It was Sept. 9, 2000, a beautiful day
at Williams-Brice Stadium. The No. 9, SEC-East
favorite, Georgia Bulldogs were in town. The Gamecocks had ended a 21-game
losing streak week before by beating New Mexico State, 31-0. That
win, began the process to rid the ghosts of the Brad Scott era. He
had left the program in a shambles for Lou Holtz to take over.
But Georgia was no NMS. The Bulldogs
were national title contenders.
 |
| Phil Petty, USC QB, 2000. |
 |
| Derek Watson, scores a TD vs Georgia, 2000. |
The Gamecocks were lead by QB Phil
Petty and RB Derek Watson. The Bulldogs, were lead by Quincy Carter, who was billed as an All-World QB. Carter was
intercepted five times that day, and his Heisman hopes flew out the window, as
SC rolled to a 21-10 win.
Georgia defensive lineman Richard
Seymour, who played at Lower Richland High School, attacked the ragtag band that flattened his high-riding, elite football team.
“It’s tough losing to an inferior
team,” Seymour said in newspaper report. “This is devastating.”
Seymour's comments certainly did not do
anything to add to his team's reputation for class.
The win was an eye-opening jewel in a 8-4 Gamecock season. It was one of the biggest turnarounds for any team in the
history of college football.
On Saturday, the Gamecocks face a
similar task. The Bulldogs are heralded as an All-World team. Georgia is favored ranked
ahead of SC, with no intention of letting an “inferior team” as
many Bulldog fans view South Carolina, blemish their record.
The question is: Will South Carolina
play with the heart it mustered on that sunny September day in 2000?
It may be a good idea for the SC
coaching staff to find some film encapsulating that game, and let the
2014 version of the Gamecocks see what happens when the underdog
wants the bone, more than the Bulldog. The result can be exhilarating for Gamecock fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment