SB Nation - Tommy Beecher

Comparison: South Carolina versus NC State in 2008-09

Year2 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:30:41 -0000

Since we only have a week of football under our belts, the only thing we can do right now for comparison's sake is look at what teams did last year versus what they did this year. So with that in mind, let's take a look at how South Carolina did against NC State both last year and this year.

As with previous comparisons, sack yardage has been taken out of the rushing totals.

OFFENSE

CATEGORY	vs. NCSU '08	vs. NCSU '09
Total Yards	383	273
Passing	198	148
Yds. per Pass	7.3	6.7
Rushing	185	125
Yds. Per Rush	4.9	3.2
Turnovers	4	1
Time of Poss.	34:57	32:25
Sacks All.	4 (-14 yards)	3 (-17 yards)

Well the good news is that in 2009, South Carolina didn't have Tommy Beecher throwing a hailstorm of interceptions. That's approximately where the good news ends though. Steve Spurrier went with an overly conservative game plan and if not for the generosity of the Wolfpack, his team might not have even scored.

Everything was down across the board: yardage, yards per pass. yards per rush, even time of possession despite the run-heavy play calling. As Chris Brown noted in the piece linked to in the previous paragraph, Stephen Garcia was perfectly competent throwing on first down. Expect to see a lot more of that against Georgia this weekend.

DEFENSE

CATEGORY	VS. NCSU '08	VS. NCSU '09
Total Yards	148	166
Passing	49	74
Yds. per Pass	2.5	3.0
Rushing	99	92
Yds. Per Rush	2.8	3.7
Turnovers	4	1
Time of Poss.	25:03	27:35
Sacks For	1 (-10 yards)	6 (-33 yards)

As good as South Carolina's defense looked, it was actually a slight step down from last year in this game. That's because Russell Wilson actually stayed healthy this year, not that he was a revelation or anything. NC State took better care of the ball, but Wilson led the team to just .5 yards per pass more, 0.9 yards per carry more, and he took five extra sacks. The Wolfpack offense played badly, but the Gamecock defense played a big hand in that.

For anyone who watched last Thursday's game, it comes as no surprise to see that the defenses dominated the game. South Carolina regressed in more categories than it advanced in, but as I said, a conservative offensive game plan and Wilson's presence on the field the whole game probably play into that.

Unfortunately, this comparison is too inconclusive to say much of anything about where the Gamecocks are going. We'll need to see more games for that. The safe bet, though, is that it's another year of offensive struggle and defense winning games.

Previous Comparison: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State.

Post-Spring Preview: NC State Wolfpack

Gamecock Man — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:51:23 -0000

Carolina once again opens their season against NC State, this time traveling to Raleigh to take on the 'Pack. Last time around, we beat State 34-0. However, the score was deceiving: we only led 3-0 at the half and 13-0 at the beginning of the final quarter, and Chris Smelley came in to relieve the regrettable Tommy Beecher and played a deceptively good quarter in which we scored the final 21 points. As we all know, this game was a harbinger of many things we would experience throughout the season, among them a defense that saved the crazy bad offense, inconsistent QB play, absolutely no running game (don't let all the yards Mike Davis racked up at the end of this game deceive you).

This year, I expect this game to be much different. First of all, State is no longer the team they were at that point. Led by QB Russell Wilson, the "Pack emerged at the end of last season after a horrid start and eventually earned a bowl berth. State will look to continue their solid play this year. South Carolina, on the other hand, still has questions, this time on both sides of the ball. However, a more experienced Stephen Garcia, a new offensive line coach in Eric Wolford, and another stellar recruiting class have us believing we can play better this year.

Let's take a look at how the two teams match up against each other on offense. The defensive and head coaching comparisons are soon to come.

Offense

Quarterback

State comes in with the aforementioned Wilson, who played very well down the stretch last year. Wilson's most impressive stat is his 17-1 TD-INT ratio, a surprising stat considering that his completion percentage was good but not great at 54.5%. Wilson is also an effective scrambler. If Wilson gets hurt or doesn't live up to expectations, former star recruit Mike Glennon is waiting in the wings.

We of course have Stephen Garcia, who looked good in spurts last year but played poorly over the last few games. Garcia probably has more upside than Wilson, but he needs to prove that he can live up to expectations. Hopefully his good spring was an indication that he's on the way there, but he still haven't proven he can play well consistently, which Wilson has done to some degree.

Verdict: Push--Wilson is more proven but Garcia could be much better when all is said and done

Running Back

State loses Andre Brown, who went to the New York Giants in the fourth round. However, they do return Jamelle Eugene, a capable back that has played well in tandem with Brown over the past two years.

South Carolina loses starter Mike Davis, but returns talented back ups in Brian Maddox and Eric Baker and has new comers with star potential in true freshman Jarvis Giles and redshirt freshman Kenny Miles. While none of these players has yet played a major role in the offense, they are all talented and having a number of them gives us a lot of depth. While I hesitate to call anything about our running game superior, I think this will be a break out unit in 2009.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina--State will be productive, but one or more of the SC backs will emerge for a breakout 2009

Wide Receiver

With Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer returning, State has a solid receiving core coming back. These two players were Wilson's main targets last year.

South Carolina lost one of its best players in recent history when Kenny McKinley graduated. Losing McKinley will hurt us, but hopefully Jason Barnes, Moe Brown, and Dion LeCorn will be able to step in and fill his shoes. Each, however, has failed to consistently perform well over the past couple of years. I think it's key that one of these guys emerges as the go-to guy. He doesn't have to be McKinley or Sidney Rice, but he does need to provide us with a viable target.

