A New Year's Day Blooming Onion

The Outback Bowl it is for South Carolina.

But didn't we know this about a month ago? Oh well, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Gamecocks will go to battle at 11am in Tampa, Jan. 1st 2009.

Palmetto State Rivalry Renewed Nov. 29

No need to circle this game on calendars in August for football fans in the state of South Carolina. Throw out the records, throw out the stats. Just call it the Palmetto War.

In recent memory, this matchup has been one-sided. In 2005, Clemson's Charlie Whitehurst became the only QB in the rivalry to win all four games in a career. Since 2002, South Carolina has beaten the Tigers once, an unforgettable win in Death Valley in 2006.

Gamecocks fans will never forget Jad Dean's FG miss that season in USC's slim 31-28 win. Saturday will mark the Gamecocks return trip to Howard Rock and hopefully second consecutive victory on the road vs. the Tigers.

WHAT's AT STAKE, BRAGGIN RIGHTS

Clemson - A win makes the Tigers bowl eligible. Clemson has won three in a row for head coach Dabo Swinney and a win against the Gamecocks may give Swinney the head coaching job for next season.

South Carolina - Eight wins and a New Year's Day bowl. Steve Spurrier is 1-2 against Clemson in his first three years as the Gamecocks' head coach and South Carolina would love to shake off the Florida loss with a win at Clemson.

KEY FOR A GAMECOCKS WIN

Turnovers. Turnovers. Turnovers. Oh, and Mike Davis. If South Carolina can show some balance on offense and throw it around without interceptions, the Gamecocks could roll over the Tigers. But we all know that's not the case with a senior back averaging 3 yards a carry and a sophomore QB (Smelley) that has a habit of throwing it to the wrong team.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH

One of the nation's most underrated rivalries (insert Brawl in 2004) will almost certainly be a game coming down to the wire. Between your leftover turkey and glass of sweet tea, check out the Gamecocks and Tigers in Death Valley.


CJ Spiller, pictured, will be Clemson's main weapon against the Garnet and Black defese. Can the Gamecocks stop the 1-2 punch and speed of Spiller and senior James Davis? It'll be a dog fight in the trenches.

WHO WILL WIN

Based on history, Clemson wins this game. Based on recent ineptitude on offense for USC, Clemson wins this game. Based on a gut feeling and SOS's record in Death Valley, I'm going with the Gamecocks 23-20.

Outback or Chick-Fil-A Destiny

I'm going to say one thing about Saturday's 56-6 loss to Florida as I try to forget that I watched it. That 50-point defeat just set our program back about 10 years. Here I am thinking the Gamecocks may have turned the corner and all that loss proves is that we are the same middle of the road team as advertised. The loss even sparked rumors of SOS's retirement. Can you blame him? Comments anyone?

Onto the big game in two weeks. The Clemson game. Is an underachieving 5-6 Clemson squad going to ruin another USC season? I sure hope not. A win in Death Valley assures us of an Outback bowl berth vs. Michigan State, Iowa or Northwestern. A loss, means the Chick-Fil-A bowl in Atlanta against possibly, North Carolina. For USC's sake, we need to beat Clemson and then get to 9-4 in Tampa. After the poor showing against Florida though, I doubt I'll be paying money to see the Gamecocks play on 12/31 or New Year's Day.

Next season's football recruiting class looks good . . . on defense (Holloman's recent verbal). While we have a talented, fast D, Spurrier needs to recruit some offense now. We have ZERO weapons on offense and both quarterbacks can't play any worse. I myself can not wait till Mike Davis graduates. Anyone in agreeance?

Hey the Gamecocks' basketball team is 2-0 and faces USC Upstate on Saturday. Hopefully I can make the game against College of Charleston next Friday night Charleston, if I go back home for Thanksgiving. The emergence of C Mike Holmes has really helped the Gamecocks in the early going.

Reservations to Florida? Let's go Bowling!

I know there are a few Gamecocks fans out there reading this blog and this one's for you. Here we are going into the Arkansas weekend with a 6-3 record and an EXCELLENT shot at a New Year's Day Bowl in Florida.

It looks like USC will have to beat Arkansas and Clemson to play in the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando. On the other hand, a win against Arkansas this weekend almost assures the Gamecocks of a spot in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, a bowl we're getting accustomed to (remember the back-to-back Ohio State wins?) If we win this week, start eyeing hotels in the Sunshine State.

As it stands, USC wins on Saturday over Arkansas 24-14.

