Aug. 12, 2009

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The University of South Carolina football team worked out for about two hours Wednesday night at the Bluff Road practice fields in full pads. Although rain enveloped Columbia for much of the day, the practice went uninterrupted by the wet conditions.

Whether it was the rain, the toll of the August preseason grind or just one of those days, the Gamecocks did not practice with the kind of intensity that head coach Steve Spurrier was looking for, as he termed it a “so-so” practice.

“I don’t think they came out with the attitude I’m going to try to get better tonight,” said Coach Spurrier. “It was a lackluster practice, just put it that way. We’ll try to pick up the intensity tomorrow. The whole team was a little lackluster (tonight).”

Coach Spurrier confirmed that freshman defensive end Ronald Byrd, who injured his left knee during Tuesday’s scrimmage, would need surgery and is lost for the season.

The Gamecocks will return to the practice fields on Thursday, with two practices scheduled for the first time this fall. The squad will work out at 9 a.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. Both practices are closed to the public.