Verdict: Slight Advantage NC State--the fact that State has proven targets and that I think we have a group of players with a lot to prove gives State the slight advantage

Offensive Line

South Carolina loses Jamon Meredith but retains depth otherwise. This line has performed poorly over the past few years, but new coach Eric Wolford had them performing well in spring practice. I expect significant improvement here in 2009.

State loses two important linemen in John Bedics and Meares Green. Losing these two could be hell for a unit that will have to keep Eric Norwood out of their backfield.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina--as with the running game, I hesitate to make this call, but I really think we're going to see improvement here

Five Things I'd Like to See this Today During the Spring Game: Gameday Open Thread

Gamecock Man — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:43:04 -0000

UPDATE: Check out Leftover Hot Dog for more thoughts on the Spring Game.

These are the five things I really want to see when the Garnet and Black teams take the field today. I'd love to hear what the rest of you think in the open thread.

5. A Receiver Reaching 100 Yards

McKinley showed us how much of a class act he is today by taking out space in the paper today to thank Gamecock Nation for its support during his record-breaking career. While we here at Garnet and Black Attack wish Kenny luck in his future endeavors, the fact is that his departure leaves us with a glaring hole on the offense. While a number of our returning receivers--among them Jason Barnes, Moe Brown, and Dion LeCorn--have shown promise over the past couple of years, no one has cemented a spot as the go-to guy. Whether it be one of the returning guys, spring standout Tori Gurley, or TE Wesyle Saunders, someone needs to step up tomorrow.

4. Solid Play from the New Defensive Roster

While Eric Norwood, Darian Stewart, and much of the defensive line, return, the losses of Jasper Brinkley, Emanuel Cook, and Captain Munnerlyn leave major holes to fill from last year's stellar defensive unit. Who's going to step up and win these spots, and, perhaps more importantly, are the reserves going to be good enough to step in if the starters get injured? We need answers to these questions tomorrow.

3. Steve Spurrier Successfully Opening Up the Playbook

Last spring before Stephen Garcia was suspended, Spurrier promised that we would see more zone reads and designed QB runs. Garcia's suspension, though, left Spurrier with more traditional QBs Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher, and Spurrier stuck with his Cock'n'Fire playbook. This year with Garcia seemingly the certain starting QB, Spurrier is again talking about expanding his playbook to fit Garcia's skill set, and reports out of practice are that Spurrier is doing just that. Personally, I think it's a good sign that Spurrier is willing to set his pride aside and adapt to the times and his young QBs unique skills. However, we now need to see it work.

2. Big Performances from the Running Game

Spurrier has recently said that if the season began today, Brian Maddox would most likely be the starter. I liked Maddox's play in limited action last year, so I fully support Spurrier's confidence in the player. However, I believe that when we get into the season we will again to some degree see a tailback committee approach, with Maddox sharing time with Eric Baker, Jarvis Giles, and Kenny Miles. That's fine with me; we now have a decent stable of backs, and we should take advantage of the fresh legs that depth offers us. What I care most about is that these guys produce better than last year's abysmal unit. A lot of the burden, obviously, is also on the offensive line, which block the run atrociously last year. The backs and linemen need to produce this year for us to move forward offensively; reports are that they've played well in practice, and it would be good to see that continue tomorrow.

1. How Well Will Stephen Garcia Play?

I hate to steal The State's number-one spring storyline, but let's face it: is there anybody in Gamecock Nation who's thinking about anything more than Stephen Garcia right now? The story with last year's Spring Game was Garcia's absence due to suspension and the barrage of interceptions and general shoddy play by Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher. When autumn rolled around, we predictably had an awful offense.

This year, though, with Chris Smelley gone, the promising young Garica has a tight grip on the starting spot, and reports are that he's learning the offense, playing well, and, perhaps most importantly, keeping his nose clean. We've been talking about Garcia's promise for sometime around here, but the future is now for Stephen. We need him to step up and lead this team, starting today.

FIVE POINTS: Looking Ahead

cocknfire — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 07:33:00 -0000

I wanted to do an edition of 5 POINTS after the Iowa game. I really did. But every time I would try to map in my mind what to say, it all came out like a litany of the problems South Carolina had every time it lost in 2008.

Eventually, I scrapped the idea of doing a post just on the game. Instead, after spending some time thinking about the future of the program, that's what I'll focus on here.

1. Give Spurrier one more year. No, this isn't going as fast as anyone wanted it to. My guess would be that you can include Spurrier in the list of people that are frustrated. But this was always going to be a difficult task, even for a coach with the resume of OBC. So let's give him one more year. The fifth year is usually seen as the year by which you've done all you're going to do. Barring a sixth year of eligibility for someone, there are no holdovers from the previous regime's recruits; even the redshirt seniors are your guys. Your first full recruiting class is entering its fourth year. This is the time for Spurrier to show what he can do. If he can win nine or ten games, keep South Carolina in contention for the SEC East title late into the year and win against Clemson and/or in the bowl, it's a good sign that Spurrier's got a chance to reach his goals here. If not, it might be time to look elsewhere. Let's not be ridiculous -- Spurrier's still had an almost-unprecedented run of what passes for success at South Carolina, and he shouldn't be fired. But if year five isn't a good one, it's time to realize that he's probably not the coach to get it done. A retirement wouldn't bother me; nor would his staying on. The goals, though, would be reduced.

