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Currently watching the 1987 Gator Bowl on Youtube

E-Cut_22

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Jan 24, 2008
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I was at the game, very young and dont remember much except for being in aww of all of the LSU fans in attendance.

Watching the game for the first time other than in person as a tween a couple of things standout.

Todd Ellis was a bad qb, ran as if he had concrete boots on, slow as molasses. I knew even then Ellis was good for a couple interceptions at the worst of times every game like clockwork. Him as qb in the run and shoot was a joke. So much wasted movement. I know Todd Ellis is diehard Gamecock and i love him for it but he wasnt a very smart qb either, Terry Bradshaw of college football without the brains lol.

Sterling Sharpe was actually better than i remember and i thought he was Superman as a kid. LSU intercepted an Ellis pass and the announcers said ,"hes gone its a pick 6" but out of nowhere Sharpe tackles him from behind.

Harold Green shouldve gotten more carries, he was a beast. If only they worked out of an i formation he wouldve gained 1500 yards that year . Hes underated in Gamecock lore.

The defense was small but quick however when they went head to head vs the better teams they were manhandled. LSU had no problems but then again Todd Ellis shouldve just worn a gold jersey.

Thats all i had to say. I enjoy watching these old games and comparing them to our current team. Almost any game you can think of withon the last 30 or 35 years is shown on Youtube
 
The vaunted Joe Lee Dunn defenses were no match for well prepared upper level teams, which LSU certainly was. Hodson picked our defenders apart who were left on islands by our ineffective blitzing tactics.
 
If Dunn's blitz was getting to the QB like 87 ncstate, 87 clemson, 88 UGA. It's was awesome if we were not getting to the QB..........87 lsu, 88 fsu, and 88 gt.
 
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I was at the game, very young and dont remember much except for being in aww of all of the LSU fans in attendance.

Watching the game for the first time other than in person as a tween a couple of things standout.

Todd Ellis was a bad qb, ran as if he had concrete boots on, slow as molasses. I knew even then Ellis was good for a couple interceptions at the worst of times every game like clockwork. Him as qb in the run and shoot was a joke. So much wasted movement. I know Todd Ellis is diehard Gamecock and i love him for it but he wasnt a very smart qb either, Terry Bradshaw of college football without the brains lol.

Sterling Sharpe was actually better than i remember and i thought he was Superman as a kid. LSU intercepted an Ellis pass and the announcers said ,"hes gone its a pick 6" but out of nowhere Sharpe tackles him from behind.

Harold Green shouldve gotten more carries, he was a beast. If only they worked out of an i formation he wouldve gained 1500 yards that year . Hes underated in Gamecock lore.

The defense was small but quick however when they went head to head vs the better teams they were manhandled. LSU had no problems but then again Todd Ellis shouldve just worn a gold jersey.

Thats all i had to say. I enjoy watching these old games and comparing them to our current team. Almost any game you can think of withon the last 30 or 35 years is shown on Youtube
I was at the game as a teenager as well. My dad thought the Gamecock defense would take care of business. Our defense was not prepared for the LSU offense and they never tried to adjust during the game. Extremely frustrating to watch. I agree that Green should have gotten the ball more.

After the game, my dad dropped a few F bombs on some LSU fans that were blocking the gate as we were leaving.

I also recall that it was New Year's Eve. We went out to eat and then we hit the sack before midnight. Too depressed to celebrate the New Year.
 
We would blitz and play their great wideout man to man. Stupid strategy. I don't remember his name but he had a big game. A late Christmas gift to try to cover him that way.
 
I was there. I must ask... you were in AWW of all the LSU fans? I remember that we had about 45,000 fans there and LSU probably had about 15,000. Solid # for a bowl game that is a pretty good distance away, but what impressed me was that it seemed like a home game for us until we started falling apart on the field.
 
Todd Ellis was a bad qb

For those of us that were kids when Ellis played, when you re watch him now, his tape does not come off well.

We also know now how special Sterling Sharpe was, who made Ellis look better then he was.

The Post and Courier had a top ten Gamecock QB list a few weeks back and Ellis was #3.

I posted that was over rated. not a lot did. some thought he should be no 1, but I don't think they watch these old games.

I think their is no argument Ellis belongs on the worst announcer list of all time.

I will argue that Ellis should not be on any all time great QB lists.
 
Todd Ellis played more games than that one. You may want to watch some others.

Oh I have watched others, trust me, is that you Todd?

Now I will admit their is not alot of 1989 games on youtube before the injury and he made progress that season, so i would like to see some more of those, but his 1987 and 1988 seasons were not good.

Before you debate me on 1987 and 1988, lets go to the stats

1987 = 55.8 % completions , 10 TD's and 24 INT's

1988 = 50.6 % completions, 9 TD's and 21 INT's

He threw in 1987 to hwo i think is the best WR in school history and what can not be debated is he was the highest drafted WR, Sterling Sharpe. Sharpe had alot of YAC which inflated Ellis's yardage, In 1988 he did not have Sharpe but did have freshman Robert Brooks

This is the 3rd best QB in school history? Huh? I hope not based on 87 and 88 seasons, in 86 he threw 20 TD's but 22 INT's! And there are some games he plays well like Western Carolina or Wake, but most he does not or is throwing a late driving ending int or something.

