Stephen Garcia Suspended Indefinitely... Again..

Just in time for Saturday's spring game...

"Stephen has exhibited behavior that is unacceptable for one of our student-athletes," AD Eric Hyman said in an afternoon press conference. "Therefore, he has forfeited the privilege to participate in any football related activity until further notice."

The OBC was just as matter-of-fact... the suspension goes through the spring semester, and then it will be re-evaluated...

"If he's back, he's back. If he's not back, it's really the same thing as a guy getting hurt, a guy going pro or whatever," Spurrier said at the same presser. "Players come and go as we all know. This instance should have never happened, but it did. So this is where we are."

Here's the OBC after practice...
((HT: WLTX-TV Columbia))


Right on, brah...

TWTW: Arkansas Beats OBC 41-20

((HT: WSPA-TV))

In a game that meant absolutely nothing in the Gamecocks race to be the SEC Eastern Conference champion.

Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett threw for 303 yards, Knile Davis ran for three TD's and 17th-ranked Arkansas gave 18th-ranked South Carolina its worst home loss in five years.

The Razorbacks, now 7-2/4-2 in the SEC, won for the fourth time in five games.

The Gamecocks, now 6-3/4-3, hadn't been beaten like that since a 48-7 win by Auburn back in 2005.

They can still get to their first league title game by beating Florida at The Swamp next week.

South Carolina is 0-12 in Gainesville, Fla.

Good luck with that one...

Todd Summers is still in front of a monitor indoors...

TWTW: Cocks Big Fourth Gives Vols 4th Loss In A Row

((HT: WBIR-TV Knoxville))

After three quarters in Columbia, South Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina were tied at 24.

The Gamecocks then hit Alshon Jeffrey on a 70-yard touchdown and added a one yard Stephen Garcia run to keep Carolina in control of its destiny in the SEC East.

South Carolina is 6-2/4-2 in conference play with Arkansas and Florida left on their schedule. A win over the Gators would give the Gamecocks their first SEC East division crown.

Yeah, good luck with that one...

Vols head coach Derek Dooley was none too pleased with Matt Simms' turnovers, so he was benched in favor of Tyler Bray at quarterback for the second half. Simms, in turn, was none too pleased with the benching.

Tough you-know-what...

Tennessee is now 2-6, the worst start for the Vols since beginning 0-6 in 1988.

Kris Budden filed quickly from the Fairgrounds...

Big Blue Upset: Kentucky Takes Care Of #10 South Carolina

How how things have changed at South Carolina. After the biggest win in program history last week defeated then #1 Alabama at home, the Gamecocks have a major let down at Kentucky and a first for the Head Ball Coach.

The Wildcats snapped a 10 losing streak to the Gamecocks with the 31-28 win in Lexington and it's the first time Steve Spurrier has lost to a Kentucky team.

"They just beat us." Spurrier said "They stuffed us offensively in the second half."

Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips now has his signiture win.

"It's was a big win." Phillips said. "We've got to get wins. At 5-3, we'll have a chance to win in the East."

Here's a post game report from the Sports staff at WLEX-TV Lexington, KY. (Thanks WLEX-TV)



Photo Courtesy: Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald Leader

TWTW: Auburn Comes From Behind Again, Survives USC

((HT: WLTX-TV Columbia))

Okay, full disclosure here...
After the game with your Shorter Hawks won in overtime over Georgetown 47-46 in OT, it was a two-and-a-half hour drive for yours truly to the Plains and the South Carolina game with TBH.

The HQ ran into The Chiz in Columbus the night before at a high school game and after volunteering a "War Cam Eagle," he said "I wouldn't go there yet."

After 334 yards of responsible offense, we may be getting closer...

Down 20-7, the Tigers came back again to win 35-27...
And there were plenty of gray hairs to go around after that as the Auburn faithful prepare for Louisiana-Monroe...

The larger questions... what happens when Arkansas is on the docket...???
Answer: Make everything happen in front of you...

Question 2: Does Stephen Garcia know who he is, and more accurately, does he know where he is after getting knocked silly by the Auburn defense...???
Answer: Probably, not... that is why Flowery Branch ((GA)) HS grad Connor Shaw will get more reps at QB in the near future...

Here's the OBC postgame...

NCAA To Athletes, Don't Accepted Anything From Sports Agents. South Carolina Gamecock TE In NCAA Crosshairs

The NCAA is on a mission to crack down on college athletes who are in contact with sports agents. Two North Carolina football players, Greg Little and Marvin Austin, have been questioned by the NCAA about their alleged accepting of gifts from agents. Word of advice boys, come clean. If not they might receive the same treatment former Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant got for not leveling with an NCAA investigation, ineligible for the entire season. That would cripple what is expected to be a great football season for the Tar Heels.