2. Stephen Garcia, if sober, should start. Those who've been reading have seen my evolution from the guy who used to jokingly call Garcia THE SAVIOR OF THE PROGRAM to the guy who most consistently calls for him to start. If he manages to stay on track, he'll have his first full offseason of practice and a new quarterbacks coach. He should have a better grasp of the offense. And there's no real competition with Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher gone. We have to hope, of course, that Garcia can keep it together. I think the odds are pretty good that he's finally learned from his mistakes and is ready to put together a good offseason and, just maybe, a good season. If so, it will help with one of South Carolina's main problem spots on the offense. That said, the offensive line has got to got to got to do a better job. I weep no tears for John Hunt, and no one who's watched this program should.

3. The early exits and seniors. Listen, we all would like to have Jared Cook around for another year, but if he wants to go to the NFL, I can't blame him. He probably won't be a first-rounder -- though he might -- but there aren't a lot of TEs that go in the first round in a given year anyway. Unless you're the No. 1 at that position, you might as well go when you can get into the second round or so. I don't understand Emanuel Cook or Captain Munnerlyn leaving. But in Munnerlyn's case, at least, I'm not as worried as I might have been just a year ago. Yes, he's done some good things at Carolina. He's also shown an uncanny ability to get flagged for 15-yard penalties, often at the worst possible time. (Not that there's a good time for 15-yard penalties, but I digress.) We lose a lot of seniors this year: Kenny McKinley, Jasper Brinkley, Ryan Succop and the list goes on. Last year, South Carolina was a young team. This year, not so much. That said, losing seniors from a 7-6 team isn't always a bad thing. We all like some of these players, but the bottom line is they didn't get South Carolina to an SEC title, a 10-win season, a Top 25 ranking or any of the marks that your team is headed in the right direction. That might sound harsh, but it's not meant to diminish what any of them did -- McKinley, in particular, will be missed and deserved a chance to play in more big games than he did. It's just an unfortunate statement of fact.

4. The new recruiting class. I'm not a recruitnik, mostly because it seems like a lot of names and star ratings and other things that you keep up with for months until it comes down to February and you have whom you have. But everything I hear tells me that the Gamecocks have a chance at a highly-rated recruiting class. In the past, through good times and bad, I've said that recruiting doesn't matter all that much, at least not when you're talking about the number of four- and five-star players. I've finally been convinced, both through the work of Dr. Saturday/SMQ and through what I've seen the last few years, that I was wrong. So I'm glad to hear that South Carolina's class is on the right track, and I fervently hope that the coaches close strong. The importance of this recruiting class cannot be overstated; after two disappointing seasons, it's time to get some highly-rated athletes into Columbia. Otherwise, the program will get stuck in a downward spiral of poor recruiting classes, disappointing seasons, poor recruiting classes, and so on.

5. Optimistic? Not really. Pessimistic? No. For the first time in a long time, I don't have a real read on the direction of the program. I'd like to be optimistic, or at least guardedly so. But 6-6 followed by 7-6 don't give you much reason for optimism. On the other hand, I can't really be pessimistic; it's not in my nature. As someone who roots for the Gamecocks and the Cubs, I have to be able to fuel my fandom with hope or I've really got nothing. Let's see where we are on Signing Day, the next milestone for the program. The future begins then, and (at risk of sounding like Yogi Berra) the future is all we've got left.

There's a Game on...um...Thursday? The Bloomin' Onion

Hawkeye State — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:32:41 -0000

Steve Spurrier, now with the kung-fu grip

We've reached the end of the line. Thursday morning, at the unholy hour of 10:00 CST, Iowa faces South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Last night, as a show of support, I finally ended the year-long MANCOTT and went to Outback for a steak and cheese fries. They were scrumptious.

While we made penis jokes and discussed the inconsolability of Jamie Pollard, Garnet & Black Attack were writing actual football analysis.* You want analysis? I got your analysis right here (gestures toward crotch) (immediately regrets it).

Fun With Depth Charts

Aside from some odd names in the offensive line two-deep (Adam Gettis? Kyle Haganman?), there is nothing new. No significant injuries to report, though Andy Kuempel isn't listed. Everything's coming up onions.

When South Carolina Has the Ball

South Carolina's run game makes Minnesota look like 1995 Nebraska. Mike Davis, the ~~former Indiana coach~~ Cocks starting tailback, recorded only 571 yards on the year. By way of comparison, Shonn Greene racked up 571 yards in the first half against Wisconsin.** Not only are his numbers lackluster, but they have been in decline throughout the year, as South Carolina focused on the passing game; Davis averaged just over 40 yards per game in South Carolina's last six. As a team, the Gamecocks average less than 100 yards of rushing per week, despite games against running back sieves like UAB, Kentucky, and Arkansas. Against a comparable rushing defense - Tennessee - South Carolina put up just 101 yards on 44 rushing attempts. While I fully expect South Carolina to stick with the run for as long as they possibly can, the running game is not a significant source of concern.

* -- Foreign concept to BHGP readers, I know.

** -- That might not be true.

The passing game? Well, it's Spurrier, so it's theoretically dangerous. That being said, Danny Wuerffel isn't exactly walking out of that tunnel. The Cocks' air attack is led by whichever one of two quarterbacks that isn't currently being berated on the sideline. Chris Smelley, whose name is truly beyond reproach for its literal correctness, has been so thoroughly smelly for so long that fans are openly begging for the abject mediocrity of freshman gunslinger, graffiti artist, and unabashed hippie Stephen Garcia.

