GamecockCentral.com beat writer Scott Hood covers the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs. Scott and other GamecockCentral.com contributors post news, opinions and other items of interest in this blog.
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Tyrone Nix’s opportunity to impress the brass at Southern Mississippi is quickly approaching. His interview for the vacant position of head football coach for the Golden Eagles will likely occur on Friday.
Nix, I’m sure, is excited about the opportunity to replace his former boss Jeff Bower at the school where he first excelled as a football player in the early 1990’s and than as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator for 10 years.
There’s no question in my mind Nix loves the University of Southern Mississippi. He’s spent nearly one-half of his 35 years on this planet in Hattiesburg, MS, the home of USM.
He knows the place well. He knows the culture. He knows the dynamics of the football program and what makes it tick to the tune of 14 consecutive winning seasons and 10 bowl appearances in the last 11 years.
Nix has played an integral role in that resounding success.
Here’s my concern: Does the athletic administration at USM consider Nix to be a legitimate candidate for the job?
Unfortunately, we still live in a world divided between black and white. When it comes to college football coaching searches, there’s a watchdog organization known as the Black Coaches Association. They make sure schools interview an acceptable number of minority candidates whenever an opening occurs.
You may recall the BCA condemned South Carolina in 2004 for its failure to interview an African-American candidate after it quickly hired Steve Spurrier as a replacement for Lou Holtz, who announced his retirement the week prior to the Clemson game.
Well, the same scenario has played out this week at two schools, Texas A&M and Ole Miss, with the hirings of Mike Sherman and Houston Nutt.
Now, both those men might have been the best candidates at their respective schools. But, we exist in a politically correct universe where eyebrows are raised whenever a Division I institution, especially one in the South, hires a white football coach.
Based on conversations I’ve had with people close to the USM coaching search over the last few days, I have my suspicions that Nix has little chance of being hired as the next football coach at USM.
Why is Nix being interviewed? I fear it’s to pacify the BCA and keep that organization off the school’s back the same way it viciously attacked USC three years ago, as well as a number of other schools in the past.
So, am I saying Nix is likely a “token candidate” with a slim chance of being hired? Yes, that’s absolutely what I’m saying.
I wish it wasn’t that way. Based on his past contributions to the school’s winning football tradition, Nix deserves better from the USM administration. He shouldn’t be treated as a political pawn.
Much to my dismay, I suspect he will be.
That’s too bad. I believe Nix should be taken far more seriously than he will be. In my opinion, he has done a very good job as defensive coordinator over the past two seasons.
In short, I wish I could believe Nix is being interviewed by USM for the proper reasons: 1) he’s an alumnus; and 2) he’s a pretty good football coach.
Based on his accomplishments as both a player and coach, I firmly believe Nix’s candidacy for USM head football coach should stand on its own merits.
I challenge the USM administration to do just that. Nix deserves at least that much from the school he helped put on the college football map.
Remember, Nix was brought to USC by former mentor John Thompson and given the title of co-defensive coordinator shortly after Spurrier was hired.
Within months, Thompson had left the program after he incurred the wrath of Spurrier for his sometimes bizarre defensive schemes.
Nix took over the reins as sole defensive coordinator starting with the 2006 season. By all accounts, the USC has been more than respectable during his tenure, especially considering the Gamecocks played most of the season without two of their best defensive players – MLB Jasper Brinkley and DT Nathan Pepper.
Sure, they were gashed pretty badly by Arkansas and Florida this season. But the good performances have far outnumbered the poor performances over the past two seasons.
Is Nix ready to take the sizeable step up to Division I head coach? I sincerely believe the answer to that question is yes.
But I don’t think he’ll get the opportunity to realize that dream at USM.
That means he should be stalking the sidelines in 2008 for his third full season as USC’s well respected defensive coordinator.
As Bill Parcells says in that cheesy beer commercial, that’s a good thing.
7:30 - We're underway here at the Colonial Center. Campbell leads 5-4 in the early going. We're less than 2 min. into the game.
7:40 - A 9-3 run gave USC a 13-8 lead but Campbell just scored a basket. We have the first media timeout of the game. USC leads 13-10 with 14:23 left in the 1H. Downey had 5 points, while Fredrick and Day have 3 points each.
7:45 - USC leads 19-15 at the second media timeout with 11:59 left in the 1H. This one looks like it may be a dogfight. Raley-Ross now leads USC with 6 points.
7:50 PM - USC leads 25-17. BRR just hit a 3-pointer for USC. He has 9 points. Downey had 8 points. 8-1/2 mins left in the 1H.
7:55 PM - 3rd media timeout of the 1H. USC leads 27-19. BRR still leads USC in scoring with 9 points.
8:00 PM - 3-pointer by Downey. USC leads 32-23 with 5:05 left in ther 1H.
8:05 PM - Great block by Muldrow! 2 FT's make it 34-23. There's another block by Muldrow! Layup by Downey. USC leads 36-23. Campbell calls T/O with 4:09 left in the 1H. They didn't want to wait for the media timeout. There's a foul and the media T/O. 3:55 left in 1H. USC leads 36-23. Downey has 13 points for USC. He's having another great night.
8:10 - Nice follow-up by Baniulis for his first basket. USC leads 38-23. Campbell called t/o, their second. Jumper by Fredrick. USC is pulling away. It's 40-23. 8 straight pts by USC. 13-4 run ince the 3rd media timeout. Layup by Downey. 42-23 USC. 1:56 left.
8:15 - Campbell finally scores a basket. USC calls a 30-sec. timeout. 1:00 left. USC leads 42-25.
8:20 - A 3P by BRR from the right corner! 5.4 secs left. USC ball. Long 3 by DD just misses. USC LEADS, 45-25, AT HALFTIME. We'll have stats shortly.
1H Stats: USC 50 percent (17-34) from floor. Downey leads with 15 points. BRR has 12 pts. USC is 9 of 17 from 3P land.
8:40 - The second half is underway. We've reached the first media t/o. USC leads 56-34. It's now 58-34 with just under 14 mins left. 3-pointer by Efka! 61-34. Jumper by BRR. He's shooting the ball well tonight. 64-36 USC.
8:50 - 2nd media t/o of the second half. 11:45 left. USC leads 65-36. The Gamecocks appear on their way to a comfortable win. After what happened in orlando with the two tough losses, they needed this, especially with Clemson coming up on Sat. Fredrick and BRR each have 14 pts.
9:00 - 3rd media t/o. 7:18 left. USC leads 77-39. Downey had 18 points. He hit a 3P a few moments ago. This one is officially a blowout.
9:10 - Final media t/o. USC leads 86-45 with 2-1/2 mins. left. Another 3P by Efka! 1 min. left. 89-50. There's a 3P by walkon Robert Wilder. 92-50. Basket at the buzzer by Camp. FINAL SCORE: USC 92, CAMPBELL 52.
South Carolina’s five-game losing streak to close out the regular season raises that age-old question of whether a 6-6 team should play in a bowl game.
The answer depends on how you’re looking at it. Are you examining the issue objectively, or subjectively?
Objectively, the answer is yes. Why? Because the rules stipulate that six-win teams are allowed to play in bowl games. You may not like that rule, but it is what it is, as football coaches often say.
It’s no different from any other rule or law that governs sports or everyday life.
One of the reasons six-win teams are allowed into the bowl club is because there are, right now, 32 bowl games. If the minimum standard were 7 wins, there simply wouldn’t be enough teams to fill all the available slots.
