Chris Culliver News

WHO: South Carolina vs. Connecticut WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2 WHERE: Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala.

COLUMBIA - Not only will the University of South Carolina football team be without offensive line coach Eric Wolford who left at the beginning of the week to become head coach of Youngstown State, it will be without redshirt freshman right tackle Quinton Richardson.

Everybody can appreciate a nice fair evaluation of their performance. Well, maybe not everybody.

South Carolina junior free safety No. 17 Chris Culliver looks for running room on a punt return against Kentucky in the first half at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC on Saturday, Oct.

USC wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and cornerback Stephon Gilmore have been named to the first-team Freshman All-America squad by Phil Steele Publications and CollegeFootballNews.com. In addition to its Freshman All-America squad, Steele also released its All-SEC teams.

Five storylines for USC as it starts preparation on Tuesday for Connecticut and the Jan.

Eric Norwood will always be synonymous with sacks at South Carolina. While the school's all-time sacks leader added seven more to his total this season, Norwood also leads the Gamecocks with two interceptions and three blocked kicks.

McCoy, Tebow among Heisman finalists Tim Tebow #15 of the Florida Gators is sacked by Chris Culliver #17 of the South Carolina Gamecocks during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 14, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina.

Eric Norwood will always be synonymous with sacks at South Carolina. While the school's all-time sacks leader added seven more to his total this season, Norwood also leads the Gamecocks with two interceptions and three blocked kicks.

No one on South Carolina's defense has a Heisman Trophy vote, although the Gamecocks have had a first-hand look at more candidates this year than anyone who was mailed a ballot.

Even in late October, South Carolina safety Chris Culliver said Alabama's Mark Ingram was not the best back on USC's schedule.

South Carolina fell victim to misdirection last year at Clemson - and it had nothing to do with the Tigers' running game.

Eric Wolford tried to strike the right balance, playing for the present and the future, in his first season as offensive line coach.

USC's Darian Stewart upends Florida quarterback Tim Tebow during the first quarter.

COLUMBIA - When the University of South Carolina football team takes on the University of Florida at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday afternoon, it will do so as the nation's 98th-ranked scoring offense.

Stephen Garcia has known Arkansas' Ryan Mallett since the two attended the Elite Eleven quarterback camp in 2006.

Getting some inspiration, rather than extra practice reps, was the emphasis for USC on Monday night.

After their 31-13 loss to Tennessee last Saturday, the South Carolina Gamecocks must be thinking, "Uh oh, here we go again," as they travel to Fayetteville this weekend.A The 11:21 kickoff will be televised by the SEC Network.

South Carolina defensive head coach Ellis Johnson came to suspended free safety Chris Culliver's defense Thursday afternoon.

The 2008 football season began with Arian Foster closing in on Tennessee's career-rushing record.