 Getting Better All The Time
posted by Scott Hood, 10/31/2007 11:42:00 PM
Few college football teams manage to make it through an entire season unscathed. This year’s South Carolina teams has plenty of flaws as we have seen in the last two games, both defeats to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. But the Gamecocks are 6-3 and still involved in the SEC East race. For a team that has few senior starters, that’s pretty good. But there’s plenty of room to get better. Here are the five things I believe USC needs to improve the most between now and the conclusion of the season. If you’re a USC fan, you hope that won’t be until Jan. 1. 1. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY: This has been the Achilles heel of the offense for the past three weeks. USC is last in the SEC in third-down efficiency with a success rate of 36.1 percent (44 of 122). But it wasn’t always like this. The Gamecocks converted 23 of 47 third down opportunities during a three-game stretch against LSU (8/16), Mississippi State (9/18) and Kentucky (6/13). But the percentage dropped off to a dismal 8.3 percent (2 of 24) with consecutive 1 for 12 performances against North Carolina and Vanderbilt. In the first half of the Tennessee game, USC converted 2 of 7 third down chances. Add it up and that’s 4 of 31 over a 10-quarter span. No wonder USC went eight quarters without a touchdown. The difficulty on third downs has produced a predictable outcome – USC has already punted 45 times this season, an average of five times per game. The Gamecocks punted just 30 times all of last season when they converted 47.7 percent (72 of 151) of third downs. Overall, USC’s third down success rate has fallen 11.6 percent. That’s a huge drop. Steve Spurrier has lamented the absence of Syvelle Newton (darn those NCAA eligibility rules!) lion several occasions this season. Now you know why. 2. TURNOVER MARGIN: I’ve said before that turnover margin might be the most important statistic in football. Few successful teams fall below the break-even mark in this category. Last week’s game at Tennessee provides the perfect example of how important turnovers are. USC fumbled after a pass completion and threw a ill-advised interception in the opening 15:12 of the game. Both turnovers led to Tennessee touchdowns. That’s 14 points right there. USC is 11th in the SEC with a minus-5 turnover margin. That’s shows two things – 1) they’re committing too many turnovers themselves; and 2) they’re not forcing enough turnovers. The team with the lowest turnover margin? Ole Miss at minus-8. I can assure you that’s a major reason the Rebels are 2-7 overall and still haven’t won a conference game. USC should make it a goal to get to the break-even mark in turnover margin by the end of the regular season. If they can go plus-five in turnovers over the next three games, they’ll have an excellent chance to win all three games and finish 9-3. 3. LEVEL OF PLAY AT HOME: USC has played five home games so far in 2007. They’re 4-1 at home, 2-2 on the road. However, the last time we saw the Gamecocks on the turf at Williams-Brice Stadium they were dropping a 17-6 decision to Vanderbilt. That performance followed sluggish performances against Louisiana-Lafayette and S.C. State. USC did play well for the most part in victories over Mississippi State (38-21) and Kentucky (38-23). But with the regular season set to conclude with contests against Florida and Clemson at Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecock will have to pick up their level of play to beat the defending national champions Gators and the arch-rival Tigers. Both of those opponents possess plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. USC committed six turnovers against S.C. State and still won by a 38-3 margin. That won’t work against Florida or Clemson. If they do the same thing in either of those games, the Gamecocks will get blown out. 4. RUN DEFENSE: USC is currently 10th in the SEC in rushing defense, allowing 169.2 yards per game. All three opponents USC will face over the final four weeks (USC has an open date 11/17) of the regular season have very good rushing attacks. Arkansas is first in the SEC and third in the SEC in rushing offense with an average of 287.6 ypg. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones are one-two in the SEC in rushing yards. Florida is third in the SEC in rushing with an average of 186.9 ypg. But their rushing leader isn’t a running back, it’s quarterback Tim Tebow, who is averaging 70.4 ypg running draws and sprint plays. Clemson, as most of you know, features the RB duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Both players are dangerous when they have the ball in their hands. Spiller had a couple of long TD runs in last year's USC-Clemson game. In short, USC will have the tighten their belt and hunker down with some ferocious run defense over the final three games. If the Gamecocks don’t, they will find little success on the scoreboard. 5. THE INTANGIBLES: When I say “intangibles” I mean factors you can’t quantify like intelligence, awareness, hustle and scrappiness. Spurrier has bemoaned the fact USC often doesn’t play smart. In his words, they make too many “dumb plays.” One of those plays came late in the game when Tennessee was allowed to return the ensuing kickoff after Ryan Succop’s go-ahead field goal to midfield. There were multiple blown assignments on the coverage. Prior to that, USC had roughed the punter, giving the ball back to the Vols for a fresh set of downs. Later, on the drive that produced Tennessee’s game-tying field goal, the Vols fumbled twice but recovered each time. Often, who recovers a fumble is the one who hustled the most. Here's a telling statistic - USC’s opponents have fumbled 16 times this season. The Gamecocks have recovered five of them. That’s less than one-third. That percentage must increase. Recovering a fumble is mostly a matter of awareness, hustle and aggressiveness. Clearly, USC must improve in all of those areas. They won’t become a great team until they do.
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Time For A Reality Check
posted by Scott Hood, 10/30/2007 10:54:00 AM
I’m supposed to be an objective journalist, I guess. That means I’m not supposed to root for South Carolina whenever they play a football games. But that didn’t stop me from replaying the final minutes of Saturday’s 27-24 overtime loss to Tennessee over and over in my mind late Saturday night and most of the day on Sunday. The horrific special teams blunder, the failure to fall on two fumbles, the game-tying field goal with five seconds left, the mishandled snap and five-yard loss, the near completion to Kenny McKinley at the goal line, and finally, Ryan Succop’s miss of the seemingly innocent 40-yard field goal that would have extended the game to a second overtime period. Frankly, it made me angry. Most certainly, disappointed. Maybe even a bit disenchanted. Same ‘ol Gamecocks, I thought. Can’t make the big play when they need to. You know, all that negative nellie stuff. Once I arrived back at my home in Columbia, I did my usual Sunday things. I participated in Steve Spurrier’s Sunday afternoon teleconference. I wrote a summary and posted it in the website. I cranked out a 1,200 word article on every detail Spurrier had discussed. I did a 15-minute radio interview rehashing the loss. By dinner time on Sunday, I started feeling better as I started to think ahead to this week’s game at Arkansas. Time is, indeed, the best healer Then, on Sunday night, I heard for the first time that six USC students and one Clemson student had perished in a fire at a beach house in North Carolina. Suddenly, any ill will I had felt towards the football game dissipated. There are far more important things in life than a rotten ending to a football game. Human life being one of them. No one seems to know for sure why the house burned. But it did. No one seems to understand why the Great Gamecock In The Sky snatched the lives of those seven students. But he (or she) did. I’m not sure we ever will. It’s been a reality check of the first order. I saw the photos of the victims on the front page of the local newspaper this morning while enjoying breakfast with my wife. I noticed their ages, all 18 and 19. All good-looking, all talented, all charming, I’m sure. Now they’re all gone. Without explanation. Tragic is the best word to describe it. It made me forget about the Tennessee loss pretty quickly. Although I’m a Yankee, I’ve lived in South Carolina long enough (next May will mark my 14th anniversary in the Palmetto State) to understand the important role college football plays in our society. It’s part of the culture. Sports, pro or college, are important everywhere. I grew up in the Northeast surrounded by pro teams. I’ve learned that whether it’s college or pro, the passion is the same wherever you are. The USC football team has an opportunity to seize the moment. Hopefully, they will feel a sense of motivation and a sense of duty to the thousands of students mourning the loss of their fallen brethren. If it inspires them to play harder, focus more, compete with all their might, and, of course, stay in their lanes on kickoff coverage, all the better. Although on a smaller scale, the USC football team finds itself in the same position as the Virginia Tech football team last spring when the unthinkable - a mass shooting that killed 32 people – occurred on that rural, peaceful campus. In the South, the local college football team is one of the most visible inhabitants of the community. Hopefully, the USC football team will serve as an inspiration over these final three weeks of the season. But, if they don’t, I won’t fret about it. Instead, I’ll just think about the pain the families of those seven students are going through. Come to think of it, I should do that anyways. Win or lose.
