Gamecocks v. Vols: The Battle Underneath?

When the Gamecocks take on the Volunteers on Saturday afternoon there is a shadow battle going on beneath the surface. Well . . . in the Volunteers case it is on the surface.

The Vols will be using high-tech Adidas football jerseys such as the one depicted to the left. Check out these comments from an article Lighter and tighter Adidas jersey may give opponents fits (link below).

“These can have a dramatic impact on the game,” said Darren Stefanyshyn, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary, who tested the suit in the university's human performance lab.

Adidas reported the suits increasing speed, power, vertical leap and endurance in athletes. Stefanyshyn said each of these components was tested on athletes with different skill sets. “We tested each one and saw a definite difference,” he said. 

Two main principles are at work in these lighter and tighter suits: elasticity and compression. Though the definite reasons for success are still up for discussion, Stefanyshyn said the lab has determined the elastic benefits include increased blood flow and energy. The elastic component allows for the storage and return of elastic energy. Modifying the movement of the athlete also plays a pivotal role in increased performance. 

J. Pecklo, 2010 Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University (Oct. 20, 2010)

The Gamecocks are an Underarmor team. Their tech is hidden below the surface. Many of the Gamecocks wear Under Armour 7622 Battle Shortsleeve Tees beneath their football jersey. The Battle Tees ad says, “The Squeeze Makes You Stronger” and it is equipped with “Anti-Odor Technology [that] prevents the growth of odor causing microbes.”

The Gamecocks have a clean-mean tech.