It’s hard to believe, but we’re already through the ninth week of the college football season. The top two teams in the country and the conference, LSU and Alabama had byes, and were likely busy preparing for next weekend’s huge showdown. Every other SEC team played a conference game, and the annual game between Georgia and Florida, also known as the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, took place this weekend on the neutral field in Jacksonville. Mississippi State got their first conference win this weekend, against struggling Kentucky, but UK, Ole Miss, and Tennessee remain winless in the SEC. Read on for your Week Nine recaps, stats, and commentary.

(10) Arkansas at Vanderbilt

The WLOCP would traditionally be the biggest game of the week on paper, but this one was almost bigger in real life. Vandy came close to pulling off a big upset, but missed what would have been the game-tying field goal with only 12 seconds left, giving the Razorbacks a 31-28 win. Arkansas was down by as many as 14 points in the first half, but they found a way to rally, tie the game more than once, and finally take a lead. The Commodores had an opportunity to put points on the board early in the fourth quarter, but running back Zac Stacy fumbled at the UA 5-yard line, and the Hogs not only recovered, but returned the ball all the way to the endzone and completed a two-point conversion, to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Arkansas managed only 72 yards on the ground, but they had 388 total yards and 22 first downs. Vandy had more total yardage (462) and much more of a balance between the running and passing games, but fewer first downs (19).  Razorbacks QB Tyler Wilson was 27 of 43 for 316 yards, a TD, and no picks, and backup QB Brandon Mitchell ran for a touchdown. Dores QB Jordan Rodgers, younger brother of the Packers’ Aaron, was 15 of 27 for 240 yards, a TD, and no interceptions. Both teams did turn the ball over more than once, but it was impressive to see the lack of interceptions. Even though they won the game, the Razorbacks lost special teams player Marquel Wade, who was ejected from the game after a dirty hit on Jonathan Krause. Wade leveled Krause, who had called for a fair catch, and then seemed to celebrate the hit. Watch the video here. Side note: Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler were both at the game cheering for Vandy, Aaron for his brother and Jay for his alma mater. I’m sure it’s the only time they’ll ever cheer for the same team.

Arkansas improves to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. They’ll be home next weekend to face South Carolina. Vanderbilt falls to 4-4 on the season and 1-4 in conference play. They’ll travel to Gainesville next weekend to play Florida.(

» Continue reading “SEC Summary: Week Nine”

Coming into this game, South Carolina had only won once at Neyland Stadium, but lost 14 times. Now, they’ve won twice.

Vols fans left Neyland without any treats this Halloweekend.

Behind Connor Shaw and Brandon Wilds, the Gamecocks managed to pull off a 14-3 win over the struggling Vols on Rocky Top. True freshman Justin Worley got his first-ever start for Tennessee, and he wasn’t horrendous, but he wasn’t all that good, either. He was benched in the fourth quarter in favor of Matt Simms, who’s really not good either. At all (please don’t yell at me, Phil Simms!).

The night didn’t start out well for USC, as Ace Sanders fumbled on the Gamecocks’ first possession. Luckily, UT only managed a field goal. The USC offense was sloppy and the Vols got another scoring chance soon after. Back to back false starts by the Tennessee O-line backed them up, though, and their field goal try was deflected. After a thrilling first quarter (/sarcasm), the score was 3-0.

The second quarter did have some excitement, though. About halfway through the quarter, USC was facing fourth down and inches, and almost everyone expected some sort of running play. The Head Ball Coach, though, dipped into his bag of tricks (it is Halloweekend, after all) and dialed up a pass play instead, and Rory Anderson took the ball 23 yards to the house, putting Carolina on top 7-3.

Alshon Jeffery didn’t get his first reception until it was almost halftime, and he came up a little gimpy afterwards. He played the rest of the game, though, so hopefully it wasn’t anything too serious. Wilds, who’s replacing Marcus Lattimore, had 5 carries for 42 yards, as well as 3 receptions for 31 yards, by halftime. Shaw completed half of his passes and looked a bit shaky early on, but he seemed to settle down a little by the half. The O-line seemed to not realize that the game had started for most of the first half, but they were fairly adequate, I guess (read: Connor and Brandon made things work).

