November 2010 Archives

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/30 Excitement growing for SEC Championship Game

By The Editor on November 30, 2010 8:50 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Coach Steve Spurrier back in SEC title game (Associated Press)

Football: Gamecocks kick history's rear this season (ESPN)

Football: SEC Game Excitement Spreads Across USC Campus (WLTX.com)

Football: USC students, fans make "Sandstorm" their unofficial anthem (WISTV.com)

Football: Spurrier: Garcia 'should be fine' (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: Surprise! Spurrier proves South Carolina can be player in SEC (AJC)

Football: Spurrier fulfills big talk (Sumter Item)

Football: 'New Monday' has given Gamecocks new life (Post and Courier)

Football: Spurrier aims to make his USC 'best' even better (Anderson Independent Mail)

FROM THE OTHER SIDE...

Chizik talks SEC, team relationships at weekly press conference (The Auburn Plainsman)

Reporting from Auburn, this guy here likes South Carolina (AJC)

GAMECOCKS IN THE NFL

John Abraham (DE, Atlanta Falcons): 4 tackles (3 solo, 1 asst), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble in W over Green Bay

Jasper Brinkley (LB, Minnesota Vikings): 2 solo tackles in W over Washington.

Sheldon Brown (CB, Cleveland Browns): 10 tackles (8 solo, 2 asst) in W over Carolina

Jared Cook (TE, Tennessee Titans): 4 catches for 40 yards in L to Houston

Lance Laury (LB, New York Jets): 1 asst. tackle in W over Cincinnati

Jamon Meredith (OL, New York Giants): played in W over Jacksonville

Captain Munnerlyn (CB, Carolina Panthers): 6 solo tackles, 1 pick six in L to Cleveland

Eric Norwood (LB, Carolina Panthers): 1 solo tackle in L to Cleveland

Sidney Rice (WR, Minnesota Vikings): 1 catch for 20 yards in W over Washington, second game back from injury

Dunta Robinson (CB, Atlanta Falcons): 3 solo tackles in W over Green Bay

Shaun Smith (DT, Kansas City Chiefs): 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 asst) and a rare 1 yd rushing TD in W over Seattle

Darian Stewart (S, St. Louis Rams): 1 solo tackle in W over Denver

Ryan Succop (K, Kansas City Chiefs): 6/6 on PATs, 0/1 on field goals

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Women's Basketball: Gamecocks Host Charleston Southern Wednesday Morning

Men's Basketball: Men's Hoops To Entertain Delaware State In Mid-Week Matchup

Football: Steve Spurrier Weekly Press Conference Quotes & Videos

Football: Gamecocks Begin Championship Week

Volleyball: Juliette Thevenin Earns SEC All-Freshman Team Honors

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Lots of national media in town today for features on the SEC Championship Game:

Follow @GamecocksOnline and @SpursUpBlog on Twitter!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Coach Spurrier's weekly press conference: http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/allaccess/?media=213484

ROOSTER CROWS

A win over Auburn Saturday would give the Gamecocks 10 wins for just the second time in school history (1984).

It would also be South Carolina's first win over Auburn since joining the SEC; Auburn is the only SEC team South Carolina has not beaten since joining the conference in 1992. Auburn has won all of the five contests since Carolina joined the SEC.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

This is little Sarah Beth at her first Carolina football game vs. Troy. Her grandparents, uncle and mother are all Carolina grads. Thanks to Jean Broom for sending in these cute pics to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

SEC Championship Game Watch Party at Colonial Life Arena

By The Editor on November 30, 2010 6:46 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

For South Carolina fans not making the trip to Atlanta, come out to Colonial Life Arena on Saturday for the SEC Championship Game Watch Party and enjoy the game with your fellow Gamecocks! The arena will open at 3:00 PM. Admission is FREE and concessions will be open. CBS will air a one hour pre-game show starting at 3:00 PM followed by the game at 4:00 PM which will be shown on the videoboard in Colonial Life Arena.

Go Gamecocks!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Women's Basketball Read with the Gamecocks Field Trip Day - Dec. 1

By The Editor on November 30, 2010 5:36 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Women's Basketball program is hosting its 2nd annual Read with the Gamecocks Field Trip Day for their game tomorrow, December 1st, vs. Charleston Southern. Tip off is early at 11:00 AM allowing for elementary schools from around the state to attend the game as a field trip. Each child who participated received a free Women's Basketball book cover that included a ticket to tomorrow's game.

Read with the Gamecocks by the numbers:

4,236 individual participants

47 schools participated

1,075,960 pages read

At the game tomorrow we will honor the child from each grade who read the most pages (pre-k through 5th grade), the state wide overall reading winner (both male and female) and Windsor Elementary School (largest number of pages read by one school; 165,217).

All are welcome to attend this special game. Walk-up tickets will be available at the Colonial Life Arena box office.

Go Gamecocks and congratulations to all the Read with the Gamecocks participants and winners!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Bowl game ticket request information

By The Editor on November 30, 2010 5:12 PM | 3 Comments | No TrackBacks

As important as the game is this Saturday just by itself, the SEC Championship Game will also be a major deciding factor in what bowl game the Gamecocks are invited to attend. We'll know by Sunday evening at the latest which bowl we'll be playing in. As most of you probably know, should the Gamecocks win the SEC Championship, we would receive an automatic BCS bid to the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Other bowl options include any of those with SEC tie-ins, including but not limited to the Capital One Bowl, Outback Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl, Gator Bowl, etc.

The deadline for bowl game ticket request applications was November 15th. Gamecock Club members who submitted their requests by the deadline will receive first priority for ticket assignment and all requests received by the deadline will be fulfilled first. The number of tickets available varies by bowl, so the application system will re-open once our bowl destination is known this weekend. Gamecock Club members who submit their ticket requests at that time will be assigned tickets based on priority points only after the first group of requests received by the deadline are fulfilled.

Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com this weekend for all information about the bowl game and ticket requests. Go Gamecocks!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: All-America honor for Alshon Jeffery, SEC Championship Game week begins

By The Editor on November 29, 2010 6:34 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

***TONIGHT***

Inside the Roost - 7:00 PM, Eric Hyman radio show, 107.5 FM, www.1075thegame.com

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Garcia joins elite group (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: South Carolina gears up for SEC championship game (Spartanburg Herald Journal)

Football: USC closing strong on way to SEC title game (Post and Courier)

Football: USC showing major improvement since last meeting with Auburn (Anderson Independent Mail)

Football: Spurrier: Newton "certainly" Heisman-worthy (SI.com/Associated Press)

Football: Spurrier cements legacy as one of the best (ESPN)

Football: SEC Championship: Lattimore, Dyer cut from same cloth (AJC)

Men's Soccer: Morris: Gamecocks seniors oversee turnaround (The State)

Men's Soccer: Carolina's season draws to close at hands of Michigan (Daily Gamecock)

Men's Soccer: Michigan bounces short-handed USC (The State)

FROM THE OTHER SIDE...

Football: Auburn has plenty on the line in rematch with South Carolina (TimesDaily.com)

Football: TWICE AS NICE?: Auburn set for rematch with South Carolina in SEC title game (Montgomery Advertiser)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Football: Spencer Lanning Named SEC Special Teams Player Of The Week

Football: Alshon Jeffery Named To 2010 AFCA Coaches' All-America Team

Football: Gamecocks Hold Steady in Rankings

Football: No. 18 Gamecocks Shut Down Clemson, 29-7

Women's Basketball: Second Half Lull Steals Victory from Gamecocks

Men's Basketball: Gamecocks Defeat Western Kentucky In Double OT Thriller

Men's Soccer: No. 18 Gamecocks Suffer Loss To No. 19 Michigan In NCAA Tournament

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Congratulations to Alshon!! Great recognition for him and for Gamecock Football.

Follow @GamecocksOnline and @SpursUpBlog on Twitter!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Great highlight video from the Gamecock Productions staff of the win over Clemson!

ROOSTER CROWS

The Gamecocks' 87-85, double-overtime win over Western Kentucky in Men's Basketball on Saturday was Carolina's first double overtime game since a 94-89 win over SC State in Columbia on Dec. 20, 1993.

This time five days from now we'll be in the midst of the SEC Championship Game... hopefully winning!

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

I'm a total sucker for Boxers, they are my absolute favorite dogs. Thanks to Kenzie Whitehead for sending this one in to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com! But you didn't tell me- what is this Gamecock dog's name?

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Men's Soccer season ends in NCAA Tournament Round of 16

By The Editor on November 28, 2010 3:51 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

After a great season for South Carolina Men's Soccer, including winning the Conference USA Championship and earning a No. 7 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks fell 3-1 to No. 10 seed Michigan in the third round of the NCAA Tournament to finish the season with a 13-7-2 record. After a scoreless first half, Michigan went up 1-0 with 26 minutes to play, followed soon after by a red card issued to senior Will Traynor, who would have to leave the game. The Gamecocks played a man down for the remainder of the game which opened up more opportunities for Michigan. Full recap to come on GamecocksOnline.com.

Congratulations to the team on their fantastic season, a conference championship, and a tough, hard fought battle at the end. The team and staff worked incredibly hard all season, including practicing and training through the Thanksgiving holiday this week to prepare for today's game. The team spent the holiday together and had a Thanksgiving meal together at a local hotel after practice.

The senior class in particular deserves special recognition for reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time during their time at Carolina and for shutting out Clemson all four years.

Congratulations again to the team and Coach Mark Berson and we'll see ya next year!

Go Gamecocks!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecocks beat rival Clemson, 29-7, for nine regular season wins

By The Editor on November 27, 2010 10:35 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

The Gamecocks have finished the regular season off with a bang, beating archrival Clemson 29-7 on the Tigers' home field.

Alshon Jeffery put on a show with 5 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. After a Clemson TD on the opening drive, the Carolina defense held the Tigers scoreless for the remaining 58 minutes of the game. Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com tonight and tomorrow for full recap, notes, and statistics from tonight's game.

What a great night for all Gamecocks, especially our senior football players, and a great way to wrap up the season and head into next week's SEC Championship Game vs. Auburn!

Beat Clemson - It's the Garnet Way!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Q&A with Cliff Matthews

By The Editor on November 26, 2010 5:07 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

Senior DE Cliff Matthews talked with me this week about the importance of the Carolina-Clemson rivalry, the post-game celebration after the Florida win, and more.

The soft-spoken two year captain can become SC's all-time leader in starts if he starts two more games this season (breaking Travelle Wharton's record of 45) and if he plays in the final three games, will tie Eric Norwood for most all-time games played at Carolina (51). He is currently ninth all-time in sacks at SC.

Beat. Clemson.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecock 360: Charenee Stephens

By The Editor on November 26, 2010 3:32 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The team adopted the theme "We Rise" this season. What does that mean to you?
To me it means that we're going to overcome a lot of things this year, working towards a lot of stuff. We're always going to come out on top. I think that's the goal this season. We're going to come out on top.

How much does having a good home crowd affect the team?
Usually we get to know a lot of the crowd when they come. We go through the stands after the games, so it's always good to have reassuring faces in the crowd and have a lot of people in the crowd cheering for you. It's always fun.

How do you know when Coach Staley is really happy about a play?
If she's really happy about it she'll express it. She'll smile and clap, something encouraging.

Who on the team has a shot or a move that makes you stop and stare?
Ieasia [Walker] has all kinds of moves that make you want to stop and stare to figure out how the ball got in the rim.

Which teammate always breaks the tension in the locker room?
Me. I can't help it.

Who on the team has the best nickname?
Markeshia [Grant], her nickname is Granny. She's just an old soul. I'm not really sure who came up with it, but they gave her Granny. It fits

What has been your favorite team community service project?
When we went to the Women's Shelter. It was the toughest, but I feel like we bonded the most that day. It was a lot of labor, but we had fun with it.

What is the best thing about one or more of your roommates?
[My roommates are] Samone [Kennedy], Courtney [Newton] and Ashley [Bruner]. The best thing about having roommates is having things accessible. If I need something, want something to eat or drink. If I need anything, I can always just go to the next person. They're always going to be there to help you out. If Ashley needs something for me, she just walks in and gets it.

What's the last song or artist you added to your iPod?
Kanye West "Monster" - It's a collective song with Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj,

What's the nicest thing you did for someone today?
I took somebody to work.

What do you do when you're mad?
It depends on where I am. If I'm really mad on the court, I close my eyes and grip my fist a little bit. Off the court it depends on who you are and what I'm mad about.

Who is the first person you want to tell good news to?
Jewel [May] or Samone [Kennedy].

Do you have any nervous habits?
I don't think so. I do get nervous, but after I start talking it just goes away.

What two things do you grab if you have to leave the house ASAP?
Keys and flip-flops

Do you write anything on your basketball shoes for game day?
No, I can't figure out what's really going to support me during a game, something that's really forceful to get me going. When I do, I'm going to write it.

Miss an edition of Gamecock 360? Catch up here:
Lakeem Jackson
Samone Kennedy
Malik Cooke
La'Keisha Sutton
Ramon Galloway
Marah Strickland
RJ Slawson
Ieasia Walker
Sam Muldrow
Jewel May

Spurs Up Q&A with Tori Gurley

By The Editor on November 25, 2010 8:34 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I talked with WR Tori Gurley this week about the Carolina-Clemson rivalry, the team's many offensive weapons, being a "turkey baby", what brought him to South Carolina, the special gameday atmosphere in Columbia, and some of his favorite things. Listening to the gregarious sophomore is worth the five minutes of your life, I promise.

One of my favorite observations about Tori after listening to him in some of our press conferences this season & talking with him one on one this week is that he seems genuinely thankful for the opportunity to play football and come to Carolina on a scholarship. Having worked so hard to get here, you can hear the appreciation in his voice when he talks about his experiences as a Gamecock.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Keep an eye on #81 from Rock Hill when the Gamecocks take on the Tigers on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:06 PM on ESPN2.

BEAT. CLEMSON.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Football Notes from the SEC

By The Editor on November 25, 2010 3:35 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

* - The top five teams in the SEC in scoring offense are: Auburn (11-0), Arkansas (9-2), Alabama (9-2), Kentucky (6-5) and South Carolina (8-3).

* - The SEC has been involved in seven overtime games this year, tied with the Mid-American and the Big East for most in the nation.

* - According to the NCAA Toughest Schedule listing (based on cumulative record of opponents played), six SEC teams are listed among the top 21 toughest schedules so far. South Carolina and Auburn (56-35) are tied for 9th, while LSU (54-36) is 14th and Miss. State and Arkansas (55-37) are tied for 15th. Florida is 21st (53-38). Texas A&M is first with a 62-30 cumulative record followed by Notre Dame, San Jose State, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, Missouri and Iowa State.

SEC Best Home Records since 2000

LSU                        66-11     .857

Georgia                57-11     .838

Florida                  59-12     .831

Auburn                 65-15     .813

SEC Best Road Records since 2000 (Does not include bowl games or SEC Championship Game)

Florida                  40-16     .714

LSU                        32-16     .667

Georgia                38-21     .644

Tennessee          28-20     .583

* - Six offensive drives in the SEC have lasted for longer than eight minutes this season. The four longest drives in the SEC have resulted in field goals while Arkansas' 14-play, 77-yard, 8:03 scoring drive against UTEP is the longest TD drive (by time) of the season. South Carolina's 16-play, 79-yard, 8:02 scoring drive against Georgia is the second longest TD drive (by time) this season.

