B
Brian Shoemaker
Guest
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Good morning from Gamecock Central.
Father's Day is Sunday, and we have Gamecock Central gift subscriptions that range in length from one month to five years!
We're 80 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
1. 8️⃣0️⃣ Countdown to kickoff: 80 days!
Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 80 days. With no current player wearing that number, we throw it back to receiver Fred Zeigler (WR, 1967-69).
A two-time All-ACC selection, Zeigler was a favorite target of quarterback Tommy Suggs in the late 1960s. When Zeigler finished his career in 1969, he did so as the school’s leader in both receptions (146) and yards (1,876). Both records would stand for nearly two decades and are still good enough to each rank in the top 11 in school history today.
– Will Helms
Stephen Garcia/Credit: Chris Gillespie
2. Five questions with Stephen Garcia
In this feature, former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia speaks with Gamecock Central and answers five questions about his career. Garcia and fellow former quarterback Perry Orth have several camps in South Carolina from June 21-23; more info on those can be found here. Garcia’s personal training website can be found here.
GC: What was the week prior to the Alabama game in 2010 like? Did the team treat it like any other game or internally did you recognize this was a bigger game than most?
SG: I’ll be honest, I thought it was probably the most laid back that Spurrier was in the five years of playing for him. He was kinda like, “Hey guys we’re going to go out there and kinda just play care-free and Stephen just go out there and play your game.” It was kind of weird, it was like does this guy think we’re going to get absolutely ****-slapped or what the hell is going on? But I wish he would’ve been like that my whole freaking career, it would’ve been a lot easier.
GC: The crowd was incredibly loud that day, is that something you recognize during that game or other big games like Georgia or Clemson? Or do you block stuff like that out?
SG: It was definitely a shock when I first got there my redshirt freshman year, I was traveling around with the team and we would go to LSU and these other stadiums like Tennessee and Florida, it was definitely shocking but I got used to it. It’s always fun hearing everybody cheering for you I guess but personally, I like playing at away games because I love shutting people up, that was my favorite part of the whole deal.
GC: How much liberty did Spurrier give you with the play calls? Were you able to audible whenever you wanted or did he want you to stay on-script with what he called?
SG: It was kind of off and on. There would be some games when he would be like if you see something go ahead and check it and there were others when he would be like this is what we’re doing just stick with it, if we got to change something we’ll call a timeout or we’ll try and get your attention and make you audible. It was kind of off and on like that though, I wouldn't say it was one way or another. Certain games were different.
GC: Talk a little bit about winning the SEC East in 2010. Was that a pre-season goal the team had or did it kind of just happen?
SG: It was always a goal. At the beginning of fall camp, coach Spurrier would have the team captains get together and we would write down what our goals are as a team and where we want to be at the end of the year. Every single year I was a captain, for those three years, it was go to the SEC Championship game, win the SEC, win your bowl game, the whole deal. That was always our goal, to win the SEC. Obviously, we didn’t win the whole thing, but we made it to the game so that was awesome. That should be everybody’s goal at the start of camp, right?
GC: Tell us about the Gyration Station QB camps. What prompted you to start doing them and what are you and Perry Orth trying to accomplish?
SG: It was during my first off-season when I was up in Canada, I was in Tampa just down here training, throwing with one of my buddies, throwing routes and stuff like that. This guy came up and was like, “Hey man have you ever trained quarterbacks before?” I told him no and he gave me his dad’s number and his dad was like, “Hey, would you train my kid?” and I was like yeah. He asked how much I charged and I told him honestly this is the first conversation I’ve ever had about it. He told me he’d pay me 100 bucks and I was like s***-yeah, I can definitely do that. That’s what prompted me to do it and it’s gotten pretty big down here in Tampa, I’m actually on the way to Pensacola to run a camp by myself. With Perry, I saw where he started training some quarterbacks after he got done playing, and I was like dude we should start running camps up in South Carolina. I think it’s going on three years now that we’ve been doing it and it’s been freaking awesome.
