SB Nation - Kenny McKinley

Post-Spring Previews: Vanderbilt Commodores

Gamecock Man — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:04:46 -0000

After traveling to Tuscaloosa for a likely loss to the Tide, South Carolina returns to Columbia to host the Vanderbilt Commodores. Vandy has administered excruciatingly painful upsets to the Gamecocks in both of the past two seasons. If anything hurts more than losing to Vandy while you're riding high with a #6 national ranking, it's losing to them again to spoil what looked like a promising early season right after you've reentered the top 25. It's hard to pick up the pieces after losing to Vandy in the second game of the year. To make matters worse, we've had every chance to win these games but have killed ourselves with turnovers and inane special teams play.

I think it's safe to say that we should now consider Vandy a rival and one of the "must-win" games of 2009, and not only because of the aforementioned embarrassment factor. With no disrespect to Bobby Johnson and Vandy, which are doing a great job considering their resources, we simply can't make it to the next level if we keep losing to these guys. The best SEC teams just don't do that.

Let's take a look at how we stack up against the 2009 'Dores.

Offense

Despite their success, Vandy had a fairly anemic offense last year. When they weren't able to create points with turnovers and special teams play, they had a lot of trouble moving the ball. They failed to exceed 14 points in all of their losses and finished the year ranked 117th in the nation in total offense, which shows you that this is a team that lived and died off of defensive opportunism. Although they should be at least a little better with nine returning starters, more of the same offensive struggles could be in store for Vandy this year.

Quarterback

Vandy appears to have chosen to go with Larry Smith at quarterback after Smith beat out the more experienced Mackenzi Adams this spring. Neither, though, has been particularly effective under center for Vandy, although Smith won 'Dores fans hearts by leading a late game-winning field goal drive against Boston College in the Music City Bowlr. Smith will need to improve his completion percentage and yards per attempt for Vandy to take a step forward this year. Like Adams and the now-departed Chris Nickson, Smith is fairly mobile, which will come in handy it the 'Dores end up having protection issues. Expect Adams to see the field if Smith falters.

I would call this a strong advantage for us. For all the hoopla surrounding Smith right now, he finished the year with a 100.97 QB rating. Stephen Garcia finished was at one point around 140 and still finished at 113.68 even after his horrific performances against Florida and Iowa. One thing Vandy does have is over us is the luxury of having an experienced backup in Adams, not that Adams exactly strikes fear into the hearts of anyone that has seen him play.

Verdict: Strong advantage South Carolina

Running Backs

Vandy will look to senior Jared Hawkins to lead their running game, which was the heart of their offense last year. Hawkins, a short, stocky back, has had a serviceable career in Nashville and will look to finish with a bang in 2009. While he won't break too many long ones, he can get tough yards and has never fumbled. Hawkins was the only Vandy back to finish with over 100 yards last year (QBs Nickson and Adams and WR Jamie Graham also did), so finding another back to help Hawkins shoulder the load will be important for the 'Dores.

I'd call this a push. We have a deeper stable of talented backs, but until we prove that we can pick up the pieces after fielding last season's joke of a running game, we can't call this an advantage considering that Vandy returns an experienced back like Hawkins.

Verdict: Push

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Vandy's sluggish passing offense graduated top receiver Sean Walker, who caught over 500 yards last season. Their top returning receiver is tight end Branden Barden. (You may remember Barden as the guy that made an impressive 31-yard TD grab against us to tie the game early in the second half last season.) Finding a reliable wide out to complement Barden will be a huge priority for the 'Dores this year. Luckily, they picked up transfer Terence Jeffers, who caught for over 500 yards at UConn two years ago.

This is a slight to strong advantage for us. Vandy loses its top player from a group that struggled enough to get open last year and will rely on a transfer with no SEC experience to carry the load. While we lost Kenny McKinley, on the other hand, we have several talented players that are ready to move into McKinley's spotlight.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Offensive Line

Vandy has often struggled to field a reliable line over they years, hence Bobby Johnson's tendency to favor mobile quarterbacks. However, this year's group, which features four seniors and a junior on the first team, appears to be pretty good. If they can avoid injuries, Vandy should be solid here.

I'd call this a push. Surprisingly, Vandy's line appears to be it's greatest strength on offense due to the experience. However, this unit had some problems protecting the quarterback last year, and if they falter early this year, I'll be ready to call this an advantage for us by game day.

Verdict: Push

Let's take a look at Vandy's defense after the jump.

Defense

Vandy's defenses under Bobby Johnson have typically been decent. Last year's unit was a marvel in opportunism, always seeming to be able to come up with a turnover at the right time. It doesn't take a Head Ball Coach to figure out that Vandy's early season five-game winning streak was won on a +9 turnover differential and their late season slide came due to their return to the mean in that department. Although they lose star corner D. J. Moore, this year's group may be even better than last year's. That's good for Vandy, as the 'Dores will need this group to shoulder the load for the offense.

Defensive Line

With three seniors and a junior in the starting lineup, Vanderbilt returns a very experienced defensive line. The star, perhaps, is Broderick Stewart, who has managed to become an adept pass rusher despite only weighing in at around 225. Tackles Greg Billinger and Adam Smotherman also look solid. This is a good group, but they'll need to toughen up against the run this year.

This is a slight advantage for us. I'd call Vandy's line average as SEC lines go, whereas I'd call ours a fair bit above average.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

Vandy linebackers are led by ILB Patrick Benoist and and WLB Chris Marve. Benoist was second-team All-SEC a year ago. SLB John Stokes rounds out the first team. This could be one of the conference's better all-around units if Stokes steps up his game. Vandy also has reasonable depth at these positions.

I would call this a push to a slight advantage for us. Vandy doesn't have anyone like Eric Norwood, but they do have a pretty well-rounded group of players.

Verdict: Push

Secondary

With Gamecocks kryptonite D. J. Moore gone, Vandy will be hard-pressed to duplicate what was one of the nation's best pass defenses from a year ago. However, cornerback Myron Lewis and safety Ryan Hamilton head up a good, experienced secondary unit for Vandy. Both Lewis and Hamilton have a shot at all-conference and would be welcome additions on almost any SEC team. Casey Hayward and Sean Richardson round out Vandy's secondary.

While we probably have a bit more athleticism on the depth chart than Vandy here, we also have more youth and less proven experience. Vandy gets the advantage.

