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TFP - I'm coming home.
Gamecock Football
Gamecocksonline: Game Day Information and Thursday's Practice Report. Kick-off at 12:21 on the SEC Network (check local listings here).
Spur of the Moment: After rough opener, USC tinkering with Shell's role; why tall DEs could help USC vs. ECU; Holloman will be tested in coverage.
Team Speed Kills: Previewing ECU-USC, Cocknfire asks Can We Take Back Last Year's Complaints About Connor Shaw? Works for me. The difference between this year and last is that (a) Shaw is indisputably the team's leader this season; and (b) we've already been punched in the mouth by Vandy, whereas last year it was ECU who had to hit us to wake us up.
Tony Barnhardt: South Carolina could stumble - # 6 on Tony's Top 10.
Raleigh News & Observer: Preview: ECU at No. 9 South Carolina:
Key mismatch: ECU’s receivers vs. South Carolina secondary. South Carolina lost junior cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the NFL draft, and fellow starting CB Akeem Auguste is sidelined while recovering from a thigh procedure. The Pirates will look to attack junior safety-turned-corner Jimmy Legree, making his second career start there Saturday. The Pirates will also target sophomore Victor Hampton, who started for the first time against Vanderbilt.
A convoy of links keeps trucking after The Jump!
Bleacher Report: The Gamecocks Should Be Careful with Connor Shaw. I agree - but I'm worried about the way our rivals and detractors claim that Spurrier hazards our most talented players. If Shaw goes out too early, and gets all banged up, you can bet your bottom dollar that competing programs will start the whisper campaigns again like they did last year that we were "over using" Lattimore. Also at BR - Alex Roberts has 5 Keys to the Game vs. East Carolina and according to Kevin McRae, Spurrier is adamant that We Aren't Giving Up on the Passing Game.
CBS Sports: Spurrier hopes to spark South Carolina's sluggish passing game. Seems like a bit of a theme here.
Saturday Down South: Ranking the SEC’s best young talent. Our youngsters are getting noticed.
GoUpstate.com: Matt Connolly blogs that USC’s Ward wants to correct big plays.
The Daily Gamecock: All in a year: Quarterback undergoes season of change and Rush attack still priority for Gamecocks.
Brad Senkiw: Breaking down USC-ECU. Yes, it's true - we're on a four game home-losing streak to ECU:
ECU has won the last four meetings in Columbia, but the last one came in 1999. A lot has changed since then. The Gamecocks are ranked ninth in the nation and coming off an 11-win season. ECU won just five games a year ago and are more focused on getting bowl eligible and moving up the CUSA ranks. The Pirates surprised a few bigger schools in 2007 and 2008, but they haven’t had much success since. USC has been dominant at home, winning 18 of its last 21 at Williams-Brice Stadium. With this being the Gamecocks’ home opener, there should be a rowdy crowd waiting, especially with the debut of a new, state-of-the-art video board on display.
GoGamecocks: What's new at Williams-Brice for 2012. From Wednesday, but worth a look.
Leftover Hotdog: Gamecocks Great Debate: Scheduling East Carolina. It's a compliment to ECU really.
Loose Feed
Frank Deford: The author doesn't even bother to hide his anti-Southern sentiments in this editorial - Nation can't ignore pride, passion for college football in the South. The "sophisticated" left coast commenters sure heard the dog whistle however.
NBC College Football Talk: Some Aggy math. Seems like the folks in College Station have been dipping into Bama's playbook when it comes to inventing reinterpreting their history.
AJC Recruiting: I don't really care much one way or the other about Robert Nkemdiche but if you haven't seen it yet this is highly amusing. Robert Nkemdiche’s mother "unhappy" with Clemson. It's quite apparent that some folks at Clemmy are more than a bit worried about their prize recruit - Da'Quan Bowers texts Nkimdiche.
SI.com: It's not just being reported in the AJC, either - Robert Nkemdiche’s mom says Clemson commitment ‘is not final’. Beverly sounds like a smart cookie, Coach Swinney. Better go try to butter her up - after you get the speeding ticket fixed, of course.
Crystal Ball Run: You knew this was coming - Big 12 Inks $2.6 Billion Media Rights Deal. Pay attention to the "grant of rights' clause. It's basically a suicide pact between Texas, Oklahoma and the eight others.
The Sporting News: You knew this was coming too - Big East could 'tweak' its name to better fit league roster.
Pre-Snap Read: Paul Myerberg writes Five New N.C.A.A. Rules Are Felt Early.
Gamecock Central: Former Gamecock Marty Simpson has a funny take on Facebook etiquette for smack talk.