– Jackson Fields
3. This, that, and the other
Football & Men's Basketball Recruiting: Carolina Confidential - The latest on South Carolina's football recruiting and men's basketball recruiting. (subscription)
Football: Eight Gamecocks earn spots on Steele's preseason all-SEC squads - Eight football players were recognized as 2019 preseason All-SEC selections, according to The Phil Steele College Football Preview. (link)
Football Recruiting: Coach corner: Sumter's Mark Barnes dishes on O'Donnell Fortune - Veteran high school coach Mark Barnes breaks down USC commitment O'Donnell Fortune's game. (subscription)
Baseball: Tanner optimistic as baseball program moves forward - Plus what Kingston looks at when evaluating a program. (link)
ICYMI - Another Carolina Podcast: A five #SpursUp weekend - South Carolina football and recruiting insiders Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell join host Pearson Fowler on Another Carolina Podcast to discuss a five #SpursUp weekend and all of USC's official visitors. (link)
Track & Field: NCAA champions reflect on winning races (video)- Hear from NCAA champions Quincy Hall and Wadeline Jonathas along with head coach Curtis Frye. (link)
Track & Field: Faith in his finish sparks Quincy Hall to title - Quincy Hall won the 400m hurdles title at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and did so by running a personal best time. (link)
Softball: Krupit, US National Team opens training camp this seek - South Carolina's Kassidy Krupit and the USA Softball U-19 Women's National Team is holding its training camp this week. (link)
Equestrian: The Next Ride with Bridgett White - White joined Carolina from Canal Winchester, Ohio. She was a four-year starter from the Gamecocks, competing in Reining. This season, White ended on a five-ride win streak, including four victories at the NCEA Championships and one at the SEC Championship. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
June 12, 2011 – Christian Walker's eighth-inning home run broke a 2-2 tie with UConn and sent the Gamecocks to Omaha after sweeping the Huskies in the Super Regional in Columbia.
5. Birthdays!
Brandon Miller (baseball, 2008-09)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• June 13 – Football: OL/DL camps (1 day)
• June 13 – Football: 7-on-7 tourney (1)
• June 14 – Football: OL/DL camps (2)
• June 14 – Football: 7-on-7 tourney (2)
• June 15 – Football: One-day camp (3)
• June 19 – Football: One-day camp (7)
• June 20 – Football: One-day camp (8)
• June 21 – Football: One-day camp (9)
• June 22 – Football: One-day camp (10)
• June 22 – Football: Specialists camp (10)
• June 27 – Baseball: Prospect camp (15)
• July 11 – Baseball: Prospect camp (29)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (33)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (34)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (35)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (36)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (36)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (38)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (66)
• Aug. 22 – My Carolina Sports Preview (71)
• Aug. 22 – Carolina Calls feat. Muschamp (71)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (80)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (154)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (189)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (238)
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecocks Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
------------------------
GAMECOCKS TODAY!
Wednesday, June 12
Wednesday, June 12
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
Father's Day is Sunday, and we have Gamecock Central gift subscriptions that range in length from one month to five years!
We're 80 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
1. 8️⃣0️⃣ Countdown to kickoff: 80 days!
Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 80 days. With no current player wearing that number, we throw it back to receiver Fred Zeigler (WR, 1967-69).
A two-time All-ACC selection, Zeigler was a favorite target of quarterback Tommy Suggs in the late 1960s. When Zeigler finished his career in 1969, he did so as the school’s leader in both receptions (146) and yards (1,876). Both records would stand for nearly two decades and are still good enough to each rank in the top 11 in school history today.
– Will Helms
Stephen Garcia/Credit: Chris Gillespie
2. Five questions with Stephen Garcia
In this feature, former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia speaks with Gamecock Central and answers five questions about his career. Garcia and fellow former quarterback Perry Orth have several camps in South Carolina from June 21-23; more info on those can be found here. Garcia’s personal training website can be found here.
GC: What was the week prior to the Alabama game in 2010 like? Did the team treat it like any other game or internally did you recognize this was a bigger game than most?
SG: I’ll be honest, I thought it was probably the most laid back that Spurrier was in the five years of playing for him. He was kinda like, “Hey guys we’re going to go out there and kinda just play care-free and Stephen just go out there and play your game.” It was kind of weird, it was like does this guy think we’re going to get absolutely ****-slapped or what the hell is going on? But I wish he would’ve been like that my whole freaking career, it would’ve been a lot easier.
GC: The crowd was incredibly loud that day, is that something you recognize during that game or other big games like Georgia or Clemson? Or do you block stuff like that out?
SG: It was definitely a shock when I first got there my redshirt freshman year, I was traveling around with the team and we would go to LSU and these other stadiums like Tennessee and Florida, it was definitely shocking but I got used to it. It’s always fun hearing everybody cheering for you I guess but personally, I like playing at away games because I love shutting people up, that was my favorite part of the whole deal.
GC: How much liberty did Spurrier give you with the play calls? Were you able to audible whenever you wanted or did he want you to stay on-script with what he called?
SG: It was kind of off and on. There would be some games when he would be like if you see something go ahead and check it and there were others when he would be like this is what we’re doing just stick with it, if we got to change something we’ll call a timeout or we’ll try and get your attention and make you audible. It was kind of off and on like that though, I wouldn't say it was one way or another. Certain games were different.
GC: Talk a little bit about winning the SEC East in 2010. Was that a pre-season goal the team had or did it kind of just happen?