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The 5 Things We Learned From USC-Tennessee
posted by Scott Hood, 10/28/2007 11:10:00 PM
When you lose in the fashion South Carolina did on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, it’s difficult to realize there are lessons to be learned from the experience. As painful as the loss was, here’s the five top things we learned from the 27-24 overtime setback: 1. BIG PLAYS AND TURNOVERS TRUMP BIG STATS: By now, I’m sure most of you have seen the statistics from Saturday night’s game in which USC dominated nearly every major category. Unfortunately, it marked the second straight year USC has won the statistical battle but lost the war on the scoreboard. How does that happen? Easy. Tennessee has forced turnovers and made big plays when they had to. Last year, it was an interception return for a touchdown and a key punt return by Jonathan Hefney. This year, Tennessee turned a critical fumble by Freddie Brown into a 52-yard return inside the USC 5-yard line. Several USC players had an opportunity to tackle the returner but didn’t do it. Later, with the game on the line, here’s what happened: 1) a kickoff return to the UT 47; 2) two fumbles recovered by the Tennessee offense when a recovery by USC in either situation would have ended the game and 3) a 48-yard field goal with five seconds left to tie the score. Tennessee made the plays, USC didn’t. Overall, USC committed four turnovers to one by Tennessee. Rarely does a team that’s minus-3 in turnover margin win a football game. 2. THE FIRST HALF COUNTS TOO: While the final two minutes of regulation and overtime will dominate the conversation for years, USC may have won had it not dug itself such a huge hole in the first half. The Gamecocks failed to execute in nearly every phase of the game during the opening 30 minutes. Here’s what happened in the first half: -- Brian Maddox committed an illegal block in the back penalty on a punt return following the first series of the game; -- A roughing the kicker penalty on Cliff Matthews kept a Tennessee drive alive and allowed the Vols to run five more plays before punting again. -- Wide receiver Freddie Brown fumbled after making a catch at the UT 44. The loose ball was scooped up by Tennessee’s Eric Berry and returned 52 yards to the USC 4. To add insult to injury, a face mask penalty on QB Chris Smelley moved the ball to the 2-yard line. -- Smelley throws an interception right into the arms of Berry on the first play of the second quarter. -- A pass interference penalty against on Captain Munnerlyn on fourth-and-1 gave UT a first-down at the USC 30. The Vols went on to score a touchdown. -- A personal foul penalty on Garrett Anderson neutralized a 12-yard pass to Kenny McKinley that had moved the ball into UT territory. That’s far too many mistakes for a single half of football. In the end, those plays helped cost USC the game because the Gamecocks could have put some points on the board in the first half or prevented Tennessee from scoring points. 3. CORY BOYD IS A WARRIOR: This is more of a reminder than a news flash. But Boyd again showed his warrior mentality on Saturday night. His 29-yard TD run late in the third quarter was a thing of beauty. Boyd, who finished with 160 rushing yards on 20 carries for an average of 8.0 yards per rush, ran with anger in the second half. He looked visibly upset over the way the Gamecocks had played in the first half. He nearly willed USC to victory with 95 rushing yards in the second half. Boyd also had six receptions for 25 yards. There’s no question Boyd is the inspirational leader of the Gamecocks. Players listen to him because he has a ton of credibility. USC will need his leadership over the final three weeks of the season. One thing is for sure: Boyd won’t bury his head and feel sorry for himself following two straight losses. 4. BLAKE MITCHELL IS BACK: As we saw in the second half of Saturday night’s game, when Blake Mitchell is given adequate protection by the offensive line, he’s able to pick out the open receivers. Mitchell’s performance rallying the troops was similar to last year’s outing against Arkansas when he came on for Syvelle Newton after halftime and nearly led USC to a stunning comeback win over the Razorbacks. In many ways, his second half performance in Saturday’s game was better than the one he had against Arkansas last year. Mitchell was 24 of 36 for 234 yards and one touchdown in the second half against the Vols. But here’s the key stat – he wasn’t sacked a single time. Given his experience, if the offensive line continues to perform like it did in the second half, the final three weeks of the regular season could be fun with Mitchell under center. It appears USC may have finally found an OL combination that clicks with Heath Batchelor and Seaver Brown, both redshirt freshman, at guard. Could we witness a repeat of 2006? If you’re a USC fan, you hope so. 5. SPECIAL TEAMS ARE CRITICAL: After more than 59 minutes of action, Saturday’s game essentially came down to a 48-yard field goal attempt by Tennessee’s Daniel Lincoln. He nailed the kick to send the game into overtime. Moments later, Lincoln made a 27-yarder in OT and USC’s Ryan Succop badly missed a 40-yarder. Game over. What put Tennessee in position to send the game into overtime? A 37-yard kickoff return helped by poor pursuit angles by USC’s coverage team. Lincoln’s game-tying kick and LaMarcus Coker’s kickoff return showed again that great special teams play can neutralize any statistical advantage one team holds over the other. Tennessee’s special teams outperformed USC’s throughout the night. They averaged over three yards more per punt, and placed four punts inside the 20-yard line.
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Five Predictions For USC-Tennessee game
posted by Scott Hood, 10/26/2007 02:05:00 AM
South Carolina and Tennessee meet Saturday night in what essentially is an elimination game in the SEC Eastern Division. Five teams have two conference losses. By the end of the day, no more than three teams will two losses, while two teams will be on the outside looking in with three SEC defeats. USC stunned Tennessee two years on the same turf at Neyland Stadium. Can USC do it again? Here are my five predictions for the USC-Tennessee game: 1. USC Will Have Two Or More Sacks: The game’s outcome could depend on how much pressure USC is able to get on Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge. Amazingly, Ainge has been sacked only once this season in 256 pass attempts. Credit the Tennessee offensive line, which includes Union’s Eric Young at left tackle, for protecting the QB like a brick wall. USC has 18 sacks in eight games, an average of 2.3 per game. Eric Norwood leads the Gamecocks with five sacks. USC certainly can’t afford to let Ainge stand in the pocket and pick out receivers. He’s completing 66 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Ainge completed 21 of 29 passes for 254 yards in last year’s game in Columbia. That can’t happen again if USC wants to beat the Vols in Knoxville for the second consecutive time. 2. The USC Offense Will Accumulate 350 Yards Or More: Let’s face it, last week’s game against Vanderbilt may have been one of the worst performances by the USC offense in a long time. So, taking it from that perspective, there’s probably no place to go but up for the Gamecocks. Two things will help the offense improve in this game: 1) Chris Smelley will have the chance to play the entire game; and 2) the Tennessee defense has been less than stellar this season. The Vols are vulnerable against the pass (11th in the league), allowing 249.0 yards per game. Their rushing defense isn’t much better by ranking ninth in the SEC (157.7 ypg). Granted, Tennessee has faced some explosive offenses this season but they did surrender 41 points and 510 yards to Alabama last week. Spurrier’s decision to start Smelley is a smart one because, statistically, he’s been the best USC quarterback this season. 3. Tennessee Won’t Score 31 Points: The Volunteers are averaging 31.9 points per game this season, and have surpassed the 30 point barrier in five of its seven games. However, the Gamecock defense is surrendering just 16.6 points per game and has held each of its eight opponents to fewer points than it’s averaging this season. Overall, the USC defense is limiting opponents to an average of 10.5 points per game less than their average. The biggest differential is 19 by Kentucky. The Wildcats are averaging 42 points per game but managed only 23 against USC on Oct. 4. Of course, in order to sustain the season-long trend, the pass defense must live up to its No. 1 national ranking and stop the Vols through the air and make them one-dimensional. If USC can force Erik Ainge into a role of just handing off, they’ll be in good shape. Then they can blitz the gaps and work on stopping the UT running game, as well. 4. Emanuel Cook Will Lead USC In Tackles: This prediction is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel considering the likeable sophomore from Palm Beach County in Florida has led USC in tackles in five of the last six games. The stretch began in the 38-3 victory over S.C. State when he had seven tackles, one more than MLB Marvin Sapp. His 11 tackles in last Saturday’s loss to Vanderbilt matched his season high first set in the LSU game. Remarkably, Cook has become the top tackler (57 tackles) on the team despite missing the season opener after undergoing an appendectomy in late August. He returned to action in a limited role in the Georgia game before resuming full-time duty in the lopsided win over S.C. State. Cook has at least seven tackles in each of his six starts, and has 54 tackles in the last six games, an average of 9.0 per game. Cook is sixth in the SEC with an overall average of 8.1 tackles per game. 5. Mike Davis Will Get At Least 12 Carries: Davis has barely been a blip on the radar screen the past two games with 11 carries for 44 yards against North Carolina and Vanderbilt. In the previous two games, he had 35 carries for 131 yards in the home victories over Mississippi State and Kentucky. But Spurrier sounded this week like he was committed to getting the running game back on track. Which means we could see a lot of Davis and Cory Boyd with the ball in their arms on Saturday night. The fact Tennessee’s run defense is weak should help too. In USC’s two losses this season, Davis averaged five carries per game. In the six wins by the Gamecocks, Davis averaged 13.3 carries, including a season-high 18 against Miss. State. Recent history shows USC has more success when they establish the running game behind Davis and Boyd. That didn’t happen last week when USC fell behind, 17-0, to Vanderbilt by the end of the first quarter.
