Game over, USC 78, Wofford 61

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 08:43:00 PM

Brandis Raley-Ross drills a 3-pointer and the Gamecocks lead 71-55. Looks like they'll finish the non-conference season 11-2, which is right on target to what I thought they'd be (why can't I be this right on stuff that matters?)

Make the lead 19 after Devan Downey twists some poor guy into a party straw. He's got a team-high 17 points now.

This one's officially over -- Robert Wilder is running down court and lofts an alley-oop to Austin Steed, who finishes with a two-handed dunk. Beautiful. Gamecocks up 77-59.

This one's history, folks. Check out our game coverage in a little bit.

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Second half, 68-53 USC, 3:45

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 08:30:00 PM

Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" ought to be forever stricken from the books. Just overdone.

Dominique Archie twists around for a shot and says he's not dead yet. 62-46.

Mississippi State up 17 over Western Kentucky in the first half, if anybody cares.

Mike Holmes gets it on the high paint, throws it behind him to Archie on the backdoor. Good move for a big to check off like that.

Holmes and Noah Dahlman are called together for a referee-begun handshake, telling them to cut out the rough stuff. Holmes shakes his hand, lets Dahlman drive the other end and then spikes the shot over to Eric Hyman's seat. NASTY.

Holmes tracks down a loose ball and Corey Godzinski hip-checks him into the student section. This had better get cut out soon, or there's gonna be someone gets cut up, capeesh?

Devan Downey rebounds his own miss and sinks it for a 15-point lead.

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Second half, 60-44 USC, 8:04

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 08:20:00 PM

I wonder if the Wofford players are drinking tea from The Beacon instead of Gatorade? These and other burning questions are in my new book, "Things To Contemplate When You're Sitting in Your House and the Lights Go Out."

Man, Dominique Archie can't catch a break. He just missed a one-handed dunk. Brandis Raley-Ross cleaned it up but then USC gave up a wide-open drive-the-court layup to Noah Dahlman. 55-40.

Devan Downey eats some floor and gets called for a foul at the same time. Better than giving up a wide-open shot, I guess, except when the fouler is barely bigger than the water cooler and is the team's best player.

Mike Holmes has now taken the scoring lead, with 10 points. Raley-Ross surpasses him with his 11th after two free throws. 57-42.

Holmes gets juked by Corey Godzinski, gets a piece of the shot but also a piece of the arm. Second time tonight the big man has been faked out by a Southern Conference also-ran. Not comforting.

Geeeeeeeez. Archie just got a shot slung back to Assembly Street by Tim Johnson.

Crowd officially out of rigor mortis. Robert Wilder drills a 3-pointer like it ain't no thang. Wofford is so stunned it calls a timeout, frantically checking the scorecard to find out who the hell that was.

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Second half, 53-38 USC, 11:38

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 08:11:00 PM

Evka Baniulis comes out of the timeout and sinks a 3-pointer. The Baltic Bomber scores his sixth point and brings the lead back to 13, 46-33.

Mike Holmes scraps for a loose ball, saving Devan Downey from committing another turnover, and lays it in. USC gets a lay-in from Austin Steed and it's 50-36.

For about the fifth time, Wofford backdoors USC from the baseline. Holmes swoops in and blocks it, but it's late and he gets called for goaltending. Steed saves the day on the other end, throwing up a loose-ball prayer that goes high off the glass and whistles through the nylon. He makes the ensuing free throw and now has USC's last five points.

Dominique Archie has pretty much disappeared. He played so well against Presbyterian before the break but has really been half-and-half since. He just got blocked by Noah Dahlman and then clanked a 3-pointer off the front rim. He's got five points, three rebounds and two fouls.

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Second half, 43-33 USC, 15:50

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 07:55:00 PM

Message on the text alert thingie ... "These pretzels are making me thirsty!" Also, "I like Wilder's hair. It's shaggy!"

