Also from The State in Columbia, S.C.:

Posted on Wed, Sep. 20, 2006

Tight end Andy Boyd to make return against FAU
Spurrier plans to raise intesity during practices; Smelley might still redshirt

By KENT BABB
[email protected]

Now that USC tight end Andy Boyd has found relief from a long list of injuries, the Gamecocks might finally have some relief for their blocking woes.

Boyd, a fifth-year tight end from Concord, N.C., is expected to start Saturday against Florida Atlantic. He will play in his first game in more than a year. He missed all but two games in 2005 with a right knee injury that required season-ending surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament. He missed the first three games this season with a cracked shoulder bone and a partially torn labrum.

Boyd said when he learned the shoulder injury would force him to miss between three and eight weeks, it felt like familiar news.

?I said, ?You might as well put bolts upside my neck and call me Frankenstein,? ? Boyd said he told doctors. ?It definitely gets you flustered. It?s just something you have to overcome.?

Boyd, who said Tuesday that blocking is his ?biggest asset,? will provide much-needed experience to a line coach Steve Spurrier has blamed for the Gamecocks? sputtering offense. Spurrier said Boyd is the ?best blocking tight end we?ve got.?

Coaches kick up intensity. Spurrier said he wants to hear complaints from players this week that practices work players too hard.

?That?s our goal this week: to get some players mad, that we?re treating them too tough,? he said.

The renewed strategy comes more than a week after Spurrier criticized players for loafing between plays during a nationally televised home game against Georgia. In Saturday?s 27-20 victory against Wofford, Spurrier said he noticed more players who did not finish their assignments.

?I think we?ve just been way too nice around our guys,? Spurrier said.

Smelley inches toward redshirt season. Spurrier reiterated Tuesday that freshman quarterback Chris Smelley might be headed for a redshirt season because of a bruised heel.

Spurrier said he was uncertain when Smelley sustained the injury, saying it occurred ?some day in practice.?

Trainers have told Spurrier that Smelley could apply for a medical redshirt season because he has played in two games, the maximum participation allowed for a player to protect his eligibility for that season.

Raysor could cut in line. Redshirt sophomore Matt Raysor might start at left guard Saturday if he has a good week of practice, Spurrier said.

Raysor, who moved to offense from defensive tackle last month, would be the latest addition to what has become a patchwork ? and often-criticized ? offensive line.

Raysor, a Bamberg native, played in 10 games in 2005 and had one tackle.

Quick hits. Junior tailback Cory Boyd, who rushed for a team-high 74 yards against Wofford, sustained a high-ankle sprain in the third quarter Saturday. His status for the Florida Atlantic game is uncertain, Spurrier said. If he cannot play, sophomore Mike Davis will return to the starting lineup. Redshirt freshman Taylor Rank and sophomore Bobby Wallace could play against Florida Atlantic… . Emmanuel Cook has a sprained left knee and might miss Saturday?s game.

Staff writer Joseph Person contributed to this report. Reach Babb at (803) 771-8357.

Another from The State in Columbia, S.C.:

Posted on Wed, Sep. 20, 2006

USC?s time is now
A dominant effort against Florida Atlantic is needed for Gamecocks going into SEC stretch

By RON MORRIS
[email protected]

IT IS TIME for Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina football team to put up.

This is the week for South Carolina to prove it is deserving of a 3-1 record heading into the meat of its schedule.

This is the week for South Carolina to take the fight to a lesser opponent. This is the week to dominate a Florida Atlantic team with the same youthfulness ? and less talent ? as the Gamecocks.

More than all that, this is the week for USC to gain much-needed confidence. If not, it could be a long season for the Gamecocks and their loyal fans.

?We have to remind ourselves to be patient a little bit,? Spurrier said Tuesday. …

?Hopefully, the fans understand that we don?t have a team ready to compete with the big boys this year. That?s just where we are, but we should play better than what we?re playing.?

