Is the past behind them?Spurrier, Gamecocks looking toward the future By Travis Haney (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Sunday, August 24, 2008
COLUMBIA — Doing the math, and going by what he's saying, it sounds as if South Carolina will have Steve Spurrier's services for about a decade, give or take a season. So, in the grand scheme of constructing a winner where there really hasn't been one before, he cannot afford to waste a season. But, in many regards, it certainly seems as if 2007 qualifies as such. "Last year, we had a slump," senior receiver Kenny McKinley said. "We went in thinking we'd be the SEC champs, but it didn't happen that way." 
The Post and Courier Related storiesThe 2-minute drill with South Carolina senior receiver Kenny McKinley Six things South Carolina must do to break through with an eight-win season Added Spurrier: "Going 6-6, that's about as mediocre as you get." It didn't begin that way, as you know. A 6-1 start vaulted the Gamecocks up to No. 6 in the BCS rankings. Then came the final five games. An injury-depleted team lost a clunker to Vanderbilt, a couple of heartbreakers to Tennessee and Clemson and, well, they were just run over by Arkansas and Florida. The five-game losing streak to drop USC out of a bowl stunted the momentum of what the Gamecocks had done in Spurrier's first two years, going to and then winning a postseason game. "Our talent last year was a lot more than 6-6," said sophomore fullback Pat DiMarco. "I'm kind of upset how we ended up the season last year; it's hurt momentum into the next year and all that. But, look, we're a better team than that. I think it can boost us up." As Spurrier said, "6-6 led to some changes." And not just philosophically. Spurrier made some literal alterations to his staff and game plan. Tyrone Nix is out as defensive coordinator, and longtime SEC vet and South Carolina native Ellis Johnson is in. Johnson is the no-nonsense, hard-nosed drill sergeant USC needed for a group that has widely lacked discipline in its assignments. Additionally, while everyone was awaiting a hire for Nix's successor, Spurrier covertly went out and nabbed Ray Rychleski to oversee the Gamecocks' fledgling special teams units. Rychleski's teams haven't had a punt blocked in more than seven years. By contrast, South Carolina had punts blocked in the final two games of the 2007 season. "You guys know, around here, we beat ourselves a lot. I haven't changed it yet," Spurrier said. "I'm going to do my best to change it this year. Ellis Johnson and Ray Rychleski are going to do their best to change it. "When we lose, hopefully we just got beat. We can't say we beat ourselves." In addition to the new coaches, Spurrier is tweaking how he operates at age 63. Pundit's take "I thought South Carolina might crack the Top 25, although the Gamecocks were the top team receiving votes. If I had to guess, I'd say the Gamecocks will be there at the end of the season." — Chris Low, ESPN.com SEC's best Offense 1. Tim Tebow, QB, Fla. 2. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Ga. 3. Percy Harvin, WR, Fla. 4. Jonathan Luigs, C, Ark. 5. Kenny McKinley, WR, USC Defense 1. Brandon Spikes, LB, Fla. 2. Eric Berry, SS, Tenn. 3. Ricky Jean-Francois, DL, LSU 4. D.J. Moore, CB, Vandy 5. Jasper Brinkley, LB, USC Best Coaches 1. Urban Meyer, Florida — Can recruit and coach X's and O's. Has moved Florida back to top of the heap. 2. Tommy Tuberville, Auburn — The most underrated coach in the league. Always has Auburn competitive. And knows how to beat Bama. 3. Mark Richt, Georgia — Bumped up the list from last year. The tricks at the Cocktail Party and with the black jerseys ... pure gold. Tip of the cap. 4. Steve Spurrier, USC — Still the most colorful character in the conference. Has to figure out a way to win in year No. 4. 5. Nick Saban, Alabama — The ultimate control freak. Hard to argue with results. Look out for Bama in 2009. 6. Les Miles, LSU — Yeah, he has a national title ring. But we're still not impressed with this riverboat gambler, false bravado nonsense. 7. Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee — Things are stale in Knoxville. Enter a slew of new offensive coaches, including coordinator Dave Clawson. 8. Houston Nutt, Ole Miss — New digs. Will he still be successful? 9. Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State — Coach of the year last season thanks to upstart year for Bulldogs. Can he duplicate? 10. Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt — Has the Commodores pulling off the yearly upset. Last year: USC. Does well with the talent he has. 11. Rich Brooks, Kentucky — Seems like he's on cruise control as he nears retirement. Has done a nice job at UK, though. 12. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas — At the bottom because there's no SEC track record. Check back in a few years; see where he winds up. Hot dates Aug. 30: Alabama vs. Clemson (Atlanta) Sept. 1: Tennessee at UCLA Sept. 13: Georgia at South Carolina Sept. 20: LSU at Auburn Sept. 20: Florida at Tennessee Sept. 27: Tennessee at Auburn Oct. 11: Tennessee at Georgia Oct. 11: LSU at Florida Oct. 23: Auburn at West Virginia Oct. 25: Georgia at LSU Nov. 1: Florida vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, Fla.) Nov. 8: Alabama at LSU Nov. 15: Georgia at Auburn Nov. 29: Auburn at Alabama Nov. 29: South Carolina at Clemson Coach's take "I counted right off the top of my head nine programs that they think they're going to win the conference championship, nine right now." — Florida's Urban Meyer about the depth of the SEC. A closer look at the 2008 GamecocksHEAD COACH: Steve Spurrier, 21-16 in three seasons at USC SPURRIER'S CAREER: 163-56-2 in 18 seasons overall SOUTH CAROLINA'S RECORD LAST YEAR: 6-6 (3-5 SEC) LAST SEC TITLE: None LAST BOWL GAME: Defeated Houston 44-36 in 2006 Liberty Bowl STADIUM: Williams-Brice Stadium (81,250) RETURNING OFFENSIVE STARTERS: 6 RETURNING DEFENSIVE STARTERS: 10 OFFENSIVE FORMATION: Multiple DEFENSIVE FORMATION: 4-2-5 IMPACT PLAYERS: WR Kenny McKinley, TE Jared Cook, LB Jasper Brinkley, LB Eric Norwood, SS Emanuel Cook, CB Captain Munnerlyn QUESTION MARKS: Can Tommy Beecher perform at QB? Will offensive line give him time to work? Is Mike Davis the answer at tailback? Can Ellis Johnson and USC defense figure out how to stop the run? Can Spurrier win, and win big, at USC? He'll hand over some of the offensive planning to son Steve Spurrier Jr., who's coached on Spurrier's staff for the past 11 years at Florida, with the Washington Redskins and now at USC. Spurrier sees it as an opportunity to focus more on gameday coaching. He says it will also give him a chance to work more closely with the relatively inexperienced quarterbacks, including starter Tommy Beecher. Looking at the schedule, it's conceivable that South Carolina could again start out hot. The Gamecocks will likely be favored in six of their first seven games, with No. 1 Georgia (Sept. 13) being the exception. So, knowing how to handle success is something South Carolina might again encounter. It will need to find wins in this stretch of monsters — LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas, at Florida and at Clemson — to make this a season a success. "I know that if we do get in that position, we've got to work harder," said junior Garrett Anderson, the likely starter at center. "We can't settle at all, in anything we do. If we do get in that position, we've got to do more. We know how it feels to be on the other side of that spectrum, and not go up from there. We never want that to happen again." A year ago, Spurrier's voice boomed throughout the South that the Gamecocks had the team to compete in the SEC. They did, briefly, but the chatter turned out to be solely that. Spurrier has been far quieter this summer about internal expectations. Could be relative to the strong teams Florida and Georgia will field. Or, it could be about the humbling powers of 6-6. "We lack a little bit of confidence. But we haven't done enough to gain a whole bunch of confidence," Spurrier said. "I think we're still in the back of our minds we still want to win an SEC. I don't think we need to talk about it this year. Probably don't talk about it any year, really." No, this offseason's been more about doing. And doing through change. Spurrier's hopeful that an attitude adjustment will accompany the other changes. "We're trying to do things different. That's the message," Spurrier said. "We're trying to be a team that plays a lot smarter and plays with a lot more effort. Whether or not we can, we'll wait and find out. "You've watched Carolina football for a lot of years. You've seen a lot of games where a little smarter play here or get a loose ball instead of the other team, take away a big play. If we can eliminate those and play with effort, we've got a chance. We've got hope that can happen." Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the new South Carolina blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/gamecocks/>