A friend of the devil is a friend of Stephen Garcia

That's not even mentioning the fact that the Gamecocks' bevy of shitty signalcallers has been preparing for this game without their quarterback coach, who was canned after the Clemson loss. Garcia will apparently start, and will likely be pulled from the game, tasered, placed in a dog kennel, and flown to Vladivostok in the cargo hold of a C-130 by the end of the first quarter.

When their quarterbacks aren't smelly from the stench of patchouli - or just Smelley - South Carolina has a couple of decent receivers. Senior Kenny McKinley racked up 48 catches for 554 yards this season, and his numbers have improved as the season progressed. The same can't be said for junior tight end Jared Cook, who has been marginalized down the stretch. As for the line, well, GBA apparently thinks they suck. We're in no position to disagree.

Despite the turmoil, South Carolina was third in the SEC in passing offense this season, averaging 218 yards per game. Yards were not a problem; interceptions were. Smelley, Garcia, and third-stringer Tommy Beecher combined to throw 24 interceptions (only SMU threw more picks in D-I). That trend doesn't bode well for the Cocks, especially against a defense that led the Big Ten in interceptions. SC averaged just 21 points per game this year; I'd be shocked if they surpassed that number Thursday.

When Iowa Has the Ball

The Gamecock defense has performed admirably, given the staggering ineptitude of the offense. South Carolina ranks 11th in the country in total defense, a whopping 0.6 yards per game better than Iowa. They are 28th in scoring defense, due in no small part to the turnover machine on the other side of the ball.

South Carolina usually runs a 4-2-5 base defense, but will likely shift to a 4-3 out of necessity; two of their three starting safeties are out for the Outback Bowl. While it's an admittedly subtle shift in philosophy in the season's eleventh hour, it might help shore up a Gamecock rushing defense that surrendered 129 yards per game on the ground. The linebackers they've used throughout the year aren't your typical SEC linebackers. For one thing, they're huge (both Norwood and Brinkley are over 260). For another, they're very good inside.

The SC pass defense has been fantastic, ranked third in the country. Not content to allow a meager 160 yards per game passing, the Cocks have racked up 30 sacks and a dozen interceptions. It may be a byproduct of playing in a perpetual nickel formation against one of the most run-happy schedules the SEC has to offer, but it's impressive nonetheless. In other words, don't expect too much from Slick Rick tomorrow (not that it will be needed).

Prediction

I don't think there is any doubt that both these teams rely on defense to win. That generally leads to a low-scoring slugfest, but South Carolina's defensive weakness (stopping the run) works to Iowa's advantage more than Iowa's defensive weakness (stopping the short pass) plays to South Carolina's offense. If Greene gets his carries and yards (despite their meh numbers, South Carolina did a good job of stopping Knowshon Moreno, Arian Foster, and C.J. Spiller), Iowa takes this game handily. If not, this has 6-4 final written all over it. I'm betting on the former.

Iowa 31 - South Carolina 13

FIVE POINTS: Ugh -- The Team from the Upstate wins (again)

cocknfire — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:36:27 -0000

1. Everybody calm down. That includes me. One of the reason's I've waited until now (Monday evening) to post my thoughts is because any earlier attempts would have come out RARR!!!RARRRR!!!SMELLEY BAD!!!!RARR!!!! Take a step back. Think about this for a minute. Last year, we were all pissed about an 0-5 finish that put the Gamecocks at 6-6 and out of a bowl game after an unforgivable defensive collapse against The Team from the Upstate. This year, South Carolina finished 7-5, bound for a better bowl than the Gamecocks probably deserve (almost certainly the Outback, but maybe the Peach) and with some returning talent, even if we lose Jared Cook in addition to Kenny McKinley. (And I hate to say this, but keep an eye on Eric Norwood.) I'll have a lot more on a later date, but just to put things in perspective: This is the first time South Carolina has had four non-losing seasons since it entered the SEC. The last time was 1987-1990, when Joe Morrison and Sparky Woods went 8-4, 8-4, 6-4-1 and 6-5 as an independent. This has been a pretty good stretch by South Carolina standards.

2. Chris Smelley must never again start for South Carolina. It's that simple. This was "Bad Chris" at his worst, and comparing his performance to Blake Mitchell is an insult to Blake Mitchell. (And I say that as one of Blake's most consistent critics.) A fumbled quarterback sneak, overthrowing leaping receivers by two or three feet, almost getting intercepted when he tried to throw the ball away -- it was awful. Four interceptions and a 46.8 percent completion rate do not begin to tell of the horror that was watching Chris Smelley play quarterback. Brandon Cox would have been a marked improvement. Smelley's had some good games, but he also has a tendency to disappear or regress at the worst possible times: against Vanderbilt last year, against Kentucky this year and, then, this past weekend. Smelley's show against Ole Miss was just one of those illusions -- redshirt sophomores don't usually get better overnight. It's time to let it go and go with Stephen Garcia. (An aside: If "Tommy [Beecher] doesn't want to play," then his scholarship should be revoked. I'm not being mean about this. If you get an academic scholarship and you don't bother to show up to class, you fail and you lose your scholarship. Why should athletes be any different?)

3. Third down defense. All the nice things I've said about Ellis Johnson and the Gamecocks defense, and they follow up the 56-point waxing in the Swamp with a "performance" that included The Team from the Upstate converting eight of 14 third-down opportunities. In all, the Tigers gained 64 yards on third down, or about 4.6 yards per play. Worse yet, 56 of those third-down yards came in the second half -- when South Carolina most needed a stop to preserve clock and get the ball back. You can't blame the entire defensive effort for this game -- when your quarterback gets picked off four times, there's not much the defense can do to win it. But a few third-down stops might have changed momentum and the final score.

