Week 12 - Clemson recap & off-season thoughts ...

Better Team Won - Watching the game Saturday from Section 9 at Williams-Brice Stadium, it was apparent to me that Clemson (9-3) is a better team than South Carolina (6-6) … All across the board! … If it was simply players vs. players, the Tigers would win that contest 8 out of 10 times … Offensively, Clemson ran (214 yards) through the Gamecocks and passed (229 yards) all over Carolina with a balanced attack … The Tigers were basically ball hogs as Clemson held almost a 2-to-1 advantage in time of possession (39 minutes to 21) and ran nearly 90 plays compared to USC’s 50 or so … Clemson was able to convert 40% of its third down opportunities (6 of 15) while South Carolina could only muster three such conversions in eight attempts … Clemson also tallied the only fourth down conversion of the game - one in which every South Carolina fan in the facility knew was going to happen - when Cullen Harper found a slanting Aaron Kelly (at 6 foot, 6 inches) for 12 yards against true freshman Addison Williams (all 5-7 of him) … The Tigers turned the ball over once - an interception thrown by Harper to Emanuel Cook in the north end zone - yet USC’s Blake Mitchell was picked off twice (one on the first play of the game) and Dion Lecorn was stripped of the ball in the third quarter … Throw in two inexcusable blocked punts by the Tigers that resulted in a touchdown by a no-name like La’Donte Harris and an inexplicable kickoff return by Chris Culliver that resulted in Carolina beginning an offensive drive from the USC one-yard line and you have a recipe for a loss … But, with three seconds on the clock the scoreboard read South Carolina 21, Clemson 20 … Then, the Tigers avenged the 2006 loss (31-28) at Death Valley when Mark Buchholz, a soccer star from Atlanta, GA, calmly belted the game-winning field goal from 35 yards away - his third three-pointer on five attempts during the game … To the victors go the spoils, so congratulations to Clemson in 2007 and enjoy the bragging rights!

P.S. - For those that want to continue to bash Tommy Bowden - go ahead and do so because it just shows how ignorant you are (the guy is 7-2 vs. South Carolina under the guidance of two Hall of Fame coaches in Lou Holtz [5-1] and Steve Spurrier [2-1]).

2007 Part XII - The Clemson loss was a microcosm of the entire season … USC falls behind quickly at 10-0 … The defense is on the field for 39 minutes because it cannot make a play to get off the field … The defense gets gouged for 214 rushing yards and allows another running back to go over 100 yards … The opposing QB completes 72% of his passes and a wide receiver eclipses the 100-yard mark … The special teams allow not one but two blocked punts and returns a kickoff from the field of play into the end zone (how was that not a safety?) … The offense somehow rallies to take a lead at 21-20 and the defense then allows the other offense to go 61 yards in nine plays and 2:09 to kick the game-winning field goal … Enough! … Is someone out there that can write a better script?