Someone reminded Spurrier recently that he was singing the same tune five weeks into last season. USC was 2-3 after a 48-7 drubbing by Auburn when Spurrier challenged his team. He said no player?s starting position was secure, and he went about making changes.

Five consecutive wins later, USC was headed to the Independence Bowl, largely because it overachieved and got a few fortunate bounces along the way.

This season, Spurrier went to his motivational well much earlier. After an 18-0 loss to Georgia, Spurrier said his team and coaching staff ? including him ? were ?stupid? and changes were on the way.

Spurrier even resorted to a trick from his Florida days of publicly pointing out officiating shortcomings. Spurrier said he understands some might consider his comments as ?whining,? but he sees it as a way of defending his team.

The tactic backfired this time. His comments inflamed a deep-seeded persecution complex among USC fans, who saw the officiating as an excuse for another loss, one in which Georgia dominated the Gamecocks.

As for the changes, there were seven new starters on offense and a couple on defense. The results were better for three quarters, but in the end USC held on to defeat a I-AA opponent, Wofford, that featured considerably more future doctors and lawyers than standout football players.

So what does Spurrier do now?

?You?ve got to play harder,? Spurrier said he told his team Monday evening.

?We?ve really got to emphasize more effort and so forth if we?re ever going to be any good around here,? Spurrier said. ?So we?re going to practice tougher, and hopefully we can get a few guys complaining and saying, ?This ain?t fair.?

?I think we?ve just been way too nice on our guys, and they don?t understand the importance of every game around here.?

His team practiced in full pads Monday and Tuesday, and it will do the same today. Normally, Spurrier teams practice in full pads on Tuesday and Wednesday. Late in seasons, his teams use full pads only on Tuesdays.

That will not be the case with this team, until further notice, or until it proves to Spurrier it can play harder and with greater effort for an entire game.

?We?ve got a lot of coaching to do, we know that,? Spurrier said. ?We just need to field a team that will compete. You know what I mean? I think that?s all our fans want to see. They want to see a bunch of guys compete. They don?t want to see a bunch of guys standing around and hoping the whistle blows real quick.?

That does not seem to be a lot to expect of a team, even one that starts two freshmen on the offensive line and returns only one starter from last season?s defense. So when close to 80,000 fans attend Saturday?s game, they should rightfully expect an all-out effort by USC.

They should expect USC to take the fight to Florida Atlantic, a team that has been outscored 147-14 in its three games, including 54-6 by Clemson. If USC can?t dominate Florida Atlantic, Gamecocks fans should prepare themselves for the worst the remainder of this season.

Another less-than-stellar performance against Florida Atlantic and Spurrier?s goal of winning more games than it loses might be a much bigger challenge than once thought.

From the Charleston, S.C. Post & Courier:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2006 7:17 AM

Statistically, Mitchell makes more sense at QB
Faceoff: Who should start at QB for USC?

BY GENE SAPAKOFF

No question, Syvelle Newton is The Man, the most unpredictable weapon in the South Carolina offense. That's why Steve Spurrier's arsenal, such as it is, will work best when Newton and Blake Mitchell are on the field together, with Mitchell as the veteran quarterback and Newton in his receiver/slotback/surprise passer hybrid position taking pressure off wideout Sidney Rice.

True, Mitchell didn't exactly mount a Heisman campaign against Mississippi State and Georgia.

But his problems mainly were due to poor blocking. Offensive line coach John Hunt may have the toughest job in the state.

I believe Spurrier when he says freshman Chris Smelley "isn't ready," so this is a two-man heat (for now). Statistically, Mitchell has a big edge. His completion percentage and touchdown pass-to-interception ratio are better.

Most importantly, he wins: 8-5 as a starter vs. Newton's 3-3.

Newton as a goal-line QB? Great idea. But crunch the overall numbers with the advantages Newton offers when on the field at the same time as Mitchell and you get the subtle differences that might decide which team wins the Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Arkansas games.

In other words, the difference between a decent bowl game and an unacceptable losing season.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at [email protected].

