Week 5 Thoughts

[E.T.G.]

Gimme a day or 2 to update the crap. Shitty week with Utah-7.5 and SJST. Went 0-2 on totals as well, should of stuck with just LSU/Miami and not the unders in both games. Final decision making continues to be a problem for me.


Won't make a sep thread for the SC game, I think this line is pretty spot on this week. If you are thinking of playing it on either side, few quick notes. Heralded RS-Frosh Stephen Garcia WILL play this game. He may end up starting and never coming out or he might see spot duty, it depends how he performs in practice this week. Spurrier opened up all the positions on offense this week so there could be some new faces. Regardless, SC problem on offense is turnovers (12) and untimely mistakes. Their overall stats are not that bad on offense:

3rd in SEC in passing
5th in Red-Zone offense
1st in First Downs

11th in Scoring.

Obviously, the problem has been putting the ball in the endzone. UAB QB is a little mobile but the defense should hold UAB to 10 and under, so, can SC score 35+? Its not something I am willing to put my money on at the moment, would rather see it happen first, even if this is the 115th ranked defense in the country. Regardless, they better figure it out on offense this week with conference play starting back up next week.

Mike Davis is out this game so the primary RB's will be Soph Brian Maddox and Frosh Eric Baker.

Players Out/Suspended for SC this week: McKinnley, DE Jordin Lindsey, RG Batchelor, RB Mike Davis.

USF -9:

I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the NCST team, I can probably name more players on that team right now than any other team besides SC. I spent a lot of time in the summer learning about them and its a shame they've come down with the injuries they have. The latest casulties are Russell Wilson and Nate Irving. The NCST offense did get Jamelle Eugene back last week to help form a 1-2 combo with Andrea Brown, BUT, Wilson also played really well and Harrison Beck, I'm not sure he is capable of doing the same, he is very turnover prone. USF comes into this game off a very poor effort against FIU, disinterested would be a good word but I didn't watch it, just going by the box score. USF strength so far this year has been their rush defense and the strength of the NCST offense would have to be their rush offense. I'm confident that USF wins this matchup. Obviously all season Selvie has been the victim of double and triple teams, the other men on the DL need to thank him for that and start stepping up. The running game for USF should continue to improve as they get Ford/Williams back from injury. Irving is a big big loss on defense, this is a very young squad and depth continues to get slashed every week. NCST does not have the horses to keep up for a full 4 quarters in this game.

 

[E.T.G.]

Some of the rest of the games I am going through:

WMU-3.5
NW+9
Purdue+1
UGA-7
BGSCU-3.5
CU+5.5
Nevada+4
Ark St-1
Ok St-16.5

 

[RetroVK]

Good stuff ETG ...

don't you think the south carolina problems in scoring td at the end of drives is that the offensive line at some point just breaks down for or a play or two and ruins the whole damn thing ?? Also , it looks like the team psyche is bad ... when something goes wrong they kind of seem to hang their heads about it. When you say that positions are opened up this week ... do you mean mainly the O-line ? And isn't this exactly what he did last year with the offensive line right before the collapse ?

Honestly , i think south carolina puts it on UAB in a big way here but i never like to put my money on something i haven't seen yet ... and i havent seen an offensive explosion from these guys yet.


Enjoyed your thoughts on the usf game. I hvae a feeling usf is going to be on eof those teams that gets up for their decent competition ( like kansas and ncstate this week ) and plays way below average against the weak competition ( ucf and fiu ). Injuries should be too much for that team to overcome and they may just be trying to get settled in for the conference slate with getting Beck ready.

 

[E.T.G.]

Good stuff ETG ...

don't you think the south carolina problems in scoring td at the end of drives is that the offensive line at some point just breaks down for or a play or two and ruins the whole damn thing ?? Also , it looks like the team psyche is bad ... when something goes wrong they kind of seem to hang their heads about it. When you say that positions are opened up this week ... do you mean mainly the O-line ? And isn't this exactly what he did last year with the offensive line right before the collapse ?

Honestly , i think south carolina puts it on UAB in a big way here but i never like to put my money on something i haven't seen yet ... and i havent seen an offensive explosion from these guys yet.


Enjoyed your thoughts on the usf game. I hvae a feeling usf is going to be on eof those teams that gets up for their decent competition ( like kansas and ncstate this week ) and plays way below average against the weak competition ( ucf and fiu ). Injuries should be too much for that team to overcome and they may just be trying to get settled in for the conference slate with getting Beck ready.

Kyle, when I say positions are open this week, I mean the whole Offense (QB-RB-WR-OL). Now of course, I know some players will keep their spots, Cook at TE, Anderson at C, Sorensen at RT, Meredith at LG/LT but everyone else is competing for their spot this week. I think competition is a good thing, but certainly, having open tryouts is what the off-season is for. It is likely not as dramatic as it seems though and by Thursday when the starting lineup is released there will probably be minor changes. I don't believe Spurrier opening up try-outs last yr contributed to the collapse, being very young with very little experience along with a whole rash of injuries was why they went down hill.

Why does the offense have problems? I think there is a variety of reasons. I don't think Chris Smelley is the QB to run the type of offense that Spurrier wants, neither is Beecher, so if Garcia can't do it, well, lets not even think about that right now. Smelley in my opinion and even Spurrier has said the same, doesn't read the defense all the time, he predetermines where he is going to throw the ball. He had a lot of time against UGA, he had plenty of time versus Wofford and for the most part, he had a decent amount of time against Vandy but he gets caught holding the ball too long and he has no feel for the pocket. He puts no touch on his short passes and he can't throw a good deep ball. Also have the #1 WR out hurts but its good in a way so other players have to step up. Below are 2 pictures from the Wofford game. I think they speak for themselves.