Game(cock) Balls - First off, I don’t think the Gamecocks can be blamed for not playing with heart or intensity vs. Clemson - USC played hard and inspired football, but just couldn’t make the plays when needed (a reocurrence the second half of the year) … Hats off to junior Kenny McKinley - he had eight receptions for 125 yards and his 77 catches for the season broke the 21-year-old mark of former NFL star Sterling Sharpe (74) … McKinley, who made comments in The State newspaper that he will return for 2008, notched two touchdown receptions of 19 and 40 yards that pulled the Gamecocks within three points of the Tigers each time (10-7 and 17-14) … Cory Boyd suited up for the last time in Columbia and the fifth-year senior has made as many strides away from the gridiron as he has on the field and Saturday was no different as he galloped to 74 tough yards on 19 carries … Boyd also chipped in a reception that covered 39 yards … As mentioned above, Dion Lecorn did have a fumble and you could tell he was upset by his actions after Clemson recovered, but the true freshman rebounded to make a superb TD catch in the back of the north end zone that gave Carolina its only lead at 21-20 with nine minutes remaining in the game … For the night, Lecorn made five catches for 65 yards - he’s going to be fun to watch the next three years … Way to hang in there Moe Brown! … The sophomore from Anderson made two nice catches of 20 and 17 yards, respectively … Lanard Stafford has to be considered one of the most well-rounded football players ever to don the Garnet & Black and he made a nice catch for 10 yards … I haven’t watched the replay yet, but I guess I need to give props to Gurminder Thind because when he went out with an ankle injury, Hunt inserted Garrett Anderson, who was immediately planted on his backside and replaced by Seaver Brown for the next series … Since losing the services of All-SEC middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley early in the LSU game back in September, two players have emerged as defensive leaders: Emanuel Cook and Eric Norwood … “E-Cook”, as he is affectionately identified by the Gamecock faithful, turned in another outstanding performance with nine solo tackles (one behind the line of scrimmage), forced a fumble, intercepted a pass in the end zone, and even had a sack - whew! … Norwood rebounded from a disappointing second half of the year by making nine stops (eight solos), collecting a sack, registering 3 ½ tackles for loss, and was credited with two quarterback pressures … Kenrick Ellis seemed to be in defensive line coach Brad Lawing’s doghouse much of the season - similar to the Stanley Doughty issue from 2006 - but his sheer size was a welcomed sight vs. Clemson and he responded with the best game of his career at USC with five solo stops and a tackle for loss … Stoney Woodson turned in a solid night as well with eight stops and broke up a pass … Casper Brinkley had one of his better performances of the year with good pressure from his end position and notched seven tackles.

Thunder & Lightning - Kudos to Clemson’s dynamite duo of “Thunder” James Davis and “Lightning” C.J. Spiller … I made a post last week that in order for the Gamecocks to win the game that South Carolina must prevent these two players from hitting the 150-yard mark and with 39 carries between them accounting for 210 yards, “T (122) & L (88)” blew past that number … Clemson, excluding games vs. LA-Monroe and Furman, is now 5-0 when this pair rush for 150 yards or more in 2007 … In those games, Davis has tallied five 100+ yard games and Spiller hit that mark twice this fall.

Odds & Ends - South Carolina is now 3-2 vs. Clemson on the date of November 24: (1984) USC 22-21; (1979) USC 13-9; (1973) USC 32-20; (1962) CU 20-17 … Overall, the Gamecocks are now 6-6 when the calendar reads 11/24 … Carolina is 27-21 since 2004 which is one win shy of the best four-year victory total since 1987-90 when USC compiled a 28-17-1 record … This past Saturday night was the 25th Carolina-Clemson game I have attended and I’ve had the privilege to see everyone of them in person since 1985 (1979, 1983, 1985-2007) … I am 36 years old, so that means I was born in 1971 - the last time South Carolina defeated Clemson in consecutive seasons was 1968-70 - it has never happened in my lifetime (amazing!) … Since 1979, a USC win in Columbia, the Gamecocks are 3-12 vs. Clemson in the Capital City … During that same span, Carolina owns a 5-8-1 mark at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium for an overall record of 8-20-1 - ugh! … In games decided by single digits during this 29 year run, USC is 4-9 … My three wishes before the season were:

1. For South Carolina to beat Georgia to end that ridiculous five game losing streak vs. the Bulldogs;
2. For USC to defeat Clemson for the second-straight year; and
3. For the Gamecocks to participate in their third consecutive bowl game.

I’ll take two out of three right now!

Quick Start - Another comment I made last week was that USC needed to avoid digging itself in a hole, but the Carolina coaching staff must not have paid attention as Clemson raced out to a 10-0 first quarter lead … The Gamecocks entered the Clemson game allowing 14.6 points in the first half (the Tigers scored 17) and 8.6 points in the second half (the Tigers scored 6) … When your team is struggling you cannot give the opponent any freebies, but the blocked punt by Nelson Faerber - another one of Clemson’s “no names” that made themselves part of Carolina-Clemson lore - afforded the Tigers that privilege (I still don’t think Mike Davis or Cody Wells saw him coming) … For the season, USC allowed 178 points in the first half (14.8 average) compared to 101 in the second half (8.4 average).