Verdict: Slight advantage Vanderbilt

Head Coaches

Forget his horrible W-L record. Bobby Johnson is doing something very, very right. Before Johnson arrived in Nashville, Vandy not only typically posted bad records. They also usually lost by large margins to the rest of the SEC. Since Johnson took over, Vandy has turned into a dangerous team that plays even the better SEC teams very tough and usually manages an upset or two. He's now even beginning to bring somewhat respectable recruiting classes to Vandy, which is an incredible feat considering that Vandy's academic standards make it one of the toughest places in BCS football to recruit to. Make no mistake, succeeding at a school like Vanderbilt in a conference like the SEC is an incredible accomplishment, yet Johnson appears to be doing just that. Why a school with a potentially more competitive football program hasn't pulled the trigger on this guy is beyond me.

I have to give Johnson the advantage over Spurrier. Why not? He owns the Head Ball Coach.

Verdict: Slight advantage Vanderbilt

Overall

Despite all the excitement around the Vandy football program last year, in the back of 'Dores fans minds must be the fact that they won with smoke and mirrors last year. 2008 frankly wasn't even Johnson's best team in Nashville; the 2005 team with Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett actually had a prolific offense and was a few points away from a bowl berth. The difference was that that team didn't get the bounces quite as often. (Remember this game?) A reversion to the mean may be in store with this year's Vanderbilt team, which appears to seriously lack offensive firepower. When they come to play us, they'll be going up against a talent differential. Moreover, if we can't get up for this game after what's happened the last two years, then we don't deserve to play in the SEC. I think we'll win this one by a couple of touchdowns.

Prediction: South Carolina wins by 14 points

Wanna know more about Vandy in 2009? Check out these previews:

SEC 2009 // A Gamecock's Mind

cocknfire — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:00:18 -0000

For those who don't know, I ran Garnet and Black Attack, the South Carolina blog here on SB Nation, before launching Team Speed Kills. When I moved over here, GABA was placed in the more than competent hands of Gamecock Man, who has done a superb job at running the place. Gamecock Man agreed to answer a few questions as part of South Carolina week.

Is Stephen Garcia really "the guy"? And even if he is, do Gamecock fans really have faith in him to stay out of trouble through an entire season?

Tough questions; I guess it depends on what you mean by "the guy." In terms of arm strength, mobility, and other physical qualities, Garcia appears to have the tools to be a good SEC quarterback. He'll need to continue to improve his knowledge of the playbook and his decision-making skills, but I think that will come with experience. The results from spring practice sound promising in that regard. Therefore, I fully expect Garcia to be an improvement over Blake Mitchell and Chris Smelley, and I think he's fully capable of helping us get to 8-9 wins and a New Years Day Bowl, especially in his junior and senior seasons. If that's what you mean by "the guy," then yeah, I think Garcia is "the guy." If you mean someone that can be one of the nation's best quarterbacks, the kind of player that can elevate this offense to SEC-title caliber, then it's really almost impossible to say. Obviously, we'll get an idea of what his ceiling is like this year. If he dramatically improves and we have a very good year, then the expectations for 2010 will be sky high for Garcia and the Gamecocks. Sort of like what you see with Jevan Snead and Ole Miss this year. As far as his off-field behavior, I think most people think he's grown up. He seems to have matured and taken a leadership role on the team, which is a good sign. You of course never know with someone with his history, but I don't think he'll have any more problems of that sort.

The losses from last year's team that look most harmful are WR Kenny McKinley and TE Jared Cook. Does that sound about right to you, and do you worry about whether their replacements can fill the void?

Well, I might argue that the losses to the secondary (Emanuel Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, and Stoney Woodson) hurt more. McKinley and Cook were great players for us, certainly. However, I like Weslye Saunders as Cook's replacement and don't think we'll lose a beat from the TE spot. At WR, we have lots of talented players, such as Jason Barnes, Moe Brown, Dion LeCorn, and freshman Alshon Jeffery. One of these guys is going to have to step up and become the go-to guy; that will probably be Barnes or Brown, as LeCorn is more of a possession receiver and Jeffery is inexperienced. I think we'll see good production here, though; keep in mind that some of these guys played pretty well in McKinley's absence early last season. I also think we'll see a better running game this year, meaning that we won't have to have the passing game completely carry the offense, which was sometimes the case last year.

At secondary, we have some talented players in place to replace the guys we're losing, especially at safety. However, depth could be a huge problem if someone gets hurt. Remember how our defensive performance waned in 2007 after all the defensive injuries? That could happen again this year if guys like Darian Stewart and Chris Culliver get hurt.

A bigger deal this year: Beating Vanderbilt or beating Clemson?

Are you being serious? I expected better from you, C&F. It's gotta be Clemson. Losing to Vandy sucks, and having a losing streak to Vandy sucks even more, but I don't think most Gamecocks fans hate Vandy. I actually cheer for them when they're not playing us. It's just kind of embarrassing losing to them, and it's frustrating when you lose to them in the fashion that we have. The fact that we have more talent than them has been apparent in both games; the problem was inane decision making by our QBs in 2007 and weird special teams gaffes in 2008. Just frustrating. However, Vandy just doesn't inspire the kind of feelings in me that Clemson does. If I could enjoy the feeling I got after we beat Clemson in 2006, I think I could handle another loss to Vandy. The only possible argument one could make for Vandy here is if you imagine a scenario when losing to Vandy costs us a trip to Atlanta. I could probably stomach another loss to Clemson slightly better if I knew we were going to get a shot at the SEC Title. But teams that lose to Vandy usually aren't in the running for divisional championships, so this probably won't happen, anyways.

How many wins does Spurrier need this year to show progress, and what happens if he doesn't get there? Will he retire? Do you see any way the university could fire him if they decide it isn't working out?

I think he needs eight regular season wins and to finish in the upper half of the SEC East. Nine is possible, but unless we're much better than advertised and some of our opponents are much worse, I think it's hard to see us winning 10 or 11 with the schedule we have. If he wins eight, he'll have improved on previous totals. Moreover, as I said, there'll be high hopes for 2010. If Stephen Garcia comes through as the quarterback, this offense will be one of the best and most experienced in the conference in 2010. If he only wins seven, there will be some cause for concern, but with the schedule we have, it's a distinct possibility even if the team plays well.

As far as what he'll do if it doesn't happen, it's hard to say. He claims that he's in this for the long haul, that he recognizes the challenge of winning big here and wants to take that challenge the distance. I tend to take him at his word on that. However, he's not a young man anymore, so who's to say that he might not just decide he'd rather hang out on the beach and the golf course instead of dealing with the rigors of the SEC when he's not winning much?

Would the university fire him? Unless he has an atrocious year, I kind of doubt it. He has been fairly successful here compared to his predecessors. However, I actually wouldn't be against it -- depending on the circumstances -- if we only win five or six games. I think we have the resources here to do better than that, and I think we should hold our coaches to standards higher than that.

Do you disagree with anything we've said this week?

I think your predictions are pretty accurate. I might change the following:

9.19 :: vs. Florida Atlantic :: POSSIBLE WIN.

I'd call this a probable win. Florida Atlantic is good on offense, but I don't think they have enough defensive brawn to hold us back.

9.24 :: vs. Ole Miss :: PROBABLE LOSS

I'd call this a possible loss. That's probably because I like our home-field advantage here. I'm also not as high on Ole Miss as most people are.

10.3 :: vs. S.C. State :: POSSIBLE WIN

This is a win. SC State is a good FCS team, but don't expect much from them in this game.

11.28 :: vs. Clemson :: POSSIBLE WIN

This is a push. I'm guessing that's what you really think it is, too.

I also notice that you call Vandy a probable win and FAU and SC State possible wins. I think Vandy will be much tougher than FAU or SC State.

What I was getting at was that Florida Atlantic is a bigger threat as a trap game than Vanderbilt. And the Gamecocks, for whatever reason, always seem to play their worst games against FCS competiton. But Gamecock Man makes valid points.

Thanks to him for answering our questions.

MONDAY: South Carolina Leans on Hope, Again
TUESDAY: The Carolina Calendar
WEDNESDAY: Spurrier Meets with Two Students; Stephen Garcia -- and the Rest of the Depth Chart; Hope and Homerism
THURSDAY: Guessing the Gamecocks
LATER TODAY: The Last Savior We Had Around Here Didn't Do So Well

SEC 2009 // South Carolina Leans on Hope, Again

Year2 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:00:18 -0000

SEVENTH IN A SERIES :: The 2008 South Carolina Review

As I write this, I am listening to the album Emphasis! (On Parenthesis) by the Stanton Moore Trio. I feel like the title fits for South Carolina.

South Carolina is coached by Steve Spurrier, offensive genius! (who has yet to engineer a top 40 scoring offense in Columbia). He's a quarterback guru too! (who's yet to have a decent quarterback there). The defense has been pretty good too! (except when it's not).

The cliché at this point would be to state that things haven't gone as expected for Spurrier since he's been to Columbia. But what does that even mean? A lot has to do with your own personal expectations for him when he got there. This is a program that has never been to a bowl game in three consecutive seasons and whose conference titles and 10 win seasons combined can be counted on two fingers. It resides in a state that is not blessed with bountiful talent from which to recruit, and it has to go up against a half dozen established powers in its own conference alone.

Spurrier placed the Gamecocks second in the SEC East in 2005, beat Florida in the process, and finished with a 5-3 SEC record for only the third time since joining the SEC. In 2006 they won eight games, something that's happened just six times since 1980. In 2008, Spurrier guided them to their third bowl in his first four years, something that no other South Carolina coach has done. SC has also been at or above .500 in each of his four seasons, the first such four year stretch since 1987-90. Four-year periods of .500+ ball have happened just five times since World War II, and they've never been longer than four.

The most puzzling aspect of it all for me is the lack of good quarterbacking. So far, the quarterback play under Spurrier in Columbia hasn't been up to the standards of Eric Kresser, much less those of Shane Matthews, Rex Grossman, or Danny Wuerffel. Given the hailstorm of interceptions last year, Steve would probably just take a Noah Brindise if he could.

This could be the year when things work out behind center though. Stephen Garcia is said to be the best quarterback Spurrier has recruited to South Carolina, and he is one of just two four-star singal callers (along with the now-departed Chris Smelley; according to Rivals) the Ol' Ball Coach has brought in. Thanks to staying clean in the off season, Garcia has now actually attended an entire spring practice, and new quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus could be an upgrade over David Reaves given his impressive resume. Being a former Spurrier quarterback, Mangus would certainly know the offense inside and out.

Of course, that assumes the offense is worth knowing still. Too many people to count have declared that Spurrier has lost his touch, that he's washed up, and that people have figured out his schemes. Not so said Heath Cline, a sports radio host in Columbia who's also worked in Florida and whose word I'd value 50 times more than random national pundits who don't watch South Carolina play much:

Spurrier's still as good a playcaller as he ever was, and his system still works. There were plenty of times last year where receivers were open and the quarterback either didn't make the read, made a bad throw, or was getting sacked. No Spurrier offense can work correctly without a QB. In four years in Columbia, he hasn't one worth a darn yet.

I can back that up anecdotally. I watched Spurrier's coach show several times last season, and it was full of him saying things like, "Well, we had a receiver open over on the weak side, but we didn't make the read right and now we make a bad throw."

Replacing WR Kenny McKinley and TE Jared Cook will be tough, but the Gamecocks have plenty of big receivers for Garcia to throw to. They'll need to step up their play in light of those losses, of course, but there is talent there. Freshman RB Jarvis Giles impressed in the spring game and he could catch some passes out of the backfield too. There are pieces here for a good passing game, and Giles brings hope to the running game. Remember, all of Spurrier's best offenses have had good running elements to them (Errict Rhett, Fred Taylor, Earnest Graham, etc.) along with the passing.

For all of this to go, the offensive line will have to gel and quickly though. A new offensive line coach Eric Wolford has come in to try to solve the problems of injury and inconsistency that have plagued the Gamecock line over the past four years. He and Mangus are just two parts of a coaching staff overhaul that ideally will pay immediate dividends.

South Carolina is one of the most divisive teams among the early consensus, and it's not hard to see why. There's no broad agreement on how Garcia will shape up, how the defense will deal with its losses, and whether Spurrier is the answer in Columbia. There's enough there for hope though, and for the endlessly devoted Gamecock fanbase, that's probably all they need.

Of course, eight or nine wins couldn't hurt.

MONDAY: Past as Present
TUESDAY: The Schedule; Spurrier Meets with Two Students
WEDNESDAY: The Depth Chart; Hope and Homerism
THURSDAY: Predictions
FRIDAY: Feedback and Conclusions

Keys to Success in 2009: Number 4, Finding a Replacement for Kenny McKinley

Gamecock Man — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:52:17 -0000

Kenny McKinley finished his career at South Carolina as one of the most distinguished players ever to take the field as a Gamecock. He holds almost every significant receiving record, ousting former greats such as Sidney Rice and Sterling Sharpe. McKinley was also a positive force off the field. He stayed out of trouble, inspired his teammates, and always appeared to be incredibly dedicated to his team.

He also accounted for a disproportionately large portion of our receiving offense. He, Jared Cook, and Mike Davis--all of whom won't be back next year--accounted for 49% of the team's receiving yards, with McKinley leading the way with 642 of the trio's 1428 yards. And let's not forget, of course, that McKinley tallied these numbers despite missing a handful of games after suffering a hamstring injury against Vandy. The fact that Cook had almost as many yards as McKinley deceives one regarding just how central McKinley was when he was playing, as McKinley missed the Georgia, Wofford, and UAB games.

While some might disagree with me, I believe that Cook and Davis won't be terribly hard to replace. Cook was a great player and promises to be a good pro, but waiting to fill in for him is Weslye Saunders, who was very effective as a backup last year. Although he had his moments, Davis's senior season was an overall disappointment. Based on how the spring played out, we have reason to believe that we'll get much more out of the tailback position this year than we did last year.

The same can't be said for McKinley, though. True, we do have some receivers with experience who may be ready to take on bigger roles as go-to receivers this season; all, though, have question marks surrounding them. Jason Barnes played well at times last year, especially while McKinley was being worked back into the offense during the Ole Miss and Kentucky games, where he racked up 76 and 88 yards, respectively. However, Barnes seemed to disappear after McKinley returned to full strength. Moe Brown has also had his ups and downs during his time at Carolina. Brown had a breakout game last year against UGA while McKinley was sidelined, catching for 130 yards. However, he too seemed to disappear later in the season. Dion LeCorn is another candidate. LeCorn came on strong and showed lots of promise late in 2007. LeCorn too, though, had an inconsistent 2008; although he looked like he would be a significant part of the offense early in the season, he was moved to defense in the second half of the year. The coaching staff moved him back to offense during spring, though.

Every team needs a go-to receiver, a guy a quarterback can count on to consistently get open and to catch a ball in traffic when nobody can get open. While some teams have found success in the passing game without such a player--think last year's Florida team, where Tim Tebow distributed fairly evenly between Louis Murphy, Percy Harvin, and Aaron Hernandez--such offenses are rare. It will be tough to find a guy who can be as productive as McKinley, but finding someone that can come close to doing so will be key for this offense.

Post-Spring Previews: Georgia

Gamecock Man — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:34:56 -0000

After traveling to Raleigh, the Gamecocks continue their path along one of the nation's toughest schedules when they go to Athens to take on the 'Dawgs. The Georgia game is always one of the defining moments of our season. Most Gamecocks fans consider Georgia our biggest SEC rival, and a win typically marks the beginning of a good season (2007 aside).

On the whole, Georgia is a team full of question marks. They disappointed last year after coming into the season with sky-high expectations. This year, they have to replace a number of significant players, most notably offensive stars Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and Mohamed Massaquoi. On the other hand, they return significant talent on defense and on the offensive line. Their success will likely depend on whether Joe Cox can be efficient and can at least come to close to matching Stafford's productivity and if their defense can stay healthy and play better than it did in highly publicized meltdowns against LSU, Florida, and Georgia Tech last season. We'll probably know a lot more about Georgia after they open their season at Oklahoma State, a team with an absolutely explosive offense that will probably be preseason top ten.

Let's take a closer look at how we match up against these guys.

Quarterback

Mark Richt plans to start senior Joe Cox, who got significant playing time early in 2006 but since then has been Stafford's backup, only playing in mop-up duty. Cox is a fairly talented player and has spent a lot of time in the system, so the 'Dawgs can reasonably hope that he will be a competent signal caller. However, he lacks Stafford's physical abilities, so his ceiling is probably relatively low. I'd call it a push between Cox and Stephen Garcia; Cox has had longer to grow into his roll and is a more mature player, but he lacks Garcia's natural talent and has less in-game experience than Garcia. Usually, I'd say that means that Garcia has the advantage, but Garcia was hardly impressive in some of his appearances last year. Although he showed promise at times, he has plenty to prove this time around.

Verdict: Push

Running Backs

While Moreno leaves big shoes to fill, Georgia is uncommonly deep at the running back position, with several highly recruited players waiting to become the next Moreno, Garrison Heart, or Herschel Walker. The one most likely to become a household name is Caleb King, a speedy home run threat who rushed for over 200 yards last year as Moreno's primary backup. However, Richard Samuel will also get plenty of touches, and the two backs may form something of a Thunder and Lightening duo. I'd say UGA has a slight advantage over us here; while I like our stable of backs and expect us to field a much improved running game in the fall, both King and Samuel could start at any school in the nation. These guys are monsters and, while we might get the 'Dawgs during a transition period while UGA tries to figure out how best to divvy the caries, I doubt UGA will miss a beat without Moreno this year.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Offensive Line

UGA returns a seasoned, talented offensive line led by tackles Quintin Sturdivant and Clint Boling. Sturdivant's preseason injury last year caused this unit to underperform last year, but if Sturdivant is able to return close to full strength, this should be a very good unit. I would give them a slight advantage over our line. While I expect much-improved blocking from our guys this year and the play in the spring gives us every indication that that's what we'll get, we simply lack the talent possessed by Georgia at these positions.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Georgia returns phenomenal receiver A. J. Green (yep, the same Summerville star that screwed his home state's flagship university by committing to a bitter rival) but loses the aforementioned Massaquoi, and so far it's unclear who will be the second receiver. That could be problematic for Georgia, as Cox could use the benefit of a slew of targets. At TE--a position that hasn't been featured in recent UGA offenses but may be this year--UGA loses ball-dropping machine Tripp Chandler but brings in the highly recruited Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch. Charles is a big, fast player receiving end somewhat out of the Jared Cook mold, while Lynch is more of a traditional end. Either will be a significant improvement over Chandler. I'd call it a push at these positions; after losing Kenny McKinley we don't have anyone like Green on our team, but what we lose in that contrast we gain in better depth.

Verdict: Push

Defensive Line

The 'Dawgs return a very strong couple of players at tackle in Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens. However, they appear to lack a dangerous pass rusher, especially as they'll be without end Justin Houston, who is suspended for the first two games, when they play us. If Ladi Ajiboye plays in this game, I think we have a slight advantage here. While I like Atkins and Owens a bit more than Ajiboye and Nathan Pepper, UGA lacks the sack threats at end that we have in Clifton Geathers and Cliff Matthews.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

UGA and Carolina each return one of the nation's best linebackers in Rennie Curran and Eric Norwood. UGA, however, also returns Daryl Gamble, another quality player, whereas Carolina will still be in the process of breaking in Rodney Paulk and Shaq Wilson as Norwood's partners in crime. UGA gets a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Secondary

Georgia returns star safety Reshad Jones as well as corner Prince Miller but is a little more uncertain at the other two starting spots. This puts them in a similar spot to Carolina, who returns Chris Culliver, who came into his own as a future star late last season, and Darian Stewart but, after the departure of Emanuel Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, and Stoney Woodson to the NFL, will have to fill the other spots with a host of freshmen and returning lettermen like Addison Williams who haven't always been the best around. I'm calling this one another push.

Verdict: Push

Special Teams

UGA returns a pretty good placekicker in Blair Walsh. However, their return units were a liability last season, and they'll have to prove they can improve in those areas this year. Carolina has similar questions and lacks the returning kicker, so I'll give UGA a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Head Coaches

Although he's yet to win a national title, Mark Richt has been one of the most consistent coaches in the SEC while at Georgia and has one of the highest winning percentages in school history. In a way, that makes him a lot like Steve Spurrier at Florida before Spurrier won the national title in 1996, as Spurrier had up until that point been a coach that won lots of games and often got his team in position to compete for national titles but usually ended up dropping a game he should have won. My thinking is that Richt will put together that perfect season one day; a coach doesn't put his team in the top 10 as consistently as Richt does without finally having a season when the ball rolls his way. In terms of comparing the two, you can put me in the camp that believes that Spurrier still has his coaching chops, but the fact that Spurrier hasn't managed to really do much since he left Florida in 2001 means that advantage here has to go to Richt, who still appears to be at the height of his powers.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Overall

We and our coach tend to be at the top of our game when facing the 'Dawgs. However, Georgia does have more talent than us at most positions. They also have more depth than us, although I think the gap has closed somewhat and, at any rate, depth shouldn't matter too much in the second game of the season. All of that means that a victory in this game, especially considering it's in Athens, would be an unqualified upset. I think the game will be close and that we'll have a chance to win it late, but I can't bring myself to predict a victory at this point. After we've seen how these two teams play in their season openers, maybe we can revise that.

Prediction: Georgia wins by a touchdown

The Non-Conference Games That Will Shape The 2009 College Football Season: #1 South Carolina @ North Carolina State

FSUncensored — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:13:57 -0000

As regular readers know, TomahawkNation.com is obsessed with scheduling. We find it fascinating how teams can run materially different races and yet one can be crowned the winner over another at the end of the season. Often, evaluators turn to conference affiliations when judging a team, and that's why non-conference games are so important. With less than 100 days left until the start of college football season, Tomahawk Nation decided to take a look at the non-conference games that will shape the college football landscape in 2009.

As a general rule, the non-conference games that matter most to a conference's reputation are those in the first two weeks before the conference seasons begin, and those played during bowl season. The reason is simple: there aren't any conference battles going on and the games easily draw the attention of the media.

Last year the ACC took a big early hit after Alabama thumped Clemson, East Carolina upset Virginia Tech, and Maryland lost to Middle Tennessee State. It was such a bad opening weekend that much of the rest of the country stopped following ACC football, but the ACC was easily the best conference when they played the teams from the big 6 conferences. Examine:

	% of Games played against BCS Conference Competition	Combined Record of Each League's BCS conference competition	Winning % against BCS competition
ACC	48%	.652	.598
Big East	39%	.563	.573
Big XII	31%	.467	.495
Big 10	29%	.462	.538
Pac 10	45%	.429	.607
SEC	31%	.400	.578

The ACC played the most games against the other BCS conferences, and their opponents had the best winning percentages (meaning they played the good teams from the big conferences), yet the ACC had the 2nd best winning percentage against those squads.

Just as you wouldn't judge a conference on one bad weekend in november, it's equally stupid to render a final verdict as to a conference's strength based off the opening week.

Last August 28th, in yet another early season loss, South Carolina scored a huge blow for the SEC against the ACC, on national television. After a first half that saw 5 punts, two fumbles, three interceptions, and one missed field goal, South Carolina led 3-0 in Williams-Bryce Stadium (South Carolina). This was one of the ugliest football games I have ever seen. NCST Quarterback Russell Willson got knocked out cold

After that, it was all South Carolina, as the Gamecocks went up 13-0 to start the final quarter and Spurrier ran the score up to appease the alumni. Final: 38-0, Gamecocks.

But that might be different this year...

For the casual observer, NC State was one of the toughest teams to figure out last year. They started out the year 2-6, before winning their last 4 games to get bowl eligible. For those who followed the program closely, however, there was a pretty logical explanation for this turnaround: injuries. NC State lost an incredible 43 starts to injury last year (only 5 teams lost more). That lack of a consistent starting lineup hurt the Wolfpack early, particularly with Russell Wilson suffering from post concussion syndrome. They also suffered major injuries on the defensive side of the ball, losing star Linebacker Nate Irving.

The coaches sat Wilson for the South Florida contest to make sure he was over his concussion. Once Wilson came back, it was a whole new ballgame. NCST's offense exploded:

Opponent	NCST Yards Per pLay
BC	4.6
FSU	7.2
@ Maryland	4.8
@ Duke	6.4
Wake Forest	4.2
@ UNC	6.4
Miami (Fl)	6.5

Almost a 20% improvement over what they had been averaging before Wilson's comeback.

In fact, WIlson is on a streak of 249 passes without an interception, the longest such streak in the country.

With 15 returning starters, and a less than devastating level of injuries, the Wolfpack figure to be much better on offense and defense (where they were particularly hit hard by the injury bug). Their defensive line features 4 senior starters, including NFL prospects Willie Young Jr. and Alan-Michael Cash. In fact, NCST will have one of the most veteran lineups in the country on both sides of the ball, as they start 12 seniors, 5 juniors, 5 sophomores, and no freshmen.

South Carolina on the other hand faces far more uncertainty. Last year they had one of the best defenses in the country (15th by advanced metrics), and a terrible offense (75th by same).

