The 2011 CWS champions celebrate in Omaha. (photo via GoGamecocks)

Happy New Year’s Eve, Gamecocks fans! To celebrate, we’ve reached the top story of the year – the back to back national championships for the baseball team! While the previous four stories (the men’s basketball program, NCAA allegations, Stephen Garcia, and football history) have been important, this one is by far the biggest.

“BACK TO BACK FOR THE GARNET AND BLACK!” That was radio man Andy Demetra’s call as the Yardcocks brought USC its second consecutive title in a major men’s sport, and did so by overcoming obstacles and winning anyway. They fought their way back from scoring deficitis, had guys step up in the clutch, and made us all proud to be fans.

The 2010 season was spectacular, adn the 2011 obviously didn’t disappoint, either. South Carolina set records for post season wins with vicotiroes in every single game they played from the regionals to the final game of the CWS. They were undefeated in Omaha (the last team to do that was Miami in 2001), and settiecords fornotched the most consecutive NCAA Tournament wins with 16 and most consecutive CWS wins with 11. The last team to win back-to-back titles was Oregon State in 2006 and 2007.

Injuries threatened this team, but they never broke it. Jackie Bradley, Jr. came back earlier than expected after hurting his wrist, Christian Walker played through a broken bone in his hand, and Brady Thomas and Adam Matthews played despite nagging injuries. Additioanly, the pitching remained high-quality, especially with Matt Price and Michael Roth being studs on the mound. Everyone on the team contributed each and every game, which was invaluable. Plus, Scott Wingo evolved as a heartthrob and got a song in his honor.

» Continue reading “Gamecocks Year In Review, Part V – Back To Back CWS Champs”

After looking at some less than positive topics the past few days (the men’s basketball program, NCAA allegations, and Stephen Garcia), today let’s focus on something positive: the numerous accomplishments made by this season’s football team.

Winning the Hardee's Trophy for a third straight year was one of this season's major accomplishments.

After last year’s history making season, South Carolina was picked to win the SEC East this year, and while it didn’t quite work out, they did pretty much everything else we’d all hoped for, and maybe even a little bit more, making more history along the way. For the first time since joining the SEC in 1992, the Gamecocks beat Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee in back to back years. Yes, Florida and Tennessee have been down, but in the past, USC might have played down to its competition. Not so this season.

For the first time since 1968-1970, Carolina beat Clemson (soundly, I might add) three years in a row. We also swept the SEC East, went 6-2 in the conference, and reached 10 total wins for only the second time in the history of the program. Thanks to the bowl game, there’s also the chance to really, really make history and get an eleventh win, something that we all know has never happened in school history. Should the Cocks win, Coach Spurrier has said that the players will receive wins for their achievement. The University of South Carolina was ranked in the major polls every week, including in the preseason, and finishes the regular season ranked No. 9 in the BCS (our highest ever), No. 9 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll, and No. 10 in the AP Poll. Not too shabby.

» Continue reading “Gamecocks Year In Review, Part IV – Football Team Makes (More) History”

After looking at the men’s basketball program and the NCAA allegations, we’re moving on to something that has been a “big story” for Carolina since 2007 – the saga of Stephen Garcia.

Garcia was all smiles after the 2010 Alabama game, one of, if not the best, performances of his collegiate career.

There’s really no need to rehash each incident involving Garcia. Some were minor, some were more major, but combined, they were simply too much to overcome, and SG had to be shown the door. As I’ve said numerous times, I was never really a fan of Stephen’s, but I appreciated what he did on the field when “Good Garcia” showed up. Unfortunately, when he was bad, he was really bad, and he couldn’t seem to keep himself in line off the field, either.

A lot of people defended him time and time again with the, “well, when I/you were in college, we did dumb stuff…” No. Stop right there. I know my life by most college standards was super boring, so I’m obviously looking at this from a slightly skewed point of view. That being said, most of us are not faces of our university on a national stage. With that honor comes the responsibility of representing the school and its program in the best light possible. Stephen did not, apparently, embrace that role.

Stephen Garcia was one of the best and worst things to happen to USC football. He was the embodiment of moving forward just to turn around and go farther back. The win over then-No. 1 Alabama will likely be remembered as one of his top collegiate performances. Sadly, that will also be overshadowed by his repeated off the field problems.

» Continue reading “Gamecocks Year In Review, Part III – The End Of The Stephen Saga”

Welcome to the second part of Cocky Country’s roundup of the five biggest USC sports stories this year. Yesterday the focus was the men’s basketball team, and today, let’s take a look at the NCAA Notice of Allegations and South Carolina’s response to it.

