yards and a touchdown, is the Gamecocks’ third-string tailback behind Cory Boyd and Mike Davis.
Spurrier said Wallace’s injury would not necessarily change the status of Brian Maddox, a freshman from Anderson whom Spurrier would like to redshirt.
“We’ll have to wait and see if somebody else gets hurt or whatever,” Spurrier said. “Brian’s doing well. He could play if we had to go play with him. He’s about ready to play.”
Easy on the Rice. Freshman receiver Jason Barnes wears Sidney Rice’s old number, plays the same position and has been told he is built like the Gamecocks’ record-breaking receiver, who left early for the NFL after the 2006 season.
But the 6-4, 196-pound Barnes seems embarrassed by the Rice comparisons.
“I’m not really sure. He was great. I mean, I don’t want to do that right now,” said Barnes, the second-team wideout behind Moe Brown. “It made me feel good to be compared to him, knowing that he made a bunch of great plays and a bunch of attributes to the team (and) letting me know I can do the same.”
Extra points. Spurrier said the academic status of defensive end Jordin Lindsey is “still in discussions.”
Lindsey, a senior who has started 15 games during the past two seasons, has practiced only once this preseason (Sunday). ...
Center Jeremy Burgess (concussion) and fullbacks Taylor Rank (shoulder) and Jim Hutton (shoulder) were held out of contact drills. Freshman defensive back Jamire Williams (hamstring) was back after missing one practice. ...
The Gamecocks will hold their second scrimmage tonight, but it is closed to the public.