SG: It was always a goal. At the beginning of fall camp, coach Spurrier would have the team captains get together and we would write down what our goals are as a team and where we want to be at the end of the year. Every single year I was a captain, for those three years, it was go to the SEC Championship game, win the SEC, win your bowl game, the whole deal. That was always our goal, to win the SEC. Obviously, we didn’t win the whole thing, but we made it to the game so that was awesome. That should be everybody’s goal at the start of camp, right?
GC: Tell us about the Gyration Station QB camps. What prompted you to start doing them and what are you and Perry Orth trying to accomplish?
SG: It was during my first off-season when I was up in Canada, I was in Tampa just down here training, throwing with one of my buddies, throwing routes and stuff like that. This guy came up and was like, “Hey man have you ever trained quarterbacks before?” I told him no and he gave me his dad’s number and his dad was like, “Hey, would you train my kid?” and I was like yeah. He asked how much I charged and I told him honestly this is the first conversation I’ve ever had about it. He told me he’d pay me 100 bucks and I was like s***-yeah, I can definitely do that. That’s what prompted me to do it and it’s gotten pretty big down here in Tampa, I’m actually on the way to Pensacola to run a camp by myself. With Perry, I saw where he started training some quarterbacks after he got done playing, and I was like dude we should start running camps up in South Carolina. I think it’s going on three years now that we’ve been doing it and it’s been freaking awesome.
– Jackson Fields
3. This, that, and the other
Football & Men's Basketball Recruiting: Carolina Confidential - The latest on South Carolina's football recruiting and men's basketball recruiting. (subscription)
Football: Eight Gamecocks earn spots on Steele's preseason all-SEC squads - Eight football players were recognized as 2019 preseason All-SEC selections, according to The Phil Steele College Football Preview. (link)
Football Recruiting: Coach corner: Sumter's Mark Barnes dishes on O'Donnell Fortune - Veteran high school coach Mark Barnes breaks down USC commitment O'Donnell Fortune's game. (subscription)
Baseball: Tanner optimistic as baseball program moves forward - Plus what Kingston looks at when evaluating a program. (link)
ICYMI - Another Carolina Podcast: A five #SpursUp weekend - South Carolina football and recruiting insiders Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell join host Pearson Fowler on Another Carolina Podcast to discuss a five #SpursUp weekend and all of USC's official visitors. (link)
Track & Field: NCAA champions reflect on winning races (video)- Hear from NCAA champions Quincy Hall and Wadeline Jonathas along with head coach Curtis Frye. (link)
Track & Field: Faith in his finish sparks Quincy Hall to title - Quincy Hall won the 400m hurdles title at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and did so by running a personal best time. (link)
Softball: Krupit, US National Team opens training camp this seek - South Carolina's Kassidy Krupit and the USA Softball U-19 Women's National Team is holding its training camp this week. (link)
Equestrian: The Next Ride with Bridgett White - White joined Carolina from Canal Winchester, Ohio. She was a four-year starter from the Gamecocks, competing in Reining. This season, White ended on a five-ride win streak, including four victories at the NCEA Championships and one at the SEC Championship. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
June 12, 2011 – Christian Walker's eighth-inning home run broke a 2-2 tie with UConn and sent the Gamecocks to Omaha after sweeping the Huskies in the Super Regional in Columbia.
- It was the second consecutive year a home run from Walker provided the winning run in the Super Regional.
- The Gamecocks put things away in the ninth, scoring five runs for a 8-2 win.
- The big blow was a two-run double by Peter Mooney that scored Walker and Adrian Morales.
- Colby Holmes started for USC and gave up two runs in 4.1 innings, but relievers Jose Mata, Tyler Webb, John Taylor and Matt Price shut out the Huskies the rest of the way.
- Taylor picked up his sixth win of the year in seven decisions, while Price recorded his 18th save.
- Offensively, five different Gamecocks had two hits and three (Mooney, Jake Williams and Robert Beary) each drove in a pair of runs.
5. Birthdays!
Brandon Miller (baseball, 2008-09)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• June 13 – Football: OL/DL camps (1 day)
• June 13 – Football: 7-on-7 tourney (1)
• June 14 – Football: OL/DL camps (2)
• June 14 – Football: 7-on-7 tourney (2)
• June 15 – Football: One-day camp (3)
• June 19 – Football: One-day camp (7)
• June 20 – Football: One-day camp (8)
• June 21 – Football: One-day camp (9)
• June 22 – Football: One-day camp (10)
• June 22 – Football: Specialists camp (10)
• June 27 – Baseball: Prospect camp (15)
• July 11 – Baseball: Prospect camp (29)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (33)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (34)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (35)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (36)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (36)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (38)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (66)
• Aug. 22 – My Carolina Sports Preview (71)
• Aug. 22 – Carolina Calls feat. Muschamp (71)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (80)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (154)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (189)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (238)
