Oct. 30, 2003

South Carolina put the finishing touches on its game plan for Saturday’s contest at No. 20 Mississippi with a Thursday afternoon practice. The 5-3 Gamecocks are looking to become bowl-eligible and for their first win against Ole Miss since 1979. Following the day’s practice session, head coach Lou Holtz met with the media and offered the following comments:

(on injuries)
“We expect Dondrial Pinkins to be okay after bruising his shoulder on Wednesday. He threw well today and did not show any effects. Jason Capers looked good today and moved well, but we were not in pads, so we’ll see how he does in game conditions. Rodriques Wilson will not make the trip this weekend.”

(on this week’s practice)
“We had had a good week of practice. I like the attitude of our football team. It has been a good week of preparation.”

(on playing Mississippi)
“We certainly will have to play a full 60 minutes against Mississippi. We played well for three quarters against Kentucky, but cannot play like we did in the fourth quarter of that game. We have only been on the road twice this season, so it will be interesting to see how we react to another road game. Their team averages 38 points per game and is very explosive. We cannot look at the scoreboard during the game. We’ll approach the first three quarters as if we are 14 points behind because it will only be a matter of time before they get their points.”

(on traveling to Oxford)
“I have never been to Oxford. In fact, it is one of the few places in the country where I have not either taken a team or spoken at a clinic. When I coached at Arkansas we played at Mississippi twice, but both games were in Jackson. This will be a unique experience. I want to get our players onto their turf so we know what cleats to wear. We’ll get up early so we can get to the stadium well in advance on Saturday.”