Also from the Charleston, S.C., Post and Courier:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2006 6:39 AM

Newton the silent type at QB
ON THE BEAT
SOUTH CAROLINA

Charles Bennett

COLUMBIA - Apparently, South Carolina's offensive players are a bit sensitive to criticism.

South Carolina quarterback Syvelle Newton says he doesn't do much more talking than is necessary to call the play when he's in the huddle.

"I'm not a big talker in the huddle," said Newton, a senior from Wallace. "Most of our guys can't take criticism and go respond. They take it and get down off of it. So I don't say much to them. I just let them play however they want to play. If they feel they are playing correctly, they're playing correctly, but the film shows what is going on."

Newton gets his second start of the season at quarterback on Saturday against Florida Atlantic after playing the first two games at wide receiver.

He's expected to split time at quarterback with redshirt junior Blake Mitchell.

In his four-year career, Newton has played wide receiver, quarterback and tailback for the Gamecocks.

Newton admits all the moving around may not have been in his best long-term interest if he hopes to play professionally, but he says he's not worried about that right now.

"Most seniors who think they've got a future and going and playing at the next level, they don't think about risking themselves at quarterback or risking themselves making moves because it could hurt them," Newton said. "Basically right now, I just want to win. I'm doing whatever it is to help the team win."

Tightening the screws

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has decided that the Gamecocks need to take a tougher approach in practice.

"We're going to practice a little tougher, a little harder, see if that will help us play a little tougher, a little harder this week," Spurrier said. "Hopefully we'll have some guys complaining at the end of practice. That's our goal this week, to get some players mad that we're treating them too tough."

Injury report

With Cory Boyd (ankle) doubtful, Spurrier said Mike Davis is the likely starter at tailback. Spurrier also said that quarterback Chris Smelley (bruised heel) could be headed for a redshirt year.

More time for Raysor

Spurrier says Matt Raysor, who moved to guard from defensive tackle, may get a chance to start this week.

"Raysor deserves a chance in there, certainly," Spurrier said. "He's been over there for going on his third week now. So look for Matt Raysor to play left guard. In fact, I told coach (John) Hunt today, 'Let's think about starting him if he has a good week of practice.' Well, we're trying to get Matt Raysor ready to play some."

From The State in Columbia, S.C.:

Posted on Thu, Sep. 21, 2006

Mitchell back in the fold, ready to move on
Redshirt junior QB reduced to a backup role for first time in two years

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson @thestate.com

For the first time since Steve Spurrier arrived at USC, quarterback Blake Mitchell has someone ahead of him on the Gamecocks? depth chart.

Suspended for the Wofford game for his role in a Five Points bar fight, Mitchell returned to find Syvelle Newton is in his starting spot. But considering what Mitchell went through last week, the redshirt junior is glad to have a spot at all.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his Sept. 13 arrest for simple assault (the charge was dropped two days later), Mitchell expressed remorse and pledged to learn from the experience.

?Some things happened. I regret it,? Mitchell said Wednesday. ?I put myself in a bad situation, but right now I?m just glad to be back out here with the team.?

Mitchell spent a few hours in jail for allegedly punching Kylan Ertzberger, a bouncer at Pavlov?s, in the face during an altercation at 1:45 a.m.

Although he did not talk in detail about the incident, Mitchell said that it occurred after he learned that he would not be playing much against Wofford.

?I wasn?t going out trying to do anything. I was down on myself,? he said. ?I?m always real tough on myself and I kind of let it build up and just got myself in the wrong place at the wrong time.?

Mitchell said he knows Ertzberger, a USC sophomore, but has not seen him on campus since the fight. When Ertzberger dropped the charge in Columbia municipal court last week, Mitchell agreed to no longer go to Pavlov?s.

Though Pavlov?s owners said later that Mitchell was not banned from the bar, Mitchell said he did not ?need to be down there, anyway.?

While Mitchell watched from the sideline in a jersey and shorts, Newton threw for 196 yards in a 27-20 victory over the Division I-AA Terriers. Spurrier said Newton will start Saturday against Florida Atlantic, but he plans to use Mitchell, as well.