To Bowl or Not to Bowl? - One of the largest mistakes in South Carolina’s oft-maligned football history is that in 1989 and 1990 the Athletics Department declined invitations to the Independence Bowl - citing academic concerns as the reason … Sure, those teams had their flaws … The ‘89 squad lost the services of quarterback Todd Ellis in the N.C. State game and after a 5-1-1 start, stumbled to a 1-3 finish … The ‘90 team, after a 4-1 start, lost to The Citadel that began a three-game losing streak before closing out with a 2-1 mark which ended with a 29-10 Thanksgiving night win vs. West Virginia on ESPN … Who knows what could have happened in 1991 under third-year coach Sparky Woods, but pulling your program out of the bowl picture was a terrible mistake … The 2007 team needs practice in the worst way and more importantly a chance to end the year on a good note ? a 6-1 start, #6 national ranking, victories vs. three bowl teams (Georgia, Kentucky, Miss. State), and playing in the nation’s best division (East) and in the country’s toughest conference (SEC) has to count for something … Though I agree with most that 6-6 teams shouldn’t be eligible to play in the postseason, well, that’s not the way the system is set up and I want Carolina to have a shot at win #7 no matter where the game is being played … USC sat home in 2004 with a 6-5 record due to the infamous brawl with Clemson, but followed that season with a 7-4 campaign in 2005 that resulted in an Independence Bowl loss to Missouri and then posted a 7-5 record last fall that ended with a Liberty Bowl win vs. Houston … Playing in three-straight bowl games can only help USC in recruiting and it would mark a first for the football program.

Offensive Highs - Can the MVP on offense be anyone other than Kenny McKinley? … He rose to the occasion this fall after redshirt sophomore Sidney Rice left early for the NFL last spring … Not only did he set the school’s single season reception record with 77 catches - previously held by Sterling Sharpe - but he led the receiving corps with nine touchdowns, tallied a 12.6 yard average, and tied Weslye Saunders for the longest play from scrimmage that covered 48 yards … Cory Boyd and Mike Davis were the ground workhorses for the Gamecocks with a combined 1,421 yards, 4.8 average, and 14 touchdowns … Boyd, who finishes with 2,267 career rushing yards and 1,303 career receiving yards, led the squad with 10 touchdowns (nine rushing) … Davis has rushed for 1,658 yards on 360 carries for a 4.6 yard average in three years at USC and has been a quality and dependable back despite getting fumble-itis towards the end of this season.

Offensive Lows - USC was unable to settle on an offensive line until late in the season … This is the third straight year that it has taken Coach John Hunt more than half the season to come up with a consistent group - no other team seemingly takes that long and even then it wasn’t a very good unit … Carolina averaged just 3.6 yards per rush and only 113.7 per game … The Gamecocks surrendered 31 sacks - 2 ½ per game … The quarterback shuffle got off to a rough start this past spring when newcomer Stephen Garcia showed up and had some off-the-field disciplinary issues that got him suspended from spring practice … Then, redshirt senior Blake Mitchell was suspended for the opening game vs. Louisiana-Lafayette due to missing summer school classes leaving the battle to redshirt freshman Chris Smelley, who outdistanced himself from sophomore Tommy Beecher … Needless to say, it was a mess all year and the numbers are similar across the board, but I believe Coach Steve Spurrier’s decision to leave Smelley as the starter after the dismal second half showing at North Carolina cost the Gamecocks the Vanderbilt game and the slide that started on October 20 continues today … For the year, Smelley wound up 4-2 as the starter and Mitchell 2-4, though the level of competition is basically night and day … The running game had a long carry of 29 yards all year - most top-notch backs get that a couple of times a game … USC really needs to get a game-breaker to stretch the field … South Carolina’s second leading wide receiver in terms of pass receptions was true freshman Dion Lecorn with 27 catches or 50 fewer than leading wideout Kenny McKinley’s 77 … The group was slow to form this year due mostly in part to the youth, but several of the heralded recruits Jason Barnes, Mark Barnes, and Larry Freeman failed to make an impact when given the opportunity early in the season … Throw in the inconsistencies of Freddie Brown (17 REC, 195 YDS) and Moe Brown (13 REC, 168 YDS) and developing a third receiver still seems to be a work in progress … Folks will say that USC’s offense finally started clicking against Tennessee, but Carolina scored 24 points in that game - hardly an outburst - and scored 21 vs. Clemson (that’s pedestrian in this day and age of offensive football) … USC eclipsed the 30-point plateau five times in 2007 and was 3-2 in those games and 3-4 when scoring 28 points or less.

