Oct. 28, 2002

Charleston, SC - In Charleston, the smell of boiling shrimp and the skirl of bagpipes is in the air as the South Carolina Corps of Cadets takes the field at Johnson-Hagood Stadium at Hugh P. Harris Field.

First-year cadets, known as "knobs," line the field before the game in the shape of a 'C.' Two skydivers drop into the stadium to present the game ball and an American flag.

In the post-9/11 world, it's cool to be military. The Corps of Cadets, or "12th Man," cheers the entire game, and knobs must stand the entire game, too.

Another military-school tradition: Whenever The Citadel scores, knobs race to the southwest corner of the stadium to do pushups equal to the Bulldogs' score. This day, a third-quarter touchdown produces 24 pushups.

It's not enough. Georgia Southern maintains its lead in the Southern Conference with a 28-24 squeaker. But The Citadel's showing promises better results, and more pushups, to come.