Five Things We Learned From The Outback Bowl
posted by Scott Hood, Monday, January 05, 2009
1. Football Is A Brutal Game Requiring Physical and Mental Toughness: Unfortunately, USC appeared to be lacking in both areas in Tampa. The lack of passion in which USC played over the final three games was shocking, at times. The shellacking at the hands of Florida can be dismissed in part on the Gators’ superior speed and talent. But, all things being equal, including effort level, there is no way Clemson is 17 points better or Iowa is 21 points better than USC. One player told me in Tampa that there had been a disconnect between the players and coaching staff, but that the players-only meeting had helped smooth things over. Well, everything appeared fine until the game started. Spurrier has remarked several times that some USC players have a difficult time taking their solid practice performances into the stadium on game day. In short, it’s not carrying over. That must change if USC wants to become a contender in the SEC.
2. USC’s Offense Looks Like My Bedroom When I Was A Teenager: In other words, it’s a mess. The USC offense totally malfunctioned the final three games of the season, starting, of course, with the quarterback position. Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley combined for 10 interceptions over the final three games. Overall, USC threw 27 interceptions this season, an average of more than two per game. Moreover, USC struggled to run the football all season and finished with a minus-11 turnover margin. All three areas must improve significantly starting next season if USC truly wants to take the next step and consistently reach the eight-win level.
3. Good Teams Know How To Run The Football: It’s very difficult to beat good defensive teams when you’re one-dimensional on offense, which USC was for most of the season. Mike Davis dominated the rushing statistics this season, accounting for 39.1 percent (163 of 417) of the carries and 46.9 percent (572 of 1,223) of the total rushing yards. That likely won’t happen next year. In fact, the Gamecocks appear headed towards a running- back-by-committee approach with Eric Baker, Brian Maddox, Kenny Miles and newcomer Jarvis Giles, who might be the most talented of the bunch. Whoever gets the ball, USC can’t afford to finish last in the SEC in rushing for a third consecutive season.
4. Gamecock Club Meetings Should Be Interesting This Spring: Without question, Gamecock fans spoke loudly with their lack of numbers in Tampa. They were outnumbered by at least a 2-to-1 margin in the stands on New Year’s Day, prompting Outback Bowl officials to wonder where all the USC fans had gone. The simple answer: they were back in the Palmetto State watching the game on TV. The Gamecock Club meetings have typically been pleasant, cordial affairs in the past, but that might end this year when Spurrier hits the circuit. Will fans be willing to show Spurrier whatever discontent they might be feeling?
5. The Honeymoon Is Over For Steve Spurrier: Well, it might have been over already with the losses to Florida and Clemson, but the Outback Bowl clinched it. Ironically, Spurrier is, by far, the most successful USC coach in history over his first four seasons with a 28-22 record. Prior to Spurrier, the most wins any Gamecock coach had had during his first four seasons in Columbia was 24. Remember, Joe Morrison followed the magical 1984 season (10-2), his second season at the helm, with 5-6 and 3-6-2 campaigns. So, at least Spurrier has managed to keep USC at or above the .500 mark in his first four seasons. So, is Spurrier in part a victim of unrealistic expectations? Possibly. Is he a victim of his past success? No doubt. Lots of people expected him to have USC competing for conference championships by the end of his fourth season. But the program’s history simply didn't support those expectations. Here’s a question: Is it fair to expect Spurrier to reach certain levels of success when past USC coaches have fallen far short of those same levels? Granted, when a head coach makes $1.75 million per year, the pressure to excel should be high. But how high?
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South Carolina closed out the 2008 season with a 31-10 loss to Iowa in the Outback Bowl last Thursday. The Gamecocks concluded the year with a 7-6 record, one more win than in 2007 when they failed to earn a bowl trip. However, despite finishing with a non-losing record for a fifth consecutive season, the first time that’s happened since the Great Depression, unrest among the fan base is evident. Here are five things we learned from the Outback Bowl:
1. Football Is A Brutal Game Requiring Physical and Mental Toughness: Unfortunately, USC appeared to be lacking in both areas in Tampa. The lack of passion in which USC played over the final three games was shocking, at times. The shellacking at the hands of Florida can be dismissed in part on the Gators’ superior speed and talent. But, all things being equal, including effort level, there is no way Clemson is 17 points better or Iowa is 21 points better than USC. One player told me in Tampa that there had been a disconnect between the players and coaching staff, but that the players-only meeting had helped smooth things over. Well, everything appeared fine until the game started. Spurrier has remarked several times that some USC players have a difficult time taking their solid practice performances into the stadium on game day. In short, it’s not carrying over. That must change if USC wants to become a contender in the SEC.
2. USC’s Offense Looks Like My Bedroom When I Was A Teenager: In other words, it’s a mess. The USC offense totally malfunctioned the final three games of the season, starting, of course, with the quarterback position. Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley combined for 10 interceptions over the final three games. Overall, USC threw 27 interceptions this season, an average of more than two per game. Moreover, USC struggled to run the football all season and finished with a minus-11 turnover margin. All three areas must improve significantly starting next season if USC truly wants to take the next step and consistently reach the eight-win level.
3. Good Teams Know How To Run The Football: It’s very difficult to beat good defensive teams when you’re one-dimensional on offense, which USC was for most of the season. Mike Davis dominated the rushing statistics this season, accounting for 39.1 percent (163 of 417) of the carries and 46.9 percent (572 of 1,223) of the total rushing yards. That likely won’t happen next year. In fact, the Gamecocks appear headed towards a running- back-by-committee approach with Eric Baker, Brian Maddox, Kenny Miles and newcomer Jarvis Giles, who might be the most talented of the bunch. Whoever gets the ball, USC can’t afford to finish last in the SEC in rushing for a third consecutive season.
4. Gamecock Club Meetings Should Be Interesting This Spring: Without question, Gamecock fans spoke loudly with their lack of numbers in Tampa. They were outnumbered by at least a 2-to-1 margin in the stands on New Year’s Day, prompting Outback Bowl officials to wonder where all the USC fans had gone. The simple answer: they were back in the Palmetto State watching the game on TV. The Gamecock Club meetings have typically been pleasant, cordial affairs in the past, but that might end this year when Spurrier hits the circuit. Will fans be willing to show Spurrier whatever discontent they might be feeling?
5. The Honeymoon Is Over For Steve Spurrier: Well, it might have been over already with the losses to Florida and Clemson, but the Outback Bowl clinched it. Ironically, Spurrier is, by far, the most successful USC coach in history over his first four seasons with a 28-22 record. Prior to Spurrier, the most wins any Gamecock coach had had during his first four seasons in Columbia was 24. Remember, Joe Morrison followed the magical 1984 season (10-2), his second season at the helm, with 5-6 and 3-6-2 campaigns. So, at least Spurrier has managed to keep USC at or above the .500 mark in his first four seasons. So, is Spurrier in part a victim of unrealistic expectations? Possibly. Is he a victim of his past success? No doubt. Lots of people expected him to have USC competing for conference championships by the end of his fourth season. But the program’s history simply didn't support those expectations. Here’s a question: Is it fair to expect Spurrier to reach certain levels of success when past USC coaches have fallen far short of those same levels? Granted, when a head coach makes $1.75 million per year, the pressure to excel should be high. But how high?
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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 @.