On offense, the Gamecocks featured an average passing game behind QB's Chris Smelley and Stephen Garcia, throwing to senior Kenny McKinley and junior Jared Cook. The Cock's problem was in the run game, where only Auburn and Mississippi State were worse.

This year they lost RB Mike Davis, WR McKinley, TE Jared Cook, and both offensive tackles. That said, South Carolina's offense could be better with improved interior line play, provided that they don't have to slide one of their guards to tackle. Garcia takes over at QB and most feel that he is the most talented quarterback the Gamecocks have had in some time. If he can avoid off-field issues and not upset Steve Spurrier, he will have every opportunity to succeed at QB, seeing as the Gamecocks lost almost every major skill position player.

On the defensive side, the gamecocks were superb, as they had the league's 4th best overall defense (scroll down), 4th against the pass and 7th against the rush. As in the NC State game, the Gamecock defense repeatedly stopped their opponents, forcing turnovers and punts. The unit was visibly frustrated at times (see Florida) and sometimes lost their composure when the offense self destructed. They were hit hard by graduation, and rank 102nd in percentage of tackles returning. The Gamecocks lose 5 seniors in total, including NFL draft picks LB Jasper Brinkley and CB Captain Munnerlyn.

Their secondary will feature three underclassmen starters and Brinkley could be very difficult to replace, as there aren't many athletic 270lb linebackers available.

Last year the Gamecocks were favored by 10 and covered by a healthy margin in the end. This year, look for the Wolfpack to be the favorites by 3-7 points. Interesting Note: Carolina could be an underdog in as many as 8 of their 12 regular season games! That is a brutal schedule on par with those of Florida State, Miami, and Oklahoma.

If Carolina can find a running game and limit their turnovers, they can win this game. If no solution can be found for the ground attack, however, this one could get ugly quickly as the Wolfpack's defensive personnel are heavily skewed to playing the pass.

Tales from the SunnySide: Kenny McKinley

Emmett Smith — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:30:12 -0000

via media.collegepublisher.com

Born in Mableton, Georgia on January 31, 1987, Kenny McKinley was a sought-after quarterback at South Cobb High School. Kenny earned All-County honors as a junior and senior. As a junior in 2003, he racked up 1,575 yards and 12 scores passing and rushed for 400 yards and eight touchdowns more. McKinley threw for 1,470 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 750 yards and 12 more TDs during his senior year, and was ranked as the 57th-best athlete in the country by Rivals.com. You can catch four recruiting videos of Kenny from high school at Mableton here:

Prior to the draft, NFLDraftDog.com commented,

South Carolina's Kenny McKinley (6' 0" 189 lbs) doesn't get much respect and I don't know why. He has gotten it done on the football field for years. He has been a four year starter with 2,781 career yards and 19 touchdowns. Now he goes to the combine and has a very solid performance. He ran a nice 4.44 forty and had the 2^nd best 20 yard shuttle time of 4.10 seconds.

Kenny McKinley joined Steve Spurrier's South Carolina squad after a productive high school career as a quarterback who could both throw and run with the ball. The young Georgian made a quick transition to a new position (wide receiver), starting six games. McKinley moved again in his sophomore year (to flanker) and quickly became an impact player for the Gamecocks; he started all 13 games for the Gamecocks that sophomore year, beginning his string of 33 consecutive starts.

This is a very tough young man - mentally tough. In 2007, Despite playing with turf toe most of the year (would undergo surgery after the season for arthritis in that toe), the second-team All-Southeastern selection moved to split end. He led the league and set the school single-season record with 77 receptions. His 968 receiving yards were good for fourth on the school-record chart and his nine touchdowns placed him sixth.

When McKinley eventually missed 3 games his senior year with a hamstring pull, the Gamecocks offense quickly sputtered. His return marked an immediate resurgence of their offensive capacity. McKinley placed his name in the SEC record books; his 207 receptions placed him third in conference history, while his 2,781 receiving yards placed him 12th all-time. How much did Coach Steve Spurrier appreciate his production? There's a group of five retired numbers above South Carolina's weight room now, picturing a framed jersey and a large picture of each honoree. Kenny McKinley's number (11) was included following a ceremony at the Gamecocks' spring game on April 11, 2009. Kenny broke Sterling Sharpe's school records for receptions and receiving yards and caught a pass in each of his last 43 games. During his four years in college, McKinley epitomized production.

Ironically, on the night that McKinley broke one of Sharpe's records (it was his 35th consecutive game with a reception, a streak he would run to 46 games), he was sidelined with the hamstring injury that would dog him the rest of his senior season. That year (2008), he racked up 54 receptions for 642 yards, 11.8 yards per catch and 4 touchdowns in 10 games. Although that was a step down from his highly-productive junior campaign, you had to understand that McKinley was the central - almost the only - weapon on that Gamecock team. Now healthy, it's going to be up to McKinley to stay that way. Kenny had a very good Combine; with a 4.44 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical leap, a broad jump of 113 inches and a 20-yard shuttle of 4.1 seconds, he moved up on a lot of draft charts. However, McKinley was fated to come out in a draft class that was very deep in receivers, and that would eventually drop him back down.

The knock against McKinley is simple - he's considered to be too slender. He experienced injury issues during his senior year in college, including his chronic hamstring and the aforementioned arthritic big toe. However, prior to those two injuries, his health was excellent, which also plays into how he will do in production over his career. Even with those problems, his production was excellent. Kenny McKinley plays through pain.

If he's just another receiver that is too slight for the NFL, what was it that drew McDaniels and Company's interest? Consider the predraft report from Scott Wright over at draftcountdown.com:

Strengths: Adequate height...Great leaper...Very good hands...Nice ball skills and body control...Elusive with terrific vision and instincts...Very quick and agile with a burst...Runs good routes and knows how to get open...Tough and will work the middle...Can do some damage after the catch...Smart with good awareness...Could also contribute as a return man...Great production...A lot of experience against elite competition.

Like Eddie Royal, another pick that invites comparisons, Kenny McKinley is a very polished route-runner. Highly athletic and incredibly productive, he inspired Steve Spurrier to declare that McKinley was the best receiver he'd ever coached. Given Spurrier's rather storied history, that's a heck of a compliment.

Pre-draft scouting had him going anywhere from that late 2nd round to the middle of the 5th, so it was no reach at all (IMHO) to take him with the 5th pick of the 5th round. Josh McDaniels and team moved up 8 slots to take the receiver they had their eyes on. Despite complaints by some that they were 'reaching' on this pick, other receiving options the Broncos liked had already been drafted and there were rumors that other teams wanted his production and skills. The Broncos chose to move up and take the man they wanted on their team.

