Dec. 20, 2011

The University of South Carolina football team worked out Tuesday afternoon at the Bluff Road practice fields. The squad continues its preparations for the 2012 Capital One Bowl, which will match the 10-2 Gamecocks against the 9-3 Nebraska Cornhuskers on Monday, January 2 in Orlando, Fla.

“We congratulate Coach Ellis Johnson getting the head coaching job at Southern Miss,” said head coach Steve Spurrier following the practice session. “We’re happy that people out there consider our coaches good coaches and qualified to be a head coach. We appreciate everything Ellis and his family have done here for Carolina and we wish him the best out there.”

Coach Spurrier indicated that Lorenzo Ward will be in charge of the defense at the bowl game in place of Johnson. He also confirmed that all the players have passed their six hours minimum required to be eligible for the bowl game.

Coach Spurrier did not give a timetable for replacing Johnson, but indicated that it would probably be after the bowl game. “We’ll get through with the guys who’ve been here all year,” noted the Head Ball Coach. “The G.A.’s will get to coach a little more.”

Coach Spurrier also noted that if Kenny Miles elected to come back next year, he would have a scholarship available. “We’re trying to sign one running back, but if Kenny comes back, that would not be an urgency right now. Kenny’s starting the bowl game. He’s practicing very well. He probably would start backing up Marcus (Lattimore next season) if everything goes according to plan of course, but he’s a good player to have around certainly.”

The squad will return to the practice fields twice on Wednesday, first at 10:15 a.m., then again at 4 p.m. They will continue to practice through Friday before breaking for the Christmas holiday. All practices are closed.