mazza's scouting report of Gcocks

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from my days on oracle covering intramurals

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mid morning snack

March 30, 2004

Columbia, SC - · South Carolina went through its seventh practice of the spring Tuesday afternoon. It was a full contact practice that lasted nearly 2 ½ hours.

· On the injury front: WR Matthew Thomas is out with a left ankle sprain. It has been put in a soft cast to expedite the healing process. WR Derrick Harper has a broken bone in his left hand and is out for the spring. TB Cory Boyd sprained his right ankle during Tuesday's practice.

· Assistant head coach Skip Holtz met with the media following the workout. Skip said for the most part, he has been pleased with the play of the quarterbacks. "We're going to evaluate the quarterbacks on how effective they move the team," said Skip. "All of the quarterbacks are being pretty productive right now. We're rolling the younger ones (Syvelle Newton and Blake Mitchell) every three plays. This Saturday's scrimmage (first of the spring) will give us a good opportunity to really evaluate them. It's not going to be a popularity contest. It's going to be based upon who moves the team."

 

· Skip also complimented the performance of the offensive line. "(Coach) Steve Shankweiler has done a heck of a job with those guys," said Skip. "We've got several guys working at a couple different positions, like John Strickland and Chris White (center and guard). Na'Shan Goddard is playing well. That group is really coming on."

· Tailback Cory Boyd, who inadvertently collided into head coach Lou Holtz on Saturday, which resulted in Holtz suffering a hairline fracture of his left fibula, said he hopes both he and the coach can bounce back from their injuries sooner than later. "Coach Holtz is a tough man; I think you'll see him bounce back pretty soon," said Boyd. "When I ran into him, I was just hoping it wasn't him. When he got up, the first thing out of his mouth was 'you okay?' I saw the film of it the next day and I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see it again. I feel badly that it happened."

· Coach Holtz was running practice once again Tuesday. While he was limping some, he was just as involved as ever.

· Defensive back Andrea Gause was not at practice Tuesday, and assistant head coach Skip Holtz said his status with the team would be re-evaluated later in the week.

· The Gamecocks return to the practice field on Friday. The practice is closed. Defensive coordinator Rick Minter will be available to the media following practice at approximately 6:30 p.m. outside the players' entrance.

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Two of Wesley Brown's most prized possessions were a football autographed with a note of encouragement from University of South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz and a baseball signed by the USC baseball team after their return from the College World Series championship game.

Athletes from the Gamecock football team, as part of USC's Team Gamecocks along with Cocky and the USC cheerleaders on Friday, April 9 at 1:00 p.m. for a visit that includes autograph sessions, room visits and photos. Chick Fil A restaurants will provide snacks for the children.

A star athlete who graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1997 and USC in 2001, Brown was diagnosed with leukemia in June 2002. In his memory, his family (father, Wayne, mother, Beth and younger brother, Taylor) and his girlfriend, Rebecca Payne wanted to create an annual event for the children at Palmetto Health Children's Hospital and the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

 

"Like most little boys, Wes loved sports and began playing baseball at five," said Wayne Brown. "When Wes was nine, he was so big that I overheard another parent remark that he looked big enough to have driven himself to the game. Wes was talented enough that we thought he would go on to play college football," he added.

After multiple hospitalizations at Palmetto Health Baptist and a stem cell transplant at Duke University Hospital in Aug. 2002, Wes died in Jan. 2003. He had begun working with South Carolina Bank & Trust in late summer 2001 and quickly distinguished himself as a management associate in the Commercial Loan Administration Dept. The South Carolina Bankers School renamed its scholarship fund in his honor. While at USC, Wes Brown worked in Dr. Palms' office for three years and was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Palmetto Health Children's Hospital was the first children's hospital in South Carolina. A major pediatric referral center for children from all 46 counties in South Carolina, Children's Hospital treats more than 82,000 children each year.