Tim Johnson misses to start the half and USC rebounds. Devan Downey to Mike Holmes, who tries a running one-hander and gets it shoved back in his face. He's fouled and misses both free throws.

Holmes blocks a shot from Corey Godzinski, but Godzinski had already lost control of the ball when he went up. Holmes just volleyball-spiked it when it was at about his chest.

Brandis Raley-Ross throws it away, then Dominique Archie fouls Johnson on the other end. Darrin Horn doffs the suit jacket on the sideline.

Lead down to 11, 39-28, when Downey drives and puts it in. 41-28.

Matt Estep drills a 3-pointer and Zam Fredrick misses his second shot in two possessions, this one a wide-open 3 that bounces long off the rim. Terriers have cut it to 41-33.

Austin Steed sinks a free throw for USC's first point of the second half and then hits another to up the lead to 10. Wofford then airs a 3-pointer, rebounds and Wilder gets the steal!

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Halftime

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 07:48:00 PM

Gamecocks ahead 39-24 and shooting 50 percent. They've only got three turnovers and have forced eight.

Zam Fredrick leads the team with nine points, including the 1,000th of his career, and Devan Downey and Brandis Raley-Ross have seven points each. Mike Holmes has eight and six boards.

The Terriers were still hanging around with 7:26 to play in the first half but USC broke off a 17-4 run to make it a 15-point lead at the half. Crowd's up to around 4-5,000, I'd say, and a few of the women's players are here to watch.

Around the SEC, Darrin Horn's alma mater and former coaching stop, Western Kentucky, is playing at Mississippi State tonight.

Second half about to start ...

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End of first half, 39-24 USC

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 07:37:00 PM

Mike Holmes is fouled on a dunk, which is too bad, because Robert Wilder stood to get an assist if it had gone in. Holmes bounces one off the rim that somehow still goes in and aces his second, no problem. Gamecocks up 14.

USC on a 12-0 run but Terry Martin just got fouled. He makes both to cut the deficit to 34-22.

Zam Fredrick, welcome to the 1,000-point club. He aces a 3-pointer to give him a team-high nine points for the game and now has 1,002 for his career (including Georgia Tech).

USC misses three shots after two offensive boards and then Brandis Raley-Ross is whistled for a questionable foul.

Wofford throws one into the fifth row and USC will have the ball for the last shot. The Gamecocks are up 39-24 and Fredrick leads with nine points.

Devan Downey misses one in the lane and Wofford's last-second shot is short. 39-24.

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First half, 32-20 USC, 3:32

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 07:30:00 PM

Dominique Archie bounces his first free throw high off the back rim. Makes the second. 23-20 USC.

Wofford miss, Devan Downey keeps for a post-up swish of a 3-pointer. 26-20. After another inside shot is rejected, the Terriers call timeout.

Zam Fredrick drives the lane and gives it a totally unnecessary up-and-under flip. Went in, though, so it's 28-20.

Austin Steed takes a charge from Drew Crowell and the Gamecocks get the ball back. Fredrick with a 10-footer, Gamecocks up to their largest lead at 10 points and Fredrick is only one point shy from 1,000 for his career.

Downey misses after a Wofford turnover but Holmes cleans it up.

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First half,

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 07:20:00 PM

The Gamecocks are getting a lot of turnovers but aren't turning them into points. Brandis Raley-Ross has five of the team's 13 points.

Evka Baniulis and Robert Wilder rush the ball-carrier and he throws it well out-of-bounds. Surprisingly good defensive play from Evka.

Raley-Ross pump-fakes and then gets fouled. First shooting foul of the game coming up.

Raley-Ross makes two for his sixth and seventh points and Devan Downey, Mike Holmes and Zam Fredrick check back in.

Baniulis picks up a foul after Marcus Jackson trips into him with the shot clock running down. Little too quick to blow the whistle on that one.

Downey flips cross-court to Baniulis, wide-open 3. 18-10. USC on an 18-4 run.

