SB Nation User Blog: Gamecock Man

The Steve Spurrier vs. Urban Meyer Debate: An Outsider's Point of View

Gamecock Man — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:46:23 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

5 months ago: Florida's coach Urban Meyer holds up the BCS Championship trophy in Gainesville, Fla. on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009 during a ceremony honoring the team for their win over Oklahoma for the National Championship. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

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If you scour the Gators blogosphere, you'll typically find two perspectives on what for Gators is a popular topic, the question of whether Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer is the greatest Gators coach. On one side, you have the fan that argues that Urban Meyer is either in the process of or perhaps even already has surpassed his austere predecessor. This interlocutor claims that Meyer has built a dynasty in Gainesville that surpasses, or at least will if it continues for another few years, even the heights achieved by Spurrier. This fan will cite Meyer's two national title in three years, and will point out that Spurrier, while he dominated the SEC, typically managed to bungle national title opportunities somewhow. This fan might also point to Spurrier's failings in the NFL and at South Carolina as indications that Spurrier might not be all he was cracked up to be.

The pro-Spurrier contingent, on the other hand, will claim that Meyer is simply guiding the ship that Spurrier built. This fan will claim that Spurrier's greatest achievement is that he built Florida from the ground up, while Meyer already had a powerhouse program on his hands when he arrived. This fan might also point out that Spurrier had to deal with other challenges not faced by Meyer, such as a Florida State program at its peak and an unlucky national title matchup against what might have been the greatest team ever, the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. These factors, for the Spurrier contingent, excuse some of Spurrier's perceived shortcomings.

Continue reading after the jump.

As is usually the case in these discussions, there are subjective factors that seem to correlate to how the objective data is presented. First of all, the pro-Spurrier fans tend to be a bit older. These are fans that can possibly remember seeing Spurrier play and can certainly remember the struggles of Florida football in the years leading up to Spurrier's arrival. For these fans, the memories of Spurrier's Heisman and his first SEC titles are unforgettable glory moments for the Gators that give Spurrier a special place in their hearts. These also, regardless of age, are the types of alumni that really value the fact that Spurrier is a Florida man. Meyer fans, on the other hand, are typically younger. It's now been 20 years since Spurrier arrived on the sidelines in Gainesville, and lots of younger fans only know Florida as a powerhouse. To these fans, the program-building point isn't as important. They say that the comparisons should be all about numbers, and Meyer has Spurrier beat in national titles and could eventually surpass him in SEC titles if he keeps his current pace up.

So, who do I--the outsider--think is better? I'm going to have to take the easy way out, actually. To me, comparing these two guys is like comparing apples and oranges, for many of the reasons enumerated above. On the one hand, Spurrier deserves a lot of credit for building Florida's program to where it is today. Even if any coach in the state of Florida enjoys decided recruiting advantages, the fact remains that Florida was alwyas a middle-of-the-pack SEC team at best until Spurrier arrived. The Gators weren't a bad program, but they consistently lost to more powerful rivals such as Georgia and Auburn. Spurrier changed that almost immediately, winning a series of SEC titles and a national title in the early to mid-nineties. On the other hand, it would be hard to argue that Meyer is now surpassing Spurrier's level of dominance. A lot depends on whether Meyer can maintain his current pace in the future--and if he stays in Gainesville, which I think he will--but the possibility of a third national title in four years would qualify the Meyer regime as a veritable dynasty. Spurrier never quite achieved that sort of success, although he came very close. It's hard to say which accomplishment is greater. Moreover, we can never know certain things about the two. Could Meyer have built Florida up like Spurrier did? Could Spurrier have achieved the kind of dominance Meyer has achieved is he didn't have to recruit against powerhouse Florida State and Miami programs? These are questions that will never be answered, so we're stuck with idle speculation at this point.