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Pro player weekend begins today

Gamecocks welcome about a dozen former players currently on NFL rosters

South Carolina held its pro timing day last month. Pro player weekend begins today.

The Gamecocks welcome back a dozen or more former players currently on NFL rosters this weekend, which sports information director Kerry Tharp said is the first gathering of its kind.

USC invited all 20 ex-players who were on NFL rosters in 2003. Pittsburgh tailback Duce Staley, Baltimore quarterback Anthony Wright, Jets defensive end John Abraham, Minnesota receiver Marcus Robinson and Bears fullback Stanley Pritchett are among those expected to attend.

Running backs coach Dave Roberts, who staged a similar weekend when he was head coach at Northeast Louisiana, approached coach Lou Holtz with the idea several months ago.

“The idea is to get some guys back and have them together,” Roberts said. “They get a chance to talk to the players about various topics that we think are pretty good topics.”

Roberts asked the former players to talk to the team about topics such as dealing with injuries, the consequences of alcohol and drug abuse, and the importance of education.

“They hear it from the coaches all the time,” Roberts said. “It will be so much better if they hear it from their peers.”

The NFL players will eat dinner with the team tonight, address the team Saturday morning, and watch the Gamecocks’ scheduled scrimmage Saturday afternoon. Roberts hopes to make the weekend an annual event, and he plans to add a community service project in the future.

“It’s a trial run the first time,” Roberts said. “We’ll see how well it will be received and see what everybody thinks once it’s over.”

— Joseph Person

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South Carolina returned to the practice field Friday afternoon, making final preparations for the team's first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday. The scrimmage, which begins at 11:30 a.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium, is open to the public.

· On the injury front: WR Matthew Thomas, who missed three practices with an ankle sprain, returned to the practice field. There were no new injuries to report on Friday.

· Defensive coordinator Rick Minter met with the media following practice on Friday. Here are some of his comments: "We're looking forward to the scrimmage and see who can step up and make some plays. We'll probably scrimmage 45-50 plays per unit, which would mean we would go around 90-100 plays. We're awfully thin on the defensive front, so that might limit us some. But, I think we'll get all the mixes and matches that we will want to see out there ... Hopefully we can make some major strides tomorrow. We'll try to set up different situations as we go along."

 

· One position move of note: Andrea Gause, who had been working at the safety position, is now working at wide receiver. Gause has previously played wide receiver during his career. Gause missed practice on Sunday and Tuesday for personal reasons.

· This weekend, USC has invited back all of its former players who are currently playing in the NFL. Coach Holtz and the staff felt it would be a good idea to start a tradition of bringing back the current pros and let them visit with the coaches and team. With this being the first time something like this has been undertaken at USC, the turnout was pretty good on Friday. Among the pros who had made it in Friday evening included: John Abraham (New York Jets); Arturo Freeman (Miami Dolphins); Sheldon Brown (Philadelphia Eagles); Andre Goodman (Detroit Lions); Willie Offord (Minnesota Vikings); Marcus Robinson (Minnesota Vikings); Stanley Pritchett (Chicago Bears); Shane Hall (Seattle Seahawks); Langston Moore (Cincinnati Bengals); Shaun Smith (Dallas Cowboys); and Cleveland Pinkney (Tampa Bay Bucs). The pros were going to have dinner with the coaching staff Friday evening and speak to the team on a variety of topics on Saturday morning. "We thought it was important to invite these former players back and let them spend some time with our current team," said Coach Holtz. "There is a lot of knowledge and information they can share with our players that will be helpful. We want them to know that they will always be Gamecocks and will always be a part of the Carolina program. We're proud of what they've accomplished and we look forward to having them with us this weekend."

