B
Brian Shoemaker
Guest
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Good morning from Gamecock Central.
We're 65 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
1. 6️⃣5️⃣ Countdown to kickoff: 65 days!
Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 65 days so we throw it back to former first-round pick Ernest Dye (1991-92).
Dye went to Greenwood High School but didn’t enroll at South Carolina until his junior year of college. He only started 11 games in his Gamecock career, but his senior season was an All-SEC campaign at left tackle.
The 18th-overall selection by the Phoenix Cardinals played 50 games in the NFL before a car accident forced him to retire early in 1999.
– Will Helms
Colten Gauthier/Credit: Rivals
2. New Podcast: Camp, Commitment Recap
Gamecock Central football and recruiting insiders Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell join host Pearson Fowler on Another Carolina Podcast. Topics on this episode include:
Listen to Gamecock Central Podcasts on these platforms: Apple iTunes Podcasts| Spotify | PlayerFM | SoundCloud | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | Spreaker | YouTube
ALSO: more episodes | GC Radio app: App Store - Google Play
– Wes Mitchell
3. Five questions with Matrick Belton
Former South Carolina wide receiver Matrick Belton played for both Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp in Columbia. He took some time out of his schedule recently to answer several questions for GamecockCentral.com.
GC: Will you refresh us on your journey to South Carolina?
MB: I can take you way back to high school. In high school, I always knew that Carolina was the dream school. Alshon was the man, and I wanted to be just like him, to be honest. I got a scholarship to Hampton, which was a MEAC school, D1AA in Virginia. It wasn’t anything like I was expecting college football to be like. Shortly into my sophomore season, I literally just quit the team and told the coaches I was going to transfer to the University of South Carolina. They tried to hold my transfer papers, eligibility, something like that, until I got accepted. I got accepted to USC.
Fast-forwarding, I got accepted, got enrolled, then went to the tryout process. I went to the tryout, probably 80 something people at the tryout. They cut it from 80 to 20 at the first cut. Push-up test, sit-up test, 40 and broad jump. Then we had an on-field tryout probably a couple weeks later. Me and my boy Rod Talley, we took our first class together and were roommates and have been best friends ever since. Both our names were on that list for the second tryout. So they pull out a ball, had some quarterbacks there, and we ran probably 10 routes. That was the whole second tryout. They cut it down from that 20 to about 8 to 10. That’s how it all got started. They threw us right into practice, right into the meetings, everything.
GC: Do you remember your first snap, or the first time you were out there? What you were thinking?
MB: I was on kickoff return team against North Carolina. I remember I was the backup 'Z' behind Pharoh. He was doing a lot one drive, and I remember he stayed on the ground a little bit longer than usual. I remember they called me in: “Belton!” They called me to go block this big linebacker they had for North Carolina. I didn’t crack him but I did my job. That was my first play. I probably got eight snaps that whole game on offense. My first catch was against Georgia from Lorenzo Nunez.
GC: Did you know that Deebo, back then, was going to be as good as he turned out to be?
MB: To be honest, I knew he was a great talent. With all due respect, I didn’t know the majority of guys were the caliber that they were. Deebo, Hayden Hurst, a lot of guys like that, we saw them in practice every day. I think we took them for granted. We competed against them. Truth be told, Deebo’s always been the same guy he is now. His confidence has taken over a little bit and he’s a little bit bigger, faster, stronger than he was then.
GC: When Will Muschamp took over the program, what were the biggest differences you noticed?
MB: I’d say the biggest difference, Muschamp held us to more accountability but also more reward. He asked more of us, to be places on time. When he said something, he meant it. He demanded respect from the team, which was awesome. At the same time, he made some changes for the good. Instead of going all the way to the Dodie and making it back to the stadium for a 5 a.m. workout, he brought breakfast to the stadium. He did stuff like that, made it convenient for us to be successful. Everybody got a new suit when Muschamp came in. The food improved. Fed us after workouts, after practices. Practice was harder, tougher, more demanding. It was a tight ship run, but he rewarded us more for what we did.
GC: Who was the best player you played against in college?
MB: Initially, I want to say Vernon Hargreaves. I lined up against him. He was very impressive. It would be between Vernon Hargreaves and Myles Garrett. We played Leonard Fournette; he didn’t play much in the second half. We actually held him pretty good the first half.
Todd Gurley. I watched him run through our whole defense like they were little kids. He shed seven tackles in the backfield one play. I think it was like a sweep play, shed seven tackles and got like plus five. I was like, are you serious?
– Chris Clark
4. This, that, and the other
Baseball: Oral history (Part 3): Fear the fish, Clemson and the Gamecocks' dream run in 2012 - An inside look at one of the best eras in South Carolina history. (link)
Football Recruiting: Carolina Confidential - The latest on a couple of top 2021 targets, a JUCO WR offer, basketball prospect on campus, and more. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Will Muschamp Football Camp prospect quotebook - Some bonus nuggets relating to several defenders who visited and camped at South Carolina this month. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Tracking the Gamecocks official visits - South Carolina has taken full advantage of the chance to hold spring official visits, already hosting 26 official visitors on campus from the 2020 cycle. (subscription)
Men's Basketball: AJ Lawson to represent country in U19 World Cup - AJ Lawson will be representing his country in Greece over the next few days. (link)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: Gamecocks showing interest in fast-rising, local prospect - The Gamecocks don’t have to look far from campus to find one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2022 class in Blythewood’s Julian Phillips. (subscription)
Equestrian: Gamecocks announce 2019-20 schedule - Head coach Boo Major has released the 2019-20 schedule that features 13 regular season meets, including seven at home and six away competitions. (link)
Academics: SEC recognizes 88 Gamecocks on Spring Academic Honor Roll - The 2019 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll was announced on Wednesday by commissioner Greg Sankey, and South Carolina had 88 student-athletes across nine sports make the list. (link)
Gamecock Success Week: Leading the way in academics and service - South Carolina fans are always proud when their Gamecocks win games and take home SEC and National Championships, but the student-athletes also take pride in what they do outside of the athletics arena with their classwork and community service. (link)
– Jackson Fields
5. This Date in Gamecock History
June 27, 2011 – South Carolina opened the championship round of the College World Series by knocking off Florida, 2-1, in 11 innings.
6. Birthdays!
• Larry Craig – Craig, whose brothers Tom (South Carolina) and Johnson (Clemson) also played college football, was a three-year starter at end for the Gamecocks. In 1935 he blocked a punt to set up a USC touchdown in a 33-0 win over Erskine. He did miss some time with injuries that season but recovered in time to play center for the 1935-36 basketball team. Craig was captain of the 1938 team and named all-Southern Conference and all-state as a senior in 1938. He went on to play for the Green Bay Packers from 1939 through 1949. As the answer to a trivia question, Craig was one of the first two players ever fined by the NFL league office, when he was fined $25 in 1941 for fighting. He was a three-time Pro Bowler for the Packers and is a member of their Hall of Fame. Craig, who also ran track at Carolina, was named to the USC Sports Hall of Fame in 1976 and on the Pre-World War II All-Time Team in 1992, amazing for a player who didn’t play high school football. After his retirement from football Craig ran a cattle farm and the Ninety Six Canning Company from his home in Ninety-Six, South Carolina. He passed away in May 1992.
• Maynard Caldwell (football/defensive end, 1993-96)
• Ike Crofoot (football/long snapper, 2003-06)
• Regis Edgerson (football/running back, 2002-03)
• Dennis Ford (football/offensive guard, 1970-71)
• Johnny Hinkel (baseball/catcher, 1974-77)
• Brad Kline (football/offensive guard, 1973-75)
• Michael Norwood (football/defensive back, 1984-87)
• Donell Stanley (football/offensive lineman, 2014-18)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
7. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• June 27 – Baseball: Prospect camp (today)
• July 11 – Baseball: Prospect camp (14 days)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (18)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (19)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (20)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (21)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (21)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (23)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (51)
• Aug. 22 – My Carolina Sports Preview (56)
• Aug. 22 – Carolina Calls feat. Muschamp (56)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (65)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (139)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (174)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (223)
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecocks Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
------------------------
GAMECOCKS TODAY!
Thursday, June 27
Thursday, June 27
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
We're 65 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
1. 6️⃣5️⃣ Countdown to kickoff: 65 days!
Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 65 days so we throw it back to former first-round pick Ernest Dye (1991-92).
Dye went to Greenwood High School but didn’t enroll at South Carolina until his junior year of college. He only started 11 games in his Gamecock career, but his senior season was an All-SEC campaign at left tackle.
The 18th-overall selection by the Phoenix Cardinals played 50 games in the NFL before a car accident forced him to retire early in 1999.
– Will Helms
Colten Gauthier/Credit: Rivals
2. New Podcast: Camp, Commitment Recap
Gamecock Central football and recruiting insiders Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell join host Pearson Fowler on Another Carolina Podcast. Topics on this episode include:
- Catching up on three South Carolina commits since our last show: OL Vershon Lee, DB Dominick Hill and TE Nick Muse. The scoop on why the Gamecocks took a transfer tight end.
- The latest on two official visitors who South Carolina hosted this past weekend, wide receiver Deajuan McDougle and DB Joey Hunter.
- Is 2021 quarterback Colten Gauthier already the one to watch for the Gamecocks in that class?
- Who impressed at camp so far and what has stood out to the Gamecock Central staff.
Listen to Gamecock Central Podcasts on these platforms: Apple iTunes Podcasts| Spotify | PlayerFM | SoundCloud | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | Spreaker | YouTube
ALSO: more episodes | GC Radio app: App Store - Google Play
– Wes Mitchell
3. Five questions with Matrick Belton
Former South Carolina wide receiver Matrick Belton played for both Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp in Columbia. He took some time out of his schedule recently to answer several questions for GamecockCentral.com.
GC: Will you refresh us on your journey to South Carolina?
MB: I can take you way back to high school. In high school, I always knew that Carolina was the dream school. Alshon was the man, and I wanted to be just like him, to be honest. I got a scholarship to Hampton, which was a MEAC school, D1AA in Virginia. It wasn’t anything like I was expecting college football to be like. Shortly into my sophomore season, I literally just quit the team and told the coaches I was going to transfer to the University of South Carolina. They tried to hold my transfer papers, eligibility, something like that, until I got accepted. I got accepted to USC.
Fast-forwarding, I got accepted, got enrolled, then went to the tryout process. I went to the tryout, probably 80 something people at the tryout. They cut it from 80 to 20 at the first cut. Push-up test, sit-up test, 40 and broad jump. Then we had an on-field tryout probably a couple weeks later. Me and my boy Rod Talley, we took our first class together and were roommates and have been best friends ever since. Both our names were on that list for the second tryout. So they pull out a ball, had some quarterbacks there, and we ran probably 10 routes. That was the whole second tryout. They cut it down from that 20 to about 8 to 10. That’s how it all got started. They threw us right into practice, right into the meetings, everything.
GC: Do you remember your first snap, or the first time you were out there? What you were thinking?
MB: I was on kickoff return team against North Carolina. I remember I was the backup 'Z' behind Pharoh. He was doing a lot one drive, and I remember he stayed on the ground a little bit longer than usual. I remember they called me in: “Belton!” They called me to go block this big linebacker they had for North Carolina. I didn’t crack him but I did my job. That was my first play. I probably got eight snaps that whole game on offense. My first catch was against Georgia from Lorenzo Nunez.
GC: Did you know that Deebo, back then, was going to be as good as he turned out to be?
MB: To be honest, I knew he was a great talent. With all due respect, I didn’t know the majority of guys were the caliber that they were. Deebo, Hayden Hurst, a lot of guys like that, we saw them in practice every day. I think we took them for granted. We competed against them. Truth be told, Deebo’s always been the same guy he is now. His confidence has taken over a little bit and he’s a little bit bigger, faster, stronger than he was then.
GC: When Will Muschamp took over the program, what were the biggest differences you noticed?
MB: I’d say the biggest difference, Muschamp held us to more accountability but also more reward. He asked more of us, to be places on time. When he said something, he meant it. He demanded respect from the team, which was awesome. At the same time, he made some changes for the good. Instead of going all the way to the Dodie and making it back to the stadium for a 5 a.m. workout, he brought breakfast to the stadium. He did stuff like that, made it convenient for us to be successful. Everybody got a new suit when Muschamp came in. The food improved. Fed us after workouts, after practices. Practice was harder, tougher, more demanding. It was a tight ship run, but he rewarded us more for what we did.
GC: Who was the best player you played against in college?
MB: Initially, I want to say Vernon Hargreaves. I lined up against him. He was very impressive. It would be between Vernon Hargreaves and Myles Garrett. We played Leonard Fournette; he didn’t play much in the second half. We actually held him pretty good the first half.
Todd Gurley. I watched him run through our whole defense like they were little kids. He shed seven tackles in the backfield one play. I think it was like a sweep play, shed seven tackles and got like plus five. I was like, are you serious?
