USC’s opener against Southern Miss Thursday may have been the first game in college football history where there was more drama BEFORE the game than during.
The Gamecocks had several players waiting on word from the NCAA if they could play against the Golden Eagles. Apparently, NCAA investigators didn’t make a decision until about 45 minutes before kickoff. When it was all said and done only offensive lineman Jariel King and defensive back Chris Culliver were held out of the game.
King didn’t dress but was on the sideline with the team, Culliver was not. Culliver isn’t one of the name’s we’ve been hearing in the Whitney hotel investigation and it still isn’t clear why he was suspended and why he wasn’t on the sideline with the team.
Steve Spurrier said he hopes to have both players back and added that there could be more news coming down in the next day or two. Defensive back Akeem Auguste told reporters that players that didn’t know their NCAA fate weren’t allowed to stay at the team hotel last night and were kept away from the rest of the team until they learned their fate.
AUDIO: Akeem Auguste post Southern Miss
Auguste is under the impression he is now in the clear from the NCAA investigation. I guess we will see in the next few days. Then again, this is the NCAA we are talking about so there is really no telling when we will get the final resolution on this.
