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COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolinas quarterback situation remains unsettled after two games.Senior Perry Orth started the Gamecocks first two contests at Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. However, after trailing the Bulldogs 24-0 at the half, freshman Brandon McIlwain who took over in the second half and rallied the Gamecocks to two touchdowns in a 27-14 loss.Look for McIlwain to get even more playing time when South Carolina opens its home season against fired-up East Carolina, fresh off a victory over North Carolina State last week.Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said his offensive staff has a pretty good idea wholl start against the Pirates, but like before the Vanderbilt game, will keep things under wraps until game time.Both are repping at the position, Muschamp said Tuesday.Theres no divide on the team about the quarterbacks, tailback A.J. Turner said, although each brings a different skillset to the position.The second half we played with a faster tempo and I feel like we do better when we play faster, Turner said. I think thats what Brandon McIlwain brings to the table.McIlwain was a highly regarded high-school passer who had offers to play from Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and UCLA among others. He was also a prized baseball prospect, who was tracking to be a high-round pick in the Major League Baseball draft last June before deciding to sign with the Gamecocks.Muschamp and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper spent all spring and summer trying to whittle down a wide-open quarterback race. Orth had the experience after starting eight games last year while McIlwain and fellow freshman Jake Bentley are clearly South Carolinas future at the position.Orths experience won out early and he rallied South Carolina from 10-0 down at Vanderbilt in Week 1 for a 13-10 victory. Orth was less effective at Mississippi State, going 9 of 17 for 83 yards and an interception in the first two quarters as the Gamecocks fell behind 24-0.Orth got little help, however, from South Carolinas offensive line or its running backs. Orth was sacked twice and the Gamecocks finished 34 yards on the ground.Muschamp said the more playing time McIlwain receives, the quicker hell adjust to the college game.The game will continue to slow down for these guys and theyll improve, Muschamp said.Turner, also a freshman, sounded like he had a preference at quarterback. Turner said McIlwain brings a greater sense of urgency on offense, something he believes can only help improve the unit. Hes not turning against Orth, who he believes is a talented leader instrumental to the Gamecocks lone victory so far.East Carolina coach Scottie Montgomery is prepping for Orths throwing and McIlwains ability to cause chaos to defenses with his dual-threat nature.All in all, it presents a tough challenge, Montgomery said.Even for South Carolina. Muschamp has several times if he had a player separate himself from the others at quarterback, that would be his starter. So far, that hasnt happened.Part of the problem is the opening half where the Gamecocks have zero points through two games.South Carolina offensive lineman Mason Zandi does not understand the slow starts -- or why the offense heats up after that.I cant pinpoint what worked for us in the second half, Zandi said. We just went to locker room, made some adjustments and moved on.Muschamp said the slow starts are on the coaches, who havent put players in position to excel early on. 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Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. CHICAGO -- The game ended less than an hour ago and Ive already made my way back through the smiling, singing crowds around Wrigley Field. From my hotel room on the 18th floor, I can hear the dull thump of celebratory music from somewhere down below, and as soon as I finish writing this column, Im headed back out into the madness. Chicago feels like a South American capital after a big World Cup win. Right now, I can hear a driver laying on his horn.Its a great night to be alive, whether youre a player on a baseball team going back to Cleveland, or a person who believes deeply in what that teams success might mean to them and their family. Of course, it felt that way even before the sun went down and the stadium filled up, the potential end of a magical season layering the party atmosphere in the streets with a sense of dread and stress. The drum machine patter and synth riffs of In the Air Tonight floated out into Waveland Avenue as I passed through the gates into the Wrigley Field bleachers.Writing this, I just put that song on repeat, and a few images returned immediately. The man singing Frank Sinatra as he checked IDs and handed out the over-21 pink wristbands. My kind of town, Chicago. The smiles of people clutching World Series tickets, which evoke long buried nostalgia in a way that a Super Bowl ticket never does. The neon green of the sweet relish on the hot dog -- the green of a muscle car paint job -- and the strip of yellow mustard, and how the father and son sitting to my left both ate theirs that way. Ketchup is for communists and Cardinals fans. The strange and beautiful halogen glow hanging over the field, from the six banks of floodlights perched atop the grandstands. Years from now, long after I forget the score, or who played well and who played poorly, I will remember how the lights looked. And years from now, after the laughter and sense of community forged during three and a half long hours in the bleachers have faded away, I will remember the tension of the last three outs.Mark and Dustin Columbatto sat next to me, freaking out. Mark is 60 and wore a Billy Williams jersey. Dustin is 28 and wore a Alfonso Soriano jersey. They hugged when Chapman headed back out to the mound for the ninth.One more inning, Mark said. Its what we came here for.ddddddddddddThe bleachers had been loose and fun the whole night, cracking on the opposing pitchers, people being careful not to crowd their neighbors. But during the commercial break before the ninth inning began, that easy vibe evaporated. The stadium speakers played Eminems Lose Yourself and many of the people around me sang along, making the hair stand up on each others arms. It was 3-2, with one half inning to go. The bleachers rapping got louder -- This opportunity comes once in a lifetime -- and the air didnt feel as cold anymore.The man behind me kept score carefully, and the man in front of me checked his Twitter. They felt like nervous tics. The guy whod been cracking jokes all night didnt have any more jokes. People got quiet, with lots of crossed arms.I have hope, Mark said, even if they lose. Theyll be back.Chapman got two outs on nine pitches, a ground ball and a fly ball to right field.Dustin held up his index finger.One more, he said.Mark and Dustin held onto each other, hoping, waiting. Trying to describe how the ballpark felt in those long minutes seems a little goofy now, because everything I type feels overcooked on the page and yet somehow still doesnt properly convey just how f----- nervous everyone got. People packed in close together, someone saying a Hail Mary, another just growling. Mark texted his wife. Dustin looked out at the field with hope. On this night, his faith was rewarded with one final out, a dramatic swinging strikeout that shook the stadium.The first chord of Go Cubs Go rang out, and people smiled and floated down the ramps into the street. Wrigley Field emptied for the final time this year, with the ivy on the walls just a few days from changing, and soon the stadium will slip into hibernation, waiting until spring to either welcome home the world champions, so many ghosts finally at rest, or to start the long grinding wait for another night like tonight. Maybe it will come soon, next October, or maybe Dustin will be an old man the next time he sits in the bleachers for a World Series game, explaining to his son how, a long time ago, he and his father believed. ' ' '