TFP - Like a game show contestant, with a parting gift, I could not believe my eyes.
Gamecock Football
Spur of the Moment: Spurrier says on radio show that Connor Shaw will be game-day decision for UAB and Lorenzo Ward on Auguste perhaps playing vs. Missouri, and how UAB's offense "paints a picture" with its formations. It would be great to have Akeem back for the Missouri Tigers, but I'm not holding my breath, either.
Gamecock Anthem: More on Akeem - Practice report: Auguste to return soon? by David Porter. He notes we also get Golightly and Surratt back after this game.
Sports Talk Radio: Very good news - Clowney should be good to go for UAB. We should rest him a bit if we can afford to.
ESPN SEC Blog: Dylan Thompson gets 54% of the vote - and handily beats Denard Robinson - to earn him this week's Capital One Cup Impact Performance award. Congrats, Dylan. That's a lot of national pub for your first ever start.
Al.com: UAB-South Carolina Preview. This piece is more about the proximity to Spurrier's 200 win milestone than about the game, but it's still worth the read.
Garnet Report: Game 3 Preview: UAB vs. South Carolina. This is actually a three-part piece, by Avery Wilks, Zach Crowl and Randall Stewart. Wrapping it up, Randall concludes:
As you can tell, I’m not worried about this game, and you shouldn’t be either. Heck, the Gamecocks opened this week as a five touchdown favorite. Raise your hand if you can ever remember that happening. Yeah, me neither. All in all, look for the Gamecocks’ athleticism and depth to wear UAB down. This one could get ugly. Final score: 51-13 Gamecocks
Well, my feeling is that looking past any C-USA teams is a good recipe for disaster. Respect the Blazers, and take care of business.
It's an all you can eat China buffet of links after The Jump. You go now! You here four hour! (link not totally safe for work).
The Daily Gamecock: Four great football articles.
Aiken Standard: Shaq Wilson a vocal leader for USC defense by Darryl Slater.
Anderson Independent-Mail: D-line pressure is paying off for USC by Brad Senkiw. After Coach Lawing's tirade from earlier in the week, how can you not get fired up to read about the defensive line?
Garnet & Cocky: Why UAB is a Huge Game for the Cocks.
Athlon: SEC Week 3 Preview and Predictions.
Spurs Up: Ko Simpson Named to SEC 2012 Football Legends Class. Congrats, Ko! Georgia's David Greene and Tennessee's Peerless Price are among the others also being honored.
Cocky Country: Gamecock Football News & Notes (from Wednesday).
CBS Sports: Preview: UAB Blazers at No. 8 South Carolina Gamecocks (from Wednesday).
Gamecock Basketball
Beach.com: Finally! Gamecock Men's Basketball Releases 2012-13 Non-Conference Schedule. This looks to be a very favorable schedule - with Clemson and St. Johns being the two toughest opponents. There's a Thanksgiving trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and a pre-Christmas jaunt to New York City.
The State: Cardinal Newman's Austin Ajukwa picks Clemson over South Carolina. Win some, lose some.
Loose Feed
Andy Staples: Swofford strikes again, adds Notre Dame as non-football ACC member. I barely recognize the ACC of my youth, and that's kind of sad really. Love it or hate it - and USC fans had a lot of legitimate reasons to hate it - the old ACC possessed a geographical and cultural integrity that's been totally abandoned. FSU, Virginia Tech and Miami were not bad additions (yes - even the U). But B.C.? Pitt? Syracuse? And now Notre Dame? The ACC has sacrificed its soul.
The Rubber Chickens: T-bone has some good analysis on the Irish/ACC marriage-of-convenience - ACC Goes Full Big East.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Wilson ‘looks good’ in practice; still not cleared for Alabama. This scares me a bit for Wilson. I heard a report that he was hospitalized after the ULM game for bleeding on the lower brain. Now, I do know enough to know that all concussions involve some bleeding on the brain ... but rushing him back at practice after a hospitalization for a traumatic concussion undercuts all the concussion-safety stuff we've been hearing for the last few years. Are the Hogs so desperate to have Wilson against Bama that they will risk him like this? What if he gets clobbered again? If the Razorback OL can't stop the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, what are they going to do against the Tide?
Saturday Down South: Jon writes - This Georgia team is different. Let the paeans commence.
Chris Low: No excuses, Georgia's 'D' gets it done. They definitely showed their mettle in the 'other' Columbia.
Athens Banner Herald: Keeping a lid on it: NCAA’s new helmet rule not making fans of coaches and players.
NBC College Football Talk: How can this be? - Miss. St. players said they knew Auburn’s play calls.
Get the Picture: The Senator says that Auburn allowing MSU to steal signals is So dumb, I have a hard time believing it. I do, too. And we're only a year removed from Guz Malzahn's number-flip system? Mein Gott. If you're an Auburn fan, how do you feel about Chizik?
Auburn Undercover: An ugly and unhealthy thing. Not a bad piece about the need to dial down the 'hate' in CFB.
Dr. Saturday: Think Spurrier's gotta an acidic tongue? Before Week 3 starts, coaches take shots at Week 2 foes. It did look like amateur hour with the Gators going down one-after-the-other with cramps, but UF still owned you in the second half, Coach Sumlin.
Dixie Fried Sports: Matt Barber spans the nation to bring you Dixiefried Duds Week 2. The new kickoff rule makes the list, with a USC stat I hadn't heard - the Gamecocks haven't returned a kick-off all year. Wow.