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The Road Warrior Mentality
posted by Scott Hood, 10/25/2007 01:02:00 AM
Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz’ said there’s no place like home. Oh, really? Someone forgot to tell South Carolina that. The most puzzling aspect of Steve Spurrier’s first three seasons is the unparalleled road success the Gamecocks have enjoyed, while struggling at home at the same time. In my opinion, the issue came to the forefront again with last week’s abysmal showing by the USC offense in the 17-6 loss to Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks have played five games at Williams-Brice Stadium this season. You can make the argument that they have played one solid game (Kentucky), one good game (Miss. State), two mediocre games (Louisiana-Lafayette and S.C.State) and one game so poor it’s beyond even Albert Einstein’s comprehension (Vanderbilt). Last season, USC went 0-4 at home against SEC opponents. Yes, I understand they were four difficult foes (Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas), but I’ve always believed that if you fancy yourself as a respectable SEC program, you have to defend your home turf, even against the so-called ‘big boys.’ Besides the four SEC games in 2006, there was also the near-disaster against Wofford. USC won it, 27-20, but the I-AA Terriers were knocking on the door in the final seconds. This year, USC has already won at Georgia and North Carolina. A year ago, they were 4-1 on the road with victories at Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Clemson. In 2005, the Gamecocks posted wins at Tennessee and Arkansas. Overall, USC has won eight of its last 10 road games under Spurrier since the middle portion of the 2005 schedule. But this is not a phenomenon that began with Spurrier. In Holtz’s final season, USC trounced Alabama, 20-3, in Tuscaloosa before returning home to drop a 31-28 decision to a dreadful Ole Miss team. The next week? USC went to Lexington and beat Kentucky, 12-7. Here’s the key question: Why has USC been so successful on the road while struggling to compete with teams like Vanderbilt, Wofford and Louisiana-Lafayette at home? I’ve attended every USC game, home and road, since the start of the 2005 season. There’s no question in my mind USC plays with more enthusiasm, energy and confidence on the road. Overall, they seem to play more relaxed in the stadiums of their opponents. At home, they tense up to the point it looks like they’re being “lackadaisical,” a term used by Spurrier to describe the performance by USC’s offense last weekend. Why? Do they just enjoy sticking it to the opposing team’s home fans? Are they afraid of being booed at home? Are they so afraid of disappointing the legions of loyal USC fans that they play not to lose at home? I’ve asked Steve Spurrier on a number of occasions why his team seems to play better on the road. He just shakes his head. Linebacker Cody Wells will be graduating soon with a degree in psychology. Maybe I should ask him. It is all in the mind? I don’t know for sure but it sure seems that way. It just goes to show that when you’re dealing with 18-to-22 year old players, anything and everything is possible. In other words, the best explanation might be no explanation. Don’t try to figure it out. Based on the level of success USC has enjoyed on the road the last three seasons, I’m convinced the Gamecock players will go into Neyland Stadium in Knoxville Saturday night and play their hearts out. The game will unquestionably be close and hard-fought throughout. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if USC beat Tennessee, and got their season back on track. It would fit the script of the past three years.
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A Test of Leadership and Character
posted by Scott Hood, 10/24/2007 12:36:00 AM
Most college football teams face a moment of crisis each season. That moment has arrived for South Carolina. Which direction will the Gamecocks go? South, as they did in 2002 (five straight losses) and 2003 (four straight losses), or North, as they did in 2005 (five straight wins) and 2006 (three straight wins). This week leading up to the Tennessee game in Knoxville is a stern test of the character and senior leadership of the Gamecocks. As Spurrier said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday, USC doesn’t have any players who scream and yell a whole lot. Cory Boyd may come the closest to filling that role. A team’s psyche is a fragile thing, as USC fans have painfully discovered in the past. A series of unfortunate events can send team morale plummeting. Lou Holtz always said your seniors should be your best players. But that hasn’t been the case for USC the 2001 season when quarterback Phil Petty led the Gamecocks to a 9-3 campaign. It will be up to the Boyd and players like center Williams Brown, tight end Andy Boyd and defensive back Brandon Isaac to make sure that doesn’t happen. The problem USC faces – and I’ve talked about this on a few occasions in the past – is not enough of USC’s frontline players are seniors. Thirteen seniors are listed on this week’s depth chart. Just five are certain they’ll start on Saturday against the hated Vols. Five of the seven seniors on defense play secondary roles. The only two seniors currently listed as starters are DE Casper Brinkley and DB Brandon Isaac. QB Blake Mitchell is a fifth-year senior as well but he played for the first time in four weeks against Vanderbilt. Will USC recover psychologically from the stunning loss to Vanderbilt? Absolutely. And I expect it will begin this week in Knoxville. The first two years under Spurrier suggest the Gamecocks will bounce back. In 2005, I’m sure the doom and gloomers were out in force after the embarrassing 48-7 loss at Auburn in the fifth week of the season that dropped USC to 2-3. What did USC do after that debacle? They proceeded to win five straight games, including road contests at Tennessee (16-15) and Arkansas (14-10). Granted, it took a good deal of good fortune to win those games, but they were wins nevertheless. If I recall correctly, most national media types confidently predicted after the Auburn loss that USC would have trouble winning another game. The 2006 team didn’t have a stretch like that five-game winning streak but it came through when the chips were down in the final two weeks of the season. After walloping Middle Tennessee, USC had to beat Clemson to assure a bowl berth. They rallied from a 14-point deficit by scoring the final 17 points of the game. USC’s record this year after eight games is actually one game better than last season at this time. In 2006, the Gamecocks fell to 5-3 after losing to Tennessee at home. This year, there are no Middle Tennessees left on the schedule, and Clemson appears to have a better quarterback at its disposal, so beating the Tigers won’t be easy. The last thing USC wants to do is enter bowl season with a 6-6 record. There are too many skeptics out there in the mainstream media that would skewer the Gamecocks for playing in a bowl game with a .500 record. I predicted before the season that USC would be 7-1 going into the Tennessee game and that the Gamecocks would split the final four games to finish with a 9-3 record and earn a spot in the Outback Bowl. While the loss to Vanderbilt dented USC’s hopes of playing in a New Years Day Bowl, it wasn’t a crushing blow. The Gamecocks could still end up playing in one of the Florida bowls on Jan. 1 or even the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans if they duplicate their feat of two years ago and beat Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida on consecutive weekends. Win those three games and USC will be assured of a spot in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. If that happens, the Vanderbilt loss would be erased from memory. Which road will USC travel? More importantly, will the seniors lead USC down the right path?