Of course, that presents the question of whether there are too many bowl games. My answer is always no, because 1) if you’re a college football fan, the more football over the holidays the better; and 2) many of the minor bowl games (those below the BCS games) serve as little more than programming inventory for ESPN. No more, no less.
If you take a more analytical approach, you’re taking bowl games way too seriously.
Back to the question of whether 6-6 teams should be allowed to play in a bowl. Subjectively, you could go either way. Many old-time fans remember the day when there were less than a dozen bowl games, and being invited to one was special. Back then, you had to win a conference championship to go to a bowl game.
But, just like the NCAA Basketball Tournament, times have changed in college football. We now live in a universe with hundreds of cable channels. The ESPN empire seemingly grows ten-fold every year.
When there is more demand for a product, typically you have to lower the standards. Right now, college football is hot throughout the country. Apparently, all these minor bowl games draw good enough ratings and make ESPN enough money to survive
Who’s watching the Armed Forces Bowl or the New Mexico Bowl? You may not be, but somebody out there is.
So, with all these bowl games, there’s a need for 6-6 teams to fill the demand.
Which brings us to South Carolina.
The dilemma USC faces is the SEC has eight bowl slots and 10 bowl eligible teams. If Georgia, as predicted, goes to a BCS bowl that increases to nine the number of SEC teams that will play in a conference affiliated bowl game.
That still leaves one team out in the cold.
USC and Alabama are both 6-6. The perception is that the two teams are battling for the right to play in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport.
USC played there two years ago, while Alabama beat Oklahoma State in the same game last year.
However, the perception is wrong. One of the bowl games above the Independence in the SEC pecking order (the Liberty or Music City) could select either USC or Alabama as long as there were enough slots left for all the seven-win teams.
Based on conversations I’ve had, USC has a better chance to end up in the Nashville-based Music City Bowl instead of the Independence. Why? The MCB covets a USC-Florida State pairing because a coaching matchup between Steve Spurrier and Bobby Bowden would be a marketing dream.
I’m sure that’s what ESPN wants as well. The presence of Spurrier and Bowden on the same football field again would generate solid ratings, no question. Alabama and Florida State have already played this season, so a rematch is unlikely.
The issue is whether the SEC office will allow that game to happen. With USC being a relative newcomer to the league, don’t be surprised if Alabama gets preferential treatment.
As of today, I'm predicting Mississippi State to the Independence, Kentucky to the Liberty and either USC or Alabama to the Music City. MSU and UK each have seven wins.
If USC is left out, that means the Gamecocks would have to search for an at-large berth somewhere. I’ve spoken with Tom Starr, Executive Director of the Armed Forced Bowl in Ft. Worth, and he said that if his bowl has an opportunity to select a six-win team, USC is positioned right at the top of the list. Iowa is also under consideration, he said.
Will Starr will get the opportunity to pick a six-win team? There are plenty of games left this weekend before the bowl picture is completely sorted out.
The Armed Forces Bowl has a tie-in with the Pac-10. However, unless Arizona upsets Arizona State on Saturday, the conference will fall one team short of filling its quota. If Arizona State wins, it will likely secure a BCS berth along with Southern California, which faces rival UCLA on Saturday as well.
Since the Big 10 has three seven-win teams available (Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue) for an at-large berth, the best way to eliminate that option would be for Missouri to lose to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game and for Ohio State to move up into the BCS Championship game.
If that happens, the Rose Bowl will, by all accounts, pick Illinois to face the Pac-10 champion in order to keep the traditional Big 10 v. Pac 10 matchup for that game.
I've heard some people say that even if USC is invited to a bowl game, the Gamecocks should decline. But that will never happen. One of the benefits of playing in a bowl game is the 15 additional practices you get. Also, there is too much at stake for recruiting.
If you want USC to play in a bowl game, here’s what you should be rooting for this weekend:
-- Oklahoma beats Missouri in Big 12 championship game AND/OR Pittsburgh upsets West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl game; -- Arizona State beats Arizona; -- Southern Cal beats UCLA; -- Washington beats Hawaii; -- Troy beats Florida Atlantic; -- The ACC gets a second team into the BCS.
The 2007 season for South Carolina was a lot like that home improvement project you started several months ago.
When you begin, you’re full of enthusiasm and energy. Things go well for a while. Things are cruising along.
Then, you hit a few roadblocks. A few problems arise. Frustration soon sets in. Finally, you throw you hands up in the air and wonder why you started the project in the first place.
When USC was 6-1 and No. 6 in the BCS rankings, I believed USC was headed towards an unbelievable season.
It turned out I was right.
The last five games were unbelievably frustrating.
What happened? A lot of things. Most of them bad.
Run defense. Third down conversions by the opponents. Poor starts to games. Effort. You name it, it bombed.
Watching USC try to compete against Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida and Clemson over the last four games has convinced me the Gamecocks still require a significant talent upgrade before they can realistically believe they can contend for the conference championship.
Has the talent level increased since Steve Spurrier took over as head coach? Yes. But it’s not enough. That’s why, in my opinion, the current recruiting cycle is just as important, if not more so, than last year’s.
While Spurrier often preaches patience by saying USC’s best recruiting class came last year, he’s smart enough to know it takes more than one class to prevail in the rugged SEC. You need to do it once, twice, then again and again.
That’s how you build a successful program in the SEC. There are absolutely no shortcuts. Lou Holtz tried that route by signing a lot of junior college players, but the strategy backfired when the players failed to develop.
I realize expectations for this season were raised when Spurrier asserted before the start of fall camp that one of USC’s goals was to contend for the SEC Championships.
Of course, some media and fans misinterpreted Spurrier’s words as saying he was guaranteeing a title. That’s not true (my Mike Gundy moment).
But there’s no question Spurrier was expecting a lot more than a 6-6 record.
But something funny happens when you become the hunted rather than the hunter, as someone reminded me today. With a conference mark well below .500 since they joined the SEC, the Gamecocks have typically been the hunter trying to slay the so-called “big boys” of the SEC.
But, by becoming the hunted, USC got their opponents’ best shot every week. Sometimes they handled it, sometimes they didn’t, particualrly inthe last five games, all losses.
Three sets of numbers exemplify USC’s downfall. First, USC’s opponents fumbled 22 times this season. The Gamecocks recovered just seven of them. That’s a recovery percentage of 31.8 percent.
I’m not sure how that stacks up with the other 11 SEC teams because the league doesn’t keep that statistic, but I’m willing to bet a significant (OK, $5.00) amount that’s one of the lowest recovery percentages in the conference.
Second, the USC defense was atrocious on third downs in the final three games. To be fair, Clemson was just 6-of-15 overall, but 4-of-7 in the first half while building a 17-7 halftime lead.
Over a 10-quarter span beginning with the opening kickoff of the Arkansas game, USC allowed the opponents to convert 26 of 36 third down opportunities.
Finally, USC surrendered 989 rushing yards in the last three games, an average of 329.7 yards per game. The Gamecocks had a scant 273 yards on the ground over the same stretch, exactly 91.0 yards per game.
Anyone who has played or watched football will tell you that your chances to win are near zero when you’re outrushed by nearly a 4-to-1 margin.
The rushing defense is enough of a concern that Spurrier mentioned after the game that USC won’t take the next step unless they start stopping the run. That didn’t happen very often this season.
