Week #7 - My thoughts and observations …

Road Trip – There really is nothing like getting on the road for a Southeastern Conference football road trip … This time KCock93 and I opted to fly out of Charlotte – thanks to Delta SkyMiles – and flew to Memphis, Tenn., on Friday … We saw a good number of Gamecock fans on the flight, including a group from Spartanburg and another group from Myrtle Beach … While traveling I enjoyed reading Brandenburg Gate by Henry Porter and have about 100 pages to go – good espionage thriller leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 … We rented a car from Enterprise at the airport via the internet earlier in the week and when we arrived they said they didn’t have it in stock, so they asked if I would like to take a Chevrolet Colorado (truck) … Very nice vehicle! … It was brand new – less than 1,000 miles on it – and had 4-wheel drive with XM radio and nice truck-grooved tires … Super truck (I might be in the market for one)!

Walking in Memphis - Beale Street is a G-O-O-D-T-I-M-E as “that long blonde haired boy” (Alan Jackson) would say – a comment from my grandfather, Papa Walt … My first visit to the Mississippi River based city, named after the ancient capital of Egypt that was located on the Nile River, was in 2006 for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and we had a really good time then as well – ain’t winning great? … There is something to do for all ages and the entertainment is outstanding … We took a taxi from the Crowne Plaza to Beale St., and immediately made our way to the Flying Saucer to check out some of the Major League Baseball postseason and found a really good beer called Ghost River Glacial Pale Ale that is brewed in Memphis by Ghost River Brewing … The amber colored beer was so good I had four of them! … From there it was over to the Blues City Café for dinner … The pork ribs, hickory smoked and lathered in a maple barbeque sauce, simply fall off the bone … Along with cole slaw, Texas toast, baked beans, and steak fries, it’s quite a deal for $13.95 (half-rack) … I had a couple of Sam Adams to wash it down as the comments were few and far between KC93 and myself as we “got after it” a bit … If I can ever get away from not ordering the ribs at BCC, I’m going to get their “world’s best tamales” – they looked incredible … I’m not a sweets eater, but for anyone that is, I don’t think you could go wrong by trying the Apple Dumpling with Ice Cream – those things were being sold by the droves and though it’s a lively atmosphere, there really isn’t much noise at the tables as everyone seemingly concentrates on eating everything in sight! … After dinner we ventured down Beale St., taking in the live music and at the end of the strip watched some rousing Blues sets and downed “Big Beale St. Beers” (Blue Moon) for about an hour … Afterwards we tipped the world famous Beale Street Jumpers (young black guys that are street performers who do all kinds of crazy flips, flops, air somersaults, etc. in their trademark big white T-shirts, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes – they are amazing) … Afterwards we ducked into a side alley for a live performance of a really good band that had their own entourage of girls “getting after it” – quite a sight! … Then, we made our way up to a bar across from The Peabody Hotel (you know, the place with the duck walk) and had a couple of more beers before turning in around midnight.

Saturday Morning – You could not have ordered better weather for the football game … After an outstanding southern breakfast (eggs over medium, grits, bacon, toast, grapefruit juice) at the Crowne Plaza (thanks Priority Club), we put our Gamecock flags and magnets on the Colorado (that is one nice truck) and headed to Oxford … Driving down KC93 announced that 9 of 10 sports scribes at Memphis’ Commercial Appeal had picked Ole Miss to win the game – I had selected 21-20 (good guys) … It was in the mid-60s that morning and not a cloud in the sky – incredible! … It’s an easy drive and a pretty one as well – I know Mississippi gets a bad rap about a lot of things, but the Magnolia State really does have some beautiful land and their highway system is well kept … From the Crowne Plaza to Oxford is right at 80 miles and an easy drive from 240-55-278 … We stopped at a Wal-Mart in Batesville to pick up tailgating goodies of chicken fingers, deli turkey sandwiches, chips, water, and of course, a case of Natural Light beer to put in the $1.88 styrofoam cooler! … The traffic wasn’t bad at all until we neared the main campus exits despite fans pouring in from all over … We decided to bypass the coliseum corridor in favor of the University exit and were quite surprised to find a parking lot right down the hill from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium – that had a sign out front boasting it was a Par 5 distance for $10 … It was a great spot and we ran into several seasoned USC fans that we see at a good many on the road trips … By 10:45 a.m., we were drinking cold beer and snacking away while listening to country music on WKIX 106-FM – good station! … We made our way to the stadium about 12:30 and luckily were in the East stands with the high sun to our backs for the first half – talk about a “red neck”!