After the draft, casual fans unfamiliar with him were left surprised, even shocked at the choice. But those who had watched Kenny's career took a different perspective. cbssports.com had this to say:

04/28/2009 -

COULD SURPRISE: Kenny McKinley produced in college at South Carolina. His 207 receptions are third on the SEC's career list. He fell in the draft because of various injury concerns, but he has some ability and is coming to a great offensive system for a receiver under coach Josh McDaniels. He doesn't have pressure to perform right away because Denver has good depth at receiver, but he could end up being a steal for Denver.

Denver's depth at receiver is one concussion away from needing a new slot receiver. Since many studies show that each succeeding concussion is more easily induced, Brandon Stokley's time with the Broncos could be brief. Given the magic that Stokes has wrought over the years, a best-case scenario would have Stokley lasting for another two or so years while mentoring and training McKinley as the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

I always appreciate a more in-depth look at a player, and this time nfldraftscout.com managed to provide one for McKinley. Consider these attributes:

Athletic Ability: McKinley is a fluid open-field runner with natural quickness and outstanding foot speed, but needs to add much better upper-body strength to defeat the jam. He has very good timed speed, but is not really a vertical threat, as he drifts a lot in deep patterns and can be caught from behind. He shows good agility and balance, with the acceleration, burst, flexibility and body control to gain positive yardage after the catch when he is able to avoid tacklers (does not have the power to drive through a defender). GRADE: 6.0

Football Sense: McKinley is a former prep quarterback who never played receiver before arriving at South Carolina, but came in and started as a freshman, showing very good maturity, both on and off the field. He shows the ability to quickly learn football, doing a good job of digesting the playbook. GRADE: 6.6

Character: McKinley has been a program player at South Carolina, with no off-field trouble. He is well-respected by the staff, so much so that they honored him during the 2009 spring camp and will retire his jersey when conference rules allow it in five years. GRADE: 6.5

Character, football intelligence, athletic ability and versatility are all keys to the McDaniels Way. But how does he approach and play the game?

Acceleration: The one thing you see consistently is that McKinley has the speed to get on top of his routes. He shows adequate ability to adjust to the ball in flight and adequate ability to move and uncover. He has an outstanding deep burst, but marginal ability to adjust to the ball and track over his shoulder. GRADE: 6.3

Quickness: One of his greatest assets. McKinley might be a one-speed runner and needs to gear down, as he tends to out-run the ball. He comes off the snap naturally and has outstanding movement off the ball, but it is negated at times when he fails to bring his arms up to defeat the jam. When he gets a clean release, he shows explosive burst and acceleration. GRADE: 6.6

Separation Ability: McKinley is a polished route runner who knows how to sell and con the defender by varying his speed and executing good head-and-shoulder fakes. He does a pretty good job of getting leverage coming out of his breaks and takes nice, short, pitter-patter steps to force the defender to commit coming out of the backpedal too early. He needs to develop more strength to prevent the defender from aggressively rerouting him. If he is left in isolated coverage, he can use his speed and burst to accelerate and get open. He's very quick in and out of his breaks, but lacks proper hand usage. GRADE: 6.6

Ball Concentration: McKinley needs to do a better job of looking the ball in on deep routes, but is a secure pass catcher on short-to-intermediate routes. He is intelligent and has improved making adjustments. He will go up and compete for jump balls, but is not the strongest receiver you will find. GRADE: 6.0

Ball Adjustment: McKinley can make the tough catch in traffic, but lacks overall finesse when trying to separate on the deep ball. He has the body control and agility to change direction, but does not have the power to break arm tackles. He has a good burst, but doesn't use his second gear much, leading him to get caught from behind. GRADE: 6.1

Leaping Ability: McKinley has the leaping ability to take the ball away. He must learn to time his leaps and bring the ball in at its highest point. GRADE: 5.5Hands: McKinley's hands are good, but he will drop a few easy tosses (looks to run upfield before securing the ball). He shows decent courage going over the middle, but must concentrate to look the ball in. He has soft, natural hands but has to shield the ball better from defenders. He does a good job catching outside his frame and has the loose hips to torque his body to get to off-target throws and passes behind him. GRADE: 6.5

Run After the Catch: McKinley has the speed to go the distance if he gets his hands on the ball, but lacks the leg drive to break arm tackles. He can out-run any defender on the field, but looks tentative in attempts to fight for extra yardage. He shows good vision on underneath routes, but lacks a consistent second gear to elude after the catch. GRADE: 5.3

Blocking Ability: McKinley is a willing blocker but needs to add strength. He will position and pester, but shows marginal intent on contact (finesse-type). For the most part, he will get in the way, but is easily defeated by a physical defender. GRADE: 4.5

There is more - not all of it positive, and I'd recommend that you read all of it. It's a very good analysis. Like all players, Kenny McKinley has strengths and weaknesses. Overall, as a 5th-round pick I have come to believe that he represented a very good value. Since it's a given that the Broncos need to look carefully at the slot position with an eye to eventually replacing Brandon Stokley, Kenny McKinley may be one of the better value picks of the draft.

To achieve an understanding of McKinley as a person and as a player, these two YouTubes are a must-see: Kenny McKinley Part I

Returning for his senior year, he said, "I've got some goals I want to set": Kenny McKinley Part 2

I'll close with these quotes from nflmocks.com

"I watched Kenny McKinley and South Carolina beat North Carolina State on the first night of college football's very young season and saw a bright future for Gamecocks wide receiver.

It's not the first time I've seen him play, but it's the first time I've ever thought he had a NFL future as I watched him play. The box score lies about his impact on the game. He had six catches for 35 yards and did it during the worst played game by quarterbacks I've ever watched.

I expect him to go between rounds three and five unless he does something impressive before then. If I were a team in need of a possession receiver I'd take him in a heartbeat. I really think he can make it in the league."

McKinley will always be slender., but his record will be seen in SEC conference history for a long, long time. I can't wait to see what he can do in the NFL. Bring on Training Camp!

Poll

What player would you most like to see in an upcoming Tales?

