Aug. 9, 2007
The South Carolina Gamecocks put on full pads for the first time this fall, working out for a little over two hours at the Bluff Road practice fields on Thursday night. The Gamecocks were nearly back to full strength, as offensive lineman Garrett Anderson (right hand) and wide receiver Leon Gamble (hamstring) returned to full practice.
“I don’t think anybody got hurt, so that’s always good,” said Head Coach Steve Spurrier. “Overall it was a pretty good practice I thought. The offensive line blocked the right guys most of the night. It was probably the best the o-line has done. Of course, if they do well you worry about your defense. What counts most is what happens in the game.”
Coach Spurrier has been impressed in the early camp by sophomore wide receivers Moe Brown and Freddie Brown. “Moe Brown has improved,” said Coach Spurrier. “Moe Brown is catching the ball and running better routes. Last year he was just sort of `out there’. He’s making catches and doing good things this year. Freddie is doing well. Freddie’s a little faster and a little quicker and catches everything. A very reliable receiver.”
Coach Spurrier also confirmed that defensive back Sam Pope has left the team. Pope was a junior college transfer who joined the squad this fall. “Sam wanted to go play. I think he’s going to Hampton. He’s got some friends up there and feels like he has a chance to go up there and be a starter. We wish him the best. We thought he had a chance to be a pretty good player, but he decided he wanted to go somewhere else, so that may work out best for him.”
Several players donned new jersey numbers including: Mark Barnes (13); Chris Culliver (17), Dion Lecorn (18); Chris Hail (28); Cedric Snead (46); Patrick DiMarco (47) and Thomas Hooper (94).
The Gamecocks will scrimmage on Saturday afternoon in Williams-Brice Stadium. The scrimmage will be open to the public. “It will be mostly players that haven’t played much and players that need to play some,” said Coach Spurrier. “I’d appreciate a big crowd. The practice will begin at 4 p.m. with the scrimmage starting between 4:30 and 5 p.m.”
