Mitchell still out at QB
Suspended Cook has appendectomy
Suspended Cook has appendectomy
COLUMBIA — South Carolina's offense will be in Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher's hands for Saturday's opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Starting quarterback Blake Mitchell's appeal of a one-game suspension was upheld by the school, USC said Sunday night.
The punishment was levied Thursday because of Mitchell's suspect summer class attendance. Mitchell had hoped to overturn the decision, teammate and roommate Andy Boyd said, because of a class he had dropped.
Evidently, his case wasn't strong enough.
"If he's out, Chris Smelley will start the game," coach Steve Spurrier said earlier in the week. "If Blake's in, Blake will start the game. That's about as simple as I can say it."
In addition to the redshirt freshman Smelley, Spurrier said Beecher, a redshirt sophomore, will play also. Together, the pair have thrown 17 passes at USC.
Mitchell, a fifth-year senior, would be eligible to return for the Gamecocks' Sept. 8 game at Georgia.
After losing his starting job following last year's loss to Georgia, Mitchell rallied from USC's ninth game on, helping the Gamecocks win their final three games, including the Liberty Bowl.
In that victory against Houston, Mitchell threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns, earning offensive MVP honors.
It was a rough weekend for another Gamecock in hot water. Safety Emanuel Cook, currently suspended from the school and team, spent much of the weekend in the hospital after an appendectomy.
Even if eligible, the 19-year-old sophomore would have missed the better part of a month recovering from the surgery.
Cook was arrested Thursday night and charged with possession of a gun on campus.
Spurrier said it's his understanding that the weapon and vehicle belonged to a friend, who was also arrested.
Because of the surgery, school officials might have to reschedule their Tuesday hearing with Cook about the incident. Per university rules about weapons, Cook was summarily suspended by USC.
Spurrier remained hopeful Saturday that Cook would be exonerated and reinstated.
"I just certainly believe his story, and hopefully everyone that's involved in this decision will be listening and believing his story also," Spurrier said." Hopefully, it's all true, and I think it is. Emanuel is a fine young man and obviously we do everything to support him, all of us around here."
Cook, from Riviera Beach, Fla., was a Freshman All-SEC selection last season.
Spurrier said Saturday that corner Stoney Woodson would take over for cook at strong safety. Carlos Thomas will start at Woodson's corner spot.
This and that
After a day off, the Gamecocks will resume their preparation tonight for Louisiana-Lafayette ... Oddsmakers have USC as a 28 1/2-30-point favorite against the Cajuns ... Freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia and offensive lineman Quintin Richardson have been working out with the scout team, a possible sign they're headed toward redshirts. Spurrier has alluded to that possibility in recent weeks.
Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
mggoose2000 (anonymous) says...
Let's hope this sends a message to the rest to the team. Academics first, football second. Then and only then will USC start to stand tall in my mind. Ladies and Gentlemen, when are we going to stop putting education on the back burner, striving instead for a championship football team or other sport champion? The statistics show that most of these kids involved in college sports won't ever play this game professionally. They will, however, play the game of life for a lifetime. Without their education, what guarantees for success do they have? They caught a touchdown pass, threw the pass, ran for 1000 yards rushing in a season, hit a grandslam homerun to win the College World Series; so what, will these things guarantee their sucess in life? I don't think so. I like a good game of football, baseball, etc., but I want to see a young man or woman with a smile on their face because they just walked across a stage and received a diploma for completeing 4/5 years of college, the smile of winning at the game of life!
As for the young man having a gun on campus; if he's guilty, then punish him according to USC rules and let's move on. Not another 3 months of feeling sorry for him and media coverage that never ends. If he broke the rules and he was just another student at USC, we'd not even know about it outside of the local paper (maybe).
August 27, 2007 at 7:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rooster07 (anonymous) says...
I agree. I'm a huge college football fan, but I think we have gotten way out of focus as a society. The problem starts in high school. At schools where a certain sport such as football reigns supreme, the players are treated like royalty and get free passes that other students do not get. When these kids go off to college, they don't know any better b/c they haven't been taught to know better. Obviously they know right from wrong, but they think they can get away with anything, b/c they always have. Changes need to be made at the high school level to teach kids accountability for their actions.
August 27, 2007 at 9:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bigriver1 (anonymous) says...
The problem is when you recruit kids with no repect for the law and rules this is bound to happen, as for the punishment you have got to be kidding. Suspend Mitchell for the GEORGIA game or LSU. Suspending him for the Louisiana Lafayette game is a joke. The 6th string qb could win that game! Spurrier and the Sc administration are out of control. The kid caught with the firearm should be kicked out of school NOW! Remember Va. Tech! Richt, Bowden and other coaches teach young men how to develop into outstanding citizens. Spurrier and Sc teach them how to be THUGS! The old 5 strike rule. Parents all over the south and beyond are watching this continue to get worse. Seems like everyday a Sc player gets stabbed, steals, doing drugs, assaults someone, and on and on and on.
August 27, 2007 at 1:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rooster07 (anonymous) says...
If memory serves me correctly, the VT gunmen was not an athlete, so that comparison is ignorant. Also, Cook was not caught with the firearm, in fact he was the one who told the police that the gun was in the glovebox. I agree that he is guilty by association, but it is now in the hands of court and further punishment by the university will be handed out following his court sentence.
It doesn't matter which game Mitchell is benched for, its the principle of the whole thing. Players have been chomping at the bit for 8 months to play again and to sit the bench while the rest of the team plays sends a message to him and the rest of the team. The point is not to punish the entire team and its fans, its to punish the offender(Mitchell) and to send a message to the other players. It hurts just as much to sit for the La. Laf. game as the UGA or LSU games.
Also, Other SEC/ACC schools have had their fair share of off-the-field issues as well. Just go to any national college football website and read the news section. Today you can find stuff about an Arkansas player, Tennessee, Arizona St. and LSU had a guy arrested a couple of weeks ago.
Before you conclude that its just Spurrier and SC, you need to get your facts straight and read national columns, not just USC columns.
August 27, 2007 at 1:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rebel1 (anonymous) says...
hey, that little ditch "0" prob never played a down of football. I see clemson changed its adm standards. If a player can spell his name ( by that i mean sign a "x" ) he is in. little ditch "0" go float away
August 27, 2007 at 2:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Swanwalker (anonymous) says...
This idiot redneck called "BigRiver1" (Yeah, Bo! Let's drink some Budweiser and shoot some guns! Yee-ha!) hates USC, and the guy is a Georgia fan. He looks for any opportunity to bad-mouth USC. And rightfully so. I mean, of course, we are the only school in college football with players that have gotten into trouble. C'mon, "BigRiverRedneck"! You are just going to have to accept the fact that Spurrier is at South Carolina, and we're going to win. Your beloved Bulldogs are aware that there is a new sheriff in town, and you are too. Don't be scared, little boy. Our "thugs" won't pull out their guns or do drugs during the game, they'll just hand you a butt-whoopin' just like you were used to when Spurrier was at Florida.
August 27, 2007 at 10:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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