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Finding The Right Balance
posted by Scott Hood, 10/22/2007 07:55:00 PM
What does South Carolina have to do to beat Tennessee this Saturday, and erase the bad odor from the 17-6 loss to Vanderbilt? In my opinion, here’s what the Gamecocks should do: run the d**n ball. USC forgot what type of team it was against the Commodores. They got away from what they do best. Their offense is much more effective when Cory Boyd and Mike Davis are carrying the ball and catching a few passes out of the backfield. Here’s the one statistic that matters: USC is 5-0 this season when it runs the ball more than it throws it. The Gamecocks have beaten Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgia, S.C. State, Kentucky and North Carolina by relying mostly on the rushing game and mixing in some passes to keep the offense balanced. In fact, through the first seven games of the season, USC has rushed the ball 242 times, an average of 34.6 times per game, while throwing the ball 224 times, an average of 32 times per game. That’s a pretty balanced offense by any standard. But USC turned into a very unbalanced team against the Commodores, and paid a steep price in the process. They attempted 43 passes and 22 rushes, an abysmally low figure. I realize the blocking up front along the offensive line was poor most of the game, so maybe USC’s ball carriers never had a chance. But here’s my point: They never got much of a chance to show what they could do. Boyd and Davis combined for 11 rushes. In one game. Frankly, that’s atrocious. They should have that in one quarter, let alone an entire game. Boyd and Davis are, most observers agree, one of the top running back tandems in the SEC. But Davis has been nearly invisible the last two games, logging a combined 11 rushes for 44 yards against North Carolina and Vanderbilt. That’s not enough. Boyd carried the ball five times on Saturday and gained 49 yards, an average of 9.8 yards. Even Spurrier lamented the fact Boyd got so few opportunities. In my opinion, Davis and Boyd should both carry the ball about 15 times per game. I get the sense the USC offense is more effective when the Gamecocks do that. The Kentucky game provides the perfect example. USC put 38 points on the board by smartly mixing the run and pass and relying on a strong defense. Davis rushed 17 times for 62 yards, while Boyd had 14 rushes for 57 yards. While not overwhelming numbers, it kept the Kentucky defense honest and prevented them from blitzing most of the time like the Vanderbilt defense did on Saturday. Kentucky had to respect the running game. Vanderbilt had no reason to, and once they sensed USC had abandoned the rush, they simply pinned their ears back and came after USC’s quarterback. Sadly, the USC offensive line could do little to stop them. The result? Seven sacks and five false start penalties. USC lacks the powerful offensive line that can pass block consistently or the array of wide receivers it requires to throw the ball 43 times, as it did against Vanderbilt. Let’s face it. The Gamecocks have one wide receiver that opposing secondaries fear – Kenny McKinley. The rest? They’ve struggled getting open. None have shown they can catch passes consistently against SEC defenses. The opportunity to return to a more balanced attack presents itself this weekend against a struggling Tennessee defense. This is not your older brother’s Tennessee, which always featured a brick wall of a defense. This year? The Vols are 11th in the SEC in total defense, allowing an astounding 406.7 yards per game. They’re also 12th in scoring defense (32.3 ppg), 11th in pass defense (249.0 ypg) and ninth in rushing defense (157.7 ypg). This could be the worst defense of the Phil Fulmer era at Tennessee. John Chavis has been one of the top defensive coordinators in the SEC for a long time. But not this year. USC must take advantage of the weak UT defense if they want to win this game. The Gamecocks should be able to exploit the Vols both running and throwing the ball. Get balanced, beat the Vols. If only it was that easy.
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The Sounds of Silence
posted by Scott Hood, 10/19/2007 01:19:00 AM
Some South Carolina fans appear perplexed by the perceived snub from the national media despite USC’s No. 6 national ranking. Yes, I believe USC is being overlooked. But I think that’s a good thing. For now. I can assure you Steve Spurrier feels the same way. Some USC fans point to the “love” being shown Kentucky during the last few weeks for an alleged bias against the Gamecocks. Remember, coming into the USC-Kentucky game, the Wildcats were undefeated, were ranked in the Top 10 and had a Heisman Trophy candidate playing quarterback. For TV folks covering college football, that’s the holy grail. As we all know, USC beat Kentucky, 38-23, behind a strong defensive performance that harassed UK QB Andre Woodson all night. After the loss, many people assumed Kentucky would fall off the map with upcoming home contests against LSU and Florida. But a funny thing happened on the way towards obscurity for UK - they shocked the top-ranked Tigers, 43-37, in triple OT, reviving their season. Now, they’ll face Florida at home on Saturday in nationally televised game. UK is back in the Top 10 and back in the national spotlight. Kentucky won the big game when they had to. That’s why people are paying attention to them. ESPN, in fact, will originate its ‘College GameDay’ show from Lexington on Saturday. Talk of Woodson capturing the Heisman in this wide-open year has returned. Meanwhile, no one is supposedly talking about USC. Should that bother Gamecock fans? No. Why not? USC’s time will come. Specifically, next week when they travel to Knoxville to face Tennessee. First, USC must take care of business Saturday against Vanderbilt, which nearly beat Georgia last week. In fact, the Commodores probably should have won the game. If USC disposes of Vanderbilt, historically a poor road team, the Gamecocks will assuredly ascend into the Top 5 of the BCS standings, thanks to Rutgers’ 30-27 victory over No. 2 South Florida Thursday night. A 7-1 USC team heading to Knoxville for a showdown with Tennessee, a traditional college football power, will garner plenty of publicity and talk. In fact, it would likely be the national game of the week. Without question, it would be the biggest game in school history. Of course, some in the national media will pick Tennessee to win the game. That’s not a sign of disrespect towards USC, just a nod of the head acknowledging how difficult it is for a road team to win at the big stadium on the banks of the Tennessee River. Georgia found that out the hard way a couple of weeks ago when they were throttled by the Vols. You want boatloads of positive publicity for USC? Beat Tennessee on their home field. Pardon the French, but if that happens, all hell would break loose. USC wouldn’t just be mentioned as a SEC title contender by the ESPN’s of the world but as a NATIONAL title contender, as well. Then, USC would have all the “love” it could handle en route to Fayetteville and a meeting with the Arkansas Razorbacks. It would be Love In The First Degree. Indeed, the media would even begin asserting the Gamecocks controlled their own destiny in the SEC East. I suspect that one of the reasons the national media may not be paying too much attention to USC right now is because they believe the Gamecocks will falter at some point over the final four games of the season. It’s time for the Gamecocks to prove them wrong. Tennessee is USC’s ‘Big Game,’ just like LSU was for Kentucky last week. You could also refer to it as a possible 'Breakthrough Game.’ Kentucky passed the test with flying colors when they outlasted LSU. Their reward is another nationally televised game with Florida. Will USC pass the test when they play Tennessee? Ask me that question next week. Right now, all the attention and focus is on beating Vanderbilt. Once that happens, we'll talk. Spoken like a true football coach.