Holmes turns around into a double-team but still gets the ball off. Too much mustard and it goes high off the glass, off USC and out-of-bounds. Got to play that pivot foot more effectively.

Terriers score five straight points and it's 18-15. Downey answers with a jumper, 20-15.

Holmes misses a one-handed hook but Archie cleans it up, 22-17. Then Downey steals it and passes to Zam Fredrick, who clanks a 3-pointer. Corey Godzinski cans his second straight 3 on the other end, 22-20 USC.

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First half, 13-10 USC, 11:48

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 07:11:00 PM

Wofford turns it over after two rejected possessions and Devan Downey brings it frontcourt. Downey tries a 3, it glances off the rim and Mike Holmes cleans it up. 6-6.

After poor Kevin Glitner misses a wide-open backdoor baseline reverse off the rim, Wofford collapses on Downey as he drives the lane. The ball squirts free and Zam Fredrick drives in, sinking a 2-footer for USC's first lead, 8-6. Wofford ties but Downey gets his first points a second later, making it 10-8 Gamecocks.

Crowd has swelled to around 2,500, maybe 3,000. More are filing in. I hope to see around 10 grand before the end of the game (that's dollars in my pocket, not people).

Mitchell Carter backs in and sinks a shot but it's wiped for an offensive foul. Wofford immediately throws it away from the baseline and Robert Wilder checks in. 10-10.

Wilder with a nice around-the-horn pass to Brandis Raley-Ross, who sinks a 3-pointer. 13-10 Gamecocks.

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First half, 6-4 Wofford, 15:47

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 06:56:00 PM

Just a suggestion -- update the highlight video with highlights from this year.

Clock malfunction ... didn't start when USC won the tip. USC retains possession from midcourt and hopefully it starts this time. OK, good.

Game-winner Fredrick tries a shot and misses, but USC rebounds. Mike Holmes misses a 15-footer and Wofford rebounds.

Dominique Archie loses the ball while driving and Wofford picks it up, already ahead 2-0. But Corey Godzinski misses on the other end.

Brad Loesing forces a one-hander in off the glass and it's 6-0 Terriers, immediately after Devan Downey spun into the lane and lost the ball. The Gamecocks are 0-for-3 from the field with two turnovers and Wofford is up 6-0 at 17:01. Darrin Horn calls timeout but doesn't sub anybody in.

Brandis Raley-Ross drives and lofts a floater for USC's first points. 6-2 and Evka Baniulis comes in after Downey picks up his first foul. Austin Steed also in.

Blocked shot, Downey rebound, runs baseline, kicks to Mike Holmes, 10-footer.

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About to begin ...

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 06:47:00 PM

Looks like it will be the same starting five that it's been the last two games -- Devan Downey, Brandis Raley-Ross, Zam Fredrick, Dominique Archie and Mike Holmes. Wofford has Matt Estep, Drew Crowell, Corey Godzinski, Brad Loesing and Tim Johnson listed as its starters.

Attendance has picked up. Looks like about 200 now since the dance team showed up.

A round of boos from the students who did show up as Wofford takes the court and then the Gamecocks run out. Looks like Evka Baniulis got a haircut over the holidays (Man, I've been around this team too much).

This little send-your-text-messages-to-the-videoboard deal is pretty cool. Someone just sent "Zam is open!" to it. I bet it'll be followed by "Zam misses!"

Nope. "Downey can hit from here."

We'll be live after tip. Go crack open a fresh-squeezed Jenny and settle back to watch some hardwood action.

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15 minutes before tip ...

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 06:26:00 PM

The Gamecocks and Terriers are warming up and it's the usual nine guys for USC. There's maybe 100 people here. Swear.

Pretty pathetic, although I'll hold off final judgment until I see what the final crowd is. Guess they'll get here around halftime. I realize the students are on break, but where are the rest of you folks? Still moaning about football?

Just noticed they're showing each of the Gamecocks on the big videoboard and have Branden Conrad's name mis-spelled. They've got it "Brandon." Maybe that's what's keeping the fans away.