4. This is Spurrier. If there was a major criticism of Steve Spurrier's time in Gainesville, it's that he didn't do well against Florida State. Including bowl games, Spurrier went 5-8-1 against the Seminoles. Spurrier didn't make his name beating ACC rivals to make the fans happy; he made his name beating Georgia and Tennessee and winning SEC championships and a national title. True, those options weren't available to him, and the Team from the Upstate was the team South Carolina faced this weekend. But get used to the fact that beating the Tigers is not Spurrier's first goal, nor his second and probably not even his third. Personally, I want him focusing more on the SEC. That's not sour grapes; I hate losing to The Team from the Upstate. I'd still trade it any day for an SEC championship.

5. How would you like to have the Vanderbilt game back? Or the Georgia game? A special-teams blocker in a different place, a smarter play by Mike Davis ... But, no. We have to get past moral victories, get past a "this was an improvement," get past seeing the glass half-full when it's 60 percent empty. The Spurrier Era, in my mind, has been good for South Carolina, but not yet successful. This should have been an eight-win, maybe a nine-win, perhaps even a ten-win season. Again, don't misinterpret: This is a 7-5 team. You are whatever your record says you are. And until South Carolina starts winning more than seven games a year, it will always be a good team -- but a team that's just not good enough.

GRADE: F
Sorry, there's nothing to redeem this game, and all the time in the world can't change that. It was an all-around collapse.

Poll

Grade the Gamecocks vs. The Team from the Upstate

A

2 votes

B

1 votes

C

2 votes

D

5 votes

F

38 votes

48 votes | Poll has closed

MIDSEASON REPORT: The Schedule from here

cocknfire — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:02:44 -0000

The Midseason Report for South Carolina is up over at Team Speed Kills, but that's the "no homerism version."

South Carolina now stands at the midpoint of the season, and it has gotten to a 4-2 record in a roundabout way. The Gamecocks lost to Vanderbilt, but beat a resurgent Ole Miss. South Carolina defeated N.C. State 38-0, but didn't look dominant doing it. They lost to Georgia 14-7 just 10 days after falling to the 'Dores. And both the Wofford game and the UAB game were closer than they should have been.

Tommy Beecher was the starter for N.C. State, and Stephen Garcia has looked good so far -- but Chris Smelley is your quarterback. The defense is improved but, in a twist of irony, had a bad game against Ole Miss, whose defensive coordinator is Tyrone Nix.

And after that whiplash-inducing start, the goal should remain the same: Progress means winning eight games. And it's still possible, though maybe slightly differently than I first imagined.

	Original Call	Current Call
at KENTUCKY	LIKELY WIN	TOSS UP
LSU	PROBABLE LOSS	LIKELY LOSS
TENNESSEE	PROBABLE WIN	PROBABLE WIN
ARKANSAS	LIKELY WIN	LIKELY WIN
at FLORIDA	LIKELY LOSS	LIKELY LOSS
at TEAM FROM THE UPSTATE	POSSIBLE WIN	POSSIBLE WIN

The original call on the Team from the Upstate was probably a bit optimistic. This one might be a bit pessimistic -- but no reason to take any chances, right? The Tiggers look eminently vulnerable this year and might be looking for a new head coach by the time the Gamecocks visit. They might also be looking for their dignity, though, so the rivalry set-up could make them dangerous.

Kentucky looks harder, no doubt. Who knew they had a defense? But Tennessee looks just as bad as your humble correspondent thought they would be, and maybe worse. LSU looks stronger; I'm still not sold one way or the other on Florida.

So cheer up. The season can still be a success. But it has to start with a win against Kentucky.

FIVE POINTS: First Impressions -- South Carolina 26, UAB 13

cocknfire — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:51:29 -0000

1. Not good, not as bad as it looked. Watching college football on a laptop monitor with a more "important" game (Alabama at Georgia) on a big-screen TV in the background can do funny things to your perception of a game. (It can also make you thankful for the technology that allows one to watch UAB vs. South Carolina at an Alabama-Georgia viewing party.) My initial thought about the game -- that it was a thoroughly mediocre effort -- was true to an extent. Even an offense as catatonic as the Gamecocks' should be able to pick up more than 353 yards against UAB's defense.

On the other hand, the South Carolina defense largely stifled an offense that might be as good as the one that took the field whenever the Gamecocks defense was done. UAB picked up just 207 yards and QB Joe Webb was largely contained (140 yards passing, 22 yards rushing). The only touchdown came as the final seconds ticked away.

The margin was close in part because the Gamecocks decided to run the ball. And run the ball. And run the ball. In fact, the play calling was heavily tilted to ground game: 45 rushes, 33 pass attempts. Part of this was the presence of Stephen Garcia, who rushed 18 times. South Carolina ended the game with a nearly 10-minute edge in time of possession and were far better on third down than UAB. Again, that's not a great measuring stick, but it's something.

2. Stephen Garcia did well. I know I'm parting with Gamecock Man here, but I thought THE SAVIOR OF THE PROGRAM performed pretty well both on the ground and through the air. He was unquestionably better than Chris Smelley or Tommy Beecher -- again, "compared to ... " -- and the throws I saw tended to be far more accurate than what we've grown accustomed to seeing from the signal-callers up until now.

vs UAB / 9.27.08	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Stephen Garcia	13	20	65.0	131	1	18	86	4.8	1

His rushing average was better than any other Gamecock save Bobby Wallace, who might have made a case for more starting time by running six times for 51 yards. And, among the three quarterbacks, he won the passer rating battle with a 126.52, compared to 52.18 for Smelley and 92.00 for Beecher, despite facing the Blazers when whatever defense they have was likely at its strongest.