Heck, I won’t even mention USC was outscored, 110-37, in the first half of the last five games, or that they had three punts blocked in the final two contests, including two by Clemson.
What do these jumble of statistics tell us? USC lacks playmakers.
Talking with defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix after the game Saturday night, he didn’t even try to hide his disappointment over his unit’s failure to make plays in key situations.
USC allowed Clemson to escape a third-and-18 situation on the final drive, failing to cover wide receiver Aaron Kelly closely enough, and giving him the room necessary to make two clutch catches on third and fourth downs.
Once USC finds some playmakers, that won’t happen anymore.
2:55 - Tough loss for USC. The Gamecocks were outscored 23-12 in the final 10 minutes of the game. USC is 3-2. USC shot just 33 percent from the floor and made 2 of 9 FT.
2:52 - 1:02 left. 2 FT by NCS. NCS leads 63-58. USC needs a basket here. 3P by Archie! That wa sbig. USC calls timeout. Down by 2, 63-61. They can play straight up defense right here rather than fouling. Missed shot. Out of bounds. USC ball! Chance to tie. DD layup blocked. Timeout USC with 25.9 secs left. USC down, 63-61. Wild shot by USC. Breakout. Wild sequence. Game over. USC loses 63-61.
2:50 - Timeout NCS with 1:45 left. NCS misses J. Holmes rebound. USC still can't hit any shots. USC is 2 of 9 from FT line. Timeout with 1:17 left. NCS leads 61-58.
2:45 - Holmes has 14 reb. Hoop by Downey. It's tied at 56-56. Foul on Holmes. 2FT for NCS. 3:01 left. Good. Good. NCS leads 58-56. Raley-Ross jumper good! Nice fake on 2 defenders. But there's a 3P by NCS. Ouch. NCS leads 61-58 with 2:06 left. Holmes misses front end of 1&1.
2:40 - Holmes at the FT line. Good. No Good. USC down by 1 at 53-52. Glass jumper by NCS. USC needs a basket. Tip-in by Holmes! Huge basket right there. Foul by USC on drive to the basket. NCS leads 55-54 with 3-1/2 mins left.
2:35 - Nice reverse layup by NCS. They have the chance to take the lead here. Reach-in foul by USC. NCS in the bonus. One FT good. We're tied at 51-51. USC can't hit any shots right now. 2 FT by NCS. They lead 53-51 with 4:40 left.
2:30 - Third TV timeout of the second half. 7:22 left. USC is shooting just 33 percent but leads by 3 pts, 51-48. 19 OR's for USC. That's saving USC right now.
2:25 - 4 straight pts by NCS. USC leads 49-44. 6 straight pts by NCS on a leaner in the lane. Day with the OR and basket. That was huge for USC. The Gamecocks needed a basket badly in that situation. NCS has seized some of the moemntum.. There's a bad miss on a layup by USC. Jumper by NCS. USC leads 51-48 with 7:40 left.
2:20 - Let's see if USC can hang on here. 11:51 left. Fredrick tops USC with 12 points. 3P by Day! It's 46-40 USC. 3P by Raley-Ross! USC leads 49-40! Wow. 10:49 left.
2:15 - A pair of 3-pointers by Fredrick has given USC a 43-40 lead. Just under 12 min. left. Zam is getting hot at the right time. Hopefully, he can keep it up. TV timeout. USC leads by three. One of NCS' best players just picked up his fourth foul.
2:10 - Post-up hoop by NCS. First TV timeout of the 2H. USC leads 35-34 with just under 16 mins left.
2:05 - NCS regains the lead at 32-31. Another basket by Holmes. Downey drove and dished to Holmes. Nice assist. Runer by Downey! He's an exciting player. USC leads 35-32 with 16:58 left. NCS calls timeout. They didn't want to wait for the TV timeout. Good start for USC here in the 2H. Downey has shown some energy.
1:58 - The 2H is underway. DD leads USC with 8 pts. First basket of the 2H by NCS. Cold shooting continues for USC. Transition points for NCS. 2 FT by NCS. We're tied at 29-29. Great putback by Holmes. He outmuscled three NCS players for the OR. Misses FT. It's 31-29.
1:42 - Long distance 3P by Downey at the buzzer!!! Great answer to the 3P by NCS. USC leads 29-25 at halftime. Not a great first half offensively for either team but Odom will take it. USC shot 37 percent in the first half.
1:40 - 1 FT for NCS. USC holds 23-22 lead. Timeout called by USC with 59.8 secs left. This has been an ugly game. The ESPN announcer just said there hasn't been any flow to the game. I agree. Great OR by Archie and basket. Completes 3-point play. USC leads 26-22. 30 secs left.
1:35 - Fourth TV timeout. NCS leads 21-19 with 3:45 left. Not much going on offensively for either team right now. It's been a struggle. But's there a followup by Muldrow. It's tied at 21-21. Rejection by Archie! Jumper by Muldrow. USC leads 23-21. 2:04 left in 1H.
1:30 - USC is shooting 35 percent. And that percentage continues to decrease with each miss. Fortunately, NCS hasn't hit many shots either. NCS gets an easy layup. USC trails 21-16. Downey finally hits a jumper. It's a 3. 21-19.
1:25 - Third TV timeout. NCS leads 19-16. USC has to get untracked offensively.
1:23 - Another TO by USC. It's 17-13 NCS. Holmes at the line with 8:17 left. There's a 3 by Efka!! He hasn't played much. He's a streaky shooter. Good move by Odom putting him in the game. USC down 17-16.
1:20 - Good OR basket by Holmes. NCS hasn't commited a foul yet through 10 minutes of the 1H. USC wa slucky there. NCS failed to convert a turnover. USC is missing a lot of shots right now. Neither team is shooting particularly well right now. The game is being played the NCS pace right now. USC is settling for perimter shots and not hitting them.
1:15 - Second TV timeout of the game. NCS leads 15-11 with 11:39 left.
1:12 - Downey just scored his first bucket of the game. He goes to the hoop and scores another basket. USC leads 11-8. There's another TO by NCS. The USC defense is causing problems. 3P by NCS after Holmes missed an easy one. GT on USC. NCS leads 13-11 with 12:39 left.
1:08 - Coming out of the timout, NCS hits 2 FT. 6-4 Wolfpack. There's a 3P for Raley-Ross. He had a big 3 in yesterday's game. Reverse layup for NCS. 8-7 NCS
1:03 - Another jumper by Fredrick. He has two early baskets. NCS player is trapped along the sideline and calls timeout. 16 min. left. Foul on Muldrow, his second of the game. Odom may have to take him out of the game. First TV timeout. It's 4-4 with about 16 min. left.
1:00 - OR for NC State. This was the problem for USC yesterday. 2 missed FT. Archie travels underneath. It's 4-2 NCS with 16:44 left.
12:57 - Same starters for USC yesterday. We're underway. NC State has a big size advantage over USC. We'll see how that works out. Fredrick jumper ties it at 2-2. Just over 18 mins. left.
12:00 - We're almost underway. USC's starters are Downey, Raley-Ross, Frederick. Archie, Muldrow. There's the tip. Turnover by USC on its first possession.
12:10 - It's tied 4-4 with just over 16 minutes left in 1H. Downey has both USC baskets. Penn State at the FT line. One good. It's 5-4 PSU.
12:12 - First TV timeout. 15:39 left. PSU leads 5-4. USC is a little ragged offensively early.
