Aug. 8, 2008

Ankle injuries to some key players was the topic of conversation following the South Carolina Gamecocks’ practice on Friday night. The squad worked out in full pads for nearly two hours at the Bluff Road “Proving Grounds” in its final preparation before the fall’s first full scrimmage.

Senior linebacker Jasper Brinkley suffered a left ankle injury, junior cornerback Captain Munnerlyn injured his right ankle and senior offensive lineman Jamon Meredith also sustained a right ankle injury during non-contact portions of Friday’s practice. That brought the total to six projected starters out with injuries by the end of practice, as tailback Mike Davis (left shoulder), tight end Jared Cook (right toe) and outside linebacker Gerrod Sinclair (head) were held out of the contact as well.

“Captain Munnerlyn said he rolled his ankle a little bit, Jasper Brinkley said he rolled his ankle a little bit in no-contact drills,” said Head Coach Steve Spurrier. “Jamon (Meredith) rolled his, too. I think they’re going to be all right, they just rolled their ankle a little bit.”

“Tommy Beecher is still our quarterback,” said Coach Spurrier when asked to assess the team after one week of practice. “He does a lot of good things but can get better though. He’s getting a lot of practice and that’s what we need. We need a lot of snaps before the real games with a lot of our players. (Tailback) Eric Baker got a lot of snaps – he and Brian Maddox. They should be ready if Mike (Davis) can’t go.”

The Gamecocks are scheduled to scrimmage on Saturday afternoon, with the practice scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. The scrimmage is closed to both the media and fans.

Fan Appreciation Day will be held Sunday, August 10 from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Colonial Life Arena.