Sept. 17, 2002

Columbia, SC –

* Senior quarterback Corey Jenkins had an MRI performed Tuesday after he missed Monday evening’s practice with a sore toe. The test showed no ligament or bone damage, just some swelling. The USC medical staff says Jenkins has a turf toe (left big toe) and is probable for Saturday’s game against the Temple Owls. Jenkins practice on Tuesday, however coach Lou Holtz noted he wasn’t as sharp as normal. “Corey missed some meeting time because of the injury and he wasn’t as sharp as he needs to be,” said Holtz. Coach Holtz went on to say that Corey needs to trust his reads in the passing game.

* Holtz said that cornerbacks Corey Peoples (ankle) and Isaac Stackhouse (lower back) continued to practice on a limited basis. They are still not at full speed.

* The coaches are taking a long, hard look at three freshman wide receivers this week — Troy Williamson, Andre Hemphill and Kris Clark. Coach Holtz also noted that Michael Ages and Andrea Gause have looked good catching the ball in practice this week.

* At the end of Monday night’s practice (dubbed Monday Night Football by Coach Holtz), the younger players scrimmaged. When asked about freshman running back Kenny Irons, who showed some flashes in last week’s game against Georgia, Holtz commented: “Kenny looks good when he has the football, but when he doesn’t have the ball, he doesn’t have a great love for the game, but that will change.”

* Coach Holtz said that senior nose guard Langston Moore has developed into a real leader on the team. “He has tremendous work habits and has great character,” said Holtz. “He feels passionate about this football team and he’s an outstanding player.”

* When asked to comment about the extraordinary number of turnovers the Gamecocks have committed through three games (12), Coach Holtz said: “I don’t like to talk about it. Those kinds of things can become contagious. We are a better team than we’ve shown. We self-destruct too much. If we can avoid self-destructing, we can turn this thing around. We’ve done a lot of positive things, but none of it counts unless we stop beating ourselves.”

* Saturday’s game against Temple is sold out. Kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium is 7 p.m. There is no live television.