* - Alabama's 5 interceptions lost are tied for the fifth lowest in FBS this season. Army's 3 interceptions lost lead the nation. Alabama's 21 interceptions gained lead the nation.

* - Florida's defense has allowed 5.1 yards per play against the four ranked teams it has played this season. That figure is tied for 8th in the nation against ranked teams this year.

* - South Carolina's 36.0 total sacks this season is fourth in the nation, behind Florida State, Boise State and N.C. State.

* - Vanderbilt's defense leads the SEC and is fifth in the nation in total tackles for loss with 83. Miami (Fla.) leads the nation with 95 tackles for losses this season.

* - Vanderbilt's Casey Hayward leads the nation with 17 passes defended this season (6 interceptions, 11 pass deflections).

* - Five of the top 10 QBs ranked in yards per passing attempt in the nation are from the SEC. Auburn's Cam Newton's 10.3 yards per pass attempt is second in the nation followed by Arkansas' Ryan Mallett at 9.6 in third. South Carolina's Stephen Garcia is fifth with a 9.4 average, Alabama's Greg McElroy is seventh with a 9.2 average and Georgia's Aaron Murray is ninth with a 9.1 average.

* - In the month of November, Kentucky leads the nation in offensive yards per play, averaging 8.9 yards each time it runs a play. In three games this month, the Wildcat offense has totaled 1,082 yards on 122 plays.

* - In the month of November, Tennessee leads the SEC and is fifth in the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 38 points in three games, an average of 12.7 points per game. Notre Dame leads the nation this month, allowing just six points in its last two games.

* - Arkansas leads the SEC and is second in the nation in rushing yards allowed on third down this season. On 64 rushing attempts, Razorback opponents have allowed just eight yards this season. South Carolina is second in the SEC and third in the nation, giving up just 17 yards on 61 third down rushing attempts this season.

* - LSU leads the nation in passing yards allowed in the first half of games this season. In 11 first halves, LSU has allowed 643 passing yards this season. Opponents are 73 of 131 (55.7) against LSU in the first half this season with four TDs and seven INTs.

Happy Thanksgiving from Spurs Up!

By The Editor on November 25, 2010 3:27 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Happy Thanksgiving to Gamecocks everywhere! Have a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends. We have a lot to be thankful for, this year and always.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

"Inside the Chart" with Andy Demetra 11/24

By The Editor on November 24, 2010 5:41 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Interesting numbers related to second half effectiveness from Gamecock Radio's Andy Demetra today. Read more on "Inside the Chart".

"When South Carolina and Clemson meet, records are generally rendered meaningless. Still, a few season-long trends may offer a clue of how Saturday's game will play out. The Gamecocks' ability to fight fatigue and execute could be one of them.

As I crunched the numbers Tuesday, I found that 2nd half time of possession has been a stunning barometer of South Carolina's success this season.

Take a look at the Gamecocks' 2nd-half time of possession in their three losses:
Opponent   Opp Tm of Possession   USC Tm of Possession   Difference
Auburn        19:33   10:27   9:06
Kentucky   18:40   11:20   7:20
Arkansas   20:12   9:48   10:24

South Carolina's average 2nd half time of possession in losses: 10:32, a nearly two-to-one edge for the opposition.

Compare that to the Gamecocks' eight wins, when that number jumps to 16:38.

The more a defense has to absorb long, grueling drives, the harder it becomes to prevent points. Clearly, that has made a difference in the Gamecocks' wins and losses. If South Carolina wants to author a win at Memorial Stadium, it'll need to force three-and-outs and create turnovers in the 2nd half. Any blown assignments, lapses in communication, or less-than-textbook tackles, brought on by fatigue, could start the Gamecocks on a downward slide."

Military Appreciation Day photos, flyover information

By The Editor on November 24, 2010 3:03 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I've heard a lot of positive things about the Military Appreciation Day halftime presentation from Saturday's game. The annual event is something Gamecock fans have really come to appreciate and enjoy. Check out a few photos from the event in the slideshow below.

A major piece of the presentation is the flyover, so we want to be sure and thank the folks responsible. The flyover was performed by F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 169th Fighter Wing, of the South Carolina Air National Guard. Elements of the 169th recently returned from a deployment to Iraq, where they flew combat air patrol missions in support of US ground troops there.

Leading the formation was Lt Col David "Oscar" Meyer, a proud Gamecock parent, joined by Captain Jerrod "Salty" Sonderman, Captain Stephen "Boards" Kaminski and Lt Mark "Dirty" Fattmann, with Brigadier General Jim Chow, Carolina Class of 1980, flying in the rear cockpit of aircraft number four.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, another thank you to all the men and women of the United States Military.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/24 Beat Clemson

By The Editor on November 24, 2010 2:50 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: South Carolina not looking past Clemson to SEC championship game (Post and Courier)

Football: On tap: The ACC vs. SEC Challenge (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: USC-Clemson Key Matchups (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: SEC superlative tracker (ESPN College Football Nation Blog)

Football: 5 Things to Watch in the SEC (al.com)

Football: Gamecocks hope to keep rolling (Sumter Item)

Football: Gilmore expects to practice today and play Saturday (Anderson Independent Mail)

Men's Basketball: South Carolina 57, S.C.-Upstate 41 (ESPN/Associated Press)

Men's Basketball: USC Upstate stays cold, falls short against Gamecocks (GoUpstate.com)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Volleyball: Gamecocks Close 2010 Season at Home vs. No. 1 Florida

Women's Basketball: Staley Takes Team to #3/2 Stanford for Friday Showdown

Men's Basketball: Gamecocks Down USC Upstate, 57-41

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

#BeatClemson

Follow @GamecocksOnline and @SpursUpBlog on Twitter!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360: junior forward Charenee Stephens

ROOSTER CROWS

South Carolina vs. Clemson is the third longest uninterrupted series in college football history at 101 consecutive games (1909-present).

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Gamecock fans Jill and Rylie Ann Roark! Keep sending in your gameday pics to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com! We've gotten some great ones already that will be coming your way!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Fans of the Week!

By The Editor on November 23, 2010 8:38 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I went up to section 505 to find this week's Fans of the Week and to wish a special young Gamecock fan, "Happy Birthday!" It was little Sullivan's third birthday and she and her parents were celebrating with the Gamecocks on a sunny Saturday.

Freddy Giavelli grew up in Summerville and attended University of South Carolina from 1986 to 1988. His wife, Whitney Giavelli, grew up in Charleston, went to high school in Columbia and attended Carolina from 2002 to 2004. The Giavellis have attended Gamecock football games together since 2005 (even when Whitney was pregnant) and have started the tradition with their daughter, Sullivan (who may still be a little camera shy when it comes to the crazy lady sticking a camera in her face haha).

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/23 Beat Clemson

By The Editor on November 23, 2010 8:11 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

***TONIGHT*** AT HOME:

Men's Basketball vs. USC Upstate, 7:00 PM, Colonial Life Arena

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Carolina Prepares for Clemson Matchup (WLTX)

Football: Gamecock defense gets 'swag' back (Daily Gamecock)

Football: Going for two: USC seeks history with second straight win over Clemson (Daily Gamecock)

Football: Bowling best if Gamecocks win out (The State)

Football: USC Holds Tiger Burn 2010 (WSPA)

Football: Gamecocks' D-line enjoying dramatic turnaround from '09 season (Post and Courier)

Football: USC's season to be defined the next two weeks (Anderson Independent Mail)

Football: Rivalry time (Sumter Item)

Football: Football on menu for Thanksgiving in South Carolina (The Times and Democrat)

Football: Spurrier: Gamecocks always wants to beat Clemson (Associated Press)

Football: SEC Championship watch party, festivities announced (WACH)

GAMECOCKS IN THE NFL

Jasper Brinkley (LB, Minnesota Vikings): 3 tackles (2 solo, 1 assisted), 1 tackle for loss in L to Green Bay
Sheldon Brown (CB, Cleveland Browns): 1 solo tackle in L to Jacksonville
Jared Cook (TE, Tennessee Titans): 2 catches for 11 yards in L to Washington
Johnathan Joseph (CB, Cincinnati Bengals): 2 solo tackles & 2 interceptions, one of which returned for a touchdown, in L to Buffalo
Jamon Meredith (OT, New York Giants): Played in L to Philadelphia
Captain Munnerlyn (CB, Carolina Panthers): Kickoff & punt return duty in L to Baltimore
Eric Norwood (LB, Carolina Panthers): 1 solo tackle in L to Baltimore
Dunta Robinson (CB, Atlanta Falcons): 6 solo tackles in W over St. Louis
Shaun Smith (DT, Kansas City Chiefs): 3 assisted tackles in W over Arizona
Ryan Succop (K, Kansas City Chiefs): 1-for-1 with a 23-yd field goal, made all 4 extra points attempted in W over Arizona

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Women's Basketball: Staley's 2011 Recruiting Class Among Nation's Best

Football: Steve Spurrier Weekly Press Conference Quotes & Videos

Football: Gamecocks Begin Clemson Week

Swimming & Diving: Rachael Schaffer Named SEC Freshman of the Week

Volleyball: Three Volleyball Signees Named Under Armour High School All-Americans

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Interesting stat... Let Lattimore lead the way!

Follow @GamecocksOnline and @SpursUpBlog on Twitter!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360: sophomore guard Lakeem Jackson

ROOSTER CROWS

A South Carolina win over Clemson this Saturday would give the Gamecocks two straight wins over the Tigers and their ninth win of the season.

A win would also give SC its 29th win in the last four seasons, which would mark the winningest four year stretch in school history.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Tammy Roberts of Belton, SC, sent in these pics saying, "This was my first ever Gamecock game and now I am hooked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Welcome to the Gamecock family, Tammy! Keep sending in your gameday pics to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com! We've gotten some great ones already that will be coming your way!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecock 360: Samone Kennedy

By The Editor on November 22, 2010 6:47 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The team adopted the theme "We Rise" this season. What does that mean to you?
Throughout the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs of this team, everything we've experienced since day one, we rise above all the negativity and overcome obstacles that people thought we couldn't.

How much does having a good home crowed affect the team?
I think a good crowd boosts the intensity and the energy of the team. We definitely love to hear them cheering us on. It makes us work a lot harder and helps us work as a team to win games.

What's the best part of game day for you?
Coming in and doing pregame warm up. It's a regular routine, but it gets me in the spirit of game day, that we're about to play. I feel good, and I'm comfortable about the team I'm with and the performance we're going to put on once we step on the court.

Has being a senior changed your approach to the season?
Definitely. Throughout the years we haven't made it to the tournament, and that's a big team goal and a personal goal. I want to make a postseason tournament. I feel like I'm a vocal leader on this team, so I try to get everyone involved. I try to push us past that limit that we're comfortable with.

Who on the team has a shot or a move that makes you stop and stare?
La'Keisha [Sutton]. When she gets to the hole it's just amazing. You have no idea how that shot went in. You can't even try to imitate her move because she doesn't even know what she's going to do before she goes up. It's unreal.

Why did you choose to come to South Carolina?
It's a home environment. The people are nice. The city is a nice city to be in. The weather is nice. As far as my education, I felt that this was a one of the best places for me to get a degree and meet people.

What has been your favorite team community service project?
One of my favorite ones was going to the homeless shelter. Just getting to know people and knowing where they came from and their intentions, it's a touching feeling. You just want to do all you can to help people. It's a great feeling.

What is the best thing about one or more of your roommates?
My roommates are Charenee [Stephens] , Courtney [Newton], and Ashley [Bruner]. I think the best thing is that Charenee is a very funny person. Ashley, we're always into it, but it's funny. I like being around them, we do a lot of things together. Courtney's favorite restaurant is Monterrey's, so she's always trying to get us to go there, even when we don't want to. We tell her no so much that we have to tell her yes sometimes. They're just fun to be around.

Who is the first person you want to tell good news to?
My Brother. If I'm excited about something, he's genuinely just as excited about it as I am. It's like reliving that moment all over again when I tell him.

Do you write anything on your basketball shoes for game day?
No. I wake up and try to do the same routine as I did the last game day. I try to keep it simple and keep my mind clear.

Miss an edition of Gamecock 360? Catch up here:
Malik Cooke
La'Keisha Sutton
Ramon Galloway
Marah Strickland
RJ Slawson
Ieasia Walker
Sam Muldrow
Jewel May

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/22 TIGERBURN, BEAT CLEMSON

By The Editor on November 21, 2010 4:45 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

***TONIGHT***:

Tigerburn, 5:30 PM, 743 Greene St, field by Colonial Life Arena

Carolina Calls with Steve Spurrier, 7:00 PM, Wild Wings in the Vista

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Men's Basketball: USC Hoops Notebook (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: Lattimore, Jeffery potent Gamecocks duo (Associated Press)

Football: Though bowl eligible, a lot still on line for Tigers vs. USC (Post and Courier)

Football: USC's Ellis Johnson offers personal perspective on rivalry (Anderson Independent Mail)

Men's Soccer: Gamecocks oust Duke in OT, 1-0 (Raleigh News & Observer)

Men's Soccer: USC headed to Sweet 16 (Daily Gamecock)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Men's Tennis: Goffi Adds Highly Ranked Players to Gamecock Lineup

Softball: South Carolina Softball Inks Three in Beverly Smith's Inaugural Class

Baseball: South Carolina Baseball Announces 2010 Signing Class

Football: Lattimore Named SEC Freshman of the Week

Women's Basketball: Shooting Woes Yield Loss at Penn State

Men's Soccer: Golden Goal Propels No. 18 South Carolina To NCAA Round of 16

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

All that needs to be tweeted.... #BeatClemson!

Follow @GamecocksOnline and @SpursUpBlog on Twitter!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360: senior guard Samone Kennedy

ROOSTER CROWS

Marcus Lattimore has scored a school record 19 touchdowns this season, one shy of the SEC freshman record of 20, set by Tennessee's Reggie Cobb in 1987. Lattimore's 1,066 rushing yards this season is also seventh among freshmen in SEC history. He is the first Carolina back to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since the 2000 season.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Great shot of the Military Appreciation Day halftime presentation sent in by Kristin Clark. Keep sending in your gameday pics to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com! We've gotten some great ones already that will be coming your way!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecocks blast Troy, 69-24, on Senior Day

By The Editor on November 20, 2010 3:37 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Great game today by the Gamecocks on Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day. After exploding onto the field in the first quarter, posting up 28 points, South Carolina cruised to a 69-24 victory over Troy. Great way to wrap up the final home game for the seniors! Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com this afternoon for a full recap, statistics, and notes from today's game.

A moving tribute to the military during halftime brought the crowd to its feet when it concluded with a fly-over. You can read more about some of our honorees on Spurs Up Blog earlier this week.

The sun shone brightly on our seniors this afternoon as they came on the field to be recognized one by one.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Men's Basketball handles Radford, 85-56, students impressed by team so far

By The Editor on November 19, 2010 7:52 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Gamecock Men's Basketball team beat Radford tonight, 85-56, to improve to 2-1 this season with another night of very balanced scoring.

The students in the court level student seating were animated as usual. I talked to a few to hear about what they think of the team so far.

Senior Drew McCall said he likes the look of the offense, that they're sharing the ball well. Drew was cheering on the Gamecocks in a tight green jumpsuit underneath his Gamecock gear so of course I asked what inspired his get-up. He said, "I'm just a cool guy." Drew's friend, senior Zachary Garner, chimed in that his favorite part about coming to games is the atmosphere. Shortly after I moved on to talk with more students, Drew and Zachary were back on their feet yelling.

