2:16 p.m.

After eight hours (a third of which was spent waiting on Interstate 95 while road workers did their night construction), I’ve finally arrived in Orlando, Fla. for Saturday’s game. Hopefully, the Bulldog football team will fare better in their arrival time.

For the second straight year, the T&D will follow the Bulldogs on the road for their season-opener against a Football Bowl Subdivision foe. From a weather standpoint, I’d prefer the cool, high altitude of the Colorado Springs mountains compared to this smothering high humidity in Central Florida.  It’s exactly like S.C. State placekicker and Pensacola native Blake Erickson predicted - Central Florida heat is an animal even more comparable to Orangeburg summer heat. The big difference is the temperature can reach 89 degrees and it feels like its 115.

Sterling Lucas is wearing jersey number 7 for the Wolfpack. He is second team behind N.C. State’s best linebacker, Ray Michel.

Lucas will be on the extra point and kick-block units.

As we read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we can see a clear picture of Jesus, the Christ, who came here to bring man back to their Creator.Man had fallen from God. Following the path of sin and rebellion, he was without hope. Then Jesus came down from the Father. That’s right! He left the splendor and wonders of heaven and came down to this sinful place called Earth to give Himself at Calvary for every man.

Don’t tell Central Florida head coach George O’Leary that the Knights are a heavy favorite this Saturday against South Carolina State.
And no, it has nothing to do with Appalachian State’s upset victory over Michigan last year. A greater concern for O’Leary is how his team will come out for the season-opener and are the Knights prepared for any wrinkles the Bulldogs will throw at them.
“I think they’re looking forward to the game as much as South Carolina State is,” O’Leary said at Monday’s teleconference. “It’s 11-on-11 out there and I think the first game in any season is always a game of adjustments and there’s always new things you haven’t covered that you see and defenses you haven’t worked against and naturally, your experience comes to play as far as guys that have been out there that can handle a lot of different scenarios that may occur.”
While S.C. State lost its lone two meetings against Football Bowl Subdivision teams last year by a margin of 65-6, Central Florida has not exactly fared as well against Football Championship Subdivision teams from the Palmetto State. In fact, the Knights are 0-2 lifetime - dropping its long meeting against Furman 42-6 in 1984, and losing two years later to Wofford 31-28.
Central Florida does hold a victory over Division II Newberry, winning 30-3 in 1989.
“Just what I see on film, I think they’re a very talented skill team as far as good speed,” O’Leary said. “Obviously, they return a bunch of people offensively as far as receivers and running backs and I think they’re pretty well pleased with their skilled kids. And, they have lineman returning. So we expect a heck of a game. They’re one of the better teams (in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) that was picked to win the championship in that conference. So, again, we’ll have our work cut out for us and it’ll be a game like any first game, how well you can make adjustments on the field based on what people are doing and what they’ve changed and what tendencies they’ve kept.”

A 9-year-old boy was banned from playing Little League baseball because he could hit speeds of about 40 miles per hour from the mound.

First off, let me say that he’s already scholarship material for some college if he keeps this up and stays healthy. Secondly, I’d be thoroughly upset if my child wasn’t allowed to play for being better than the average Little Leaguer. In fact, I’d be upset if my child was on the team that was disbanded because of the 9-year-old phenom.

It’s time for the first LPP (Linder Power Poll) of the year.

Understand, that the selection of this poll is a tiring, highly scientific process. OK, not really. It’s just my opinion. That’s it. That’s all. Take it for what it’s worth. Let the debate begin.

Week 1 LPP

Well, it’s been a while since I dusted off the old blog, but as the Thursday’s season opener with N.C. State draws closer, its time to break the silence.

Really, I promised myself I wouldn’t get too excited this year. After all, we Gamecock fans tend  to have high and often unrealistic expectations in the waning days of August.Yet, as I was on my way home from Charlotte last Sunday, I decided swing off I-77 around exit 5 to see if the Gamecocks were practicing.