Oct. 20, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina’s football team (5-2/3-2) worked out in full pads Wednesday afternoon, concentrating on fundamentals and preparing for the next opponent — the Tennessee Volunteers. The Gamecocks are idle this weekend before hosting the nationally ranked Vols, Saturday, Oct. 30 at Williams-Brice Stadium. Jefferson Pilot Sports will televise that game with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m.
* Injury update from the Gamecock camp: QB Dondrial Pinkins (bruised rotator cuff) did some limited throwing again on Wednesday. He did not participate in team drills … QB Syvelle Newton (ankle sprain) did not practice and is not expected to this week. He is still on crutches and in a walking boot … DT Stanley Doughty (neck strain) was cleared to return to practice on Wednesday …WR Travis Lee (broken finger) did not practice and is out for right now.
* Assistant head coach Skip Holtz met with the media following the workout. Here are some of his comments: “The open date is coming at a good time, especially from a quarterback standpoint, with both Dondrial and Syvelle injured. We’re preparing the other two quarterbacks (Blake Mitchell and Michael Rathe) to play against Tennessee. Right now, they are the only two healthy ones that we have. Ball security has been stressed at practice this week. Some of the guys have had to go to fumble island a couple of times … The team knows we’ve been in this position before (5-2, one game away from bowl eligibility). We’re just a couple of plays away from being undefeated this season, yet we need to make the plays at the right time in this next game and get over the hump. The difference between where we’ve been and where we want to go will take place in that locker room. Dondrial has been throwing some short routes, 15-20 yards. He really hasn’t thrown any deep posts. We haven’t even addressed who our starter will be next week against Tennessee.”
* Tim Frisby, USC’s 39-year-old walk-on wide receiver, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Tuesday in Los Angeles. Frisby presented Leno with a #1 Gamecock jersey with his name on the back, saying “Jay, we’ve done some research and you do have some eligibility remaining. Coach Holtz wanted to give you this jersey and tell you that practice begins tomorrow.” NBC’s Today Show was on campus Wednesday to do a piece on Frisby, the former 20-year Army veteran who is living a dream playing college football. It is scheduled to air on the national morning news program Oct. 27. National news correspondent Jamie Gangel conducted the interview.
* The Gamecock team enjoyed a visit from boys and girls and their families from the “Children’s Chance” program, a special assistance organization for area youth who are battling cancer. The group came out for the final 30 minutes of practice and Coach Holtz signed autographs and posed for photos. The team ate dinner in The Zone with the children. “It’s a true blessing to be around kids like this and to see the fighting spirit that they display in their lives,” said Taqiy Muhammad, senior cornerback. “We always look forward to having these kids visit our practice each year.”
* The paternal grandmother of Demetris Summers passed away last Saturday. The funeral will be this weekend in Lexington, S.C. … Summers, who fumbled twice against Kentucky last week, said he has been concentrating on protecting the football during practice. “We’ve really been working on some ball drills; tucking the ball away and keeping it close to us. Like Coach Holtz says, ‘without the ball, you can’t play.'”
* The Gamecocks will have a change in practice plans on Thursday. They will have an early morning workout in shorts prior to classes. The coaching staff will then disperse so they can go recruiting. Head coach Lou Holtz will be available to the media at approximately 7:15 a.m. Thursday in the press room behind the lobby of the football building. This will be the only media availability of the day. The Gamecock team will be off Friday and Saturday. There is a junior varsity game scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. against Georgia Military at Williams-Brice Stadium. The public will be admitted free of charge.
