Week 10...........South Carolina @ Arkansas

E.T.G.

E.T.G.

One of trus baby mommas
Its painful, not sure there is any way to word it differently. I haven't been able to think about college football until today. If you didn't watch the game, you might of seen 7-0, 14-0, 21-0 Tennessee roll across the screen but that hardly tells the story. Once again the SC offense is the biggest threat to the SC defense. A Freddie Brown fumble on a converted 1st down gave UT the ball which was returned to the 3yd line for their first score. A Smelley INT in SC territory set up the 2nd UT touchdown and some questionable calls along the way (PI on 4th down) set up the 3rd UT touchdown but they earned that one, they actually went the length of the field. I might bother some people saying this and it might not sound right given the schools two historys but its flat out the truth and I challenge anyone to refute it.

EVERYTHING that had to go RIGHT for Tennessee to pull the UPSET, happened.

UT fumbles 3 times in the game and recovers all 3. SC fumbles twice in the game and loses both. UT fumbles twice on the last drive of regulation and recovers both, mind you, they gained 15yds on one fumble. Ainge is sacked on the other fumble and somehow they get the ball back. Tennessee even benefits from their off false start on the last play of regulation. The kicker shanks the shit out of the ball and he gets a re-do cause someone on the OL jumps, of course it is right down the middle from 5 yards further. This tells the real story.


Team Stats

<TABLE class=data cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2><TBODY><TR class=datahead><TD></TD><TD>South Carolina</TD><TD>Tennessee</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Score</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>27</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>First downs</TD><TD>31</TD><TD>16</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>3rd Down Efficiency</TD><TD>7-for-16
44%
</TD><TD>5-for-17
29%
</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>4th Down Efficiency</TD><TD>0-for-1
0%
</TD><TD>0-for-1
0%
</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Total Yards </TD><TD>501</TD><TD>317</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD colSpan=3>Rushing</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Rushes-Net Yards</TD><TD>39-171</TD><TD>28-101</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Average Per Rush</TD><TD>4.4</TD><TD>3.6</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD colSpan=3>Passing</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Comp-Att</TD><TD>34-50</TD><TD>26-45</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Passing Yards</TD><TD>330</TD><TD>216</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Average Per Pass Play</TD><TD>6.6</TD><TD>4.8</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Penalties-Yards</TD><TD>8-67</TD><TD>5-55</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Fumbles-Lost</TD><TD>3-2</TD><TD>2-0</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Interceptions Thrown </TD><TD>2</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Time of Possession</TD><TD>36:25</TD><TD>23:35</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


As you can see, SC dominated the first downs, the yards from scrimmage, the TOP, and UT took what matters most, TURNOVERS and penalties.


This is the 2nd week in a row the Gamecocks have given the ball to the other team 4 times in a game. Its too hard to win a game when you turn it over 4 times, its almost impossible on the road infront of 105,000 to win like that.


What positives came from the loss? It appears (and I say appear because UT was #11 in SEC in defense) that SC might of found a working OL combination and a couple of plays that work. Once again, I urge caution because UT defense has made many look good this yr.


SC is either going to 1)win out the rest of the yr or 2)fold. There are 3 games left, all winnable and all loseable. They won't goto Arky and win and lose at home to UF and they won't goto Arky and lose and win at home to UF. If SC beats Arky, IMO, they will win out the rest of the yr and end on a roll. The 2nd half of UT looked like the 2nd half of Arkansas and that is where last yr the season turned. The defense has never been an issue this yr, its been the offense and if the offense gets going, they won't lose another game this yr, just how I feel


Here is some practice tibits.


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 6px; PADDING-LEFT: 6px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px; PADDING-TOP: 6px" vAlign=top>Several tidbits from Monday's practice....</TD><TD class="" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 6px; PADDING-LEFT: 6px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px; PADDING-TOP: 6px" vAlign=bottom noWrap align=right 1??>Reply</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<HR color=#cccccc noShade>It seems the momentum from the second half of the Tennessee game carried over, as Monday’s practice was a good one for the most part.

Special teams was a work in progress last week heading into the UT game, as we documented in our reports, and it continues to be an area they’re spending a lot of time on. Their coverage teams are still learning to run full speed and still having issues staying in their lanes, both of which hurt them against the Vols. The players have been challenged to stop thinking, which leads to playing at a slower speed, and just react and do what they’ve been taught. Arkansas has two of the best kick returners in the nation in Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, so showing improvement in this area will be a huge key this weekend.

No major changes on defense. The coaches are comfortable with where they are on that side of the ball, but, at the same time, they don’t think they’ve had their best game of the year as of yet. Stopping the run will obviously be goal No. 1 this week, with Arkansas having one of the best rushing games in the country. The good news is they don’t have the same kind of OL nor passing game that they had last year, so they should be a BIT easier to defend but still a tough task. USC is also preparing for Arkansas' Wildcat package, which features McFadden at QB and Jones at RB. Just as they did last week, beating the blockers to the point of attack will be something they’ll work on in each practice. Preventing the Razorback running backs from getting to the second level of the defense is key.

As expected, Heath Batchelor and Seaver Brown took most of the snaps at offensive guard, and Gurminder Thind also received his share of work. Lemuel Jeanpierre and Garrett Anderson could see time on Saturday as well. It just depends on how things go with the starters. Thind would probably be the first man off the bench, though. Jeanpierre has been challenged to stop thinking and start playing. The mental side of things is what’s holding him back the most. He has to trust himself a bit more than he has been. Overall, the offensive line seems to have found some much needed confidence after things came together in the second half against UT.

At wide receiver, Kenny McKinley and Dion Lecorn ran first team and had good nights. Moe Brown is slowly seeing an increase in his snaps, and is going get his chances to make some plays down field. If he can just break through and make a couple, the coaches think he’s capable of becoming a much more productive player. He’s also getting better as a blocker, something he struggled with earlier in the year. Same with Freddie Brown.

Blake Mitchell has hit his stride, and his performance against the Vols carried over to Monday’s practice. He had one of the best passing games of his career in the second half against Arkansas last year. While he doesn’t have Sidney Rice to throw to this year, Arkansas isn’t as talented nor as experienced in the secondary as they were last year. They’re going to be very aggressive, which should give Mitchell and his receivers the opportunity for some big plays if they can execute. Overall, Mitchell seems much more relaxed and the players have rallied around him. One thing he worked on last night was getting rid of the ball quicker and knowing when to take a little bit off his passes versus throwing a rope.

The offense still has some wrinkles they can use that teams haven’t seen from them this year, and this could be the week they break some of them out.

The players are excited about the offensive turnaround and their chances to finish the season with a bang. This is a big game this weekend, and everyone seems excited about the chance to get back on the winning track.
 
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Before getting into the discussion I must say that it is a tragedy what happened to the 6 USC students and 1 Clemson student who were killed in a fire over the weekend. I also must wish senior Robert Quinn the best, he is a youngman still in HS rated as the #3 player in SC who might never play a down again. Quinn underwent brain surgery yesterday for a tumor. Its been a sad weekend for those associated with Garnet and Black
 
Tough week as well...awful story.

On another story, at first glance SC +4.5 looks tasty....look forward to reading your analysis throughout the week.
 
I'm not sure what the number will be, but I think I will probably be on the over with anything less than 56. South Carolina's dirty little secret is that they can't stop a power running game and haven't been able to for years. Arky can put up huge plays through the running game and with Jones returning kicks normally have great field position. Plus, Arky struggles mightily against good passing teams, which South Carolina can obviosly do well if Mitchell is hot. Arky will plan on playing man to man and bringing heat which obviously leaves the opportunity for big plays. I see a 35-31 type game.
 
RunningBackU said:
I'm not sure what the number will be, but I think I will probably be on the over with anything less than 56. South Carolina's dirty little secret is that they can't stop a power running game and haven't been able to for years. Arky can put up huge plays through the running game and with Jones returning kicks normally have great field position. Plus, Arky struggles mightily against good passing teams, which South Carolina can obviosly do well if Mitchell is hot. Arky will plan on playing man to man and bringing heat which obviously leaves the opportunity for big plays. I see a 35-31 type game.
Click to expand...

I somewhat agree with that. I have to say that they have much more trouble with teams who have a runnign QB and run the read option (UF).

Arky ran for 250 on SC last yr but they don't have the same offense up front and SC is better on defense. I think they will be held to 175ish on the ground.

Jones returning kicks worries me more than Jones-McFadden in the backfield on a 1dimensional offense. No one is worried about them throwing the ball and their secondary sucks so if they line up man to man and bring heat, they are in big trouble, that is not how you defend this SC offense. You double Kenny, you cover the TE, and you load up everyone else vs. the run, SC gets away from teams doing that by moving to 3-4 WR sets and getting Kenny out in space and than use the backs in the passing game. You stop the SC offense from moving when you stop McKinnley really because he is the one picking up the big yardage in the important situations. You either must have a good lockdown corner or shade him with 2 guys

If SC had won vs. Tennessee, I would of already locked in SC+4.5 but I have to make sure the emotional state of these 18-22yr old kids is focused and not feeling sorry for themselves.
 
