Nov. 5, 2002
Columbia, SC –
* Tuesday was Election Day in the state of South Carolina and there were no classes on the USC campus. However, the Gamecock football team put in a long day’s work in preparation for this Saturday’s SEC matchup with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Kickoff is set for 12:32 p.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium.
* Besides the normal emphasis on game preparation, head coach Lou Holtz also stressed to his team the importance of getting in the habit of casting your vote and following the current events in this country. Coach Holtz called it a lesson in civics. “We passed out ballots and had our players vote for Governor and Senator,” said Holtz. “I talked to them about the obligation they had to vote and the importance of aligning themselves with people who had the same core values as they did. It’s discouraging when you hear that voter turnout is low. People have a responsibility to elect their leaders and take an active role in supporting their government.”
* It was a long day of football for the Gamecocks. The team started meeting at the stadium at 12 noon and had an extensive practice under wet conditions at the practice fields. Coach Holtz said that the offensive line continues to excel and that running back Andrew Pinnock is playing the best football of the season.
* On the injury front, cornerback Dunta Robinson (elbow) had an MRI done late Tuesday afternoon and should find out the results Wednesday morning. He did not practice. Cornerback Taqiy Muhammad (shoulder) did not practice, nor did tailback/wide receiver Ryan Brewer (ankle), running back Gonzie Gray (ankle), or wide receiver Michael Ages (shoulder). Wide receiver Andrea Gause underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Monday and is out indefinitely.
* Coach Holtz said that sophomore Matthew Thomas, a wide receiver who was moved to cornerback a month ago, is back working at receiver due to the injury situation at that position. “Matthew had been playing well at corner, but with Ryan, Michael Ages, and Andrea Gause out, we are running out of people at wide receiver.”
* When asked about the movement of some players from offense to defense, Coach Holtz said that the injury situation had dictated most of that. “We knew we were facing some problems at cornerback at the beginning of the year, and that’s why we moved Matthew Thomas over there to begin with,” said Holtz. “Now, the wide receiver position has been decimated, so we need some immediate help there. I don’t think I’ve ever had a team where we’ve had to plug holes like we’ve had to with this one. Some years, nothing seems to fit.”
* When asked whether or not he thought the possibility of instant replay in college football was a credible idea, Holtz said: “I don’t think you could have instant replay in college because not all of the games are televised. In the NFL, all the games are on television. What impresses me the most about the officiating in the NFL is that they are consistent with what they call, especially with the holding. There is continuity in how they call holding, for example. That’s all you’re looking for — continuity. In college, you have different interpretations of what holding is.”