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

Gamecock Man — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:54:25 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

2 months ago: In this photo taken on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is shown posing during NCAA college football media day in Gainesville, Fla. Despite working with prostyle quarterback coaches, Tebow is expected to show little changes on the field. Coach Urban Meyer said "the guy has a 60 plus percent completion rate. Enhanced, yes. It's not going to be like all of a sudden, 'Look at this guy.' It's going to be Tim Tebow." (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

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The media has made lots of noise about the Gators' offensive woes. However, the overall numbers aren't really all that ugly. Florida is 11th in scoring offense, 19th in total offense, 8th in rushing offense, and 83rd in passing offense. I think a lot of the media attention has overfocused on Tim Tebow's reduced production in the passing game while ignoring the fact that the Gators--including Tebow--run the ball quite well. Pundits need to remember that this is a team with a killer defense. With that defense, Urban Meyer and his coaching staff know that they don't need to take lots of risks to win, so they instead choose to control the ball and play it safe. Not a bad strategy if you ask me.
Needless to say, Florida's ability to run the ball doesn't play to our strengths. It's worth noting, though, that the Gators for the most part aren't a power running team, which has been the style that's given our depleted interior a lot of trouble. In fact, our smaller lineups would normally be considered an asset against the Gators, who want to get the ball outside and beat you in space. However, we're not tackling well right now at all, and that could spell disaster against a team that will kill you if you miss a single tackle.
FWIW, Tim Tebow claims he's back to 100%. Some have blamed the Gators' passing game woes on Tebow's concussion, which he suffered against Kentucky early in the season. I guess we'll see how much truth there was to that on Saturday.

Steve Spurrier to Take Over Playcalling Duties

Gamecock Man — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:39:43 -0000

More photos » by April L Brown - AP

4 days ago: South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier watches the NCAA college football game against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. Arkansas defeated South Carolina 33-16. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

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Per The State:

Spurrier, who ceded most of the play-calling responsibilities to receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. before the 2008 season, said Tuesday he would become the Gamecocks' main play-caller, with input from offensive assistants.

I think this is good news. I've seen nothing from Jr. that would suggest he's a better playcaller than his papa. One also has to wonder if Spurrier isn't getting revved up for a shot at Corch Meyer.

I also found the following quote interesting:

Spurrier said the Gamecocks' offense actually has played better the past two weeks in losses to Tennessee and Arkansas than it did in September wins against N.C. State and Mississippi.

We may be gaining more yards, but we aren't scoring any more points. In fact, we scored the same number of points against Arkansas and Ole Miss, and I think we all know which team has the better defense.

Good old Spurrier. Had to get a jab in even as he admitted poor coaching.

Preliminary South Carolina Gamecocks Basketball Preview

Gamecock Man — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:12:38 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

7 months ago: FILE - In this March 13, 2009, file photo, South Carolina guard Devan Downey (2) shoots around Mississippi State forward Jarvis Vernado during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference men's tournament in Tampa, Fla. Downey is making himself eligible for the NBA draft without hiring an agent, meaning he can withdraw his name by June 15 and still return to school. The 5-foot-9 guard announced his decision Tuesday, April 7. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

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I apologize for not having much to say about the basketball team yet. In my defense I can only say that it's been difficult to find time to write about basketball during football season. You can rest assured that when hoops rolls around in earnest, we'll be here talking about it. That starts now. So, without further adieu, let's take a look at how we stack up by position.

Point Guard

Devan Downey returns to man the point guard slot for us again this year. Downey needs no introduction here. He comes into his senior season with an outside shot at the national All-American team and would be a unanimous pick for first-team All-SEC if not for the love Kentucky freshman John Wall is currently getting.

Downey is the team's star and will be on the floor most of the time. When he's not on the floor, Brandis Raley-Ross or Ramon Galloway will take his place, but those two players will see more time flanking Downey at the two slot. Robert Wilder will also see some time at the point.

Grade: A+

Shooting Guard

As said, Raley-Ross and freshman Galloway will see time here. Freshman guard Stephen Spinella may also see time, as will freshman Lakeem Jackson, who will play both this position and small forward, depending on the lineup. Getting good production from this position will go a long way towards seeing how this team does this year, as the team will have to figure out how to replace departed Zam Fredrick's production. Raley-Ross is a good scorer when he gets the hot hand and is a capable distributor, but he's a little undersized and can thus be picked on by taller guards. The same goes for Galloway, although we'll probably see Galloway bulk up a little over the next year or two and eventually be a very solid player for us. Spinella and Jackson, on the other hand, are sized a bit better but lack the shooting touch of Raley-Ross and Galloway. I expect that, eventually, you'll see Jackson as the featured player in this spot, with the other players playing significant minutes as role players. Jackson has the greatest upside of the group and is the kind of game-changing defender that Darrin Horn wants out of this position. However, he's also a freshman, and we can expect growing pains from him as well as his cohorts.