I'm very saddened by the loss of life due to that fire. As a firefighter myself, I can tell you that it's not easy for friends and family to accept such a tragic death by such young people that were just starting their life. I also feel for the firefighters that had to drag the bodies out of that fire. That is something that will stay etched in their minds for as long as they live. Such young lives lost affects everyone. :prayer
 
spanishshark said:
I'm very saddened by the loss of life due to that fire. As a firefighter myself, I can tell you that it's not easy for friends and family to accept such a tragic death by such young people that were just starting their life. I also feel for the firefighters that had to drag the bodies out of that fire. That is something that will stay etched in their minds for as long as they live. Such young lives lost affects everyone. :prayer
Click to expand...
much respect shark, takes a real man to run into a building when every1 else is running out
 
No one talks about Arkansas running back Darren McFadden winning the Heisman Trophy anymore.

Oh, McFadden is doing just fine. He's leading the SEC in rushing with 993 total yards, an average of 124.1 yards per game. His talented sidekick, Felix Jones (863 yards), is second in the league in rushing with an average of 107.9 yards per game.

It's the entire Razorbacks team that's treading water.

Despite last Saturday's 58-10 nonconference victory over Florida International, Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt has faced a season of discontent following a tumultuous off-season that included allegations of an extra-marital affair.

The Razorbacks' 1-3 conference mark probably has a lot to do with the current fan unrest. But, while Arkansas is struggling within the SEC, Nutt was pleased about last weekend's easy victory over FIU in which the Arkansas defense forced seven turnovers from the winless Panthers, creating a short field for the offense on several occasions.

Arkansas piled up 439 total yards in the win, including 249 yards on the ground.

Starting QB Casey Dick left the game early in the 2nd quarter after suffering a slight concussion when he was belted by a FIU defender on a pass attempt. Backup Nathan Emert played the rest of the game at quarterback and completed 11-for-20 passes for 130 yards and 1 touchdown.

"I think (Dick) will be ready to go (Monday)," Nutt said. "He's just a little sore (with) a little bruise. I think he'll be fine. I was really proud of Nathan Emert. I thought he came in and did a good job of taking control of the huddle and executing.

"He's highly intelligent and he's always studied and prepared as if he's going to play every game. That's what you love about him. He's very mature. It's not like that was his first game and you could tell. He's played before, understand the game and I was just really proud of him."

Dick is expected to recover by the time the Gamecocks arrive in Fayetteville for Saturday's SEC clash.

"Those are tough games to play," Nutt said. "I thought, for the most part, we had great preparation during the week and our guys came out ready to play. Our defense made it very easy because of the short field (because) we kept getting interceptions and fumbles. We've done a really good job the last few games with turnovers. That's really helped everything."

McFadden carried 19 times for 61 yards, the second fewest yards for the All-American this season. He did score a career-high four touchdowns, however. Jones, who is averaging a gaudy eights yards per carry this season, led Arkansas with 90 yards on 17 carries.

McFadden finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting last season and entered the 2007 season as one of the front runners for the most recognized individual award in sports.

He looked the part of a Heisman Trophy contender in the early going, rushing for 519 yards in the first three games, an average of 173 yards per game. However, in the last five games, since suffering a bothersome shoulder injury against Kentucky, McFadden has averaged 94.8 yards per game (474 yards).

Arkansas received a boost when All-SEC wide receiver Marcus Monk made his first start of the season after fighting back from two knee surgeries to repair and remove torn cartilage. He had two catches, one for a touchdown, totaling for 19 yards.

"It was good to see Marcus Monk back out there. I think that really gave us a lift," Nutt said. "Even though he's dressed out a couple of times, we didn't know if he'd get one or two plays here and there. We knew during the week when he made a couple practice days that he was going to play for sure. I think the one thing you see is there's that respect (from defenses) for No. 85."

The pair of catches were Monk's first two of the season. He has 124 receptions for 2,026 yards and 25 touchdowns in his stellar career.

"Very few people can practice for one week and go in and catch a touchdown pass," Nutt said. "That's what he gives you. He gives you that experience, that leadership. He gives you that route-running ability and all those things. I'm glad to have him back."

Nutt hopes Monk, who caught a touchdown pass off a deflection on the final play of the first half in last year's USC-Arkansas game, is healthy enough to play a significant number of snaps on Saturday.

"I'm hoping that (Monk) can go in and give us seven to nine (catches)," Nutt said. "The other thing is that he's a threat and people are going to have to respect that he's out there. I like it when they double cover him. That helps everything. I don't know how sore he is. He really put (work) in last week and really pushed himself physically. We'll see how he feels and hopefully he's out at practice."

Nutt understands Arkansas will need all its weapons on offense to challenge a USC defense that's ranked fifth in the league in total defense (322.9 ypg) and fourth in scoring defense (17.8 ppg). USC held Tennessee to 112 yards in the second half.

"They're faster (than they were last year). (Eric) Norwood, their defensive end, really stands out," Nutt said. "They have a safety, (Emanuel) Cook, that really stands out. They fly around the ball and you see they're not giving up many points. They don't give up any explosive plays. I don't see any big plays.

"They have the No. 1 secondary in the conference in pass defense. They've done a great job of getting everything together. They lost one of the Brinkley brothers, but they are physical and they are fast. They're much faster than last year and the secondary seems to be better."

Four victories in the last five games – three over mediocre nonconference foes – have put the Razorbacks one win shy of bowl eligibility with a 5-3 overall mark.

But difficult obstacles remain, beginning with Saturday's 8 p.m. meeting with USC. After the Gamecocks leave town, Arkansas must face Tennessee, improving Mississippi State and national power LSU over the final three weeks of the season.

"This league, especially this year, is so crazy and it's such a competitive league," Nutt said. "Each Saturday, anyone (can beat anyone). Everything has changed from top to bottom. You're looking at maybe eleven teams that have a chance to go to a bowl game. They all have a chance. I'm not saying they will go, but they have a chance. So this is a tough, tough, tough league."

The three conference losses to date represent just one defeat less than all of last season when Arkansas won the SEC Western Division and advanced to play in the SEC Championship game against eventual national champion Florida.

But the Razorbacks closed out the campaign with three straight losses, leading to shouts of protest by many Hawg fans for Nutt to be fired.
 
Regardless of how SC matches up with Arky, opening this at +6 was an absolute joke IMO. Arkansas is a bad football team.
 
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 6px; PADDING-LEFT: 6px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px; PADDING-TOP: 6px" vAlign=top>A few tidbits from Tuesday's practice....</TD><TD class="" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 6px; PADDING-LEFT: 6px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px; PADDING-TOP: 6px" vAlign=bottom noWrap align=right 1??>Reply</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><HR color=#cccccc noShade>The biggest news from Tuesday’s practice is more starters have been placed on the punt and kickoff coverage teams. Needless to say, coach Spurrier and the rest of the coaches were not happy with the way those units performed against Tennessee, and they’re not going to stand pat. Time will tell if the changes will lead to improved play, but they certainly get the best players on the field. The key is for them to go full speed and play with the reckless abandon special teams requires.

Nobody is more upset about the loss to Tennessee than Ryan Succop, and I hear he has been taking his frustrations out on the football in practice. The ball has always made a different sound when he kicks it, and that’s said to be even more evident the last couple of days.

Blake Mitchell distributed the ball well in yesterday’s practice, and despite a few drops, the receivers are getting better. The offensive line also had a solid but not overly impressive day. I look for the Gamecocks to be multiple on Saturday in terms of formations and offensive approach.

The defense continued to prepare for the Razorback running game and their Wildcat formation. The defensive line, in particular, is on the spot this week and needs to have one of its best games of the year.

On the injury front, it was determined recently that Jason Barnes has a broken ankle. It was originally thought to be a sprain, but he's now in a cast to help the broken bone heal.
 
With y'all all the way on USC. Got it at 4.5. Arkansas is so baaaad, they should be sheep instead of hogs. USC is undervalued here.

GL ETG. I've enjoyed your write ups, thanks for them.
 
RunningBackU said:
I'm not sure what the number will be, but I think I will probably be on the over with anything less than 56. South Carolina's dirty little secret is that they can't stop a power running game and haven't been able to for years. Arky can put up huge plays through the running game and with Jones returning kicks normally have great field position. Plus, Arky struggles mightily against good passing teams, which South Carolina can obviosly do well if Mitchell is hot. Arky will plan on playing man to man and bringing heat which obviously leaves the opportunity for big plays. I see a 35-31 type game.
Click to expand...

RB, I wanted to point something else out to you but forgot about the over. Its def. something to consider.