Plus, he can fly!!!

Give him time to learn the offense and get adjusted to the SEC, and Garcia could be a pretty good quarterback, though it remains to be seen if he can become everything his supporters expect him to be. Does he give us the best chance to win against Ole Miss? Probably; neither Smelley nor Beecher have shown us nothing that would lead me to believe they do.

3. Missing McKinley. There is something to be said for spreading the ball around, and the Gamecocks certainly did that in the passing game. Nine players caught the 18 completed passes, and no one had more than three.

But there are downside to that approach, too. There was no "go-to" receiver, and it's hard for the quarterback to get into a rhythm when there's not one person he can depend on. Notable: Jason Barnes with 3 catches, 46 yards.

Perhaps the biggest place where the team is missing Kenny McKinley is in the lack of a vertical game. The longest pass Saturday was a 23-yarder. It was one of two passes that went for more than 20 yards. This team needs McKinley back -- and quickly -- unless this is a lost season and he wants to redshirt and come back next year. (Unlikely, I know.)

And, after writing that, I look at GoGamecocks and see that I'm not the only one thinking that way.

Spurrier said he might approach All-SEC receiver Kenny McKinley about the possibility of a medical redshirt if McKinley’s right hamstring continues to bother him. McKinley, a senior who is in range of all of USC’s major receiving records, has missed the past three games and is doubtful for Ole Miss, according to Spurrier.

This would actually be in everyone's interest: McKinley's value will go down in the draft the longer he can't play -- no one wants to put a lot of guaranteed money into someone who's been hurt for much of the season prior to the draft. And, of course, it would give the Gamecocks one more season of McKinley, improving the depth of next year's team tremendously.

4. Succop's night. If there was one Gamecock who answered the call Saturday night, it was Ryan Succop. He hit a career-high four FGs and had 14 total points. Had it not been for Succop, the Gamecocks' margin could have been as low as 14-13, truly pathetic, instead of the uninspiring two-score edge.

Don't forget Spencer Lanning. He had a pretty good night as well, averaging 44.0 yards on his two punts. As for other special teams performers: Chris Culliver did an average to above-average job on kick returns, taking four back for 24.5 yards per, and Captain Munnerlyn was nothing special with punt returns, averaging 13.3 yards.

5. Finishing. Yes, this is to an extent an ESPN, coach-speak phrase, but it contains a kernel of truth. And it also points to a problem that could become something worse as the season advances. The Gamecocks seem to have trouble completing drives and putting away opponents.

It's not that UAB was ever truly close after South Carolina took a 10-3 lead with 44 seconds left in the fourth quarter; they weren't. But after being up by 14 at the half, South Carolina slowed down and scored just six more points in the second half and finished the game with a margin of 13.

That was in part because of two drives that ended up inside the Blazers 10 -- and ended up with field goals. Two more second-half possessions that found their way into UAB territory ended in interceptions. That's fine against UAB, but it will get you killed in the SEC.

Not that anyone's looking for a trip to Atlanta this year -- at least, I hope not -- but the only remaining nonconference game this year is the showdown with the Team from the Upstate. A successful year, however one defines it (unless you consider a four-win season a success) will involve beating some SEC teams. If the Gamecocks can't finish, the season is finished.

GRADE: C
The Garcia experiment starts on the right foot, and the Gamecocks avoid disaster. The defense remains stout; even if the Blazers defense is horrid, the offense is competent, and UAB was largely unable to move the ball. But the South Carolina offense has to, has to, has to do better soon. Otherwise, even dreaming of Shreveport might be optimistic.

Poll

Grade the Gamecocks.

A

0 votes

B

2 votes

C

13 votes

D

5 votes

F

0 votes

20 votes | Poll has closed

Georgia Bulldogs 14, South Carolina Gamecocks 7

T Kyle King — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 03:31:02 -0000

Well, I was right about the seven-point margin of victory, even if I gave both teams too much credit for offensive firepower. The Red and Black’s 45th series victory over South Carolina and Mark Richt’s 75th career win came in a game that was too close for comfort, although victory by the visitors never seemed to be in doubt.

The Georgia receiving corps had its usual bout with the dropsies, the Bulldog offensive line acquitted itself less well in its first real test than any of us would have liked, and the speedy Gamecock defense allowed next to nothing around the edge.

Both teams went five for 13 on third- and fourth-down attempts, with the Palmetto State Poultry holding the advantage over the Classic City Canines in first downs (20-17), total yards (289-252), and yards per pass (6.8-5.8). While the South Carolina secondary took away the perimeter, the Georgia defensive backfield surrendered far too many receiving yards, particularly up the middle and at the seams, to the tune of 271 passing yards allowed.

Despite having his best receiver sidelined by injury and having distinguished himself previously chiefly through not being Tommy Beecher, Chris Smelley completed 23 of 39 attempts, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to Moe Brown to cap off a 62-yard drive on which the South Carolina quarterback was three for four for 56 yards.

To top it all off, the ‘Dawgs were assessed 112 yards in penalties. In short, it was far from a flawless effort and many areas of concern were highlighted as the Bulldogs head into the meat of their schedule. You know what, though? I feel great.