12:16 - Mike Holmes has entered the game. Holmes is a good FT shooter. 3-pointer by Downey. USC leads 9-5. Another 3 by Archie. 12-5 USC. Archie has really improved his outside shooting.
12:21 - Branden Conrad has entered the game for USC. Under 13 minutes left in the 1H. PSU is hurting USC on the offensive boards. 3 right there. Bucket and foul. FT good. USC leads 12-11.
12:24 - Second TV timeout. Under 12 minutes left. USC leads 12-11. It's been a game of runs so far. 6-0 run for PSU right now.
12:27 - Nice basket by Holmes in the paint. There's a steal by Downey. Hoop and foul. FT good. USC leads 17-11. There's a 3-pointer by Downey. DD has 13 points. He's on fire. There's a 3 by PSU. USC leads 20-16.
12:30 - Another basket for Mike Holmes. He has 6 points so far. 5 straight points by PSU. T/O with 7:21 left in 1H. Technical foul on PSU for hanging onto the rim. USC leads 22-21.
12:35 - DD hits both tech. FT's. He has 15 first half points. USC leads 24-21.
12:40 - Off. rebound and basket by Day. Great play. USC now leads 26-24. This game is going back and forth. Archie hits 1 of 2 FT. Nice fast-break basket by PSU. USC leads 27-26. But there' a jumper by Day. Tempo has been quick.
12:45 - Last TV timout of the half. 3:09 left in the 1H. USC leads 29-26. It's been a close game throughout. Neither team has been able to go on a long run. The momentum has swung back and forth. However, I think USC has a little more talent and I expect they'll wear down PSU in the 2H.
12:48 - USC has the double bonus for the rest of the 1H. Day hit front end of 2 FT. USC leads 30-26. There's another OR by PSU. Third foul on Muldrow. That could be key. Downey drives and is fouled. He's ultra-quick. 2 FT good. USC leads 32-27. DD has 17 points.
12:50 - PSU is killing USC on the offensive glass. They just had 3 or 4 in succession. pSU is outrebounding USC, 29-16. That's way too much. USC leads 32-30 with 1:04 left in 1H.
12:55 - 3-pointer by Downey. Steal. Turnover. Rejection by Archie! Fast and furious action here in the 1H. There's 25 seconds left. DD has 20 points, 6-11 from field. He's been unbelievable. USC leads 37-30. USC holds for last shot. Air ball. Half-court heave by PSU. FIRST HALF OVER. USC LEADS 37-30.
1:12 - We're ready to start the second half. Let's see if DD can stay hot. Good start for USC. Jumper good by Archie. But PSU responds with a basket. There's a 3P by PSU. Holmes powers underneath. Basket and foul. USC leads 41-35.
1:15 - USC calls timeout with 17:36 left after PSU hits a wide-open 3P. USC leads 41-38. Poor defense right there. I'm sure Odom is going to remind his players that defense is a necessary part of the game.
1:20 - Steal by DD! Layup. 22 points for him. There' a great OR by Holmes. He's fouled. Makes second of two FT. USC leads 44-40.
1:25 - Basket and foul by PSU. The Lions are creeping closer. Zam Fredrick is 0 for 6 from the field. USC leads 44-42.
1:27 - Another 3 by DD!! Wow. He has 25 points. He saved USC right there. Offensive foul on PSU. Great defense by Holmes. Layup by PSU in transition. USC leads 47-44.
1:30 - Jumper by Fredrick. That's his first basket of the game. Another basket by Zam. USC leads 51-46. Third straight basket by Fredrick. USC leads by 7, 53-46. Fredrick is heating up. Travel on PSU. We have a TV timeout with 11:46 left. USC holding a 7-point lead. They've had the lead for awhile. PSU keeps trying to making runs but USC holds them off.
1:35 - Conrad is back in the game. Bad pass. Than a foul. Conrad is out. DD back in. Great pass to Holmes for the layup! USC leads 55-50. Under 10 minutes left. J by Fredrick! Getting hot at the right time. 8:50 left. 57-50 USC. There's an Off. Foul on PSU.
1:40 - Strong move by Fredrick in the lane! I think that's 10 points for him in the second half. There's a miss by PSU. Scramble underneath the basket. TV timeout. Less than 8 minutes left. USC leads 59-50.
1:45 - 7:42 left in the game. Not much scoring here in the last couple of minutes. There's hook shot by PSU in the lane. Now a layup by PSU. Suddenly, it's 59-54. A miss by USC. Off. Foul on PSU. USC needed that.
1:48 - Mike Holmes has 11 points and 7 rebounds. Archie just picked up his fourth foul of the game on a charge. Basket by PSU. USC needs a hoop badly. No timeout. Downey drives and draws the foul. Shooting foul. USC has been stuck on 59 for a coupleof minutes. 2 FT by DD. USC leads 61-56. 27 pts for DD. Turnover by PSU.
1:50 - USC is being outrebounded 50-26. Wow. And the Gamecocks lead! We have a timeout with USC clinging to a 61-56 lead. 3:57 left.
1:55 - USC player is down. It looks like it's Archie. Hammered on a screen. Big 3 by Raley-Ross! Wow! Where did that come from?!? Haven't heard his name much today. It's 64-56. PSU at the line. PSU has 25 off. rebounds. Ouch. USC leads 64-57 with 3 mins left.
1:57 - Goaltending on PSU. USC leads by 9, 66-57. It's looking good. one FT by PSU. 66-58. Steal by PSU. Transition. Hoop and foul. 66-61. That hurt. 2 mins left.
2:00 - 2 FT by PSU. 66-63. The last two possession have been poor by USC. DD dteps on the baseline! Another turnover. USC self-destructing a bit here. Miss by PSU. USC ball. 1:35 left.
2:02 - Mike Holmes followup basket! Then a rejection by Holmes! The freshman is bringing it! USC leads 68-63 with 1:02 left.
2:04 - There's a steal by DD! USC ball. Fredrick draws foul. 2FT upcoming. Zam knocks down 2 FT. 41.6 secs left. USC leads 70-63. PSU misses 3. Ball out of bounds. USC ball! 32.9 secs left. USC has been outrebounded 52-31.
2:06 - USC gets the ball to DD. THat's smart. DD can ice it here with 2 FT. made the second FT. USC leads 71-63 with 31.7 secs left. Timeout PSU.
2:08 - Runner in the lane by PSU. 71-65. Timeout with 24.3 secs left. This one isn't over yet. Get the ball to DD. There's a steal. Basket. 71-67. Ball to DD. He's fouled. USC isn't making it easy. DD hits 2 FT. 73-67. Miss on 3P. 30 points by DD.
2:10 - Archie to the FT line. This one looks over. Miss. Rebound. PSU misses 3. It's over! USC wins 74-67. 30 points by DD. Holmes had 13 pts and 9 reb. Good win for the Gamecocks. They needed that one. They weathered the storm in the last few minutes. PSU tried to rally but USC thrawted them everytime.
USC FACES NC STATE/RIDER WINNER ON FRIDAY AT 12:30 P.M,.
By this point, Steve Spurrier is amused by all the attention he seems to draw from other schools.
Apparently they haven’t gotten the message – Spurrier intends to remain at South Carolina at least through 2012, the duration of his current contract.
In short, the 62-year old Spurrier hopes to make USC the final stop in his Hall of Fame head coaching career.
But tell that to administrators and athletic department officials at schools like Texas A&M, which appears to be the latest school to eye Spurrier as their pigskin prophet.