[smazza]

South Carolina Spring Football Practice Report

Gamecocks conduct first scrimmage of the spring

April 3, 2004

Columbia, SC - o South Carolina went through an 84-play controlled scrimmage Saturday before sunny skies at Williams-Brice Stadium. It was USC's first controlled scrimmage of the spring.

o The defense had the upper hand for much of the scrimmage. All-SEC defensive end candidate Moe Thompson had an interception and returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown. "Moe Thompson is just an excellent player," said head coach Lou Holtz, "but, it's a total defensive effort and the defense played pretty well today."

o Cornerback Fred Bennett also had an interception, returning an errant Blake Mitchell pass 35 yards for a touchdown.

 

o Quarterback Dondrial Pinkins was consistent in his play. The senior scored on a 17-yard run and a 12-yard run. He also looked efficient in moving the offense for most of the afternoon. "We didn't emphasize the passing game today, and that's something we need to work on," said Coach Holtz. "Dondrial did a nice job of moving the team, checking off and getting into the right play. In my opinion, Dondrial will shock the conference this year. I think he will play pretty well. He'd better not shock me.

o Tailback Gonzie Gray showed some quickness running the football. Gray broke up the middle for a 70-yard touchdown run early in the scrimmage. Later in the scrimmage, Gray took a screen pass from Pinkins and went 65 yards down to the four-yard line. "Gonzie Gray is starting to come to the forefront," said Holtz.

o Other touchdowns were scored by Daccus Turman on a 28 yard run and Blake Mitchell connected with tight end Andy Boyd for a six-yard scoring play.

o "We focused on the running game," said Coach Holtz. "The hitting was good and both sides of the ball were physical. The defense came up with some turnovers. The offensive line did some good things. John Strickland will be our center and Jabari Levey and Na'Shan Goddard will be our tackles. I don't know who our guards will be right now. We moved (tight end) Fran Person to center at approximately 12:27 p.m. today. A few times he snapped the ball when he was ready, not on the snap count. But, he finally got it down right ... Syvelle Newton was impressive at times at quarterback, and while this was Blake Mitchell's first real scrimmage, he may not be pleased with how he played, but I was. He's going to be a fine quarterback. Dondrial (Pinkins) is having an excellent spring practice. He knows what our standards are."

o There was one injury to report. Safety Jamacia Jackson sprained his right ankle during the scrimmage.

o USC was originally scheduled to return to practice Monday, but due to excessive class conflicts, the team will practice in shorts and shoulder pads Sunday evening.

o Thirteen former Gamecocks who are currently playing in the NFL came back this weekend. They ate dinner with the coaching staff Friday night and spoke to the team on Saturday and watched the scrimmage. The Gamecock coaching staff looks to make this an annual event.

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Gray steals spotlight at scrimmage

Fourth-string tailback dazzles with touchdown, long catch-and-run

By JOSEPH PERSON

Staff Writer

South Carolina used its first spring scrimmage Saturday to emphasize its running game, which is expected to be one of the Gamecocks’ strengths next season.

What no one expected was Gonzie Gray, thought to be No. 4 in USC’s deep collection of tailbacks, outplaying his younger, more visible backfield mates.

Gray, who will be a fifth-year senior in the fall, showed off his sprinter’s speed with two of the day’s longest gains: a 75-yard touchdown run and a 43-yard catch-and-run. The strong showing continued a trend for Gray, who had a good spring last year but was an afterthought in the fall when heralded freshmen Cory Boyd and Demetris Summers arrived on campus.

Gray, who grew up in Waldorf, Md., does not want to end his career as an All-Spring performer who did little when the games counted.

“We have a lot of good backs so it’s going to be tight getting playing time. But I’m ready to do something in the fall,†Gray said. “I’m ready to go out against the Georgias, the Floridas, the Tennessees and show I can play with them and this team can play with them.

“We’re tired of losing to Georgia every year, to Tennessee every year. We’re trying to change things around here so we can compete with the rest of the teams in the nation.â€Â

Gray is the Gamecocks’ fastest tailback. But at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, he is also the smallest. He has 18 carries during his first three seasons, but Gray made a statement Saturday that he intends to be a factor in the Gamecocks’ switch to more of a two-back offense.