Yes, there was a lot not to like about this afternoon’s outing in Columbia, and the ‘Dawgs had better be prepared to address some of the weaknesses which were exposed in Williams-Brice Stadium if they have serious designs on contending for an Eastern Division championship, much less any higher prize. However, let’s not overlook the positives:

Under greater pressure, Matthew Stafford looked less sharp, but, despite that (and the fact that some quite catchable balls went through the hands of his receivers), the Georgia quarterback still hooked up on 15 of his 25 tosses for 146 yards. Stafford has never thrown a touchdown pass against the Gamecocks, but, this year, for the first time, he didn’t throw a pick, either. Stafford also tacked on a 30-yard run for good measure.

As anticipated, South Carolina committed to stopping the run, yet Knowshon Rockwell Moreno still managed to rush for 79 bruising yards and the game-winning touchdown while the Georgia D limited the Gamecocks to 18 rushing yards.

The Bulldog defense also came up big when it mattered most. In the fourth quarter, as the visitors clung to a 14-7 lead, the home team mounted a nine-play drive on which a pass interference penalty gave the Gamecocks a first down at the Red and Black’s two yard line. Mike Davis was stuffed for no gain on the next play and, on Davis’s ensuing carry, Rennie Curran forced the fumble that Asher Allen recovered for a touchback.

On South Carolina’s next possession, a Smelley pass to Freddie Brown for eight yards set up second and short at the Georgia 32. The ‘Dawgs held and the ‘Cocks turned the ball over on downs. The Palmetto State Poultry’s final drive made it as far as the Bulldog 17 after a pair of pass interference penalties. Reshad Jones very nearly picked off Smelley’s first-down pass and he succeeded in intercepting the South Carolina quarterback’s second-down throw to close the deal.

What hitherto had been a high-flying Georgia offense went on the road and, facing a South Carolina defense that had given up 12.0 points per game in its first two contests, scored fourteen. A Gamecock O averaging 25.5 points per game was held to seven ticks on the scoreboard by a Georgia D that had given up double-digit point totals in each of its first two outings.

There are, of course, issues in need of addressing, as invariably there are. Lest anyone be overly concerned, though, let me put your mind at ease using a few data outlined in a couple of comments from this afternoon’s game day open comment thread. Consider these scores:

7-0. 21-20. 20-12. 13-10. 13-7. 17-15.

Those are the scores by which the Bulldogs beat the Gamecocks in 1966, 1968, 1976, 1980, 2002, and 2005, respectively. The ‘Dawgs won Southeastern Conference championships in each and every one of those campaigns.

For the game against Georgia Southern, I set a high standard for judging the contest a success, and, although the Red and Black satisfied my previously stated criteria, I still wasn’t altogether satisfied. Against South Carolina, I knew that a win was a win was a win.

The Gamecocks always play Georgia tough. The whole goal of the contest from the Bulldogs’ perspective is to go in, get the W, and get out with no major injuries. This the ‘Dawgs did. Don’t worry about whether it was pretty; it wasn’t, but, against those guys, it never is. Georgia’s record remains unblemished and the team’s goals remain fully intact. That’s all that matters. The Gator faithful know this and so should we.

The Bulldogs did what they had to do. They may not have done even one whit more, but they did enough. Find whatever fault you will with 14-7, but know that, if nothing else, it’s a darned sight better than 16-12.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Dawg Sports Interviews Gamecock Man Before Georgia-South Carolina Game

T Kyle King — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:51:39 -0000

It’s a big week here in Bulldog Nation, even though Doc Saturday likes Georgia’s chances, so we’re pulling out all the stops in preparation for the game against the Gamecocks. So that both fan bases might be made more familiar with Saturday’s opponent, Garnet and Black Attack’s Gamecock Man and I exchanged interview questions.

Gamecock Man is not to be confused with Captain Freedom . . . or, for that matter, with Captain Munnerlyn.

Gamecock Man has published my answers to his questions and his answers to my questions appear below:

1. We have our own offensive line issues in Athens, but it's nice to see we're not alone in that regard. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Gamecock offensive front and how do you expect your linemen to fare against the Georgia defense?

Well, I think it would be a little presumptuous to say that we have any OL strengths as this point. Believe it or not, though, I think that we showed marked improvement in pass blocking against Vanderbilt. The line missed a number of assignments against NC State, resulting in lots of pressure against Tommy Beecher. And we all remember how that ended up. However, against Vandy we got a little better protection for most of the game. Of course, the line blew it on our final drive by allowing two critical sacks.

Run blocking, on the other hand, has been horrible both games. We've had a lot of trouble opening up good holes. In fact, half the time the opposing DLs are in the backfield by the hand off. Mike Davis is tough to take down, so he's been able to get a few yards for us, but we def. need to see some improvement in this area if we're going to have a more balanced offense.

And then there are all the false start penalties. This has been a huge problem, and what's worse, it's been a huge problem at home and at Vanderbilt. I wonder how the line will adjust to the crowd noise at the Swamp later in the season.

It's worth noting that we'll be getting fifth-year senior Jamon Meredith back this game. Meredith is our most experienced and talented OL, and has mostly played LT in the past. He's been playing LT and LG in practice this week, and Spurrier hasn't yet announced where he'll play Saturday.

I think Georgia will undoubtedly be the stiffest test for our line so far. NC State has a pretty good front seven compared to how they stack up at other spots, and Vandy has a well-coached group that can throw you off at key moments with their zone blitz packages. However, with or without Jeff Owens, UGA brings some major athletes to this game. I can only hope that we'll show major improvement with Meredith back.

