Oct. 7, 2004

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina’s football team worked out in shorts Thursday afternoon as preparations continued for Saturday’s matchup with SEC Western Division rival Ole Miss. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium. The game is available as a pay-per-view telecast in the state of South Carolina. Check your local cable companies on how to order.

* Injury update from the Gamecock camp: QB Dondrial Pinkins (bruised shoulder) has not practiced the entire week and will not dress for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss. It is uncertain when he will return to the practice field. LB Lance Laury (knee sprain) is not at full speed, but could be available.

* Following the workout, head coach Lou Holtz met with the media. Here are some of his comments: “We had a good Wednesday and a respectable Thursday practice. We will have to play well; we will have to play hard. Ole Miss is a good football team. Dondrial’s shoulder is getting better but he is far from being ready to play. Mike Rathe had a good week’s practice. He was sharp this week. He could play. Syvelle is Syvelle. I’m not that worried about him. Sometimes he acts like he’s bored at practice, but he’s really not. He’s into it. He doesn’t throw the ball like you’d like for him to in practice. All of the quarterbacks are different. They are like snowflakes; they are each different in their own way. Noah Whiteside has had a good week. He and Troy Williamson will start at receiver. We’ll probably start Demetris Summers and Cory Boyd at running backs. I think the second unit offensive line deserves to play some. They think they can do a good job of moving the football. I’m talking about James Thompson, Woodly Telfort, Freddy Saint-Preux, William Brown and Fran Person. I think we may play them as a unit. If you play them at the same time, then they will make all of their mistakes at the same time. We stayed out on the field with the defense for a while after practice. We had to get some things done.”

* It will be Homecoming on the USC campus this weekend … The 1984 Gamecock team, which won a school-record 10 games and was ranked as high as #2 in the country, will be honored at halftime of Saturday’s game … The South Carolina State Fair began its 10-day run Thursday. As a result, there will be no reserved parking in the Fairgrounds on game day. Parking is free and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The parking lots open at 8 a.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive to the stadium earlier than normal on Saturday.