I don't think Arkansas touches 30 points, no team has touched 30 this yr on SC and only 2 teams have done it in the last 22 games vs. them. For whatever reason, SC is a pretty good scoring defense, even when the rest of the defense has its lapses. Now with Arky running the ball a lot, the clock will likely be moving. Just throwing it out there as something to think about.
 
Scott Hood
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
<SCRIPT language=javascript> if ((bIEWindowBrowser) && (navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 6.") != -1)) document.write("<div id=outercontainer style='height:220px;'>"); else document.write("<div id=outercontainer>"); document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in The Insiders Forum


After watching South Carolina commit multiple blunders in the final 84 seconds of last Saturday's overtime loss to Tennessee, head coach Steve Spurrier sat down in front of his TV for a leisurely afternoon of NFL football.

While surveying the New England-Washington game, Spurrier saw the team he wants the Gamecocks to emulate. The Patriots hustled all over the field defensively and on special teams in a 52-7 rout of the Redskins, the club Spurrier coached for two years.

"Not only do (the Patriots) go up and down the field (offensively), but their defense, when they knocked the ball out of the (the Redskin player's) hands, their defense got on it," Spurrier said. "The Redskin guys were looking around and, boom, their guys would go get it. They picked one up and scored. They got almost every loose ball. They just went after it. Their whole team plays that way."

Two statistics underscore Spurrier's concern about this year's USC team. Opponents have fumbled 16 times in nine games this season. USC has recovered five of those loose balls, less than one-third of the total. In addition, USC is last in the SEC in third-down conversions with a lowly 36.1 percent (44 of 122) success rate.

Both sets of numbers are unacceptable, Spurrier said.

"I don't know how scrappy we are. North Carolina had two fumbles in the fourth quarter and Tennessee had two fumbles on the last drive and we haven't gotten any of them yet," Spurrier said. "So we're not real scrappy getting fumbles. I'm embarrassed we can't fall on a fumble. Offensively, we're at the bottom of the league in third-down conversions. So we're not very good there either. Those are some areas that we don't appear to be real scrappy."

One play from the Tennessee game that still bothers Spurrier was the roughing the punter penalty on freshman Cliff Matthews midway through the first quarter when the Volunteers were punting from their own 14. The penalty gave Tennessee a first down at its 29 and allowed them to run four more plays to the SC 44 before punting the ball back.

"We don't do things that good teams do," Spurrier said. "We haven't coached very well and our players haven't played very smartly or very disciplined. That's why we've lost a couple (of games) here that we could've won. But we'll keep working on it and go from there."

After Tennessee punted, USC took over at its 7-yard line instead of near midfield had the Matthews penalty not occurred. On the sixth play of the possession, Freddie Brown caught a pass but fumbled at the UT 44. It was scooped up by UT's Eric Berry and returned to the USC 4-yard line.

"I was just telling our guys in here the other day, do you think New England would ever rough the punter, do you think that's part of their game plan like it is ours?" Spurrier said. "We've had three this year. It's ridiculous. It's a reflection on me and my coaches that we can't teach our guys not to rough the punter."

USC enters Saturday's 8 p.m. nationally televised clash (ESPN2) with the Razorbacks knowing they must find a way to limit Arkansas' powerful rushing attack led by the dynamic duo of Darren McFadden (993 yards) and Felix Jones (863), the top two rushers in the SEC.

Behind McFadden and Jones, Arkansas tops the SEC in scoring offense (40.2 ppg) and total offense (450.9). The Razorbacks generate 63.8 percent of their offense from the ground game.

Starting quarterback Casey Dick, who came off the bench to spark Arkansas to a 26-20 victory over USC last season, suffered a slight concussion in last Saturday's 58-10 victory over Florida International but will likely play Saturday.

While the running game numbers posted by Arkansas are impressive, the current stretch of four wins in five games has been keyed by a solid defense that's allowed just 9.8 points per game (49 total points) and 270.2 yards per game of total offense.

Arkansas would fall to 1-4 in the SEC with a loss to the Gamecocks, so USC expects to encounter a desperate team. The Razorbacks have experienced fourth quarter problems in losses to Alabama (TD pass in final seconds), Kentucky (21 fourth quarter points) and Auburn (FG in final seconds).

Spurrier believes Arkansas is better than its record indicates, even though its five wins have come over four mediocre nonconference foes and Ole Miss (2-7), the worst team in the SEC.

"Arkansas is a very good team," Spurrier said. "They've lost three close games. They lost to Alabama and Auburn and lost to Kentucky in a game that they were ahead. They've got three losses just like us. They've still got four games. They certainly have a chance for a big year. A lot can happen."

USC slipped past Arkansas, 14-10, two years ago in the last game between the teams at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. Blake Mitchell threw a touchdown pass to Kenny McKinley on the final play of the third quarter for the game-winning points.

"We went out there a couple of years ago and got a couple of breaks," Spurrier said. "Somehow, we found a way to win the game. Hopefully, we can do that again this year. We're excited about going out there. We've got to play well during crunch time to have a chance to beat these guys. In all likelihood, it'll be a close game."

Mitchell replaced starter Chris Smelley early in the second quarter of last weekend's defeat at Tennessee and went on to enjoy one of the best games of his career by completing 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards and one touchdown, a game-tying toss to Kenny McKinley.

Mitchell was successful on 24 of 36 passes for 234 yards in the second half when he directed three consecutive TD drives to rally the Gamecocks from a 21-0 deficit.

As a result of his remarkable second half performance, Spurrier officially named Mitchell Tuesday as the starting QB for the Arkansas game.

"We just think he's the best guy right now to go win the game for us," Spurrier said. "We're going to give him every opportunity to do that. He's very capable. If we pass block pretty well, he's got a chance to play well."

While nothing is guaranteed when you're a college quarterback for Spurrier, there's no question he wants Mitchell to finish the season, and his career, on a strong note.

"Hopefully, (Mitchell) will have a big game for us," Spurrier said. "Hopefully, he'll play well. Blake had a lot of good plays here and there (against UT). Obviously, at the end, he missed a few guys and had the dropped snap out of shotgun that really hurt. We're going to give Blake the opportunity to finish the year as a starter."

If Mitchell remains the starter for the rest of the season, both he and Smelley will have six starts to their credit. Spurrier wants next season will be different.

"Hopefully, in the near future, the same quarterback can go most of the year," Spurrier said. "That's sort of what we're hoping will happen. But it hasn't quite happened this year. I always hope the starter can have a big game and go to the next game.

"But I can't foresee the future. At some point, our quarterbacks hopefully will go out there with a lot of confidence. We've got a lot of nervous guys for some reason. Hopefully we can play with a little bit more confidence."

Although Mitchell and Tommy Beecher are listed as the top two quarterbacks on this week's depth chart, Spurrier said Tuesday the pair of quarterbacks most likely to see action over the final three regular season games are Mitchell and Smelley, who is 17 of 29 for 194 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in the last two games.

"(Mitchell) and Smelley will do most of the playing, I think, the rest of the way," Spurrier said. "Hopefully, Blake will do most of the playing, if he can hang in there and so forth."

USC outgained Tennessee, 355-112, and had 22 first downs to four for the Vols in the second half. Nevertheless, Spurrier refuses to take any encouragement from the second half play of the Gamecocks.

"I don't get much encouragement out of losing a game when we had so many opportunities to win," Spurrier said. "But that's history. Just like the Vandy game, we don't need to dwell on that. Hopefully, someday we can play well when the game is on the line. Offensively, we didn't quite do that."

USC heads into the weekend tied for third in the SEC Eastern Division with Florida. Both teams are 3-3 in the conference, and trail Georgia (4-2) and Tennessee (3-2). USC is still alive mathematically in the division race but will need help from some other teams. Spurrier knows the Gamecocks could be 5-1 had they been able to make a few more plays in the losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

"Our guys are getting out of (the dumps) quickly," Spurrier said. "We'll be ready to play Arkansas. We can't undo what happened, but we've still got a chance to do some big things. Who knows what's going to happen down the road. Tennessee still plays Arkansas, Kentucky and Vandy. Georgia, they play Auburn and Kentucky. They've got those two left. A lot can still happen in the SEC."

DEPTH CHART FOR ARKANSAS GAME: (I BOLDED NON-Senior Starters)


OFFENSE
Quarterback – Mitchell (Beecher and Smelley)
Running Back – C. Boyd (Davis)
Fullback – Stafford (DiMarco)
Wide Receiver – McKinley (Freeman and M. Brown)
Wide Receiver – Lecorn (F. Brown and Culliver)
Left Tackle – Meredith
Left Guard – S. Brown (Anderson)
Center – W. Brown (Anderson)
Right Guard – Jeanpierre (Batchelor)
Right Tackle – Sorensen (Batchelor)
Tight End – A. Boyd (Cook)

DEFENSE
Defensive End – Norwood (R. Brown)
Defensive Tackle – Hall (Williams)
Defensive Tackle – Ajiboye (Reaves)
Defensive End – C. Brinkley (Robertson)
Strongside Linebacker – Paulk (Sinclair)
Middle Linebacker – Sapp (Ingram)
Weakside Linebacker – Matthews (Wells)
Cornerback – Munnerlyn (Williams)
Free Safety – Stewart (Woodson)
Strong Safety – Cook (Hampton)
Cornerback – Thomas (Isaac).
 