Freshman Erin Schoemaker said she was really impressed by the Gamecocks' play on Tuesday night vs. #2 Michigan State. Erin is a Michigan native and considered going to Michigan State before deciding on South Carolina's top ranked International Business program. Her friend Alex Roemer, a freshman Exercise Science major from Chicago, reiterated that she liked the team's attitude, never letting the gap in the score phase them, whether down to Michigan State or up big on Radford. Both Erin and Alex said they are excited about attending a lot of basketball games in their first year on campus.

Next game for the men is Tuesday, November 23rd, 7:00 PM at home in Colonial Life Arena vs. USC Upstate. Remember... protect this house is a goal of the season, so let's keep the winning going. Be there!

Go Gamecocks!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Military Appreciation Day 11/20: Major General Stanhope S. Spears

By The Editor on November 19, 2010 7:08 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

As part of Military Appreciation Day at Saturday's football game vs. Troy we'll be honoring several members of the United States Military during a special presentation and featuring their stories on Spurs Up Blog this week.

Major General Stanhope S. Spears, Adjutant General of South Carolina

Major General Spears leads and directs the 10,500-member South Carolina Army and Air National Guard. His responsibilities as Adjutant General also include supervising State Operations consisting of Budget and Finance, the Department of Information Technology, Construction and Facilities Management Office, State Human Resources, the Youth Challenge Programs, the SC State Guard, the Emergency Management Division, Starbase, SC Homeland Defense/AmeriCorps, Distance Learning, McCrady Dining Facility, McCrady Billeting Operations, and Federal-State Cooperative Agreements. He serves on the Board of Visitors for the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for communities in Schools for South Carolina. General Spears is the senior Adjutant General in the United States.

Spears was born and raised in York County, South Carolina. He is a graduate of Clover High School and the University of South Carolina. Spears played on the football team while attending Carolina. After graduating from USC in 1959 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration, Spears enlisted in the South Carolina Air National Guard (SCANG). He served two years in the SCANG before his acceptance into the Palmetto Military Academy (PMA), the South Carolina Army National Guard Officer Candidate School. Upon graduation from PMA in 1962, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army National Guard. He served as a traditional Guard member for the next 32 years, achieving the rank of Brigadier General and assignment as Assistant Adjutant General. After completing a tour as a member of the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee, Spears was appointed by the Secretary of Defense to the prestigious Reserve Forces Policy Board. The Reserve Forces Policy Board is the principal and independent policy advisor to the Secretary of Defense on matters relating to the Reserve Components.

Spears was elected Adjutant General in the statewide General Election Nov. 8, 1994. He was sworn into office with the rank of Major General Jan. 11, 1995. Spears is the state's fifth Adjutant General since 1926 and is the nation's only elected Adjutant General. He is retiring in January after 51 years of service.

Spears' awards and decorations include: The Order of the Palmetto, the State's highest civilian non-military honor, presented by the Governor of South Carolina; Distinguished Service Medal; Legion of Merit Medal; United States Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; National Defense Service Medal; and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

Biographical information courtesy of The South Carolina Military Department. Read more about Major General Spears on SCguard.com.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/19 Women's Basketball takes down Clemson, Men face Radford tonight

By The Editor on November 19, 2010 4:31 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

***TONIGHT*** AT HOME:

Men's Basketball vs. Radford, 7:00 PM, Colonial Life Arena. Tickets start at $15. Be there!

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Only the beginning for USC? (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: The SEC's most/least improved (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: Spurrier has more to do to rebuild South Carolina (Associated Press)

Football: 17th-ranked Gamecocks not resting on SEC success (Associated Press)

Football: Run-oriented Gamecocks scoring more points (Anderson Independent Mail)

Women's Basketball: Walker leads Lady Gamecocks to win over Clemson (Daily Gamecock)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Football: GAMEDAY: No. 17 Gamecocks vs. Troy

Swimming & Diving: Flach, Rodriguez Post B-Cuts in Friday Prelims

Swimming & Diving: Flach, Schaffer Lead Gamecocks on Day One of Nike Cup

Women's Basketball: Walker Carries Gamecocks Past Clemson 73-59

Men's Golf: Men's Golf Announces 2011-12 Signing Class

Women's Soccer: Mollie Patton Named ESPN First Team Academic All-American

Women's Soccer: Rhoades and Grimsley Named To Top Drawer Team of the Season

Men's Soccer: NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Parking And Ticket Information

Gamecock Radio: "Inside the Chart"

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Go Gamecocks!

Follow @GamecocksOnline and @SpursUpBlog on Twitter!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Scene Setter: Troy.... Last home game of the season, Senior Day, Military Appreciation Day... Be there!

ROOSTER CROWS

A win by South Carolina over Troy on Saturday would give the Gamecocks their 10th eight-win season in school history and their fourth since the 2000 season.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Williams-Brice is ready for tomorrow's final home game... are you? Send in your pics from the Men's Basketball game vs. Radford tonight and the Football game vs. Troy tomorrow to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com! Remember that Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at the game vs. Troy.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Football Notes from the SEC

By The Editor on November 19, 2010 2:54 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

SEC INDIVIDUAL PLAYER AWARD 2010 UPDATE

* - Currently, 24 Southeastern Conference football players are either finalists or semi-finalists for individual national awards this season. These are Mark Barron, Alabama; Mark Ingram, Alabama; Dont'a Hightower, Alabama; Julio Jones, Alabama; Greg McElroy, Alabama; Ryan Mallett, Arkansas; D.J. Williams, Arkansas; Ryan Pugh, Auburn; Cam Newton, Auburn; Nick Fairley, Auburn; Chas Henry, Florida; Justin Houston, Georgia; Blair Walsh, Georgia; A.J. Green, Georgia; Drew Butler, Georgia; Randall Cobb, Kentucky; Drake Nevis, LSU; Patrick Peterson, LSU; Josh Jasper, LSU; Kelvin Sheppard, LSU; Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State; Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina; Luke Stocker, Tennessee; John Stokes, Vanderbilt.

[All award recipients announced on The Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Show on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. ET unless noted]

Biletnikoff Award (Nation's Top Wide Receiver)
A.J. Green, Georgia; Julio Jones, Alabama; Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina; Randall Cobb, Kentucky (semifinalists)
(finalists announced on Nov. 22)
LAST SEC RECIPIENT: Josh Reed, LSU (2001)

OTHER NOTES/STATS (Thanks to www.cfbstats.com <http://www.cfbstats.com> )

* - Auburn leads the SEC, averaging 42.8 points per game. At that current pace, the Tigers would finish the season tied for 8th in SEC history for scoring average. At that current pace, Auburn would score 599 points in 14 games, which would be second in SEC history (trailing only Florida's 611 points in 2008).

* - Alabama has given up just 13 total touchdowns in 10 games, which is the second lowest total in the nation. The Tide (13 TDs, 14 FGs) and West Virginia (11 TDs, 14 FGs) are the only teams in FBS that have given up more field goals than touchdowns this season.

* - Arkansas leads the SEC with 28 passing TDs this season and is tied for 3rd in the nation.

* - The SEC has four of the top 11 teams in the nation in pass completion percentage. Alabama is sixth in the nation at 68.1 percent, South Carolina is seventh at 67.7 percent, Auburn is eighth at 67.5 percent and Arkansas is 11th at 66.9 percent.

* - The SEC has four of the top 15 teams in the nation in total sacks. South Carolina is tied for second with 35.0 sacks followed by Ole Miss with 28.0 sacks (tied for 9th in the nation), LSU and Arkansas with 27.0 sacks (tied for 11th).

* - Auburn's Onterio McCalebb leads the nation in yards per rushing attempt at 8.76. McCalebb has 683 yards rushing this season on 78 carries.

* - Kentucky's Randall Cobb leads the nation in all-purpose yards per game (186.6) and all-purpose yards (2,047) this season. He is also fourth in the nation in yards per rushing attempt (8.0).

* - Ole Miss' Markeith Summers is second in the nation in yards per reception (20.64). This season, Summers 22 catches for 454 yards. The Georgia duo of Tavares King (3rd / 20.48) and Kris Durham (4th / 20.08) and Tennessee's Denarius Moore (T6th / 19.88) are also in the nation's top 10 in yards per reception.

* - South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery is fifth in the nation in average yards per scrimmage play (16.7). He has 65 catches for 1,087 yards this season.

* - Florida's Andre Debose is the only player in the nation to have two plays (offense, defense or special teams) of 80+ yards against ranked (AP) teams this season.

*- Mississippi State is fifth in the nation in holding opponents to just 3.71 yards per punt return. Opponents have 52 punt return yards on 14 attempts against the Bulldogs this season.

* - LSU and Southern Miss attempt the most field goals per game (2.4) in the nation. The Tigers have made 20 of 24 attempts this season. The 20 field goals made is tied for second with Oklahoma State and trails only Southern Miss' 22 field goals made.

Reminder: Gamecock Walk at approximately 10:00 AM tomorrow

By The Editor on November 19, 2010 2:36 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Fans as part of your gameday tailgating plans tomorrow, come out for the Gamecock Walk at approximately 10:00 AM tomorrow morning at Gate 11.

Cheerleaders and the Mighty Sound of the Southeast Marching Band are on hand as the team arrives and enters Williams-Brice Stadium.

The team really feeds off the support so let's have a great crowd there for the final home game of the season. Let's give our seniors one last big welcome to Williams-Brice on Senior Day!

Go Gamecocks! See y'all there!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Military Appreciation Day 11/20: Captain Byron E. "Gene" Burns

By The Editor on November 18, 2010 7:07 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Burns, a 1941 graduate of South Carolina, was an Infantry Unit Commander in World War II. After basic training he attended Officer School and quickly ascended to Second Lieutenant and was sent to train the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd fought in Italy and later in the southern invasion of France. Burns' battalion earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for their role in helping rescue a "lost battalion" that had been cut off by the Germans.

Also during the fighting in this area, Burns was hit by shrapnel from a German artillery burst. Thanks to a locket given to him by his wife, the burning-hot shell fragment did not injure him. Burns has this locket today, still bent from the day it saved him from a painful wound. Burns would go on to take command of his unit after his commander was killed in battle. The 442nd would return to Italy, charged with capturing fleeing Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Italian partisans beat them to it, capturing and executing Mussolini. After the end of the war, the 442nd returned to Newport News, Virginia, and Burns continued on to Fort Bragg in North Carolina where he would later separate from the Army on February 19, 1946.

Burns earned the following awards and honors during his service: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with bronze oak leaf cluster, and a Combat Infantry Badge.

Biographical information courtesy of Laurens County Hall of Heroes to which Burns was inducted in September 2009.

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecock 360: Malik Cooke

By The Editor on November 18, 2010 4:58 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Gamecock 360 continues with junior forward Malik Cooke. The team's next game is Friday, November 19th, at 7:00 PM vs. Radford at Colonial Life Arena.

Describe a typical game day.
On a typical game day, I will come in and get some shots up and then go back to my room. Then, I will take a nap, hop in the shower, and then come back and listen to some music and shoot some more. I try to prepare myself mentally for the game.

What does the crowd energy bring at Colonial Life Arena?
It is a different atmosphere. When it gets packed in there it gets crazy. The fans give us something extra.

What are you most looking forward to about this season?
I am looking forward to being able to play again and just getting back out there.

What does being a part of the South Carolina basketball team mean to you?
It is like a family. That is what I like about it. The coaches are tough on us, but it is going to pay off and help us.

What is your favorite class at South Carolina?
I like history. I am taking an American history class that I really like. I am very interested about the past.

If you could go to one place in the world, where would you go?
I would probably visit Paris. I have always wanted to go somewhere like that.

Who has been the most influential person on your basketball career?
I don't know if it would be only one person, but I would have to say my family. They have always been there to support me and have had my back through everything.

Miss an edition of Gamecock 360? Catch up here:
La'Keisha Sutton
Ramon Galloway
Marah Strickland
RJ Slawson
Ieasia Walker
Sam Muldrow
Jewel May

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/18 Women's Basketball taking on the Clemson Tigers tonight

By The Editor on November 18, 2010 4:15 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

***TONIGHT*** AT HOME:

Women's Basketball vs. CLEMSON, 7:00 PM, Colonial Life Arena. Tickets are $7. Be there!

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Women's Basketball: Tigers in town tonight (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: South Carolina freshman Lattimore surprises SEC (McClatchy Newspapers)

Football: Nunn of his business (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: Former Gators happy for Spurrier (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: Spurrier would achieve rare SEC milestone with South Carolina win in SEC title game (McClatchy Newspapers)

Football: Gridiron Extra: 'Steady' Garcia trending up (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: South Carolina's offensive line imposing its will in SEC (McClatchy Newspapers)

Football: SEC Notebook: Gamecocks thrill ex-coach with East title (Memphis Commercial Appeal)

Swimming & Diving: Swim, dive teams head to NC meet (Daily Gamecock)

Men's Basketball: Future bright for USC hoops (Anderson Independent Mail)

Men's Basketball: Gamecocks take a big step in loss to No. 2 Spartans (Rock Hill Herald)

FROM THE OTHER SIDE...

Football: Gamecocks offense presents problems for Troy (Dothan Eagle)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Football: Gamecocks Continue Troy Preparations

Softball: Softball Sets Winter Clinic Date

Volleyball: Gamecocks Take Last Trip of 2010 to No. 16 LSU, Arkansas

Swimming & Diving: Flach Posts Nation's Fastest Time in 500 Freestyle

Men's Basketball: Gamecocks To Host Radford In Friday Night Matchup

Men's Soccer: Maurer First Team, Brettschneider and Traynor Third Team ESPN Academic All-Americans

Men's Soccer: South Carolina Men's Soccer Earns Nation's Top GPA Award

Women's Soccer: Gamecock Women's Soccer Earns NSCAA Team Academic Award

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Video feature on Volleyball senior Jordan Bradosky: click here.

ROOSTER CROWS

The Gamecocks continue to lead the SEC and are ranked no. 3 in the nation with a school record 35 sacks this season. DE Devin Taylor leads the team with 7.5 sacks, ranking third in the SEC.

Alshon Jeffery is No. 1 in the SEC in both receptions per game (6.5) and receiving yards per game (108.7).

Marcus Lattimore leads the SEC in scoring with 10.7 points per game and is second to only Auburn QB Cam Newton in rushing yards per game with 107.1. Lattimore and Newton are the only two SEC players averaging more than 100 yards rushing per game.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's photo was submitted by Nancy Wooten of her father, Billy C. Coleman. Coleman was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II and served at D-Day, the invasion of Salerno and the invasion of Tunisia. He was a 1936 graduate of South Carolina in Math, a 1938 graduate of the School of Law, and practiced 70 years before retiring at age 92. Send in your pics to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com! Remember that Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at the game vs. Troy.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

The right shade of Garnet

By The Editor on November 18, 2010 2:17 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I'm guessing all of your closets look a lot like mine... full of Gamecock gear. But when you pull out different items of apparel you might see several different shades of "Garnet". In past years, with different teams' gear being manufactured by a variety of apparel companies, it has been difficult to maintain our exact shade of Garnet established by the university. We're fortunate to now be working with Under Armour for all of our teams to achieve a consistent color, a challenge faced by many other universities as well.