Now comes word that South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders is in the cross hairs of a NCAA investigation for possible rules violations. The NCAA wants to know if Saunders, who is friends with Marvin Austin, had some things "taken care of" by agents according to a source of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper.

“I’m not accusing Weslye of anything. He may be innocent. He may just know those (North Carolina) guys,” South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier said. “But we’ll just have to wait and see how it all comes out.”





Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2010/07/18/1382292/ncaa-investigates-te-saunders.html#ixzz0u8TVmKx1


According to the four-letter (ESPN), Austin and Saunders took a trip to South Florida during the spring and the NCAA is questioning the players to see if there was any contact with agents which would jeopardize their eligibility for the 2010 season.

University of South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman released the following statment:

"The NCAA has been in contact with us regarding a possible rules violation in one of our programs. We have and will continue to cooperate fully with their inquiry. We have confidence in our compliance program and will work with the NCAA to bring this matter to a resolution in a timely fashion."

Saunders is a major offensive weapon for the Gamecocks. He finished the 2009 season with 32 receptions, third best on the team.

Here's some highlights from Weslye Saunders' 2009 season. (Thanks Youtube.com/gamecockpower01)



Photo Courtesy: The (Columbia, S.C.) State Newspaper

Marcus Lattimore To South Carolina

Marcus Lattimore ((pictured, thanks Gwinn Davis/greenvilleonline.com)) just made his college choice known at Silver Hill Memorial United Methodist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Lattimore, South Carolina's 2009 Mr. Football award winner, rushed for 1,898 yards and 31 touchdowns and caught 53 passes for 753 yards and five touchdowns in his senior season.

He finished his career as the Rebels’ all-time leading rusher, having rushed for 6,375 yards and 93 touchdowns. Lattimore set the school’s single-season mark with 2,303 yards as a junior.

After a processional of individuals that recalled his youth almost turned the announcement into a roast, Lattimore said:

"I just want to thank all 30 schools that recruited me. Personally, after all the in-home visits, and campus visits, I found the place that's best for me..."

Lattimore had an Auburn hat in a knapsack. One of Lattimore's friends pulled the Tigers hat away and a South Carolina hat was underneath. That was the hat placed on his head at Silver Hill...

Lattimore now heads to Columbia where expectations will be huge...
And Auburn fans can't wait to take his head off... especially TBH after the whole "hat thing" as she described it...

Willie T. Smith III's coverage from GreenvileOnline is here...

Here's some of what the Gamecocks think they're getting in Lattimore...
((HT: Youtube/VernonSmith28))

College Football Kicks Off

Yes it's here, college football kicks off tonight. Here are some games to look forward to.

NC State hosts South Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raileigh and the joint should be jumping. The Wolfpack faithful see a big year, The Gamecock supports think USC could surprise.

A year ago, NC State quarterback Russell Wilson, then a freshman, got his you know what handed to him by the South Carolina defense and the Gamecocks kicked the Wolfpack's backside 34-0.

Here are some highlights from the 2008 game (Thanks ESPN/Youtube.com)



More on the night Russell Wilson might have forgotten from Ken Tysic of the Raleigh News Observer

The only top 25 match up of the night takes place at the Smurf Turf in Boise, Idaho as the 14th ranked Boise State Broncos host the 16th ranked Oregon Ducks.

"It's like a bowl game, like starting out with a bowl game." Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said. "That's what it is. It's a top ranked team."

It's also the biggest game to be played on the Smurf Turf ever.

Here’s a list of the biggest games ever on the Smurf Turf from the Idaho Statesman.

Tonight is also Chip Kelly's debut as the Oregon head coach and what a way to begin. Kelly has the full trust of the mighty Duck faithful.

Other games on the Thursday night docket:

Utah State at #19 Utah - The Utes will prevail
North Dakota State at Iowa State - Go with the Cyclones
Eastern Kentucky at Indiana - Hoosiers get a win
Troy at Bowling Green - I'm leaning toward the Trojans
Coastal Carolina at Kent State - Flashes
Villanova at Temple - The Owls take the battle of Philly
North Texas at Ball State - Cards win it

LSU's 12th Man

What do you make of this?



What does the official have against South Carolina Quarterback Stephan Garcia? Look how the official squares up and delivers a blow near Garcia's head with his shoulder.

I don't know what to say. That's the craziest thing I've ever seen.