Defensive Highs - The statistics of Emanuel Cook tell the tale for the stop troops for MVP honors … But, it is his “team leader” status that impresses me so much … He overcame an unfortunate situation, subsequent suspension, and then, an emergency appendectomy to lead the Gamecocks in tackles (92) and solos (77) … He was tied for second on the team in interceptions (3), pass deflections (3), and forced fumbles (2) … He finished second in sacks with four and was third in tackles for loss (8) and passes broken up (5) … Eric Norwood has emerged as a pass rushing specialist and got off to a hot start, cooled down when the Gamecocks struggled in the second half of the year, and then had a very good finale vs. Clemson … Norwood led the squad sacks (6), tackles for loss (19.5), hurries (9), and fumble recoveries (3) … He was second on the team in stops (69) and assists (23) … Darian Stewart was a nice surprise in the secondary along with second-year starter Captain Munnerlyn as the duo combined for 11 pass breakups, five interceptions, and three fumble recoveries … Casper Brinkley had a solid senior campaign with 59 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, and three hurries ? again, solid numbers, but nothing spectacular.

Defensive Lows - Where to begin? … Ever since the season opener when Louisiana-Lafayette gashed the Gamecocks for 252 yards on the ground, teams have punished Coach Tyrone Nix’s unit with “old fashioned” football … However, instead of “three yards and a cloud of dust” for USC foes, it was more like 4.8 yards per carry, 2,511 yards for the season, and a per game average of 209 yards - yikes! … Were they young? … That is a fact, but not a crutch … The top four tacklers this fall were sophomores and six of the top 10 were underclassmen … Were they tired? … Probably, since South Carolina possessed the ball longer on offense in just 1/3 of the games … I see none of this getting better with Nix at the helm - something I have thought since Missouri’s Brad Smith went nuts in Shreveport, LA that left Nix looking like a deer-in-headlights … Jasper Brinkley solved a lot of ills defensively for the Gamecocks in 2006 and had he not been wearing #52 last year I think we would have been discussing this group last year.

Special Team Highs - Placekicker Ryan Succop didn’t miss a PAT this year (37-37) and was 13 of 17 on field goals (76.5%) with a long of 49 yards, but the overtime miss at Tennessee is all that I can ponder from those duties … He was 8 of 8 inside 40 yards and 5 of 9 over that mark, so that is about right for a collegiate kicker - don’t know if he’ll ever get to the NFL level with those numbers … A 41.6 yard average per punt is respectable with a long of 58 yards, but nothing eye-popping … With the push back of the kickoff mark (35-yard line) Succop belted 11 touchbacks with an average fielding spot of the one-yard line - that’s pretty strong! … Nothing to report in the return area of kickoffs or punts, because the best ones were nullified by penalties - terrible performance in this realm of the game!