I've seen discussion on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites the past couple days with concerns about the new Men's Basketball uniforms appearing very "red" on TV vs. Michigan State. The color used for those uniforms is the same as the baseball uniforms the past few years. However, it's important to note that this color is not going to be our standard color moving forward now that the color development process is complete.

The athletics department and Under Armour worked closely together throughout the color development process. We have pinpointed a shade that best matches our Garnet that will be consistently used for all of our uniforms starting next fall. It is a custom-made color by Under Armour for South Carolina. The appearance of some items may still differ occasionally depending on the material or fabric on which it's printed or manufactured, but the new custom color is a big step forward in establishing consistency for Gamecock gear.

For more background information on the new Under Armour basketball uniforms, check out this past Spurs Up Blog post, "Inside the Design: Basketball debuts new Under Armour uniforms"

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Military Appreciation Day 11/20: First Sergeant Peter Lara

By The Editor on November 17, 2010 5:38 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

As part of Military Appreciation Day at Saturday's football game vs. Troy we'll be honoring several members of the United States Military during a special presentation and featuring their stories on Spurs Up Blog this week.

Peter Lara - First Sergeant, 3rd Battalion, 13th Infantry, Fort Jackson

First Sergeant (1SG) Peter Lara's 18 year Army career includes several honors, including 2009 "Soldier of the Year", a Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart, arising from his high level of dedication and service.

Over the past five years 1SG Peter Lara has gone through over 40 operations and countless hours of rehabilitation to recover from severe injuries suffered in November 2005 during a tour in Iraq. 1SG Lara, as platoon leader, was on patrol with his platoon when they responded to an attack at a nearby house. They would come under heavy fire in close combat with seven insurgents.

As the platoon suffered casualties, they quickly became combat ineffective. Only two members were not wounded. Lara was shot in the face (but cleared his shattered jaw bone and teeth from obstructing his throat) as well as in his right arm, which shattered his scapula into 15 pieces. Lara would later need surgery to remove the bullet that was lodged in his head. Gravely wounded, Lara still managed to pull himself and another soldier into cover. As a reserve squad arrived to aid in evacuation from the house, Lara extracted himself from the house and got back to their vehicle under his own power before losing consciousness. Members of the platoon's survival was accredited to Lara's "exemplary leadership, courage and tenacity."

By the time they redeployed from Iraq, Lara's Infantry Stryker Platoon had received 1 Distinguished Service Cross, 6 Silver Stars, 7 Bronze Stars with "V" for valor, 5 Army Commendation Medals with V's and 16 Purple Hearts.

While going through his surgeries and rehabilitation Lara continued to serve as a mentor and leader at Fort Jackson to soldiers in training as well as other wounded men. We thank and salute First Sergeant Peter Lara for his brave service to our country and look forward to honoring him on Saturday.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

"Inside the Chart" with Andy Demetra: 3rd down effectiveness of Alshon Jeffery

By The Editor on November 17, 2010 4:17 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Gamecock Radio's Andy Demetra takes you "Inside the Chart", looking today at Alshon Jeffery's effectiveness on third down. Pretty impressive stuff.

"Everyone knows it's coming. Time after time, opponents have seemed powerless to stop it.

When Stephen Garcia backpedals on 3rd down, needing yards to grit out a first down, he has consistently called upon sophomore Alshon Jeffery to deliver.

Screen passes. Crossing patterns in traffic. Post-up routes along the sideline. It hasn't mattered. Time and again, the 6'4" Jeffery has stretched out, snatched, and snared difficult passes to extend a South Carolina drive.

It made me curious just how many 3rd-down catches Jeffery has reeled in this season. When I studied South Carolina's drive charts, the numbers absolutely floored me. ... All totaled, Alshon Jeffery has had 14 3rd-down catches that resulted in a first down.

The average distance Carolina needed to convert those 3rd downs? 5.7 yards. The average length of Jeffery's catches? 13.2 yards.

But most staggeringly, there's this: South Carolina has scored on 12 of the 13 drives in which Alshon Jeffery made a 3rd-down catch for a 1st down (8 TD's, 4 FG's)."

Read more from "Inside the Chart" here.

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/17 Basketball battles the Spartans, Football staying focused on the Trojans

By The Editor on November 17, 2010 2:54 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: HOMETOWN HEROES: Allen shines in historic South Carolina victory (Ocala.com)

Football: Commitment sparked USC's division title (Anderson Independent Mail)

Football: South Carolina still has other goals within reach (Post and Courier)

Football: Gamecocks could change BCS (Arkansas News)

Football: Spurrier says USC is focused (Sumter Item)

Men's Basketball: Spartans make plenty of mistakes, but get past Gamecocks (Detroit Free Press)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

General: Top 5 Plays of the Week

Men's Basketball: Gamecock 360: Malik Cooke

Men's Basketball: South Carolina Falls to No. 2 Michigan St., 82-73

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

It's kind of a big deal...

Follow @GamecocksOnline and @SpursUpBlog on Twitter

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360 continues with junior forward Malik Cooke.

ROOSTER CROWS

The SEC has a 36-5 non-conference record this season. The 87.8 win percentage is tops in the nation.

With the win over Florida the Gamecocks are assured to have a seventh consecutive season of at least a .500 record, equaling a school record set back in 1928-34.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

South Carolina members of the National Guard supporting the Gamecocks while deployed! Go Gamecocks! Send in your pics to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com! Remember that Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at the game vs. Troy.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

South Carolina among nation's leaders in Women's Soccer attendance

By The Editor on November 17, 2010 10:37 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

South Carolina Women's Soccer ranks sixth in the nation and first in the SEC for average attendance, with a slight edge over Georgia which ranks seventh.

This is a great point of pride for the program and one that is all due to the fans. We all sincerely appreciate your support for Gamecock Athletics; having great home crowds and fan support means a lot to our student-athletes. Go Gamecocks!

2010 NCAA Division I Women Attendance
AVG. TEAM
3,633 Portland
2,524 Texas A&M
2,193 BYU
2,122 North Carolina
1,819 New Mexico
1,718 South Carolina
1,686 Georgia
1,468 TCU
1,393 USC
1,304 Washington
1,294 Army
1,237 Florida
1,214 Virginia
1,192 Texas Tech
1,189 Penn State
1,138 Texas
1,111 Notre Dame
1,081 Duke
1,072 Michigan
1,008 Stanford

Crowd at the Gamecocks' final home match of the 2010 season

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Fans of the Week!

By The Editor on November 16, 2010 9:51 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Spurs Up Fans of the Week are the South Carolina National Champion Baseball team, who came out to support the Women's Basketball team as they took on Illinois Monday night. With the baseball players leading the student section, the ladies beat Illinois 61-48.

Love to see student-athletes supporting each other's efforts! Go Gamecocks!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecock 360: La'Keisha Sutton

By The Editor on November 16, 2010 8:35 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Gamecock 360 series continues with junior guard La'Keisha Sutton:

The team adopted the theme "We Rise" this season. What does that mean to you?
We like to say that we may bend but we won't break. No matter the situation, if it's a tough preseason workout or tough practice or drill, we're going to rise at the end of the day. It's going to be hard, but eventually we're going to get through it.

How much does having a good home crowd affect the team?
Home crowd is like a sixth man. I really hope this year a lot more people come out to support the women's basketball games. It's be nice to see as many as the men's game at our games. It will give us a lot of energy.

What's the best part of game day for you?
The best part of game day is the locker room when the music's playing and we're all dancing, singing and having a blast before we go out on the court.

What is your role on the team this season?
My role on the team is to score and distribute the ball, make plays and lock down on D, play the best player on the opposing team, get everybody involved and get everybody's confidence up.

Who on the team has a shot or a move that makes you stop and stare?
Ieasia [Walker] will pull different stuff out of her bag all the time. We've seen a lot of different stuff this summer. Esh is always doing something new.

Which teammate always breaks the tension in the locker room?
Charenee [Stephens] always gets us laughing. Even me sometimes, saying stuff or quotes or we like to impersonate each other sometimes.

Who on the team has the best nickname?
Me, of course - Young Ke$ha. No, actually, I say Markeshia [Grant]. When she first got here, she moved so slow so we called her Granny. And her last name's Grant, so we just stuck with it.

Why did you choose to come to South Carolina?
I chose to play at USC because I believed in Coach Staley and her coaching staff. I wanted to play in the SEC and be a part of history.

What has been your favorite team community service project?
We went to a middle school and ran camp with the kids. We showed them how to pass and dribble. We played duck-duck-goose and stuff like that, so I felt like a kid all over again.

What is the best thing about one or more of your roommates?
My roommates are Kayla [Brwer], Ieasia [Walker] and Jewel [May]. It's fun because Ieasia likes to decorate, so she decorated her room for Halloween. Kayla is into hair, so when we need to get our hair done Kayla's got us. And, Jewel cooks, so I think I'm in a pretty good room.

So, what do you bring to the table then?
Music. I've got slow jams, Nicki Minaj, Wayne, everything.

What's the last song or artist you added to your iPod?
I think Little Wayne or maybe Nicki Minaj. She's got a new song out that I really like.

What's the nicest thing you did for someone today?
Today I actually took Samone [Kennedy] to class. I could've gone to sleep, but I wanted to take her to class so I could ride around in my car and blast my music.

What do you do when you're mad?
Listen to music. I listen to music or I might get on the phone with my close friends and talk to them, somebody that makes me laugh to make me forget about everything.

Who is the first person you want to tell good news to?
My mom or my best friend

Do you have any nervous habits?
I like to sway when I'm nervous. So, I sway or might keep looking away.

What two things do you grab if you have to leave the house ASAP?
My phone and my charger - I don't go anywhere without my charger and my phone.

Miss a day? Catch up on the Gamecock 360 series:
Ramon Galloway
Marah Strickland
RJ Slawson
Ieasia Walker
Sam Muldrow
Jewel May

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/16 Men's Basketball takes on #2 Michigan State

By The Editor on November 16, 2010 6:06 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

***TONIGHT ***

Men's Basketball @ #2 Michigan State - 10:00 PM, ESPN

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Athletics: Carolina in midst of unprecedented success (Sumter Item)

Men's Basketball: USC wants to keep year going (GamecockCentral.com)

Men's Basketball: USC facing role model, barometer (Post and Courier)

Men's Basketball: Michigan State's Kalin Lucas expects physical challenge from South Carolina (MLive.com)

Men's Basketball: Spartans prepared for fast-paced matchup with Gamecocks (The State News - MI)

Football: Lattimore, USC a perfect fit (Sumter Item)

Men's Soccer: Carolina earns NCAA home match (Daily Gamecock)

GAMECOCKS IN THE NFL

John Abraham (DE, Atlanta Falcons): 4 solo tackles, 2 sacks in win over Baltimore
Jasper Brinkley (LB, Minnesota Vikings): 1 solo tackle in loss to Chicago
Sheldon Brown (CB, Cleveland Browns): 1 solo tackle in loss to NY Jets
Johnathan Joseph (CB, Cincinnati Bengals): 4 solo tackles in loss to Indianapolis
Captain Munnerlyn (CB, Carolina Panthers): 2 solo tackles, 3 punt returns in loss to Tampa Bay
Eric Norwood (LB, Carolina Panthers): 1 solo tackle in loss to Tampa Bay
Dunta Robinson (CB, Atlanta Falcons): 1 solo tackle in win over Baltimore
Shaun Smith (DT, Kansas City Chiefs): 2 solo tackles in loss to Denver
Ryan Succop (K, Kansas City Chiefs): 2/2 on PATs, 1/2 on FGs in loss to Denver

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Football: Steve Spurrier Weekly Press Conference Quotes & Videos

Football: Gamecocks Begin Troy Week

Football: Jeffery Named Biletnikoff Semifinalist

Volleyball: Ben Somera's Tuesday Press Conference Video

Volleyball: Hannah Lawing Picks up SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week Nod

Volleyball: Four Sign with South Carolina Volleyball for 2011 Season

Swimming & Diving: McGee Moody Press Conference Video

Women's Basketball: Second-Half Surge Delivers 61-48 Win Over Illinois

Men's Soccer: Men's Soccer Earns No. 7 Seed In 2010 NCAA Tournament, Earns First Round Bye

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Works for me. Go Gamecocks!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Great video by Justin King from the Gamecocks' win over Florida to take the SEC East title.

ROOSTER CROWS

Marcus Lattimore's set several records during the game Saturday with his 40 carries for 212 yards:

- School record for carries in a single game
- 8th best single-game rushing total in school history
- First time a Carolina player rushed for over 200 yards in an SEC game
- Freshman record for rushing yards in a season

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Great photo from Gamecock fan David Holt of him Gator wrasslin'! Go Gamecocks! Send in your pics from the game to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

"Inside the Chart" with Andy Demetra 11/14

By The Editor on November 15, 2010 10:16 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Great anecdote about O-line coach Shawn Elliott from "Inside the Chart" with Andy Demetra. Read more from this post on the Gamecock ISP Sports Network page and hear more from Andy on Twitter at @GamecockRadio.

"If anybody should be accustomed to winning conference championships, it's Gamecocks offensive line coach Shawn Elliott. The man won five straight Southern Conference titles at his alma mater, Appalachian State, before leaving for South Carolina in January.

Yet while walking down the aisle of the Gamecocks' Delta charter Saturday, Elliott - whom I had gotten to know during the Spring Gamecock Club circuit -- hit me with a hard, karate-style slap on the shoulder. "How about that!" he said. I couldn't tell where his intensity stopped and his excitement began. Two hours after the final whistle, Elliott's blue eyes still burned with a fired-up glint.

A conference championship should feel routine to someone like him. But Shawn Elliot is also a Camden, S.C., native who attended South Carolina football games growing up. At his introductory press conference, he proudly stated, "I've always been a Gamecock fan." If anyone can appreciate the history the Gamecocks made Saturday night, and the toppling of such a tortured history in the SEC, it's Elliott - and it radiated in his body language. He may have a handful (literally) of conference championships, but you could tell how special this one was for him.

Shawn Elliott probably didn't need the plane to fly home."

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/15 We Are The Champions!

By The Editor on November 15, 2010 4:52 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

***TONIGHT AT HOME***

Women's Basketball vs. Illinois - 7:00 PM, Colonial Life Arena, tickets are $7 each

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

There are literally thousands of great articles out about the Gamecocks history-making win over Florida Saturday so this list is by no means exhaustive, but just a sampling. I'm lovin' it!!!

Football: Spurrier success a story to rekindle love for the game (CBSSports.com)

Football: SEC Players of the Week (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: Head Ball Coach, Gamecocks seeking even more (MSNBC.com/Associated Press)

Football: USC has something to crow about and Glow of victory follows USC home (GreenvilleOnline.com)

Football: Freshman sensation carries the load for SEC East champ Gamecocks (Post and Courier)

Football: Morris: Program takes a step forward (The State)

Football: SEC Championship Game 2010: Why Spurrier Will Bring Cam Newton To His Knees (Bleacher Report)

Football: Bowl scenarios abound for Gamecocks (Daily Gamecock)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Football: Game Time Still To Be Determined For South Carolina-Clemson Game

Football: Lanning & Lattimore Earn Conference Player Of The Week Honors

Football: Gamecocks Ranked 17th in Both Polls

Football: Photos and Videos From the SEC East Championship Celebration

Women's Basketball: Staley Reels in First South Carolina Signee in Aleighsa Welch

Women's Basketball: Women's Hoops Hosts Illinois Monday Night

Men's Basketball: Men's Hoops Travels To No. 2 Michigan State For Primetime Matchup Tuesday

Women's Soccer: No. 20 Gamecocks Fall In NCAA Second Round To No. 8 Virginia

Men's Soccer: Gamecocks Win Conference USA Soccer Championship

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Ha! Go Gamecocks!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360: La'Keisha Sutton

ROOSTER CROWS

Because it just can't be said enough... THE GAMECOCKS ARE SEC EASTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONS!!!!!!