?You get suspended, you sit on the bench for a week. You?ve just got to come out here and work as hard as you can to get yourself back up there,? Mitchell said.

?I?m just going to be ready whenever coach calls my number.?

Mitchell, who grew up in LaGrange, Ga., completed 186 of 315 passes last season for 2,370 yards, the seventh-best total in USC history. Playing behind a young offensive line this season, Mitchell has been sacked four times, fumbled twice against Georgia in Bulldogs? territory and has yet to throw a touchdown pass.

Though Mitchell has never been known for his leadership abilities, Spurrier hopes last week?s incident will prompt Mitchell to change his lifestyle.

?In the long run, it may be good for him. Something needed to shake him up, and maybe last week did shake him up,? Spurrier said. ?And maybe his direction now is much better in life. I think he was really totally embarrassed by what he did and has apologized and will try to do things better in the future.

?Only time will tell.?

USC tight end Andy Boyd, one of Mitchell?s closest friends on the team, said Mitchell realizes he made a mistake.

?We all understand that he?s been through a tough time. It seems like all the eyes are on him, too. But with him, he?s a strong person,? Boyd said. ?He knows he?s in the wrong. He knows what he?s done and he?ll be fine.?

Mitchell, who will turn 22 on Saturday, said that he intends to change the habits that had him at a Five Points bar near closing time on a Tuesday night.

?I?m not a guy who?s going to be out there like that. I?ve learned my lesson,? he said. ?I know to make the right choices now.?

Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.

Also from The State in Columbia, S.C.:

Posted on Thu, Sep. 21, 2006

New starting nose tackle knows the routine

By JOSEPH PERSON
[email protected]

USC nose tackle Joel Reaves must feel as though he has lived the past three years in the shadows of the Brinkley brothers.

Reaves, a junior from Marion, spent the past two seasons at Georgia Military College, where the defensive tackles were taught to keep blockers off inside linebackers Casper and Jasper Brinkley.

Though Reaves has changed schools, the song remains the same. The Brinkley boys, as they are known around USC, have received much of the attention on the Gamecocks defense.

But Reaves is gaining notice from USC?s defensive coaches, who this week elevated the 6-foot-1, 271-pounder to the first team, ahead of veteran Stanley Doughty. Reaves is expected to make his first career start Saturday against Florida Atlantic.

He will be joined in the starting lineup by middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, the Gamecocks? leading tackler with 23 stops, and defensive end Casper Brinkley.

?At GMC, we played to free them up. That was our main objective because they?re sideline-to-sideline players,? Reaves said Wednesday. ?The twins, they?re more known for making plays ? most of the plays at GMC ? so that?s why I guess I?m in their shadow.?

Reaves, who is good friends with the twins, said he brings ?great hustle and heart? to a line that lost starting tackle Marque Hall to a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago.

Said Reaves: ?I?m going to do my best just to do what I can to help out the defense.?

Smelley in limbo. Freshman quarterback Chris Smelley, who completed 9 of 15 passes for 112 yards in the first two games, has an injured left heel that he said began hurting in the preseason. Smelley, who has continued to practice, said he did not know whether it was a season-ending injury.

If USC plans to apply for a medical redshirt for Smelley, the right-hander would not be able to play in another game this season, according to the NCAA manual.

Asked if he wants to play, Smelley said: ?I?d like to. It?s just whatever?s best for the team.?

Good company? Steve Spurrier, who will coach his 200th college game Saturday, said he never thought about reaching any milestones when he began his coaching career as a Florida assistant in 1978.

?My only goal was to maybe be a head coach somewhere. I figured I?d been around a bunch of sorry coaches and I had a chance,? he said. ?Let?s hope I?m not one of them sorry coaches that my assistants say, ?Boy, I?ve got a chance.??

Spurrier has a 151-46-2 career record and his .764 winning percentage is ninth among active coaches.