Space Geauxst said:
With y'all all the way on USC. Got it at 4.5. Arkansas is so baaaad, they should be sheep instead of hogs. USC is undervalued here.

GL ETG. I've enjoyed your write ups, thanks for them.
Click to expand...

no prob, gl on the play. I just have to make sure this team is focused this week. Sure these practice reports indicate that but with the line being steady, I am taking my time. I wouldn't of hesitated to grab +6 though, damn that shit is just wrong
 
Scott Hood
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
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If anything, South Carolina's football players are resilient.

While the devastating loss to Tennessee was painful, the Gamecock players have, by all accounts, shaken off the setback and started focusing entirely on Saturday's road matchup with Arkansas.

"We're not going to let last week's game mess with our heads," running back Cory Boyd said. "We're going to let it go and focus on getting a win and finish 9-3. We have to start out strong. They're going to give us their best shot and we have to give them ours back. We can't have any letdowns, just start out fast and strong. We have to play all four quarters. Hopefully some of the younger guys get that and do the same."

ESPN2 will nationally televise the game from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium at 8 p.m.

"I think we're okay. Our guys get over losses pretty well," Spurrier said. "They get over them better than us coaches. But it's history. We're not the first team to ever lose a close game that could have gone either way. We've won some like that in the past. We have to put it behind us and say we didn't play well enough to win the game."

USC started the season 6-1 with victories over Georgia and Kentucky, but has now lost two consecutive games to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. With 10 or 11 SEC schools likely to be bowl eligible, the Gamecocks need a seventh win to assure participation in a bowl game.

Following this weekend's trip to Fayetteville, USC closes out the regular season with home contests against Florida and arch-rival Clemson.

"Every game is a make or break," Boyd said. "We've had two losses back to back and I'm grateful my team is not holding their heads back. That's the best part. We know Arkansas is a good team. They're going to try to run the ball. We know exactly what we have to do. It's going to be a physical game and we're looking forward to it."

Spurrier announced Tuesday that fifth-year senior QB Blake Mitchell will start his first game since the LSU game Sept. 22. He was sensational in the second half of the Tennessee games and finished with 31 completions in 45 pass attempts for 290 yards. But it was far from a flawless performance, Spurrier said Wednesday.

"He missed some open guys there at the end," Spurrier said on Wednesday. "A little bit better throw might have made a difference. He played well, but not good enough to win. But he got us in position offensively but we didn't do much after that."

While Arkansas has the best rushing attack in the SEC with Darren McFadden (993 yards) and Felix Jones (863 yards) showing the way, the Razorbacks are 10th in passing offense. Either way, Spurrier says Arkansas is one of the most physical teams in the league.

"They're one of the most physical (teams in the SEC)," Spurrier said. "They're very aggressive on defense and offense. They can line up and run it on third-and-8. It doesn't matter to them. They can run or throw on any down."

Starting QB Casey Dick has thrown for 160 yards just once this season when he had 210 yards against hapless North Texas.

However, Dick could benefit from the return of All-SEC wide receiver Marcus Monk from two summer surgeries to repair and remove torn cartilage that has severely limited his availability this season.

"What we have to do first is stop the running game," Spurrier said. "Arkansas is leading the conference in offense for a reason. They can run it and now they've got a big target coming back to throw to. They present as many problems as any team in the league offensively."

BATCHELOR NAMED STARTING RIGHT GUARD: Spurrier named redshirt freshman Heath Batchelor as the starting right guard following Wednesday's practice. Based on his performance in the second half of last week's game at Tennessee, Spurrier's decision was hardly a surprise. He described it as the "big news" of the day.

"It looks like he's going to start," Spurrier said. "What is he, our fourth or fifth starting right guard? Maybe he can hang into it."

Batchelor, a native of Haleyville, Ala., will make his first career start at a position that has already seen Lemuel Jeanpierre (5 games), Garrett Anderson (1 game) and James Thompson (3 games) open games there. It's been a position in flux, to say the least.

Spurrier said he was "encouraged" by how Batchelor performed in the Tennessee game. Batchelor (6-foot-7, 304 pounds) and Justin Sorensen (6-foot-7, 325 pounds) will form a massive right side of the offensive line, possibly the biggest in the league.

They may be the biggest duo Spurrier has ever had on the right side of the offensive line, he said. "Heath sort of held his own the other day," Spurrier said. "He didn't whiff like some of our other guys have been doing. There's a good chance he'll play a lot in there."

Seaver Brown is the likely starter at left guard, Spurrier said, with Garrett Anderson and Gurminder Anderson involved in the battle as well.

"Seaver is still holding on in there," Spurrier said.

MITCHELL READY FOR FIRST START IN SIX GAMES: The 2007 season is playing out a lot like the 2006 season for quarterback Blake Mitchell. The fifth-year senior from LaGrange, Ga. will make his fourth start of the season on Saturday in Fayetteville.

Mitchell, who played the entire second half at Tennessee in his most extensive action since the LSU game, was his typical stoic self when he met with reporters Wednesday evening following practice.

"I'm happy to be out there and hopefully this Saturday we can put some things together and win this one," Mitchell said. "I'd been sitting there waiting patiently for another chance. When I went out there I did some decent things."

Mitchell had one of the best performances of his career over 2-1/2 quarters in last week's game at Tennessee, competing 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards and one touchdown. He credited the way he played to a new attitude that has relaxed him.

His career at USC will last another three regular season games and, hopefully, a bowl game as well.

"I just went out there with nothing to lose and tried to play as hard as I could and tried to make as few mistakes as possible," Mitchell said. "I just need to go out there and just play the game and have fun and let it go and not worry about anything. That's when I play my best."

Added Spurrier: "He's looked about the same for three years. He looks fine out there."

NORWOOD LOOKS FORWARD TO CHALLENGE: Eric Norwood is second on the Gamecocks with 51 tackles. With Arkansas expected to try to run the ball right at USC, which is 10th in the SEC in rushing defense, he knows the Gamecock defenders will have to play physical in order to contain the duo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

"McFadden and Jones are very special backs," Norwood said. "I have a lot of respect for those guys. They're one of the best tandems in the SEC. I think we have one with Cory (Boyd) and Mike Davis, so we see something similar in practice every day."

McFadden set his career high of 219 yards in last year's victory over USC at Williams-Brice Stadium, breaking loose for a 43-yard TD run in the first quarter. In two games against USC, McFadden has rushed for 406 yards and two touchdowns on 57 carries.

"That's not something I like too much, that he set his career high (against USC)," Norwood said. "I want him to do well but not against us. Last year, we got out of our gaps. Against any other back we might have made a tackle or just stopped them for a 20-yard gain. But with a guy like McFadden, a 20-yard gain for a mediocre back is a touchdown for him."

While Norwood is listed as a defensive end, he's been spending most of his time in recent weeks standing up at an outside linebacker spot. He had five tackles against Tennessee last Saturday, the fifth time in seven games he's recorded the same number of tackles.

"We've got a bunch of stuff where I'm still standing up," Norwood said. "That's the majority of our stuff. That's the type of defense we're really turning into. We still have our base 4-3 stuff if need be, but I'm basically at outside linebacker and at D-end with my hand down occasionally."

USC's game plan against Arkansas is simple: stop the run and force the Razorbacks to throw the ball, something they struggle with.

"If we stop the run like we plan on, they'll be forced to pass and it will turn into our type of game," Norwood said. "If they want to bang it out and run all day, we can bang it. (MaFadden) is very hard guy to bring down if you tackle him high. He'll run through arm tackles and jump over you if you come at him as the wrong angle. We have to hit him low. If you hit him low, they all go down."

ARKANSAS REPORT: Arkansas closes out the 2007 schedule with four SEC games starting with Saturday's contest against USC. The Razorbacks practiced Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Our guys came out with a good attitude today," head coach Houston Nutt said. "They realize we're playing a good football team (Saturday). There is a lot of football left in the season, so it's time to roll up our sleeves and go to work. The competition is going to a new level."

After leaving last Saturday's game against Florida International with a slight concussion and neck injury as a result of a blindside hit, quarterback Casey Dick practiced Tuesday afternoon and took his 'normal amount of snaps,' according to a report on Hogwired.com.

Dick, who came off the bench to lead Arkansas to a victory over USC last year, should be under center when the game starts. Dick has completed 53.4 percent (87 of 163) for 979 yards and 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.