Didn't the great Todd Ellis as a junior lose to Georgia Tech 0-34 and FSU 0-59, great QB there, in FSU he was 9-22 for 79 yards and 2 picks, great ones play great in the big games!

Todd Ellis was not a great one, sorry Todd

giphy.gif
 
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Every QB at Carolina since 2000 would be ahead of Todd Ellis except Perry Orth and Brandon McIlwain.

I'm I life long die hard, and also at the 87 Gator bowl. I was 9.

I can say unequivocally that except for the 84 team, there isn't a single position group from prior to 2000 that ranks anywhere close to what we have had since Lou got here. People say we dropped off in the 90s. We didn't drop off. We were about the same but we were playing in the SEC which took us from a 5-7 win average to a 3-5 average.

99% of the teams we fielded before 2000 sucked we just didn't know it. It's night and day.

I don't have any nostalgia for those days which is why I wish we would stick with the white helmet and garnet uniforms. Our best teams wore that. jmo
 
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I was 10 when my parents took me and my brother to the Gator Bowl. I was just starting to really understand football. However, I couldn't figure out why my dad kept yelling and screaming at our team, and my mom says "we're not playing so well honey". LOL
 
Ah. Don't we love to eat our own.

Typically I don't but calling Ellis one of the top QB's in school history is something i will argue.

And Ellis has kept himself as a public figure and open to scrutiny.

Ellis has been a really bad voice of the Gamecocks, and I have other reasons I'm not a Todd Ellis defender
 
I was at that game as a drunk disinterested bystander. I was friends with a guy who was hot for a USC girl and she invited him ...I was the buddy along for the ride. I remember in pregame listening to the USC fans talk up the team and how they were going to shock LSU. I kept saying well...now as a SEC fan gotta warn you LSU even in an off year with bad coaches is loaded with talent and speed. 3 hours 100 beers and 10 interceptions later...the bloodletting was over and I could go home.
 
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It is really baffling that the Gamecocks lost their first 8 bowl games mostly by way of blowouts? Had we won at least half of them, I feel that the history of the program would have been altered significantly in a positive manner. What reasons do you guys think were that contributed to our bowl games futility???
 
Being hungover and poor preparation

That sounds like Garcia before the SEC championship or a bowl game like the Outback vs Iowa, based on how fun his weeks were.

At some point pressure kicked in, we played tight, trying to be the first win, and then other teams knew if they scored first or something bad happened early, we would just unravel.
 
Ellis was an interception machine. So disappointing that we would be on a drive and.................
It's hard to figure why he was so highly rated out of HS. He's not stupid so how do you explain all the completions to the opposing teams? He must be color blind. I remember that LSU game and LSU said after the game-You live by the blitz. You die by the blitz. I was so disappointed.
I agree about his voice. Nails on a chalkboard are more pleasant to listen to.
 
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Todd had an excellent 1st year and never got much better . I was young but I remember most of our big yardage passing plays were 4 yard slants and quick screens that Sterling broke for big plays . He was a freak on the field . I'm gonna get murdered for saying this but I actually thought Anthony Wright was a better QB than Todd . He just played on some terrible terrible teams with awful offensive lines . Just my opinion . Seemed to me every game was Anthony running for his life. He obviously had the talent because get kicked around in the NFL as a backup for a long time . That was a very good LSU team too . Wendell Davis was Hodson's WR and he was a great player also . Think he played a few seasons in Chicago .
 
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A lot of fans don't realize just how great Sterling Sharpe was. He's easily one of the top 3 receivers we've ever had.
 
A lot of fans don't realize just how great Sterling Sharpe was. He's easily one of the top 3 receivers we've ever had.

Do you guys remember the game where Harold Green got injured and Sterling played RB and rushed for like 157 yards ?? Can't remember for the life of me who the opponent was ?
 
Poor Todd. All he has given is his best to our school and the couch surfers hate him.
 
Poor Todd. All he has given is his best to our school and the couch surfers hate him.
What? No one hates him. Giving a lot to your school doesn't make you a better player than your skills. Being a dedicated lifelong Gamecock doesn't mean none of his mistakes or lacking areas of skill are magically not there. Also doesn't make his hoarse screaming voice pleasant to listen to for a whole football game. I love the guy. But I'm not going to credit him with accolades he didn't earn.

Just like Spurrier. I think I now see your criteria for a great Gamecock. If they give their all and obviously love the Gamecocks, then nothing else matters. Not performance or ability.
 
What? No one hates him. Giving a lot to your school doesn't make you a better player than your skills. Being a dedicated lifelong Gamecock doesn't mean none of his mistakes or lacking areas of skill are magically not there. Also doesn't make his hoarse screaming voice pleasant to listen to for a whole football game. I love the guy. But I'm not going to credit him with accolades he didn't earn.

