Automation Error when importing Excel spreadsheet to SQL Server

I have spent hours trying to import the data from a worksheet of an Excel (2003) file into a new table in SQL Server 2000.  I can run the SQL statement with no problems directly in a Query Analyzer window:

        strSQL = "select * " _
            & "into DTE_std_stats8 FROM " _
            & "OPENROWSET('Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0','Excel " _
            & "8.0;Database=c:\StdStats.xls','SELECT * FROM [Datastuff$]')"

But when I attempt to run it in Excel 2003 VBA I get an automation error:

    Dim cn As ADODB.Connection
    Dim strSQL As String
    
        Set cn = New ADODB.Connection
        
        'EITHER WAY OF CONNECTING GAVE THE SAME AUTOMATION ERROR
        'cn.Open "Provider=SQLOLEDB;Data Source=esp-optisql;Initial Catalogue=MyDB;User Id=MYUSER;Password=MYPWD"
        cn.Open "optisql_MYDB", "MYUSER", "MYPWD"
    
        strSQL = "select * " _
            & "into DTE_std_stats FROM " _
            & "OPENROWSET('Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0','Excel " _
            & "8.0;Database=c:\StdStats.xls','SELECT * FROM [Datastuff$]')"
        
        cn.Execute (strSQL)
    
        cn.Close
        Set cn = Nothing

I get "Run-time error '-2147217900 (80040e14)': Automation error" when I get to the line:

cn.Execute (strSQL)

Also-I ensure the table to be created DTE_std_stats does not exist before I run the code.  And I have the following references added:
Visual Basic for Applications
Microsoft Excel 11.0 Object Library
Microsoft Office 11.0 Object Library
Microsoft Forms 2.0 Object Library
Microsoft Scripting Runtime
OLE Automation
Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects 2.7 Library

Please - what am I missing??