"It was nice to get back out here," Dick said. "It was a good day of practice. Probably the best Tuesday we've had. That was probably the biggest hit I've taken of any time. It was a good hit, a nice clean hit. He did a good number (on me)."

Dick will try to throw against the second-best passing defense in the nation. USC is surrendering 153.7 passing yards per game. Only Ohio State is surrendering fewer yards.

"South Carolina has the best secondary we've faced by far," Arkansas offensive coordinator David Lee said. "You look at their latest game, Tennessee, the second half they just covered them up. That's why there wasn't anywhere to throw."

After Dock exited the Florida International game, backup Nathan Emert came on and completed 13 of 25 passes for 154 yards. Nutt quickly short-circuited any talk of a quarterback controversy this week. Dick has received the majority of snaps in practice thus far.

"I think it's been about 60-40 (practice snaps for Dick). Sometimes 65-35, right in there," Nutt said. "I don't want to sit here on Tuesday and say 'this certain play,' or 'if he doesn't do right.' I was proud of Nathan and the way he came in and got things done, and I'm proud of Casey and what he's done. We're going to play the guy that's moving the team and getting the ball in the end zone, and we'll see which guy it is. But right now, Casey's starting."

When Arkansas isn't handing the ball to either Darren McFadden or Felix Jones, Dick will try to throw to 6-foot-6 wide receiver Marcus Monk, who made his second appearance of the season last Saturday against Florida International. He had two receptions for 19 yards.

"He's such a leader, he's such a winner," Nutt said. "He's been great in the locker room and he's done so many great things. Having him on the field, he's going to make a play. We've been missing him a great deal. It's hurt our running game a little bit. It's hurt our passing game, as everybody knows. He gives us a tremendous lift."

NOTES:

-- Spurrier reported no major injuries to any of USC's active players.

-- Dustin Lindsey, who hasn't played since re-aggravating a knee injury in the Georgia game while covering a kickoff, is scheduled to undergo another surgery on the knee, Spurrier said. "They were hoping it wasn't as serious as it was," Spurrier said. "But he needs another surgery to repair some cartilage or something in there."

-- Spurrier said "someone in the marketing department" came up with the idea of putting stickers dedicated to the six USC student that perished in a beach fire last weekend on USC's helmets for this week's game. "Someone talked with (Director of Football Operations) Jamie Speronis and he mentioned it to me and I thought it was a wonderful idea."
 
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Getting Better All The Time

posted by Scott Hood, 10/31/2007 11:42:00 PM

Few college football teams manage to make it through an entire season unscathed. This year’s South Carolina teams has plenty of flaws as we have seen in the last two games, both defeats to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. But the Gamecocks are 6-3 and still involved in the SEC East race. For a team that has few senior starters, that’s pretty good.

But there’s plenty of room to get better. Here are the five things I believe USC needs to improve the most between now and the conclusion of the season. If you’re a USC fan, you hope that won’t be until Jan. 1.

1. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY: This has been the Achilles heel of the offense for the past three weeks. USC is last in the SEC in third-down efficiency with a success rate of 36.1 percent (44 of 122). But it wasn’t always like this. The Gamecocks converted 23 of 47 third down opportunities during a three-game stretch against LSU (8/16), Mississippi State (9/18) and Kentucky (6/13).

But the percentage dropped off to a dismal 8.3 percent (2 of 24) with consecutive 1 for 12 performances against North Carolina and Vanderbilt. In the first half of the Tennessee game, USC converted 2 of 7 third down chances. Add it up and that’s 4 of 31 over a 10-quarter span. No wonder USC went eight quarters without a touchdown.

The difficulty on third downs has produced a predictable outcome – USC has already punted 45 times this season, an average of five times per game. The Gamecocks punted just 30 times all of last season when they converted 47.7 percent (72 of 151) of third downs. Overall, USC’s third down success rate has fallen 11.6 percent. That’s a huge drop.

Steve Spurrier has lamented the absence of Syvelle Newton (darn those NCAA eligibility rules!) lion several occasions this season. Now you know why.

2. TURNOVER MARGIN: I’ve said before that turnover margin might be the most important statistic in football. Few successful teams fall below the break-even mark in this category.

Last week’s game at Tennessee provides the perfect example of how important turnovers are. USC fumbled after a pass completion and threw a ill-advised interception in the opening 15:12 of the game. Both turnovers led to Tennessee touchdowns. That’s 14 points right there.

USC is 11th in the SEC with a minus-5 turnover margin. That’s shows two things – 1) they’re committing too many turnovers themselves; and 2) they’re not forcing enough turnovers. The team with the lowest turnover margin? Ole Miss at minus-8. I can assure you that’s a major reason the Rebels are 2-7 overall and still haven’t won a conference game.

USC should make it a goal to get to the break-even mark in turnover margin by the end of the regular season. If they can go plus-five in turnovers over the next three games, they’ll have an excellent chance to win all three games and finish 9-3.

3. LEVEL OF PLAY AT HOME: USC has played five home games so far in 2007. They’re 4-1 at home, 2-2 on the road. However, the last time we saw the Gamecocks on the turf at Williams-Brice Stadium they were dropping a 17-6 decision to Vanderbilt. That performance followed sluggish performances against Louisiana-Lafayette and S.C. State. USC did play well for the most part in victories over Mississippi State (38-21) and Kentucky (38-23).

But with the regular season set to conclude with contests against Florida and Clemson at Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecock will have to pick up their level of play to beat the defending national champions Gators and the arch-rival Tigers. Both of those opponents possess plenty of talent on both sides of the ball.

USC committed six turnovers against S.C. State and still won by a 38-3 margin. That won’t work against Florida or Clemson. If they do the same thing in either of those games, the Gamecocks will get blown out.

4. RUN DEFENSE: USC is currently 10th in the SEC in rushing defense, allowing 169.2 yards per game. All three opponents USC will face over the final four weeks (USC has an open date 11/17) of the regular season have very good rushing attacks.

Arkansas is first in the SEC and third in the SEC in rushing offense with an average of 287.6 ypg. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones are one-two in the SEC in rushing yards. Florida is third in the SEC in rushing with an average of 186.9 ypg. But their rushing leader isn’t a running back, it’s quarterback Tim Tebow, who is averaging 70.4 ypg running draws and sprint plays.

Clemson, as most of you know, features the RB duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Both players are dangerous when they have the ball in their hands. Spiller had a couple of long TD runs in last year's USC-Clemson game.

In short, USC will have the tighten their belt and hunker down with some ferocious run defense over the final three games. If the Gamecocks don’t, they will find little success on the scoreboard.

5. THE INTANGIBLES: When I say “intangibles” I mean factors you can’t quantify like intelligence, awareness, hustle and scrappiness. Spurrier has bemoaned the fact USC often doesn’t play smart. In his words, they make too many “dumb plays.” One of those plays came late in the game when Tennessee was allowed to return the ensuing kickoff after Ryan Succop’s go-ahead field goal to midfield. There were multiple blown assignments on the coverage. Prior to that, USC had roughed the punter, giving the ball back to the Vols for a fresh set of downs.

Later, on the drive that produced Tennessee’s game-tying field goal, the Vols fumbled twice but recovered each time. Often, who recovers a fumble is the one who hustled the most. Here's a telling statistic - USC’s opponents have fumbled 16 times this season. The Gamecocks have recovered five of them. That’s less than one-third. That percentage must increase. Recovering a fumble is mostly a matter of awareness, hustle and aggressiveness. Clearly, USC must improve in all of those areas. They won’t become a great team until they do.
 
Based on their inconsistency I've really grown to dislike this SC team. All right, a lot of that has to do with them losing me money.

But how could I go against that avatar?

Look at that little f**ker, he's awesome.
 
Joe Public said:
Based on their inconsistency I've really grown to dislike this SC team. All right, a lot of that has to do with them losing me money.

But how could I go against that avatar?

Look at that little f**ker, he's awesome.
Click to expand...

haha Joe, I updated the picture of that 6lb BEAST.


He is living up to his name as a terror, i mean terrier.

Onto those guys in SC, ahh very fustrating but I don't think the points will matter in this game. Arky will get their yards on the ground but the key is to keep those drives to field goals and no long runs. Don't give them good field position on kickoffs/punts, and don't turn the ball over 4 times. If they do that stuff, they win this game
 
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<HR color=#cccccc noShade>Special teams are beginning to take shape as USC tries to correct the coverage problems they’ve had the last couple of game and work to improve their return games. Chris Culliver and Captain Munnerlyn have both been one man away from breaking multiple returns for touchdowns, and this could be the week one or both breaks through.

The offensive line had what one source termed a steady practice. There were a few missed assignment here and there but nothing glaring. The starting five of Jamon Meredith, Seaver Brown, Web Brown, Heath Batchelor and Justin Sorensen are slowly gaining some continuity. This weekend will provide that particular group’s stiffest test yet, as Arkansas is sure to be more aggressive than Tennessee was last week. Gurminder Thind is also making some noise behind Brown and should see time this week.

Arkansas is sure to play a ton of press man coverage in this game, so Carolina has spent a lot of time working with the receivers on getting off the line as cleanly as possible. They also know Arkansas will mix in some zone to try to confuse Blake Mitchell, and they’ve worked against that as well. Don’t be surprised if you see some things from Carolina’s offense this week that you haven’t seen all year.

The defense has been all business this week. Not so coincidentally, they have worked a bit more than normal on fumble recovery drills this week. Coach Spurrier challenges each unit in different ways each week, and this week’s focus has been on turnovers and the defense seems to be responding well.

Overall, the team seems to be in good spirits and is looking to the future versus dwelling on the past. They know if the offense can perform like it did in the second half of the Tennessee game that they have the chance to finish the season very well.
 
Q&A with Arky Rivals insider



Trey, Thanks for your time. Several rumors have been swirling around McFadden being hurt? Any merit or all rumor mill stuff? Also the same on Felix?
<HR color=#cccccc noShade>

Darren and Felix are not any more beat up than any running back would be at this time. Darren's ribs have clearly been bothering him more than he's been letting on (he was trying to tell us he was 100% at one point), but that clearly wasn't true. However, now he's not wearing rib protection, and I believe they are fine. Felix has shown no signs of injury since he's been at the UA.


What is you opinion on the Arkansas defense this year? (Strengths, weaknesses, etc) Also, how do you feel about the Arkansas passing gameright now (we all know the running game is strong)? Also, could you give us a brief injury report? Thanks for your time.
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I think it hass been totally different from the first three games to the last five. Ever since they moved Kevin Woods to the starting lineup at safety and Michael Grant from safety to corner, they have steadily moved up the chart in pass efficiency defense in the SEC, and now they're No. 1. The linebackers have been steady, and there are five who are reliable. Though MLB Weston Dacus is at a point where he has to rest one or two days a week due to soreness (plays more snaps than anybody), he is a senior and always shows up. The defensive line is two deep across the board and, and all the backups are good to go for 25 snaps a game, which is huge. They'll rotate them in and out, four at a time. It's not as good a defense as last year, but they are coming together. It's hard to say a weakness because in their last five games, they've given up an average of 9.8 points per game, including 9 to Auburn and 8 to Ole Miss. Typical of a Reggie Herring defense, it starts slow and takes time to come together. This one is no different.

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Thanks for doing this Trey. How effective do you feel Monk will be this Saturday? Will he be more of a decoy or do you think he can log some god snaps and contribute? Thanks.
<HR color=#cccccc noShade>

He's not the same Marcus Monk, I can assure you. He's not capable of running routes where he has to make sharp cuts. However, his best routes have always been soft angle patters to the flag or post, and he does that well. He's not the same Marcus Monk yet, but he's still the best receiver on the team right now. While he won't play 40 snaps probably, he will have opportunities to make plays, and he's certainly a lot more confident on the knee than he was about three weeks ago. He's looked better at practice every day I've seen him.

Just out of curiosity, which position is Arkansas best at on defense? Offense (other than RB)?

Can you give us a name of one player from either side of the ball, other than McFadden, Jones, and Monk who we should look out for?
<HR color=#cccccc noShade>

Defensively, I'd say it has to be the defensive line. They may have allowed a couple of long runs early, but it was more missed assigments rather than them being pushed around. All the starter started playing very early in their careers as freshmen, and LE Sheppard may end up being the best of the bunch, so I'll say look out for him (he comes off the ball faster than any Razorback I can remember). I like that they have two senior corners, but they're thin there. I like the linebackers, too, but I just think the defensive line with the experience in the two deep and how healthy they've stayed all season gives them the edge.

I guess I'd have to give it to the right side of the offensive line on offense, though it's a big drop off after the backs - junior center Jonathan Luigs, senior guard Robert Felton and senior tackle Nate Garner. Throw in Andrew Davie at TE and his improved play lately as a receiver (always a good blocker), and I guess it's easy - right side of the OL. As for an offensive player to watch, since you didn't mention fullback Peyton Hillis, I'll definitely say him. He was hurt late last year, and it killed Arkansas late. With Monk now needing attention, and McFadden and Jones drawing spies, Hillis oftentimes finds himself wide open. He has arguably the best hands of any fullback in the nation, and he is a bull after the catch.

I see the Arky fullback leads the team in receiving yards. What does Arky do to get the FB involved in the passing game ? And where does he fit into the backfield when you already have McFadden and Jones ?

Thanks!
<HR color=#cccccc noShade>

Hillis should be listed as a 6-2, 245 all-purpose back. You will see him line up at H-back, fullback, tailback, tight end and wide receiver. They throw to him over the flats, on crossing patterns, and they love to fake anything to McFadden or Mcfadden and Jones and throw to a usually wide-open Hillis. He has great hands, so he almost always makes the play. In an I, he's the fullback. In the Racehorse, he's next to McFadden (shotgun). He lines up everywhere on offense but quarterback.



"Trey... How would you gameplan to beat the hawgs on O and D?"


Defensively, I'd blitz Casey Dick, spy with two and three on McFadden but stay leary of Jones. I'd allow Hillis to get his plays, risk Monk making a big play and keep the pressure on Dick and all eyes on McFadden.

Defensively, I'd test Arkansas' corners deep on fade patters as that has seemed to cause them problems in the past. Throwing over the middle on Arkansas' defense has proven costly to most teams.


1) Why doesn't Arkansas schedule us to play in Little Rock anymore? Don't get me wrong I dont miss it one little bit, but is there a little less rivalry now that Lou has left in your opinion ?

2) Rate McFaddens toughness on a scale of 1- 10.
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1) When the stadium in Fayetteville was renovated, they changed it to two games in LR and the rest in NWA. When Spurrier was hired, I think that increased the level of interest for fans in Arkansas, so why not bring a good-looking USC team to a 74,000-seat facility and bring a bad-looking MSU team to 51,000-seat facility in the trade-off. I think the rivalry continues to grow. I always felt it's a race between sister schools as to who can get to the top the fastest. The Lou Holtz deal provided a lot to the Rivalry, but Steve Spurrier's a big enough name that it just built on it. Been two very good games since Spurrier arrived.

2) 10. The guy never complains about anything. And I now know when he told me about three weeks ago after I asked, "When do you think you'll be 100 percent? (talking about his ribs," and he said, "I'm 100 percent now," that he was straight-up lying to me :-) A lot of guys would use that as an excuse for not having moster days he's used to. The guy is super-tough.
 
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com Senior Writer
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<TABLE width=550 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>The South Carolina Gamecocks travel to Fayetteville this weekend to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks and nation's No. 3 rushing attack. This game will also mark the return of dangerous receiver Marcus Monk. This article takes a look at five Gamecock defenders who will be on the spot Saturday night.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width=550><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#000000>FIVE ON THE SPOT</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#990000>Casper Brinkley, WLB, 6-2, 257, Sr., Thomson, Ga. </TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#dddddd><!--photo-->
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<!--photo-->Brinkley's running mate at defensive end, Eric Norwood, is sure to receive a lot of attention from the Razorback blockers, which should give Brinkley plenty of one-on-one situations and the opportunity to make a lot of plays on Saturday night. Brinkley may be the better run stopper of the two anyway, and all his skills will be needed to help corral Darren McFadden and Felix Jones before they get to the second level of the Gamecock defense.</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#990000>Marvin Sapp, LB, 5-11, 225, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#dddddd><!--photo-->
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<!--photo-->Sapp has adjusted well since taking over as the starting middle linebacker after Jasper Brinkley was lost for the season to injury in game four against LSU. Given how many times Arkansas is expected to run the ball on Saturday night, Sapp will be in position to make more plays in this game than in any other this year. He needs to do a good job of beating blockers to the point of attack, and when he fails to do that, he must get off blocks quickly enough to make tackles.</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#990000>Marque Hall, DT, 6-3, 302, Jr., Wingate, N.C. </TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#c7c3c3><!--photo-->
MARQUEHALL-100X120-20060325-CJD.JPG
<!--photo-->I could have just as easily listed Ladi Ajiboye or Jonathan Williams here, but it's time for Hall to have a breakout game where he controls the line of scrimmage more often than not. If he can win his share of battles in the middle of the line, it will do wonders for the Carolina defense in their effort to limit the running room McFadden and Jones have in this game. He can't do it alone, though, so Williams and Ajiboye also need to make their share of plays as well. </TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#990000>Emanuel Cook, SS, 5-10, 218, So., Riviera Beach, Fla. </TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#dddddd><!--photo-->
COOKE-20071027-100X120-PC-3.JPG
<!--photo-->With Arkansas expected to run the ball much more than they pass it, don't be surprised if Emanuel Cook is often used as an extra defender in the box to assist his teammates in stopping McFadden and Jones. Cook is the surest tackler on the team, and those skills will certainly come in very handy in this game, as there will also surely be instances where he's the last line of defense and the one who can prevent a decent run from turning into a backbreaker.</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#990000>Carlos Thomas, CB, 5-11, 192, Jr., College Park, Ga. </TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#c7c3c3><!--photo-->
THOMAS-20070922-100X120-CJD.JPG
<!--photo-->Thomas had a forgettable performance against the Razorbacks in last year's matchup, particularly when covering Marcus Monk. With Monk making his return from knee injury, this is Thomas' opportunity for redemption. Overall, Thomas has performed better this year in coverage, but you can be sure Houston Nutt will challenge Thomas in this contest and have Casey Dick look his way in crucial passing situations. Thomas needs to be up to the task.</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px" bgColor=#ffffff>.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 
Tony Morrell
GamecockCentral.com Senior Writer
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5 KEYS

Emanuel Cook and the South Carolina Gamecocks will take on Darren McFadden and the Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday night at 8:00 PM in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN2. This article takes a look at five things Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks must do to make sure they head back to Columbia with a victory in hand.