In ACC action, the Georgia Tech/UNC game in Chapel Hill this weekend may decide a representative in the ACC Championship Game Dec. 1 in Tampa. Who would've thought in Butch Davis' second year that he could've have pushed the Heels to the conference title game?

Gamecocks 6-3, Braves improve to 8-1

Breathe easy Gamecocks fans, Stephen Garcia's knee is OK.

Just a deep knee bruise according to Spurrier, but Jean Pierre looks to be done for the season with his knee injury.

USC beats Tennessee 27-6 and UNCP wins 57-0 over Concord. Great day for college football.

GAMEDAY REPORT: Tennessee @ USC

Are we really arguing over quarterbacks again coach Spurrier? Apparently the Ole Ball Coach didn't watch the LSU game and the fourth quarter of South Carolina's win at Kentucky.

What more do you want from Stephen Garcia coach? Sorry but he's not Rex Grossman or Jesse Palmer, yet. Why don't you go out and sign some offensive linemen, that's a start. Ok, onto this week's game in Columbia.

Preview: Tennessee (3-5) at South Carolina (5-3) 7pm ESPN2

Once again, like in Spurrier's previous three seasons, the Gamecocks enter the "orange crush" portion of their schedule with the Vols on Saturday night and upcoming games against Florida and Clemson. South Carolina fans are thinking, at best, 8-4 at this point with a berth in the Outback Bowl Jan. 1, 2009 in Tampa, Fla. That wouldn't be so bad would it?

I'm predicting a 7-5 finish, with the Gamecocks losing one of two to either the Vols or those Tigers in November. Rumors continue to swirl on whether or not Captain Munnerlyn and Emanuel Cook stay for their senior campaigns, I sure hope so.

Breaking it down by position, these under-achieving teams are almost dead even:

Quarterbacks: Both teams are plagued with inexperienced signal callers but at least the Gamecocks are a little more mobile. Advantage: South Carolina

Running backs: Seriously? Mike Davis needs to graduate, NOW. Advantage: Tennessee

Wide Receivers: Both teams have question marks at the wideout position, but the Vols' Josh Briscoe is the real deal. Hopefully, Jared Cook plays well against the Tennessee secondary. Advantage: Even

Offense: Tennessee ranks 112th in the nation in total offense. South Carolina leads the nation in interceptions thrown. Advantage: Even

Defensive line: The Gamecocks are struggling with sacking the quarterback. Once again, USC ranks amogst the SEC's lowest in that department. Advantage: Tennessee

Linebackers: Rodney Paulk and Jasper Brinkley lead a talented crew of linebackers who will have no problem against UT's rushing attack. Advantage: South Carolina

Secondary: Captain Munnerlyn is healthy and Cook is a tackling machine for the nation's 6th-ranked pass defense. Advantage: South Carolina

Defense: South Carolina has been solid all season long on defense and the Vols are having trouble putting the ball in the endzone. Advantage: South Carolina

Special Teams: Ryan Succop has had one ugly senior season for the Garnet and Black. Not to mention he's struggled against the Vols. Advantage: Tennessee

Prediction: This will be disappointing for Gamecock fans. 83,000 will go home unhappy, thankfully I'll be watching from the couch. Fulmer keeps his job with the orange crush for another week as Tennessee improves to 26-3 versus South Carolina all-time.

Volunteers 24 Gamecocks 17

LISTEN TO the official breakdown of Saturday's bout in Columbia at 6 or 10pm Friday on Crawford and Kelley Sportstalk. CLICK HERE.

Local High School Squads Eye Postseason

As county teams enter the regular season's final two weeks, the playoff picture is beginning to take shape for the Mid-Southeastern and Two Rivers 4-A Conferences.

Jack Britt (8-1, 4-1), Seventy-First (8-1, 4-1) and Douglas Byrd (7-2, 4-1) are tied at the top of the Mid-Southeastern, all with one conference loss each. Britt travels to Byrd this Friday and a win for the Bucs will put them in the driver's seat for their first outright conference title in the school's 8-year history.

Britt owns a tie-breaker over Seventy-First in case both teams finish with identical records. The Bucs beat the Falcons 14-0 three weeks ago in Fayetteville behind a strong defensive showing.

Defending Two Rivers champion South View (6-4, 4-1) seeks to capture another conference title with a win Friday against winless E.E. Smith (0-9, 0-5). The Tigers' 37-13 win over Cape Fear last night assured South View at least a share of this season's hardware.