Extra points. Tailback Cory Boyd and outside linebacker Cody Wells are both listed as doubtful for Saturday?s game with sprained ankles. Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, who was hospitalized last week with an infected forearm, returned to full pads Wednesday and is expected to play. …

William Brown, Seth Edwards and converted defensive lineman Matt Raysor are sharing reps at left guard. … Receiver Noah Whiteside and safety Ty Erving, who were suspended for the first three games, could see action this week.

Statistically speaking. After consecutive losses to Clemson (54-6), Kansas State (45-0) and Oklahoma State (48-8), Florida Atlantic is last among the 119 Division I-A schools in scoring defense (49 points per game) and 116th in scoring offense (4.7 ppg).

USC is 23rd nationally in scoring defense (12.7 ppg) and 105th in scoring offense (14 ppg). …

USC is 5-0 all-time against teams from the Sun Belt Conference. The Gamecocks face another Sun Belt school when Middle Tennessee visits Columbia on Nov. 18.

Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.

From the Anderson, S.C., Independent-Mail:

Mitchell looking to work his way back in

By STEPHEN FASTENAU
Anderson Independent-Mail
September 20, 2006

COLUMBIA ? USC quarterback Blake Mitchell returned to practice this week without his old starting job, but with a new outlook on the season.

Mitchell spoke to the media Wednesday for the first time since his Sept. 12 arrest on a simple assault charge, and said he?s ready to put the incident and the resulting one-game suspension behind him.

"I think I?m a stronger person," Mitchell said. "Just (want to) learn from my mistakes and use it to help me get better and not make those mistakes again."

The LaGrange, Ga., native was on the sideline last week against Wofford and watched his replacement, Syvelle Newton, lead the Gamecocks to a 27-20 win.

USC coach Steve Spurrier has named Newton the starter again this week, leaving Mitchell in a spot he hasn?t been in since April of 2005 ? a fight for playing time.

Spurrier said Mitchell could get on the field for Saturday?s game against Florida Atlantic, but that the starting job was in Newton?s hands.

"You get suspended and you sit on the bench for a week," Mitchell said. "You just got to come out here and work as hard as you can to get yourself back up there."

Mitchell completed a little more than half of his passes for 247 yards in the two games prior to his suspension. In his place, Newton threw for 196 yards and ran for 67 more.

With problems along the offensive line, Spurrier said he?s opting for Newton?s scramble ability over Mitchell?s experience at this point.

"Syvelle?s starting and if there?s a place for Blake to go in there and help us, we?ll put him in there," Spurrier said.
Spurrier not sure

Wide receiver Noah Whiteside and safety Ty Erving returned to practice this week after serving three-game suspensions for an undisclosed violation of team policy. Where each will fit in, though, is uncertain. Spurrier said Wednesday that Erving could play on special teams Saturday.

With freshman receiver Mo Brown earning his first start last week and the other two receiver positions filled, Whiteside may have a harder time getting on the field.

"I don?t know exactly where our substitutes are on the wide receiver team right now," Spurrier said. "We haven?t caught enough passes for any of them to do much besides Sidney (Rice) and Kenny (Mckinley). After that I?m not sure who the third next-best guy is."

Boyd doubtful for Saturday
USC running back Cory Boyd?s status has been downgraded to doubtful for Saturday?s game against Florida Atlantic. Team spokesman Steve Fink said Boyd continued to wear a protective boot on his injured right ankle Wednesday, and did not participate in team drills other than in warm-ups.

Boyd injured the ankle on his first carry of the second half against Wofford after rushing for 75 yards and three touchdowns.

Sophomore Mike Davis, who started the team?s first two games, is expected to start in Boyd?s place on Saturday. Sophomore running back Bobby Wallace, who?s playing time has been cut sharply since Boyd?s return from a one-year suspension, may also see playing time against the Owls.

From The State in Columbia, S.C.:

Posted on Fri, Sep. 22, 2006

Brown allowed back onto O-line
Boyd?s ankle injury means Davis will get starting nod at tailback

By JOSEPH PERSON
[email protected]

William ?Web? Brown is getting a second chance on a USC offensive line searching for continuity.