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Two Heads Are Better Than One
posted by Scott Hood, 10/18/2007 01:45:00 AM
I don’t know how this quarterback saga with redshirt freshman Chris Smelley and fifth-year senior Blake Mitchell will play out over the next several weeks. But here’s one thing I do know - Steve Spurrier’s decision to play Mitchell against Vanderbilt, this week’s opponent, has nothing to do with the Commodores, and everything to do with Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida and Clemson. It’s no accident Spurrier is bringing Mitchell out of mothballs one week before the most important stretch of his three-year tenure at South Carolina begins. Chris Smelley has done a fabulous job as the starting quarterback for the Gamecocks the last three weeks. How do I know? USC went 3-0 in those games, beating Mississippi State, Kentucky and North Carolina. A quarterback – it doesn’t matter if he’s in the NFL or NCAA Division I - is ultimately judged by how many games his team wins and loses. As I’ve said before, football at this level is a cold-hearted, bottom-line business. You win, you play. You lose, you sit. It’s very simple. Smelley is 4-0 as a starter this season. Therefore, he’s earned an ‘A’ grade for his performance, even with a fairly low completion percentage rate of 56.4 percent. Remember, Spurrier didn’t ask Smelley to be great. He just asked him to manage the game, minimize mistakes and win. Smelley performed well in all three areas. With a perfect record in his backpocket, Smelley has earned something else – the right to start the next game. That’s the only prize you get when Steve Spurrier is your head coach. Here’s why, in my opinion, Spurrier has decided to start playing Mitchell again – the stakes become much higher and the fans become a lot more hostile starting next week in Knoxville. Smelley has done well as a starter, but three of his four starts have come at home in the friendly confines of Williams-Brice Stadium. After Saturday, the next two games take place at Knoxville and Fayetteville. Here’s a Memo: Chapel Hill, N.C. is not Knoxville. Neither is it Fayetteville. That's why the SEC is the top conference in college football. I’m not sure Spurrier is fully confident Smelley is prepared at this stage of his career to lead the sixth-ranked Gamecocks to victory in front of 108,000 crazy Tennessee fans dressed as traffic cones. On the other hand, Mitchell has proven he can win in Knoxville. He pulled off the feat two years with a dramatic 16-15 victory. Sure, it took some good fortune and Tennessee shot themselves in the foot with several key errors, but USC made the plays in clutch situations to pull out the win. One of those plays was a third-down pass from Mitchell to Sidney Rice after two timeouts. Tennessee was only the beginning, though, for Mitchell. He’s officially the only QB in Gamecock history to defeat Clemson, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee in his career. He was also the Offensive MVP for USC in the 2006 Liberty Bowl. Here’s the Mitchell trend: he appears to play better in big games. The four games after Vanderbilt can all accurately be described as big games. Now, I’m not saying Smelley won’t start the Tennessee game. He might. But consider this week’s home game against Vanderbilt as sort of a test run for Mitchell, a time to wipe away the rust before the huge stadium by the Tennessee River beckons. Of course, we’ve been through this before with Mitchell. He sat out most of six games last season while Syvelle Newton razzled and dazzled opposing defenses in a six-week stretch that Spurrier is still fond of talking about. How big was Newton’s performance? Spurrier knows it may have saved USC’s season. Surprisingly, Mitchell was a much better quarterback when he returned. Extend his performance over the final 18 quarters of the season (69.4 completion rate; 1,467 yards; 10 TD passes) over a full 12-game schedule and Mitchell would have been holding the Heisman Trophy aloft in early December. He played like Superman with a "SC" scrawled across his chest. The only difference is Mitchell didn't have to wear those annoying blue tights. Can lightning strike twice in the same place? Spurrier is counting on it. Spurrier’s philosophy is simple. He will always play the quarterback that gives his team the best chance to win. After Vanderbilt, that QB could be Blake Mitchell, or, more likely, a combination of Mitchell and Smelley. Spurrier caused a stir for his two-quarterback systems at Florida. He often ran quarterbacks in and out of games at a frantic pace depending on the circumstances. Gamecock fans may finally get an opportunity to see what the fuss was all about.
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Reversal of Fortune For USC
posted by Scott Hood, 10/16/2007 10:38:00 PM
There are two things I have taken from the North Carolina game that bode well for South Carolina’s future: 1. The Gamecocks were dominated on the stat sheet but still managed to win by a touchdown; 2. The UNC fans applauded their team as the players walked off the field following a loss. When you glance at the statistics from Saturday’s game, you wonder how the Gamecocks won. UNC had seven more first downs (22-15), 116 more total yards, dominated the time of possession (34:04 to 25:56), and enjoyed a much higher percentage on third down conversions. For USC, it was a welcome change from the past when USC has dominated opponents statistically but end up losing the game. One of the best examples is last year’s game against Tennessee, when USC had six more first downs (23-17), 70 more offensive yards (325-395), ran 13 more plays than the Volunteers and controlled the ball about three more minutes. Yet, Tennessee won, 31-24. The difference? A long punt return and the Vols were perfect in the red zone. In addition, UT had an interception return for a touchdown, while scoring a TD when the ball deflected off a pair of USC defenders. In short, Tennessee made the plays and USC didn’t. That’s why the Gamecocks lost. Looking for another example? Try last year’s Auburn-USC game. Again, USC won the statistical battle but lost the game by a touchdown. USC had eight more first downs (24-16), 42 more offensive yards, ran 15 more plays than the Tigers, and held the ball for over 30 minutes. Auburn won, 24-17. The Tigers were victorious because they made the plays in key situations, knocking down a pass in the end zone on the game’s final play and turning an unexpected onside kick into a touchdown. The same thing happened in the first half of Saturday’s game. USC put together a pair of TD drives in the first quarter and then ran the 2-minute drill to perfection to score a TD with 15 seconds left in the half. Five UNC drives ended in USC territory without points in a number of different ways – missed field goal, interception, punt, interception and downs. So, while the USC defense gave up a pair of touchdowns in the final 16 minutes of the second half, it also made enough plays when it had to win the game. All three of the aforementioned contests prove one point: the team that compiles the best numbers or plays the best often doesn’t win. Rather, most games come down to several key moments that help tip the scale in favor of one team or the other. I have been to every USC road game since the beginning of the 2005 season, and many others before then. It’s definitely the first time I’ve seen the home teams fans give the players a standing ovation after losing to the Gamecocks. In my opinion, that’s a sign the Tar Heel fans expected to lose the game by a wide margin. When is the last time USC played a road game and the opposing fans inside the stadium expected to lose the game? Don’t say Vanderbilt. I was there last year, and several occasions previously. Commodore fans have always expected to beat USC. Last year’s meeting between USC and Vandy in Nashville came the week after Vanderbilt’s huge road upset over Georgia, so the Commodore fans arrived at the stadium stoked for another big win. It didn’t happen. Of course, it might be different for Tennessee and Florida, but when it comes to the Gamecocks, Vandy fans expect to win. Same thing with Kentucky fans. I don’t think a single Wildcats fan cheered their team after UK fells short after nearly pulling off a miraculous rally. In fact, many left the stadium disappointed. After watching what happened on Saturday, I’m convinced things are finally changing for the better for USC. Call it a reversal of fortune.
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The Bottom Line Is Everything
posted by Scott Hood, 10/15/2007 10:58:00 AM
I sense some South Carolina fans are concerned about the second-half performance of the Gamecocks in Saturday’s 21-15 victory over North Carolina. I agree with those of you who say it wasn’t very pretty, at least offensively. Heck, USC only accumulated 62 yards of total offense in the final two periods. In fact, the offense struggled so much in the second half Steve Spurrier decided to abandon the passing game altogether and stuck with the run trying to run out the clock. Yes, it was ugly. Fortunately, the defense, minus two key members of the secondary (Carlos Thomas and Stoney Woodson) played well enough to win, knocking down a pair of throws towards the end zone to cement the win. An ugly win beats a pretty loss any day. If you believe otherwise, you’ve never been a coach or played the game. They say you don’t want to know how sausage is made. If you did, you wouldn’t eat it. College football is no different. The process doesn’t matter. All that counts is wins and losses. In the cut-throat world of college football, the bottom line is everything. When it comes to polls and rankings and all that stuff, the voters, whether they’re the media (AP), coaches (USA Today Coaches) or a commingled group of football experts (Harris Interactive) ask just one question – did you win or did you lose? The teams that win jump up in the polls. The losers fall. Right now, one of those teams doing a lot of winning is USC. Is any true Gamecock fan unhappy with a 6-1 record and the No. 6 spot in the BCA standings? If the win over UNC was as unimpressive as some USC fans claim, why did the Gamecocks leapfrog four spots in the Coaches poll? Because all that counts is winning. Based on the reactions of some USC fans to Saturday’s events, I fear some have been so traumatized by years of mediocrity that weekly criticism of the football coaches and players is a Pavlov Dog’s response to any contest the Gamecocks play, win or lose. With parity enveloping college football, and major upsets now a fixture every Saturday, the long 12-game season is becoming more and more like the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Survive and advance. Move on to the next opponent. Every game is a bare-knuckle adventure. That’s what makes college football what it is. Steve Spurrier understands the reality that exists today. He knew a 2-4 UNC team playing at home was dangerous. Just ask Michigan (loss to Appalachian State) and Southern Cal (loss to Stanford despite being a 40-point favorite) about that. That’s why Spurrier was mostly pleased during his post-game press conference. He wore a broad smile on his face as the media peppered him with questions. He said “we won” about a half dozen times in his 10 minutes in front of the media. Why? Because that’s the bottom line in a bottom-line business. Coaches are judged on wins and losses, and little else. A team that ‘survives’ enough times in a row will soon find itself near the top of the weekly polls. South Carolina is the perfect example. Has USC played 60 minutes of perfect football in any game this season? No, far from it. Remember, they trailed Mississippi State, 21-17, late in the third quarter and needed a huge play from Eric Norwood on a blocked punt to change momentum. Without that play, who knows what would have happened. The Gamecocks may have lost. But it did happen, and USC won. They also struggled to beat Louisiana-Lafayette. They committed six turnovers against S.C. State, four in one quarter. But USC won every one of those games. In the new world of college football, that’s all you have to do. I’ll say it again - the process doesn’t matter. In my opinion, the primary reason some people are upset with USC’s performance in the second half against UNC is because the Gamecocks failed to cover the point spread. I’m not naïve enough to believe gambling is not an important part of college football. I believe USC went into the game as a seven-point favorite, and won by six points. The Gamecocks would have covered the spread had a 48-yard field goal by Ryan Succop wandered about six inches farther to the left rather than ricocheting off the upright. Betting lines aside, I have just one piece of advice for those USC fans who need it the most. Don’t worry, be happy.
