SB Nation - Stephen Garcia

Friday News and Notes: Papa John's Bowl, Lady Gamecocks Dominating the ACC

Gamecock Man — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:29:56 -0000

I'm going to be traveling over the next week and a half or so, so posting may be sporadic. I'll be around from time to time, though.

Here's the news for today:

A UConn site takes a look at Stephen Garcia. And they mostly have good things to say about him, aside from pointing out how many sacks he takes.

Also on the subject of Garcia... Steve Spurrier muses on Garcia last year at the Outback Bowl and Garcia now. As you might expect, Garcia now comes out ahead. It's really pretty startling how much progress he's made since then. It's also pretty startling that we're soon going to be calling him a "seasoned veteran." Who would have thought that day would come a couple of springs back?

Lady Gamecocks Beat Wake Forest. That makes two victories over ACC clubs this week for Dawn Staley's team. Music to my ears. This really appears to be a program that's on its way up the ladder. La'Keisha Sutton led the Gamecocks with 18 points.

Alabama & Florida Common Opponents: South Carolina

Year2 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:08:37 -0000

As a part of SEC Championship Game week, we're taking a look at Alabama's and Florida's common opponents in alphabetical order. Now up: South Carolina.

	Alabama	Florida
Game Number	7	10
Score	20-6	24-14
Passing Yards	92	199
Rushing Yards	264	140
Total Yards	356	339
Passing All.	214	186
Rushing All.	64	61
Total Defense	278	247
3rd Downs	3-10	5-14
3rd Down Def.	9-19	3-12
Turnover Margin	-1	+3

Alabama got the Gamecocks a week after going to Oxford and ending the SEC West hopes of Ole Miss 22-3. This contest ended up being the middle link of Bama's three-game nadir in October, as South Carolina held the Tide to their second lowest point total this season. It seemed like the only person on Alabama's offense who came ready to play was Mark Ingram, as he had his finest game in going for 246 yards and about single-handedly beat Steve Spurrier's crew. Despite getting only a pair of second quarter field goals, Carolina was never truly out of it until Ingram iced it with a touchdown run with five minutes to go.

South Carolina was similarly able to hang around for a long time with Florida when the Gators came to visit Columbia in their SEC regular season finale. Even though the Gamecocks ended up gaining fewer yards on UF than on Bama, they had more success on the UF defense. Stephen Garcia led two long touchdown drives that were decidedly non-flukey in nature, the result of good game planning and execution. With Carolina down just 17-14 and driving at the start of the fourth quarter, a Garcia pass got tipped up and intercepted by Justin Trattou and it was returned 53 yards. Tim Tebow promptly capitalized with a one yard TD plunge, and the deflated home team couldn't mount a comeback.

The word that comes to mind most readily for Alabama's game is "malaise." Neither offense really looked like it knew what it was doing, while the defenses for the most part teed off. I say "for the most part" because Ingram sliced and diced the Gamecock defense like a fine rotisserie bird. Seriously: guys not named Ingram for Bama combined for 110 total yards and an average of 3.24 yards per play. The final scoring drive was a tour de force for the star of the game, as he took a number of direct snaps and made about all the yardage himself. This game is why Ingram has been in the Heisman race for much of the second half of the season.

Florida's game had the looks of a shootout early, as the teams combined to score on five of the game's first ten possessions, and a sixth was a missed field goal. It would have been an honest shootout too: every scoring drive was at least 61 yards long, and three were 70 or more yards. Things quieted down though, but Caleb Sturgis' inaccuracy kept South Carolina in it as the UF kicker missed three field goals (though two from 50+ yards) on the night. Florida's defense took over in the second half, as five of Carolina's six second half drives amounted to -21 net yards. The sixth was a 49 yard drive, more or less the final stand for Garcia and company, but it ended with Trattou's game changing interception and return.

It's difficult to say which team had the better showing. Alabama's defense did a better job overall, keeping Carolina's scoring down to just a pair of field goals while allowing a negligible amount of yards more than Florida's did. The Gator offense did better though as it scored more points, could have had more points with field goal makes instead of misses, and didn't require a superhuman effort by a single player.