The university was served with the NoA on September 19th, and responded two weeks ago. Next, USC will face the Committee on Infractions in mid-February. After the Gamecock administration shares their side of the story, the committee will either decide that South Carolina’s self-imposed sanctions are adequate, or will add more punishment. Because violations were committed under Lou Holtz in 2005, the Gamecocks are technically a repeat offender, though it’s up in the air as to how that will affect the final decision.

Obviously getting a letter from the NCAA claiming you’ve broken the rules isn’t a good thing, but it is what it is, and rules were broken. The school has fessed up and doled out what they see as proper sanctions, and I have to agree with them. Some people seemed to believe that USC was too strict in its self-punishing, but I’m sure the goal was to show the NCAA that they’re sorry, and that they don’t require further punishment.

The past few years have been some of the best in the South Carolina football program’s history, and it’s unfortunate that they’ll be marred in any way. That being said, games will likely not be vacated, and there shouldn’t be any type of bowl ban. On the one hand, what happened at Carolina, while certainly not acceptable, isn’t on the same level as violations that have happened at other schools recently, so the punishment should fit the figurative crime. On the other hand, breaking rules is breaking rules, and we’ll have to do whatever the NCAA decides (and make sure the violations stop for good).

Seeing as how January 1, 2012 is less than a week away (holy whoa!), now is a good time to take a look back at the year that was in Gamecock Nation. The next five days will each feature a post looking back at one of the biggest USC sports stories of the past year. Up first: the few ups (and many downs) of the men’s basketball team.

The 2010-11 season was not a good one for South Carolina. The team finished with a record of 14-16 overall and 5-11 in the conference. They were knocked out in the first round of the SEC Tournament for the third straight year, and fans started to trust Darrin Horn’s coaching ability less and less. As if that weren’t bad enough, the off-season brought more problems. Ramon Galloway and Stephen Spinella decided to transfer elsewhere for more playing opportunities (and perhaps better programs), and Murphy Holloway was granted permission to transfer back to Ole Miss. These guys weren’t the first to either leave or be dismissed from the team, either. Horn has lost players before, after, and/or during each season that he’s been at Carolina. Additionally, Bruce Ellington chose to become a two-sport athlete and joined the football team, which caused him to miss hoops practice and games, and also increased his risk for injury. For his part, Horn said that while these things were unfortunate, they didn’t mean that the program was failing. Not everybody was willing to buy that.

Fast forward to the 2011 season, where the Gamecocks are currently 5-6 (plus an exhibition game win), with losses coming against teams like Elon, Tennessee State, and Providence, as well as then-No. 2 Ohio State. They did beat Clemson, though, and while the Tigers are none too hot this year themselves, a win over CU is always a good thing. The team has only one senior, Malik Cooke, and three juniors – Lakeem Jackson, Alex Irwin, and Shane Phillips. With Cooke graduating this month, it appears that maybe the best thing about Horn is that all the guys who have played under him and exhausted their eligibility have at least earned a degree from USC.

The major issue here is that the men’s basketball team has not significantly improved, and has, in fact, gotten worse, since Darrin Horn’s first year. After being named co-champs of the SEC East in 2009, Horn’s teams have failed to even sniff division titles, let alone higher honors. Confidence in Horn and his program, as well as attendance at the Colonial Life Arena, continues to dwindle. The student section, better known as the Garnet Army, is looking more like the Garnet Regiment, and there is virtually no excitement about Carolina basketball from fans of any age. The return of Ellington has seemed to spark the team somewhat, but they’re going to need more than that. He can’t carry them on his own, especially after playing a full season of football, including the bowl game.

The fact that guys continually miss easy shots and free throws is obviously a point of concern. That, too, though, stems from coaching and recruiting. A less-than-successful program is not likely to attract top talent. Many have bemoaned Horn’s system and schemes, insisting that his plays don’t work for the players, nor do they work in the games. As I’ve said in previous posts, I don’t claim to be super knowledgeable about basketball, nor am I really a fan, but even I can recognize when something’s not working. Horn hasn’t proven that he can be an effective coach, and that’s a big problem. With the success that the baseball and football teams have had, it would be great to see the hoops team have some of their own. Whether they can do so with the current staff, though, remains to be seen.

Happy holidays to you and yours, Gamecock Nation! I hope you’ve all got fun celebrations planned, and to help you get in a festive mood, here’s my gift to you: “Deck The Halls”, Gamecock Football style. Enjoy!