» Continue reading “After Rocky Start, Gamecocks Top Vols”

The 2011 women's soccer SEC champs! (Photo courtesy of the Gamecocks Facebook page)

Congratulations to the South Carolina women’s soccer team, who defeated Florida 2-1 tonight and became the SEC champions!

This win not only ended Florida’s five year reign as champions, but was also the first Eastern division and SEC championship for USC. Kayla Grimsely and Danielle Au both scored for the No. 22 Gamecocks in the team’s first-ever victory in Gainesville. This was also only the fifth conference loss the Gators have ever had at home. Grimsley, who set a school record for career points (116) scored just a little over two minutes into the game, and Au scored the game winner 22 minutes in.

After the game, coach Shelley Smith had this to say:

“We’ve been able to improve each year. To do what we’ve done the last couple of years to get this close to a regular season championship and come down to the last game and fall short, it means the world to come in here and finally accomplish that before this senior group left. It’s something that’s eluded them and they’ve come in here to do a great job tonight. I’m just proud of this program and these seniors.”

You can watch Smith get the Gatorade Shower treatment here. The team will head to Orange Beach, Alabama for the SEC Tournament, and will play the Crimson Tide Wednesday, November 2nd at 6 pm ET. Congratulations and good luck in the SEC Tourney, ladies!

If you’re like me, last weekend was sad, thanks to the lack of Gamecock football (and because Clemson won and my home state teams lost, but that’s another story). Luckily, the bye week is now done, and while it came at a perfect time for the team, I’m glad it’s over.

No. 14 South Carolina and Tennessee will kick off at 7:15 ET tomorrow night on ESPN2. Of the fifteen games between the two teams that have been played in Knoxville, the Gamecocks haven’t won more than once. This would be a nice time to get that second win.

USC will obviously be without the services of Marcus Lattimore on the field, but he will be on the sidelines to support his teammates and provide leadership and encouragement any way he can. It’s also his birthday tomorrow, and a birthday win would be fantastic for him, I’m sure.

Freshman Brandon Wilds, who’s looked impressive already this season, will be taking over for Latti on the field. While he obviously isn’t Marcus, he’s still a quality player who can make big plays. Even though the offense is a whole is still struggling to put it all together, it’s beneficial that Wilds and Connor Shaw have played together in games, and not just in practice. Kenny Miles and Eric Baker could also be available as backups if needed. As for Shaw, this environment will undoubtedly be more hostile than Starkville was two weeks ago. While the cowbell-clanging crowd didn’t seem to rattle Connor too much, the Rocky Top faithful might find a way to get to him a little more. He seems like a guy who knows how to stay cool under pressure, though, so it shouldn’t be too much of a concern.

» Continue reading “Hallelujah, Football’s Back! USC – Tennessee Preview”

The DI Board met today to vote on two proposals, one which would require athletes to maintain a better GPA to play in postseason, and one which provides athletes who have full ride or some other form of scholarship with the opportunity to receive up to an additional $2000 in athletic (financial) aid.

The NCAA uses the Academic Progress Rate (APR) to address teams academically. Currently, the APR required to be eligible for postseason play was 930, which is equivalent to about a 50% graduation rate, according to the NCAA. The new policy is as follows:

The new postseason eligibility structure will take effect in the 2012-13 academic year, with a two-year implementation window before the benchmark moves from 900 to 930. For access to postseason competition in 2012-13 and 2013-14, teams must achieve a 900 multi-year APR or a 930 average in the most recent two years to be eligible.

In 2014-15, teams that don’t achieve the 930 benchmark for their four-year APR or at least a 940 average for the most recent two years will be ineligible for postseason competition.

In 2015-16, the 930 benchmark for postseason competition participation – and additional penalties – will be implemented fully. The APR requirement for postseason competition participation would be waived only in extraordinary circumstances.