Still, the outcome of Bama's game never felt in too much doubt. Carolina managed a single drive of more than 50 yards against the Tide and didn't appear capable of mounting a credible threat for much of the game. By contrast, Spurrier and Garcia put together a couple of good drives in the first half, and they were doing it again in the second half when Trattou snared his fateful interception.

Better performance: Alabamaby a hair, with a gold star for Ingram.

See also: Arkansas, FIU, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State.

Postseason in the the SEC

Acid Reign — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:00:21 -0000

3rd team All-SEC?

War Eagle, everybody. The postseason of 2009 is on us, and the regular season is over. This time last season, I think most folks were glad it was over. Of course, December 2008 would turn out to be a terribly tumultuous month! We ran a head coach and staff off, at a cost of a cool $5 million. We hired a 5-19 replacement as the new head coach. The program was quite frankly in disarray! We were the laughing stock of the SEC, hands down.

A year later, how'd that work out for us? Against long odds, Auburn's football team won more than they lost, and they won the hearts of the fans. I don't think ANY of us are ready for the season to be over! In just one season, Auburn has vaulted to a New Year's Day bowl, and a winning record. A tremendous recruiting class seems to be in the making. There are 5 other 7-5 SEC teams, and I don't think they are laughing now!

This season, the SEC will send a record ten teams to bowl games. There are some tough challenges facing the SEC. I think most of the nation would love to see the SEC fall off its high-horse and lose big this bowl season. Texas will be a tough test for the SEC Champion, and the loser of the SEC title game will have to lick their wounds and get ready for another rough test. The Sugar Bowl is likely to match unbeaten Cincinnati against the SEC runner up, and if Cincy loses, then undefeated TCU. Penn State will be an extremely tough test for offensively-challenged LSU in the Capital One Bowl. Auburn's sometimes leaky defense will be tested by Northwestern in the Outback Bowl. Might be a record for points scored in that bowl! The Cotton will be a dangerous bowl, as both Ole Miss and Oklahoma State had hoped for much bigger things, this season. Likely bowl opponents in the second tier are Virginia Tech, North Carolina, U Conn, Texas A&M, and the Houston Cougars. SEC teams need to be on their games to match the success of the past three seasons. The SEC has won 19 of its last 26 bowl games.

The net yards per pass prizes, and ruminations on the SEC Championship Game, after the jump!

At the beginning of the season, I examined the net yards per pass of the projected starters in the SEC. Now that the regular season is over, let's see how they did:

SEC Eastern Division	Record	Record	Starting	Net Yards per pass	Net Yards per pass
Team	SEC	Overall	Quarterback	End of Season	Preseason
Florida	6-0	8-0	Tim Tebow	8.1	8.6
Tennessee	4-4	7-5	Jonathan Crompton	5.5	3.8
Georgia	4-4	7-5	Joe Cox	5.7	6.6
South Carolina	3-5	7-5	Stephen Garcia	5.8	3.5
Kentucky	3-5	7-5	Mike Hartline Morgan Newton Will Fiddler	3.4 4.1 3.3	3.9
Vanderbilt	0-8	2-10	Larry Smith Mackenzi Adams	3.4 3.8	3.4 3.8

SEC Western Division	Record	Record	Starting	Net Yards per pass	Net Yards per pass
Team	SEC	Overall	Quarterback	End of Season	Preseason
Alabama	8-0	12-0	Greg McElroy	6.8	8.1
LSU	5-3	9-3	Jordan Jefferson	6.1	5.1
Ole Miss	4-4	8-4	Jevan Snead	4.9	6.3
Arkansas	3-5	7-5	Ryan Mallett	8.4	4.6
Auburn	3-5	7-5	Chris Todd	7.0	4.4
Mississippi State	3-5	5-7	Tyson Lee Chris Relf	3.4 3.2	4.9 1.4

Only three quarterbacks managed to finish at 7.0 or above, but every bowl eligible SEC team finished with a quarterback over 4.0 yards per pass. Those that did not attain 4.0 are sitting home for the holidays. It's been an odd year, in that most of the very experienced returning quarterbacks actually had statistically worse years in 2009. Tim Tebow's numbers are still good enough for second place, but he's down a half yard. Mike Hartline and Tyson Lee declined, too. Jevan Snead plunged from pre-season All-SEC 2^nd team to 9^th place in the league. Snead paced the SEC with 17 interceptions. Long-time backups Joe Cox and Greg McElroy both saw their stats shrink, thrust into starting roles. The winners in the improvement department are Ryan Mallett, Chris Todd, Stephen Garcia, and Jonathan Crompton. Crompton survived a HORRID September, to finish with a respectable 5.5 net yard per pass.