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Five Predictions For The USC-UNC Game
posted by Scott Hood, 10/12/2007 06:36:00 PM
I’m already on record as saying South Carolina will handily defeat North Carolina in Saturday’s game at Chapel Hill. Here’s how they do it. My Five Predictions for Saturday’s game: 1. CHRIS SMELLEY WILL THROW FOR AT LEAST 250 YARDS: Chris Smelley is getting more and more comfortable as the starting quarterback for USC. The two fourth-quarter TD drives against Kentucky last Thursday is how reputations are built. UNC will start as many as three freshmen in the secondary in Saturday’s game. I’m sure Smelley and Spurrier are licking their chops. Smelley has thrown for 709 yards in the last 10 quarters, an average of 283.6 yards per game, including 279 yards against Mississippi State and 256 in the win over Kentucky. UNC is surrendering 211.8 passing yards per game. USC is 15-8 under Spurrier when it throws for more than 200 yards. Those kind of numbers make Spurrier smile. 2. UNC WILL CONVERT LESS THAN 30 PERCENT OF THIRD DOWNS: USC is one of the top defenses in the country when it comes to stopping opponents on third down. The Gamecocks are allowing just 25.9 percent (22-of-85) of third-down plays by foes to succeed. Conversely, UNC is converting just 33.0 percent (27-of-81) of third down opportunities. Looks like the Tar Heel punter will be pretty busy on Saturday. 3. WESLYE SAUNDERS WILL SCORE A TD: USC’s freshman tight end nearly had his first career touchdown last week early in the game against Kentucky. But the ball was stripped and went through the back of the end zone for a touchback. Saunders vowed it would never happen again. He also said it was sign from above that he should score his first career TD against the hometown Tar Heels. You know what, I believe him. It’s time for Saunders to break into the scoring column. 4. USC’S SPECIAL TEAMS WILL SCORE A TD: USC has come agonizingly close to breaking through and scoring a special teams touchdown in the last few weeks. Chris Culliver has broken off a pair of 44-yard kickoff returns. Captain Munnerlyn had a punt return for a touchdown called back because of a penalty in the Mississippi State game. Eric Norwood blocked a punt in the MSU win. USC’s special teams have substantially improved over last season. The time for the first special teams TD in the Spurrier era getting closer. 5. USC WILL POSE FOR A TEAM PHOTO AFTER THE GAME: Spurrier called for a team photo underneath the scoreboard after his Duke squad routed North Carolina, 41-0, in the final regular season game of the 1989 season. UNC fans have been irate ever since, vowing revenge against the HBC. Of course, none of the players on the current UNC team were more than three or four years old at the time, meaning Tar Heels fans will have to seethe in the stands. Once USC polishes off the probable win on Saturday, look for Spurrier to have the Gamecocks pose for a team photo on the field while Gamecock fans chant ‘We Are Carolina!” Hey, it will give UNC fans another reason to be upset.
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Why Isn't The ACC Better In Football?
posted by Scott Hood, 10/10/2007 02:19:00 AM
Steve Spurrier said something Tuesday during his weekly press conference that piqued my interest. He was talking about reviewing game film for Saturday’s border battle between South Carolina and North Carolina. Inevitably, he came around to comparing the talents levels of the SEC and ACC. While doing so, he said something provocative. After studying all that film, he claimed there wasn’t much difference in the overall talent levels of the two conferences. If that’s true, it raises a thoughtful question. Why then is the SEC regarded by most knowledgeable college football observers as the top conference in the nation while the ACC is barely mentioned among the top five conferences? When the ACC expanded several years ago to 12 teams and created a conference championship game, many people thought the conference would become a superpower on the college football landscape. It hasn’t happened yet. Why not? I think I have the answer. The ACC is afflicted with H.I.V. Hoops Insecurity Virus. We all know the ACC is a basketball league, first and foremost. A head count of the 12 league members indicates seven schools regard men’s basketball as their top sport – Maryland, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Virginia. Only four member schools have football at the top of the food chain – Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech. Boston College? It’s a hockey school. Believe me, I know. I grew up there. It’s my theory many ACC schools simply don’t want quality football teams because they might deflect attention – and dollars - away from their beloved basketball programs. That’s where the insecurity part comes in. Duke, I’m afraid, is the perfect example. Steve Spurrier has proven a coach can win at the Durham, N.C. based school with the right coaching and players. But any head football coach there has an enemy within – the Duke administration. I‘m convinced – and have been for years – that the powers that be at Duke have no intention of allowing the football program to become successful out of fear of men’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyewski. Unfortunately, Duke has taken football apathy to a new level. Heck, even the Duke lacrosse team has received more media attention than the football program in the last year or so. The last time we saw a football program this incompetent, the Big East kicked Temple out of the league. Frankly, the ACC should do the same to Duke, but won’t because of the millions of dollars the basketball program attracts like a magnet. At minimum, Duke should stop the charade and demote its football program to the I-AA level. But Duke is only a reflection of a larger dilemma for the conference. The ACC will never reach its full potential on the gridiron until the Tobacco Road schools – the heart and soul of the league for half a century - start taking football more seriously. Right now, the four league schools located in the Tar Heel State are a combined 7-16. Duke is 1-5 after stunning Northwestern on the road earlier this year. N.C. State is also 1-5, while UNC is 2-4 after surprising Miami last Saturday. Isn’t Miami one of the new league members that were supposed to propel the ACC into the stratosphere? Prior to last Saturday, the last time I checked out Miami they were being trounced by Oklahoma, 51-13, an embarrassing performance by a once proud school. Just three ACC schools are in this week’s AP Top 25. Ironically, the top two schools (Boston College #4, Virginia Tec #12) joined the league just a few years ago. The third school – Florida State – joined the conference in 1992. That means not one of the eight long-standing league members is included in Top 25. Football is too much of an afterthought for many conference schools to carry the league. It’s important to note none of the so-called four “football schools” are located within North Carolina. In fact, they’re located mostly on the geographic fringes of the conference. As for North Carolina, there’s no excuse why the Tar Heels have been mostly mediocre in the 10 years since Mack Brown left to take over the Texas program. As Spurrier pointed out on Tuesday, they have excellent facilities, a big budget, a decent stadium and good coaches. Everything is there to win, and won big. Yet, they don’t. Sadly, most UNC fans simply don’t care, or even long for the days of the Tar Heels returning to its elite status. They’re too busy counting down the days to the start of basketball practice.
