5 Halfway Decent Thoughts At The Halfway Point
posted by Scott Hood, Monday, March 30, 2009
1. Jarvis Giles and Brian Maddox Are The Top 2 Running Backs: Giles (80 yards on 12 carries) was, by far, USC’s best running back in Saturday’s scrimmage in which the offense struggled to get much going. His speed to the outside and ability to juke defenders is unmatched by the other three scholarship running backs currently on the roster. Maddox is USC’s best and most punishing runner between the tackles, something the Gamecocks lacked last season. After two lackluster seasons, it appears Maddox is close to fulfilling his enormous potential. But, as Giles and Maddox rise, Eric Baker appears to have fallen down the depth chart a bit as shown by his lack of carries in recent practices. He had just 13 yards on seven carries in last Saturday’s scrimmage. His production must increase if he wants to remain in the battle.
2. It’s Actually Possible To Be A Gurley Man: Come on, you knew it was coming. Arnold Schwarzenegger may disagree, but it is possible to be a Gurley man and play football at the same time. Six-foot-four Tori Gurley (formerly Tori Childers of you haven’t heard) could become Sidney Rice’s rightful successor to the fade passes and jump ball throws that USC utilized when Rice was here. He could turn into a major weapon in the red zone this season. Gurley is a former high school basketball star, so his footwork is impeccable. Of course, the question is whether Gurley can be as productive against SEC cornerbacks. It also remains to be seen whether Gurley can excel running other routes besides the fade.
3. Gilmore Is The Spring’s Biggest Surprise: When it comes to identifying the spring’s biggest surprise, I could be a smart aleck and say it’s the fact Stephen Garcia has managed to stay out of trouble. But I won’t. Starting as a true freshman at any position in the SEC is extremely difficult, but Stephon Gilmore appears headed down that road. Without question, he is one of USC’s top two cornerbacks along with Akeem Auguste. Gilmore has come up with acrobatic interceptions in practice and has shown a willingness to battle receivers for the ball. In short, he’s fearless, which is what all good cornerbacks are. Offensive lineman T.J. Johnson finished a close second, though. His ascension has been remarkable since nearly every football coach will tell you offensive line might be the toughest position for a freshman to master. But Johnson has shown the traits Spurrier is looking for – hard and dedicated worker on and off the field, willingness to listen and ability to carry out his assignment on each play.
4. The Offense Is Still A Work In Progress: You didn’t actually think things would dramatically change overnight for the USC offense, did you? With coaches Eric Wolford, G.A. Mangus and Jay Graham now on board, the prospects for an improved offense in 2009 are good. But last Saturday’s scrimmage showed the road could be a bit bumpy at times. Garcia is clearly an improved and more confident quarterback under Mangus’ guidance, while the O-Line is slowly taking on the personality of Wolford, a high octane coach who’s not afraid to tell his players what he’s thinking. Garcia needed a coach whose sole job was coaching quarterbacks, thus giving him the attention he needs. Mangus has filled the role nicely. Garcia must play well for the USC offense to have a chance in 2009, and listening to Mangus might be the best route to getting there.
5. St. Patrick’s Day and USC Football Don’t Mix: By now you’ve probably heard that former walk-on fullback Dustyn McElroy has been dismissed from the football team after his involvement in a fight outside a restaurant in Five Points during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration two weeks ago. Considering McElroy’s chances of seeing the field this season were slim, it was hardly front page news. But what could be attention-getting is the fact something bad typically seems to happen to a USC player around St. Patrick’s Day. Two years ago, former mammoth OT Justin Sorensen had a beer bottle smashed over his head by a fool trying to pick a fight with him and missed about a week of practice. Just another reason for USC players to stay away from Five Points.
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Last Saturday’s full team scrimmage represented the halfway point of spring practice for South Carolina. With eight workouts in the books and seven to go, here are my thoughts:
1. Jarvis Giles and Brian Maddox Are The Top 2 Running Backs: Giles (80 yards on 12 carries) was, by far, USC’s best running back in Saturday’s scrimmage in which the offense struggled to get much going. His speed to the outside and ability to juke defenders is unmatched by the other three scholarship running backs currently on the roster. Maddox is USC’s best and most punishing runner between the tackles, something the Gamecocks lacked last season. After two lackluster seasons, it appears Maddox is close to fulfilling his enormous potential. But, as Giles and Maddox rise, Eric Baker appears to have fallen down the depth chart a bit as shown by his lack of carries in recent practices. He had just 13 yards on seven carries in last Saturday’s scrimmage. His production must increase if he wants to remain in the battle.
2. It’s Actually Possible To Be A Gurley Man: Come on, you knew it was coming. Arnold Schwarzenegger may disagree, but it is possible to be a Gurley man and play football at the same time. Six-foot-four Tori Gurley (formerly Tori Childers of you haven’t heard) could become Sidney Rice’s rightful successor to the fade passes and jump ball throws that USC utilized when Rice was here. He could turn into a major weapon in the red zone this season. Gurley is a former high school basketball star, so his footwork is impeccable. Of course, the question is whether Gurley can be as productive against SEC cornerbacks. It also remains to be seen whether Gurley can excel running other routes besides the fade.
3. Gilmore Is The Spring’s Biggest Surprise: When it comes to identifying the spring’s biggest surprise, I could be a smart aleck and say it’s the fact Stephen Garcia has managed to stay out of trouble. But I won’t. Starting as a true freshman at any position in the SEC is extremely difficult, but Stephon Gilmore appears headed down that road. Without question, he is one of USC’s top two cornerbacks along with Akeem Auguste. Gilmore has come up with acrobatic interceptions in practice and has shown a willingness to battle receivers for the ball. In short, he’s fearless, which is what all good cornerbacks are. Offensive lineman T.J. Johnson finished a close second, though. His ascension has been remarkable since nearly every football coach will tell you offensive line might be the toughest position for a freshman to master. But Johnson has shown the traits Spurrier is looking for – hard and dedicated worker on and off the field, willingness to listen and ability to carry out his assignment on each play.
4. The Offense Is Still A Work In Progress: You didn’t actually think things would dramatically change overnight for the USC offense, did you? With coaches Eric Wolford, G.A. Mangus and Jay Graham now on board, the prospects for an improved offense in 2009 are good. But last Saturday’s scrimmage showed the road could be a bit bumpy at times. Garcia is clearly an improved and more confident quarterback under Mangus’ guidance, while the O-Line is slowly taking on the personality of Wolford, a high octane coach who’s not afraid to tell his players what he’s thinking. Garcia needed a coach whose sole job was coaching quarterbacks, thus giving him the attention he needs. Mangus has filled the role nicely. Garcia must play well for the USC offense to have a chance in 2009, and listening to Mangus might be the best route to getting there.
5. St. Patrick’s Day and USC Football Don’t Mix: By now you’ve probably heard that former walk-on fullback Dustyn McElroy has been dismissed from the football team after his involvement in a fight outside a restaurant in Five Points during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration two weeks ago. Considering McElroy’s chances of seeing the field this season were slim, it was hardly front page news. But what could be attention-getting is the fact something bad typically seems to happen to a USC player around St. Patrick’s Day. Two years ago, former mammoth OT Justin Sorensen had a beer bottle smashed over his head by a fool trying to pick a fight with him and missed about a week of practice. Just another reason for USC players to stay away from Five Points.
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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 @.