Marcus Lattimore and Spencer Lanning each earned conference player of the week honors from the SEC. Lattimore was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Lanning earned Special Teams Player of the Week.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

From the late night/early morning welcome back celebration as the South End Zone started to fill up! Go Gamecocks! Send in your pics from the game to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecocks make history, SEC Eastern Division CHAMPIONS!!!

By The Editor on November 13, 2010 10:21 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

Gamecock fans have been waiting a long time and the moment is finally here - South Carolina has won the SEC Eastern Division and will head to Atlanta to take on Auburn in the SEC Championship Game for the first time in school history. It's an amazing feeling!

Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com for full recap and stats!

Reminder - the postseason ticket requests (for both the SEC Championship Game and the bowl game) deadline is November 15th! The athletics ticket office will have special additional hours tomorrow (Sunday), open from noon until 4:00 PM for phone calls (800-4SC-FANS) or you can go online to put in your application if you haven't already: https://oss.ticketmaster.com/html/home.htmI?l=EN&team=gamecocks

For fans in Columbia: The Gamecocks will arrive back at Williams-Brice Stadium sometime after 1 a.m. Fans can park in the Farmer's Market or on the East Side of the stadium. Gates 12 and 16 in the South End Zone will be open at 1 a.m.; fans should sit in the South End Zone. Coach Spurrier and the team will address the fans after they return from the airport.

Hope Gamecocks everywhere are enjoying their celebrations!!!! Thanks for your support and GO GAMECOCKS!!!

What goes into taking a football team on the road?

By The Editor on November 13, 2010 12:30 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

When you tune into the game tonight, you'll see your Gamecocks, decked out in their familiar attire (this week, white jerseys, garnet pants) ready to hit the field against the Gators. What you won't see is the hundreds of man hours and pounds of stuff it took to get them there.

As a former Athletic Trainer, I know the operations and behind-the-scenes work of athletics pretty well, but even for me the full scale logistics of football equipment operations seems daunting. The football equipment room stays in order thanks to the experience and work of Director of Equipment, Chris Matlock, along with full-time staffers Joe Sumter and Jake Corbett and fourteen student equipment managers.

Corbett oversees packing the 20-foot Gamecock-themed truck that transports what basically amounts to a portable equipment room: 11 rolling trunks (sometimes more depending on weather) containing back-up sets for just about everything. In addition to standard replacement clips, screws, buckles, etc. the trunks also include:
- one of each size for three different styles of helmets (a total of nine extra helmets)
- three of each size of pants
- three different styles of shoulder pads (Size M - 3X in all three)
- two of each size for five different styles of cleats
- several back-up jerseys for a wide variety of position numbers

Other miscellaneous items such as the kicking net, dry erase boards, Port-A-Cool fans or heaters depending on weather all have to make it on the truck. Then add in all the players' travel bags (which hold their pads, gloves, laundry bag, game cleats, girdle, etc.) and several more rolling trunks, coolers, and medical equipment from the Athletic Training staff and that 20-foot truck is getting pretty full. There's a specific order and system to how it all needs to go on the truck to ensure everything fits. I compare it to a game of Tetris. Ha!

Sample Weekly Timeline:
- Tuesday: restock trunks from previous game
- Wednesday: receive dress roster, pull travel bags & contents for those players, pull appropriate color jerseys, pack as many trunks as possible on to the truck
- Thursday: travel warm-ups distributed in players' lockers, pack any remaining items on to the truck, truck typically leaves Thursday night
- Friday: meet the truck at the opponent's stadium to set up the locker room - coaches gear, players uniforms and equipment, etc., which takes approximately two hours
- Saturday: arrive at the stadium about five hours before kickoff, clean helmets and set up the sideline... then pack it all back on to the truck after the game (hopefully a Gamecocks W!)

Matlock and Corbett are accompanied on away trips by ten student equipment managers whose assistance is crucial to keeping the show rolling. They help pack trunks, double check travel bags, set up the away locker room and sidelines, run footballs during the game, and basically assist wherever needed.

It's a long process and a long checklist of items, not even the smallest of which we can afford to leave behind (would you want to be the guy who didn't pack the back-up cleats that happen to be Marcus Lattimore's size?) Keeping track of it all takes a well organized crew, especially because, as explained by one of Jake's favorite sayings, "no one knows what my job is unless it doesn't get done."

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: Basketball Season Opener Doubleheader

By The Editor on November 12, 2010 4:21 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

***TONIGHT AT HOME***

Women's Basketball vs. #5 Xavier - 6:30 PM, Colonial Life Arena
Men's Basketball vs. Elon - 9:00 PM, Colonial Life Arena
Volleyball vs. Alabama - 7:00 PM, Volleyball Competition Facility

***TONIGHT*** GAMECOCKS IN THE POSTSEASON

Men's Soccer vs. SMU - 6:00 PM, Memphis, TN (C-USA Tournament)
Women's Soccer vs. UNC Greensboro - 7:30 PM, Charlottesville, VA (NCAA Championship Tournament)

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Lattimore ready for dream to come true (Anderson Independent Mail)

Football: Spurrier, Gamecocks take their shot (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: This Is It (Daily Gamecock)

Football: South Carolina, Florida playing for SEC East crown (Washington Post/Associated Press)

Football: Now is the time for South Carolina (ESPN)

Football: Gamecocks juggle emotions as game to decide SEC East nears (Post and Courier)

Football: Gamecocks' Lattimore to test Gators' run defense (TBO.com)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Athletics: Judy Van Horn Named Senior Associate AD/SWA

Women's Basketball: Gamecocks Host No. 5/6 Xavier in First Game Friday Night

Men's Basketball: Gamecock Men's Basketball To Entertain Elon In Season Opener Friday

Men's Soccer: Men's Soccer To Face Top-Seeded SMU In C-USA Semifinals

Volleyball: Volleyball Hosts Alabama on Friday; Mississippi State on Saturday

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Yes sir, Mr. Brinkley, sir!!! Go Gamecocks!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Q&A with junior linebacker Rodney Paulk:

ROOSTER CROWS

A win over Florida would give the Gamecocks victories over Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia in the same season for the first time in history.

South Carolina @ Florida is sold out - the SEC Eastern Division Champion will be crowned in front of an expected capacity crowd in Gainesville.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's fan photo is from Commander Jeff Menne of the U.S. Navy taken during a year he spent at Camp Blackhorse in Kabul, Afghanistan. As part of Military Appreciation Day we'll be doing a slideshow on the videoboard of veterans and active duty military at tonight's basketball games, comprised of photos submitted by fans. Thank you to Jeff and everyone else who submitted photos!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Tonight's honorary captains at basketball - special guests from Fort Jackson

By The Editor on November 12, 2010 1:54 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Tonight's season opener doubleheader of basketball is also Military Appreciation Day. Two special guests from Fort Jackson will serve as honorary captains for the evening.

Women's Basketball Honorary Captain:
Sergeant Chentile T. Jackson

Sergeant Jackson was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and graduated from Douglas Byrd Senior High School in 2006. She joined the Army in October 2006, attended basic training at Fort Jackson, then proceeded to Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lee, Virginia, for 92Y (Unit Supply Specialist) training. Her first duty station was at Fort Drum, New York. While stationed at Fort Drum she did a 12 month rotation to Iraq with HHC 10th Mountain Division. Now in Columbia at Fort Jackson she is the active Supply Sergeant for the 3rd Battalion of the 60th Infantry Regiment.

Men's Basketball Honorary Captain:
Command Sergeant Major Brian M. Stall

Command Sergeant Major Stall hails from Newport News, Virginia. He entered the Army in February 1984; attended Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and received Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.

He has served with the 75th Ranger Regiment; the Ranger Training Brigade; the 2nd Infantry Division; the 82nd Airborne Division; the 25th Infantry Division; the 4th Infantry Division, the 101st Airborne Division, and is currently the Basic Combat Training Center of Excellence and Fort Jackson Command Sergeant Major.

His duty and leadership positions include Battalion Legal Clerk, Battalion Legal NCO, Regimental Legal NCOIC, Light Leaders Course Instructor, Long Range Surveillance Team Leader, Ranger Instructor, Rifle Platoon Sergeant, Rifle Platoon Leader, Rifle Company Executive Officer, Battalion Operations NCOIC, Rifle Company First Sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company First Sergeant, Brigade Operations SGM, Battalion CSM, Brigade CSM, Infantry Division CSM.

CSM Stall is a graduate of the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses for Infantrymen, the Sergeants Major Academy - Class 52 and the Army's Force Management Course.

He is authorized to wear the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star (2nd Awd), the Meritorious Service Medal (5th Awd), the Army Commendation Medal (5th Awd), the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal (8th Awd), the National Defense Service Medal (w/Bronze Star), the Kosovo Campaign Medal (w/2 x Bronze Stars), the Iraq Campaign Medal (w/4 x Bronze Stars), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal (w/Bronze Star), the NCO Professional Development Ribbon (w/Numeral 4), the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon (w/Numeral 4), the NATO Medal for Kosovo (w/Bronze Star), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Valorous Unit Award (2nd Awd), the Meritorious Unit Award (2nd Awd), the Ranger Tab, the Expert Infantryman's Badge, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, German and Korean Jump Wings.

A big thank you to both SGT Jackson and CSM Stall for their service to our country and for being honorary captains tonight. Go Gamecocks!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Volleyball seniors to be honored Saturday

By The Editor on November 11, 2010 8:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Three seniors who have made great contributions to the South Carolina Volleyball program will be honored on Senior Night this Saturday, November 13th. The Gamecocks will be taking on Mississippi State at 7:00 PM with a reception following the game.

After coming to Columbia as a setter, Jordan Bradosky (left in picture below) has played a variety of roles for the Gamecocks in her four years. In the top fifteen all-time in assists, Bradosky worked as a defensive specialist for a season before returning to setter this season. Bradosky has also been a standout in the classroom, with three appearances on the SEC Academic Honor Roll to her credit.

A three-year starter at middle blocker, Megan Laughlin (middle) moved to the outside this year for her final campaign. Laughlin ranks in the top ten in solo blocks and in the top 25 in eight other categories. Laughlin was a 2007 SEC All-Freshman Selection and three-time ESPN Academic All-District Nominee, as well as a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member.

Hannah Lawing (right) has been a leader all four seasons while playing different roles each season. The class leader in sets and matches played, she is in the top five all-time in digs and digs per set while also in the top twenty in attack attempts after splitting her four years between an outside hitter and a defensive specialist. She enters this weekend's matches leading the SEC in digs and in range of the single-season record for digs during the rally scoring era.

Congratulations to all three seniors on their accomplishments at South Carolina! Go Gamecocks!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Q&A with Rodney Paulk

By The Editor on November 11, 2010 7:30 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Junior linebacker Rodney Paulk has overcome season-ending knee injuries in 2008 and 2009 to become one of the team's leaders at the linebacker position this year.

I sat down with him this week to talk about his tightknit family, what got him through being injured, what "2001" is like from the field, and more. Check out our chat below and keep an eye out for #45 wrasslin' Gators on Saturday!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: Veterans Day

By The Editor on November 11, 2010 1:19 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Daily Round-Up is a (you guessed it) daily feature on Spurs Up Blog, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Gamecocks running on Lattimore's belief (Florida Today)

Football: Injured Gamecocks getting healthy (Post and Courier)

Football: USC fans on the road to an SEC East title? (The State)

Football: Garcia ready for his big chance against Florida (TBO.com)

Football: USC can change its history (Anderson Independent Mail)

Women's Basketball: Top-5 Xavier team headed to Columbia (Daily Gamecock)

Men's Basketball: Carolina to open up against Elon (Daily Gamecock)

Men's Basketball: Young Gamecocks have a Lowcountry flavor (Post and Courier)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Women's Soccer: No. 20 South Carolina Faces No. 10 UNC Greensboro In NCAA First Round

Women's Tennis: Women's Tennis Fall 2010 Season Recap Video

Men's Soccer: Gamecock Men's Soccer Defeats UAB In C-USA Tournament Quarterfinals

Football: Gamecocks Practice Wednesday

Men's Basketball: Gamecocks Ink Two During Fall Signing Period

Women's Basketball: Staley Inks Elem Ibiam to Open Early Signing Period

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Travel safely and go Gamecocks!!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Coach Spurrier, Jr. talks with the media post-practice yesterday. Video on GamecocksOnline.com here.

ROOSTER CROWS

Gamecock FB Patrick DiMarco is the nephew of PGA TOUR golfer Chris DiMarco, who played collegiate golf at Florida and is a well-known Gator fan. Yesterday, Chris DiMarco tweeted, "Big game this weekend. Fla/USC. Winner goes to SEC championship. My nephew Patrick plays for USC. Got mixed feelings." Family over Florida, Chris! ;)

Stephon Gilmore currently leads the Gamecocks in tackles, with 53 total on the season.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Helen Smith submitted today's Fan Photo of the Day in memoriam of her husband Bobby, "a Veteran and Gamecock forever". Pay special attention to the last line on the stone! Thanks for sharing your picture and helping us honor your husband, Helen. In honor of Veterans Day, we'll be doing a slideshow on the videoboard of veterans and active duty military at this Friday's basketball games. To have yourself or your loved ones included, send in your photos to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com by the end of the day today. (.JPG file format preferably)

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

"Inside the Chart" with Andy Demetra

By The Editor on November 10, 2010 6:56 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The man behind Gamecock Radio, Andy Demetra, takes you "Inside the Chart" with notes and numbers from your Gamecocks. Very intriguing stat about Marcus Lattimore's streak as a leading rusher, check it out below and read the full post here: http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/sports-network/scar-sports-network-chart.html

"Slowed by a bruised knee he suffered in the 2nd quarter against Arkansas, Marcus Lattimore only mustered 30 yards on 11 carries in the Gamecocks' 41-20 loss. For the first time all year, Lattimore did not lead the Gamecocks in rushing in a game in which he played. Stephen Garcia bested him with a 7-carry, 54-yard effort against the Hogs.

Wednesday morning, I asked Billy Young, the athletic director at Lattimore's alma mater, Byrnes HS in Duncan, S.C., to indulge my curiosity. When was the last time Marcus Lattimore wasn't his team's leading rusher in a game?

"Probably when he was in kindergarten," Young replied.

He was kidding. I think.

Young referred me to Zach Johnson, Byrnes' statistician and author of the upcoming book "Byrnes High School: Rebel Gridiron History" (featuring a certain Mr. Lattimore on the cover).

Johnson accessed his box scores from the last four seasons, when Lattimore ransacked Rebels opponents for 6,735 yards and 104 touchdowns.
The last time Marcus Lattimore failed to lead his team in rushing? It's been awhile.

