Week #9 - My thoughts and observations …

Open Date – Thank goodness! … Eight straight weeks of Carolina Football is a grind no matter how much you love the sport and following the team … This season has already included trips to Nashville-TN, Oxford-MS, and Lexington-KY and five home games … USC is 5-3 on the year and 2-3 in SEC action … The Gamecocks sport a 3-2 record at Williams-Brice Stadium and a 2-1 mark on the road ... I plan on doing as little as possible when it comes to college football this week to gear up for the stretch run that includes two crucial home contests vs. Tennessee and Arkansas after the break – no reason USC shouldn’t be favored to win those games and if we come back for the November 15 game at Florida with a 7-3 record overall and a 4-3 SEC mark, then there will be all to play for with a potential SEC East Division title within reach.

Pregame – We left Cayce en route to the State Farmers Market around 3 o’clock on Saturday … We opted for the 12th Street Extension, I-77, and Bluff Road path and made our parking spot in the Watermelon Shed around 3:20 p.m. – no problems with S.C. State Fair traffic (that is always so overrated) … The cold Natural Light flowed from the outset and we tailgated with Zesto’s broasted chicken, French fries, cole slaw (best in Columbia), and rolls … It was a lively tailgate following consecutive SEC road victories and everyone was in high spirits for the 8 p.m., kickoff … The infamous D.E., sat with me during the game and we had a good time cheering on the Gamecocks.

LSU – No use dwelling on the negatives, LSU is a better football team in all three phases of the game … That game was out of my system when I got back to the State Farmers Market – I had a different perception leaving the Vanderbilt and Georgia games … I went with my heart earlier in the week and predicted a 23-19 Carolina victory and thought that might come about when USC led 17-10 at the half after surprising me with all of the Gamecocks scoring in the 2nd Quarter … However, the Bayou Bengals absolutely dominated the second half, especially the 4th Quarter when Louisiana State rolled up an 11:39 – 3:21 advantage in Time of Possession … The Gamecocks once again were involved in a 2008 SEC game that wound up seven points in differential – Carolina is 2-3 in those contests … USC has definitely improved, however, LSU is the defending SEC and National Champion and seemed to me that they were never unnerved and totally determined not to lose two games in a row … Keilan Williams (15/72) and Charlie Scott (16/61) combined for 31 carries, 133 yards, and two touchdowns as LSU rushed 46 times for 164 yards and that allowed the quarterback duo of J. Lee (16-26) and A. Hatch (2-3) to keep a balance that totaled 363 yards in all on 75 offensive plays … Conversely, USC only ran 57 plays that included a much maligned six sacks and a paltry 1.3 yards per rush on 31 attempts … Defensively, USC fought hard, but was manhandled near the goal line and allowed 22 first downs … LSU converted 6 of 14 third down opportunities while limiting USC to just 1 of 9 – essentially that was the ballgame … In the special teams category, LSU’s Colt David made his only field goal attempt on the Tigers’ second possession of the game when he connected from 48 yards away … Carolina’s Ryan Succop went 1-of-2 as he hit from 21 yards but also had an inexcusable 39-yard miss at home – making him 3 of his last 8 after hitting all four attempts vs. UAB on September 27 in Columbia … The Gamecocks lost the turnover battle (3-1) once again as Carolina threw an interception and lost two fumbles … South Carolina put up a valiant effort, but LSU is better – period!

Fear the Hat – Say what you will about Les Miles, but the guy is 39-7 overall at LSU since 2005 and that includes two SEC West Division titles, one SEC championship, and last year’s National Championship … The November 8 game vs. #2 Alabama should decide the SEC West Division and you can bet #11 LSU will not want to yield to former head coach Nick Saban … I remembered Miles from his days at Oklahoma State on the staff of former Cowboys coach Bob Simmons, who had just one winning season in six years at Stillwater … After a 4-7 season in his inaugural year of 2001, Miles led the Cowpokes to three consecutive winning seasons and a 2-2 record in four seasons vs. arch-rival and national power Oklahoma.

Gamecock Nation – Well done South Carolina fans! … I recorded the game and watched most of the replay on Monday … Very impressive! … The crowd was electric and into the game the entire way … The student section was the best I have ever seen it in Columbia dating back to 1989 – reminiscent of the 1987 Clemson game … The spirit rags – white, thank goodness – showed up great against the sea of Garnet & Black and the north end zone and that section of the East stands was in constant motion the entire time … I believe it was the best home game setting since the 2005 Florida game … I’ve heard some local radio shows rail against the fans for leaving with four minutes remaining, but I really didn’t notice it too much from Section 9 … How many really left Williams-Brice Stadium? … For my money - $55 per ticket – I thought it was an outstanding atmosphere and one that had to impress the national television audience … Remember, we all love college football and there are only seven home games a year so why leave early if you did? … I love night games at Williams-Brice Stadium and the electricity was there for the full 60 minutes.