Brown, a redshirt junior from Boonville, N.C., started the Gamecocks? first two games before heading to the bench last week when USC overhauled its line. Now Brown is back, getting the start at left guard Saturday against Florida Atlantic.

?Web?s got a little fight in him. He cares,? USC coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday. ?Anybody that has a little spunk and has a little competitive fire and cares has a good chance to play for us.?

Spurrier said the rest of the line, which has allowed eight sacks in three games, would remain the same: center Chris White, tackles Jamon Meredith and Hutch Eckerson and right guard Garrett Anderson.

White and Meredith are the only linemen to start all three games.

Murdock suspended. Reserve receiver O.J. Murdock will serve a one-game suspension this week for skipping mandatory weightlifting sessions last semester. Murdock, a redshirt freshman from Tampa, has yet to catch a pass.

?I told him he?s going to miss a game, and this is the one he?s missing,? Spurrier said. ?I had to pick one.?

Injury report. With tailback Cory Boyd out with a high ankle sprain, sophomore Mike Davis will return to the starting lineup. Taylor Rank and Bobby Wallace also are expected to see action at tailback.

Rover Emanuel Cook (knee) and outside linebacker Cody Wells (ankle) also will miss the game. Dakota Walker will take Wells? spot, while freshman Darian Stewart could get his first start in place of Cook.

Looking to the future. Howard Schnellenberger does not expect Florida Atlantic to beat USC. But winning is not what Schnellenberger had in mind when he scheduled the Gamecocks, the final team in the Owls? four-game gauntlet to start the season.

FAU lost its first three games ? to Clemson, Kansas State and Oklahoma State ? by a combined score of 147-14.

?We have to understand that in all probability we?re not going to beat any of these first four teams,? Schnellenberger said this week. ?We go into every game hoping something awfully good could happen for us and something awfully bad for our opponents that would give us a chance to be in it at the end of the game.

?But that hasn?t happened and probably won?t happen.?

So why do it? Schnellenberger, 72, who built Miami and Louisville into winners, can cite 1.8 million reasons.

The Owls will collect about $1.8 million in guarantees from the four games, which will help the commuter school in Boca Raton continue to build its 6-year-old program. After going 26-21 in four seasons in Division I-AA, FAU was 2-9 last year in its first season as a I-A member, including losses to Kansas, Oklahoma State, Minnesota and Louisville.

Extra points. On his call-in radio show Thursday night, Spurrier said he fines players who miss class $10 by withholding meal money. Spurrier said it is permissible under NCAA rules. … The NCAA Clearinghouse approved freshman defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis this week, thought the 335-pound Ellis will redshirt and try to lose about 25 pounds.

Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.

From the Greenville, S.C., News:

'County fair' no fun at USC
Strenuous drills designed to stoke Gamecocks' effort

Published: Friday, September 22, 2006 - 6:00 am

By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
[email protected]

COLUMBIA – While there's a hint of fall in the air, it has felt like winter this week at practice for the University of South Carolina even as coach Steve Spurrier, upset by his team's lackluster effort, has turned up the heat on the Gamecocks.

One drill that has got the players' attention is "county fair," a series of eight stations of sprints, agility drills and calisthenics.

All are done full speed and in full pads.

Then the Gamecocks move on to a drill that pits an offensive lineman trying to block a defensive lineman in a confined area while a back tries to slip through without being tackled.
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There is no place to hide, and it is not for the faint of heart. These are drills usually done during the offseason and the first day of full pads in the fall, but rarely again during the season.

"It's just like winter workouts. It's a lot different than it has been," senior center Chris White said. "We didn't know anything about it until right after we came out to practice Monday.

"People were talking about it in the locker room, and they were like, 'There ain't no way we got county fair.' Then we came out and saw them setting up the stations, and we knew what time it was.

"Everybody was like, 'Here we go.' But we knew that in order for us to get better, he really had to tighten the rope on us, and I think it's going to show Saturday."

Spurrier said the players need to "play a little tougher, a little harder."