Ryan Mallett performed well enough to cause All-SEC voters to do some head-scratching. Who IS the best SEC quarterback? If you were arguing on strictly an MVP-type basis, you'd have to give the award to Mallett. Without him, Arkansas easily finishes in the West cellar. Looking at what each quarterback brings to the field, Tim Tebow ALONE makes Florida two-dimensional. However, is Arkansas' one dimension better than Florida's two? Total yards tell the tale: Mallett has 3387, and Tebow has 2962. Comparing the teams, Florida put up 5416 yards, and Arkansas 5272. To me, it's a tough comparison. I think if Tebow has a good game in the SEC title match, he'll win the All-SEC quarterback sweepstakes. If Bama's defense makes Tebow look human, it's Mallett's prize. Number three in the league HAS to be a surprise to everyone: Chris Todd. In this context, he's had a pretty amazing season.

I don't have a strong opinion on who is going to win the SEC title game. Both teams sport awesome defenses and good depth. I think Florida is a little better on offense, and a little better on special teams. And, I think Florida has the best player in the league calling the signals. I see another close Florida win, but it's certainly not carved in stone. The DUI arrest of defensive end Carlos Dunlap could be a distraction factor for the Gators. Alabama received a serious wake-up call in the Iron Bowl against Auburn. It could play out differently on the field, than on paper. I can remember ten years ago, a heavily favored Florida team was dismantled by a more motivated Bama group, 34-7. There have been surprising SEC Title game results this decade, to be sure! There was LSU's stunning 31-20 win over UT in 2001, The 34-13 LSU blowout of UGA in 2003, and Georgia's blowout of LSU in 2005. I'll watch this one for fun, as just a fan of the game! And yes, I'd rather see the West win. But I can't bring myself to say the "RT" words...

What to Look for, CU/USC

FIGUREFOUR — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:19:20 -0000

Clemson Tigers versus South Carolina Gamecocks

Time: 12:00 NOON

TV Coverage: ESPN

Radio Coverage: WCCP (www.wccpfm.com)

Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

CUAD Notes ESPN Preview Rivals Preview

The Palmetto Rivalry is right here, as the 8-3 Clemson Tigers (15 AP, 18 BCS, and 16 USA Today) travel to the 6-5 South Carolina Gamecocks. This game is for pride only, as Clemson has secured its spot as the ACC Atlantic Division representative and the Cocks are bowl eligible. Clemson looks to extend its series win streak to 3 games, while South Carolina looks for its 2nd win against Clemson at the Brice in 22 years. We will be watching quite a few areas of this football game from both teams.

First and foremost will be the level of enthusiasm displayed by the Tigers. With the Atlantic Division crown wrapped up, this game really means nothing in the grand scheme of things other than bragging rights for yet another year. Will the Tigers come out fired up and ready to play, or will they be looking forward to next week's contest with GT in Tampa? Swinney and crew have been successful getting this team ready to play each week, and Swinney (an Alabama boy) understands the importance of a rivalry game. Consequently, I do not think complacency will be an issue.

Special teams is always on the list, and will play into this football game. Clemson has had trouble kicking field goals the past 3 weeks, so I really hope this game is not close coming down the stretch. Richard Jackson looked much better last week against UVa than he did against FSU, so that is a little more assuring. Switching gears, SC's kick coverage team has been less than impressive all season. Consequently, look for the Cocks to kick away from both C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford. This decision takes the ball out ofeach of Clemson's dynamic return man's hands, yet should give the Tigers excellent field position all afternoon.

