Oct. 20, 2003

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The South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 1-3) close out a three-game October homestand by hosting the Vanderbilt Commodores (1-7, 0-4) this Saturday in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium. Head coach Lou Holtz addressed the media on Monday during his weekly press conference and offered the following comments:

(on injuries)
“Travelle Wharton’s ankle is swollen but he played last week and we expect him to be able to play again this week. George Gause is expected to be back this week, but then again we will not know until we practice. Jamacia Jackson had an injection in his back and has missed the past couple of weeks and we certainly would welcome his return.”

(on the offensive line’s play against LSU)
“Travelle Wharton was outstanding, even on that ankle, and Na’Shan Goddard played very well. I thought Chris White, getting his first start, stepped in and played very well. He is a special story. I thought Jabari Levey played well also. We pass protected well, but not on a consistent basis.”

(on Dondrial Pinkins)
“I thought Dondrial Pinkins really became a quarterback against LSU. He protected the ball and the most impressive thing he did was show great courage. He stood in there and took the hit and made some great throws. The throws he made to Hart Turner and Matthew Thomas were great. To me, you want a quarterback who protects the ball and also shows courage and leadership. He is really starting to come of age and has done a nice job.”

(on the USC secondary)
“I thought our secondary played well against LSU, but we had too many missed tackles. We had over 40 tackles from our cornerbacks and safeties, over half of the total in the game. Jermaine Harris played very well and was in on 13 tackles as a safety. Tremaine Tyler played well with an interception. Deandre Eiland and Dunta Robinson also had good games.”

(on Vanderbilt’s offense)
“Norval McKenzie is one of the top rushers in the conference and replaces a returning starter in Kwane Doster. They are both good open-field runners. Their quarterback, Jay Cutler, is only a sophomore but will be one of the best in the conference. He runs very well and had over 80 yards against Georgia. He is big and strong and physical and most importantly, very durable. They run the option and throw the ball a lot as well. Their offensive line is very well coached and is very physical. They stay on their blocks and play well as a unit. Offensively, they really do a lot of good things. I was impressed when watching their film against TCU and what they did against a very good defense. They can come at you in many different ways and I have no idea how they will try to attack us.”

(on the Commodores’ defense)
“Defensively, they are very young but very talented. They are coming of age and had six sacks against Georgia. Defensive end Jovan Haye has seven sacks and is among the conference leaders. They are very well coached and play hard.”