Sept. 22, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Gamecocks worked out in shells Wednesday afternoon as preparations continued for their game against the Troy Trojans this Saturday, Sept. 25 at Williams-Brice Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:03 p.m. The game will be televised on a pay-per-view basis in the state of South Carolina and is also available through ESPN’s GamePlan package.
* Injury update: TB Demetris Summers (ankle) practiced on a limited basis Wednesday. WR Sidney Rice (hyperextended knee) is doubtful. Rice did not participate in practice Wednesday. DT Darrell Shropshire (dislocated finger) returned to the practice field after sitting out Monday and Tuesday’s workouts. OL Kris Mick is expected to have surgery on his wrist this Friday.
* Following Wednesday’s workout, assistant head coach Skip Holtz met with the media. Here are some of his comments: “We had a pretty good day of work. I think this team is showing some maturity by the way they are working. Players like Jon Alston, John Strickland and Na’Shan Goddard are showing some leadership along the offensive line. We’ve been pretty productive on offense the past couple of days. A decision hasn’t been made on who will start at quarterback. They both (Dondrial Pinkins and Syvelle Newton) will play. Syvelle came in and did a nice job last week (vs. South Florida). They have both handled this situation extremely well. In the meeting room and on the field, alike. Both understand that we need both of them. We really haven’t decided yet on how we will rotate them. I am pleased with the manner in which they both have responded. As the game goes along, we’ll see who is moving the team the best and getting the ball in the end zone. Dondrial brings a lot to the table. His maturity and ability to read coverages are invaluable. Our goal is to win. We’re not concerned about how many snaps they both receive. It’s who is the most productive in taking the team down the field. Troy will show us more different coverages than we saw last week from South Florida. They have an aggressive and physical front and they like to put pressure on you defensively.”
* Here are some comments from Dondrial Pinkins: “Both Syvelle and I have been working hard, putting in extra time, doing whatever it takes to help the team be successful. It was tough last week watching from the sidelines, because I knew that if I hadn’t been hurt, I would have been out there playing. But, Syvelle came in and did a great job and I was proud of him. Coach Holtz will decide who to play and when. It’s our job to be ready and perform when called upon. It’s not like he and I are competing against one another. The main thing we want to do is win.”
* It will be Parents’ Weekend on the USC campus. The game is a sellout.