Now they're showing highlights from the Clemson game. Not surprisingly, most of them are of Devan Downey.

Be back ...

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Pre-game, 30 minutes to tip

posted by David Cloninger, 1/05/2009 05:47:00 PM

After another quiet day of USC football, we're here at Colonial Life Arena to watch the Gamecocks and Wofford throw down. I truly wish the seats will reflect a 10-2 team who won a huge game at a ranked Baylor team three days ago, but as a wise man once said, wish in one hand ...

Anyway, Sam Muldrow's out shooting on the court but he's wearing jeans, so I'll guess that this will be the 13th straight game we don't see him play. Didn't get to talk with Darrin Horn or anybody else before this game, so who knows what the new timetable is.

The Terriers only have one senior, Matt Estep. He's averaging 1.4 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. One of the guys he'll be going against, Devan Downey, has scored 60 points in his last two games and averages 20.8 per game.

USC assistant coach Mike Boynton gets to see one of his former teams. He was associate head coach at Wofford last season.

It's the final non-conference game for each team. The Terriers played Dayton, Clemson and Georgia for their big non-cons, losing by three to Dayton and by one in overtime to Georgia.

Zam Fredrick only needs seven points to reach 1,000 for his career. I'll also be keeping an eye on Dominique Archie, who played a heck of a game against Presbyterian, the last game before the holiday break, but has fouled out in each of the two games since coming back.

Branden Conrad still has a cast on his right foot and is on crutches. I'm guessing he won't be ready for the Auburn game on Saturday, either.

Talk to you soon ...

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Game over -- Iowa 31, USC 10

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 02:01:00 PM

Happy New Year.

Brothers and sisters, fear not. As I always say, baseball season begins in February.

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Fourth quarter, 31-7 Iowa, 6:03

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 01:42:00 PM

Ryan Succop boots a fake onside kick and the returner fumbles it, but he recovers and Iowa goes to work. Just a guess, but I'd say Iowa will attempt to run out the clock.

I just did some checking. Good news, Gamecock fans. If the score stays the way it is, USC will not suffer its worst bowl loss ever. The biggest deficit was 26 points, back in the 1980 bloodletting against Pitt. Right now, the Hawkeyes only lead by 24, which ties 1988 against Indiana for second-worst ever.

Shaq Wilson with an unchecked blitz and an 11-yard sack. The Hawkeyes are so frightened they immediately begin plotting how to get USC to shoot another toe off (There are about one and a half left, by my count).

Ricky Stanzi and Clifton Geathers get into it after the play and get offsetting personal fouls. It would really not be advisable for USC to lose its composure at the same time as it's losing everything positive gained from this season.

Really hoping no recruits are tuning into this game too closely. People, it could get positively nasty when viewed through the eyes of a fickle teenager.

USC goes three and out and hands the ball back to Iowa with 7:36 to go. Preparing for a dismal offseason ... just what I wanted.

A guy just texted me and said USC couldn't beat South Pointe High School the way it's playing today. That's not fair. South Pointe's a damn good team.

Iowa running clock and USC trying to keep it somewhat respectable.

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Fourth quarter, 31-7 Iowa, 13:35

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 01:30:00 PM

Chris Smelley to Kenny McKinley, naturally, and then Smelley dumps over the middle to Eric Baker, who peels off a stunning catch-and-run. The Gamecocks are at the 10 for the first time all day.

Smelley tries to give McKinley a touchdown in his last game but the fade hangs too high and it's out of bounds. Second down.

He tries it again and it's a decent-enough pass, but McKinley had a little trouble shedding his blocker and was a step behind. This would really be a good thing to do -- Kenny needs to score in his last game, befitting his status as the best USC receiver ever.

No McKinley but a touchdown, Smelley to Jared Cook, who made a nice adjustment mid-route and hauled it in. At least the Gamecocks won't get skunked.

