Swearinger will return after serving one-game suspension
With a 1-3 record, including a loss to nonconference opponent Western Kentucky, there are a lot of reasons to feel bad for Kentucky.
After South Carolina senior free safety D.J. Swearinger missed last week’s game against Missouri, serving a one-game suspension for a hit on a defenseless UAB player, linebacker Shaq Wilson chose Swearinger’s comeback as a reason to “feel bad” for the Wildcats.
Swearinger won’t be the only motivated Gamecock in the secondary this weekend, as senior cornerback Akeem Auguste will also be making his return to the field after being sidelined with a groin injury.
“I’ve been saying all week it’s just a minor setback for a major comeback,” Swearinger said. “I got a chance to get a bye week that others couldn’t get, so I feel fresh and I’m ready to go.”
Swearinger said he’s not going to change too much about his style of play after his flagged helmet-to-helmet hit, but he will be more cautious about where he hits opponents.
“I’m just playing my game but targeting lower,” Swearinger said. “I won’t stop how I’m playing, but I’ll just target lower.”
While Swearinger said he was able to make the suspension a positive, giving his body some rest, Auguste said he feels “rusty” after missing the first four games of the season. He also missed the entire 2011 season with a foot injury.
Auguste is listed as the No. 2 cornerback behind Jimmy Legree this weekend, saying that he doubts he starts, but should be able to get a few plays. He said the best way for him to ease back into the lineup is to be put into situations where he has to move his feet and really use the injured groin.
“The first couple days have been good,” Auguste said. “Coach has been easing me in there, giving me some reps here and there. I don’t know how much I’m going to play on Saturday, but I should be ready to go.”
Auguste said that after missing all of last season, suffering another injury in the preseason was frustrating, but secondary coach Grady Brown said Auguste always had a good attitude.
The biggest thing he brings in his return is experience, having already played in important conference games for his first three years on the team. Both he and Swearinger said they stepped up as leaders last week when they couldn’t take the field.
“It’s huge from a depth standpoint,” Brown said. “He helps us out a lot, be it special teams or defense. It’s just his spirit — he’s always in a good mood, always has a smile on his face. Having him around makes life just that much easier.”
With Auguste healthy and Swearinger returning from his suspension, a defense that hasn’t allowed more than 14 points in a game this season will be at full strength for the first time this year to face a Kentucky squad shut out by Florida in its most recent outing.
Despite the stars seemingly aligning for the USC defense, the veterans on the team remember what happened the last time the Gamecocks traveled to Lexington, Ky., after a big win. USC lost to the Wildcats just a week after an upset of No. 1 Alabama.
“We still have a bad taste in our mouth from the last time we went,” Swearinger said. “We’ve got to go down there and play four quarters. Last year we went and played two and a half quarters and Kentucky got up on us.”