Neo
08-13-2006, 11:03 PM
http://www.sectalk.com/teams/South_Carolina.gifFreshman Smelley wows at scrimmage; Newton shows off injured leg.
By: Joseph Person
www.thestate.com
USC’s quarterback competition is heating up — not for the starting job, but among those jockeying for position behind returning starter Blake Mitchell.
In his first action at Williams-Brice Stadium, freshman Chris Smelley passed for a team-high 173 yards and three touchdowns Saturday during a 70-play scrimmage before an estimated crowd of 4,500.
While Steve Spurrier said Mitchell remains the clear No. 1, the USC coach certainly took notice of the performance by Smelley, a right-hander from Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“Chris threw the ball around pretty well,” Spurrier said. “He’s got a knack, it seems like, when he gets in the little scrimmages the ball goes down the field.”
Smelley completed 10 of 17 passed and tossed touchdown strikes to Noah Whiteside (a 4-yard slant route), O.J. Murdock (24-yard post) and Taylor Rank (a 46-yard catch-and-run on fourth down). Smelley called the pass to Murdock his favorite of the day.
“It was a great experience being out here for the first time in the stadium,” Smelley said. “I have to admit I was a little nervous at first, but settled down once I got going.”
Mitchell, a redshirt junior from LaGrange, Ga., was sharp in limited duty. He completed his first four passes before his fifth attempt bounced off receiver Kenny McKinley’s hands and was intercepted by linebacker Dakota Walker.
Mitchell finished 9-of-12 for 147 yards and two touchdowns, including a 25-yard hook-up with Sidney Rice near the end of the scrimmage.
Meanwhile, the player many observers expected to push Mitchell for playing time had a disappointing day. Redshirt freshman Cade Thompson was unable to duplicate the success he enjoyed during the April spring game.
Thompson was 6-of-14 passing for 55 yards and had two turnovers — an interception and a fumble that linebacker Rodney Paulk returned 21 yards for a touchdown.
Another interesting storyline among the quarterbacks was the return of Syvelle Newton. The senior from Marlboro County, attempting to come back from October surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon, did not have a ball thrown to him at receiver.
But when Spurrier put Newton in the shotgun formation, Newton immediately showed why he is one of the Gamecocks’ most elusive backs. On his first snap at quarterback, Newton rolled to his right, juked his way past a couple of defenders and ran for a 16-yard gain.
As he pulled himself from the turf, Newton skipped for a few steps on his way back to the huddle. It was a stark contrast to his last memorable play at Williams-Brice, which ended with him being helped to the sideline after he injured his Achilles at the end of a touchdown run against Vanderbilt.
“The last time I went down it was after a great run and the stands were filled. And I couldn’t get up,” Newton said. “That’s what (the enthusiasm) was for — just to let them know I’m alright.”
On the next play, Newton handed off to tailback Bobby Wallace, who scooted up the middle for a 9-yard touchdown.
While Newton remained noncommittal when asked whether he would play this season, Spurrier talked as though he expects Newton to be part of the gameplan.
“When he gets the ball in his hands, he’s a different guy. So that little package with him in the shotgun is something that we need to do.”
Spurrier was less certain about the pecking order behind Mitchell, but said Smelley is “pretty close to understanding what we’re trying to do.”
But what is Smelley hoping to do with the remaining two weeks of preseason camp?
“My goals have always been the same,” Smelley said. “Just to work as hard as I can and improve every day.”
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/15262756.htm
By: Joseph Person
www.thestate.com
USC’s quarterback competition is heating up — not for the starting job, but among those jockeying for position behind returning starter Blake Mitchell.
In his first action at Williams-Brice Stadium, freshman Chris Smelley passed for a team-high 173 yards and three touchdowns Saturday during a 70-play scrimmage before an estimated crowd of 4,500.
While Steve Spurrier said Mitchell remains the clear No. 1, the USC coach certainly took notice of the performance by Smelley, a right-hander from Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“Chris threw the ball around pretty well,” Spurrier said. “He’s got a knack, it seems like, when he gets in the little scrimmages the ball goes down the field.”
Smelley completed 10 of 17 passed and tossed touchdown strikes to Noah Whiteside (a 4-yard slant route), O.J. Murdock (24-yard post) and Taylor Rank (a 46-yard catch-and-run on fourth down). Smelley called the pass to Murdock his favorite of the day.
“It was a great experience being out here for the first time in the stadium,” Smelley said. “I have to admit I was a little nervous at first, but settled down once I got going.”
Mitchell, a redshirt junior from LaGrange, Ga., was sharp in limited duty. He completed his first four passes before his fifth attempt bounced off receiver Kenny McKinley’s hands and was intercepted by linebacker Dakota Walker.
Mitchell finished 9-of-12 for 147 yards and two touchdowns, including a 25-yard hook-up with Sidney Rice near the end of the scrimmage.
Meanwhile, the player many observers expected to push Mitchell for playing time had a disappointing day. Redshirt freshman Cade Thompson was unable to duplicate the success he enjoyed during the April spring game.
Thompson was 6-of-14 passing for 55 yards and had two turnovers — an interception and a fumble that linebacker Rodney Paulk returned 21 yards for a touchdown.
Another interesting storyline among the quarterbacks was the return of Syvelle Newton. The senior from Marlboro County, attempting to come back from October surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon, did not have a ball thrown to him at receiver.
But when Spurrier put Newton in the shotgun formation, Newton immediately showed why he is one of the Gamecocks’ most elusive backs. On his first snap at quarterback, Newton rolled to his right, juked his way past a couple of defenders and ran for a 16-yard gain.
As he pulled himself from the turf, Newton skipped for a few steps on his way back to the huddle. It was a stark contrast to his last memorable play at Williams-Brice, which ended with him being helped to the sideline after he injured his Achilles at the end of a touchdown run against Vanderbilt.
“The last time I went down it was after a great run and the stands were filled. And I couldn’t get up,” Newton said. “That’s what (the enthusiasm) was for — just to let them know I’m alright.”
On the next play, Newton handed off to tailback Bobby Wallace, who scooted up the middle for a 9-yard touchdown.
While Newton remained noncommittal when asked whether he would play this season, Spurrier talked as though he expects Newton to be part of the gameplan.
“When he gets the ball in his hands, he’s a different guy. So that little package with him in the shotgun is something that we need to do.”
Spurrier was less certain about the pecking order behind Mitchell, but said Smelley is “pretty close to understanding what we’re trying to do.”
But what is Smelley hoping to do with the remaining two weeks of preseason camp?
“My goals have always been the same,” Smelley said. “Just to work as hard as I can and improve every day.”
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/15262756.htm