1. Stiffen when it matters most

It's no secret Arkansas has arguably the best running back duo in the nation in Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, and nobody they've faced or will face this season is going to shut them down. They're going to have their moments and they're going to be productive. What South Carolina has to do is win the key third down battles and excel in red zone defense. Arkansas converted on 50% of their third downs in last year's meeting between these two teams, and that number needs to be cut in half on Saturday night. They also need to force turnovers and field goal attempts as often as possible once the Razorbacks reach the red zone.

2. Force turnovers

Steve Spurrier has challenged his defense this week to force as many turnovers as they can and it's important they respond accordingly. Whether it's forcing and recovering fumbles, grabbing interceptions or creating a special teams miscue, the Gamecocks need to give their offense as many opportunities as they can to test Reggie Herring's aggressive defense.

3. Win the time of possession battle

Arkansas dominated this area in last year's game, holding the ball on offense for over 36 minutes of the contest. Carolina needs to find a way to either win that battle this year or at least break even to keep the dangerous Razorback running backs off the field as much as they can.

4. Handle the blitz

Arkansas runs an aggressive scheme on defense and you can bet they will try to take advantage of some of problems Carolina has had this year in picking up the blitz. If they can give Blake Mitchell the time he needs, he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays through the air. If not, it could lead to key mistakes that hamper the Gamecocks chances of winning this game.

5. Balanced offense

Carolina's offense is at its best when it's balanced, and the second half of the Tennessee game is a perfect example. They had the Vols off balance the entire final 30 minutes of that game, as Cory Boyd and Mike Davis did damage on the ground and Mitchell and the Gamecock receivers got it done through the air. They can't let the Razorbacks make them one dimensional this week, so they need to be ready to produce on the ground and through the air.
 
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<HR color=#cccccc noShade>Wayne Turner compiled the following notes from Thursday night's call-in show:

Our Gameplan is to score more points than Arky, to play smart and not make so many mistakes like roughing the punter, fumbling the ball, or not recovering the other teams fumbles. If we can do those things we should win!

Arky could easily be in the top ten in the country. They lost to Alabama, 41-38, when Alabama got a questionable pass interference call in the endzone. They had Auburn beat 7-6, then Auburn ran the KO back to midfield and scored on the last play of the game, to win 9-7. Then Kentucky beat them out there, and they were leading Kentucky 28-21, but then some things happened and they lost. So, they could easily have won three more games and be 9-0, so they are very similar to us. They are a very good team, lead the conference in offense, mostly running the ball, with McFadden and Jones. They are definitely two of the best in the country. So, we’re looking forward to going down there and see if we can play a lot smarter and without those mistakes we seem to keep making.

We have responded this week fine since last week. We’re not the first team to lose a game we could have won. You look back and we did make the plays we needed to make to win it, on offense, on defense, or on special teams. We’ve got no one to blame for that game but us. We’ll get over it. At the first of the year you talk about playing your best and improving each week, so we’re hoping we will play our best game of the year because we haven’t played it yet.

Arky’s defense has really improved the last few games. They play mostly man-to-man, bump and run. They are very physical. They will bring an extra guy up to stop the run and still feel like they can cover the receiver’s. Now, last year they played that way but when Sidney got hot they actually doubled him to try to take him out of the game. If they do the same thing to Kenny, then we’ll need some other guys to step up, like Dion Lecorn and Larry Freeman.

We have really struggled to recover fumbles, which is kind of surprising when you look at out well the defense has played otherwise. I believe someone said the other day that the other teams have fumbled 16 times and we’ve only recovered 5. That’s unbelievable. I showed the team the film of the New England Patriots game. Those guys know how to go after the ball. We’ve got to get better. Then you have the play where Freddie Brown fumbled, had the ball stripped. The Tenn. Guy took several seconds to scoop it up and then ran 50 yards down the sideline to the 3 yard line. That was poor tackling by the offense and a TD they gave Tenn. We should have stopped the guy at the 50 yard line. We just made to many mistakes to expect to win a game. We have to play smarter.

Ryan Succup said he just shoved the ball. It happens. You’re not going to get them all, and besides, shoot, we should never have been in that situation to begin with. Felix Jones is extremely good at returning KO’s. We’ll have several types of KO’s planned. We’ll also have several new guys on the Ko coverage team!

Cory Boyd and Kenny McKinley had great games.

On the Mike Davis fumble, yea, you know I challenged the play, because I thought his momentum had stopped. They were holding him up and the ball got stripped, but they reviewed it and said it was a fumble. They said the whistle had not blown. I believe the whistle used to be blown quicker in the past, but you see a lot more of this now. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.

Yes, we will honor the kids that died tragically in the house fire at Ocean Isle by wearing a sticker on the helmut that says, “ Forever To Thee”. We’ll wear that for the rest of the season. That was truly a tragic loss. Last weeks loss in the game is nothing compared to that loss. Our hearts go out to the parents, family, and friends of those kids.
 
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<HR color=#cccccc noShade>As always, Thursday’s practice was in shorts and shoulder pads and was primarily a workout to make sure each player has a complete understanding of the gameplan and their individual assignments.

With the personnel changes made to the special teams units, they spent a lot time working on that aspect of things. They’re well aware of how dangerous Arkansas’ return men are, particularly Felix Jones on kick returns, so special teams are going to be key tomorrow night. On the other side of the coin, USC has been close to having a breakout game on special teams themselves on both kick and punt returns, so they spent time there as well.

Defense continued to work on gap assignments, tackling and run defense in general. Containing their backs is obviously priority one in tomorrow’s game, but they also know they can’t overlook Marcus Monk and their passing game.

Offensively, the receivers haven been challenged all week to get open and provide Blake Mitchell the targets he needs to be effective against the aggressive Arkansas defense. Another key is for the entire offense to know pre-snap whether the Razorbacks are in man or zone coverage, as that hurt them on the final drive of last year’s game between these two teams. They know Kenny McKinley is going to be doubled for much of the game, so the burden falls on the other receivers to get open and make plays. One receiver who has made some noise this week in practice is Larry Freeman, but we’ll see if it carries over into the game.

The general feeling is they’ve finally found five players that can start the rest of the season on the offensive line, but this game will be a bigger test for them than last week’s.

Overall, I hear the team is excited and looking forward to the game and the rest of the season. A win here could really give them the momentum they need heading into the Florida and Clemson games.
 
Scott Hood
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
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USC-ARKANSAS PREVIEW

What: No. 23 South Carolina (6-3, 3-3) at Arkansas (5-3, 1-3)
Where: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Ark.
When: Sat., Nov. 3, 8 p.m.
TV/Radio: ESPN2 (Mark Jones, Bob Davie and Stacey Dales); USC Radio Network (Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs).

Two teams looking to stay in the bowl picture battle this Saturday in Fayetteville. South Carolina is coming off a pair of losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee, and desperately needs a win to keep its slim hopes of capturing the SEC Eastern Division title alive. Arkansas, meanwhile, is still trying to get bowl eligible. Most of the games between these two teams have been close, hard-fought games, including last year when a frantic second-half rally by USC fell short. Two years ago, USC was dominated statistically but managed to pull out a win with a long TD pass and great red-zone defense. Both of these teams joined the SEC in 1992, which is one reason the SEC has locked them up as permanent opponents. USC will have to make the long journey to Fayetteville, Ark., located in the northwest corner of the State. Can USC end its two-game losing streak, and build momentum for a solid finish?

Here's how the two teams matchup on both sides of the ball:

USC OFFENSE v. ARKANSAS DEFENSE:

After eight frigid quarters, the USC offense finally got off the mat last week in spectacular fashion, totaling 355 yards in the second half against Tennessee. They're looking to sustain the momentum behind fifth-year senior Blake Mitchell, who revived his season by throwing for 234 yards over the final 30 minutes of action. He became the first USC quarter since 2004 to complete 30 passes in a game.