Johnson's research revealed this: since taking over the starting tailback job as a sophomore, Lattimore never failed to lead Byrnes in rushing - a streak of 45 consecutive games. Throw in the 8 games in which he's appeared for the Gamecocks, and Lattimore's night against Arkansas marked the first time in 53 games in which he was not his team's leading rusher. Not since a playoff loss to Gaffney HS November 17, 2006 has Lattimore not topped his team's rushing chart."

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecock 360: Marah Strickland

By The Editor on November 10, 2010 6:29 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Gamecock 360 series continues today with junior guard Marah Strickland from Maryland.

The team adopted the theme "We Rise" this season. What does that mean to you?
This season our motto of "We Rise" means always being strong and together and knowing to always fight through whatever adversity comes our way this year.

How much does having a good home crowd affect the team?
Having a good home crowd is the best feeling imaginable. It's really exciting to know that your fans are there to support you and they want you to win just as bad as you want to win the game.

What's the best part of game day for you?
The best part of game day for me is hearing that pre-game speech from Coach Staley. It's so exciting. It gets you mentally as well as physically prepared for the game. It's the best feeling.

What is your role on the team this season?
I think my role this year is to be a team leader. I'm an upperclassman, and I come in here with a lot of knowledge of other playing experiences. I just can't wait to help the team to many victories.

How do you know when Coach Staley is really happy about a play?
You know Coach Staley's really happy about a play when she does her fist pump. She turns and says "YES!" It's her signature move.

Who on the team has a shot or a move that makes you stop and stare?
I don't think there's just one person. Our person has a lot of really athletic players. I like Keisha's [Sutton] drive. I think she could pretty much drive on anybody. So, every time I see her taking it to the basket, I know it's going in.

Which teammate always breaks the tension in the locker room?
Ashley Bruner always breaks the tension in the locker room. She's always got something funny to say, or she's laying on the ground, or there's some crazy movie she's acting out. She's wild.

Who on the team has the best nickname?
Granny has the best nickname - Markeshia Grant. I gave her that nickname, so I personally like it the best. It's because she acts like an old lady, sometimes she talks like an old lady. But, everybody started to call her Granny.

Why did you choose to come to South Carolina?
I decided to come here to play at South Carolina because I was excited to play under Coach Staley. When I came on my official visit, I met with the girls and there was a great atmosphere.

What has been your favorite team community service project?
Last year, me and a small group of the girls went to an elementary school and got to read to the kids and play with them at recess, play basketball with them. That was really fun and exciting.

What is the best thing about one or more of your roommates?
My roommates this year are Markeshia Grant, Valerie Nainima and Ebony Wilson. The best thing about living with my roommates is that they are very neat and clean, and I love that. So, it works well.

What's the last song or artist you added to your iPod?
I don't have an iPod, so the last song that I thought about downloading was Linkin Park's Numb. I like that song.

What's the nicest thing you did for someone today?
I held the door for a lot of people today.

What do you do when you're mad?
When I'm really mad, I call my mom and dad and talk to them, and I write in a journal.

Who is the first person you want to tell good news to?
The first person I want to tell really great news to is my mother.

Do you have any nervous habits?
Nervous habits? No, I don't really have any nervous habits.

What two things do you grab if you have to leave the house ASAP?
Two things I grab are my keys and my cell phone.

Miss a day? Catch up on the Gamecock 360 series:
RJ Slawson - Video
Ieasia Walker -   Blog    Video
Sam Muldrow -   Blog    Video
Jewel May - Video

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/10 I believe!

By The Editor on November 10, 2010 6:11 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A new feature on Spurs Up Blog is the Daily Round-Up, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Men's Basketball: Galloway hopeful for return (Daily Gamecock)

Men's Basketball: South Carolina basketball has versatile yet unproven new group (Associated Press)

Football: South Carolina's time is now (Augusta Chronicle)

Football: Gators still love Spurrier years after he moves on (Washington Post, Associated Press)

Football: Gamecocks eye history against Florida (SavannahNow.com)

Football: Gators focus on Gamecocks quarterback (Florida Today)

Football: USC focused on Gators (Sumter Item)

Football: The path to Gamecock celebration (Post and Courier)

Football: Spurrier remembers 2000 quite well (Anderson Independent Mail)

Football: Scouting the Gamecocks (Gainesville Sun)

Bob Fulton Remembered by Friends at Memorial (WLTX)

Let's Win One for the Voice (Columbia Free Times)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Men's Soccer: Four Gamecocks Named To C-USA All-Academic Team

Basketball: Ticket Info for Basketball Doubleheader Friday

Baseball: South Carolina Baseball Holds Fall Banquet

Swimming & Diving: South Carolina Men Ranked 24th in CSCAA Poll

Swimming & Diving: McGee Moody Press Conference Video

Softball: Five Gamecocks Honored as NFCA Scholar-Athletes

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

I believe it!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360: Marah Strickland

ROOSTER CROWS

A win at Florida on Saturday would not only bring the Gamecocks their first SEC Eastern Division championship, it would also give Coach Spurrier his 42nd win at Carolina, tying him with the legendary Paul Dietzel for third all-time in school history.

A win would be the first ever for the Gamecocks in Gainesville and snap a 16-game Florida winning streak over SEC East opponents.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's fan photo was submitted by LTC John Ramsey (class of 1992) of himself (left) and CPT Mitch Witherspoon above an airbase in Afghanistan. Thanks for sending in your picture, John! In honor of Veteran's Day this week, we'll be doing a slideshow on the videoboard of veterans and active duty military at this Friday's basketball games. To have yourself or your loved ones included, send in your photos to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com.

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Fans of the Week!

By The Editor on November 9, 2010 6:42 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This week's Spurs Up Fans of the Week are Erin and Connie from Charlotte, NC, spotted at the game vs. Arkansas. These ladies were cold, but stuck it out at the game.

Erin (left) is a Marine Science student at South Carolina and set to graduate this December.

Thanks for the support and go Gamecocks!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

South Carolina Athletics with Military Ties

By The Editor on November 9, 2010 6:25 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

In honor of Veteran's Day on Thursday, the SEC collected a list from each school of their staff and student-athletes who have immediate family members who are veterans or actively serving our country in the military. Several Gamecock student-athletes and staff members had parents and grandparents to list and there were even a few who had served themselves.

Football:
Billy Byrne - Grandfather, Norman Duseault, served in the Marines
Ryland Culbertson - Father, Glenn Culbertson, served in the Navy
Patrick Fish - Father, Woody Fish, served in the Army
Travis Ford - Grandfather, Allen Price, served in the Korean War
Matt Grooms served in the Marines during the Iraq War; Brother, Donald Grooms, serves in the Marines and is a member of the Presidential Guard
Josh Hinch - Grandfather, Buster Bailey, served in the Army
Seth Strickland - Grandfather, Albert Thomas, served in the Air Force
Adam Yates - Father, U.A. Yates, served in the Army
Andy Boyd - Father, Robert D. Boyd, served in the Army
Coach Brad Lawing - Father, Bill Lawing, served in the Army
Jamie Speronis - Father, Peter Speronis, served in the Air Force and flew B-17's in World War II

Men's Soccer:
Chris Duzan - Grandfather served in the Army
Hunter Howayeck - Father, James Steven Howayeck, is a chaplain in the Air Force; Brother, James Ross Howayeck, serves in the Air Force
Daniel Lynch - Grandfather served in the Navy
Will McGinnis - Grandfather served in the Air Force
Antoine Parris - Father, Michael Parris, served in the Army; Mother, Maureen Paris, served in the Army
Chipper Root - Grandfather served in the Army
Hunter Wyer - Grandfathers served in the Marines and Air Force
Bert Molinary - Father, Roberto Luis Molinary, Sr., served in the Army

Women's Soccer:
Lolly Holland - Grandfather, John P. Holland, served in the Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge / D-Day; Grandmother, Laurine Wages, was an Army Nurse
Natalie Aaron - Billy Wayne Aaron served in the Air Force
Danielle Manning - Father, Daryl Manning, served in the Army
Roya Mojarab - Grandfather, served in the Marines during the Korean War
Ali Glemser - Grandfather, Carl Glemser, served in the Air Force; Grandfather, Mitch Sepaniak, was a member of the Air Force
Christine Watts - Grandfather, Preston King Watts, served in the Marines
Kelsey Barr - Grandfather, Philip Paradise, served in the Army
Maria Petroni - Grandfather, Harold Dye, served in the Army and helped liberate Dauchau concentration camp; Grandfather, Bill Keoho, served in the Army and received four Purple Hearts
Maddy Kill - Father, Luke Kill, served in the Army; Grandfather, Mathias Kill, served in the Army; Grandfather, Richard Rieger, served in the Navy
Brooke Jacobs - Grandfather, William Robertson, served in the Army
Jocelyn Spurrier - Father, John Spurrier, served in the Army; Grandfather, Gene Spurrier, served in the Army
Taylor Leach - Father, Rodney Leach, served in the Navy

Softball:
Audrey Broyles - Father, Johnny Broyles, serves in the Army Reserves
Evan Childs - Brother, Josiah Childs, serves in the Army
Dana Hathorn - Grandfather was a Purple Heart recipient
Beverly Smith - Father was a Vietnam War veteran

Swimming & Diving
Aileen Atzhorn - Father, Dave Atzhorn, served in the Air Force
Whitney Ayers - Father, Randall Ayers, served in the Navy; Grandfather, Early Ayers, served in the Army
Ryan Connolly - Grandfather, Frank Connolly, served in the Air Force
Kelly Kirchler - Grandfather, Herman Kirchler, served in the Navy; Grandfather, Raleigh Huddleston, served in the Marines
Claire Shannon - Grandfather, Raymond Shannon, earned the Purple Heart and Bronze Star
McGee Moody has served in the Navy

Volleyball:
Megan Kent - Father, Bobby Kent, served with the Navy Seebees
Hannah Lawing - Stepbrother, Monroe Lawing, served in the Army
Kellie Schmidt - Father, Steven Schmidt, served in the Air Force; Grandfather was a Purple Heart recipient
Amy Pauly - Grandfather, Marvin Gates, was a Purple Heart recipient
Ben Somera - Father served in the Army

Thank you to all the veterans and active duty military who are a part of South Carolina Athletics. Military Appreciation Day at Basketball this Friday will include a photo slideshow on the videoboard - send in your photos of yourself or loved ones who are veterans or active duty to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com to be included. Tickets for the games are also still available: http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/tickets/ticket-office.html

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/9 Military Appreciation

By The Editor on November 9, 2010 4:49 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A new feature on Spurs Up Blog is the Daily Round-Up, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Women's Soccer: USC off to Charlottesville (Daily Gamecock)

Men's Basketball: USC freshman Ellington looking to use skills, intangibles to blaze new path (Anderson Independent Mail)

Women's Basketball: Staley plans to end South Carolina's struggles (Associated Press)

Football: Urban Meyer calls on Florida Gators fans to make noise (St. Petersburg Times)

Football: Spurrier: 'I know we're capable' (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: Morris: 5 most important games in USC history (The State)

Football: All eyes on Spurrier as Swamp return awaits (McClatchy Newspapers)

Football: Gators loom as USC regroups (Sumter Item)

Football: Spurrier: Time for changes (Post and Courier)

Football: Skip Holtz, Charlie Strong have close bond (ESPN Big East Blog)

GAMECOCKS IN THE NFL

John Abraham (DE, Atlanta Falcons): 2 solo tackles in win over Tampa Bay

Sheldon Brown (CB, Cleveland Browns): 1 solo tackle in win over New England

Johnathan Joseph (CB, Cincinnati Bengals): 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assist.) in loss to Pittsburgh

Captain Munnerlyn (CB, Carolina Panthers): 2 solo tackles & 2 punt returns (9 yds) in loss to New Orleans

Eric Norwood (LB, Carolina Panthers): 2 solo tackles in loss to New Orleans

Dunta Robinson (CB, Atlanta Falcons): 1 solo tackle in win over Tampa Bay

Shaun Smith (DT, Kansas City Chiefs): 2 tackles (1 solo, 1 assist.) in OT loss to Oakland

Ryan Succop (K, Kansas City Chiefs): 2/2 on PATs and 2/2 on FGs (long: 43 yds)

Travelle Wharton (G, Carolina Panthers): Started and played in loss to New Orleans

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Men's Soccer: No. 4 Seed South Carolina Set To Face No. 5 UAB In C-USA Tournament

Men's Soccer: Five Gamecocks Garner All-Conference USA Accolades

Track: Curtis Frye Press Conference Video

Football: Steve Spurrier Weekly Press Conference Quotes & Videos

Football: Gamecocks Work Out in Williams-Brice Monday

Women's Soccer: South Carolina To Face UNC Greensboro In NCAA First Round

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Darn right!

Follow @GamecocksOnline and @SpursUpBlog on Twitter

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360: RJ Slawson. Basketball opens up the season this Friday with a doubleheader: Women vs. #5 Xavier at 6:30 PM followed by the Men vs. Elon at 9:00 PM.

ROOSTER CROWS

Marcus Lattimore was the only freshman in the country to score a touchdown in each of his first seven collegiate games.

South Carolina has never had a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver in the same season, but it could happen this year. Alshon Jeffery already went over 1,000 yards on the season vs. Arkansas and Lattimore only needs 248 more yards to reach 1,000.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's fan photo was submitted by David L. Stillinger Jr., retired United States Marine Corps/U.S. Army, taken in Iraq in 2004. Thanks for sending in your picture, David! In honor of Veteran's Day this week, we'll be doing a slideshow on the videoboard of veterans and active duty military at this Friday's basketball games. To have yourself or your loved ones included, send in your photos to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com.

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Military Appreciation Days: Nov. 12 at Basketball, Nov. 20 at Football

By The Editor on November 8, 2010 8:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Gamecock Athletics will be honoring our armed services with two upcoming Military Appreciation Days. The first will be at this Friday's basketball doubleheader with the women vs. No. 5 Xavier at 6:30 PM followed by the men at 9:00 PM vs. Elon.

In honor of Veteran's Day on Thursday, we'll be honoring Gamecock fans who have served our country with a photo slideshow on the videoboard at the basketball games. To have your photo on the board, send in a photo of yourself or your loved ones who are veterans or active duty military to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com.

A few thousand troops from Fort Jackson will be in attendance for the basketball games Friday as well. Looking forward to it!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

For tickets to Friday's basketball games or the Nov. 20th football game vs. Troy, call 1-800-4SC-FANS or order online.

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/8 SEC East on the line

By The Editor on November 8, 2010 3:47 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

A new feature on Spurs Up Blog is the Daily Round-Up, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

**TONIGHT**: Women's Soccer - NCAA Selection Show Watch Party - Carolina Ale House (Lady St in the Vista). Team will be at Ale House from 4:20 - 6:00 PM watching the show on ESPNU from 4:30-5:00 PM.

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: It's going to be a big week for the Head Ball Coach (AJC)

Football: Garcia: USC must show better focus (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: USC dealing with injuries heading into Florida week (Anderson Independent Mail)

Football: SEC East showdown set for UF, South Carolina (TBO.com)

Football: SEC East title at stake for South Carolina, Florida (GoUpstate.com)

Football: Gamecocks seek firsts against resurgent Florida Gators (Miami Herald)

Football: South Carolina still the best team in SEC East (Ron Morris)

Baseball: NCAA Baseball Champion Gamecocks Get Their Championship Rings (WJBF)

Men's Basketball: USC Men's Basketball Breakdown (Daily Gamecock)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Men's Soccer: Mark Berson's Monday Press Conference

Men's Soccer: Men's Soccer Earns No. 4 Seed In C-USA Tournament, Will Play No. 5 Seed UAB

Football: Game Time Set For South Carolina-Troy Game

Football: Gamecocks Ranked 22nd in Both Polls

Women's Golf: Gamecock Women Conclude Fall Golf Season

Gamecock Radio: Inside the Chart Blog - Notes, Quotes, and Anecdotes

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Special tribute to the "Voice of the Gamecocks", Bob Fulton.