LSU will likely be next in line when discussions between Les Miles and Michigan heat up in December. Most experts believe Miles return to his alma mater as the conquering hero after LSU wins the national championship.
Why are these schools convinced they can woo Spurrier?
They mistakenly believe Spurrier is extremely frustrated by what’s going on in Columbia, that he’s “realized” he can’t win with the Gamecocks in the hyper-competitive SEC and that he’s looking for a way out.
Finally, they’re taking a purely capitalistic position. They think all they need to do is throw enough money at Spurrier and he’ll eventually take a nibble.
All four of those core beliefs about Spurrier are wrong.
Spurrier didn’t come to USC to exploit this job or the school as a springboard to one higher up the college football food chain. Spurrier could have had the pick of any job he wanted when he left the Redskins in 2003.
They also forget one thing I’ve reminded USC fans about on numerous occasions, including this space, in the past – Steve Spurrier picked South Carolina; South Carolina didn’t pick Spurrier.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – Spurrier knew exactly what he was getting into when he took the USC job three years ago.
He was well aware of USC’s lack of a winning tradition, and the stream of problems that had afflicted the program in the past. When he said “Why not us?” during his introductory press conference, he was taking on USC’s history with a confidence and competitive spirit rarely seen around these parts.
While Spurrier is a bit perplexed by the happenings of last four weeks, he’s far from discouraged. How many times does Spurrier have to mention that USC’s top recruiting class came last season?
Here’s a newsflash: USC is putting together another outstanding class as well for February of 2008.
Slowly and steadily, Spurrier is putting together a program that can consistently compete with the top schools in the SEC.
I’m reminded of a statement Spurrier made during the 2006 Gamecock Club tour. He was asked by a fan during a question and answer session if he was rebuilding the foundation.
No, Spurrier said, he wasn’t. That’s because a foundation had never been built. In other words, you can’t rebuild something that hasn’t been built in the first place.
That’s what Spurrier is doing right now: building the foundation.
Spurrier has also said something that stuck with me over the last year or so: it will take seven consecutive outstanding recruiting classes to truly turn around the fortunes of the USC program.
Spurrier loves coaching in the SEC. The fact he gets to coach every year against Florida, Georgia and Tennessee excites him. It might be the main reason he came to USC.
Remember, he grew up in Johnson City, Tenn., not far from Knoxville. He played and coached at Florida. He knows the SEC, and the rhythm of the conference. This is where he wants to be.
Now, is Spurrier satisfied with the progress of the USC program with the conclusion of his third season in sight? Absolutely not. He knows there is lots and lots and lots of work to do, everything from changing the mindsets of the players to improving the overall talent level, and everything else in between.
Spurrier relishes the challenge of accomplishing things for the first time. He did it at Florida.
He believes he’ll do it at USC, too.
So, schools like Texas A&M and LSU can snoop around Columbia and toss their millions of dollars at Spurrier. It won’t work.
Spurrier is a Gamecock, and will remain one for a long time.
College football can be divided into any number of groups. There are the ‘big-time’ schools like South Carolina that play week after week on national television and generate millions of dollars in revenue from tickets and merchandising alone.
Then there are the smaller schools in Div. I-AA (please don’t call it the Football Championship Subdivision) and Div. II and III that toil in obscurity.
Finally, we have the service academies.
I had the privilege of spending my Saturday afternoon on the campus of the scenic United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.
After 11 weeks of watching USC battle both conference and nonconference foes in mostly mammoth stadiums holding upwards of 108,000 fans, coming here to see Navy play football offers quite a contrast.
In fact, I would contend I enjoy the experience very much.
OK, here goes - I love Navy football.
Why? Because sitting in the stands and watching a game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium offers a unique experience for someone like myself accustomed to the weekly wars in the hyper-competitive SEC.
It also provides me with a rare opportunity to sit in the stands rater than the climate controlled environments of most SEC press boxes.
Saturday marked my fourth trip to this tradition-rich place, and I seem to enjoy it more and more every time.
Of course, I know “Navy” is a four-letter word to some older Gamecocks fans. And yes, Saturday marked the 23rd anniversary of the infamous 38-21 loss to the Midshipmen that kept the 1984 squad from contending for the national championship.
Don’t get me wrong. I love SEC football, as well. I enjoy covering games in raucous stadiums filled with thousands upon thousands of pom-pom waving fans dressed out in their school colors.
But it’s the calmness and serenity I enjoy most when I come to Annapolis.
First of all, the stadium is tiny compared to most of the ones you’ll find the SEC. It barely seats 35,000. The only stadium that compares to it is Vanderbilt. The best word to describe it is cozy.
But there’s something else you’ll notice. The atmosphere surrounding the game is nearly 180 degrees from a SEC game, especially one involving rivals.
Yes, there’s plenty of pomp and circumstance. The ‘March On of the Brigade of Midshipmen” onto the field before the game is one of my favorite 15 minutes every year. Just seeing that is worth the journey.
In my four trips here, I’ve yet to see the fans of the opposing team not stand and applaud while the ‘March On’ is going on. Even they’re impressed.
Also, there’s little or no profanity. There’s absolutely no taunting. There’s no flipping the bird to fans of the opposing team as they walk to their seats.
In short, it’s a respectful place. Just as important, it’s place of honor. You won’t find the names of accomplished football players anywhere inside the stadium. Instead, you see the names of famous military battles everywhere.
Normandy. Iwo Jima, Desert Storm. And a whole lot more.
The win-or-else mentality isn’t pervasive here when it comes to football. Why? Because winning college football games isn’t a top priority.
Sure, Navy wants to beat its opponent, and the players go all out for 60 minutes to make sure that happens. But, at the end of the day, the true mission of the Naval Academy is to create outstanding military leaders of young men and women.
Winning a football game pales in comparison to that ultimate and far-reaching objective. None of Navy’s players arrived in Annapolis with aspirations of enjoying a long career in the NFL. That what makes the Midshipmen different.
For the Navy seniors, the December 1 game against Army at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore will likely be the final football game of consequence in their lives.
Watching Saturday’s game, I realized Navy’s seniors would within a few months be shipped out to various ports of call throughout the known world, defending our nation to the best of their ability.
And putting their own lives at risk to do it.
Freedom, as they say, isn’t free.
Attending a Navy game also provides an opportunity to watch the triple option offense executed with precision. Despite only a handful of throws, Navy rang up 35 points against North Illinois. Last week, the Midshipmen scored over 70 points in a road victory over North Texas.
By the way, the answer to your question is yes. The people at Navy are still celebrating that triple OT victory over Notre Dame two weeks ago in South Bend, snapping a 43-game losing streak to the Fighting Irish.
There's nothing fancy about Navy’s offense. They run it and run it and run it. It’s good ol’ fashioned option football. It can get tedious sometimes when it appears Navy is running the same play over and over, but it sure is effective.
Head coach Paul Johnson does a great job of sticking with what Navy does best offensively, and essentially dares the opponent’s defense to stop it. There are whispers Nebraska might come after him in order to establish a return to ‘Nebraska football.’
If the Cornhuskers do get him, they’ll be getting a great coach.
When the time comes for Johnson to depart for bigger and better things, I’m sure he’ll exit with the two words you often hear around Annapolis – Beat Army.
I was wandering through the dairy section of my local grocery store the other day when I saw it – the photo of Mike Davis on a milk carton.
Really, what’s happened to the junior running back from Columbia? Has he disappeared from USC’s offense?