2. How much playing time, if any, do you expect Kenny McKinley, Chris Smelley, and Tommy Beecher to see this weekend? How effective do you expect them to be in whatever time they spend on the field?

I think that Chris Smelley will start at QB and will play most of the game. You may see Beecher or Stephen Garcia also play some in a platoon system, or, if Smelley throws a couple of early picks, you may see one of them replace him for the game.

Hard to say about Kenny McKinley. Spurrier has said repeatedly throughout the week that he is probably out, but Kenny has been saying that he really wants to go and thinks he might be able to. Based on his injury, I'd say that he's probably out and that Kenny is just trying to get the guys fired up, but then again, if he's anywhere near ready, don't be surprised if you see him.

Hard to say about effectiveness. Given his injury, I certainly don't think Kenny will be able to do as much if he goes. Chris Smelley is a puzzling player; sometimes he looks very good, but he occasionally makes a pass that just makes you want to cry. Hopefully he'll be more consistent this weekend.

3. The Bulldogs have won a couple of blowouts over lower-tier competition in which the scrubs saw plenty of playing time at home. The Gamecocks have faced two B.C.S. conference opponents, including a home game that was tight for a half before being broken open by South Carolina and a road game resulting in a close loss. Are you encouraged by the fact that South Carolina has faced two "real" opponents while Georgia is yet untested? Are you concerned that the Gamecocks have had to tip their hand already while the Bulldogs have been able to keep it simple and avoid putting anything on film? What effect do you expect this to have on the two teams' game-planning and, ultimately, the game?

For the Gamecocks, I think having played two BCS opponents to UGA's none is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, having played two decent opponents means that our coaches should have a better sense of our strengths and weaknesses. So, we should hopefully see some tweaks to our gameplan to compensate for the problems we've had. Because they haven't been challenged by a team that can reveal their weaknesses, UGA doesn't have that benefit.

On the other hand, playing against cupcakes for the first two weeks can be a blessing. A lot was made last year about how the Gamecocks were able to hide their hand against LA-Lafayette while the Dawgs had to put their game out in the open against Oklahoma State. You could make a reasonable argument that UGA didn't really know what they were getting into when we played last year, whereas Carolina had already gotten a sense of what to plan for.

There are a couple of things that I'm curious about whether or not we'll see. First of all, there was lot of talk about whether or not we'd use sets with two tight ends, considering that we have two very good ends in Jared Cook and Weslye Saunders. I'd personally like to see us use this sort of formation, because with McKinley likely out, I think Saunders gives us a receiver who can be just as effective as any of our backup wideouts. I also think the added end could pay dividends in perimeter run blocking.

The other thing that everyone is of course wondering about is whether we're going to see some trick packages with Stephen Garcia. I have no idea what to expect in this regard and whether it'll be effective if we try it, but it's all we're hearing about right now, so I'm anxious to see it.

As far as who the advantage goes to in this regard, I think it's one of those things you just won't know until after the game. If we make a lot of great adjustments that lead to a win, people will say that playing the first two games against decent competition helped us. If UGA has a lot of success exploiting weaknesses they've seen in the past two games we've played, or if UGA successfully unveils some new packages that they didn't use against GSU or CMU, people will say UGA was wise to start with cupcakes. Hindsight is 20-20, you know?

4. I'm a lifelong Georgia fan, so you knew there had to be a Steve Spurrier-specific question. How frustrated is the Ol' Ball Coach with the Gamecocks' lack of consistent progress under his direction? Will there come a point at which he throws up his hands, hangs up his visor, and walks away, as he did following his two-year stint with the Washington Redskins? If so, how close do you think he is to reaching that point?

Reasonable question, but it's a hard one to answer. On the one hand, when asked, Spurrier tends to give all the "right" answers about how he wants to stay here for at least another four or five years. On the other hand, many media personalities like to talk about how Spurrier will retire because he has no stomach for losing and/or how he didn't know what he was getting into at South Carolina.

I'd say the truth is somewhere in between. I do think Spurrier knew what he was getting into here. How many times did he run us off the field while he was at Florida? He must've known that a tough job was in store for him.

However, I do think that it's possible he might leave earlier than expected. It's hard to predict what sorts of decisions a coach will make when he feels like there's no hope or is just sick of a job. And Spurrier has a history of abrupt departures.

Plus, Gamecocks fans are quickly moving out of the honeymoon phase now. This isn't to say that we think Spurrier is washed up. But we want better results on the field, and if Spurrier doesn't at least bring some improvements within the next couple of years, i. e., at least an eight or nine win regular season and a New Year's Day bowl, the fans and administration may get restless, and even if he's not fired, he could leave because he doesn't feel wanted.

5. We've heard a lot about a number of individual Gamecocks leading up to the season, from Captain Munnerlyn to Stephen Garcia to Jasper Brinkley. Which South Carolina players are unknown to Peach State partisans today who will be household names in Bulldog Nation by Sunday?

One player that I keep telling people about is Chris Culliver. Chris plays safety and returns kickoffs. On defense, he's made a few rookie mistakes in coverage but has been effective enough. I'm still waiting for him to have a game changing interception.

Chris has also been effective returning kicks. He's averaging over 28 YPG and had nice returns against Vandy. I think that our offense will need good field position to stay in the game against UGA, so I'm hoping Chris has a big game.

My thanks go out to Gamecock Man for arranging this exchange of interviews.

Go ‘Dawgs!