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Clarifying Chris Smelley's Role
posted by Scott Hood, 10/09/2007 02:39:00 AM
Based on TIF posts I’ve read and e-mails I’ve received over the past couple of days, it appears some South Carolina fans have a misunderstanding regarding quarterback Chris Smelley’s role with the Gamecocks. As a young, fairly inexperienced and still learning QB, Smelley has been asked to do certain things for USC. One of them is NOT to win football games, if you know what I mean. Instead, his role is to protect the football, minimize turnovers and get the ball into the hands of his playmakers while throwing the ball downfield. So far, he’s performed those tasks reasonably well. Has he struggled at times? You bet. The third quarter of last Thursday’s victory over Kentucky was ugly, ugly, ugly. USC had three possessions and went three-and-out each time. Total yardage? Minus-15 yards. Ouch. Somehow, USC managed to outscore Kentucky in the period, 7-3, thanks to a great play by the Gamecock defense that led to Eric Norwood scooping up a fumble and racing into the end zone from 53 yards out. But, like a bolt of lightning, Smelley turned it around in the fourth quarter and led USC to a pair of touchdown drives. Each drive was in response to a score by the Wildcats that brought them to within eight points. There’s no question Smelley has ignited USC’s passing game. If you watched the S.C. State game and the first half of the loss to LSU, you’d agree. In a six-period span bridging the entire contest against the Div. I-AA Bulldogs and the opening 30 minutes against the talented Tigers, USC quarterbacks threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns with FIVE interceptions. It’s that last number that gave Steve Spurrier indigestion. It’s important to note Smelley didn’t take a single snap during that stretch. By the time halftime of the LSU game rolled around, Steve Spurrier had seen enough and decided to go with Smelley. Did Spurrier find joy in replacing a fifth-year senior with a redshirt freshman? No. But the name of the game is production, and if you don’t produce, you’ll be replaced. It was a bit of a calculated risk on Spurrier’s part but when it comes to quarterbacks, the HBC doesn’t make knee-jerk reactions or act on a whim. There’s a basis for every decision. Spurrier inserted Smelley into the lineup because he thought the freshman gave USC the best chance to win. That’s really the only standard Spurrier uses. Over the last 10 quarters, with Smelley taking every snap, the USC offense has passed for 709 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. Better yet, Spurrier’s beloved vertical passing game has returned to the USC offense after a prolonged absence. With Smelley making the throws, USC is averaging 14.8 yards per completion. Before Smelley? USC averaged 10.3 yards per completion. To the uninitiated, an average of 4.5 yards per reception may not sound like much, but believe me it’s a lot. Kenny McKinley has felt the effects of the change to Smelley. It’s no accident that two of his three most productive games this year in terms of receiving yardage have come in Smelley’s last two starts. McKinley averaged 6.1 yards per receptions in the LSU and S.C. State games combined. In the victories over Mississippi State and Kentucky, he’s catching passes at a clip of 19.4 yards. Not only is McKinley now getting the ball into his hands more, he’s getting it in places where he can make a play with his feet. Bottom-line, here’s the only statistic that truly matters - Smelley is 3-0 as a starter. For sure, Smelley has plenty to work on, as Spurrier was quick to remind folks after the Kentucky game. He throws off his back foot too much, has trouble throwing on the run, and needs to learn to audible if he wants to run Spurrier’s system properly. But when he gets adequate protection from the offensive line and is able to plant his feet, he’s been highly productive. With Smelley having three years of eligibility beyond this season and heralded recruit Stephen Garcia redshirting in 2007, the future of the QB position for the Gamecocks is extremely bright.
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Five Things We Learned From The USC-UK Game
posted by Scott Hood, 10/05/2007 07:14:00 PM
The 38-23 victory over Kentucky propelled South Carolina into sole possession for first place in the SEC East. Over the course of the 60 minutes Thursday night, we learned some things about the Gamecocks. Most, of course, were positive. Here are the five most important things we learned: 1. Turnover Margin Is The Most Important Statistic In Football: If you require proof – for about the zillionth time – that turnover margin often determines who wins and loses football games, last night’s USC-Kentucky game will do just fine. The Wildcats outgained USC by 42 yards (384-342), had 71 more rushing yards, and enjoyed a slight advantage in time of possession. Yet, Kentucky lost by two touchdowns. Why? Turnovers. Kentucky came into Thursday’s game with a plus-seven rating in turnover margin. USC was last with a minus-four rating. By the time the game ended, the Wildcats had committed four turnovers, USC only one. Coaches always say whoever makes the fewest errors will win. Kentucky QB Andre Woodson did his club no favors by forcing a throw into coverage that was picked off by Captain Munnerlyn at the goal line and trying to lateral a pass when he should have settled for a sack. 2. Playing Defense Isn’t About One Person: Some Gamecock fans predicted doom and gloom when middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley suffered a season-ending injury in the loss at LSU. But, all it did was allow other players like Eric Norwood and Emanuel Cook to escape Brinkley’s shadows and make a name for themselves. Since Brinkley’s injury, Norwood has been a beast with a blocked punt that turned around the Miss. Sate game and, of course, the two fumble returns for touchdowns Thursday night. He’s made a bunch of other plays, as well. Cook has made 27 tackles in the last three games, including a team-high nine Thursday night. His fourth-quarter tackle on UK RB Tony Dixon reminded me of Shannon Wadley’s bone-rattling hit on that unlucky Arkansas running back years ago. 3. Georgia Wishes They Had Recruited Eric Norwood Harder: Norwood was an all-county and all-state player at North Cobb High School in Acworth, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta (Question: Isn’t the entire State of Georgia just a suburb of Atlanta?). Rivals.com rated him the No. 26 overall prospect in the State of Georgia and a three-star recruit. He was a six-time selection as the Cobb County Defensive Player of the Week. In short, he dominated. Being one of the best players in the peach State, he naturally attracted interest from Georgia’s coaching staff. They attended a couple of his games and verbalized their interest. But Norwood’s academic situation caused them to drift away and look at other players. Bad decision. USC’s recruiters stuck with Norwood and when he ended up qualifying, he rewarded their loyalty by signing with the Gamecocks. By the time his senior year arrives in 2009, Norwood could be widely regarded as the best defensive end in the SEC. Pretty good for someone who stands just 6-foot-0. 4. USC Is a Great Second-Half Team: USC showed again Thursday night that they’re a great second half team. It was the second straight game and the third time this season the Gamecocks have scored 21 points following intermission. USC has been outscored in the second half just one time this season, at Georgia on Sept. 8. Overall, USC has scored 85 points in the second half compared to 36 for the opponents, an average of six points per contest. Much of the credit for USC’s second-half success goes to strength and conditioning coach Mark Smith and his staff. That’s not me talking, that’s Steve Spurrier. He described Smith as one of the best in the business during his post-game press conference Thursday night. Smith’s summer program is difficult, arduous and exhausting, and some don’t make it through (see Matt Williams). But for those who do make it, the reward comes in the fourth quarter of games. 5. Cody Wells Is Underrated: Cody Wells sometimes gets lost with all the attention afforded other players on USC’s emerging defense. He’s been with the Gamecock program since 2003 and is taken for granted. He’s never been a full-time starter but has made numerous plays either as an outside linebacker or a special teams performer. Thursday night, he made two plays that raised eyebrows. First, he made a diving tackle on a kickoff without his helmet, a play that made ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day and promoted the host to call Wells “One Tough Hombre.” His second big play came in the final seconds of the third quarter when he fought off a blocker and made an outstanding open-field tackle on second-and-goal on Kentucky’s Rafael Little, who appeared headed for a touchdown around the left end. The play was huge because after Little fumbled the handoff on third down, the Wildcats had to settle for a field goal and a 24-16 deficit. Wells saved his team four points.