What Happened To The Head Ball Coach

Is it me or is the Head Ball Coach toning down his act? Steve Spurrier hasn’t really been his brash self since taking over at South Carolina. Maybe a few years working for Daniel Snyder with the Washington Redskins and then going to South Carolina, great fan base, lousy football program, will take some of the smart aleck out of you.

I remember when Spurrier was the head coach at Florida in 1996 and brought his top ranked Gators into Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas and put a whipping on the Hogs. After the game with a camera on my shoulder, I had a great shot of the head ball coach running toward the locker room in the south end zone. A group of Hog fans were screaming obscenities at Spurrier and he raised his index finger and said, “Yea but we are #1.” I had to admit, that was a great comeback.

I wouldn’t mind seeing the brash Steve Spurrier return but this South Carolina team won’t be that much to brag about.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel shares the same feeling as I do.

(Photo Courtesy: AP)

The Beast

The SEC East (the tough one)...


Before all of you folks in other parts of the country (and world) start screaming, over-rated and that I'm full of a certain bodily function, think a little bit about what we are saying. I know you can say "Big Ten" or "Pac Ten" or any of the other power conferences, but when "push" comes to "shove" (or some other reasonable cliche'), there really isn't any argument about what is the toughest conference. And within that conference lies the most difficult division out there.

Predictions...

Georgia Bulldogs- Yeah, that is right, we'll go ahead and say it here. Yes, I do cover them with some frequency. I know that the schedule is pretty tough. If you look at this team, from top to bottom, it is the deepest team, this year in the NCAA ((UGA pictured, thanks georgiadogs.com)).

Offense- The offense pretty much starts and stops with QB Matthew Stafford. Yes, I know that Knowshon Moreno is getting all of the love right now, and to some extent he deserves it. But, if the Dawgs lost Moreno, they still may survive, losing Stafford would be the end of the season for them. Stafford was quoted already this season as saying "This is my team, I'm going to lead them".

The loss of OT Trinton Sturdivant will hurt, but there is a lot of depth on the line to replace him. Expect either Kiante Tripp or Josh Davis to step right in.

The receivers were already going to be pretty good, adding Freshman Phenoms A.J Green and Tavarres King makes them even deeper.

Defense- Again, depth rules for this bunch. As good as the "O" should be, the "D" will carry these guys. With Tackle Jeff Owens leading the way, the Dawgs expect to rotate 8-9 D-Lineman through each game. That kind of depth will wear many opponents out.

LB's Dannell Ellerbee and Rennie Curran and CB Asher Allen lead an experienced and fast group of backs that at least at the corner spot go 6 deep.

Outlook- These guys will be good. Really good. It will be tough living up to the preseason hype, but they have the depth to do it. Don't expect them to be perfect with the schedule they play however. (Prediction: 11-1 overall, 1st in the SEC East)

Florida Gators- As always, this will be a very good and very dangerous team. They had a tough 2007 campaign, but they will be better this year. They should be a little better rounded and that should translate to more success. Don't buy into the SEC Media Days poll however, they aren't "that" good.

Offense- The "O" is all about the Tebow ((Pictured, thanks gatorzone.com)), everything is. However for these guys to be successful, someone else needs to step up. Percy Harvin is good, but injury prone and several reports have surfaced saying some things are starting to go to his head. With the speed of a Chris Rainey and running of Emmanuel Moody, this "should" be a more diverse offense in 2008. In order to live up to expectations, they will have to be. Last years beating that Tebow took, exposed the one weekness the Gators have.

Defense- The Gator "D" took a lot of heat last season, and well, it should have. They gave up a lot of points to a lot of teams. Yes, they were young last season and yes, they will improve. The question is "how much?". The other SEC teams are pretty damn good on "D" and can win if there "O" is not playing well. I'm not so sure about Florida.

Outlook- These guys will always be dangerous. They will contend for the SEC East title and they more than likely will be in a New Years Day Bowl...or better. Losing Cornelius Ingram will not help, but there are players capable of taking over his role. The Gators seem already focused on Georgia, they need worry about the games before that one.(Prediction: 10-2, 2nd in the SEC East)

Tennessee Volunteers- These guys are always very hard to predict. On the surface they should take a step back with a new offensive coordinator, Dave Clawson, a new QB Jonathan Crompton and several new faces on defense. But don't be surprised if the Fulmer keeps them competitive. The key game for these guys comes early, a date in September with Florida.

Offense- We should find out early how well the Vowels adapt to Clawson's offense. With former coordinator David Cutcliffe, you had a pretty good idea of what you were going to get, but like several teams in the SEC, the Vowels are going to a form of the spread ((the new tight end is pictured, thanks knoxnews.com)).