Running games. This is where the tempo and overall strategy of the game will be set. South Carolina has struggled to maintain a consistent rushing attack all season, putting more pressure of SO QB Stephen Garciaand a less than impressive offensive line. South Carolina needs the threat of a running game to neutralize Clemson's excellent pass rush and keep the defense honest. If Carolina cannot run the ball, the Gamecocks' offense is in a tough position as they face one of the best passing defenses in the nation. Clemson, on the other hand, needs to take advantage of a glaring weakness in this SC defense, the interior area. SC lacks quality depth at the both the DT and ILB positions. If Clemson can get an inside running game going early, it could get ugly quickly. Clemson must stay committed to running the ball between the tackles to wear out this defense. I am not big on getting too far outside of the tackles, as USC does have pretty good team speed on defense, and there is really no need in getting outside at the first level against these guys.

Turnovers. Clemson has been good at creating these this season, and South Carolina has committed devastating mistakes at critical moments in football games. South Carolina will not be able to hang with the Tigers if they go out and beat themselves with turnovers. Clemson, on the other hand, has been getting progressively better at eliminating mistakes. Freshman Kyle Parkerhas matured over the season and is now playing with confidence and as a leader. Clemson should win the turnover battle, and could break the Gamecocks' spirits with a +2 or more turnover margin.

Offensive Line Play. Clemson has improved greatly over the course of this season, and can now at least create some holes for the backs and give QB Kyle Parker time to throw the ball. Clemson has benefited from Danny Pearman helping with the tackles and tight ends. Splitting Mason Cloy's time between guard and center has allowed the Tigers to rest Austin/McClain and move David Smith to tackle (which is a gift and allows Pearman to keep Corey Lambert off the field). Thus, while Clemson's offensive line is not the best in school history, it is much improved over last season. South Carolina's offensive line has seen some improvements over last season, even though the statistics show otherwise. South Carolina under John Hunt was nothing less than pitiful. Eric Wolford has made some improvements, but still has a ways to go (the fact that walk-on Garrett Chisolm wasn't even on the team during camp, and now starts is mind-boggling to me--even after Clemson got Bobby Hutchinson back on the field from his grad assistant role). SC is still at the bottom of the SEC statistical list in rushing statistics and has given up 33 sacks.

Clemson's defense should be excited about this contest. Clemson has tallied 33 sacks to this point, with Rickey Sapp leading the effort with 5, and Da'Quan Bowersand Brandon Mayewith 3 each. I am anticipating a few errant passes by Garcia because of the pressure. This bodes well for a defense that has already forced 20 ints. DeAndre McDaniel leads this group with 8 picks on the year, followed by Rashard Hall who has 5.

South Carolina will need to execute timing and 3-step drop routes in order to have success offensively. Clemson's man/man-press coverage should challenge some of these timing routes. However, I am a bit concerned with the size advantage that USC has with Gurley/Jeffrey. I fully expect some jump balls to Jeffrey. I also expect to see some deception similar to the reverses and direct snaps we saw against Virginia last week.

I want to see better play out of Brandon Maye this week. There is no doubt that Maye is a talented player, with excellent speed and power. However, we have seen Maye commit several key penalties (the personal foul last week was unnecessary and extended a UVa drive and helped NCST at times the week before). Brandon has to take better angles to the football and keep himself in plays by getting in better position. All of these items are correctable...this guy has a motor that constantly runs and has made some nice, intense plays this season, but is his own worst enemy.

Clemson has won 9 of the last 10 at the Brice, and has had 3 out of 4 against Steven Orr. I expect this game to fall in the same direction as 9 of the last 10 have, but expect it to be a little closer than most of the Tiger faithful would like. Look for USC to throw out all the stops early, as this is a big game for the Cocks. Losing the balance of the November games yet again and finishing 6-6 would be deflating. I look for a game similar to the Tiger's ACC finale against UVa. This one will be back and forth to half, with Clemson making the necessary adjustments to win this bad boy. (Remember, it is only year 3).

Here are some stats from the season (courtesy of http://www.cfbstats.com/2009/team/).

