Holtz skips 'post' game celebration

ROB KEYS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Lou Holtz didn't tear down a goal post after all.
At a news conference last Monday, Holtz -- the former Arkansas and current South Carolina head coach -- said he just might tear down a goal post if the Gamecocks were able to beat the Razorbacks Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Holtz's thinking was that a big, bad Arkansas team pushed South Carolina all over the field in a 48-14 rout in Little Rock last season. If his poor ol' Gamecocks could somehow manage to beat the mighty Razorbacks this season, Holtz reasoned, he would feel such happiness that he would be able to tear down a goal post all by himself.
As it turned out, whether Holtz would take on a goal post was the only thing left undetermined as the clock ticked down during Saturday's game. The Gamecocks had long since erased any doubt about the outcome of what proved to be a 27-7 South Carolina victory.
Holtz never made it to a goal post.
"I looked at that sucker, and then I looked at my arms," Holtz said. "Then I looked at the size of that goal post again, and I decided I might be there all day."
That was just one of several one-liners Holtz issued following South Carolina's sixth victory of the season, which makes the Gamecocks bowl-eligible.
Holtz sat alone at a small table in front of a microphone, patiently answering question after question from media members, some of whom were obvious in their adoration of the coach who has taken the Gamecocks from 0-11 last season to 6-1 this year.
Wearing a baseball cap pushed far enough back on his head to let a shock of his golden hair hang down near his familiar gold-rimmed glasses -- as well as a coach's shirt that didn't look much different from the ones he wore at Arkansas more than 17 years ago -- Holtz held court like the wily veteran he is.
When speaking of the Gamecocks, Holtz was equal parts promise and precaution.
"Now we're looking at the conference race," he said. "I know we're not in the driver's seat, but as I told the team, at least we're in the car. As long as we're in the car, I don't care if we're not in the driver's seat."
A few breaths later, Holtz said, "I hope we weren't too high today. The reason I say that is because every time you get up, you have a down. We can't afford that. We've got to be the same week in and week out.
"Let's not put them in the Hall of Fame yet. We've got a ways to go."
Holtz was most convincing, though, when he spoke of how the Gamecocks have made such a dramatic turnaround in such a short time.
"I can't tell you what it is, except somewhere along the line, the players developed a trust in us," Holtz said of the South Carolina coaching staff. "To me, you've got to put your faith in a coach. You really do. You have to go up to the coach and say, 'I trust you. Just make me good.' "
Holtz didn't make it all sound just possible. He made it all sound simple.
Maybe that's why so many people actually hung around to see if he would tear down a goal post.

This article was published on Sunday, October 15, 2000

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