Game Balls – Emanuel Cook continues to prove he is the best defensive player not only at USC, but in the SEC … The junior from Riviera Beach, FL, tallied a game-high 11 tackles with eight solo stops … Chris Culliver chipped in nine tackles (six solos) and one pass broken up … Eric Norwood got another tackle for loss (1.5 credited) and had eight stops with four solos and a PBU … Carlos Thomas held on to a J. Lee pass and returned it 46 yards to setup South Carolina’s go ahead halftime score … Stephen Garcia never looked rattled to me and I don’t believe he will face a tougher defense the rest of the season … The redshirt freshman completed 14 of 26 passes for 215 yards (15.4 average), one TD, and one INT … The six sacks were partially his fault (I know of one in particular, but the Offensive Line is just pathetic) … I thought the two improvised plays where he found Kenny McKinley (one catch, one drop) down field after scrambling just shows you what kind of potential he has athletically – if either Chris Smelley or Tommy Beecher were behind center vs. LSU, then the sack total would have read a dozen! … The tight ends of Jared Cook (5 for 74) and Weslye Saunders (1 for 26, 1 TD) were outstanding and IMO under-utilized throughout the game as the middle slant/drag route was open all day … Spencer Lanning had his booming shoes on this past weekend with a 44.8 average on five punts that included one being downed inside the 20 yard line … I would be remiss not to mention Umpire Wilbur Hackett who leveled Garcia on a play late in the 2nd Quarter with a shoulder charge that I’m sure put a smile on all zebra stripes everywhere – luckily it didn’t cost USC any points.

OL Woes – Needless to say the offensive line is a top concern … I stated before the season about knowing quite well that Carolina had the quantity to field an OL, but I questioned the “quality” of that group … Is this really what Coach John Hunt has to work with or are others just not getting an opportunity, because the game-to-game and season-to-season product is pitiful … I have read where a couple of “insiders” and parents have commented that to truly know the OL scheme that you must realize their assignments and their responsibilities … Well, I don’t know what those assignments/responsibilities are because that is not shared with “John Q Fan” … However, what I do get to judge is 12 Saturdays a Fall and since 2005 the product is absolutely poor … No fire, no emotion, no determination, no grit, no passion, etc. … What is left to say? … No talent? … No coaching? … How would we ever know? … The only thing that is fact is that South Carolina averages 2.9 yards per rush and has allowed a national high 30 sacks … Last year those totals read 3.6 AVG and 31 Sacks … In 2006 it was 4.5 AVG and 24 Sacks and and in 2005 it was 3.1 AVG and 30 Sacks … Folks, those are not good numbers, save for the average in 2006 … Everything else adds up to at least two sacks per game … Simply put, the OL is soft and that includes everyone – you don’t judge an OL individually … It’s like a glove – unless all fingers and thumb work together properly then it’s bound to have gaps and disruptions … Somehow or another Steve Spurrier has been able to get past this obvious weakness to the tune of a 26-19 record and 13-16 SEC mark – not bad with a sieve known as the offensive line!

Dropped Balls – What is going on with Mike Davis? … Ever since The State newspaper highlighted he and Cory Boyd last season about not fumbling the ball, he appears to have gone in the tank … Not only is he averaging just 3.9 yards per carry on 97 attempts, but he has only scored twice, and is averaging just 53.9 yards per game … The senior from Columbia, S.C., has caught 16 passes, but has dropped at least half that number … Throw in the fact that he has either lost the ability to block or just doesn’t want to block anymore and he’s become a liability in the backfield … Maybe he can get things turned around because Carolina has got to find someone to tote the rock consistently forward despite the lack of blocking … Poor old Addison Williams – the kid just can’t catch a break in the secondary … Despite recovering a fumble for the second straight week, Williams was inserted at corner back to cover for Captain Munnerlyn and Carlos Thomas due to more cramps – something that Thomas said “that he and Munnerlyn should have done a better job of prehydrating” … Sure enough, just like Clemson last year on the final drive and Ole Miss this year on the opening drive, the LSU coaching staff saw #7 out there and immediately picked on him with a 36-yard pass from Jarrett Lee to Demetrius Byrd to give the Tigers 1st-and-10 at the South Carolina 20-yard line … Six plays later LSU scored the game-winner and won 24-17.

Bumblin’, Fumblin’, Stumblin’ – How about the problems up the road at Clemson? … I don’t comment often on our arch-rivals, but the troubles in Tiger Town are a real mess! … The real problem as I can see is the fact that the disillusioned Clemson fans and their perceptions of what Clemson football is in 2008 … They want to be SEC-like with the pomp and circumstance of big time college football, but are stuck in the fourth or fifth at-best league in the country … I am not going to down play what Clemson did in the 1980s ... Danny Ford had a solid program before and after a mythical National Championship in 1981 and three subsequent years of probation ... However, for the Tigers faithful to consider Clemson as an elite program is just not true the past 15 years ... Since 1993, Clemson has finished in the AP Top 20 just once -- 2000 (#16) ... Look it up if you want to verify it, but here are the numbers: 2007 - #21; 2005 - #21; 2003 - #22; 2000 - #16; 1993 - #23 … Clemson has benefitted from playing in the ACC by compiling just above .500 seasons and going to minor bowl games ... If that's below the expectations of the Tigers fan base then maybe some hard facts analysis needs to be spun by the spin-meisters wearing orange … By the way, the bush-league antics of Dabo Swinney leave a lot to be desired … From the arm-in-arm walk across the field to the kissing of the rock to the running/gunning down the hill – that is hairy high school crap and Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson smirked the entire first half because if a ‘real team’ would have been against the Yellow Jackets this past Saturday then chances are GT loses – wasn’t going to happen with the shenanigans Clemson pulled to cap off a nationally embarrassing week for the upstate school … Time to start beating those guys on the gridiron!