Crompton has some experience as Eric Ainge's backup the past 2 seasons. When called upon he has performed pretty well, don't expect a huge dropoff here. Arian Foster has experience and talent and the O-Line is always strong with these guys.

Defense- The Vol "D" is spearheaded by perhaps the best athlete and possibly the best player in all the land, Eric Berry. Berry plays safety, but expect to see him all over the field this season. Returning punts and occasionally on Offense, this is someone to keep your eyes on in 2008.

Jerrod Mayo is gone and the linebackers are somewhat inexperienced, the question mark this year will be how good the defense is.

Outlook- These guys will be competitive, they always are. Expect them to struggle a bit early and get stronger as the year goes. There is too much talent here for a down season, but they are stuck in a division with Georgia and Florida. (Prediction 9-3, 3rd in the SEC East)

South Carolina Gamecocks- I'm not sold on these guys, though many say they will be the surprise team in the SEC. I don't buy it. They are lacking in several areas and as much as they'd like to be one of the big boys, they are South Carolina and there is a reason they haven't won the SEC in several decades.

Offense- The first question mark is who is going to be the QB. Tommy Beecher appears to have won the battle, for now, but there isn't much behind him. Yes, I know that the Ball Coach is allegedly a QB genius, but even a genius needs some talent to work with. You can get the most out of a Danny Wuerrfel when you have a deep Florida team around him, The Cocks (i said cock), well, they don't have that as an option. Possibly the most talented QB, Stephen Garcia, spent more time in trouble with the law than practicing this offseason and may never play ((pictured is Mike Davis, thanks to thestate.com)).

Defense- The Cocks (i said cock, again), will be a strong defensive team. Any team with a Linebacker like Jasper Brinkley should be. Brinkley is a beast. He is talented and athletic and has a bit of a mean streak. He alone makes this a stout unit and will keep S.C in most games.

Outlook- After last years collapse from 6-1 and in the Top 10 to 6-6 and no bowl, one can draw the conclusion that this team is just plain cursed. I don't totally believe that, but as usual they play in a conference where you just can't be decent, you've got to be great every week. They may make a bowl game, but it will be in December. (Prediction 7-5, 4th in the SEC East)

Kentucky Wildcats- Another team that should be better than they will be. Last season was a bit of an abberation, don't expect them to do that this year. Not because of talent or coaching, but they are very, very young.

Offense- Despite losing Andre Woodson, they should still be a very good offensive team. Rafael Little is back along with most of the receiving corps. The line didn't suffer many losses, though they could stand getting a little stronger, Woodson got killed last season. The unit will make some plays and be a tough out, but with big question marks at QB, don't expect them to be as scary as 2007 ((UK's new QB is pictured, thanks kentucky.com)).

Defense- This is where we get young. So young in fact, I'm not really sure who to talk about here. This was not a "Strong Suit" of last years team and it probably will not be this year either. Coach Rich Brooks is a Defensive guy so don't expect them to be embarrassingly bad, but don't expect them to carry things either. They will live and die with the "O".

Outlook- A rebuilding year in Lexington. Unfortunately, this is not a traditional power and the 'Cats are not able to be strong on a consistent basis. Down years generally follow good ones and 2007 wasn't bad. Don't look for 2008 to be a repeat. (Prediction 5-7, 5th in the SEC East)

Vanderbilt Commodores- You really want the 'Dores to be a force one year, just once to see them in Atlanta in December, what a great story that would be. That being said, don't expect it any time soon. This team is always competitive thanks to a very talented coach, Bobby Johnson. But they don't have the horses to run with everyone else over the course of a season ((the O-Line is pictured, thanks the tennessean.com)).

Offense- On "O" the 'Dores aren't bad. Mackenzie Adams and Chris Nickson were a QB tandem last season, both good QB's and usually one was good when the other wasn't. There is some hope there. After that, the loss of Earl Bennett hurts the WR corps and there isn't much experience or depth on the "O" line.

Defense- Vandy has traditionally turned out quite a few Linebackers to the NFL, however I don't know if that tradition will continue. They are lacking again in experience, the roster dotted with Freshmen and Sophomores. The good thing is in another year or 2, they will be very good, this year however they will be very young. Don't expect much.

Outlook- Don't expect much here, they will struggle. Coach Johnson will keep them competitive but they don't have the horses to run with the other guys in the conference. Looking at the roster, the future is bright, but the future will not be 2008. (Prediction 3-9, 6th in the SEC East)