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End of third quarter, 31-0 Iowa

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 01:21:00 PM

Shonn Greene is chased down by Jasper Brinkley and horse-collared out of bounds. Flagrant. I can't believe Brinkley did that, although he was right on the line when he first grabbed him. Could be some frustration boiling over.

USC's defense trying to hang in, but really, how hard can you play when you KNOW your offense isn't going to help? Eric Norwood just wrapped Greene and threw him down -- if this is Norwood's last game (and I do hope it isn't), he's leaving it all out there.

Completion, wide-open. Missed tackle, missed tackle, Iowa receiver lunges for the first down and gets it. The Gamecocks are playing for pride now, and there's not a whole lot to be found out of this one.

A month's worth of preparation. A MONTH. And this is the product.

Greene breaks two tackles and gets to the house. Dum dum dumdum, dumdum, dumdum, it's over.

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Third quarter, 24-0 Iowa, 5:00

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 01:06:00 PM

Chris Culliver couldn't handle the kickoff and takes it 20 yards deep from the first bounce. The Gamecocks begin at their own 13-yard-line, Chris Smelley directing.

Smelley incomplete, too high for Jared Cook. Then he hits Jason Barnes on a catch-and-run and Barnes is facemasked for 15 more yards.

Brian Maddox with another nice run right through the middle. Like another in a string of increasingly sick jokes, he immediately false-starts on the next play for a 5-yard penalty.

Smelley incomplete, going deep for Barnes on the left side, way overthrown. Flag on Jamon Meredith for holding.

Nifty trick play. Smelley throws to Kenny McKinley, McKinley throws back across the field to Mike Davis, who runs for a first down. Then Smelley hits a leaping Cook over the middle.

Smelley eludes the rush and hits Davis for another first-down catch-and-run. He throws a pretty spiral to Cook at the 2 but it goes right through Cook's hands. Then he dumps to McKinley under the rush and McKinley is blindsided. Tough little guy bounces right back up, though.

Smelley to Moe Brown, who has and drops under the hit. Am I the only one who sees the problem here?

Ryan Succop on for a 46-yard field goal and drills it. And then the flag goes down for illegal formation, only six men on the line of scrimmage. This is ridiculous. Not one member of this team not named Kenny McKinley or Eric Norwood is in sync.

Succop on for 51 yards and for the first time in his career, it just doesn't have the distance behind it. It flutters to a stop 10 yards short of the goal.

This is awful, gut-clenchingly terribly bad. At this point, I'd recommend dropping football from the athletic program.

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Third quarter, 24-0 Iowa, Smelley in

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 12:40:00 PM

Obviously, something superhuman needs to happen here. The Gamecocks need a spark and Kenny McKinley can't throw the ball to himself.

Chris Culliver with a nice burst to the Gamecocks' 42 on the opening kickoff and of course, there's flags all over the field. One can only hope that one day USC figures out how to block legally. Penalties offset, though, so it's a re-kick.

Culliver returns to the 32, gets 5 more yards on an offsides, and then it happens. Chris Smelley is on the field, Stephen Garcia is on the sideline.

First play -- Smelley hits Moe Brown wide-open, Brown is tackled, Brown fumbles, Iowa recovers. So much for that spark. And right out of the locker room, too ... any emotion USC might have gained at halftime is now completely gone.

Brace yourselves, folks ... the aftermath of this one is not going to be pretty.

Good grief. Jewel Hampton straight up the gut and Eric Norwood flat STICKS him, but the guy rolls off and gets in the end zone. But wait a minute ... the ball came loose when Captain Munnerlyn stripped it and USC recovers at the Iowa 1. Play goes to review. Hampton's knee was ruled down before he fumbled, so the Hawkeyes get it second-and-goal at the 1.

That's funny -- the PA guy just said Moe Greene was the ballcarrier. Last time I saw him, he was getting rubbed out by the Corleones.

Shonn Green stopped at the goal line, third down. Then Jasper Brinkley sticks Greene again to make it fourth down and here comes the field goal team. Good.