That’s a little bit confusing, but the basic idea is that the NCAA wants student-athletes to perform better in the classroom so they can have a chance to perform better in postseason play. Those “additional penalties” mentioned will be implemented in a three-tiered system, where the first level will limit teams to only 16, instead of 20, hours of practice per week (which is five days), and the four remaining hours will be used for academic purposes. The second step is the removal of competition opportunities, as well as the previous penalties. The third and final level is not one sole punishment, it could be a coaching suspension, financial aid reduction, or limited membership in the NCAA, depending on the circumstances.

» Continue reading “NCAA Division I Board Of Directors Approves New Academic & Financial Policies”

The Byrant Coach of the Year Award

The Head Ball Coach has been named to the Watch List for the 2011 Bryant Coach of the Year Award, it was announced today. 20 coaches are selected for the Watch List, and a finalists list of five to ten coaches will be announced in December. Finalists will attend an awards banquet on January 19th in Houston, and the winner will be revealed, as will the winner of the Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Bryant Coach of the Year Award has been given out annually since 1986, and honors late Crimson Tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. According to the award’s official website:

Coach Bryant was a leader, both on and off the field.  He possessed the ability to inspire, the patience to teach, and the gift of leadership.  The Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award salutes those coaches who have reached that same high standard of excellence.

The presentation of an annual coaching award began in 1957, and was known simply as the College Football Coach of the Year Award. Bryant, a three-time winner of the award before it was named in his honor, died from a heart attack in 1983. In honor of the reason for Bryant’s death, the proceeds from the awards banquet go to the American Heart Association.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno was the inaugural winner after the award was renamed for Bryant, and Auburn’s Gene Chizik is the most recent recipient. The award is voted on by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, and is sponsored by the Marathon Oil Corporation.

Spurrier is not the only coach from the state of South Carolina to be named to the Watch List this year, as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was selected as well. Other SEC coaches include Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Bobby Petrino. The complete Watch List can be found here.

Time for the Tigers to spin the prize wheel. Texas A&M has already landed an SEC membership. Will Missouri be next?

Here we go again. Even though after Texas A&M joined the conference the general consensus was that there would be no further expansion in the foreseeable future, that may not actually be the case.

There are more and more rumblings that Missouri is poised to become the SEC’s 14th member, and the decision could come very soon. Last week the school gave Chancellor Brady Deaton the power to make decisions regarding conference changes, and their current conference, the Big XII, held a much talked about meeting today to discuss matters.

According to the Kansas City Star, though, Big XII interim commish Chuck Neinas said that not only did Mizzou not submit a letter of withdrawal or ask to leave, but the other schools in the conference also encouraged the university to stay where they are. Supposedly the idea of a Big XII television network was also batted around, though the conference rejected that same idea in the past.

The SEC has yet to extend an invite to or receive an application from Missouri, but if this deal is going to happen, it’ll be fast. What effect would Mizzou’s membership have on the SEC? The Tigers (yes, ANOTHER team of Tigers) aren’t horrible, but they’re not really SEC-caliber, either. Like Texas A&M, they’d probably face losing seasons, at least in the beginning. They’ve got some solid traditions, though, something that’s important in the SEC. They also have a large student body and a solid fanbase, two other key components. The addition of Mizzou would also give the SEC 14 teams, which would make scheduling easier.

» Continue reading “Mizzou, Come On Down! You Could Be The Next Member Of The SEC!”

Welcome to the Week Eight edition of Cocky Country’s recap of what happened in the SEC this weekend. Four teams, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi State had byes, and two teams, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, played non-conference games. The SEC still has two undefeated teams, LSU and Alabama, who are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the country, respectively. The conference is also home to four teams who still haven’t won an SEC game: Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Read on for your Week Eight recaps, stats, and commentary.

Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State

The last time the Wildcats took on a Gamecocks team, they got crushed. Not this time, though, as UK rolled over the JSU Gamecocks 38-14 this afternoon in Lexington. With 445 yards of total offense, 340 of which came on the ground, the Wildcats finally snapped their four game losing streak, and maybe got a little bit of confidence back. CoShik Williams was responsible for 145 of the rushing yards Kentucky had, setting a career high for the junior. It wasn’t smooth sailing for UK to start, though, and their first three drives looked like more of the same issues that have plagued them for the entire season. They got it together as the game went on, though, and led 24-7 at the half. QB Morgan Newton had his best outing in a while, and was 10 of 16 for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Both teams turned the ball over multiple times, but Jacksonville State also had difficulty converting third downs, completing only two of their 11 tries. While Williams led UK in rushing, Washaun Ealey, who formerly played for the University of Georgia, led the Gamecocks with 16 carries for 120 yards. While this was a good win for the Wildcats, it came against an out of conference team who was obviously not on the same level as SEC teams. A win is a win, though, and I’m sure UK is more than happy to have another one under their belt.

Kentucky improves to 3-4 on the season, but is still 0-3 in the SEC. They’ll be home next weekend against Mississippi State.

» Continue reading “SEC Summary: Week Eight”

Since it’s the bye week for the football team, Cocky Country will take some time to spotlight other sports at USC this week. Next up: men’s basketball.

Attendees worked on skills with players and coaches. (Photo property of Gamecocks Online)

Coach Horn and the men’s basketball team held the fourth-annual ladies basketball clinic in Columbia today, giving female hoops fans an opportunity to interact with players and coaches. The women in attendance learned fundamentals of the game, participated in drills, watched film, and had a question and answer session with the team.

I’ve never attended a USC ladies clinic, whether for football or basketball, but they always seem to be popular events. While many women are often stereotyped as being clueless about and uninterested in sports, that’s certainly not true (just look at all the women of Aerys!). I’m not a big basketball fan, but I also don’t know how to tell which play is which or anything like that, so a session like this would be very helpful for someone like me. Getting to know the players and coaches better is something that I, and I think many others, value as well. It’s one thing to watch a reporter ask a guy a question, it’s entirely another to get to ask him yourself.

Since it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the proceeds from today’s event will go towards the Palmetto Health Foundation for the Breast Cancer Program, Research and Support Services. The players and coaches sported shirts with a pink ribbon and the words “GAMECOCK BASKETBALL” and ”BELIEVE”, on the front, and “4th Annual Darrin Horn Ladies Clinic” on the back, where the “o” in Horn’s name was also a pink ribbon.

Check out  more photos from the event here.

Since it’s the bye week for the football team, Cocky Country will take some time to spotlight other sports at USC this week. Next up: not exactly a sport, but Cocky, USC’s mascot.

Yours truly with Cocky in one of our favorite places - Williams-Brice Stadium

Cocky is celebrating his 31st birthday this week! Introduced at the 1980 Homecoming game, Cocky was preceded by his father Big Spur, who was on the sidelines as an unofficial mascot starting in 1978.

Cocky can be found at all Carolina athletic events, as well as on campus and in the community to promote Gamecock athletics. On gamedays at Williams-Brice, Cocky enters the stadium in a cage surrounded by smoke while the sounds of “2001″ play. Television cameras at various sporting events often catch Cocky flapping his beak and dancing on the sidelines and in front of the student section, as well as giving his signature hand spurs and #1 gesture.

He has been featured in national commercials for the university, and USC’s literary community outreach program, Cocky’s Reading Express, is named for the beloved bird. All stores with Gamecocks merchandise feature sections devoted to Cocky as well. If you’re lucky enough to spot the big bird on campus, he’s always looking to give out hugs and high fives, and maybe even a kiss or two!

This busy bird has received plenty of other national attention, too. He was the Universal Cheerleading Association’s national champion mascot in 1986 and 1994, won the Capital One Mascot Challenge in 2003, and was chosen as the winner of the 2009 National Cheerleading Association Mascot National Championship. He was also a member the Capital One Bowl All-America Mascot Team in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008. 

HAPPY 31ST BIRTHDAY to Cocky, the best mascot around, and here’s to 31 more great years!