SB Nation - Chris Smelley

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.

Rating the QB Class

Gamecock Man — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:54:12 -0000

Going into the heart of recruiting season, QB was not a position of need for the Gamecocks. After all, we had two QBs--Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley--that had been highly recruited out of high school, that had significant playing experience, and had three and two years of eligibility remaining, respectively. Although neither had distinguished himself over 2008, both seemed to have potential and, with a new offensive coaching staff, there was hope that one might stand out in spring training and lead us to glory next fall. The plan was for the two to battle it out for the starting job in 2009, with the loser taking the role of capable, experienced backup. When you throw young gunslingers Aramis Hillary and Reid McCollum into the mix, there was no need to sign a new QB this year.

However, we had to scrap that plan when Chris Smelley decided to transfer to Alabama to play baseball. All of the sudden, we only had three scholarship quarterbacks, and only Garcia had playing experience. We needed another signal caller on the roster, both because we need depth in case of injury and because, despite his talent, Garcia has yet to prove himself to be the kind of quarterback that can lead a great offense and, therefore, we need options in case Garcia doesn't produce.

Unfortunately, by the time we knew that we needed a quarterback, there were no legitimate blue-chip tagets left on the board. There was, however, one Andrew Clifford, a three-star QB out of Tampa. Clifford was not recruited by any big-name schools. However, Spurrier has spoken highly of Clifford, saying that he possesses a strong arm, good accuracy, and good decision-making skills. Spurrier, though, has openly admitted that in saying that, he means in comparison to the other players left on the board. Clifford looks like a solid player, but no one is comparing him to Matt Barkley.

It's certainly worth mentioning that many teams have gotten better production out of their two- and three-star QBs than we have out of Blake Mitchell, Smelley, and Garcia, all four-star guys. If Clifford gets on campus, learns the offense, and turns out to have a good head on his shoulder if and when he gets into a game, I'm sure he has all the tools to be decent if we put the right parts around him. That said, four- and five-star QBs turn out to be the stars more often than not, and, at this point, we should probably consider Clifford a project. That's why I'm giving this pickup a C+. I would like to give our staff a higher grade considering that they didn't have a lot of options when Smelley transferred, but the facts are that we need more talent at QB and we didn't get it. That said, I'm glad we got someone and would like to welcome Andrew to Columbia. May you have a good career as a Gamecock.

Poll

Rate the QB class.

A

0 votes

B

5 votes

C

4 votes

D

3 votes

F

4 votes

16 votes | Poll has closed

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

SEC Power Poll, Final Regular Season Results

cocknfire — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:29:01 -0000

1. Florida, 197 points (10 first-place votes)

2. Alabama, 194 (7)

3. Mississippi, 167

4. Georgia, 154

5. South Carolina, 125

6. LSU, 118.5

7. Vanderbilt, 93

8. Tennessee, 79

9. Arkansas, 70

10. Kentucky, 67.5

11. Auburn, 42

12. Mississippi State, 19

First of all, congratulations to Mississippi State, which has clinced the "Worst of the Best" Cup barring a truly awful bowl game by someone ahead of them. But some of our pollsters think that the "Best" part of that might be, eh, a bit overrated ...

So I won't be the first person to make this joke (and it's unlikely I'll be the last), but all of a sudden the notion of an SEC "Power" Poll seems a bit like a misnomer. The JCCW's nominees for the new name of the poll are as follows:

--SEC Widespread Ineffectiveness Poll
--SEC "Old Man Strength" Poll
--SEC FAIL Poll
--SEC Diet Power Poll (tastes like regular Power, but with half the win!)
--SEC Bedridden Atrophy Poll
--ACC Power Poll

--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

Somehow, it just doesn't work.

Let's be honest, now. This year, "S.E.C. Power Poll" is a bit of a misnomer. "S.E.C. Weakness Poll" would be more like it, complete with a countdown from worst to first, from "weakest" to "least weak team of the week."--Dawg Sports

Oh well. In any case, just three points separate Florida from Alabama -- thought that will likely change as soon as one of them wins Saturday. We'll have to wait until after the bowls to see. Mississippi moves to No. 3, dethroning Georgia, which ends up at No. 4 after getting defeated by Georgia Tech.

A strong finish puts Tennessee up to No. 8, and Arkansas goes to No. 9 (from last place just last week) after defeating LSU. This puts Kentucky at No. 10. Too bad Norfolk State isn't in the power poll. And Auburn officials were so outraged at the Tigers' No. 11 finish that they fired "resigned" the coach.