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Halftime

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 12:28:00 PM

This is nauseating. The defense can't play effectively because it's missing two of its best playmakers and is on the field the whole time. The offense can't function because it keeps turning the ball over and when it tries to run, it gets stuffed.

116 yards of offense and Iowa has 196. The Gamecocks also have four penalties for 50 yards. Nothing like disciplined football, huh?

And for all you folks at home, you get to look up and see Lou Holtz on ESPN talking about the game. Irony, how you mock.

I don't think it's about wanting to win or anything like that. It's just simple X's and O's. A Florida offense cannot be run while not at Florida. Whatever it was that Syvelle Newton had, it needs to be analyzed, diagrammed and injected into every one of these guys.

I'm reminded that the Gamecocks were ahead 28-0 in their last Outback Bowl and had to get a last-second field goal to win. Anything is possible.

On the plus side, the Gamecocks have only had to punt once and it was a great punt, because that's how we Rock Hill boys roll.

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End of second quarter, 21-0 Iowa

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 12:12:00 PM

Right after Stephen Garcia's third interception (and fourth turnover), Ricky Stanzi bombs deep for Tony Moeaki in the end zone and he and Chris Culliver come down with it at the same time. Culliver wrestles it away and it's an interception, right after USC had just given up the ball.

This could be big. The Gamecocks have four minutes to get downfield and make this count. Garcia's hitting some throws but he's been off-target on the others, and that's got to change.

Garcia to Jason Barnes, then Mike Davis picks up a first down. Could really use those squandered timeouts now, but oh well.

Garcia almost throws his fourth pick on a rushed flip to Davis in the middle, but it hits the ground. Then he scrambles back from the rush and loses 3 yards.

He goes deep for Moe Brown, as if he hasn't learned anything from 12 previous games, and it's 5 yards over Brown's head. First punt of the game coming up.

Know what the bad part is? Mitch King and Matt Kroul have been non-factors. The Gamecocks' offense is beating itself.

Hawkeyes with the ball, 2:05 to play.

The day gets worse. Just got told Darian Stewart is out for the game with a left thigh injury.

Ricky Stanzi back to throw, he guns, Eric Norwood leaps and tips it. The jumpball is corralled by Jasper Brinkley and the Gamecocks are in business with a minute to go.

Incomplete, way past Kenny McKinley. Incomplete, way over Jared Cook and Garcia is no-called late hit. Garcia tucks and scampers 12 yards for a first down while Weslye Saunders is delivering a punishing block.

Garcia incomplete, past Jared Cook and almost intercepted. Incomplete, Garcia dumps out of bounds under the rush and then the offense gets flagged for illegal hands to the face on Jamon Meredith. 15 yards.

Eric Baker up the middle and the half is mercifully over.

Happy New Year.

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Second quarter, 21-0 Iowa, 4:50

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 11:58:00 AM

Ricky Stanzi rolls right and out-runs the USC defense for a 12-yard touchdown, although Darian Stewart and Marvin Sapp met him at the goal line with a take-your-head-off blow.
The score gets wiped on review, but Iowa still has a first-and-goal at the 1.

Shonn Greene goes middle for a 1-yard touchdown. Surprise.

Quite a mountain to climb for the Gamecocks, trailing three touchdowns and playing -- Horribly? Terribly? Uninspired? Take your pick. I'm still trying to figure out what the hell happened at halftime of the North Carolina game last year.

Brian Maddox takes the first play and rumbles through a big hole for 7 yards. Nice run.

This is where it gets tricky. You have to throw to wipe out a 21-0 lead, but you don't want to because Stephen Garcia has already tossed two picks. But you can't depend on the Gamecocks' running game, either.

Third-and-1, midfield, Garcia keeps and is crushed for -1 yard. They have to go for it and get it, Garcia to Kenny McKinley.

Then Garcia goes deep for McKinley, it's underthrown and Tyler Sash steps right in front for another interception. He returns it 45 yards and fumbles at the end, but USC can't recover.