South Carolina starting lineup Pos. Player Hometown Ht. Wt. Class WR Kenny McKinley Mableton, Ga. 6-0 182 Sr. Proved last year he can handle the load as the top receiver. WR Moe Brown Anderson 6-0 186 Jr. Spurrier likes his speed, but can he catch and block? LT Hutch Eckerson Lumberton, N.C. 6-6 291 So. Will fill in for Jamon Meredith until (at least) UGA. LG Lem Jeanpierre Orlando, Fla. 6-3 293 Jr. Has narrow lead here over several prospects. Meredith could move here. C Garrett Anderson Irmo 6-4 307 Jr. Holding off Seaver Brown, who could also play at guard. RG Heath Batchelor Haleyville, Ala. 6-7 308 So. The best young prospect on the line. Has size and athleticism. RT Justin Sorensen Van. Island, Canada 6-7 327 Sr. The veteran Canuck anchors the right side of the line. TE Jared Cook Suwanee, Ga. 6-5 242 Jr. Impossible for linebackers to cover. Will be a savior for QBs. QB Tommy Beecher Concord, N.C. 6-2 227 Jr. Spurrier thinks he can do job. Does Beecher? FB Pat DiMarco Altamonte Springs, Fla. 6-1 242 So. Coaches say he's a player USC "will win with." Can play TE, too. RB Mike Davis Columbia 5-9 207 Sr. Cory Boyd is gone. The job is Davis'. If healthy, he seems motivated. PK Ryan Succop Hickory, N.C. 6-3 224 Sr. Being relieved of punting duties is supposed to help his leg stay strong. Pos. Player Hometown Ht. Wt. Class DE Jordin Lindsey Mobile, Ala. 6-3 261 Sr. Academic woes aside. Back to hitting for Lindsey. DT Ladi Ajiboye Riverdale, Ga. 6-1 300 So. Primed for a breakout year. Could be household name by year's end. DT Nate Pepper Greenville 6-1 287 Jr. Coming back from knee injury. Unsung leader of D-line. DE Cliff Matthews Cheraw 6-4 250 So. Back from outside linebacker to more comfortable environs. LB Jasper Brinkley Thomson, Ga. 6-2 275 Sr. Must prove he's healthy coming off knee surgery. USC needs him. LB Eric Norwood Acworth, Ga. 6-1 270 Jr. Brinkley and Norwood are giants in middle of field. ROV Darian Stewart Huntsville, Ala. 5-11 218 Jr. Tries on new position in USC's 4-2-5 defense to stop spread offenses. CB Captain Munnerlyn Mobile, Ala. 5-9 185 Jr. Might be fastest guy on team. Coming back from foot surgery. SS Emanuel Cook Riviera Beach, Fla. 5-10 214 Jr. Could be most underrated player in the SEC. Can hit with best of them. FS Chris Culliver Garner, N.C. 6-0 191 So. The move from receiver pays off with starting spot in secondary. CB Carlos Thomas College Park, Ga. 5-11 197 Sr. Stoney Woodson and Akeem Auguste are chasing him. P Spencer Lanning Rock Hill 5-11 182 So. Lanning will likely be tabbed to spell Succop. Can he be consistent? |
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Comments
This article has 19 comment(s)
Posted by fireantd84 on August 24, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WOW,look i beat big mouthriver1 on the first post,LOL,man am i ready for football season!i really think the gamecocks are gonna surprise some people this year.the "D" should be among the best...so lets hear it from the flamers,come on guy's,talk some trash you bunch of bandwagon jumpers that when things are going bad for your team you crawl into a hole and we don't hear from you at all.bring it
Posted by bigriver1 on August 24, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OK. sc will be 6-6,3-5, no bowl AGAIN! 5-10 players arrested. Go to the rivals.com main board. The whole nation laughs at sc fans. Why? Because sc football is a NATIONAL joke and the joke is on sc fans. sc has 1 ( one ) title in 100+ years. Win something, anything then talk. Georgia and Clemson are respected because they have won MANY titles and at least 1 NATIONAL title. sc is a joke and always will be. Next legend please. LOL.
Sooners vs Dawgs for the title in 08!
Posted by theballsiam on August 24, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
bigriver1 should learn grammar before he acts superior towards another group of people.
Posted by notafan on August 24, 2008 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow I wonder if anyone else in the country uses rivals.com as the main authority in college football?
But what do you expect for a low class bomb thrower like bigriver. Make one comment and that's it. If he has kids lets all hope they grow up to have a bigger set of balls than bigriver. I just feel bad for any person that lives with this idiot and has to deal with him on a daily basis. Talk about a tough life.