Jack Britt and Seventy-First will be Cumberland County's best squads in the playoffs with both team's ranked in the state's top 15 as of Friday's games. Britt QB Everett Proctor has a sore knee, but all indications point to the signal-caller returning against Douglas Byrd this Friday.

Purnell Swett (5-4, 2-2) enjoyed the return of All-Two Rivers linebacker JoJo Blanks. Last season's Defensive Player of the Year intercepted a pass in the third quarter to help the Rams beat Terry Sanford 48-28 last night. The surprise of this victory? The win gave Swett its first at home since the second round of the state playoffs in 2007.

Mid-Southeastern and Two Rivers Standings

Cumberland County Statistical Leaders

Here are a few of my most recent HSFB publications from The Fayetteville Observer:

Oct. 28 - Purnell Swett wins high scoring homecoming affair

Oct. 25 - Douglas Byrd rolls as Rowe scores four touchdowns

Oct. 27 - Falcons shut out Scotland County

Oct. 10 - Lumberton clips Purnell Swett in Robeson Rivalry

CFB: The Weekend Ahead Fills The Belly

The college football menu for Saturday, Nov. 1 looks, dare I say, delicious . . .

Shrimp cocktail anyone? Join CBS at 3:30 for the world's largest outdoor cocktail party between the No. 5 Florida Gators and No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs. Both coming off big wins, these SEC East powers have alot to prove and a score to settle.

Like watching pass-happy offense? Tune into ABC at 8:00pm for No. 1 Texas against the No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock. Can TT QB Graham Harrell outshine Colt McCoy and make his mark on the wide-open Heisman race? We'll see.

Passing through Lumberton? Then mosey on down to Pembroke for some high-quality football. UNCP at 7-1 looks to dismantle winless Concord, scheduled for a 1pm kickoff.

Orange crush returns to the Brice With just three wins all-time in 25 meetings with the Volunteers, the 5-3 South Carolina Gamecocks need this one bad in hopes of a New Year's Day bowl game. Anyone remember the Outback Bowl with sweet Lou? 7:00pm, ESPN2.

Cocks' pick up another Clemson Commit

From THE STATE, Columbia, S.C.: Running back Ben Axon (6-1, 200) of Bradenton, Fla., has decommitted from Clemson and committed to USC.

Axon had committed to the Tigers in June, but after the resignation of Tommy Bowden, his commitment weakened considerably.

It was just the sudden downfall of the Clemson program," Axon said. "They are going downhill. They lost to Georgia Tech, which I thought was very important to coach Swinney. It just didn't seem right for me to go up there. I was a Tiger and I was committed to Clemson. Clemson felt like home to me. But I've made my decision and I hope everybody respects that."

Axon said USC also was one of the first schools to offer him and he always remained interested in the Gamecocks.

"Instant playing time and the difference between the SEC and the ACC," he said in giving reasons for going with USC. "At Clemson, I was guaranteed a little playing time if I worked hard, but at South Carolina I was guaranteed the starting job if I work hard. Watching them play LSU this weekend made me think even harder about being a Gamecock. The only thing they didn't have was a running game."

Free safety, ranked No. 1 at his position, Devonte Holloman has not verballed to USC, but might in November.

Streaking Braves crush Edward Waters

Now with an outside shot at a Division-II playoff berth, the UNCP Braves are two victories away from finishing 9-1 in just their second season of college football.

Head coach Pete Shinnick's team are winners of five in a row dating back to a 22-21 win over Jacksonville in September. Quarterback Cory Smith has 13 TDs and 3 INTs this season while freshman Jamal Williams continues to fill up the stat sheet with all-purpose yardage. His 158 yards receving in Saturday's 43-8 win over Edward Waters was a season-high for the first year player.

Notables from Saturday's 43-8 win over Edward Waters

Quarterbacks: Cory Smith threw for a touchdown pass and ran for another as the Braves built a 30-0 halftime lead. Backup Garrett Sutphen played the second half for the Black and Gold and threw a scoring pass to Jamal Williams in the fourth quarter. "Our guys made plays today," Smith said. "The line did an excellent job of blocking and the quarterbacks had time in the pocket."

Running backs: Rashon Kennedy led the Braves on the ground with 78 yards and two touchdowns. South View High product Brandon McLaurin had an average of 7.1 yards-per-carry on four touches.