Maybe the poll has some power after all.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Per the suggestion of Red Solo Cup, the inaugural SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team is coming soon. Stay tuned.)

Voters, explain this. But, first, jump.

FLORIDA

The fact that the Gators are favored by nearly double digits at a neutral site against the consensus #1 team in the country should tell you just how dangerous the rest of the country thinks they are.--Hey Jenny Slater

If (when?) Florida wins the BCS title, would the rest of the country give up its "the SEC isn't as good as everyone thinks" crusade?--Red Solo Cup

That offense looks like a hundred flying powersaw blades ripping through all who dare oppose it. Mickey Andrews, mud, rain, and the Doak combined couldn't hold them to less than 40 points.--Georgia Sports Blog

Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings, and, every time a prominent Gator coach or player mists up in public, the Orange and Blue cut a swath of destruction through all in their path. If word gets out of Gainesville that Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow plan to spend Friday night watching the Lifetime Network with a box of Kleenex and a Sara Lee pound cake sitting on the table between them, you'll know a truly epic thumping is coming in the Georgia Dome.--Dawg Sports

ALABAMA

Given everything I've seen, the Tide can actually play the "no respect" card with justification. They're the only undefeated BCS conference team, yet few expect them to win Saturday.--Year 2

Does the Tide back seven get jealous of all the attention Mount Cody's been getting this season? When you're third in the country in opponent's yards-per-pass you must be doing something right.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

This is still the top team in the SEC until Florida beats them this Saturday.--UK Wildcat Country

Up 29-0, Saban makes his punter cry tears of blood after a shank (even that description is mild compared to the verbal assault that kid took). After seeing that, I turned off my TV because I've heard that sustained exposure to that type of intensity causes bowel discomfort. I cannot wait to see Saban scheme against Urb.--Georgia Sports Blog

MISSISSIPPI

In my opinion The Reverend Houston Nutt is the SEC Coach of the Year -- he did more with less than anyone in the conference. I have a feeling the Rebels will be singing Hotty Toddy a lot now.--Gate 21

Ole Miss right now would beat Georgia. Ole Miss right now would also beat Ole Miss from 2 months ago by 30.--Red Solo Cup

The Rebels have outscored their opponents 152-20 over the last 4 weeks are playing the best football in the conference behind the Gators and Tide. Should (but won't) get the Capital One bid.--The Dead Guy

We have to say it: props to Houston Nutt for the job he did with this bunch. They were clearly the SEC's 3rd best team by season's end.--Razorback Expats

GEORGIA

I wonder if Mark Richt has dreams of the SEC without Florida?--Leftover Hot Dog

You knew the awful tackling was gonna lose a game eventually, and it did. Maybe this is team is just kind of like Auburn '04, the squad that has its dream season a year after everyone predicted.--Hey Jenny Slater

Georgia Tech completed one, yes, ONE pass on Saturday.--Red Solo Cup

Mark Richt is the new Fulmer. Athens: Where blue chippers go to fail.--Loser With Socks

SOUTH CAROLINA

Dude, Chris Smelley must be some sort of unholy fusion of John Elway, Joe Montana, and Green Lantern in practice or something, 'cause otherwise ... why is Spurrier still running him out there?--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

Spurrier aged 5 years the last 2 games thanks to Smelley.--Leftover Hot Dog

Someone should have asked Chris Smelley to, I don't know, maybe stop throwing the ball to Clemson at some point. Who does he think he is? Jarret Lee?--The Dead Guy

I think some school consolidation is in order in the Palmetto State. As distasteful as it might be to both fan bases, think of the advantages of combining Clemson and South Carolina into a single school. That way, the university could field the Gamecocks from Labor Day weekend through mid-October, then field the Tigers from mid-October through Thanksgiving. The team would never go worse than 10-2!--Dawg Sports

LSU

Sorry, Miles defenders: no one in the SEC has done less with as much top-to-bottom talent this season.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

Les showing true colors now that he is running out of Saban players. Can we say "Hot Seat 2009"?--Leftover Hot Dog

In the 1st quarter, they let Nathan Dick -- yes, Nathan -- look like Kurt Warner circa 1999; in the 4th quarter, they let Casey do the honors. Is that any way for a defending national champ to behave?--Hey Jenny Slater

How does that work, exactly? If you lose your starting quarterback, you start giving up 30+ points per game to every opponent with a pulse? I guess, if your new starting quarterback was designed in a Cal Tech laboratory to be a perpetual-motion pick-six machine, it could cause some scores to get out of hand.--Dawg Sports