Scenario	Clemson's Record	USC's Record
All Games	8-3	6-5
at Home	5-1	5-1
on Road	2-2	1-4
at Neutral Site	0-0	0-0
on Grass Field	8-3	6-5
on Turf Field	0-0	0-0
vs. Conference	6-2	3-5
vs. Non-Conf	2-1	3-0
vs. Winning	4-2	2-5
vs. Non-Winning	4-1	4-0
vs. Ranked (AP)	1-2	1-2
vs. Unranked (AP)	7-1	5-3
in Aug/Sept	2-2	3-1
in October	3-1	3-2
in November	3-0	0-2
in Dec./Jan.	0-0	0-0

Previewing Clemson at South Carolina: Three Keys, What This Game Means, and Prediction

Gamecock Man — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:08:52 -0000

Well, the big game is upon us. This Saturday, the Clemson Tigers will join us at Williams-Brice Stadiumn for the 107th edition of our great rivalry.

Here are a few thoughts on the game.

Three Keys

1. Play with Emotion

As our friends at LOHD like to say, we need "fire in the belly" in this one. The Tigers usually seem to be the more motivated team in this series, despite the fact that we're usually the ones playing for revenge. That has to stop Saturday. We need to come out ready to beat down the Tigers and protect our house.

2. Turnovers

We need to force 'em, and we need to give up fewer ourselves. We haven't forced a turnover since the Alabama game, and Stephen Garcia has been more turnover prone lately than at the beginning of the year. It won't be easy to improve on these numbers against the Tigers, who protect the ball well, have a fine pass rush, and have some ballhawks in the secondary. That's what we need to do to win, though.

3. Special Teams

Most importantly, our coverage units are going to have to play well against the dangerous C. J. Spiller. Spiller is a threat to take it to the house every time he gets his hands on a kickoff or a punt, so we're either going to have to play great coverage or just kick it away from him.

We also need to see a good game from Spencer Lanning. If we win this game, I expect it'll be a close, relatively low-scoring affair, and Lanning's leg could make or break us.

What This Game Means

What doesn't it mean? This game always means a lot, as it's our biggest rivalry and a series where wins have been hard to come by. This year, though, it means even more, as our coaching staff needs a good showing to earn back the confidence of some elements of the fanbase.

Prediction

I expect you'll see us really throw the kitchen sink at the Tigers. Spurrier knows this is an important one, and he'll pull out all the stops. That should lead to some exciting football early on, as we'll try to jump out on top with big plays. I also expect you'll see Spiller or Jacoby Ford make a big play or two early on to keep the Tigers in it. After that, I expect things will slow down a bit, with both teams grinding the ball and vying for field position. In the end, though, the Gamecocks will serve Clemson revenge for the 2007 game's outcome, winning 27-24 on a late Spencer Lanning field goal.

SEC Power Poll Ballot: Week Twelve

T Kyle King — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:45:08 -0000

The selfsame seasonal illness that kept me home from last Saturday’s game also caused me to leave work early and hit the hay sooner than usual on Monday, so I am a bit behind in bringing you my SEC Power Poll ballot, which already has been made the subject of certain challenges. It is therefore with a modicum of trepidation that I bring you the twelve teams of the Southeastern Conference, in order from best to worst:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0): The Red Elephants made short work of their overmatched rent-a-win.

2. Florida Gators (11-0): The Sunshine State Saurians made short work of their overmatched rent-a-win. (You know, maybe if the pollsters started punishing teams for soft scheduling, out-of-conference slates would get tougher. Just a thought.)

3. Mississippi Rebels (8-3): Finally, Ole Miss gets revenge for Billy Cannon’s punt return! Well, unless you count the Rebels’ win in the Sugar Bowl rematch that same year and Billy Cannon’s subsequent prison term, I mean.

4. LSU Tigers (8-3): Just when I start to give Les Miles credit, he goes and pulls a stunt like that. Maybe Billy owes me an apology!

5. Arkansas Razorbacks (7-4): I don’t know that I’m entirely comfortable with this "forward pass" concept, but it seems to be working for the Hogs.

6. Kentucky Wildcats (7-4): Lost amid the agony of Saturday night’s meltdown is the fact that Kentucky had a good game plan, executed it effectively, and made many of its own breaks, starting with the forced fumble on the second-half kickoff. The ‘Cats are a mediocre team in a mediocre SEC, but that’s good enough for sixth place in a year like this one.

7. Auburn Tigers (7-4): Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking ranking the Plainsmen No. 25 in the BlogPoll. I blame it on cold medicine. I hate Auburn.