ROOSTER CROWS

From Andy Demetra's Inside the Chart blog: "Fourth-quarter Sandstormers, I salute you." I second that, Andy. Thank you to the fans who stayed for the whole game and still got into it towards the end.

Should the South Carolina Women's Soccer team be selected for the NCAA Tournament today as expected, it would be their fourth consecutive trip to the tournament.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Heather Pack sent in this picture from tailgating before the Tennessee game. Thanks for sending in your picture! Reminder to fans you can submit your gameday pictures to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Bob Fulton funeral information, special video tribute

By The Editor on November 8, 2010 1:11 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Funeral services for the legendary "Voice of the Gamecocks", Bob Fulton, will be held Tuesday, November 9th at 2:00 PM at Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church, 5503 Sunset Blvd., in Lexington. Visitation will follow at the church. Fans are welcome to attend.

The GamecocksOnline.com production group put together a nice feature on Fulton, check it out below:

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecock 360: Ieasia Walker

By The Editor on November 7, 2010 10:15 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Gamecock 360 is series on South Carolina basketball running first in The State every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday over the next four weeks. Keep an eye out for your Gamecocks!

How much does having a good home crowd affect the team?
Having a good home crowd gets everybody pumped up and helps us play better. We feel like we're playing for more than just ourselves; we're playing for our crowd as well.

What's the best part of game day for you?
The best part of game day for me is getting ready for it. You think about it all day, so when it gets there and it's time to play, you just leave it all on the floor.

What is your role on the team this season?
My role this year is probably a little more than last year. I can play the point, the 2 or the 3. I think she [Coach Staley] wants me to be more of a leader and a scorer. So, that's different from last year, and I'll have to pick it up on the scoring end.

How do you know when Coach Staley is really happy about a play?
She'll give you a look. She'll give you a compliment. And, you feel good about yourself and hope it'll keep going that way.

Who on the team has a shot or a move that makes you stop and stare?
Marah [Strickland] has the best shot. You just want to watch it because it's so pretty. And, she usually makes, like, 80 percent of her 3-pointers.

Which teammate always breaks the tension in the locker room?
Either Ashley [Bruner] or Charenee [Stephens] because they just joke 24/7. So, there's never a tense moment when they're around.

Why did you choose to come to South Carolina?
I chose to play here because I didn't want to pass up the opportunity of playing for these coaches. They've done a lot, and I want to do at least half of what they did.

What has been your favorite team community service project?
At the end of last year, we moved equipment out of a warehouse into another one. All the [South Carolina] teams were there, and it was just fun bonding while moving that for the community.

What is the best thing about one or more of your roommates?
Jewel May, La'Keisha Sutton and Kayla Brewer. The funniest thing is Jewel. She makes this moaning noise when she gets up, and it's so funny. She does it all night, and she does it in the morning. You just want to strangle her, but it's so funny because she doesn't do it intentionally, but it's hilarious.

What's the last song or artist you added to your iPod?
Jay-Z, definitely.

And, why haven't you made the CD for Jewel so she can put music on her iPod?
Because I don't have any CDs, so I haven't made the CD yet.

What's the nicest thing you did for someone today?
I sat down and had lunch with some of the practice players.

What do you do when you're mad?
I just try to take a moment and think about why I'm mad and if it's worth being mad and wasting time.

Who is the first person you want to tell good news to?
My mom. She's texts me all day and calls me 24/7. She's always bothering me, so that has to be the first person I call.

Do you have any nervous habits?
I shake a lot or my hands will shake.

What two things do you grab if you have to leave the house ASAP?
Some money and my phone

Tough loss for Gamecocks

By The Editor on November 6, 2010 10:25 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Cold night in Columbia tonight as the Gamecocks lost to Arkansas, 41-20, on Homecoming at Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina will head down to Florida next Saturday with the SEC East title and a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game on the line. Kickoff for that game is set for 7:15 PM and will air on ESPN or ESPN2.

Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com tonight for full recap, statistics, quotes, and photos from tonight's game.

Tough night, but as always GO GAMECOCKS.

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

ESPN's Brad Nessler's suitcase will be a little heavier going home...

By The Editor on November 5, 2010 8:28 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

It started off innocently enough.
ESPN commentator Brad Nessler,

in town to cover Saturday's game vs. Arkansas, just thought he'd help out a local charity. And now he'll be going home to Atlanta with a classic car.

Nessler returned to his hotel Thursday evening where a local charity event was going on. In the lobby was a white, beautifully reconditioned 1940 Dodge Coupe, a big ticket item in a silent auction. Nessler decided to put in a bid of $10,000, thinking he would just be helping out the charity by bumping up the price a bit and another vintage car enthusiast would surely outbid him for the valuable classic.

So he was thrilled, albeit a little shocked, when he heard that he had actually won. His wife of 32 years perhaps not so thrilled. Said Nessler, "I just hope she's still my wife when I get home!"

Nessler will have the car shipped home and add the Coupe to his current collection of three classics: a 1956 Thunderbird, a 1961 Corvette, and a 1965 Ford Mustang. I very kindly offered to take the '65 Mustang off his hands if he needed space in his garage for the Coupe. Ha!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

South Carolina kicks off vs. Arkansas at 7:06 PM tomorrow evening. The game will air on ESPN.

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/5 Calling the Hogs...

By The Editor on November 5, 2010 3:06 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A new feature on Spurs Up Blog is the Daily Round-Up, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

**TONIGHT**: Women's Basketball vs. Lander (exhibition), 7:00 PM Colonial Life Arena, admission is free

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Arkansas Coaches to Play Cat & Mouse Game with Spurrier (KSFM.com - Arkansas)

Football: Gamecocks' Jeffery fits right in ... at the top (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: Mallett expects to face strong Gamecocks defense (SI.com/Associated Press)

Football: Arkansas gets good news on offensive injury front, bad on defensive front (College Football Talk)

Football: Arkansas will test USC's passing defense (GreenvilleOnline.com)

Football: Lawing, D-line getting the job done (Anderson Independent Mail)

Bob Fulton: Funeral plans finalized (The State)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Men's Soccer: Gamecock Men's Soccer Concludes Regular Season At Kentucky

Football: GAMEDAY: No. 17 Gamecocks vs. No. 19 Arkansas

Men's Basketball: Gamecocks Defeat Kentucky Wesleyan in Exhibition, 71-58

Women's Golf: Carolina Golfers Ready to Challenge SEC, Pac-10 Foes

Women's Soccer: Gamecocks Advance On Penalty Kicks In SEC Quarterfinal

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Ha.

For more with Alshon Jeffery check out our Q&A.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Because it just never gets old...

ROOSTER CROWS

With a win over Arkansas South Carolina can clinch at least a share of the SEC Eastern Division title, a first in school history. A trip to Atlanta to the SEC Championship Game still rides on the Nov. 13th match-up with Florida.

South Carolina vs. Arkansas tickets are listed for far above face value on StubHub. The SC Athletics Ticket Office still has a couple thousand tickets available for FACE VALUE. The box office at the stadium (under the northwest ramp, facing George Rogers Blvd) will open at 3:00 PM tomorrow.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Nice shot by Chris Waitt. Thanks for sending in your picture! Reminder to fans you can submit your gameday pictures to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Need help on game day?

By The Editor on November 5, 2010 2:22 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

There's a lot of logistics work that goes into amassing a crowd of over 80,000 people into one small area in just a matter of hours, all the while keeping everyone safe and ensuring everyone has a good experience. After every football game, the operations staff evaluates all aspects of the event including security, guest services issues, stadium issues, etc. to continue to try to improve fans' game day experience, resolve issues quickly and hopefully prevent some issues from occurring in the first place.

I spoke with Shawn Burke, our Assistant A.D. for Event Management, who shared with me that this past week's game vs. Tennessee saw the lowest number of stadium issues, fan behavior issues, complaints, and calls to the command center and guest services so far this season, which was encouraging to hear from a fan perspective. Before joining the team here with Gamecock Athletics I was a season ticket holder myself and you can't underestimate how much the fan behavior around you and the stadium environment play into the overall enjoyment of the game experience.

If you need help during the game you can report stadium issues, unruly behavior, or any other requests for help by texting: "USC", what the issue is, and your location to 69050 (your standard SMS rates will apply.) Assistance is available two hours before kickoff and one hour after the game. You can also ask for assistance from any of the event staff you see wearing yellow jackets stationed throughout the stadium.

While the event and operations staffs work diligently to prevent and solve problems, it's also up to us as fans to demonstrate and encourage positive behavior and be mindful of people around us, to help keep Gamecock football games a fun experience for everyone. I know that sounds corny, but for real, who wants to be "that guy" that ruins the fun for someone else or gives Gamecock fans a bad rep?

More game day and stadium information such as an updated list of prohibited items, a Fan Code of Conduct, first aid locations, parking, etc. can be found here: http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/ot/game-day-information.html

Looking forward to a great game on the field against Arkansas and a great game experience in Williams-Brice Stadium! See y'all tomorrow!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Q&A with Alshon Jeffery

By The Editor on November 4, 2010 7:44 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

After a standout freshman year, Alshon Jeffery is

showing up big time for the Gamecocks in his sophomore season, leading the SEC in receiving yards per game (116.9), scoring clutch touchdowns such as in the Alabama and Tennessee games, and putting his name in the conversation for the best receivers in the country.

I sat down with Alshon to get to know a little bit more about the sophomore superstar, asking about his favorite things, what he enjoys about being a student-athlete at Carolina, and what qualities or strengths enable him to be so successful. Alshon noted that playing basketball as well has helped him, particularly when going up for a catch. He said rebounding and boxing out skills in basketball help him beat other guys in football.

Not surprisingly, one of his favorite memories at Carolina so far is beating Alabama, but close behind? Men's Basketball's win over No. 1 Kentucky and the Baseball team winning the College World Series.

I also asked Alshon what's going through his mind when he makes a catch and turns downfield, such as with his 70-yd touchdown against Tennessee. I couldn't love his answer more...

"Do something to be great."

Watch all of my chat with Alshon Jeffery below.

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/4 We want a Latti-more of it.

By The Editor on November 4, 2010 3:57 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A new feature on Spurs Up Blog is the Daily Round-Up, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

*TONIGHT*:
Men's Basketball vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (exhibition) - 7:00 PM, Colonial Life Arena. FREE admission, arena parking lots are $5.

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Lattimore adds new element to Spurrier's usual attack (Log Cabin Democrat - Arkansas)

Football: SEC Notebook (AJC)

Football: Scouting the November schedules (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: What to watch in the SEC: Week 10 (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: South Carolina a lock at home (NY Post)

Football: Garcia's climb to top ranking (Rock Hill Herald)

Football: USC has another chance to rewrite its history (Anderson Independent Mail)

Football: Injuries deplete Razorbacks' receiving corps (Post & Courier)

Men's Basketball: Gamecocks take on Kentucky Wesleyan (GamecockCentral.com)

Women's Basketball: Lady Gamecocks host Lander (Daily Gamecock)

Men's Soccer: Soccer looks for one more win before tourney (Daily Gamecock)

REMEMBERING BOB FULTON

The 'Voice of the Gamecocks' is silenced (WIS)

Morris: A fond farewell to my friend (The State)

Current Voice of Gamecocks Talks about Bob Fulton's Passing (WLTX)

South Carolina announcing legend remembered as a class act (Shelby Star)

"The Voice" will be missed (Sumter Item)

Fulton a great broadcaster, a better person (The State)

Legends Remember a Legend (WLTX)

Gamecocks Mourn Passing of Bob Fulton (GamecocksOnline.com)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Football: Damario Jeffery Named to Academic All-District Team

Football: Gamecocks Continue Arkansas Preparations

Volleyball: South Carolina Plays at Auburn, Georgia

Swimming & Diving: Gamecocks to Face Arkansas, Missouri on the Road

Baseball: Baseball To Receive National Championship Rings This Weekend

Women's Basketball: Women's Basketball Media Availability Videos

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Great job, ladies! Keep it goin'!

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Yesterday's post-practice comments from Marcus Lattimore, video here.

ROOSTER CROWS

South Carolina hasn't had a player rush for more than 200 yards since 2000 (Derek Watson vs. Eastern Michigan, 215 yards). Here's hoping Lattimore re-sets that date soon!

Neither South Carolina nor Arkansas have any players on the active roster from the other's home state, the first time this season that has happened for SC.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Definitely folks who like to get in their seats early! Go Gamecocks! Thanks for sending in your picture! Reminder to fans you can submit your gameday pictures to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Inside the Design: Basketball debuts new Under Armour uniforms,

By The Editor on November 4, 2010 10:14 AM | 3 Comments | No TrackBacks

As the men's basketball team takes on Kentucky Wesleyan in an exhibition game tonight, it will be the competition debut of the team's new uniforms designed by Under Armour. While this is the fourth season the football team has competed in Under Armour, it is the first for several other Gamecock sports teams after South Carolina and Under Armour expanded their agreement.

Both the men's and women's basketball teams will be outfitted in Under Armour gear this season, including UA's new line of basketball shoes. I spoke with Walker Jones, Director of Sports Marketing for Under Armour, Inc., about the design process and features of the new gear. The overall process started over a year ago including an approximately 12 month long design process with involvement from coaches and athletics administrators, who provide ongoing feedback on the designs.

Jones says Under Armour takes pride in working closely with schools to include subtle details unique to the university to make the design special. They want to acknowledge the university's history, tradition, and culture. The men's team's uniform includes a graphic on the front collar of the university's Palmetto symbol inscribed with "1801" to mark the school's founding. Also, printed inside the back neck of the jersey are the words "Carolina, Forever to Thee", from SC's alma mater. A very popular item among fans so far are the men's team's Garnet Army shoes, which feature the Garnet and Black camo print used for the Garnet Army student section's t-shirts as well as the Block C logo on the tongue.

The color development process is one of the most time-intensive parts of designing new uniforms. Under Armour is working toward pinpointing a shade of Garnet to be consistent across various South Carolina teams. In past years, with different teams' gear being manufactured by a variety of apparel companies, it has been difficult to maintain an exact shade of Garnet, something we hope to be able to achieve with more teams outfitted by one provider. Both the men's and women's teams will each have a set of Garnet, Black, and White uniforms.

Photos courtesy of Under Armour

One of the biggest benefits of the new uniforms is something Under Armour has become very well known for - its moisture management technology. The material is designed to wick moisture away from the body, maintaining the lightweight feel of the jersey. The fabric itself is also more lightweight than others, but still maintains durability. According to Under Armour, "the uniform is 33% lighter, has 360-degree stretch, a fully ventilated back, shooter's notch at the shoulder for better range of motion, along with incredible moisture management and temperature regulation." The women's jersey has a different fit and construction than the men's including a slimmer racerback cut on the back.

The back of the women's jerseys with racerback fit

The men's team starts off the season with an exhibition tonight at 7:00 PM vs. Kentucky Wesleyan and the women play an exhibition vs. Lander tomorrow night at 7:00 PM.