VANDERBILT

I'll use big words since it's for Vandy. The offensive ineptitude once masked by an opportunistic defense is now manifesting itself on weekly basis.--The Dead Guy

Who cares what they did last week. They are going to a bowl game for the first time since Reconstruction.--A Sea of Blue

'Dores limp to the finish line with the assistance of paramedics. Unless their bowl opponent makes a lot of mistakes, expect Vandy's first bowl in forever to result in a typical Vandy outcome: a respectable loss.--Georgia Sports Blog

A quarter-century of tireless effort has allowed the Commodores to break through the glass ceiling and achieve the genuine mediocrity of which every Vandy fan has dreamt for as long as he can remember.--Dawg Sports

TENNESSEE

Like Arkansas, they'd be bowl eligible now if they could have taken care of an inferior opponent a few weeks ago.--Garnet and Black Attack

If they had just scheduled Middle Tennessee instead of UCLA out of conference, they're probably sending Fulmer out with a bowl. That, or if they had beat Wyoming. One or the other.--Year 2

Soundly defeated Kentucky and Vanderbilt in their final two games, which is about a thousand times better collectively than what anyone else in the bottom half of the SEC accomplished in those games.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

If they had only played for Fulmer in the same fashion of the last two games, he probably wouldn't be fired. Still, I heard a Tennessee sports show suggest Kiffin win 10 games in his second year. Wow.--UK Wildcat Country

ARKANSAS

That loss to Mississippi State must be stinging right now. This team will be better next year.--Garnet and Black Attack

Arkansas fans dislike Houston Nutt because he "loses games he should win and wins games he should lose." A good example of this is losing to MS State one week then beating LSU the next.--Red Solo Cup

Aside from Ole Miss, no team improved more offensively from the beginning of the season to the end. The defense is another story.--The Dead Guy

The win over L.S.U. was huge. Good for the Razorback players for sending Bobby Petrino out a winner in his last game before bolting for whichever job he's taking later this month.--Dawg Sports

KENTUCKY

The losing streak to the Vols lives on. It'll probably never end now.--Garnet and Black Attack

Kind of fell apart under the weight of some critical late-season injuries, but Rich Brooks still managed to put together a way more respectable season than anyone predicted.--Hey Jenny Slater

What can I say? No offense and the defense fell apart. This team doesn't deserve a bowl, even the Liberty. And I write a UK blog.--UK Wildcat Country

Pure suckage against Tennessee. This team is one huge injury, and the Vols banged us up some more for good measure.--A Sea of Blue

AUBURN

When your punter has the best day on the team and that day includes a 21-yard shank that helps set up the opponent's opening touchdown drive, it's been a truly terrible, terrible day.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

The Tide made it look easy in the Iron Bowl. The reason for this is because it was easy. Just like the Vols, I am pretty sure the Tigers never anticipated a 5-7 record. So what happens next year?--Gate 21

What a difference a year makes for Tubby.--Razorback Expats

MISSISSIPPI STATE

The loss to Ole Miss showed how much progress was made in Oxford during Orgeron's losing years and how little was made during Croom's losing years.--Year 2

If ever there was a cause for a Crooming, it's losing 45-0 in the Egg Bowl. But if Croom did it to himself, is it still a Crooming? Can there be such a thing as getting auto-Croomed?--Hey Jenny Slater

Croom doomed after loss at La Tech in opening week.--Pelican State Sports

Croom is gone. Now another coach can have his name turned into a verb at MSU.--A Sea of Blue

QB Controversy Part 4: Knock 'Em Dead, Smelley!

Gamecock Man — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:44:59 -0000

This is the final installment of a series on our QB controversy. This time around, at the risk of angering most of Gamecock Nation, Gamecock Man tells the Garcia Evangelicals to put a lid on it and support Chris Smelley.

Let me preface this by saying that I believe Stephen Garcia is our QB of the future. With a dazzling array of physical skills, Garcia has a higher ceiling than Smelley. If he spends his time in the film room and away from Five Points over the off-season, he could become a great QB, perhaps one of the best ever to don a Gamecocks uniform.

That said, based on what we've seen over the past few weeks, Spurrier is right when he says that Garcia is not ready. Chris Smelley, on the other hand and despite his shortcomings, has played with a certain degree of poise over the past few weeks. He may not have Garcia's physical tools, but he more than makes up for that with his mental edge on the freshman.

Is Smelley perfect? No. Does he throw too many interceptions? Yes. Is he less accurate and mobile than Garcia? Yes.