His touchdown run came on a trap play in which he bolted up the middle and ran untouched through the heart of the second-team defense. On a bubble screen against the first-team defense, Gray followed a big block by left tackle Jabari Levey down the sideline before cornerback Jonathan Joseph corralled him short of the goalline.

“Gonzie Gray has good speed (and) really seems to be coming to the forefront,†USC coach Lou Holtz said.

Meanwhile, Summers failed to break any runs longer than 12 yards and was chastised by Holtz for not being more aware of the down and distance on a goalline carry. Turman, the rising junior who led USC with 646 rushing yards in 2003, scored on a 43-yard run but also lost two fumbles, the first of which defensive end Moe Thompson returned for a touchdown.

Holtz and his offensive staff are looking for ways to get their tailbacks more involved. In addition to the I formation that features a blocking fullback, the Gamecocks are using several split-back looks and a variation of the spread offense where a tailback lines up as a slot receiver.

Holtz said the latter formation allows USC to take advantage of its talent at tailback while compensating for a lack of depth at receiver.

“We’ll play three and four wideouts, but you also can do that (with a back in the slot) and be in the same thing,†Holtz said. “I don’t know how much we’ll stay with it. It’s an experiment right now that we’re looking at.â€Â

Gray said he welcomes any formation that gets him on the field and helps the team win. While he was pleased with his work on a beautiful April afternoon, Gray hopes he can use it to spring ahead in the fall.

“You just do what you can do, and what the coaches do is up to them. But you’ve got to make it hard for them to keep you on the bench.â€Â

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Holtz has faith in ‘new’ Pinkins

Starting quarterback Dondrial Pinkins attempted two passes during his first two offensive series. He was intercepted once and spent most of Saturday’s scrimmage handing off or throwing screen passes and other short routes.

No matter. When USC’s 90-minute, run-dominated scrimmage ended, Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz predicted that Pinkins would shock the SEC next season.

“Dondrial’s going to shock the conference, that’s my prediction,†Holtz said. “I think he’s going to be an entirely different quarterback.â€Â

Pinkins, a rising fifth-year senior from Camilla, Ga., sports a 5-9 record as a starter and was last in the SEC in 2003 with a 50.3 completion percentage.

But coaches and teammates say the soft-spoken Pinkins is taking more of a vocal leadership role and is the clear No. 1 after nine of 15 scheduled spring practices.

“Dondrial did a good job of protecting the football, running the offense,†quarterbacks coach Skip Holtz said. “He made a couple great checks at the line of scrimmage. Mentally, he’s very sharp and on top of it right now. He’s doing a much better job of leading this team.â€Â

Redshirt freshman Blake Mitchell had a rough start Saturday.

Mitchell’s first pass attempt was intercepted by cornerback Fred Bennett and returned for a touchdown. Mitchell also fumbled a snap.

“Blake Mitchell has been outstanding in practice, but this was his first scrimmage,†Lou Holtz said. “This was the first time he’s run an offense. He’s probably a little disappointed in his performance, but I’m not.â€Â

Syvelle Newton turned in the most exciting play, eluding two defenders to avoid a sack, reversing direction and faking out another defender for a 15-yard gain.

Both Holtzes stopped short of saying Pinkins had locked up the starting job. But it is his to lose.

“I’m just saying Dondrial’s had an excellent spring,†Lou Holtz added.

“I love his attitude, the way he’s playing. He knows the standard that we have to have.â€Â

• Limber Lou. Holtz, who broke his left leg March 27 during a practice collision with tailback Cory Boyd, appears to be improving. On a goal-line run late in the scrimmage  before the play was whistled dead  Holtz hopped over and began talking animatedly to tailback Demetris Summers, who had bounced outside on the play and been stopped for no gain.