Grade: B-

Small Forward

Dominique Archie is the big name here, although you'll also see Jackson and Evka Baniulus playing this position in certain lineups. Archie is the team's second star, and a breakout year from him could make a major difference this year. Defense and hustle are Archie's trademarks, but he needs to get more involved in the offense. He appears to have a decent shot but doesn't always get as many looks as I would like to see. He also needs to work on his free throw shooting. Baniulus provides an excellent scoring option here when he's hot and is thus a useful role player, but he doesn't really do anything but shoot threes and is a huge defensive liability against athletic forwards.

Grade: B+

Continue reading after the jump.

Power Forward

Mike Holmes will play most of the minutes here, with Austin Steed and JUCO transfer Jhondre Jefferson providing backup. Holmes has a lot of upside and I expect we'll see improved play from him this year. His main two deficiencies are that he's often in foul trouble and that he's an awful free-throw shooter. If he can improve a bit in those areas, he could be one of the conference's better big men. Steed was a bit of a mixed bag last year; he played well at times but was a liability at other times. He's a hustler but doesn't seem to be very capable against the conference's better big men. I don't know too much about Jefferson yet. He's a JUCO, so he should be ready to contribute, and I hear he's a good defender in the mold that Coach Horn wants. Both Steed and Jefferson will need to have good years, as Holmes's tendency to get in foul trouble will likely mean that they'll play plenty of minutes.

Grade: B

Center

Sam Muldrow will take most of the minutes here. Muldrow showed some potential last year. He certainly has the size to be a low-post force. However, he at times seemed to gamble a lot on blocks and the like, and his offensive game could use a bit of work. Word is, though, that he's one of the team's most improved players this year, so we'll see what we get. You'll also probably see Jefferson in this spot at times.

Grade: B-

Bench

This might be the biggest difference from a year ago. Depth was a big problem for us last year, but with some key additions, we should be better this year. As the above suggests, we have solid rotations at every position, even if some of our rotations will require some players to play multiple positions.

Grade: B-

All in all, this should be a good year for Gamecocks hoops. However, the SEC as a whole will also be better, so the wins won't be easy to come by. I wouldn't be surprised to see this team play better this year but still come up just short on the NCAAs after enduring a tough schedule. As long as we continue to see progress, though, I'll be happy. Coach Horn is bringing in some good players, and we should continue to improve each year from here on out.

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

Gamecock Man — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:30:10 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

Our next head coach?

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

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

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

SEC Power Poll Ballot: Week Ten

Gamecock Man — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:26:28 -0000

1. Florida Gators

The Gators struggled a bit against Vandy but still came up with a convincing win.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Tide pulled out a gritty win against LSU, proving again that they can handle adversity.

3. LSU Tigers

The Tigers put in a respectable performance against 'Bama. They're clearly the third-best team in the conference right now.

4. Tennessee Volunteers

Jonathan Crompton has a 140 passer rating on the year. Who saw that coming?

5. Auburn Tigers

The Tigers put on an offensive show against cupcake Furman.

6. Ole Miss Rebels

The Rebels feasted on a cupcake over the weekend.

7. Georgia Bulldogs

UGA's defense managed a shutout over Tennessee Tech. Hard to believe, even if it was against an FCS team.

8. Arkansas Razorbacks

The Hogs turned in a great performance against South Carolina.

9. South Carolina Gamecocks

What once looked like a possible breakthrough year for the Gamecocks now looks eerily familiar to seasons past.

10. Mississippi St. Bulldogs

Do the Bulldogs have a bowl-eligibility run in them?

11. Kentucky Wildcats

The 'Cats got a look at future QB Morgan Newton in cupcake action this week.

12. Vanderbilt Commodores

The 'Dores played tough against Florida, but at the end of the day they're still winless in the SEC and will likely finish that way.