However, other than one or two drives against Tennessee, Garcia has done very little since the second quarter against LSU. For those of you who think Garcia is such a great player, tell me: has Garcia really done anything special other than in the fourth quarter against Kentucky and the second quarter against LSU? And no, UAB does not count. His lack of understanding of Spurrier's offense has been very obvious. Moreover, and contrary to popular belief, he's been sacked quite a few times; his mobility hasn't helped us all that much.

Smelley, on the other hand, has had a handful of periods of good play. He was great against NC State. He threw some bad passes against Vandy, but generally moved the ball fairly well in that game. He was good against UGA. He was a monster against Ole Miss. And since he's begun sharing snaps with Garcia over the past two weeks, he has clearly outperformed his young teammate.

This isn't to say that I'm sure I'm right about this. There are lots of good reasons to go with Garcia. This also isn't to say that I don't want Spurrier to keep Smelley on a short lease against Clemson. Spurrier's decision to pull Chris against Kentucky was a wise one, and if Smelley comes out and struggles against the Tigers, I hope SOS pulls him again. However, Smelley is the right choice to start this game and lead us to a second straight victory in Death Valley.

Poll

Who should start against the Tigers?

Smelley

32 votes

Garcia

21 votes

53 votes | Poll has closed

Theorems and Stratagems of the Game, Week 11: Under Center

cocknfire — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:58:01 -0000

Few would argue that there has been a better college quarterback coach -- or a more skilled master of quarterback psychology -- over the last two decades than Steve Spurrier.

And yet, his latest QB strategy at South Carolina boggles the mind. If a two-quarterback system really means you don't have one quarterback, what to make of the complicated manuevering that Spurrier is trying now?

Coach Steve Spurrier indicated during his Tuesday news conference that Chris Smelley and Stephen Garcia again will alternate plays against Florida after the strategy produced a 34-21 victory against Arkansas on Saturday.

"There’s a chance we may do that," Spurrier said. "We’re going to try and play them both, some way or another. There may be a spot where they stay in there two or three plays in a row, just have to look and see."

There is precedent for Spurrier rotating quarterbacks in Gainesville. He did it several times in the late 1990s while coaching Florida, including the 1997 home victory against Florida State.

Yes, Spurrier had some success alternating quarterbacks at Florida. But did the constant change at quarterback Saturday really "produce a 34-21 victory against Arkansas"?

vs Arkansas / 11.8.08	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Stephen Garcia	4	11	36.4	71	1	5	35	7.0	1

vs Arkansas / 11.8.08	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Chris Smelley	9	19	47.4	148	1	4	-2	-0.5	0

That's 13-of-30 (43.3 percent completion rate) for 219 yards, two TDs (and an interception), for those of you playing along at home. This is success?

At least Spurrier doesn't necessarily see things staying like this.

Spurrier hopes to eventually settle on one quarterback. This situation is a result of having two who "deserve to play, and really neither have separated themselves."
"We don’t want to do that forever," Spurrier said.

That's comforting, since after Saturday's showdown with the Gators, South Carolina can enjoy having a full-time starting quarterback for ... one regular-season game. Better late than never, I suppose.

Of course, you can leave a quarterback in for too long. Which is exactly what fan bases at Tennessee and Penn State saw in Saturday's defeats, one that knocked the Nittany Lions from the ranks of the unbeaten and one that knocked the Volunteers from the ranks of teams with their dignity left intact.

3SIB uses four words that should never be used in relation to a loss, or any game really: "Crompton finished the game."

Crompton finished the game — and by "finished the game," yes, I mean the coaches actually MADE THE DECISION TO PLAY JONATHAN CROMPTON FOR THE FINAL THREE QUARTERS OF A GAME WE LOST AGAINST WYOMING — 11-of-27 for 95 yards and a tower of female organs. ...
This quarterbacking decision alone is reason enough to fire Fulmer, not to mention the other 1,000 wrong choices he’s made this season to help make our proud program a laughingstock.

Not sure what that last stat for Crompton actually is -- or if it's a good or a bad thing.

One hopes it's more enjoyable than this.

But suffice it to say, Ghost of Neyland was not pleased with the signal-caller's performance.

SBN colleague Black Shoe Diaries, meanwhile, wanted to see Daryll Clark pulled near the end of the game against Iowa -- a 24-23 upset that smashed Penn State's national title dreams. A strategy for the first drive that made sense would have helped, too.

I'm sure they were on the field before the game started, so they must have known they were starting out heading into a 34 degree 25 mph wind. So why do we come out trying to throw the ball on the first three plays? It was a colossal failure to observe the conditions and adapt.

