Good Riddance To 2007-2008
posted by Scott Hood on Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Thank God.
By any standard of measure, the last seven months have been largely unfulfilling for USC fans. I know, because I attended many of the games.
There have been a few flashes of success, for sure. But, there have been simply too many losses. Far too many losses.
And not just losses, mind you. Close losses. You know, the excruciating kind that kick you in the gut and break your heart, then smirk and laugh and refuse to apologize.
It all began, of course, with the Vanderbilt debacle last October 20 at Williams-Brice Stadium, and continued through the next month or so with the overtime loss at Tennessee and the last second field goal by Clemson.
Looking back, it’s quite reasonable to argue USC should have won all three games. But that’s something you’ve heard from me before.
The gut-wrenching defeats continued during basketball season when USC inexplicably lost to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, two of the most painful endings I’ve witnessed in recent years.
The phrase “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory” certainly applied to those losses.
Finally, we saw a pair of one-run setbacks to N.C. State in the just completed NCAA Baseball Regional.
Even some of the so-called “Olympic sports” like softball and men’s golf were afflicted as well.
Too many losses that should have been victories.
I got the impression that when “win time” arrived, USC often failed to deliver, as well as the sense the five straight losses by the football team to close out the season set the tone for the balance of the athletic calendar.
After the last nine months, I’m convinced more than ever that the entire South Carolina athletic department – administrators, coaches and athletes – is still learning how to win in the SEC.
As I’ve said before, you need more than just physical talent to win in this conference. You also need the proper mental approach, a belief and an expectation that you will win every time you take the field of battle.
In short, it takes a killer instinct, one that few USC athletic teams have demonstrated in the past. Once they get it, and hold onto it, the Gamecocks will experience more success.
I thought Ray Tanner said something profound following Sunday night’s loss to the Wolfpack. Asked to evaluate the season, here’s what he said in part:
There were too many close games in there. . .We gave up some leads and we weren’t able to battle back in some close games. That’s one of the things I’m most disappointed about. We didn’t battle back well enough. We didn’t win many games coming from behind.
Essentially, he’s saying USC lacked a killer instinct in some situations when the outcome of the game was on the line. They blew huge leads late against Arkansas and LSU, and smaller leads in several other games, and it ended up costing them dearly.
So, what can USC do to make sure there’s no repeat of what we saw in 2007-2008?
Right now, I’m not sure what USC can do except recruit better, more confident players. Players who are willing to take the bull by the horns. Players who are willing to lay it on the line when the games start.
Cory Boyd was a leader. But a football team needs more than one guy.
I’ve said for years that one of the Gamecock football team’s major deficiencies has been a lack of overall senior leadership. Leaders typically are the most productive players. It’s tough being a leader when your butt is on the bench.
USC also needs great vocal leaders to emerge. The baseball team had that problem this past season. Justin Smoak, Reese Havens and James Darnell were all great players, but they weren’t vocal enough.
That’s not me speaking, but Ray Tanner, who wished out loud one day a couple of weeks ago for someone like former Gamecock Trey Dyson to come along.
For the sake of Gamecock Nation, I sincerely hope the 2008-2009 athletic year is a lot more successful than the one we just went through.
Really, it’s not an option.
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
When the final out was recorded in South Carolina’s 2-1 loss to N.C. State on Sunday night, the 2007-2008 athletic year finally came to an end for the Gamecock athletic department.
Thank God.
By any standard of measure, the last seven months have been largely unfulfilling for USC fans. I know, because I attended many of the games.
There have been a few flashes of success, for sure. But, there have been simply too many losses. Far too many losses.
And not just losses, mind you. Close losses. You know, the excruciating kind that kick you in the gut and break your heart, then smirk and laugh and refuse to apologize.
It all began, of course, with the Vanderbilt debacle last October 20 at Williams-Brice Stadium, and continued through the next month or so with the overtime loss at Tennessee and the last second field goal by Clemson.
Looking back, it’s quite reasonable to argue USC should have won all three games. But that’s something you’ve heard from me before.
The gut-wrenching defeats continued during basketball season when USC inexplicably lost to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, two of the most painful endings I’ve witnessed in recent years.
The phrase “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory” certainly applied to those losses.
Finally, we saw a pair of one-run setbacks to N.C. State in the just completed NCAA Baseball Regional.
Even some of the so-called “Olympic sports” like softball and men’s golf were afflicted as well.
Too many losses that should have been victories.
I got the impression that when “win time” arrived, USC often failed to deliver, as well as the sense the five straight losses by the football team to close out the season set the tone for the balance of the athletic calendar.
After the last nine months, I’m convinced more than ever that the entire South Carolina athletic department – administrators, coaches and athletes – is still learning how to win in the SEC.
As I’ve said before, you need more than just physical talent to win in this conference. You also need the proper mental approach, a belief and an expectation that you will win every time you take the field of battle.
In short, it takes a killer instinct, one that few USC athletic teams have demonstrated in the past. Once they get it, and hold onto it, the Gamecocks will experience more success.
I thought Ray Tanner said something profound following Sunday night’s loss to the Wolfpack. Asked to evaluate the season, here’s what he said in part:
There were too many close games in there. . .We gave up some leads and we weren’t able to battle back in some close games. That’s one of the things I’m most disappointed about. We didn’t battle back well enough. We didn’t win many games coming from behind.
Essentially, he’s saying USC lacked a killer instinct in some situations when the outcome of the game was on the line. They blew huge leads late against Arkansas and LSU, and smaller leads in several other games, and it ended up costing them dearly.
So, what can USC do to make sure there’s no repeat of what we saw in 2007-2008?
Right now, I’m not sure what USC can do except recruit better, more confident players. Players who are willing to take the bull by the horns. Players who are willing to lay it on the line when the games start.
Cory Boyd was a leader. But a football team needs more than one guy.
I’ve said for years that one of the Gamecock football team’s major deficiencies has been a lack of overall senior leadership. Leaders typically are the most productive players. It’s tough being a leader when your butt is on the bench.
USC also needs great vocal leaders to emerge. The baseball team had that problem this past season. Justin Smoak, Reese Havens and James Darnell were all great players, but they weren’t vocal enough.
That’s not me speaking, but Ray Tanner, who wished out loud one day a couple of weeks ago for someone like former Gamecock Trey Dyson to come along.
For the sake of Gamecock Nation, I sincerely hope the 2008-2009 athletic year is a lot more successful than the one we just went through.
Really, it’s not an option.
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.