Receiving Corp: Do-it-all freshman Jamal Williams had a season-high eight receptions for 158 yards and a fourth quarter TD. "I'm just lucky to get the opportunity to play for these guys and coach Shinnick," Williams said. "Coach tries to get me touches anyway possible and I try to make things happen." Josh Humphries caught three passes for 27 yards, two of which gave the Braves first downs. Travis Daniels added three grabs for 40 yards.

The Black and Gold defense almost recorded its second shutout of the season, limiting the Tigers to just 124 total yards of offense. JT McCoy and Caylon Hann led UNCP with five tackles each and the Braves as a team, registered 12 tackles-for-loss.

Interested in more post game analysis? Listen to my radio show, Sportstalk with Crawford and Kelley, Fridays at 6pm HERE.

Grading Garcia's First Start vs. LSU

Saturday night marked the game all Gamecock fans have been waiting for, Stephen Garcia's first collegiate start. Unfortunately, it was against the 13t-ranked LSU Tigers and ended with another tough loss for Spurrier's men.

It was another frustrating loss for Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks. South Carolina is 2-9at home against top 25 teams in the coach's four years in Columbia.

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Gamecocks, who have lost at least three SEC games in each of Spurrier's seasons. Only once in his 12 years in Florida did his teams lose three league games.

At 5-3, Arkansas and Tennessee are must wins for a decent bowl bid. Hopefully, Carlos Thomas and Captain Munnerlyn's injuries are minor.

Grading Garcia

Grade: B. While Garcia didn't win the game, he certainly didn't lose it either. Played a little better than I thought he would against one of the SEC's top defenses.

Pros: Ran well out of the pocket and had a pair of 20+ yard runs. One of the most crucial plays of the game was his throw to McKinley in the fourth quarter, a pass that was dropped in LSU territory on 3rd-and-13. The freshman QB made a few nice crossing route throws to Jared Cook and Wesley Saunders, the latter coming on a second quarter touchdown.

Cons: Forget the fumble and the interception. Garcia must learn how to throw the ball away and not take a sack. Alot of that falls on the offensive line, but Garcia has to call timeout when he sees the blitz, rather than lose 7-10 yards behind the line.

After losing sleep again after a close Gamecock loss, I've told myself it's just a football game. Let's go out and beat the Vols in two weeks in Columbia.

Can the Gamecocks upset LSU? Yes, they can.

Rewind to Friday, September 5,2008. The morning after "The Vandy Game".

Gamecock Nation feels crushed after a 24-17 upset loss in Nashville on Thursday night to the SEC-bottom dwelling Commodores. (We didn't know Vandy would be this good.)

Fast forward to Thursday, October 16, 2008. The Gamecocks are two daya away from playing their most important game of the season, possibly most pivotal in Spurrier's tenure at USC, a home game against the 13th-ranked LSU Tigers. South Carolina sits at 5-2, 2-2 in the conference while LSU looks to rebound from a 51-21 behind-the-woodshed beating by Florida.

The Ole' Ball Coach has finally found his quarterback, it appears, in redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia. "We didn't expect Stephen to play so well," Spurrier said, following USC's 24-17 come-from-behind win at Kentucky last week. Garcia came off the bench with 170 yards passing and a touchdown to Wesley Saunders to put the Cocks' up for good in the fourth quarter.

Saturday's game may come down to how well South Carolina can stop the run. The Gamecocks lead the SEC in pass defense and rank second nationally, so don't expect Les Miles to torch USC through the air with QB Jarrett Lee. Instead, the Tigers will rely on a rushing attack that has notched success against South Carolina in the past.

This is the Gamecocks' time to shine on ESPN in front of a national audience. Let's get it done boys. Succop makes up for his 1-5 showing in Lexington with the game-winning field goal in the waning seconds.

South Carolina 27 LSU 24

ESPN's interpretation of Saturday's bout with the Bayou Bengals.

CFB Week 7: Texas owns OU, grabs No. 1

Fresh off a 45-35 win over Oklahoma Saturday, sports writers from across the nation awarded the Texas Longhorns a No. 1 ranking in the AP poll released Sunday afternoon. Mack Brown finally got that much-needed win against the Sooners in Dallas.

Alabama, who was idle, remains at No. 2 while Penn State's impressive 48-7 win at Wisconsin vaults the Lions into the No. 3 spot.

The Florida Gators showed why some voters had UF in the Top 5 at season's start. UF rolled over LSU 51-21 and gave Les Miles and staff its only loss this year. Percy Harvin scored twice for the Gators and Brandon Spikes sealed the game in the fourth with an interception return for a TD. LSU travels to Columbia next Sat. night for a 7:45 ESPN-televised kickoff with the Gamecocks.