It seems like it.
I know Davis suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of last Saturday’s when he was tackled hard and fumbled at the UF 38 after picking up a first down.
Here’s the punch line: the fumble came on Davis’ third carry of the game. Remember, we’re talking about the fourth quarter here.
It’s quite apparent senior Cory Boyd has become the ball carrier of choice for the USC coaching staff over the last five games starting with the road win at North Carolina on Oct. 13.
In that game, Boyd carried 20 times for 95 yards, while Davis had just five carries for 20 yards.
Over the last five games, Boyd has 79 rushes for 442 yards, an average of 5.6 yards per carry. Conversely, Davis has carried just 34 times for 133 yards.
The shift to Boyd was sudden, and still largely unexplained. The only thing the USC coaching staff has said is Boyd has been in the game for running plays while Davis has had the misfortune of being on the field when USC has thrown the ball.
I think there’s more to it than that. But what?
All I know right now is that if there is something, nobody is telling.
Davis had more carries than Boyd in four of the first six games of the season. When the Gamecock players walked off the field following the Kentucky game, Davis was USC’s leading rusher with 393 yards on 79 carries, an average of 5.0 yards per carry.
Boyd was averaging 4.7 yards per carry with 387 yard on 82 rushes.
So, through the first six games, the carries were split roughly 50/50 between Boyd and Davis.
But everything changed with the UNC game.
Over the last five games, Boyd has received close to 70 percent of the carries. Davis has received few chances to carry the rock, finishing with single digits in carries in four of those contests.
Maybe it’s just a production thing. Boyd has averaged 5.6 yards per rush in the last five games, while Davis is churning out the yards at 3.9 yards a clip.
But, I don’t think Davis has been given a fair chance to showcase his considerable skills.
Heck, he averaged 7.0 yards on this three carries against Florida.
Are all these extra carries a going away gift for Boyd? I doubt it. The USC coaches, especially Spurrier, will usually play the guy they feel gives the Gamecocks the best chance to win.
Right now, obviously, they believe that guy is Boyd. He’s had 17 or more carries in four of the last five games, including the last three.
Before the season started, Spurrier lauded the duo of Boyd and Davis as one of the best in the country. Remember, they out-rushed Clemson’s James Davis and C.J. Spiller by one yard in last year’s memorable duel at Memorial Stadium.
I thought Davis and Boyd both had a chance to surpass 800 yards rushing this year. They were on track to come close to that figure after six games.
Of course, Boyd has now reached 829 yards with a shot at a magical 1,000-yard season if USC manages to earn a bowl berth.
Davis has 516 yards, and the knowledge he’ll likely enter next season as the undisputed number one running back for the Gamecocks.
In this business, though, nothing is free. He’ll have to hold off Brian Maddox to retain that title.
What’s that number to call when you locate someone who’s reported missing?
South Carolina’s 51-31 loss to Florida on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium dropped the Gamecocks to 6-5 on the season and made the annual clash with Clemson on Nov. 24 a virtual must-win situation for the Gamecocks if they want to play in a bowl game. Here are the five most important things we learned from the USC-Florida game.
1. THE USC DEFENSE MISSES JASPER BRINKLEY, PART II: When Arkansas ran for 542 yards on Nov. 4, I convinced myself it was an aberration. But I was wrong. After watching Florida rip apart the USC defense for 537 yards, it’s evident the Gamecock defense sorely misses Jasper Brinkley. He brought to the table the one ingredient the current middle linebacker corp is missing right now, - size. Marvin Sapp and Melvin Ingram play with great effort but they can’t match Brinkley’s physical prowess. Brinkley weighs 262 pounds. Sapp weighs 228. In fact, the three starters at LB in Saturday night’s game weighed 228 pounds (Sapp), 220 (Rodney Paulk) and 239 (Cliff Matthews). That’s simply not big enough to compete on a weekly basis in the SEC. Ingram (255 pounds) is closer to Brinkley’s size but lacks his experience. Ingram will be a great player someday, but he’s not right now. As a true freshman, he’s still learning the ropes. When Brinkley returns next year, possibly in the spring, you’ll notice a huge difference.
2. TIM TEBOW IS A PRETTY GOOD QUARTERBACK: You’ll notice I didn’t say running quarterback. That’s because Tebow is more of a complete quarterback than most fans and the media are willing to believe. Steve Spurrier called him the “quarterback of the future” a few days before the game. But he sure looked like a pretty good quarterback of the present, too. Tebow accounted for seven touchdowns against the Gamecocks with five rushing TD’s and two throwing the ball. Overall, he finished with 120 yards rushing and completed 22 of 32 passes for 304 yards. Add it up and he was responsible for 424 yards. Tebow has now accounted for a school record 42 touchdowns this season, and he still has three games left to play, including the bowl game. Tebow may not win the Heisman this year but you can bet he’ll enter the 2008 season as the overwhelming favorite.
3. THE TALENT GAP STILL EXISTS: Over the years, a talent gap between South Carolina and the so-called “Big Three” of the SEC East has been evident. While the gap is slowly shrinking, it was on display again Saturday night in full view of 81,000 fans. The difference in speed and depth between the two teams was startling, to say the least. Right now, USC is too slow defensively to consistently stop a team like Florida, which features a plethora of skill position players who can run like the wind. No Percy Harvin? No sweat. We’ll just throw the ball the Andre Caldwell. We’ll let quarterback Tim Twbow punish defenders by running the ball. We’ll give the ball to Brandon James and Kestahn Moore and let them run outside and outrace USC defenders to the corner all night. Urban Meyer proclaimed two years ago that his main goal for Florida was to build the ‘fastest team in America.’ It appears he’s well on his way to accomplishing that. Amazingly, Harvin, Florida’s fastest player, didn’t even play due to a severe sinus infection. Imagine what would happen to the USC offense if WR Kenny McKinley missed a big game. It could be catastrophic. The Gators just plug another guy in and they don’t miss a beat. If you pinned me down, I would say that's the biggest difference between USC and the top teams in the SEC.
4. MOE BROWN IS ALIVE AND WELL: Between Kenny McKinley enjoying one of the best seasons ever by a USC wide receiver and the somewhat unexpected emergence of freshman Dion Lecorn as the second receiver, I’m sure some USC fans had forgotten all about the sophomore from Anderson, S.C. Anderson came into Saturday’s game with seven catches on the season. But he matched his career high with four receptions for 34 yards against the Gators. All four catches came in the second half when he replaced the injured Freddie Brown in the rotation. Two came on consecutive plays during a TD drive in the third quarter. Brown has the ability to become a decent receiver in the SEC. His problem has been getting open and hanging onto the ball when it’s thrown his way. Hopefully, Brown will use Saturday’s game as a stepping stone and continue to improve. I’m hopeful that by this time next year four receptions in a single game will be commonplace for Brown.
5. THE WEIGHT ROOM WILL BE A BUSY PLACE THIS OFF-SEASON: Steve Spurrier was unambiguous in his post-game comments to the media following the UF loss – the Gamecocks had to get bigger, faster and stronger in the off-season if it expected to compete with top-shelf programs like Florida. He used the expression “shoved around” on three or four occasions when talking about USC’s offensive and defensive lines. Sadly, that’s exactly what happened. But it wasn’t the first time. The same thing happened two weeks ago in Fayetteville. A team doesn’t compile 542 rushing yards without physically dominating the opponent. Heck, it even happened against Vanderbilt, a team you normally don’t think of as having a dominating defensive line. But somehow the Commodores were able to generate enough of a push to amass seven sacks. Strength and conditioning coach Mark Smith, one of the best in the business, will be a very busy man this off-season.