Tom Brandstater

295 votes

Darcel McBath

207 votes

David Bruton

40 votes

D.J. Johnson

21 votes

Marquez Branson

10 votes

Nate Swift

59 votes

Richard Quinn

88 votes

Braxton Kelley

3 votes

Other

16 votes

739 votes | Poll has closed

Tuesday News and Notes

Gamecock Man — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:43:00 -0000

NFL Draft

New York Jets Sign Emanuel Cook; San Fransisco 49ers Sign Carlos Thomas. They all went in the seventh round or as undrafted free agents, but that makes four USC defensive backs that are headed to the NFL. Not too shabby, huh? Good luck to all of them, even E Cook. By the way, I got together with the SB Nation 49ers site to give their guys the scoop on Thomas.

Kenny KcKinley to Lineup under Center for Denver? Apparently there's something to this, as McKinley claims that Denver expressed interest in his QB abilities. I say great; in fact, I wish Spurrier had tried this a little more often. I'm sure we all remember that TD bomb he delivered to Syvelle Newton late in a game against Kentucky a few years back on a wild end-around that turned out to be a passing play. I guess Spurrier felt like it would be a big sacrifice to take him away from his receiving duties.

Mr. Irrelevant Week. Apparently Ryan Succop has quite a time ahead of him.

Basketball

Lunardi 2010 Bracketology. Never too early, I guess. Lunardi has us as the fourth-to-last in. I'm assuming he believes Devan Downey will be back. Let's hope he's right.

Other Gamecocks News

Mark Silvers Wins SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Silvers sports a 3.9 GPA and apparently is a great golfer to boot. Congrats to Silvers for representing the University so well.

Gamecocks in the NFL Draft: The Winners and the Losers

Gamecock Man — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:41:44 -0000

South Carolina had a quite a day in this year's draft with a total of seven players hearing their names called. Here are my thoughts about who today's big winners--and by that I mean guys that have reason to be happy about how things went down today--and losers--and by that I mean the guys that must be disappointed.

The Winners

Jasper Brinkley - Fifth Round to Minnesota

Before his knee injury in 2007, Brinkley was considered one of the country's top prospects at ILB, so it has to be kind of disappointing to Jasper to see his stock fall due to injury. However, he has to be feeling good about his successful rehabilitation. Plus, he's joining his old buddy Sidney Rice on the roster of a solid NFL franchise. Not too shabby.

Kenny McKinley - Fifth Round to Denver

While McKinley didn't go in the high rounds and walks into an uncertain situation in Denver, I can't help but think that this is a guy that has really overachieved to get drafted at all. He lacks the kind of size that NFL teams want in WRs these days, but his quickness, hands, and football smarts will help him. I'm not sure if he'll ever be a primary receiver, but he has a good future ahead of him as a slot receiver.

Stoney Woodson - Seventh Round to New York Giants

Most folks were unsure on whether Woodson would hear his name called, so he's gotta be happy that New York--one of the league's most successful franchises--chose him. He'll have to fight an uphill battle to make the roster, but NFL scouts apparently see more potential in him than his defensive-backfield buddy Emanuel Cook (see below). Good for him.

Ryan Succop - Seventh Round to Kansas City

Succop is this year's Mr. Irrelevant as the the very last selection of the draft, but for a guy that plays his position, that's good news. If I'm not mistaken, he was one of only two placekickers selected, which is quite an accomplishment. Although he needs to get his head screwed on a little straighter, I've always thought Succop--who has range that is well above average, even for an NFL kicker--could make it in the NFL. Kansas City's choice to use a pick on him suggests that NFL scouts see his potential.

The Losers

Jared Cook - Third Round to Tennessee

Cook was, unsurprisingly, the first Gamecock off the board, so I hesitate to call him a draft-day loser. He did, though, fall further than I thought he would. I thought Cook's unique combination of size, speed, hands, and route-running ability would make him a second-round selection. I probably underestimated, though, the extent to which NFL scouts would at his questionable blocking ability, lack of true TE size, and Spurrier's tendency to line him up wide. The NFL puts a (sometimes unreasonable, I would say) premium on guys that fit the mold of what they think a player at a certain position should look like, and, despite his obviously valuable abilities, Cook just isn't exactly what teams want in a TE. This all makes me wonder if he could have improved his stock by staying another year, putting on some weight, and working on his blocking abilities. You would have to think that if he did those things effectively, he might have a chance to cash in on a first-round paycheck next year. Still, I think Cook made an acceptable decision. He'll sign a nice contract and shouldn't have much trouble getting his hands on a roster spot. Cook didn't do as well as we had hoped today, but he did OK. He also gets the luxury of joining a pretty good team. Could be worse, right? He could have been drafted by the Lions.

Jamon Meredith - Fifth Round to Green Bay

I expected Meredith to go on the first day or early in the third round, but questions about his run blocking abilities apparently made scouts pretty uneasy. Jamon is a good kid and his athletic ability makes him a valuable prospect, but at the end of the day falling as far as he did can't sit well with him.

Captain Munnerlyn - Seventh Round to Carolina

After choosing for an early entry, Munnerlyn saw his stock--which was already questionable after a sub-par 2008 season--fall like a rock as teams expressed concern over his lack of elite size and his possible character issues. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think Munnerlyn made a grave mistake by leaving early. He didn't have the kind of year in 2008 that's made to impress NFL scouts, and if he had come back, worked hard, and had a good 2009, he could have gone much higher in next year's draft. His chioice not to is going to cost him a lot of money. Plus, as a seventh-round selection, his status with Carolina is hardly secure. He'll really have to fight just to make the roster. I wish him luck and thank him for the good things he at times did here, but I really wish he would have made a smarter decision on this. At least he'll get to be close to home if he makes the Panthers' roster.

Emanuel Cook - Undrafted

What do you call declaring early entry and not getting drafted at all? A boneheaded decision of epic proportions. Cook's stock plummeted during the week's leading up to the draft as questions about his athletic ability in the wake of poor workouts supplemented the existing concerns about his character and maturity. I still think Cook may have a place in the league--his success as a college player and physical style indicate that he has what it takes to do well in the NFL--but he's going to have to work for it harder than he decided to work on his classes late last fall. I wish Cook luck and hope he gets a spot as a free agent but can't say that I feel all that sorry for him.

Mike Davis - Undrafted

Not many folks expected Mike to hear his name called, so I hesitate to call him a loser, but in the end, he didn't hear his name called. Like Cook, I hope he gets his shot as a free agent. Mike doesn't have the kind of speed most teams would like, but he's a hard, tough runner, can catch the ball, and blocks well. Some teams could certainly use a guy like that.

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.