Please -- this is the Spread HD. Nothing can stop JayPa -- not even nature itself. The Iowa Hawkeyes, on the other hand ...

SEC Power Poll, Week 11: Low Turnout, But Change Carries the Day

cocknfire — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:52:07 -0000

1. Florida, 162 points (8 first-place votes)

2. Alabama, 160 (6)

3. Georgia, 134

4. LSU, 127

5. South Carolina, 113

6. Mississippi, 96

7. Kentucky, 86.5

8. Vanderbilt, 70.5

9. Arkansas, 52

10. Auburn, 46

11. Mississippi State, 27

12. Tennessee, 18

Sorry for the low turnout, but we had one slow week last year as well. Looks like this week will be it this season.

It might have made a difference. Florida, which actually split too first-place votes with Alabama, edged the Tide by two points for first. The only other change was Tennessee wresting control of the race for the "Worst of the Best" Cup with a convincing loss to Wyoming. I can assure you: When the SEC Power Poll started last year, none of us imagined Wyoming would ever alter the standings.

Voters explain more after the jump.

FLORIDA

Faster than a greyhound on crack, meaner than an insecure pit bull.--Pelican State Sports

I'm worried about their focus. It's like they're satisfied just to win by four TDs now.--Save the Shield

Tim Tebow's teary-eyed promise following the loss to Ole Miss was not just posturing; no team in the league has played better football since the end of September than the Saurians.--Dawg Sports

ALABAMA

They won. You're not playing for style points in Baton Rouge.--Garnet and Black Attack

Like the Roseanne Barr of the SEC. Ugly, but successful.--Pelican State Sports

Another close win over Mississippi State as the Bammeroids keep their eye on chopping off Tubby's fingers. Fear the process, aight?--Loser With Socks

I'm starting to jump off the Bama bandwagon. Their entire reputation and #1 ranking was made in the first thirty minutes in Athens. Other than that, what have they done? Eke out wins over mediocre or bad teams. While the Gators may not have seen a defense like Bama's, Bama has certainly not seen an offense like Tebow and crew.--Georgia Sports Blog

GEORGIA

The Dawgs managed to pull one out against the Wildcats, but apparently forgot that they are allowed to play defense. Useful stuff that.--Gate 21

38-49-38. No, not Sir Mix-A-Lot's dream girl. They're the point totals the once vaunted UGA defense has been given up over the last 3 weeks. They should get back on track against hapless Auburn this weekend.--The Dead Guy

Last Saturday's victory in Lexington was more harrowing than it had to be, but an S.E.C. road win against a bowl-bound opponent is an S.E.C. road win against a bowl-bound opponent. This year's Bulldogs aren't on a par with the top two teams in the conference, but they are the best of the rest.--Dawg Sports

LSU

A gutsy performance by the Mighty Hats falls short once again due to a Jarrett Lee pick six. Apparently the "pick six" is the hottest lottery in La.--Orange and Blue Hue

Perhaps Jarrett Lee's receivers should wear the other teams' uniforms. The opposing DBs seem to be his favorite targets for TDs.--The Dead Guy

The Bayou Bengals showed heart and character in making a game of it in an emotional showdown with the Crimson Tide. It is a point in L.S.U.'s favor that the home team might have won had its quarterback thrown only three interceptions. It is a point against the Fighting Tigers that their best option under center is a guy who throws four picks at home in the biggest rivalry game of the year.--Dawg Sports

SOUTH CAROLINA

Smelley-Garcia, the second coming of Montana-Young. Or not.--Pelican State Sports

They keep charging along. All those obituaries for the OBC's career after Week 2 look a bit premature, don't they?--Save the Shield

The Cocks look like a lock for New Year's Day after another solid effort against the Hawgs. Spurrier has gotten Carolina in a position where they are winning the games they should and are competitive against the big boys. He's quietly having a splendid season.--Georgia Sports Blog

MISSISSIPPI

A win over ULM this weekend will earn them bowl eligibility and something to hold over Alabama's heads. It's like Christmas in November!--Hey Jenny Slater

The Rebels should punch their bowl ticket with a win over UL-Monroe. Add in a win in the Egg Bowl and whatever bowl they go to and it's an 8 win year. I think everyone in Oxford can live with that.--Year 2

The Rebels quietly are putting together a nice season in Oxford under Houston Nutt. The team has a winning record with a marquee victory (over Florida in Gainesville) and all's right with the world. That whole "beating Florida" thing? Y'all need to tell us how to do that. If you do, we'll tell you how to beat everybody else. So it's a win-win, really...--Dawg Sports