The season officially opens up for the Gamecocks next Friday, November 12th, with a doubleheader - the women play No. 5 Xavier at 6:30 PM followed by the men vs. Elon at 9:00 PM. Call 1-800-4SC-FANS or go online to GamecocksOnline.com for tickets.

Under Armour's signature statement has carried over into the teams' goals for the season - we will protect this house!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Multiple ticket purchase options for Men's & Women's Basketball

By The Editor on November 3, 2010 8:30 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

With basketball season about to tip off, I wanted to make sure everyone knew there are several different options for getting tickets. I've also linked to both basketball schedules so you can check it against your calendar & start thinking about when you can join us!

Men's Basketball

- Season Tickets: a ticket for every home game

Season tickets in the upper level of Colonial Life Arena range from $125 to $244 each depending on location and are available for anyone to purchase. Gamecock Club members may purchase season tickets in the lower bowl for $306.

There is also a Family Plan "4 for $400" option in the upper end zone, 2 adult tickets and 2 youth tickets (17 and under), that works out to less than $8 per game.

- Mini Packs: a ticket to a bundle of four games

Garnet Pack: $45
Delaware State - Wed. Dec. 1, 7 PM - Fox Sports Carolinas (Face Value - $15)
Kentucky - Sat. Jan. 22, 6 PM - ESPN (Face Value - $15)
Georgia - Sat. Feb. 12, 4 PM - SEC Network (Face Value - $15)
Tennessee- Thu. Mar. 3, 7 PM - ESPN (Face Value - $15)

Black Pack: $45
Clemson - Sun. Dec. 5, 1 PM - Fox (Face Value - $15)
Jacksonville State - Wed. Dec. 29, 7 PM - Fox Sports Carolinas (Face Value - $15)
Vanderbilt - Sat. Jan. 8, 5 PM - ESPN2 (Face Value - $15)
Florida - Wed. Feb. 9, 8 PM - SEC Network (Face Value - $15)

- Single Game Tickets: a ticket to one game

Single game tickets were on-sale as of November 1st for all non-conference games except Clemson. The Clemson game and tickets for the SEC portion of the schedule will go on sale at a later date. Single game tickets are $18 for lower level and $15 for upper level.

Women's Basketball

- Season Tickets: a ticket to every home game

Women's Basketball games are general admission at South Carolina, but with a season ticket you can have reserved seats for the entire season. Season tickets are $50 each and each season ticket account receives a free Dawn Staley bobblehead collectible.

There is also a Family Plan option - just $100 for 4 general admission tickets, which works out to less than $2 per game.

- Single Game Tickets: a ticket to one game

Single game tickets are general admission and cost $7 each.

For any of these ticket options you can call 1-800-4SC-FANS or visit the tickets section of GamecocksOnline.com.

2010-11 Schedule:

Men's Basketball Schedule

Women's Basketball Schedule

See y'all there! Go Gamecocks!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecock 360°: Sam Muldrow

By The Editor on November 3, 2010 8:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

We are running a new series called "Gamecock 360°" which will appear first in The State and then on Spurs Up every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday over the next four weeks. The series will focus on getting to know more about our Men's Basketball and Women's Basketball student-athletes and coaches as we get the season started. Enjoy! - Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Gamecock 360°: Sam Muldrow

What is a typical game day like for you?
We have class, after everyone gets out of class, we have shoot around. After shoot around, everyone eats and gets rest before the game starts.

What does the crowd energy bring to the atmosphere at Colonial Life Arena?
Besides energy, it makes everyone play harder, and really be into the game. We feed off the crowd.

What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming season?
I'm ready to play. It's my senior season and I'm excited.

What game are you most looking forward to this season? What non-conference road game are you most looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to all of the games. Non-conference road game at Michigan State.

What does being a member of the South Carolina men's basketball team mean to you?
Playing at South Carolina means a lot. It is a great opportunity for me. Not a lot of people have a chance to play college basketball, so I'm taking the opportunity and trying to do something with it.

What is your favorite class at South Carolina? And your favorite place on the South Carolina campus?
Sociology and the Russell House.

Who has been the most influential person on your basketball career?
My mother. She is always there for me, whenever I need her.

If you could visit any place in the world, where would that be and why?
Australia. It's a beautiful place.

Gamecock 360° basketball series to run in The State

By The Editor on November 3, 2010 6:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

We are running a new series called "Gamecock 360°" in The State newspaper which will appear every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday over the next four weeks. The series will focus on getting to know more about our Men's Basketball and Women's Basketball student-athletes and coaches as we get the season started.

The first two of the series are out this week and showcase two seniors - Jewel May and Sam Muldrow. Keep an eye out for the Gamecocks in your morning paper!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/3 Bob Fulton, "Voice of the Gamecocks"

By The Editor on November 3, 2010 1:26 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A new feature on Spurs Up Blog is the Daily Round-Up, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: SEC superlative tracker (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: USC won't look past Arkansas (Sumter Item)

Football: Carolina focused on Hogs (Daily Gamecock)

Football: Morris: Nothing at stake vs. Hogs? Hardly (The State)

Football: USC closing in on rare home feat (Anderson Independent Mail)

Football: Razorbacks and Gamecocks tee it up in Columbia (KansasCity.com)

Football: Showdown Lowdown: SEC East could impact BCS race (The Birmingham News)

Men's Basketball: College Basketball Preview - Southeastern Conference (The Sports Network)

Men's Soccer: Surge in attendance at men's college games (New York Times)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Women's Soccer: Wednesday's SEC Soccer Tournament Games Cancelled

Women's Soccer: Three Gamecocks Named To Academic All-District Team

Women's Soccer: Kayla Grimsley Named SEC Offensive Player of the Year

Men's Soccer: Wiltse Named To TopDrawerSoccer.com Team Of The Week

Men's Golf: Hester Earns Top-10 Finish at Kiawah Intercollegiate

Swimming & Diving: Zack, Ridenour Named SEC Divers of the Week

Gamecock Radio: Inside the Chart Blog

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Lost a special Gamecock today. Bob Fulton, longtime play by play announcer & "The Voice of the Gamecocks".

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360 with Sam Muldrow. Men's Basketball plays an exhibition game tomorrow (Thursday) at 7:00 PM vs. Kentucky Wesleyan:

ROOSTER CROWS

Lou Holtz is the only person to have served as head coach at both Arkansas and south Carolina.

South Carolina is ranked in this week's AP poll and USA Today Coaches Poll for the ninth consecutive week. Only two other times in school history have the Gamecocks stayed in the polls for that many straight editions.

The tallest player on the Gamecock roster is DE Devin Taylor at 6'7", while the shortest is RB Bryce Sherman, who is 5'4".

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Sent in by Dwayne Coulter - his son's first South Carolina game! Thanks for sending in your picture! Reminder to fans you can submit your gameday pictures to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Basketball Preview Party theme? Protect this house

By The Editor on November 2, 2010 9:00 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

Monday night the My Carolina Alumni Association and the Gamecock Club hosted a Basketball Preview Party for their members. The event included an autograph session, food and beverages, Cocky, the cheerleaders and the band, a silent auction, door prizes, a 3-point shot contest (sophomore guard Ieasia Walker made eight out of her 10 three point shots!), and introductions of all the players and coaches. Both head coaches, Dawn Staley and Darrin Horn, spoke to the crowd and emphasized the need to protect this house. If we protect home court and win those games, both teams could be very successful. Staley and Horn also expressed appreciation for the fans' support, both last night at the event and throughout the season.

Folks were excited to get a glimpse of this season's new Under Armour uniforms, which you can check out in the photos on our Facebook page (more on the development of the new uniforms coming up tomorrow on Spurs Up Blog).

Both teams have exhibition games this week that are free to attend. The men play Thursday night at 7:00 PM vs. Kentucky Wesleyan and the women play on Friday night vs. Lander, also at 7:00 PM. We'll have the season openers for both teams in a doubleheader on Friday, November 12, starting at 6:30 PM with the women vs. No. 5 Xavier followed by the men at 9:00 PM vs. Elon. Get tickets by calling 1-800-4SC-FANS or order online on GamecocksOnline.com.

See you there! Go Gamecocks!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Three Gamecocks drafted to NBA Development League

By The Editor on November 2, 2010 8:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Three former Gamecock basketball players, Dominique Archie, Antoine Tisby, and Brandon Wallace were selected in last night's NBA Development League Draft.

Archie (left) was selected fourteenth overall by the Austin Toros in the first of eight rounds. Wallace, who spent time in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and was most recently playing overseas, will play for the Bakersfield Jam after being selected in the second round. After playing in New Zealand for six games this year, Tisby was drafted in the seventh round by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Congratulations to all of them on continuing their basketball careers!

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Arkansas tickets available through SC ticket office

By The Editor on November 2, 2010 7:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I checked with the ticket office yesterday and there are a few thousand single game tickets available for sale from the allotment returned by Arkansas. That's a few thousand more Gamecocks in the stands that won't be Razorbacks instead!! South Carolina fans can get these tickets by calling 1-800-4SC-FANS or by ordering online.

It's a night game so y'all know Williams-Brice will be rockin'! South Carolina vs. Arkansas is the last conference match-up we will play at home this year, meaning with a win over the Razorbacks the Gamecocks will be undefeated at home vs. SEC opponents. Winning all the home games was a big goal the team set this season and wins against Arkansas and Troy are all that remain to realize that goal.

Hope to see a packed Garnet house on Saturday... Go Gamecocks!!!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Fans of the Week!

By The Editor on November 2, 2010 4:13 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This week's Spurs Up Fans of the Week were seen at the football game vs. Tennessee. South Carolina freshmen (from left to right) James Armstrong, Ben Jaklin, Sean Magrath, and Hunter Krenek were front and center in the student section cheering on the Gamecocks to their 38-24 win over the Vols.

Thanks for being great fans, guys! Go Gamecocks!

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/2 Men's Basketball Mini Packs On Sale

By The Editor on November 2, 2010 2:24 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Night in the Swamp for SEC East title (Post & Courier)

Football: Secondary of primary concern against Hogs (Post & Courier)

Football: Pair of Gamecocks earn weekly recognition (Times & Democrat)

Football: SEC Heisman Watch (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: The final month of the season will be key for the Gamecocks (Anniston Star)

Football: South Carolina is different (Arkansas News)

Baseball: Mayor unveils 2010 Babcock Christmas ornament (The State)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Baseball: Baseball Team Visits Governor's Mansion on Monday

Men's Soccer: Brettschneider, Maurer, Traynor Named To ESPN Academic All-District Squad

Football: Gamecocks Return to Practice Fields Monday

Men's Golf: Hester, Moore in Top 10 at Kiawah Intercollegiate

Men's Basketball: Men's Basketball Mini Pack Ticket Packages On Sale Now

Gamecock Radio: Inside the Chart blog

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

Interesting...

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Steve Spurrier's weekly press conference as the team prepares to take on Arkansas on Saturday at 7:06 PM on ESPN. Video here.

ROOSTER CROWS

In addition to his clutch pick six on Saturday, sophomore DE Devin Taylor ranks third in the SEC in sacks. South Carolina as a team leads the SEC and is second in the nation in sacks.

South Carolina ranks first in the SEC in rush defense, holding opposing offenses to 100.1 yards per game. Six out of eight games so far the opponent has been held under 100 yards, including Alabama.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

Callie Rabun submitted this picture from Saturday's game. Thanks for sending in your picture! Reminder to fans you can submit your gameday pictures to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com.

- Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

Postseason football ticket info mailed today, deadline Nov. 15

By The Editor on November 1, 2010 6:12 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Gamecock fans, postseason football ticket information was mailed out today by the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office. Gamecock Club members and Faculty/Staff/Retirees can access ticket requests online now. The deadline for ALL requests is November 15th.

Please go to the following link on GamecocksOnline.com for ALL information about postseason football tickets, including detailed instructions on how to apply, ticket prices and allotments, important deadlines, and more: http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/tickets/2010-m-footbl-postseason.html

-Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

SAAC celebrates Halloween in style

By The Editor on November 1, 2010 12:49 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

In preparation for Halloween, the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) hosted a "Monster's Ball" Halloween party for student-athletes including food, dancing, and a costume contest. The Monster's Ball is an annual event for student-athletes put on by SAAC. Women's Basketball player and president of SAAC Courtney Newton explained that SAAC serves to enhance and protect the overall student-athlete experience as well as act as a conduit between student-athletes and administrators. SAAC also coordinates several community service events throughout the year with their Gamecocks Giving Back program.

Being no strangers to team efforts, several people opted for group costumes - Thing 1 and Thing 2 of Dr. Seuss fame, a duo of football referees, ancient warriors, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, Harry Potter characters, and more.

- Brittany Lane. Spurs Up Blog

Spurs Up Daily Round-Up: 11/1 Well hellooooo November

By The Editor on November 1, 2010 12:25 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A new feature on Spurs Up Blog is the Daily Roundup, where I'll bring you news and tidbits from around the digital world about the Gamecocks. Let me know what you think! - Brittany Lane

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Five Things We Learned (GamecockCentral.com)

Football: Braggin' Rights Barometer: USC 24, Clemson 17 (Post & Courier)

Football: Lattimore, South Carolina ready for SEC stretch run (Spartanburg Herald Journal)

Football: Gamecocks remain only ranked team in the SEC East (WIS)

Football: Chris Culliver out for Gamecocks (ESPN SEC Blog)

Football: Gamecocks 2 difficult wins from SEC title game (Washington Post/Associated Press)

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Men's Golf: Gamecocks to Wrap Up Fall Season at Kiawah Intercollegiate

Volleyball: Gamecocks Fight But Fall at Ole Miss in Four Sets

Men's Soccer: Gamecocks Sail Past Memphis, 3-0, On Senior Day

Football: No. 17 South Carolina Pulls Away From Tennessee, 38-24

Women's Soccer: No. 8 Gators Win SEC Title Match At No. 17 South Carolina, 1-0

Swimming & Diving: Gamecocks Stay Undefeated with Sweep of Clemson

GAMECOCKS IN THE PROS

NFL - Week 8:
Jared Cook, TE, Titans: 1 catch for 36 yards
Ryan Succop, K, Chiefs: 2/3, kicked game-winning FG in overtime
Andre Goodman, CB, Broncos: 3 solo tackles
Captain Munnerlyn, CB, Panthers: 2 solo tackles
Shaun Smith, DT, Chiefs: 5 tackles (1 solo, 4 assisted)

COCK-A-DOODLE-TWEET

No tweet today... darn Fail Whale.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Gamecock 360 - First of a series of in-depth looks at Gamecock Basketball, starting with Women's Basketball senior forward Jewel May:

ROOSTER CROWS

With the win over Tennessee, the Gamecocks are now officially bowl eligible for the seventh straight season.

South Carolina and Kentucky are the only two SEC schools with Men's Soccer programs; both compete in Conference USA. Men's Soccer secured a spot in the six-team Conference USA Tournament with their 3-0 win over Memphis Sunday.

FAN PHOTO OF THE DAY

From the email: "Britt and Melissa love their Gamecocks!" Thanks for sending in your picture! Reminder to fans you can submit your gameday pictures to Gamedaypics2010@gmail.com

Brittany Lane, Spurs Up Blog

« October 2010 | Main Index | Archives | December 2010 »

November 2010 Archives

MOST RECENT POSTS

CATEGORIES

ARCHIVE