Oct. 24, 2011

The University of South Carolina football team, fresh off its lone bye week of the season, returned to the Bluff Road practice fields Monday night. It was the squad’s first workout since Thursday, due to the bye in the schedule.

The Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1 SEC) are ranked 14th in both major polls entering the week and come in 13th in this week’s BCS Standings. They are facing a Tennessee team that is 3-4 overall and 0-4 in league play. Game time is set for 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium. ESPN2 will carry the broadcast nationally with Mark Jones and Ed Cunningham in the booth and Jessica Mendoza working the sidelines.

Cornerback Victor Hampton should be ready to go this weekend, according to Defensive Coordinator Lorenzo Ward. “We think he’ll probably get some reps tomorrow in practice and be full speed on Wednesday. He did a good job running today.” Hampton is coming off a leg bruise suffered at Mississippi State.

Tennessee announced today that they would start true freshman Justin Worley at quarterback against the Gamecocks on Saturday. “The young man is obviously a good football player,” noted Ward. “He was the PARADE Player of the Year at Northwestern and won a state championship. I told (Jadeveon) Clowney that he beat him, so we’re going to take it a little personal. We’ve got to go play and play to get better as the Gamecocks. Tennessee is going to give us their best shot. It boils down to how we play.”