Reviewing South Carolina at Arkansas: Why We Lost, What It Means, and Where We Now Stand

Gamecock Man — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:29:44 -0000

More photos » by April L Brown - AP

4 days ago: Arkansas cornerback Jerell Norton (27) intercept as pass intended for South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

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I'll start this off by saying that we all knew that this was going to be a transitional year. We graduated a large crop of talent last year, our team is young and our depth limited, and we're breaking in several new coaches. No reasonable person expected us to contend for the SEC Title this year. That being the case, we shouldn't be surprised that we're struggling down the stretch. We're beat up and we had to go on the road to face two tough teams. I would be OK with losing these games if I thought we were improving. We'll be better equipped to win them next year.

However, the way we've lost is what really bothers me. We've seemed unmotivated and generally unprepared in both games, leading to multiple boneheaded errors that have cost us any chance at gaining a win. We certainly haven't seen a team that appears to be improving. I'm not OK with that. As my colleague says, it's not good enough. This is year five of the Spurrier era, and while I'm willing to give the coaches and team some allowance for youth, I'm not going to give them a free pass for horrible, uninspired play. We can reasonably expect better than that. This team has the talent in place to compete with teams like Arkansas and Tennessee, but it's not happening. That reflects poorly on the coaching staff.

Is it time to start thinking about a new coach? I'm honestly not sure. On the one hand, I'm unwilling to make any judgment calls right now, as I would forgive a lot if we could get a win against Florida or Clemson, and I do think we're capable of winning either or even both games if we play to our potential. I also think we should probably give Spurrier a chance to show what he can do next year, when this team will be deeper, more mature, and when the other teams in the East will be going through transitional seasons.

However, if we lose out, then I will call this year an unqualified failure, and the coaching staff needs to be held accountable for that. It'll at the very least be time to start thinking about what way to best pursue our future if that ends up being the case.

Continue reading after the jump

Some more particular thoughts on the game:

I'll say that I don't like Weslye Saunders calling out the coaching staff, but I agree with the general sentiment. I thought playcalling in this game was atrocious in the second half. In the first half, we moved the ball with relative ease using a balanced approach. In the second half, we completely abandoned the run and to some degree even abandoned the short passing game. That was understandable late in the game when we were trying to make a comeback, but the score was still close until late in the third quarter. Why weren't we running the ball when we have four high-quality backs to choose from? Why weren't we looking for Saunders or the running backs underneath? Why does it seem like we always go for the homerun as soon as we get to the opponent's 35 yardline or so? Why haven't we figured out how to get Tori Gurley and Alshon Jeffrey on the field at the same time? Why don't we do more to take advantage of Stephen Garcia's mobility, especially considering that we seem to have a lot of success when we do? I just don't get it. This predictable, impotent offense is not what we hired Spurrier for.
The offensive line played like crap yesterday, period. I'll grant that Eric Wolford has improved our running game, but the number of offensive line penalties, bad snaps, and general miscues is just inexcusable. It's really a miracle that Garcia ever completes a pass. He'd be an All-American if he had a good line.
I didn't think the defense played terribly until late in the game, although some of the missed tackles were frustrating. I thought, though, that we should have blitzed more often. Blitzing seems to be the best way to can Ryan Mallett, who is going to kill you if you give him time. Why we didn't rush him more aggressively was beyond me.
I think we're good enough to beat Florida and Clemson. However, the Gators are the number one team in the country and Clemson is playing extremely well right now. If we play like we have over the past two weeks, we're going to get slaughter in both of these games.

That's all I've got for right now. Hopefully we'll figure something out this week. I don't know if I can take another shellacking at the hands of the Gators.

South Carolina at Arkansas Gameday Open Thread

Gamecock Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:53:45 -0000

Join us here to talk about the game. We'll be around.

Go 'Cocks!

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

Gamecock Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:29:13 -0000

More photos » by Danny Johnston - AP

2 months ago: Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett passes during the first quarter of the NCAA college football game against Missouri State in Little Rock, Ark., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

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It's time to take on the Hogs in Fayetteville. Can be bounce back and stop the bleeding after what happened in Knoxville last week? We'll see. Here are my thoughts on the game.