Vanderbilt's cinderella campaign is over. The Commodores mustered just 100 total yards in a 17-14 UPSET loss to Miss. St.

South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier improved to 16-0 against Kentucky with a 24-17 come-from-behind win against the Wildcats in Lexington Sat. afternoon. Freshman QB Stephen Garcia came off the bench in the fourth quarter to lead a pair of scoring drives.


HELMET STICKERS - NATIONALLY

The Florida Gators Offense - UF torched the fourth-ranked Bayou Bengals of LSU Sat. nite to the tune of 51 points and 475 yards of total offense. Florida has shook off an upset loss to Ole Miss with back-to-back explosive SEC victories. Meyer has Gator Nation believing, again.

Quan Sturdivant, LB, North Carolina - On Notre Dame's opening possession of the second half at North Carolina Sat. afternoon, Sturdivant stepped in front of a Jimmy Clausen pass and returned the interception 32 yards for a Tarheel score. Sturdivant's TD brought the Heels to within one at 17-16 early in the second half.

Captain Munnerlyn, CB, South Carolina - The Captain makes it happen. The 5-10 junior's 81-yard blocked field goal return in the second quarter helped the Gamecocks grab at 14-7 lead before halftime. Munnerlyn added a 90-yard kickoff return in the first period to setup a Kenny McKinley touchdown reception.

EXTRA POINTS

- Michigan's 13-10 loss in Ann Arbor to Toledo was the first for the Wolverines in 25 all-time games against teams from the MAC conference.

- Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel went 27-31 in the second half against Oke. St. Sat. night but threw three interceptions in his four incompletions as the Cowboys shocked the Tigers.

- Despite four turnovers, Oregon State scored 66 points on Wash St. with 550 yards of total offense and nine touchdowns to even its record this season at 3-3.

- UNCP improved to 6-1 with its third straight road win Saturday. Quarterback Cory Smith threw five touchdowns passes in a 36-14 win at West Virginia Wesleyan.

CFB Week 6: Big 12, SEC East flex their muscles

While SEC teams rely on a strong running game and a tenacious defense, Big 12 squads are continuing to air it out.

After Missouri's 52-17 win at Nebraska, Texas Tech's 58-28 drubbing of Kansas St. and OU's 49-17 win over Baylor, a trio of Big 12 quarterbacks have stepped into the Heisman front-runner race.

By the numbers (Top 3 Big 12 QBs)

Sam Bradford - Oklahoma: 1,665 yards, 18 TDs, 3 INT, 204.97 rating

Graham Harrell - Texas Tech: 2,027 yards, 18 TDs, 3 INT, 161.04 rating

Chase Daniel - Missouri: 1,665 yards, 15 TDs, INT, 196.38

Both the Sooners and the Red Raiders had 33 first downs and 600+ yards of total offense.

No. 1 Oklahoma faces No. 5 Texas this Saturday in the Red River Shootout in Dallas. It will be Big 12’s most important conference clash so far this season.

SEC East schools rebounded from a bad Week 5 with a 4-1 record Saturday, including Vanderbilt's upset of 13th-ranked Auburn in Nashville. South Carolina went into Oxford and won 31-24 while Kentucky had Alabama on the ropes before falling 17-14. Florida and Tennessee each handled Arkansas and Northern Illinois, respectively.


HELMET STICKERS - NATIONALLY

Terrell Pryor, QB, Ohio State: Don't rule out the Buckeyes (5-1, No. 12) at a shot to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship game. Ohio State won a hard-fought 20-17 game in Madison Saturday night against the Badgers behind Pryor's play down the stretch. The 6-foot-6 freshman's TD run with 1:14 remaining gave OSU a come-from-behind win.

Bruce Carter, LB, UNC: Carter blocked an unprecendented three punts Saturday night against UConn as the Heels rolled 38-12. UNC is ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in three seasons under Butch Davis at No. 21.

Chris Smelley, QB, South Carolina: After taking a back seat to freshman Stephen Garcia last week against UAB and in the media this week, Smelley threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 win at Ole Miss. The Gamecocks stand at 4-2 with a road game at Kentucky next week.

EXTRA POINTS

- For the first time in program history, Ball State is nationally ranked after a 6-0 start.

- Unbeaten Oklahoma State has scored 50 or more points in four straight games, a school record. Wide receiver Dez Bryant caught three touchdowns and returned a punt for another as Oke St. cruised to a 56-28 win over Tex. A & M.