“I don’t think you can accurately say I jumped on Demetris. You can say I had a passionate discussion with Demetris,†Holtz said. “I never raised my voice to him. I was explaining to him what the down and the distance (were).â€Â

Holtz said he had follow-up X-rays Friday that revealed that the hairline fracture of his left fibula was actually a bigger break.

Holtz, who has two large bruises on both of his knees from the collision, said X-rays taken of his wrist were negative.

“You get involved in practice, you don’t think about it,†he said.

“You know that your shin’s sore because you limp a lot. It will get better.â€Â

• Front and center. Center Fran Person sent his first two shotgun snaps over the quarterback’s head. That should not have been surprising, considering what little practice Person had.

“We moved Fran Person to center today at approximately 12:27 p.m.,†Holtz said. “He had two bad snaps, but he didn’t understand. He snapped it when he was ready. You’ve got to wait until there are a couple of counts or cadences. Other than that he did a nice job.â€Â

Holtz was exaggerating only slightly. Person was a tight end until the middle of Friday’s practice, when Holtz moved him after some poor snaps by USC’s other centers.

Person, a rising junior from Haverton, Pa., has played six positions at USC, including every spot along the offensive line, as well as defensive tackle and defensive end.

Joked Person: “I should be offensive (and) defensive line coach.â€Â

• This and that. Defensive end Moe Thompson had the defensive play of the scrimmage, batting a Pinkins pass up in the air and intercepting it. ... A couple of young defensive backs had good days. Sophomore cornerback Fred Bennett returned a touchdown for an interception and had a tackle for a loss; freshman safety Ko Simpson had a pass breakup and made a big hit on Summers. ... Josh Brown, the front-runner for the place-kicking job, made only one of two extra points. ... Safety Jamacia Jackson sprained his right ankle and is doubtful for this evening’s light workout.

 Joseph Person

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South Carolina Spring Football Report

Gamecocks review film of scrimmage; work on correcting mistakes

April 4, 2004

Columbia, SC - * South Carolina's football team reviewed film and went over corrections early Sunday evening, as the Gamecocks worked out in shorts and helmets for 90 minutes. Saturday's scrimmage provided a good learning tool for the team and they took advantage of the film.

* There were no new injuries to report. Safety Jamacia Jackson, who had sprained his ankle Saturday, did not practice. Defensive end Moe Thompson had a sore knee and also did not practice.

* Tailback Demetris Summers said that the coaches want him to do a better job of "sticking it up in the middle of the line." "They want me to concentrate on getting as many yards as I can and make sure I'm aware of the down and distance," said Summers. "If I need to get three yards for a first down, then they want to make sure I get that instead of trying to juke around and wind up not getting the first down." Summers said it has been a learning process this spring, as he has been lining up in the slot some.

 

* Taqiy Muhammad has been working out at cornerback, along with Fred Bennett, Jonathan Joseph and Tremaine Tyler. Muhammad said that Bennett and Joseph were currently running with the first team.

* Quarterback Dondrial Pinkins said he thinks the offense has been improving each practice. Pinkins also said he was sticking with the way he has always thrown the ball, and that's against the laces, after experimenting some this spring throwing with the laces.

* Quarterback Syvelle Newton said he is starting to refine his fundamentals after playing last season at the wide receiver position. "I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable back there," said the sophomore from Marlboro County High School.

* The team will have Monday off before returning to the practice field on Tuesday. The first 30 minutes of individual is open to the media Tuesday (beginning at 4 p.m.). Assistant head coach Skip Holtz will be available to the media following Tuesday's practice at approximately 6:30 p.m. outside the players' entrance.

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USC could add offensive line signees

By PHIL KORNBLUT

Recruiting

USC SIGNED SIX offensive linemen in February and could add up to three more by the end of the summer.

Brandon Jeffries (6-foot-5, 305 pounds) of Shelby, N.C., is considering transferring to USC from Tennessee. Jeffries considered USC coming out of high school in 2002 before signing with the Vols. He also is looking at N.C. State and expects a few other schools to come into the picture.