8. Tennessee Volunteers (6-5): It’s nice to know someone is able to feel good about 6-5.

9. Georgia Bulldogs (6-5): Amazingly enough, the Red and Black will finish in a tie for second place in the SEC East. Granted, the ‘Dawgs will be tied with a team that beat them head to head, but the idea that this embarrassment of a season is ending anywhere other than in the cellar is baffling to me.

10. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-5): Honestly, why do the Palmetto State Poultry even bother any longer? They’re going to lose narrowly to Georgia, build up a 5-1 record, register one upset that is mildly surprising at most, and collapse down the stretch. A season of Gamecock football is as formulaic as a "Police Academy" sequel. (Yes, I know that’s a dated reference, but, if you picture Bobcat Goldthwait as Stephen Garcia, the analogy works.)

11. Mississippi St. Bulldogs (4-7): Mediocrity may or may not be an attainable aspiration in Starkville.

12. Vanderbilt Commodores (2-10): The glory run from 2008 to 2008 is officially over, but it was fun while it lasted.

That’s how the league stacks up, at least as viewed from my vantage point. Feel free to share your perspective upon the subject in the comments below.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Previewing Clemson at South Carolina: Topics for Discussion on the Tigers' Defense

Gamecock Man — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:30:05 -0000

Which Clemson defense will show up? The Tigers have the 12th ranked total defense and 20th ranked scoring defense in the country. They've held several decent teams to paltry totals, including a notable game when they held Boston College to 54 yards and 4 first downs. (Actually, you should just look at the box score. The numbers are unreal across the board.) However, they have been known to fall asleep at times. They gave up 37 points and over 400 yards in an overtime game against Miami, 24 points to a horrible Maryland team, 21 points in about five minutes to Georgia Tech; you get the picture. In Clemson's defense, Miami and Georgia Tech are two of the better offenses in the country. Still--as least in those games--this defense has hardly been on a level with the ones we faced when we took on 'Bama and Florida. If they play like they did against BC, though, we'll have a tough road to a victory.

Can we handle the Clemson pass rush? The Tigers are 11th in the country in sacks, and you'd better believe they'll be sending the dogs after one of the country's most sacked quarterbacks. Our line will really need to step it up in this game clearly. It's also worth noting that Clemson almost appears to be overly aggressive at times and often overpursues. That could lead to problems for them against Stephen Garcia, who can make teams pay if they don't take him down. I think our ability to work with this pass rush is really key, as we are a different team on offense when Garcia has just a bit of time to throw. Unfortunatly, that hasn't always been the case.

Reviewing Florida at South Carolina: What It Means and Other Thoughts

Gamecock Man — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:50:33 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

about 1 month ago: South Carolina's Weslye Saunders (88) makes a catch for a touchdown as Florida's Joe Haden (5) defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

Browse more photos »

My apologies for being absent for the past couple of days. I made it down to Columbia for the game, so between spending time with old friends and traveling all day yesterday, I haven't had time this weekend to maintain the blog.

As you know, the game itself was exciting. There were some incredible high points, and I'm willing to give the coaches and team some credit for the way they played. A couple of years ago we folded in a similar situation against the Gators in Columbia, and we didn't do that this weekend against a better Gators team. We played them as well as anyone other than Arkansas has this year, and that gives me some hope that this team is going to fight for a win against the Tigers and in their bowl game.

At the end of the day, though, a loss is a loss, and they all add up to a subpar season. We're finishing 3-5 in the SEC. The best possible bowl scenario is the Peach Bowl, and that's only if we beat the Tigers and get some help from some of the other SEC teams in the crowded middle. A more likely bowl destination is probably Nashville or Memphis, and Shreveport or Birmingham aren't out of the realm of possibilities if we can't beat Clemson. That's all incredibly disappointing to me. I really thought this team was capable of doing bigger things, and while I'm willing to give this young group until next year before I really pass judgment on them, I think we should have rightly expected at least eight wins this year, especially after the fast start.

A few more thoughts on the game after the jump.