Steve Spurrier told us in late July that he wanted South Carolina to quickly identify the five best offensive linemen and let them play.
Unfortunately, it never happened.
It’s Week 11 of the college football season and we’re still seeing changes on USC’s O-Line. The Gamecocks started five different combinations in the first 10 games.
You can make that six different combinations in 11 games. Gurminder Thind will start at left guard, replacing Seaver Brown, who had started six straight games after taking over for Garrett Anderson, who started three of the first four games at the position.
The right guard spot? Don’t ask. Four different players – Lemuel Jeanpierre, Anderson, James Thompson and Heath Batchelor have all had the opportunity to start.
Truthfully, it’s been a mess.
Unlike some, I don't think you can point the finger at any one person for what's happened to the offensive line this season. Does OL coach John Hunt deserve some heat? Yes. Do the players? Yes. How about Spurrier? Maybe.
Last year, USC found the right combination at halftime of the Vanderbilt game when they inserted Justin Sorensen into the lineup and right tackle and moved Jamon Meredith over to left tackle.
With the offensive line finally stable, the USC offense took off in the second half of the season.
The Gamecocks have piled up some impressive offensive numbers over the last six quarters against Tennessee and Arkansas after going eight quarters without scoring a touchdown.
So, things are improving.
But, this season could turn out to be an enormous “what might have been” unless the Gamecocks win at least one of its final two games and go to a respectable bowl game.
That’s because much of the blame for the Vanderbilt loss falls squarely on the offensive line, after surrendering seven sacks and committing five false start penalties.
Of course, the quarterbacks played poorly as well with ill-advised throws like Chris Smelley’s pass into the end zone that was intercepted by the Commodores.
The thing that makes me shake my head about the offensive line’s inconsistency is that there’s talented players there. None of these guys are chopped liver. Most of them were all-state players.
James Thompson, if you recall, was one of the best high school offensive linemen in the country when he signed with USC in 2004. He was named a High School All-American by more than one publication and played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio.
USC fans were ecstatic when Thompson chose to play for the Gamecocks. Today? He’s not even on the radar screen. Sure, four-game suspensions in back-to-back seasons have taken their toll on the senior from Sumter, S.C. and substantially cut into his time on the field.
But, when he was given a chance to play, he didn’t perform. Thompson started three consecutive games at right guard before he was replaced by Jeanpierre, a hard-working, team-oriented guy that made the switch from defensive line last spring.
Who’s playing that position now? Batchelor, a redshirt freshman.
Sorry, but there’s something seriously wrong with that picture. It’s completely backwards.
In most of your well-established programs, the seniors play and the younger guys watch, learn and develop for two or three years before they even step onto the field. I can assure you that’s the way Tennessee does it.
The freshman shouldn’t be flat out outperforming the senior, especially on the offensive line. In that regard, USC is still an immature football program.
Another enigma is sophomore Garrett Anderson. After a promising start to his career, he’s now standing on the sidelines. He played as a true freshman in 2006 because USC needed him to. He started the first four games this season but has been barely heard from since.
In other words, it’s been a wasted year for the Irmo, S.C. product.
Realistically, SEC offensive linemen shouldn’t play as true freshman. They’re simply not ready. Instead, they should redshirt.
Anderson, who turned 19 in July, didn’t enjoy the benefits of having a year to settle into things and develop his body for the rigors of major college football.
In my opinion, Spurrier and Hunt should do the right thing and redshirt Anderson next year to give him the best chance to compete for a starting job in 2009.
Short term pain, long term gain.
In the end, the offensive line will be better for it.
If you’ve been paying attention, you know Steve Spurrier has been undergoing a steady transformation when it comes to quarterbacks.
In the heyday of the Fun-‘n-Gun in the mid to late 1990’s, Spurrier had quarterbacks named Danny Wuerffel, Rex Grossman and Doug Johnson. All of them were drop-back quarterbacks that weren’t expected to run with the football very often.
But times have changed.
Defenses are more aggressive, more complex and more diverse than they were 10 to 15 years ago. Defenders fly at the quarterback from all directions with a potpourri of blitzes designed to put loads of pressure on the quarterback.
Spurrier acknowledges today’s defenses are far more sophisticated than they were when he started at Florida in 1990. That’s one reason his well-known offense was so successful - and radical – for the time.
With a mediocre offensive line, Spurrier now realizes it’s much more difficult to win with a straight drop-back quarterback in the modern world of college football.
Several times this season, he’s bemoaned the lack of mobility by USC’s quarterbacks. Syvelle Newton proved the value of a quarterback with quick feet last season, and convinced Spurrier that’s the direction he needs to go if he wants the USC offense to score enough points.
Here’s the key statistic to show Newton’s value to the Gamecocks last season: USC converted 47.7 percent of third down opportunities last season. This year, the Gamecocks’ success rate on third down has tumbled to 36.5 percent.
I can assure you Spurrier is well aware of that statistic. He also knows the major difference between last year and this year is Newton.
Without question, mobility and quick feet are now the key ingredients for a quarterback to survive. That’s why he recruited Stephen Garcia last year and Aramis Hillary this year.
USC fans will get a good look at the “quarterback of the future” – Spurrier’s description - this weekend when southpaw Tim Tebow leads the Florida Gators into Columbia for a showdown with the Gamecocks.
Tebow has carried the ball 144 times this season, an average of 16 times per game, for a team-leading 598 yards. The second-leading rusher for the Gators (K. Moore) has rushed just 87 times.
As a matter of comparison, USC’s Cory Boyd has also rushed 144 times, but in one more game (USC has played 10 games, Florida nine).
Despite his well-deserved reputation as a bruising runner, the 6-foot-3 Tebow throws the ball fairly accurately too. He’s completed nearly 68 percent of his passes this season for 2,228 yards.
Spurrier applauded Tebow’s ability to hit open receivers during his Tuesday press conference, a creative way to criticize his own QB’s without making it sound like that’s what he was doing.
Tebow is, in the eyes of Spurrier, the perfect quarterback machine. He keeps defenses off-balance because they don’t know what he’s going to do.
Urban Meyer is no dummy. He knows Tebow’s ability to run with the football will keep most linebackers home. So, before he drops back to pass, he takes a jab step toward the line to make it appear like he’s going to run. That freezes the linebackers and allows the receivers a little more room to run freely.
You can bet Spurrier is hoping Stephen Garcia can do the same things for South Carolina next season. Chris Smelley has a little mobility, and Tommy Beecher a little more, but Garcia can run and throw with impressive effectiveness.
He’s got a strong arm and strong legs, the two things you need the most to play quarterback these days.
Garcia threw for over 8,000 yards in his high school career. He also ran for 1,345 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Garcia showed off some of his versatile skills in fall camp prior to the start of the season. We’ll see them again next spring.
And, quite possibly, next fall when the 2008 season begins.