Posted by FF40212 on August 24, 2008 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Is it "next year" yet, shamecocks?
Or should we keep waiting?
ha ha ha ha
GO TIGERS!
Posted by notafan on August 24, 2008 at 4:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When was the last time Clemson won the ACC??? Isn't it funny that once FSU, Miami, BC and VA Tech were added to the ACC Clemson kind of faded away?? Man I can't believe all the "selective" memory Clemson nation has. But these are the same fans that find it acceptable for its football players to beat up on girls. Nice.
Posted by fjms on August 24, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When was the last time the shamecocks won the National Title? When was the last time the shamecocks were over 500 for their football history? You grown men keep on saying "go cocks!"
Posted by JRob on August 24, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
River, Oklahoma will go to the Fiesta Bowl again and lose again to a non-BCS conference school like BYU.
Posted by fantasy5 on August 24, 2008 at 6:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
91' there notafanwhenSCislosing. I think the bigger question was when was the last time SC won anything? Miami and Clemson have been even since they entered at 1-1, Clemson has beaten FSU the last 3 seasons and I promise those stats wont be the same anymore against BC and VT. You coots crack me up though. Anything else?
Posted by youmanyo on August 24, 2008 at 6:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They are in the SEC .
Posted by tf29301 on August 24, 2008 at 8:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Clemson fans who post here are so redundant with a short memory. We all know that you have won a National Title and some ACC titles.....for what that is worth. But, you also were on probation during that time so, you cheated to get there....congratulations on your success.
As for being on par with UGA, dream on. Not one national publication has Clemson anywhere near UGA, UF etc....only the Greenville News thinks that Clemson is on par with the national elite. The real joke is that Clemson fans think they are there.
Winning in the ACC is like getting straight A's in remedial classes. You could not beat Auburn last year in the bowl game after they installed a new offense a couple of weeks earlier. Additionally, you barely beat an injury depleted USC team with a last second field goal.
Posted by SOSblows on August 24, 2008 at 9:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Since we are discussing Clemson and South Carolina, can anyone remind me of the head to head record of the two schools????
Thats what I thought, shut up coots and win something!
Posted by tf29301 on August 24, 2008 at 9:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. Blows:
Your insight is amazing, can't wait for your next post..........sure USC has no business losing to Clemson as much as they have. There are reasons why but, in the end, they should beat Clemson more then they do. Time will tell if the law of averages swings back and USC starts winning more. But, that being said, what I find more interesting is how Clemson fans always talk about how close they are to being an elite team (as referenced above with by some) because they have won ACC titles and win 9 games per year.
Like I said before, you won titles and cheated. That is similar to a drug dealer talking junk about being rich. You also play an easy schedule for as far back as records have been kept and think that you should be considered on the same level as UGA and others. Clemson is not on the same planet as UGA, UF, LSU and others.
Posted by tightlines on August 24, 2008 at 10:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Clemson "fans"... your obsession with The University of South Carolina is sad. Every SC article... the same obsessed people.
Posted by youmanyo on August 24, 2008 at 10:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What are your reasons (excuses) for being owned by us oh wise one . I love how you have to bring up real sec schools like UGA , UF and LSU which you are no where from being in the same class of . The bottom line is we are on the verge of great things and usc is on the verge of destroying another great coach. So enjoy being 6-6 this year and having to depend on real SEC teams for joy .
Posted by SOSblows on August 24, 2008 at 11:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let's talk South Carolina football then. What have they ever accomplished on the field that is at all relavent beside your coke blowing heisman winner?
Posted by charlestonhome on August 25, 2008 at 2:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Carolina vs. Clemson? No matter how you compare it, analyze it, slice it, dice it, cut it, its STILL Culture vs. Agriculture.
Go Cocks!
Posted by IOP4ME on August 25, 2008 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that so many Clemson fans post comments after SC articles because you can actually get college credit for such posts at Clemson. These count as term papers there.
Posted by mcfadden00 on August 25, 2008 at 11:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting that none of you here have comments based on THE ARTICLE. Anyone have thoughts on the changes Spurrier made in the offseason? The depth and possible performance of varitable unknowns on offense? The difference you will see in an Ellis Johnson defense? I swear, why waste your breath trying to piss each other off when you could discuss FOOTBALL?