Special Team Lows - USC has garnered a commitment from a Texas punter for 2008 and that might alleviate what many called a “dead leg” for Succop with his kickoff, placekicking, and punting duties … But, don’t hold your breath - we’ve all seen how much these recruiting gurus and fan-based websites build up the talents of newcomers - all for the benefit of earning a dollar no matter how many mistruths are represented … The return units were awful … Pitiful coaching performances in this part of the game and hopefully that will be addressed … The blocking schemes, actual blocking performances, and return-men themselves were poor.

Tepid Tar Heels - I’ve been wary of the coaching staff reaching for players north of the border (no, I don’t mean Canada though that would be apropos as well) … USC seems to be hitting a state more renowned for basketball, baseball, and soccer than for its football exploits … Let’s take a look at the Tar Heels on the 2007 roster:
Pierre Andrews (OG, R-FR) - squad player
Jason Barnes (WR, R-FR) - redshirted, 1 GS, 4 GP, 1 REC, 34 YDS
Tommy Beecher (QB, SO) - squad player
Andy Boyd (TE, R-SR) - 12 GP, 11GS, 9 REC, 102 YDS, 1 TD
Web Brown (C, SR) - 12 GP/GS as undersized center
Chris Culliver (WR, FR) - 12 GP, 1 GS, 34 KORET, 23.8 AVG, 44 LONG, 5 RUSH, 31 YDS, 6.2 AVG, 0 REC
Hutch Eckerson (OT, R-FR) - redshirted
Marque Hall (DT, R-JR) - 12 GP, 9 GS, 22 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 PBU, 5 QBH
Melvin Ingram (LB, FR) - 12 GP, 15 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 SACK
Bryan Kingrey (FB, JR) - 10 GP
Byron McKnight (DE, FR) - redshirted
Travian Robertson (DE, FR) - 12 GP, 1 GS, 7 TKL, 1 PBU, 1 QBH
Weslye Saunders (TE, FR) - 11 GP, 12 REC, 151 YDS, 12.6 AVG, 48 LONG
Cedric Snead (CB, FR) - squad player, who knows?
Ryan Succop (P/PK, JR) - 12 GS, 37-37 XP (100%), 13-17 FG (76.5%), 49 LG, 56 PNT, 41.6 AVG, 58 LG, 15 I20, 3 BLK, 60 KO, 11 TB
Alonzo Winfield (CB) - redshirted

So, that is 16 players, two starters on offense (W. Brown & A. Boyd), one starter on defense (M. Hall), and two starters (C. Culliver & R. Succop) on special teams … That is less than 1/3 of the Tar Heels, but if you factor in those that played in at least half the games it reveals nine of the 16 contributed ? with seven in the redshirt or squad player category … Don’t forget the Michael Bowman signee of 2007 - I believe he was redshirted this fall at East Carolina - and, save for 2-3 players, those guys don’t contribute too much.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes - In reference to music artist David Bowie’s 1972 single, “Changes”, something has to happen on the coaching staff … It might be one or two moves, but I believe on-the-field merits have warranted four or five changes … Evidently it has merited concern for Jeri Spurrier as well, who has recently commented that she is worried for her husband’s psyche during this losing streak so you can bet that the “Head Ball Coach” is going to make some alterations to the coaching staff … Let’s help him out by grading his assistant coaches:
S.C. State Salary Database (The State)
$195,000 Tyrone Nix - D - 5 teams rushed for 200+ yards and 8 players rushed for 100+ yards, is challenged schematically (without #52, he’s lost), I’ve been curious of his talents since watching Brad Smith run rampant at the 2005 I-Bowl
$167,000 Ron Cooper - B - 4 of top 8 tacklers are in the secondary and only one is a senior, consistent progress during 2007
$167,000 John Hunt - D - 3rd straight year that it has taken more than ½ the year to come up with a unit, allowed 31 sacks
$167,000 Steve Spurrier, Jr. - C - slow developing group, but set the single season mark for receptions and Lecorn came on
$160,000 Brad Lawing - D - commented last year about having Southern Conference talent and did a better job in 2006
$145,000 Fred Chatham - F - awful special teams play (terrible KO coverage/returns) that consistently lacked “effort”, tight ends improved, but had as many drops as catches the second half of the year (where was Jared Cook vs. Clemson?)
$132,000 Mark Smith - D - jury is out on this guy (he looks the part), but USC is weak and really waned in the second half
$120,000 Shane Beamer - F - poor OLB play all year and pitiful ST performances, didn’t and don’t understand his hiring
$120,000 David Reaves - C - lots of QBs to work with but not much production, seemingly did a good job in recruiting
$104,000 Jamie Speronis - A - must be the best job in the world, “Jamie get me another Diet Coke”
$85,000 Robert Gillespie - B - gross injustice in pay scale IMO, hopefully he has some talent to blend with M. Davis in 2008