South Carolina suffered its third loss in a row Saturday night with a 48-36 setback to Arkansas. Typically, you learn more about a team in defeat then when it wins. There were a number of important lessons to be taken from the defeat. Here are the five things we learned from the game:
1. THE USC DEFENSE MISSES JASPER BRINKLEY: I predicted last Friday that Arkansas would have less than 200 Yards Rushing against USC. Oops. Not only did Arkansas run through and around the Gamecocks defense all night long to the tune of 541 yards, the Razorbacks managed to set a new rushing record by a USC opponent. I attribute part of that to the absence of Jasper Brinkley, who went down with a season-ending knee injury in the LSU game. However, the fact I’ve barely mentioned Brinkley’s name since he went down is a credit to the performance of Marvin Sapp, who led all Gamecock tacklers with 12 stops on Saturday night. But, Brinkley is three inches taller and weighs about 35 pounds more than Sapp. I think USC could have used that size and strength against a large Arkansas offensive line on Saturday night. Don’t get me wrong, Sapp is doing a great job. All I’m saying is, matchup-wise, Brinkley may have been a better fit in terms of neutralizing the UA running game a little bit better. Would Arkansas have still run for a whole bunch of yards? Probably.
2. DION LECORN IS USC’S SECOND BEST WIDE RECEIVER: With Kenny McKinley firmly entrenched in the top spot, Lecorn may be the second reliable receiver the USC coaches have been searching for since the season started. Several players have received a look in that spot but none have worked out until Lecorn came along. The true freshman from Ocala, Fla. led USC with a career-high eight receptions for 109 yards. Most importantly, Lecorn has shown a knack for getting open, a vital skill in Spurrier’s scheme, and then catching the ball when it’s thrown his way. Sixteen of Lecorn’s 19 receptions have come in the last four games, so he’s getting hot at the right time. Hopefully, Lecorn can maintain his current pace and force opponents to think twice before double-teaming McKinley.
3. HOUSTON NUTT IS A GREAT COACH: Why? For refusing to cave in to pressure from many people within the Razorbacks athletic department and the State of Arkansas and simply allow Mitch Mustain to drop back and throw the ball 60 times a game. Nutt knew early on exactly what he had in Darren McFadden and Felix Jones – nothing short of the best 1-2 running back combination in the nation. He understood that with McFadden and Jones, running the football gave Arkansas the best chance to win. A strong running game has been a trademark of Arkansas since Nutt took over as head coach in the late 1990’s. So, when Mustain and his family went public with their complaints about Nutt and the conservative offense, he didn’t back down. He stayed committed to the running game. The result? Mustain transferred to Southern California along with a high school teammate who played wide receiver for one season with Arkansas. But Nutt’s insistence on standing his ground paid handsome dividends on Saturday night with one of the best performances by a pair of running backs in SEC history. Memo to delusional Arkansas fans: be careful for what you ask for because you just might get it.
4. IT’S POSSIBLE TO GAIN 500 YARDS OF OFFENSE AND STILL LOSE: How does that happen? When you defense surrenders 650 yards. Think about this – the USC offense has compiled 990 yards of offense in the last two games with little to show for it except for some nice newspaper headlines and a pair of losses. It proves yet again that defense, turnovers and third-down efficiency have just as much to do with winning as a high-octane offense. Texas Tech has one of the top offenses in the country but it never wins the Big 12 conference title. That’s because teams like Oklahoma and Texas play much better defense. While Arkansas ran for 541 yards, another key to their victory was the fact it converted 10 of 13 third downs against a defense that had allowed opponents to convert just 27 percent (37 of 136) of their third down chances. USC also had an opportunity to pick up a key turnover but the ball squirted out of the pile and was picked up by an Arkansas player (Peyton Hollis) who proceeded to gain an additional 14 yards. Moments later, Arkansas scored on a 40-yard run up the middle by Felix Jones. Has USC been able to recover the fumble, they would have trailed by only a 7-3 score with the ball near midfield.
5. SLOW STARTS CAN BE FATAL: For the third straight game, USC fell behind by double digits in the first half. The stretch began three weeks ago when the Gamecocks trailed, 17-0, to Vanderbilt in the first quarter. It continued in Knoxville two weeks ago when Tennessee led, 21-0, at halftime. Finally, Arkansas jumped out to a 21-3 lead before the end of the first quarter last Saturday night in Fayetteville. In my opinion, USC’s tendency to fall behind early is the most troubling trend during this current three-game losing streak. It is very difficult to keep playing from behind against good teams all the time. But that’s what USC has been doing. Granted, they’ve played well offensively in the second half of the last two contests with 623 total yards, but it’s been a case of too little, too late. Good teams will not surrender sizeable leads. They almost pulled it off at Tennessee, rallying to take the lead, but it wasn’t enough. One of the things I’ll be closely watching this week against Florida is how well USC plays in the first half. It could determine the outcome.
South Carolina and Arkansas knock heads in a key SEC contest on Saturday at 8 p.m. Here are five predictions about what will unfold at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium:
1. Arkansas Will Have Less Than 200 Yards Rushing: Arkansas running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones combined for 232.0 rushing yards per game this season. But the USC defense stymied the Tennessee running game for the most part in last week’s game and has shown improvement each week. USC’s numbers aren’t great (10th in SEC with 169.2 rushing ypg) but with the defense gaining more confidence each week, the Gamecocks will rise up and keep the Arkansas tailbacks under control. They’re surrendering 131.4 yards on the ground in the last five games. USC will sell out to stop the run and dare QB Casey Dick to beat them passing the ball against one of the best secindaries in the country.
2. USC Will Have At Least Two Sacks: The Arkansas offensive line doesn’t allow many sacks. In fact, opponents have managed just eight sacks in eight games this season. But USC has had some success getting to the quarterback with 19 sacks this season, five by Eric Norwood. USC won’t spend the entire game in the Razorbacks backfield but they will pressure Arkansas QB Casey Dick enough to rattle him a little bit.
3. One of the Teams Will Convert Less Than 30 Percent Of Its First Downs: Arkansas is converting 44.6 percent of third down chances, while USC has been successful on just 36.1 percent of its third-down attempts. Defensively, both teams have been outstanding. These are the top two teams in the league when it comes to opponents converting third downs. Arkansas has allowed its opponents to succeed on third down only 26.1 percent of the time. The USC defense is second in the SEC with a rate of 27.2 percent. The Gamecocks haven’t allowed an opponent to convert more than 30 percent of its third downs since the season opener. Add it up and both teams could struggle on third down.
4. Blake Mitchell Will Pass For More Than 200 Yards: Blake Mitchell appears primed for another late-season run like he had last year over the final 18 quarters when he posted eye-popping numbers. First, Mitchell appears to have his confidence back as a result of the impresive second half against Tennessee when he nearly rallied the Gamecocks to a stunning victory. Second, USC established the run last week against Tennessee, totaling 171 yards on 39 carries, and looks to have that aspect of the game pointed upward. Mitchell is always a better quarterback when the running game is working because he can play action all day. Third, the offensive line played as well as it has all year in the second half of the Tennessee game. Heath Batchelor and Seaver Brown appear to be the answer to the season-long puzzle at guard.
5. Emanuel Cook Will Lead USC In Tackles: This prediction is a layup considering the sophomore from Riviera Beach, Fla. has led USC in tackles five times in the last seven games and he excels at run defense. Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix will likely have Cook play close to the line of scrimmage for the entire game in order to suffocate the Arkansas running game. Cook is USC’s best tackler. He’s especially lethal in the run blitz, where he has an uncanny knack to pick the right hole. Cook has already blown up a couple of fourth-down plays this season. Arkansas is the perfect team for Cook to have a big game tonight. Don’t be surprised if he sets a season-high in tackles.
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