KENTUCKY

After two months of tripping over their own feet on offense but playing solid D, the Wildcats pulled a 180 and got into a shootout against UGA. Randall Cobb looks like the real deal at QB, though.--Hey Jenny Slater

What? Kentucky has another quarterback? Rich Brooks thinks that is BS.--Pelican State Sports

Kentucky just proved that a reputation for good defense is no substitute for ... you know ... ACTUAL defense.--A Sea of Blue

VANDERBILT

Up until now Vandy had been competitive in all its losses. Then again it hadn't played a team like Florida yet. Maybe they won't make a bowl after all. Try beating Duke and MSU next time.--Orange and Blue Hue

This Nickson fellow looks pretty useful. I wonder if he has any potential as starter?--Save the Shield

I can only imagine how fragile the psyche of this Vandy team is right now. They've gone from college football's best story to potentially orchestrating a choke job worthy of 2007 South Carolina.--The Dead Guy

ARKANSAS

Yet another effort killed by Casey Dick's interceptions.--Garnet and Black Attack

Arkansas is a better team now than it began the season but still has a long way to go. With Michael Smith injured against South Carolina a 6-6 season now looks all but impossible.--Orange and Blue Hue

Getting win No. 5 in Starkville this weekend should happen, but getting No. 6 against LSU is another story. Those close losses to Kentucky and Ole Miss are looming large.--Year 2

AUBURN

Still have yet to beat a D-IA opponent in the post-Tony Franklin era, and hopefully they'll wait until after this week to figure out how to do that.--Hey Jenny Slater

Good: offense put up 37. Bad: it was against Tennessee-Martin.--Pelican State Sports

Hey, a win is a win right? The Tigers snapped a 5-game skid. Now their bowl eligibility rests on knocking off either Georgia or Alabama. Good luck with that.--The Dead Guy

MISSISSIPPI STATE

The best they can hope for is that Alabama is so hungover from the LSU win that they end up in another 3-2 situation in Tuscaloosa this weekend.--Hey Jenny Slater

Mississippi State did not play this week, which is good considering the Tide is coming to town this week. Is there any magic in the bag of tricks -- such as disappearing from the game entirely.--Gate 21

After squealing like pigs all weekend in Tuscaloosa, the Bulldogs will join Tennessee and Auburn as the only SEC teams to have losing seasons wrapped up.--The Dead Guy

TENNESSEE

If the players are going to quit on this season, then there's no reason not to put them last. And if they didn't quit on the season and still lost to Wyoming, I'm not sure that's better.--Year 2

Oh dear Lord... Wyoming is not a very good team, but then again, neither is Tennessee. Can it get worse? NO!!! Don't answer that question.--Gate 21

Wyoming? Dude! Does this mean Phillip Fulmer is double secret fired?--Dawg Sports

Reviewing Arkansas / Why We Won

Gamecock Man — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:39:57 -0000

One of the imperatives in this game was to make the Hogs pay for last year, and we did that. The final margin was only two scores, but Arkansas made it look closer than it really was by scoring a late garbage TD and this game was never in doubt other than briefly in the third quarter after the Hogs closed the gap to 20-14. This was a solid, convincing victory.

That said, we looked far from perfect. While they got the job done, our offense was only inconsistently effective. A lot of the blame goes to Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley. On the surface, their combined 219 passing yards and 2 passing TDs along with the TD Garcia scored on the ground does not look too bad. However, neither was particularly accurate. Garcia supporters will remember the perfect fade Garcia threw to Kenny McKinley in the fourth quarter to more or less put the game our of reach for the Hogs, but Garcia was 4/11 with an interception and threw numerous shaky passes when he had receivers open. Smelley's numbers were a little better, but he is lucky to escape the game without an interception, also threw bad passes when he had open receivers (Smelley must be the only person on the planet who can overthrow 6'5 Jared Cook), and cost us a couple of touchdowns when did not see open receivers and threw it to guys in coverage.

Should we blame our quarterbacks' pedestrian performances on Spurrier's decision to alternate them almost every other play? Perhaps. I can only imagine that it is difficult for Chris or Stephen to find a rhythm when they know they are not going to stay in the game long. On the other hand, lots of Spurrier's ploys worked yesterday. We did have open receivers all over the field, which indicates that Spurrier beat Arkansas's defense from an Xs and Os standpoint. Part of that scheme success probably owes to the confusion the QB alternations caused Arkansas. If our quarterbacks could have made a few more of their throws, we might have scored 50 on these guys. So it may not have been such a bad idea to alternate Garcia and Smelley, even if it did not work as well as it might have. Part of the problem also owes to our receivers dropping ball. Jason Barnes looked like the next Sidney Rice a few weeks ago, but now he looks more like the Troy Williamson of Vikings fame. On a side note, I thought the wide-tackle formations were generally effective and can only wonder why we did not use this formation against LSU in the second half.

