Aug. 7, 2004

Columbia, S.C. –
The University of South Carolina football team opened up practice for the 2004 season on Saturday afternoon. On a sunny clear afternoon in Columbia, the Gamecocks went through a three-hour practice running through several different drills. Here are some comments after the first day.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR RICK MINTER

“It was a pleasant day. We had a great break in the weather. I thought we got a lot of things done today. The players are high-spirited, they’re running around. It was fun to be out there, break a sweat. This is a fun group that is eager and anxious.

QUARTERBACK DONDRIAL PINKINS

“One good thing was that it wasn’t as hot as it usually is. It feels good to be out there. We can’t look back at last year. We have to improve, look at the films and get better every day. If we don’t get better, there is no need to practice. Coach Holtz was upbeat and ready to go. We just look forward to tomorrow and continue to work hard and learn.”

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN MOE THOMPSON

“Today was a good first day. We had a lot to learn on the first day and all the players came out with a positive attitude.. Everybody is together. It seemed like practice went real fast. We were out there for about three hours and it flew by. We didn’t realize how long we were out there. Everybody was out there focused and ready to do their job. We got a lot accomplished today.”