Clowney expected to start on Saturday
There has been a circus on Bluff Road this week, and no, it hasn’t been at the South Carolina State Fair. It has been a short walk away from the fairgrounds at Williams-Brice Stadium and the Gamecocks’ practice fields.
Ever since Jadeveon Clowney abruptly pulled out of last Saturday’s game against Kentucky, talk around the nation has centered around whether the junior star has called it quits at South Carolina and is waiting on the multi-million dollar payday he will more than likely receive in the NFL Draft next April.
Clowney suffered a muscle strain around his rib cage in the game at Central Florida and has been questionable throughout the week for this Saturday’s game at Arkansas after missing the game against the Wildcats.
Clowney practiced Wednesday and Thursday, and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said that he thinks Clowney will play, but that hasn’t stopped the flurry of commotion his injury has caused.
Critics all over the nation have jumped on Clowney, including Alabama sports radio host Paul Finebaum, who called Clowney “the biggest joke in college football” during an appearance on ESPN.
Even South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier and Ward seemed irked and surprised by the defensive end’s decision to sit out against Kentucky.
But on Tuesday, Spurrier attempted to clear the air by saying all parties handled the situation “poorly.”
Spurrier said that the proper procedure is for the athlete to tell the trainer or team doctor about the injury. Then, that trainer will relay the news to the coaches. But that apparently didn’t happen last week.
Later Tuesday, Clowney made a rare appearance after practice to explain his side.
“I should have handled it differently, but it was a miscommunication,” Clowney said.
Clowney would have none of the talk about his taking the rest of the year off. He insisted that he is trying his hardest to get back onto the field in a Gamecock uniform.
“That’s people’s opinions,” Clowney said. “I’m here every day practicing with my team. People can say what they want to say. They’re not here in the locker room and around the coaching staff. I know what’s going on around us.”
“I’ve always been about the team, regardless of what people say,” Clowney said later in his appearance. “I’ve been about the team my whole life. I dedicate myself to this team and this university. That’s why I chose to come here. I’m just going to keep doing what I have to do to get better and come back out there and play.”
As for Spurrier’s comments after the game last Saturday, where it seemed like he was frustrated, Clowney attributed that to the fact that the coach was upset with the way the team won against the Wildcats.
But both Spurrier and Clowney’s teammates made sure that everyone knew that they were behind Clowney.
“Clowney has helped us win a lot of games, and I think he will in the future as well,” senior quarterback Connor Shaw said. “He’ll be back and ready to go.”
Junior wide receiver Bruce Ellington said, “We’re going to fight behind him and continue to support him in everything he does.”
Regardless of all the uncertainty over the air this past week, two things are for sure: Clowney’s teammates and coaches are committed to supporting him, and the Gamecocks must improve on defense to be able to defeat Arkansas.
Junior defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles and defensive end Darius English, who played in place of Clowney against the Wildcats, performed well in the absence of the star.
The team has historically struggled in Fayetteville, Ark. The last and only time the Gamecocks won there under Spurrier was 2005.
Because of its defensive troubles, South Carolina has still had to rely on its offense to carry the team, but there is no telling when those miscues will come back to bite the Gamecocks.
“The way we’re going right now, if our offense has a lousy day, we could be in trouble,” Spurrier said.
But the real focus will be on defense, and most of it will be on Clowney at kickoff Saturday.