Neither of South Carolina’s top two quarterbacks practiced much Monday, but coach Steve Spurrier expects them both to be available by this weekend’s game with South Carolina State.

South Carolina’s makeshift defense will face its toughest test of the year against No. 4 Mississippi. The teams meet Thursday night in Columbia.

South Carolina has heard from two Heisman Trophy winners from Florida. Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier says his former Gators quarterback, Danny Wuerffel, spoke to the team before practice Wednesday. Spurrier won the Heisman Trophy in 1966. Three decades later, Wuerffel earned the honor as Spurrier’s quarterback during Florida’s national championship season.

South Carolina kicker Spencer Lanning, who tied a school record with five field goals against Georgia, has been named a star of the week by the Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Award.

South Carolina has yet to play a home football game, yet plans are shaping up for its future schedules. The school announced Wednesday that the Gamecocks would open the 2010 season against Southern Miss on Sept. 2, a Thursday night game to be telecast by ESPN.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier says he wants to look at a lot of different players but hasn’t had an opportunity because the Gamecocks’ two games this year have been so close.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier doesn’t want to see his team play too conservatively Saturday against Georgia, but he’s not ready to just chunk the ball downfield either.

Former Nevada starter Malik Cooke has joined the South Carolina men’s basketball team as a walk-on transfer.

North Carolina State is looking for a rare fast start when it faces South Carolina in the season opener for both teams.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier says receiver Dion LeCorn won’t play in Thursday’s opener at North Carolina State, while another receiver, DeMario Bennett, could also miss the game due to injury.

South Carolina defensive coach Ellis Johnson says he expects suspended defensive end Clifton Geathers to miss the Gamecocks opener at North Carolina State.

The University of South Carolina Gamecock football team worked out twice on Tuesday, hitting the Bluff Road Proving Grounds for about 90 minutes in the morning then for another two-hour stint in the evening hours.

Steve Spurrier thought his South Carolina offense showed progress in a scrimmage in which it overcame several early mistakes to score touchdowns on its final five full possessions.

South Carolina freshman defensive end Ronald Byrd will miss the season with a knee injury. Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said Wednesday that Byrd hurt his left knee during a scrimmage this week and would need surgery.

The University of South Carolina football squad worked out for about two hours in near perfect weather conditions at the Bluff Road practice fields on Friday. For the second straight night, the Gamecocks wore their helmets and shoulder pads for the evening workout, their fourth practice of the fall camp.