I Love Mississippi – One thing you can count on when Ole Miss and South Carolina tangle on the gridiron is a close game … Entering the game the Rebels and Gamecocks had played 13 times with 10 of those contests being decided by single digits, including 10 of the last 11 meetings … Make that 11 of 12 now … What a game! … For the face value of $50 per ticket, fans definitely got their money’s worth on Homecoming in Oxford … Ole Miss had not lost a Homecoming game since 1996 and it is something they take very seriously … The last time Carolina traveled to Oxford in 2003, USC rallied in the fourth quarter only to lose 43-40 to Eli Manning’s Rebels … Would history repeat itself? … After a frantic first half that saw highs and lows for both teams the opening stanza wound up 21-17 in favor of Ole Miss … However, USC clamped down the Rebels in the second half and outscored Ole Miss 14-3 for a 31-24 victory … What a win for the Gamecocks – maybe the most significant of the Steve Spurrier era … Also, the new Daktronics video board at Ole Miss is outstanding and the stadium itself – all at one level – ensures that there are no bad seats … They have done a good job in their renovations at a solid SEC venue ... Also, kudos to the USC football team for acknowledging the fans that traveled to Oxford - great celebration for a well earned SEC road victory that was completed with Elvis on the video board performing 'An American Trilogy' from Hawaii that ended with the public address announcer saying, "Elvis has left the stadium".

Sizzling Smelley - Obviously quarterback Chris Smelley enjoyed his finest game in the Garnet & Black with 327 yards passing on 22 of 32 completions with one interception and three touchdowns … Smelley was hot as a firecracker in the second half by connecting on 15 of 17 throws and should have had a fourth TD pass if not for tight end Jared Cook pulling a hamstring on a 63-yard pass play down the Ole Miss sideline … It appears that Smelley finally feels comfortable in the pocket and is actually making reads through his progressions – something that didn’t happen towards the end of last year or earlier this season … I really liked the way he distributed the ball (nine players had receptions and four with more than 50 yards) and outside of a very poor INT and a couple of other mis-throws thought he did a fine job … He still needs to chunk the ball out of bounds every now and then instead of taking a sack, but he has definitely improved under Spurrier’s tutelage.

Coming Out Party – Hello Jason Barnes! … The redshirt freshman from Charlotte, N.C., turned in his best game with seven catches for 76 yards and two TDs … The 20-yard TD pass he held onto when getting his helmet knocked off in the back of the end zone was a big time play! … Then, with Carolina trailing 21-17 late in the 3rd Quarter, Smelley hooked up with Barnes for the all important go ahead touchdown – some past USC teams would have faltered when facing this situation.

Welcome Back – Good to see you Kenny McKinley … The all-everything senior returned to the gridiron almost in a decoy role, but still managed to haul in four passes for 58 yards … He commands attention when he’s on the field and this allows the other receivers and tight ends to get into the flow … Junior Moe Brown (3 REC, 67 YDS) also bounced back after being MIA since the Georgia game ... What a lick Akeem Auguste delivered - kid's going to be a player!

Tough Running – I know the statistics don’t look great for Mike Davis vs. Ole Miss, but I thought his tough 73 yards rushing were integral in keeping the Rebels off balance … Right now, USC’s best feature is its passing attack and it was open all day vs. Ole Miss … However, a healthy Davis toted the ball 19 times and collected one catch for 17 yards … The fourth down call late in the fourth quarter was not good and I was hoping to see another QB sneak behind Jamon Meredith at left guard – go behind your best blocker, especially one projected to be a First Round pick in next April’s NFL Draft.

Play of the Game I – Sophomore free safety Chris Culliver’s bone jarring hit on D. McCluster turned what appeared to be a 28-17 Ole Miss advantage into the turning point of the game … What a hit! … Then, USC’s best football player, junior Emanuel Cook, picked up the loose ball and showed off his running skills that made him a renowned player in the Florida prep ranks, as he rumbled 52 yards to set up what would then be the go ahead score on Carolina’s next possession … Nice job by ECook to wrap up the ball as the opposing player raced him down.