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Live from Williams-Brice
posted by Brian Shoemaker, 10/05/2007 01:13:00 PM
GamecockCentral.com beat writer Scott Hood will provide updates prior to and during the game from Williams-Brice Stadium. Refresh this page to see the latest updates.11:10 P.M.: There's a TD catch and run by Boyd! USC now leads 38-23 with 3:20 left. This one is looking good, although we do remember the final 5 minutes of the game last year in Lexington. USC needs to hold on and don't give up any big plays. USC could be 5-1 headng to UNC and with Vandy comingto Columbia in 2 weeks. 11:00 P.M.: A nice-looking 72-yard TD drive by UK. You can tell Woodson is a senior on that drive. This is a big possession for USC. There's a pass to Dion Lecorn! Great pass! 10:35 P.M.: The USC offense finally came up with a positive play when Smelley threw to Cook for a 21-yard gain. That's the first play made by the offense inthe 2H. The offense officially had minue-15 yards in the 3Q. There's a pass to Boyd. The offense is finally moving the ball! 10:25 P.M.: The USC offense isn't helping out the defense. UK is driving inside the red zone trailing 24-13. The USC looks a little tired. UK is having success on the perimeter, especially over the left side. There's the end of the 3Q. It's 24-13 USC but UK is lining up for a shirt FGA. If they make it, it would bring the Wildcats with 8 points. Goos stop by the defense inside the 10-yard line. 10:10 P.M.: USC had an opprtunity to add some points but two sacks doomed their chances. UK takes over at the 19. USC has minus-19 yards on its first two possession of the second half. That's not good. Gerrod Sinclair is hurt. He's being helped off the field. Sinclair has played well this season. 10:05 P.M.: Poor start to the 2H by the USC offense. But there's a fumble by Little on the punt. Munnelryn recovers! USC is set up at the 50. But again the offense is struggling. Here's a third-and-15. Timeout USC. The O-Line is really struggling right now. Garrett Andersonis playing right now. He came in for Seaver Brown. 10:00 P.M: Woodson recovers from his blunder t lead UK on a dribe to a FG. It's 24-13 with 10:49 left. USC will finally get the ball for the first time in the 2H. 9:50 P.M.: Another great defensive play by USC! Norwood fumble return for 53 yards on a lateral. Woodson credited with a fumble. USC Leads 24-10! Two TD's for Norwood tonight. Has a USC defensive player ever scored two TD's in a game? 9:35 P.M.: Here are the first half stats: Total yards: USC 209, UK 173; Team Rushing: USC 55, UK 77 Team Passing: USC 154, UK 96 QB's: Smelley 11/21, 154 yards; Woodson 10/16, 96 yards. Ind. Rushing: USC, Boyd, 8-51, Davis 6-21; UK, Little 13-65, Dixon 3-29. Ind. Receiving: USC, McKinley, 4-61, F. Brown 2-26; UK, Burtin 3-24, Tamme 2-35. PlaysL USC 38, UK 33. 9:25 P.M.Most of the second period went UK's way but USC turned it around with that 89-yard drive for the go-ahead TD. Considering the circumstances, that might be the best drive of the season. USC leads, 17-10, at halftime. Overall, I wouldhave to say Spurrier's fairly happy with the proceedings. We're awaiting the 1H stats right now. 9:20 P.M.: Mike Davis polished off one of the more impressive drives of the season with a 2-yard TD plunge. It took just 10 plays to go 89 yards and took just 3:26. USC had 4 plays of 11+ yards on the drive. Smelley looked great, completing 3 of 4 passes on the drive. We're approaching halftime. 9:00 P.M.: The defense finally came up with a big play. Woodson floated a pass over the middle and Munnerlyn intercepted at the goal line. He almost broke it all the way. USC stalls out on offense. The USC offense is stagnant right now. The Gamecocks are struggling offensively. 8:50 P.M.: The USC O-Line can't protect Smelley right now. Almost a safety when Smelely was called for grounding. But a 52-yard punt gets USC out of trouble. That's a best case scenario for USC right there considering the circumstances. 8:45 P.M.: UK drives 71 yards in 9 plays to score a TD on a pass from Woodson to Tamme, a good looking TE who knows how to catch the FB. He caught the ball over Darian Stewart, who had his back to the ball and didn't see it coming. Tamme tied his leap perfectly. It's 10-10 with 12:13 left in the 2Q. 8:35 P.M.: There's the end of the 1Q with USC ahead, 10-3. Overall, it was a good 1Q for the Gamecocks. They're introducing Sidney Rice, Sheldon Brown, and Troy Williamson to the crowd. Huge roar. Brown had had a great career with the Eagles. I'm told the Eagles fans love him. Of course, he had that big hit on Reggie Bush last season. Woodson had 38 yards passing. The 1Q went exactly as USC planned. Theykept UK off the field. 8:30 P.M.: USC has a nice drive going thanks to a Pass int. penalty and a 23-yard pass to McKinley. But McKinley also had a couple of other passes go through his arms. Succop kicks the easy 30-yard FG. USC leads, 10-3. It was a 12-play, 58-yard drive. 8:15 P.M.: A dumb personal foul penalty on Carlos Thomas helped Kentucky get three points on their third possession of the game. UK played the field position game by punting from the USC 41. They held USC to 3-and-out. It's 7-3 USC. USC is now out beyond midfield. 8:05 P.M.: After a long run by Little, the USC defense stiffenes and stops UK at midfield. Great tackle by Paulk on Little. UK elected to punt, playing the field position game. Punt downs at the 6-yard line, so it works. USC leads 7-0 with 8:29 left in 1Q. 7:57 P.M.Great play by the UK defender to strip the ball from Saunders. You have to protect the ball in that situation. Touchback. The ball rolled through the end zone. Woodson is smacked by Williams. There's a fumble! Eric Norwood picks it up and rolls into the end zone. Unbelievable! 7:50 P.M.Oops. USC calls a timeout before the first snap. Some confusion. I saw SOS talking with J. Cook. He may have lined up wrong. USC coems back and he's not on the field. Great 3rd down pass to F. Brown. New life for the Gamecocks after a couple of poor plays. 7:45 P.M.: There's 2001. The USC captains for tonight's game are McKinley, E. Cook, A. Boyd, and Wells. UK won the toss and will defer to the 2H. USC will get the ball first, just like SOS likes it. It looks like the rain has stopped. The crowd is fired up. Let's get it on! 7:40 P.M.: MBB head coach Dave Odom is here in the press box along with SEC Commissionetr Michael Slive. As I look across to the East upper stands, I see some empty seats. But the fans are still filing in. The national anthem and USC alma mater have been played. We're almost ready for some football. 7:22 P.M.: Pregame drills continue and it appears that Jonathan Williams and Joel Reaves will be the starters at DT. 7:10 P.M.: The way the players are lined up for stretching, there are no surprises on offense. The OL is the same as last week - Sorenesen, Thompson, Brown, Brown, Meredith. WR's are McKinley, Lecorn and F. Brown. However, there is a surprise on defense. Jonathan Williams and Joel Reaves are lined up on the front row ahead of Marque Hall and Ladi Ajiboye. We'll see how they line up when the defense comes out for the first series. 7:00 P.M.: The rain has returned to W-B Stadium, as we're about 50 minutes to kickoff. The rain has intensified in the last few minutes. It's coming down pretty heavy right now. This is definitely the heaviest I've seen it all day. It looks like it isn't affecting the players, though. They're still going through the warmups. USC is starting the stetching right now. 6:40 P.M: USC's special teams players are on the field. The rain continues to stay away, so keep your fingers crossed. We're about 70 minutes away from kickoff. In case you were wondering, UK brought a pep band with them to the game tonight. It looks like there will be about 2,000 UK fans here. They're occupying two sections in the southeast corner. The USC band is still out in the Fairgrounds area. Here come the USC QB's. There are 4 dressed tonight - Smelley, Mitchell, Beecher and Garcia. 6:24 P.M.: Apparently, Jasper Brinkley will on the sideline tonight. He just walked onto the field, with the help of crutches. 6:00 P.M.: Some good eats in the press box tonight. Spaghetti, meat sauce, chicken cutlets, potatoes au gratin, green beans, salad, applie and cherry pie. Definitely one of the best this year. I see a bunch of UK special team players on the field going through warm-ups. It looks like UK is wearing white uniforms with blue helmets. I don't see any USC players on the field yet. There are a few fans in the stands right now. Most are still out in the Fairgrounds tailgating. The weather is fairly nice right now. No rain. But's still overcast. And there's some wind, as well. This game tonight starts a huge weekend in the SEC. Georgia-Tennessee and UF-LSU play in Saturday. It will be interesting to see how the SEC standings look Sunday morning. 5:30 P.M.: It looks like the rain has stopped again at W-B Stadium. The Fairgrounds is starting to fill up. The players should be arriving at the stadium in about 15 minutes or so. Typically, the teams arrive about 2 hours before the game. With kickoff set for 7:45 p.m., we should see the players on the field fairly soon. There's no doubt Kentucky has a good offense. My question is, how good? Frankly, they've gone up against some pretty miserable d |