Just like Spurrier. I think I now see your criteria for a great Gamecock. If they give their all and obviously love the Gamecocks, then nothing else matters. Not performance or ability.

What are you even talking about? Spurrier?? Go take a nap.
 
Oh I have watched others, trust me, is that you Todd?

Now I will admit their is not alot of 1989 games on youtube before the injury and he made progress that season, so i would like to see some more of those, but his 1987 and 1988 seasons were not good.

Before you debate me on 1987 and 1988, lets go to the stats

1987 = 55.8 % completions , 10 TD's and 24 INT's

1988 = 50.6 % completions, 9 TD's and 21 INT's

He threw in 1987 to hwo i think is the best WR in school history and what can not be debated is he was the highest drafted WR, Sterling Sharpe. Sharpe had alot of YAC which inflated Ellis's yardage, In 1988 he did not have Sharpe but did have freshman Robert Brooks

This is the 3rd best QB in school history? Huh? I hope not based on 87 and 88 seasons, in 86 he threw 20 TD's but 22 INT's! And there are some games he plays well like Western Carolina or Wake, but most he does not or is throwing a late driving ending int or something.

Didn't the great Todd Ellis as a junior lose to Georgia Tech 0-34 and FSU 0-59, great QB there, in FSU he was 9-22 for 79 yards and 2 picks, great ones play great in the big games!

Todd Ellis was not a great one, sorry Todd

giphy.gif

73 Career Interceptions w/ NFL WR's and RB. NCAA Record.
He made it up for it though by ripping several fans on a pyramid scheme. And providing the worst announcing of any school in sec history.
 
I was there. I must ask... you were in AWW of all the LSU fans? I remember that we had about 45,000 fans there and LSU probably had about 15,000. Solid # for a bowl game that is a pretty good distance away, but what impressed me was that it seemed like a home game for us until we started falling apart on the field.
Jax is only a 3.25 hour drive from Beaufort. We drove down and came back the same day; no overnight. Now granted, Beaufort is about as close to Jax as you can get from SC.
 
Oh I have watched others, trust me, is that you Todd?

Now I will admit their is not alot of 1989 games on youtube before the injury and he made progress that season, so i would like to see some more of those, but his 1987 and 1988 seasons were not good.

Before you debate me on 1987 and 1988, lets go to the stats

1987 = 55.8 % completions , 10 TD's and 24 INT's

1988 = 50.6 % completions, 9 TD's and 21 INT's

He threw in 1987 to hwo i think is the best WR in school history and what can not be debated is he was the highest drafted WR, Sterling Sharpe. Sharpe had alot of YAC which inflated Ellis's yardage, In 1988 he did not have Sharpe but did have freshman Robert Brooks

This is the 3rd best QB in school history? Huh? I hope not based on 87 and 88 seasons, in 86 he threw 20 TD's but 22 INT's! And there are some games he plays well like Western Carolina or Wake, but most he does not or is throwing a late driving ending int or something.

Didn't the great Todd Ellis as a junior lose to Georgia Tech 0-34 and FSU 0-59, great QB there, in FSU he was 9-22 for 79 yards and 2 picks, great ones play great in the big games!

Todd Ellis was not a great one, sorry Todd

giphy.gif
The only big game I can think of that Ellis won was the 87 Clemsux game.
 
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The only big game I can think of that Ellis won was the 87 Clemsux game.

We won 20-7, Brad Edwards sealed the game with his 39 yard? Int return when it was 13-7 in the 4th quarter.

It was Clemson 7-6 with about 5 minutes something left in the 3rd quarter and we had the bowl on the 16, and Ellis threw a pass which Bethea caught around our 30 yardline and he ran to the Clemson 6 or 7 yard line, a 75 yard pass play, but mostly Bethea yac.

Green took it in on the next play to make it 13-7 in qtr 3.

I dont know what Ellis final stats were put he had 75 yards of it on the Bethea play
 
We won 20-7, Brad Edwards sealed the game with his 39 yard? Int return when it was 13-7 in the 4th quarter.

It was Clemson 7-6 with about 5 minutes something left in the 3rd quarter and we had the bowl on the 16, and Ellis threw a pass which Bethea caught around our 30 yardline and he ran to the Clemson 6 or 7 yard line, a 75 yard pass play, but mostly Bethea yac.

Green took it in on the next play to make it 13-7 in qtr 3.

I dont know what Ellis final stats were put he had 75 yards of it on the Bethea play
I remember Bethea. He was fantastic but I think he got into some trouble. FB players need to keep a level head and not let their emotions control them. Watson and Summers come to mind. They could have been multi millionaires.
 
I remember Bethea. He was fantastic but I think he got into some trouble. FB players need to keep a level head and not let their emotions control them. Watson and Summers come to mind. They could have been multi millionaires.

"Derek Watson will fill an NFL stadium or help clean one up ". Gotta love Lou . He hit it right on the head .
 
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