Despite the turnovers, Stephen Garcia played a quality game. He had Gators in his face more or less all afternoon, yet he still managed to make some great throws and runs. Florida doesn't give you much, but he still managed to take a little bit. I can't wait to see what he looks like next year.
I was also incredibly impressed by our running game. Whatever you want to say about our offensive line's inability to protect Garcia, you have to admit that Eric Wolford has made a difference for the running game. Now if only we could commit to it, like, you know, when it's 3rd and 2 and you can tie it with a field goal.
Our defense also played well. I was especially impressed by Clifton Geathers, who was in the backfield all night. If he can play like that again in two weeks when we have Cliff Matthews back on the field, we can make things frightening for Kyle Parker.
The defense's few hiccups, though, made a major difference. We really whiffed on Riley Cooper's long touchdown.
Florida's defense is unbelievably good. Despite getting some truly breathtaking play at times from Stephen Garcia as well as a surprisingly good from Brian Maddox, the Gators still held us to 14 points and around 250 yards. Moreover, they made the plays when it mattered. The interception at the beginning of the fourth was the big one, obviously, but the multiple sacks on our last couple of drives were also huge for making sure we didn't find a way back into the game.
I sure am glad that we managed to stop Florida on their final drive. Trying to score in that situation was uncalled for on Urban's part, but I guess I wouldn't have expected anything less from Corch.

Twenty Consecutive Wins And More Questions

mlmintampa — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:41:04 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

Browse more photos »

The Gators' 24-14 win over South Carolina gives the Gators their first undefeated SEC regular season since 1996. UF has now won 20 consecutive games.

The Gators also will have to continue to deal with the problems of their offense. Poor Caleb Sturgis cannot be the only offense because, you know, he is a kicker. Not including the final kneel down, UF had 4 drives start in South Carolina's end and managed seven points. Sturgis missed two field goals and there was the reenactment of the Ole Miss game. In addition, UF had two drives start outside of their 40, both ending with non scores.

Give credit to South Carolina, who after allowing scores on the first three drives, locked down. While UF did not turn the ball over, the Gators were 5-14 on third down, 0-1 on fourth down, and SC held the Gators to only 140 yards of rushing. Once again, Tim Tebow was used as a battering ram, with 16 carries, 26 yards, and two flips on his head. His 199 yards passing was a sight for sore eyes, but 68 came on the long bomb to Riley Cooper. Cooper also had chances at two more long touchdown passes, a sign that maybe, just maybe, Urban Meyer and Steve Addazio are willing to drop the Big Ten offense and throw the ball down field.

The defense again saved the Gators, holding the Gamecocks to 61 yards on the ground as they were willing to blitz and make Stephen Garcia beat them. Garcia did get 186 yards, but on 17 of 32 passing and 2 interceptions. Every week, I think it is finally the week the UF defense cannot make a stop, but they continue to play above their heads.

Next week brings Florida International and more questions as to why Florida has to settle for so many field goals and leave points on the field. I don't know what Florida can do and you don't know either. The problem is that Meyer and Addazio might not know either. But relying on Tebow and praying that your players solve your awful playcalling is not the answer.

Previewing Florida at South Carolina: Checking in on the Gators' Defense

Gamecock Man — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:48:47 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

Our next head coach?

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What is there left to say about the Gators defense? It's probably the best in the nation. Florida is first in pass efficiency defense, second in pass defense, first in scoring defense, second in total defense, and thirteenth in rushing defense. This is the best defense we'll play all year, and the way our offense is playing, it's hard for me to see us moving the ball well on these guys. Let's hope our coaches find some inspiration between now and Saturday.

Can we protect the ball? The Gators turnover margin rating has been devalued somewhat by the fact that their offense turns it over more than in years past. Don't be fooled. Aggressive play and turnovers are the hallmark of the Charlie Strong approach, and this defense is still one of the best around when it comes to creating turnovers. If we put the ball on the ground or if Stephen Garcia throws interceptions, we're toast. I will say that I have some confidence in this part of our game, so hopefully our guys can prove me right.

Can we run the ball? Will we, even if we can? It's not impossible to run the ball against Florida. Certainly, the Gators aren't reliving the 1996 Fiesta Bowl; their run defense is good. But considering that a handful of teams have been able to average around four ypc as well as that you're running some major risks throwing the ball too much, running the ball might be at least worth a shot. Sadly, I'm not at all confident that our coaching staff is willing to commit to doing that for more than a few first-half plays. It's a shame, because we have the best stable of running backs that we've had here in years.