– Chris Clark
4. This, that, and the other
Baseball: Oral history (Part 3): Fear the fish, Clemson and the Gamecocks' dream run in 2012 - An inside look at one of the best eras in South Carolina history. (link)
Football Recruiting: Carolina Confidential - The latest on a couple of top 2021 targets, a JUCO WR offer, basketball prospect on campus, and more. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Will Muschamp Football Camp prospect quotebook - Some bonus nuggets relating to several defenders who visited and camped at South Carolina this month. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Tracking the Gamecocks official visits - South Carolina has taken full advantage of the chance to hold spring official visits, already hosting 26 official visitors on campus from the 2020 cycle. (subscription)
Men's Basketball: AJ Lawson to represent country in U19 World Cup - AJ Lawson will be representing his country in Greece over the next few days. (link)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: Gamecocks showing interest in fast-rising, local prospect - The Gamecocks don’t have to look far from campus to find one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2022 class in Blythewood’s Julian Phillips. (subscription)
Equestrian: Gamecocks announce 2019-20 schedule - Head coach Boo Major has released the 2019-20 schedule that features 13 regular season meets, including seven at home and six away competitions. (link)
Academics: SEC recognizes 88 Gamecocks on Spring Academic Honor Roll - The 2019 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll was announced on Wednesday by commissioner Greg Sankey, and South Carolina had 88 student-athletes across nine sports make the list. (link)
Gamecock Success Week: Leading the way in academics and service - South Carolina fans are always proud when their Gamecocks win games and take home SEC and National Championships, but the student-athletes also take pride in what they do outside of the athletics arena with their classwork and community service. (link)
– Jackson Fields
5. This Date in Gamecock History
June 27, 2011 – South Carolina opened the championship round of the College World Series by knocking off Florida, 2-1, in 11 innings.
- The winning run was largely due to poor defense on the Gators' part as USC 1B Christian Walker singled then stole second and Florida catcher Mike Zunino threw the ball into center field. As Walker headed for third UF CF Bryson Smith threw wildly to third, allowing Walker to come home with the winning run.
- Carolina got some great work on the mound, as starter Forrest Koumas allowed just one run in 5.2 innings and Tyler Webb, John Taylor and Matt Price combined for 5.1 scoreless innings of relief.
- Taylor got the win, improving to 8-1, while Price got his 19th save by getting two ground outs and a strikeout in the final inning.
6. Birthdays!
• Larry Craig – Craig, whose brothers Tom (South Carolina) and Johnson (Clemson) also played college football, was a three-year starter at end for the Gamecocks. In 1935 he blocked a punt to set up a USC touchdown in a 33-0 win over Erskine. He did miss some time with injuries that season but recovered in time to play center for the 1935-36 basketball team. Craig was captain of the 1938 team and named all-Southern Conference and all-state as a senior in 1938. He went on to play for the Green Bay Packers from 1939 through 1949. As the answer to a trivia question, Craig was one of the first two players ever fined by the NFL league office, when he was fined $25 in 1941 for fighting. He was a three-time Pro Bowler for the Packers and is a member of their Hall of Fame. Craig, who also ran track at Carolina, was named to the USC Sports Hall of Fame in 1976 and on the Pre-World War II All-Time Team in 1992, amazing for a player who didn’t play high school football. After his retirement from football Craig ran a cattle farm and the Ninety Six Canning Company from his home in Ninety-Six, South Carolina. He passed away in May 1992.
• Maynard Caldwell (football/defensive end, 1993-96)
• Ike Crofoot (football/long snapper, 2003-06)
• Regis Edgerson (football/running back, 2002-03)
• Dennis Ford (football/offensive guard, 1970-71)
• Johnny Hinkel (baseball/catcher, 1974-77)
• Brad Kline (football/offensive guard, 1973-75)
• Michael Norwood (football/defensive back, 1984-87)
• Donell Stanley (football/offensive lineman, 2014-18)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
7. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• June 27 – Baseball: Prospect camp (today)
• July 11 – Baseball: Prospect camp (14 days)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (18)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (19)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (20)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (21)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (21)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (23)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (51)
• Aug. 22 – My Carolina Sports Preview (56)
• Aug. 22 – Carolina Calls feat. Muschamp (56)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (65)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (139)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (174)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (223)