- UConn’s Donald Brown scored his nation-leading 12th TD against the Tar Heels Saturday night, recording 150 + rushing yards for the fifth time this season in the process.

- Missouri sophomore tailback Derrick Washington has scored multiple touchdowns in every game this season for the 5-0 Tigers.

Spurrier surprises Gamecock faithful AGAIN?!

After saying quarterback Stephen Garcia would start at Ole Miss Saturday during Monday's USC weekly press conference, Steve Spurrier backed off his proclamation yesterday afternoon in Columbia in favor of inconsistent sophomore Chris Smelley.

What's the matter Ole Ball Coach? Is Garcia not ready for an SEC game? Is your offensive coordinator (most likely himself) drawing up a few plays exclusively for Garcia to use in the pocket?

It's time to give Gamecock fans what they want, and what they want is Garcia as the starting quarterback. We'll take a 5-7 season, but please let Stephen play; or either pick a starting quarterback and let this carousel end.

Grading the Atlantic Coast Conference

Coastal Division

Virginia Tech (4-1, 2-0 ACC) – The Hokies vaulted themselves to the top of the ACC the last two weeks, with wins at North Carolina and on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Frank Beamer’s decision to un-redshirt Tyrod Taylor has uplifted a dreadful offense in the season’s first two games.

North Carolina (3-1, 1-1 ACC) – After losing 20 consecutive games out of state since 2002, the Heels have won back-to-back road contests against Rutgers and Miami despite T.J. Yates’ injury at quarterback. Brandon Tate is a threat every time he touches the
football and will be an All-ACC first teamer.

Duke (3-1, 1-0) – The Blue Devils recently snapped a 25-game conference losing streak with a 31-3 win against Virginia, the ACC’s new bottom dweller. Wide receiver Eron Riley ranks among the nation’s best at his position with six touchdown receptions. This weekend’s matchup with Georgia Tech will test the Dookies.

Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-1 ACC) – The Yellow Jackets are led by one of the ACC’s best redzone defenses and a rushing attack that’s averaging just over 300 yards a game. Add the throwback jerseys for the 2008 season and Ga. Tech looks for real.

Miami (2-2, 0-1 ACC) – Randy Shannon’s Hurricanes suffered a tough loss to North Carolina last Saturday in Miami, blowing a 24-14 lead in the fourth quarter. Can the Canes’ bounce back with two freshman quarterbacks? Only time will tell.

Virginia (1-3, 0-1 ACC) – The Cavaliers are officially bad. Four touchdowns and four field goals in four games spells doom for Virginia.


Atlantic Division

Maryland (4-1, 1-0 ACC) – If the season ended today, the Terps and Hokies would meet in Tampa for the ACC Championship game. Maryland has quality wins over then-ranked Cal and in Death Valley against the Clemson Tigers, a team many predicted as the Atlantic Division’s winner this season.

N.C. State (2-3, 0-1 ACC) – Russell Wilson’s injury at the quarterback position has forced turnover-prone Harrison Beck into the starting role. Beck’s numbers this season are subpar with two touchdown passes and six interceptions. A key win against East Carolina’s helps the Wolfpack’s cause, but it’ll be another year or so before Tom O’Brien and his crew bring back winning ways to Raleigh.

Wake Forest (3-1, 1-0 ACC) – A 12-3 win at Florida State assured Wake Forest it was here to stay, the Deacons’ third straight win over the Noles’. Fast-forward a week later and Riley Skinner throws four INTs in a 24-17 loss to Navy. The Deacons’ final game of the season against Vanderbilt will be a crucial contest for the Commodores’ bowl hopes.

Clemson (3-2, 1-1 ACC) – So much for BCS Championship hopes Tiger fans. Clemson will now struggle to make a New Year’s Day bowl with early losses to Bama’ and Maryland. Tommy Bowden’s job might be on the line if the Tigers lose to South Carolina in November. Despite All-American caliber running backs in James Davis and C. J. Spiller, the Tigers are under achieving yet again.

Boston College (3-1, 0-1 ACC) – Armed with quite possibly the ACC’s best defense, Boston College has intercepted 10 passes this season and hasn’t allowed a single touchdown pass in four games.

Florida State (3-1, 0-1 ACC) – Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles still have a chance to make it to Tampa in December but they need a few upsets along the way. The Noles’ host Va. Tech Oct. 25 in Tallahassee and play Miami this weekend in pivotal matchups.

Garcia makes debut, Braves win again

A fabulous weekend of college football just unfolded before my very eyes.