“I haven’t decided on anything,†Jeffries said last week. He hopes to have a decision by the middle of April.

Gurminder Thind (6-5, 286) of Mississauga, Ontario, committed to USC last recruiting season but did not sign in February because he had not qualified on the SAT. He has now qualified.

“My hard work paid off,†Thind said. “A lot of stress is off my chest now.â€Â

Thind still has to be approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse, and because he made significant improvement on his score, it’s possible he will be made the take the test again.

And Union’s Bryon Bishop (6-4, 295) remains unsigned because he has not qualified, but he is optimistic about his test score after taking the SAT in March. Bishop said last week that USC is showing renewed interest him and that the Gamecocks indicated to his coach they would take him if he qualifies. If he does not qualify, Bishop said USC would place him at Coffeyville JC, Kansas, and sign him in December 2005.

Three more offers came in last week for North Augusta wide receiver/defensive back C.J. Byrd (6-3, 190) increasing his total to 18. The latest offers were from Duke, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. His other offers are from Clemson, USC, Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, Mississippi and North Carolina. Byrd made an unofficial visit to Georgia over the weekend.

Conway wide receiver Eric Huggins (6-4, 190) has received offers from Nebraska, Mississippi State, N.C. State and Syracuse. He also has offers from USC, Clemson, Auburn, Virginia, Michigan, Oklahoma and Michigan State.

Richland Northeast running back Rod Fluellen (5-9, 190) has no offers yet but is optimistic about his chances with USC and Clemson. “They seem very interested,†he said last week. “They both send hand-written letters.â€Â

Fluellen attended junior days at both schools. He also is hearing from Vanderbilt, Georgia, Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Duke. Last season Fluellen rushed for 2,233 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Wagener-Salley running back Channing Schofield (6-0, 175) is considered a major prospect by his coach, Steve DeRiggs. Schofield rushed for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He also plays in the secondary and had 52 tackles and four interceptions as a junior. Schofield is getting interest from Vanderbilt, DeRiggs said. He attended junior day at Clemson and was at Georgia over the weekend. He also is hearing from USC, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Coastal Carolina.

Wagener-Salley defensive lineman Adrian Ginyard (6-1, 255) is drawing some interest, according to his coach. He has heard from S.C. State, Coastal Carolina and the Coast Guard Academy.

Newnan, Ga., quarterback Tyler Horne (6-2, 183) said last week he is close to getting an offer from Notre Dame. “Notre Dame is indicating an offer once they get a look at my transcripts,†Horne said.

He also is getting interest from Clemson, USC, Maryland, Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Miami, Florida, Florida State and Tennessee. Horne continues to favor Clemson and said USC has invited him to visit campus.

The Gamecocks have interest in Greensboro, N.C., Ryan Stell (6-2, 170). He plans to make an unofficial visit to USC. “USC looks real nice to me right now,†he said. “I’m sticking with them (as a favorite) right now.â€Â

Stell also is hearing from Alabama and Maryland. Last season he passed for 2,965 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Greenville defensive end Nathan Pepper (6-3, 248) has offers from Kentucky and Furman and is getting interest from Clemson, USC, Florida State, Duke, North Carolina, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Kentucky, N.C. State, Nebraska and Kansas State.

Greenville quarterback Jordan Sorrells (6-2, 185) has an offer from Kentucky and is hearing from Clemson, Duke, Vanderbilt, Georgia, North Carolina and Wake Forest. And Raiders running back Travil Jamison (6-0, 205) has an offer from Clemson with contact coming from USC, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida State, Maryland, Michigan, Kansas State and Nebraska.

Pickens athlete R.J. Webb (6-3, 195) will play quarterback this season after splitting time between receiver and defensive back last season. He has not been offered but he is getting contact from Clemson, USC, North Carolina, Maryland, Purdue, Auburn and Army.