South Carolina injuries pile up

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina&#39;s top tackler and starting center need surgery. There&#39;s no sure date when it&#39;s best receiver will return. It&#39;s offensive line again looks like a patchwork of youngsters and converted defenders. <br> <br> On Monday, Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz had a bunch of good reasons to be down in the dumps. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s absolutely devastating,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> The biggest loss for South Carolina (3-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) is middle linebacker Lance Laury, who damaged the meniscus - the cartilage that acts as a cushion between bones - in his left knee in a 20-14 victory over Vanderbilt last week. Laury, who led the team with 56 stops, was scheduled for an operation and will be out indefinitely. <br> <br> Center C.J. Frye, who damaged his left knee last week, also is going under the knife. <br> <br> ``When either one of them will be back, I have no idea,&#39;&#39; Holtz said. ``You just close ranks and go on without them.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Holtz expected to have senior receiver James Adkisson, who coaches considered the team&#39;s best threat before he was injured Sept. 7, back from his sprained left knee this week. ``But they haven&#39;t released him yet&#39;&#39; medically to play, Holtz said. <br> <br> Laury, a freshman, had been the Gamecocks&#39; backbone all year long. He also handled defensive signals and was combining with linebackers Jermaine Lemon and Jeremiah Garrison to form a pretty staunch unit. <br> <br> ``He was kind of down,&#39;&#39; said Lemon, Laury&#39;s roommate. ``He said he was going to get it (his knee) scoped. He&#39;ll be back in a couple of weeks.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Frye&#39;s loss looks even worse when you factor in injuries to starting guards Cedric Williams and Shane Hall. Both had neck strains against Vanderbilt. Both had exams Sunday. Both are still listed as starters but considered questionable for Mississippi State (1-3, 0-2 Southeasetern Conference) on Saturday. <br> <br> Asked for his best option to deal with his banged-up offensive line, Holtz deadpanned, ``Eight-man football?&#39;&#39; <br> <br> That might be all the people he has left if things get worse. <br> <br> In 1999 when Holtz went 0-11 in his first season at South Carolina, each week&#39;s injury list read like a depth chart. The team used six quarterbacks and almost three times that many offensive linemen. <br> <br> This year&#39;s line started the same five people every game so far. Holtz desperately hopes past injury problems don&#39;t surface again with his more talented Gamecocks. <br> <br> ``The offensive line&#39;s been a problem because we haven&#39;t had the continuity in there,&#39;&#39; Holtz said. ``Yet at the same time, I look at it and I say, &#39;We have moved the ball better this year than we have any year since I&#39;ve been here.&#39;&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Right tackle Watts Sanderson, who along with left tackle Travelle Wharton could be the only offensive line starters standing, says South Carolina&#39;s backups are ready to shine. ``Because they have talent,&#39;&#39; the 6-foot-6, 300-pound Sanderson put simply. <br> <br> He said center Na&#39;Shan Goddard and reserve guards Jeff Barnes and John Strickland will be ready if called upon. <br> <br> That&#39;s a very tall task considering they&#39;ll face the Bulldogs and defensive innovator Joe Lee Dunn, known for shredding experienced lines through the years. <br> <br> ``This is not a game where we&#39;re going to be scared of anybody,&#39;&#39; Sanderson said. ``Even though we&#39;ve got young guys, we&#39;re going to come out there and do our jobs. That&#39;s what we&#39;re supposed to do.&#39;&#39;

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