Southern Cal gets upset in Corvallis, Florida goes down in the Swamp and Georgia’s “blackout” is turned inside out by the Crimson Tide. Where do my teams fall into this Top 25 shakeup?

Nowhere important, but it was still an exciting Saturday.

South Carolina’s bout with UAB marked the significant debut of hyped-quarterback Stephen Garcia. Garcia’s final numbers were far from pedestrian with 86 rushing yards, 130-something through the air and two touchdowns as the Gamecocks won 26-13.

Up next for South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC) is the Ole Miss Rebels next weekend in Oxford. Could it be a possible letdown for Houston Nutt’s squad perhaps? Early Prediction: South Carolina 27 Ole Miss 20

The UNCP Braves were victorious again, this time winning on the road.

That phrase is pretty common in year two of Black and Gold football. Despite the Braves’ (4-1) picking up just 190 yards of total offense Saturday night, UNCP scored three non-offensive touchdowns in Jackson, TN to blowout Lane 47-28. The Braves set a school-record for points (47) and Jamal Williams returned the first ever punt for a touchdown in school history. Go Braves.

Braves not exactly rebuilding in Year Two

When asked to predict his team’s overall success in the upcoming season at UNCP’s football media day in early August, Braves’ head coach Pete Shinnick was optimistic but not too excited about the Black and Gold’s grueling 2008 slate.

“We’re only playing one team we beat last season in Webber International,” Shinnick said. “We have seven games against opponents that beat us. We definitely have our work cut out for us.”

Speaking in terms of off-season improvements, Shinnick said the Braves had picked up faster athletes within the signing class, including Jamal Williams, but early tests against Division I – FCS opponents Davidson and Jacksonville would provide the measuring stick toward a successful campaign.

So far, the Braves have aced both assignments with flying colors.

At the season’s halfway point, the Black and Gold hold a 3-1 record with surprising come-from-behind wins against a pair of quality opponents from the Pioneer League while narrowly missing a road win at Wingate on Sept. 13.

UNCP erased last season’s 55-10 loss to Jacksonville from memory on Sept. 20 at Grace P. Johnson Stadium with a 22-21 win over the Dolphins. The Braves forced five turnovers, including Caylon Hann’s fourth and fifth interceptions of the season.

“We’re starting to come together as a group and that’s big for us,” UNCP defensive end DeWayne James said, following his team’s narrow victory over the Dolphins. “We’re starting to click on both sides of the ball and that’s key for a successful season.”

The Braves are now in the midst of a two week road trip with travel arrangements to West Virginia Wesleyan and Webber International. UNCP will return home Oct. 18 to match up with Edward Waters for homecoming.

“Our guys are starting to believe in our system and they are starting to realize we’re a family,” Shinnick said. “Our defense has come together in our second season and we’re trusting in them late in the game.”

UNCP’s defense is much improved from a year ago, allowing just 13.2 points per game compared to 28.8 in 2007. Defensive coordinator Shane Richardson should be commended for masterminding a force that has 15 takeaways in four games, including 10 interceptions.

MID SEASON AWARDS

Offensive MVP - let's call this one a tie between quarterback Garrett Sutphen and running back Rashon Kennedy. Kennedy's four total touchdowns leads the team and Sutphen's remarkable second half against Jacksonville helped the Braves down the Dolphins 22-21. Sutphen is completing passes at an alarming 68 percent clip.

Defensive MVP - since this is an individual award I'llhave to give it to Caylon Hann (I didn't forget yall defensive line). Originally slated at quarterback after transferring from Bethune-Cookman, Hann has found a home at safety for the Black and Gold and picked off five passes in four games. Caylon, let's take one of these interceptions to the house shall we?

Hardest Hitter - tough call for me on this one, but I'm giving it to Bo Noah. The senior transfer from Catawba can been seen laying the wood at linebacker and on special teams; buckle your chinstrap when No. 52 comes runnin'.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS


Play of the Year - let's face it, Taylor Baskett's game-winning field goal with a minute and some change remaining to beat Jacksonville resulted in the loudest cheer ever at Grace P. Johnson Stadium. Jamal Williams' 48-yard sideline scamper versus Brevard comes in a close second.

Did you see that - in case you missed it, A.C. Boykin's baptizing hit on Jacksonville quarterback Josh McGregor Sept. 20 may have been the "We just put UNCP on the map" play of the season. Boykin blizted into the pocket, uncovered from his left cornerback position, and laid a viscious hit to McGregor's chin.