We also finally saw a solid performance out of our running game. Both Eric Baker and Mike Davis played well in the second half, particularly during our final TD drive. If I remember correctly, we did not throw the ball once during that possession. Who would have thought we could drive the length of the field on the legs of our tailbacks? I do not want to make too much of running success against an Arkansas team that has a terrible defense and was likely worn out at the end of the game, but seeing that we can run the ball to some degree was promising.

Our defense played well for most of the game, although Arkansas did mount
a couple of decent drives. Casey Dick passed the ball well against us other than his three interceptions. My general impression is that the only thing keeping our defense from being truly great is that we do not generate much of a pass rush when we do not blitz. Casey Dick (and his brother Nathan on the final drive) often had a lot of time to throw the ball, and I doubt that any defense is going to have much success against a Petrino-coach team without getting in the quarterback's face. Luckily, we took advantage of the inevitable bad throws Dick always tends to make. Jordin Lindsey's interception was a great play and helped us put the game away.

One thing to be happy about is our performance defending the run. Michael Smith came into this game as one of the country's most productive tailbacks, and we held him to 25 yards on seven carries. With Florida and Clemson coming up, we will need to continue to defend the run well.

Special teams play was so-so. We did well in the return game, but Chris Culliver's inability to keep his head at the end of the game will cost us his services in the first half against the Gators (Culliver's suspension will also be felt on defense). Captain Munnerlyn fumbled a punt, but luckily we got it back. One day we are going to lose one of those. Finally, Succop continues to perplex. He made a great 54 yard kick that might have been good from a couple more yards out, but missed a gimme chip shot later in the game. Succop's struggles have yet to cause us a game, but they might against better competition.

All in all, this was a good but not great performance. I am happy with the victory, especially considering that we likely wrapped up an Outback or Peach Bowl bid. However, neither Arkansas or Tennessee (who lost to Wyoming yesterday) are good teams, so we should not overestimate the value of beating them. I saw little to indicate that we have what it takes to hang with the Gators. Unless we get perfect play from our quarterbacks, we will not be able to score enough points to beat Florida. What we saw yesterday from Garcia and Smelley simply will not cut it. We will also need better play to beat Clemson. The Tigers are not a good team and have a very shaky defense, but they are better than Arkansas and will play their best game of the year when we come to town.

Reviewing Tennessee: Why We Won and Other Thoughts

Gamecock Man — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:53:26 -0000

It wasn't the prettiest or most exciting game of football ever played, but in the end we defeated the Vols by a historically large margin, so it's hard to complain too much. Hats go off to an incredible game by our defense and special teams. Tennessee obviously doesn't have a great offense, but we held the Vols to 6 points, 207 total yards and forced two huge turnovers against them. That's an incredible performance against any team.

Our special teams play was also very good. Succop was 2-2, Culliver had a fantastic return, Spencer Lanning had several good punts and punt coverage was fantastic, and we recovered a muffed punt--essentially, about as good a performance as you can hope for from the special teams units.

Our offense didn't play the best game I've ever seen, but they weren't bad. We moved the ball well at times in the first half. Garcia unquestionably brings great things to this offense--his play during the first TD drive was gutsy and reflected the fact that he can simply do things that Chris Smelley can't. Our offensive line play and running game didn't look incredible, but we did see a modicum of improvement, and that against a good defense. There's reason to hope that we can do these things better than we did against LSU, although the unfortunate injury to Jeanpierre may stall our progress on the line.

Some will point to the low total yards and say that we didn't do great on offense, but (1) our defense gave us a short field quite often and (2) Spurrier was content in the second half to run the ball a lot and bleed the clock. I'm usually in favor of being more aggressive with a 3 TD second-half lead, but considering the way our defense was playing and the fact that the Vols' offense was completely anemic all night (their best two or three plays were complete flukes, by the way), as well as that we were without our starting QB for much of the second half, it's safe to say that the Ol' Ball Coach made the right move. Overall, a good but not great offensive performance.