USC A.D. - A note to Eric Hyman is for the University to back off its football reseating plan and upping the ante for Gamecock Club dues - why? … South Carolina needs to produce on the field, court, pitch, diamond, and gridiron for the Athletics Department to warrant change in Columbia - you know what, it isn’t needed right now … What USC has across the board is fine except for the need of an Academic Center … I’ve been everywhere in the ACC and SEC and though USC doesn’t rank in the top 1/3 of that group it definitely ranks in the middle tier and that’s fine with me for the performances of the athletic teams and salaries of coaches … South Carolina athletic teams (football, men’s soccer, women’s volleyball) failed to make the postseason this semester unless the football team gets some help (and if other 6-6 teams are playing then the USC A.D., needs to find a way to get Carolina into a bowl game ? go ask Darla Moore, Robert McNair, Charles Crews, Mike Mungo, etc., for some financial favors) … Volleyball just completed a third-straight losing season … Men’s soccer didn’t get invited to the postseason … Only women’s soccer made the NCAA Tournament and was eliminated in the First Round … Throw in a non-NIT or NCAA men’s basketball program (that just lost 2 of 3 in a holiday tournament), a lower than average women’s basketball team, up-and-down years in softball and both golf and tennis programs, to go along with no SEC baseball divisional titles since 2003 and you are asking for a lot from a fan base that has been there supporting “GAMECOCKS” through thick-and-thin … When is the “silent phase” going to be over? … Who ranks where amongst contributed monies to the Gamecock Club? … What in the heck is going on at 1300 Rosewood Drive? .. I was certainly pleased when the Mike McGee regime was ousted several years ago, but need to see some return for Gamecock fans support, contributions, and dedications - I’m not seeing that right now.

Message Board & Sports Radio Fans - Don’t we all fall into these categories - since you are reading this you probably pay attention to both … That being said, don’t be stupid! … First for the Message Board and school-based fan websites: it’s a great way to keep up with the school that you support, but don’t bow down to these folks that have no more credence, professionalism, or journalism expertise as the local hack, Ron Morris - press credentials are easily obtained if you can write, speak, communicate, and, in essence, “play the game” … Most have no “sources”, most have no “inside information”, and most are “detested” by the coaches themselves for penetrating the old media corps of newspapers, radio, and television … Secondly for the Sports Radio group: shock-jock talk (a la Jim Rome style) is for the weak-minded, non-informed, and, basically, ignorant fan base that cannot spell the word C-A-R-O-L-I-N-A or even know how to locate the cities of Athens, GA or Fayetteville, AR on a map … Turn the dial.

Vegas Bound - Time to leave the doldrums that are Gamecock Football behind this week for a trip to Las Vegas … Hopefully a bowl bid of some kind will trickle down for South Carolina, but if not, USC can rejoin the bottom half of the college football world by watching eight 2007 opponents in a bowl game, and hope that 2008 is a better year … That’s all folks!

This post was edited on 11/25 7:10 PM by Kubby