Three Keys

1. Turnovers

As always, turnovers will be key in this game. Some things to think about: First of all, Arkansas has a porous defense, but they've been able to produce turnovers pretty well, thus keeping some games close that probably shouldn't have been. (For example, the Gators burned a few scoring opportunities with fumbles when playing the Hogs.) We can't give up scoring opportunities with turnovers, and we certainly can't give Arkansas's high-powered offense any easy scores like we did against Tennessee last week. On the flip side, I expect Arkansas will find ways to move the ball against our depleted defense. However, if we can stifle some drives with an opportune turnover or two or, even better, score some easy points off turnovers, we'll put ourselves in a good position.

2. Convert Yards into Touchdowns

Arkansas comes into this game with one of the SEC's worst defenses. There's been a lot of noise coming out of Fayetteville this week about lineup changes and improved play, but all the talk only goes so far. The fact of the matter is that this is a relatively untalented defense that is banged up to boot. The Hogs' defense is hardly what we've faced the past few weeks against 'Bama, Tennessee, and even Vandy. That being the case, we should expect to see our guys move the ball well, especially if Stephen Garcia comes ready to play. However, moving the ball has never been the problem for this team. We've moved the ball efficiently on just about everyone we've played, but the yardage hasn't always equalled points. That has to stop this week, as this will likely be a relatively high-scoring game in which we'll need every point we can get. It's touchdowns or bust this week.

3. Special Teams, or, More Precisely, Kickoff Teams Play

Our kickoff coverage unit has been abysmal all year, and our return team, after playing well for the greater part of the past two years, has played poorly the last couple of weeks, as well. The coverage issue seems to mostly be lack of hangtime on kicks and problems with pursuit and tackling, while the problem with returns has been Chris Culliver's new-found timidity. We'll have to do better this week. Most important will be coverage. Arkansas has one of the best return men in the country in Dennis Johnson. We can't afford to give Arkansas any easy points, considering that their offense is perfectly capable of scoring in bunches without help from big returns, so we've gotta find a way to keep Johnson from getting lots of yards. Hopefully Shane Beamer has a plan. As far as returns go, let's just hope we don't see anyone run backwards.

By the way, does anyone know who will be lining up alongside Bryce Sherman to return kicks? I can't seem to figure this out for the life of me. I hope it's Stephon Gilmore, who has shown some nice moves on punt returns.

What This Game Means

Feathered Warrior's column testifies to the gravity of this game. It would really be difficult to overestimate its importance. A win will get us that seventh win, which I think should be enough to consider this season successful, considering this team's youth and the injuries it has endured. It also put us in position for a truly breakthrough season if we can pull out a win against Florida or Clemson. And perhaps most importantly, it'll prove that this team is capable of transcending its tendency to fade late in the season. That would be huge for team and fanbase confidence. A loss would lead to the opposite effects. We would be starting down a failure of a season, confidence would be eroded, etc. This is really a huge, huge game.

Prediction

As the above comments indicate, I think this will probably be a relatively high-scoring game, with both teams scoring in the mid- to high-twenties at the very least. As long as we don't turn it over, I like our chances of scoring points against Arkansas, and although I think our defense has the personnell and favorable matchups to slow Arkansas down to some degree, it's just hard for me to see us totally shutting them down with their return and passing games as they are. With the game likely being a close, high-scoring affair, I think the difference will likely be a fatal turnover by one of the two teams. Considering that we have the stronger defense of the two, I'm going to say that we're the team that forces that big play. I'm picking the Gamecocks 34-28.

Poll

This game will result in...

Michael Dyer Commits to Auburn

Gamecock Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:36:25 -0000

Big-time running back prospect Michael Dyer has committed to Auburn. A bit about Dyer:

Dyer, No. 15 overall in the MaxPreps 2010 Top 100 compiled by Tom Lemming, is the third ranked running back in the country, behind Marcus Lattimore (Byrnes, Duncan, S.C.) and Lache Seastrunk (Temple, Texas).

Why should you care? Auburn has also been a major contender for Byrnes running back Marcus Lattimore, who is widely considered the top back in the country and is a possible Carolina lean. The Tigers' signing of Dyer makes it all the more likely that we will land the highly prized Lattimore, as I doubt Lattimore wants to go anywhere where he'll have to contend with another top prospect for playing time.