Geez.

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Second quarter, 14-0 Iowa, 9:00

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 11:40:00 AM

Gamecocks continuing their drive, Stephen Garcia seems to be getting more comfortable, although that may be just because the Gamecocks have run five or six offensive plays without a turnover.

Once again, Kenny McKinley keeps finding ways to get open. Good Lord, the Gamecocks are going to miss him.

Garcia guns it to Jason Barnes for a 12-yard pickup, solid throw. Then he scrambles left, tries to hurdle three guys and is brought down. It gets 15 yards tacked backwards to it because of a low block Mike Davis tried to deliver (and whiffed).

On first-and-25, Garrett Anderson gets called for false-starting and then is knocked over by the defender. First-and-30. Little bit of jawing after that one, which is necessary ... no excuse for shoving Anderson after you'd already seen the flag thrown. Jerk.

Garcia hits Moe Brown, unbelievably, then casts long for Barnes in the right corner of the end zone (Ryan Brewer's corner). Barnes has a step but the pass is a wee bit underthrown, so Bradley Fletcher feels it necessary to intercept.

Just throwing this out there -- could Zac Brindise or Michael McQueeney do any worse than the guys that have played?

Shonn Greene and Iowa moving downfield. Ricky Stanzi hits Tony Moeaki for a 39-yard completion, but to be fair, what was Moeaki supposed to do? Nobody in a white uniform could be bothered to cover him, so he camped out for a while, cooked a steak, then caught the ball.

If you're counting, that's the superior-speed SEC getting torched by a bunch of inferior-speed, never-pass Big Eleven players. Good thing USC's spent most of the year in the nation's top 15 of defense ... perhaps the beginning will keep it ranked despite these last two, going on three, debacles.

Greene cuts right and Jordin Lindsey KOs him for -1. Say what you want about how he and his brother handle their off-field life, but that kid plays heart and soul on every snap.

Greene goes right, cuts middle and picks up the first down. Within the red zone ...

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End of first quarter, 14-0 Iowa

posted by David Cloninger, 1/01/2009 11:23:00 AM

USC's offense re-takes the field and yes, it's Stephen Garcia still at quarterback. Not that I expected anything different, because if Chris Smelley can play a whole game with four picks, just one pick, even if it is on the first pass of the game, isn't going to bench the next guy.

What takes Chris Culliver so long to get accelerated on a kickoff return? He stops, looks for a hole, then tries to blast through seven tacklers. Pick a hole and run, dummy.

Mike Davis gets the first positive yardage of the day with a 2-yard dive. Then Garcia scrambles middle, gets the first down, is hit, and fumbles. A.J. Edds recovers.

He lost it on the way down and it popped loose when he hit the turf. Kenny McKinley had a bead on it before Tyler Sash dove on it, but Edds was the one who got the recovery.

Four offensive plays, two turnovers. I believe this is the result of bad information -- USC was told it was playing Clemson again today.

Does that sound harsh? The truth hurts.

Culliver stops Andy Brodell for a 3-yard loss but then Captain Munnerlyn gets flagged 15 yards for kicking. Very smart. No, really. Very smart.

Tampa native Stoney Woodson -- at least one Tampa native has shown up today -- knocks a touchdown away from Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. The Gamecocks force a field goal attempt and Daniel Murray misses from 45 yards.

Maybe this will be what gets the Gamecocks started.

Garcia hits a wide-open McKinley on the left sideline for 15 yards and a first down, then Garcia throws incomplete to Moe Brown (shocking, I know, especially when you consider it hit Brown right on the fingers). Then Garcia dumps to Davis over the middle to set up third-and-6, when USC calls its second timeout. Very intelligent game management, there.

Garcia hits McKinley again, then has to run for his life. He does avoid the rush, though, and flings it to Patrick (Chris) DiMarco to get back to the original line of scrimmage.

Bloomin' Onion, here I come.

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