Oct. 22, 2007

The 15th-ranked South Carolina Gamecock football team (6-2, 3-2 SEC) began preparations for Saturday’s SEC showdown with Eastern Division rival Tennessee (4-3, 2-2 SEC) by working out at the Bluff Road practice fields Monday night. Saturday’s game is set for a 7:45 p.m. kick at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The game will be televised on ESPN with Mike Patrick handling the play-by-play, Todd Blackledge providing the color commentary and Holly Rowe working the sidelines.

The Gamecocks look to be healthy going into Saturday’s contest. Linebackers Dustin Lindsey and Gerrod Sinclair returned to practice, as did running back Bobby Wallace. Defensive back Stoney Woodson “was running around a little bit,” according to Head Coach Steve Spurrier, “but he is not full speed.”

The starting quarterback situation remained unresolved on Monday. “All the quarterbacks practiced tonight – Tommy Beecher, Chris Smelley and Blake Mitchell,” said Coach Spurrier. “We’ll find one to start somewhere in that group, hopefully by Saturday.”

“We’re 6-2, we have the second-best record in the SEC,” noted Coach Spurrier. “It could be worse. We’re just really disappointed in the way we performed (on Saturday in a 17-6 loss to Vanderbilt). It’s sad, but it’s history. Hopefully we got it out of our system, but we’ll find out.”

The Gamecocks will return to the practice fields on Tuesday.