While upset with his team's effort overall, one area that particularly bothered him was the offensive line after USC scored just three points and had 83 yards total offense in the second half of Saturday's 27-20 win against Division I-AA Wofford College.

"When linemen fall on the ground in the fourth quarter trying to block, there's something wrong," Spurrier said. "In fact, I told our guys, 'You play harder blocking each other in inside drills than blocking (opponents).' I don't understand that.

"We've really got to emphasize more effort and so forth if we're ever going to be any good around here."

Hence the tougher practices.

"I think we've just been too nice on our guys," Spurrier said, "and they don't understand the importance of every game around here."

Nose tackle

Joel Reaves said practice has been "intense," which is fine with him.

"Anything that doesn't kill you makes you better. We're already beginning to see the results of county fair," he said. "As far as defense, even though we're tired, we still push to the ball, pursuit.

"We know everything is not going to be perfect Saturday, but when situations do occur like that we won't go in the tank."

Also from the Greenville, S.C. News:

USC report
Brown's return only projected change on offensive line

Published: Friday, September 22, 2006 - 6:00 am

By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
[email protected]

COLUMBIA – After a week out of the starting lineup, William "Web" Brown will be back at offensive left guard Saturday night when the University of South Carolina faces Florida Atlantic.

The rest of the starting front line, however, will remain the same, including freshman Garrett Anderson at right guard and Hutch Eckerson at left tackle, coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday after practice.

"Web's got a little fight in him. He cares," Spurrier said. "Anybody that has a little spunk and has a little competitive fire and cares has got a good chance to play for us. So we're going to try our best to put 11 out there that play as if they care."

Seth Edwards, a walk-on put on scholarship in August, replaced Brown in last week's 27-20 victory over Wofford. Spurrier said converted defensive tackle Matt Raysor could also play at guard.
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There will also be three changes in the defensive starting lineup ? and the Gamecocks will return to its 4-3 scheme after using a 3-4 against Wofford's wingbone option attack.

Sophomore Dakota Walker will make his first career start at outside linebacker, where freshman Rodney Paulk started last week in place of Cody Wells. Wells is out this week with an injured ankle.

"(Walker) can run. He can make plays," Spurrier said. "He's just got to play his assignments and play a little tougher and he'll be a real good ballplayer."

Also, rover Emanuel Cook, sidelined with an injured knee, will likely be replaced by another freshman, Darian Stewart, who will make his first career start.

And junior college transfer Joel Reaves will start at nose tackle ahead of Stanley Doughty, who was limited at practice Thursday with what USC officials called a "general medical" condition. Doughty will play Saturday.

Spurrier reiterated that Mike Davis will start at tailback for injured Cory Boyd (ankle) and that Syvelle Newton would start at quarterback with former starter Blake Mitchell "on deck."

No criticism
Newton said he's never been a "big talker" in the huddle, and given the personality makeup of the Gamecocks he's not about to change now that he's back at quarterback.

"Most of our guys can't take criticism and go respond," he said. "They take it and get down off of it. So I don't say much to them. I just let them play however they want to play.

"If they feel they are playing correctly, they're playing correctly. But the film shows what is going on."

Ellis in; Murdock out
Redshirt freshman wide receiver O.J. Murdock, who hasn't caught a pass this year, is serving a one-game suspension for violating team rules during last year's offseason, Spurrier said.

"It's related to weight room workouts that are mandatory during the school year," he said. "I told him he was going to miss one game next year. This is the one he's missing."

Also, Spurrier said DT Kenrick Ellis has been cleared academically by the NCAA clearinghouse but reiterated the 6-foot-5, 335-pound freshman will be redshirted. Spurrier said he wants Ellis to drop his weight to 300 to 310 pounds.

Briefly
In what Spurrier agreed was probably a first for a team he's coached, USC's quarterbacks have yet to throw a touchdown pass this year. … FAU's opponents have scored 11 of the 15 times they've been in the red zone, including eight touchdowns. And the Owls have been outscored 75-0 in the first half this year and 72-14 in the second half.