Play of the Game II – Trailing 14-10 early in the 2nd Quarter, sophomore defensive end Clifton Geathers tracked down Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead and not only got a five yard loss, but also knocked the ball loose where junior tackle Nathan Pepper scooped up the ball and – lesson learned by Big Nate from the 2006 Clemson game – wrapped up the ball en route to a 29-yard scamper for USC’s first lead which evaporated the quick start by Ole Miss and proved that Carolina was in the ball game.

Play of the Game III – Normally a 95-yard drive would get this honor and considering the sputtering of the USC offense this fall maybe it deserves the #1 “play of the game” … It’s semantics really, but what an amazing answer after Ole Miss pinned South Carolina at the 5-yard line early in the 4th Quarter .. 11 plays and 4:39 later it was 31-21 in as fine a drive engineered by a USC QB in some time … The touchdown play is something I don’t think we would have seen Smelley pull off 3-4 weeks ago, but his improvisation of the pass to Joe Hills really illustrated his maturation process … With a 10-point lead with 8 ½ minutes remaining things looked good for the Gamecocks that went on a 28-7 run after falling behind 14-3.

Offense Evolution – I think what what we are witnessing is the evolution of Coach Spurrier’s offense at USC … The younger players seem to have grasped the concept and their roles for contributing and this will only get better (or should) as the season progresses … In SEC games, USC has rushed for 92 (Vanderbilt), 18 (Georgia), and 78 (Ole Miss) yards compared to 171 (N.C. State), 172 (Wofford), and 158 (UAB) … However, Carolina has rolled up 831 passing yards in the three SEC outings – 233 (Vanderbilt), 271 (Georgia), and 327 (Ole Miss) … Carolina has only punted 15 times (2 ½ per game), but USC wasn’t getting the opportunity to finish drives due to interceptions (12) and bogging down for field goals … But, USC has converted 20 of 24 opportunities in the Red Zone (13TD, 7FG) and that kind of efficiency should pay dividends in the second half of the season.

OL Outs – Talked to some USC fans at the airport and prior to the game on Saturday and a guy that really keeps his ear to the ground so-to-speak, mentioned the defections of several sophomore offensive linemen at season’s end … I questioned the quality of the group because I knew they had the quantity to be serviceable and heard encouraging reports by Kyle Nunn, Quentin Richardson, and TJ Johnson.

Nix Nixed – Not to rehash my feelings of former USC Defensive Coordinator Tyrone Nix, but I sure am glad he is in Oxford and not Columbia … The low total vs. I-A foes this year that Ole Miss has held opponents to is 23 points (Vanderbilt) and six of those came on a 79-yard INT return … So, the other five games has seen 24 points or more go against the Rebels … The adjustment that Ellis Johnson made to nullify Dexter McCluster’s prowess doubtfully would have been done a year ago at USC and we would have witnessed another Arkansas or Florida debacle … 3rd and 20 (long) was exactly what we needed against a Nix defense ... He lived up to his USC reputation for giving up the real estate when your team can not afford it most! … This year will be a grace period for the Mississippi native, but you can bet that Houston Nutt plays to win and if these shenanigans continue next year then the Southern Miss alum might be looking elsewhere.

SEC – Only five teams have a league winning percentage of greater than .500 midway through the 2008 slate and below is an update on the SEC standings from 2000-present:

.721, 49-19, Auburn (1 title)
.721, 49-19, LSU (3 titles)
.696, 48-21, Florida (2 titles)
.687, 46-21, Georgia (2 titles)
.667, 44-22, Tennessee
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.485, 32-34, Arkansas
.471, 33-37, Alabama
.456, 31-37, SOUTH CAROLINA
.368, 25-43, Ole Miss
.246, 16-49, Kentucky
.227, 15-51, Miss. State
.171, 12-58, Vanderbilt

Time – How did a non-televised game take 3 hours and 17 minutes to play? … Well, when you have the bozos known as SEC officials huddling up after nearly every series then the game tends to drag on … Thus far, only one game has been finished under three hours – Wofford (2:34) … I don’t mind the time so much as it is the long breaks and lack of flow to the game … If Pay-Per-View is the root cause, then I vote to eliminate that option altogether – with nearly 6,000 empty seats in Oxford, I’m sure the Ole Miss brass will consider that next go around … Plus, I heard the broadcast wasn’t very good.