These are all things to be very happy about, so I hate to bring negativity to a positive post. However, I think it's worth saying that the officiating tonight was absolutely, completely atrocious. First of all, whatever the SEC wants to do with him, Wilbur Hackett should not have been in Williams-Brice tonight. What happened last week was suspicious enough that the SEC needs to protect it's integrity by keeping him away from Carolina games, but they didn't. Second of all, the zebras made numerous questionable calls and almost all of them went against us. Among them: not reviewing the play where Jonathan Crompton possibly fumbled, the PI on Brinkley that set up the UT TD, several questionable spots, and last but not least, the Volunteer DE going offsides on the play when Garcia threw an interception and later was hurt along with Lemuel. The last of these was probably the worst, because someone HAD to have seen that guy go offsides. I'm not into conspiracy theories and don't think the refs are out to get us. In fact, I thought the refs treated us quite well when we played Ole Miss. But seriously: can the SEC not do any better than this? It seems like every week there's a game that stands out for the sheer idiocy of the officiating. We deserve better as fans than to have to watch this baloney!

To end on a more positive note, though, this was a great win. We completely dominated a Volunteer team that we've only rarely beaten. Absolutely ran them off the field. Tennessee isn't good this year, but the way we took care of business against them was impressive. We're also now bowl eligible, and with winnable games against Arkansas and Clemson remaining, our goal of 8 wins is looking more likely by the week. The injuries to Garcia and Jeanpierre are a cause for concern, but Spurrier said after the game that Garcia is OK and could have come back in if the game had been in doubt. As for Jeanpierre, we can only hope that his injury isn't too serious, that he gets on the road to a good recovery for next year, and that someone can step in for him and play well for us. All in all: a good night to be a Gamecock.

FIVE REASONS: South Carolina at Kentucky

cocknfire — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:18:21 -0000

Open Thread here. You know the drill.

1. The South Carolina defense. With the possible exception of Alabama, Kentucky has not seen a defense this tough all season. Ellis Johnson has skillfully used a talented group of players to hold opponents to 244.7 ypg, second in the conference. Opposing quarterbacks are efficient, but don't throw for a lot of yards; Kentucky does not have a good enough rushing attack to wear down the Gamecocks' Achilles' Heel.

2. Cock 'n' Firing. For now, at least, it seems that the Gamecocks' offense is doing just fine, thank you. Against Ole Miss, South Carolina piled up 405 yards. The rushing game is still a shortcoming, but if Chris Smelley's last performance is any indication of what he can do, that won't hurt too much. We've seen all this before, but if this is more than just another false start, the Gamecocks could be hard to stop.

3. The streaks. The Gamecocks have won eight straight against Kentucky; Steve Spurrier has won 15. Numbers like that transcend coaching staffs and personnel changes and speak to something -- whether it's something more or less. In this case, it just appears that the Gamecocks and Spurrier have been tough opponents for the Wildcats to master.

4. Tested. South Carolina has played three conference games to Kentucky's one, four games against BCS teams to Kentucky's two and five games against FBS teams to Kentucky's three. The Gamecocks have a bit more experience against worthy opponents.

5. Kenny McKinley. He came back last week; here's hoping that this week will be his full-fledged return to productivity. If McKinley can help Smelley keep the passing game chugging along, Kentucky could be forced to drop more men into coverage and finally loosen up the defense enough to get at least a few yards on the ground.

1. The Kentucky defense. Anyone who's a fan of offense will probably want to skip this game; both of these defenses are good, unless Kentucky's schedule is somehow even less impressive than it looks. Sure, they've played some cupcakes, but 259.4 ypg? Allowing 7.8 ppg? As long as someone's taking the field to play you, those are impressive numbers.

2. The trenches. Kentucky has allowed the fewest sacks per game in the conference and ranks No. 2 in defensive sacks. Like the Gamecocks, the Wildcats have struggled to run the ball (though not as mightily); unlike South Carolina, pass protection has not been a problem.

3. Field position. When it's a defensive game, where you start your drives matters a great deal. Derrick Locke will help in that regard; he's first in the country with 38.0 yards per kickoff return. Dicky Lyons isn't shabby on punt returns, going for 11.9 yards per. Tim Masthay is averaging 44.8 yards per punt.

4. Turnovers. Kentucky has a far better average turnover margin (1.0) than the Gamecocks (-0.8). A big interception or fumble could literally decide this game.

5. Streaks end. Ask Vanderbilt. They've been breaking a lot of them the last few years. The Gamecocks can't beat the Wildcats forever, and this year is as good as any for the end to come.

PREDICTION: Tough game to call. Kentucky might have a bit of a letdown after playing Alabama close, and South Carolina is riding the momentum after edging Ole Miss. Either way, I'd be shocked if this game is decided by more than a touchdown. The Gamecocks are a little bit better, again. South Carolina 14, Kentucky 10