(Click for musical accompaniment)

Our Christmas tree has a touch of Carolina - does yours?

Deck the halls with garnet and black,
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Hoping that our juniors come back.
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Don we now our gameday apparel,
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Singing another Gamecock carol.
Fa la la la la, la la la la

See the Capital One Bowl before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la
If we win we will make a big fuss.
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Follow the baseball team’s style of play,
Fa la la la la, la la la la
And do what we can to win anyway!
Fa la la la la, la la la la

Fast away the old records fall,
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Trying to become the winningest team of all.
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Sing we joyously like in heaven,
Fa la la la la, la la la la
“Let’s go get number eleven!”
Fa la la la la, la la la la

Major hat tip to Krista, who pointed me in the direction of this tumblr blog, called “Kitty Pelini“, which features photos of Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and cats. Now that I’ve seen these pictures, I won’t not be able to think of them every time they show Pelini during the bowl game. Really, all I can do is present this to you with no further comments, because there are no words. Happy holidays to us all.

Meowy Christmas, from Bo and cats.

Not that I would necessarily call a cotton t-shirt a “nice thing”, but you get my point.

Over the past few weeks, some of my fellow Aerys writers have discovered shirts sold by retailers like Nike, Old Navy, and Victoria’s Secret which feature the names of NCAA schools – but are somehow incorrect. Sadly, Gamecock Nation, we can now feel the same embarrassment, although this time it comes from within.

Yes, it’s true. While doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, I discovered that the official online store of the Gamecocks was selling, up until some time this afternoon, the shirt you see below. Just take a moment and look at it:

Yes, you’re reading that correctly. I don’t know what a “bragging rite” is, but I do know that Clemson did not score 14 points against us this year. The website now still has a small picture of the shirt, but it is listed as “no longer available”.

I just don’t know what to say. Do you not have any fact checkers or proofreaders? Did people actually not notice the not one, but two mistakes on this shirt before it was made public?

This, apparel makers, is a traveshamockery. I hope you all get coal in your stockings.

As we’re less than a week away from Christmas, I’m sure I’m not the only one scrambling to finish my shopping before the big day. It’s easy to get a tie for Dad, some gloves for Mom, and a calendar for your super-organized BFF, but what to get for the ultimate Gamecock superfan on your list? You know the one. The guy/girl who wears gamecock-embroidered pants and a plush Cocky hat everywhere, named their children Steve and Ray, and has USC wallpaper in their living room. What to get the person who has everything? Obviously not a jersey (duh, they own every color/player already). A Carolina car decal just won’t do, either (who doesn’t have one of those?). Fret not, panicked gift buyer, and allow me to share with you some…”unique” options.

1.  3″ Team Tackler Christmas Ornaments – Apologies to anyone who owns these, but they creep me out. If you’re on a budget, though, these might be a good option, as they come in a set of four and can be purchased for under $20 on Amazon and FansEdge. Just make sure the person receiving them isn’t prone to nightmares.

» Continue reading “Gamecocks Gift Giving Guide”

Personally, I'll really miss Ellis' giant hat.

Per multiple reports out tonight, USC’s current Assistant Head Coach for Defense, Ellis Johnson, will be announced as the University of Southern Mississippi’s new head coach within the next 24 hours.

Johnson was considered for the position from the time it became available, and advanced to a second round interview before being selected. He and the university have agreed to salary terms and are finalizing all contractual details. Johnson is the second coach to leave USC in the past few weeks, with former running backs coach Jay Graham heading to Tennessee to fill the same position.

Johnson, a South Carolina native, joined the Gamecocks in 2008 as the Defensive Coordinator, and was later promoted to his current position (which is pretty much the same thing with a different title). He has helped develop the USC defensive unit into one of the best in the country, as received a contract extension which was designed to keep him in Columbia through 2013. There is no buyout in the contract, and he is expected to coach Carolina in the Capital One Bowl.

Johnson had said in the past that he and his wife, who is from Columbia, were very happy at USC, but should a head coaching job with potential arise, he would be open to exploring it. He was previously the head coach at The Citadel (his alma mater) from 2001-2003, where he had a record of 12-22. He’s also no stranger to Hattiesburg, as he was the defensive coordinator for the Golden Eagles from 1988-89.

Speculation on message boards as to who will take over for Johnson varies, with the top three candidates being current USC coach Lorenzo Ward, Mike Stoops, and Virginia Tech’s Bud Foster.

Always straightforward with the media, Johnson was a coach who was likable and held his players and himself accountable. He will be missed in Columbia, but best of luck to Coach Johnson at USM!