Shanks – Maybe the lack of punting opportunities contributed to Spencer Lanning’s nine-yard shank in the 2nd Quarter … In the past three games USC has only attempted three punts and the two vs. UAB resulted in a 44.0 average … No touchbacks for Ryan Succop on six kickoffs and a missed 38-yard field goal kicking off artificial turf – everyone gets a mulligan from time to time (I hope that is all it is) … I don’t understand Chris Culliver’s kickoff returns strategy – just a 20 yard average and a 23.2 average for the season – I expected more.

Delta Queens – No doubt that there is something in the water down on the Mississippi Delta as the old saying goes at Ole Miss – “where they redshirt Miss Americas” … However, there were some lookers in Memphis proper as well and the USC traveling crew was well represented … One of the better weekends for eye candy in recent memory.

Basketball – On the way out to Memphis, I saw Mississippi State basketball coach Rick Stansbury at the Charlotte airport after a recruiting visit ... He was donning his maroon MSU adidas basketball training jacket ... He was approached by two Gamecock women who asked him about "How do you like our new coach?" and his reply was "I liked the old coach" ... He went on to ask the women, "Why don't the Gamecock fans turn out for basketball like they do for football ... Y'all could be 0-13 and fill that stadium, but unless you're having a really good year in basketball, that place is never near full ... USC basketball fans are perceived as the worst in the SEC with the exception of Auburn."

Me Likes Ole Miss - Ole Miss fans are among the nicest and most hospitable in the SEC ... They share many a Gamecock fans wishes of "let's get bowl eligible" and the 8-9-10 win seasons are gravy ... A couple from Coffeyville, MS introduced us to red pepper crackers – awesome – and genuinely appreciated the USC faithful for making the long trip westward.

Gamecock Nation – The USC crowd exceeded my expectations – I would venture to say there were close to 4,000 in Oxford out of their announced crowd of 54,628? … Amazing to see so many of the same faces on the road year after year and game after game despite the results from the team sometimes … I would rather attend the away games than the home games, so much more atmosphere and what it means to the other fans -- SEC ones in particular … We met some fine ones on this trip from Coffeyville, self-proclaimed “country folks” who liked to brag about the margaritas they could get about 15 miles away so that the preacher and church folks wouldn’t see them … I felt like I was on the road to Itta Bena (O Brother, Where Art Thou)

Questions - What in the heck was CC Whitlock doing on that play in the 4th Quarter when the Ole Miss receiver was essentially doing jumping jacks, but Snead never saw him – whew, that would have been an easy six for the Rebels … Also, how does Addison Williams wind up on the same side of the field as Whitlock late in the game? … If you noticed the opening plays of the game, while Captain Munnerlyn sat out for suspension, Snead went right after Williams’ receiver … Maybe a redshirt would benefit Williams or Whitlock in the future?

Vandy - WOW! ... They may be doing it with smoke and mirrors, but Vanderbilt is certainly long on one attribute - HEART ... They never stop believing and playing for each other ... I don’t like Vandy, but it really is a great story for what is the essence of sport - playing hard, believing, and loving the game … It will be interesting to see what happens if Bobby Johnson takes a higher profile job after this season and how Vandy does in his absence … Of course, Johnson is also the only coach since 1980 to post losing seasons at I-AA power Furman University and he achieved that ‘honor’ twice during his tenure in Greenville.

Tigers Reeling - I said at the beginning of the year that Carolina was a 7-8 win team and Clemson was a 7-8 win team ... Now, the Tigers will be lucky to get there still having to face Georgia Tech, @ Boston College, @ Florida State, Duke, Virginia, and South Carolina … When I heard the Maryland/UVA final, my jaw dropped as I was certain the score was reversed …

Succop in the Clutch? - This may be the game he's called upon to win the game for us and if it is from 37 yards, he needs to deliver ... He could go down as the top placekicker in USC history with a "game-winner" in his repertoire, something he lacks ... I know Alabama missed several FGs and this is exactly what gives the Wildcats hope.

"My Old Kentucky Home" - Gamecocks are 4-0 at UK in the 21st Century: 2006 (24-17); 2004 (12-7); 2002 (16-12); 2000 (20-17); AVG 18-13 … It will be another tight one in horse country – time for the boys to recognize they’ll need their game faces on from the get-go (remember the Vanderbilt loss from last year) … Call to the Post – heading up on Friday for an afternoon at Keeneland and an early kickoff on Saturday … What a great aspect of this trip in October - to fully appreciate Lexington is to enjoy the trip to Keeneland for the horse racing – awesome time! … I like USC 23-13 UK … See you in the Bluegrass!