Catch of the Year - Jamar Dials' 36-yard grab in the third quarter versus Jacksonville helped UNCP manufacture its first touchdown against the Dolphins. Blanketed by a JU defensive back, Dials' pulled in the floater pass for the first down in the Dolphins' 20-yard line.

UNCP's win, USC's blunder

Well here it is 5:08 to play in the fourth quarter and my Gamecocks are clinging to a 16-13 lead against Wofford. That's right . . . WOFFORD.

I'm tired of this team and really tired of Steve Spurrier. No excuses, we have the players and they still make the same dumb mistakes South Carolina players always have.

Edit* We finally won, bring on UAB. Early prediction: UAB 3, South Carolina 2.


In other news, UNCP football is streaking. With three straight road games coming up after today's last-second 22-21 win over Jacksonville, the Braves' 3-1 record will be tested. As always, good luck to the Black and Gold.

Blake Shelton - Raleigh - Sat. Sept. 13

So my girlfriend and I were lucky enough to get 5th row for Blake Shelton on Saturday night, we both loved the concert and here's some video I took:

Shelton was the final artist out of six at the 2008 NC Agricultural Jam at Walnut Creek. He went on about 945pm and played for almost an hour. Fan favorite of course.

TOP 25 College Football Picks - Week 3

So I'm a little late this season to start my first week of college football predictions. I'm starting with a clean slate and hopefully my Gamecocks will start to play a little better for a bowl shot.

Better late than never right? Fourteen games on slate for today and 0-0 for the season. Onto the picks for this week . . .

No. 5 Ohio State @ No. 1 USC - Not that the addition of Beanie Wells would've mattered all that much . . . Southern California 27 Ohio State 17.

No. 2 Georgia @ South Carolina - Usually a close game between these two SEC East division rivals, today will be no different . . . Georgia 24 South Carolina 17

No. 3 Oklahoma @ Washington - Can Jake Locker and company rebound from last week's disappointing loss to BYU? Not against the Sooners . . . Oklahoma 34 Washington 17

Nevada @ No. 5 Missouri - Chase Daniel and the Tigers keep it rolling . . . Missouri 45 Nevada 24

North Texas @ No. 7 LSU - Finally a home game on schedule for the Bayou Bengals . . . LSU 42 North Texas 7

No. 9 Auburn @ Miss. St. - Upset of the week in SEC play? Nah . . . Auburn 27 Miss St. 23

No. 10 Wisconsin @ No. 21 Fresno St. - Upset special . . . Fresno St. 27 Wisconsin 20

No. 14 East Carolina @ Tulane - When will the Pirates lose a game their not supposed to? It won't be Tulane Green Wave . . . East Carolina 38 Tulane 24

No. 16 Oregon @ Purdue - Curtis Painter gets 300+ through the air to upset the Ducks . . . Purdue 34 Oregon 31

No. 17 Penn State @ Syracuse - Syracuse continues its tumble toward D1's worse team . . . Penn State 44 Cuse' 17

UCLA @ No. 18 BYU - Don't let the win over Tennesee fool you, the Bruins aren't much good . . . BYU 27 UCLA 17

No. 23 California @ Maryland - Another bad loss for the ACC at home . . . Cal 24 Maryland 23

ACC Matchups

North Carolina St. @ Clemson - This could get ugly for the Wolfpack . . . Clemson 45 NC St. 14

Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech - VaTech isn't as good as advertised . . . Ga. Tech 27 Va Tech 24

UNCP Football: Can the Braves push to 3-0?

All the sudden, a winning season in Year Two of UNCP football doesn't seem so unobtainable.

A matchup of undefeated teams is set for this Saturday in Wingate, N.C., as the 2-0 Braves take on the 2-0 Bulldogs at 1:30 p.m. at Irwin Belk Stadium.

The Braves come into this week hot, fresh off of a 21-9 upset victory over Davidson in Pembroke Saturday night. The Black and Gold defense forced three interceptions and scored 21 unanswered points to beat the Wildcats and spoil their season opener.

Will UNCP's defense, a squad that has allowed just nine points in two games, be confident enough to stop a powerful Wingate offense?

Prediction: As much as I want to take my Braves in this one, look for Wingate to get on the scoreboard early in its 2008 home opener. The Black and Gold will suffer their first loss of the season after a huge win last week against Davidson. Wingate's offense proves too much for the UNCP secondary as the Bulldogs win 31 - 21.

Your thoughts on Saturday's contest at Wingate?