The 2007 season is paralleling last season for Mitchell. He was benched in favor of Syvelle Newton for seven games last season before re-emerging over the final 4-1/2 games. This year, he sat and watched redshirt freshman Chris Smelley call the signals for 4-1/2 games before coming on to have one of the best halves of his career. It didn't take Steve Spurrier long after the Tennessee game was concluded to name Mitchell as this week's starter.

Mitchell has completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 783 yards and four touchdowns this season. He's been steadily climbing up the school's all-time lists. He's currently fifth in career passing yards (5,028), and needs just 553 yards to catapult into third place behind Steve Taneyhill and Todd Ellis.

Cory Boyd had a career-high 160 yards on 20 carries in last week's loss at Tennessee, the fifth 100-yard game of his career. It was also the first 150+ yard game by a USC running back since Demetris Summers in 2003. He leads the team inrushing with 691 yards and has a good chance to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

There's no question Mike Davis has taken a back seat to Boyd in the last three weeks starting with the North Carolina game. Over the last 12 quarters, Boyd has carried the ball 45 times for 304 yards, while Davis has rushed 23 times for 74 yards. It's Cory Boyd's offense right now. Based on the way he performed in Knoxville, look for USC to continue to rely on the fifth-year senior.

Arkansas is eighth in the SEC in rushing defense, so this may be a good week for the Gamecocks to get completely healthy in the running game after struggling prior to the Tennessee clash.

Kenny McKinley remains USC's top wide receiving threat. His 14 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdowns last week put him light years ahead of the field. The junior from Mableton, Ga. has 55 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns in 2007. No other receiver has more than one TD catch.

McKinley needs 19 more receptions to tie USC's single-season mark for most catches, 74. Assuming USC plays in a bowl game, he must average 4.8 receptions per game to reach that total.

While Boyd (29 catches), tight end Jared Cook (22) and Davis (21) are second, third and fourth on the receptions list, wide receivers Freddie Brown (15) and Dion Lecorn (11) have shown improvement. Brown, though, had a huge fumble in last week's loss at UT.

It took nine games but it finally appears USC have found the five best offensive linemen. Redshirt freshmen Heath Batchelor and Seaver Brown performed admirably in a hostile environment last week. As a result, they've been awarded with starts at guard against Arkansas. Can they hold into those spots? Spurrier has been searching for consistency along the offensive line all season. He may have found it.

The offensive line will be tested by a good Arkansas defense that has defended the pass very well this season. The Razorbacks are currently third in the SEC in pass defense and first in pass efficiency defense. They've intercepted nine passes in the past two games after picking off just six in the first six games of the year.

COACH'S COMMENT: "Arkansas is a very good team. They've lost three close games, lost to Alabama and Auburn and lost to Kentucky in a game that they were ahead. They've got three losses just like us. They've still got four games. They certainly have a chance for a big year. A lot can happen. We're excited about going out there. We went out there a couple of years ago and got a couple of breaks. Somehow, we found a way to win the game. Hopefully we can do that again this year. Arkansas leads the conference in offense, leads in rushing offense, so they are a good running team. Their defense is pretty good. I think they're ranked right there near us in the conference defensively. They play a lot of man-to-man, little bit of blitzing. They've got their own scheme of things and they do it well. It's a difficult assignment, but we're looking forward to seeing what we can do out there. We'll let Blake start at quarterback. Hopefully he'll have a big game for us. Hopefully he'll play well. In all likelihood, it'll be a close game. We've got to play well during crunch time to have a chance to beat these guys most likely" - USC head coach Steve Spurrier.

ARKANSAS OFFENSE v. USC DEFENSE:

The offensive game plan for Arkansas focuses on two things: 1) hand the ball to Darren McFadden; and 2) hand the ball to Felix Jones. Occasionally, Arkansas will mix in a pass from quarterback Casey Dick, but only infrequently. Arkansas has run the ball (383 attempts) nearly two hundred times more than they've thrown it (198 passes). That's as one-dimensional as you'll find among BCS conference schools.

McFadden leads the SEC and ranks 11th in the country in rushing (993 yards) with 124.1 yards per game. However, he had just 61 yards in last week's 58-10 victory over Florida International, and has averaged just 71.3 yards over the last three games. That's pretty good for most running backs. It's mediocre for McFadden, who came into the season as one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy.

McFadden has enjoyed plenty of success running the ball against USC the past two seasons. In two career games against the Gamecocks, McFadden has rushed for 406 yards and two touchdowns on 57 carries, an average of 7.1 yards per rush. He has 187 yards on 32 carries as a freshman in 2005 and a career-high 219 yards and two touchdowns last season. Posting numbers like that, it's not surprising McFadden is the career rushing leader at Arkansas (3,753 yards) entering Saturday's game.

Felix Jones may be the most under-appreciated running back in the nation. He could probably start for most schools in the nation. Instead, he gets lost in McFadden's large shadow. Jones is second in the SEC in rushing with 863 yards and an average of 107.9 yards per game. He's averaging an incredible 8.8 yards per carry, tops in the nation. He leads the second place running back by 1.2 yards. It's not even close.

One of the keys to Jones' success has been the first carry of the game. In eight games this season, Jones has 140 total yards on his first carry, an average of 17.5 yards per carry. That's lethal.

Dick left last weekend's game against Florida International after he was stung by a blind-side hit. Dick is 10th in the SEC with an average of 122.4 yards per game. He has 11 touchdown passes compared to seven interceptions. Dick has enjoyed solid protection from the Arkansas offensive line, which has surrendered just 18 sacks in the last 22 games.

The Arkansas passing game should receive a boost from the return to full-time duty of All-SEC wide receiver Marcus Monk, who stands 6-foot-6. He recently returned from torn ligaments to step onto the field for one play against Auburn. He caught two passes in the rout over FIU.

Peyton Hollis is another player who gets lost among the hype over McFadden. Hollis paces the Razorbacks with 32 pass receptions to go along with 138 rushing yards.

A USC defense that ranks 10th in the SEC in rushing defense will have its work come out for it. No question USC will put plenty of defenders in the box and dare Arkansas to throw the ball, even with Marcus Monk back in the lineup. Pay attention to where Emanuel Cook lines up on every play. There's a good chance he'll spend a lot of time near the line of scrimmage.

Besides the fact Arkansas has two superb running backs, here's another reason Arkansas may be reluctant to throw the ball against USC: the Gamecocks are second in the nation in pass defense (153.7 ypg) and fourth in pass efficiency defense (93.66 ranking).

COACH'S COMMENT: "Steve Spurrier is trying to get the same thing going now at South Carolina. I have a lot of respect for him. I've always had a lot of admiration for him. Excellent mind. His teams are always well-prepared, ready to go. You know he's a winner. He's won a lot of championships, been in the league a long time - especially when he was at Florida for a long time" – Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt.

SYNOPSIS: Unlike last week when USC faced a Tennessee offense that could both run and throw the ball, Arkansas is possibly the most one-dimensional team in the league. The Razorbacks are a great running team but a poor passing team. They're 10th in the SEC throwing the football. So, the outcome of this game falls primarily upon USC's ability to contain the Arkansas running game. Pure and simple. Nothing complicated. Yet, despite disavowing the forward pass, Arkansas has scored an average of 40.2 points per game. Of course, the USC offense has to play a role too. Despite last week's setback in Knoxville, the Gamecocks have played impressively on the road over the last two season. The Arkansas defense has posted splendid numbers over the last five games but the quality of competition has been questionable except for Auburn, which needed a last-second field goal to beat the Razorbacks, 9-7.

PREDICTION: It's nearly impossible to shutdown Arkansas' running game. McFadden and Jones are simply too good. They'll find the holes and power their way through them. I'm sure the USC coaches watched the Auburn tape from earlier this season when the Tigers held Arkansas to 67 yards on 25 carries. The following week, Arkansas ran the ball 54 times for 293 yards in a smashing 44-8 victory over Ole Miss. USC will come close to selling out to stop the run. They may have the talent to pull it off. Offensively, Blake Mitchell has enjoyed some success against Arkansas the last two years, including a splendid performance off the bench last year. If the same offense we saw in the second half of last week's game at Tennessee reappears in Fayetteville, USC will win this game going way. USC has one of the toughest defenses Arkansas will see this season. Arkansas is one win from bowl eligibility but, quite frankly, its schedule hasn't been very difficult. Its five victories have come against Troy, North Texas, Chattanooga, Ole Miss and Florida International. For one of the few times this season, Arkansas will face an opponent that will punch back. USC needs one more win to assure a bowl berth and they get it in a hostile environment.

USC 27, ARKANSAS 17.
 
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