 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Five-game losing streaks to finish the schedule will do that, which is why everyone was left wondering whether or not the 66-year-old Holtz had coached his last game. But after a few weeks of rest at his home in Orlando, Fla., Holtz returned with a new vigor and sense of commitment to get South Carolina back to a bowl game. "I have never looked forward to a year as much as I am this year," Holtz said prior to spring practice. "We're looking to get [2002] behind us and move on. I don't think that there's any doubt that we have more athletes than maybe what we've had. But I'm not sure how many good football players we have." OFFENSIVE KEYS: Dondrial Pinkins is a 245-pound junior who looks like Daunte Culpepper. Holtz hopes Pinkins, the No. 1 quarterback coming out of the spring, can play like Culpepper. Pinkins started the final two games of the 2002 season and played relatively well, though the Gamecocks lost both games. He will be challenged in preseason camp by junior college transfer Mike Rathe and two top prep prospects, Syvelle Newton and Blake Mitchell.Incoming freshman Demetris Summers has yet to play a single down, but many South Carolina fans are predicting he one day will join former Gamecock George Rogers as a Heisman Trophy winner. Helping Summers dart through holes will be a young and big offensive line that Holtz believes has the potential to be one of the best he's ever coached. The anchor up front is senior tackle Travelle Wharton. Troy Williamson caught just 17 passes as a freshman, but he made them count by amassing 491 yards and scoring four touchdowns. The Gamecocks need someone else to step up at receiver so Williamson won't face constant double-teams. DEFENSIVE KEYS: Holtz and new defensive coordinator Chris Cosh have opted to discard the 3-4 alignment favored by former coordinator Charlie Strong and switch to the more conventional 4-3. Holtz believes the new defense will help the Gamecocks improve their run defense and decrease the opposition's productivity on third down.This new 4-3 will feature an outstanding pair of ends in Moe Thompson and George Gause, two former All-SEC Freshman picks. Junior college transfer Darrell Shropshire and senior Randy Jackson will hold down the two inside tackle positions. The linebacking corps is fast, strong and big -- and they all have experience. Jeremiah Garrison and Lance Laury are returning starters, while sophomore Ricardo Hurley, a former blue-chip recruit, will take on a larger role. Laury had arthroscopic surgery in the spring on the same knee he had scoped last October, but he is expected to make a full recovery. Rod Wilson and Jamacia Jackson are penciled in as the starters in the safety slots, but it's the cornerback position that was in flux for much of last season. Seniors Dunta Robinson and Ted Crawford will start at the corners, but former safety Deandre' Eiland will be in the mix. SPECIAL TEAMS: Place-kicker Daniel Weaver returns for his senior year, but he connected on just 4-of-10 kicks from beyond 30 yards, so his position is far from safe. The Gamecocks will open fall practice searching for a punter and some dependable return men.FINAL ANALYSIS: The South Carolina express, which had produced two consecutive winning seasons, was derailed last fall when the Gamecocks struggled through a 5-7 campaign. To get back on track, South Carolina must find more firepower on offense -- and that starts at quarterback. The running game should be improved with Summers likely to take over as the primary tailback. The defense should be better in all phases, but the special teams, which were horrid last year, have some unresolved issues. This team is far from complete and faces a difficult schedule. Even with eight home games and an invigorated Holtz, it will take an upset or two for the Gamecocks to squeeze into a bowl game.• Click here for complete index of 2003 team previews
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