Obviously he had all day, yet b4 the snap he decided he was going deep to Moe Brown, even though there are 6 Wofford helmets there.

I think, really, the OL shoulders too much of the blame. Mike Davis had holes to run through versus UGA, he never hit them. His fumble was total bullshit on his part. He decided before the snap that he was going to jump into the endzone, if he kept to the corner, he would still be running right now. Smelley has had a lot of time and he holds the ball way too long. The OL is not the problem but SC does need to find some balance on offense, they need to quit turning the ball over, and eveything else will take care of itself. The defense and the hire of Ellis Johnson has been excellent in my opinion and that unit will only continue to improve because they are still fairly young at key positions.

Garcia, though inexperienced, brings some fire with his play. When he went in versus UGA, every player on the sideline was standing up to see what he would do. He is capable of making all the throws and he is going to make some mistakes (like that matters at this point with the other 2 qb's) but I believe the kid is as talented as they say, it remains to be seen what he does when the ship is his.

Can SC drop a big 40 something on UAB this week? Its certainly possible but its not something I can risk without seeing happen first. Ideally, the offense goes out and looks good this weekend heading into a pivotal game with Ole Miss next week.


Agree 100% on NCST/USF

 

[RetroVK]

With Garcia does spurrier use more rolling the pocket and/or having the qb in space running or throwing on the run.... maybe use a little misdirection rollouts and such ?? He seems more apt to do the things that other QB's traditionally did under spurrier. correct me if i am wrong.

 

[E.T.G.]

With Garcia does spurrier use more rolling the pocket and/or having the qb in space running or throwing on the run.... maybe use a little misdirection rollouts and such ?? He seems more apt to do the things that other QB's traditionally did under spurrier. correct me if i am wrong.

You are correct. I would imagine he has Garcia rolling out some to give him the option of run/pass, he is pretty mobile but don't get it confused with a running QB. From reports, he throws well on the run where the other 2 QB's can't.

Scott Hood
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
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Stephen Garcia has taken all of three snaps in his college football career.

Come Saturday, he's going to get a lot more than that.

Looking to ignite a sputtering offense, South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier said Tuesday the heralded freshman from Tampa, Fla., would play "a bunch" on Saturday night when USC faces Alabama-Birmingham (1-3) in the third of four conference matchups this season.

"I know people want to see Stephen Garcia," Spurrier said during his weekly press conference at Williams-Brice Stadium. "The only way to find out what he can do is probably let him go play, so we're definitely planning on using him a bunch and maybe start him. We'll see how it goes the next two or three practices."

"We're definitely going to let him pitch it around. We're definitely going to let him play some this week. I don't know yet how much. We're going to practice here the next three days and then announce the starters and go from there. He could start this week."

Spurrier promised to reveal the entire offensive starting lineup, including the quarterback, for the UAB game on Thursday.

The Gamecocks will look to surpass the .500 mark with a win over the Blazers, the final non-conference tuneup before they move into the heart of the SEC slate. The next six contests are against SEC foes.

The stretch of games against conference competition begins Oct. 4 when USC travels to Ole Miss.

Spurrier first said Garcia would get a chance to compete for the starting job during the aftermath of USC's lethargic 23-13 victory over Wofford last Saturday night.

The Gamecocks moved the ball well at times against Wofford with quarterback Chris Smelley, generating 30 first downs and converting most of its third down chances (7 of 11). But USC still struggled to score points in the red zone, settling for field goals twice after moving inside Wofford's five-yard line. They also committed three turnovers.

Spurrier didn't rule out Garcia "going the distance," as he likes to say, against UAB on Saturday. However, with Smelley around, that's unlikely to happen.

"It depends on how it goes," Spurrier said. "(Smelley) hasn't gotten to where we hoped that he could be. That's why we're going to play Stephen. If Chris was tearing them up and doing everything we're asking him to do, shoot, there wouldn't be any question he'd be our best quarterback.

"There's a few plays here and there that, for whatever reason, the ball doesn't come out or get to where we think it's got a chance to go. Again, I don't know exactly what Stephen will do. I hope he'll perform well. I don't know what's going to happen. But we've got to turn him loose and see what happens."

Spurrier won't kick Smelley to the curb just yet. The redshirt sophomore from Tuscaloosa, Ala., would savor the chance to start against UAB considering it's a school within his native state, guaranteeing family and friends would be able to watch him.

Ironically, lost in all the speculation surrounding Garcia is the fact Smelley has posted career-best numbers so far this season. He has completed 63.8 percent (74 of 116) of his passes for 800 yards and six touchdowns.

Among SEC quarterbacks, Smelley ranks fourth in passing yards per game (200.0) and passing efficiency (130.2 rating). USC has registered the most first downs (88) of any conference team and is third in passing offense (226.5 ypg), yet ranks 11th in scoring offense (20.2 ppg) and eighth in total offense (339.8 ypg).

Even that paradox has Spurrier scratching his head.

What's holding USC back? The Gamecocks have turned the ball over 12 times in the first four games, an average of three per game. USC's negative-7 (12-5) turnover margin is the worst in the SEC.

While Smelley has posted respectable numbers from an individual standpoint, he's also thrown five interceptions and frequently missed open receivers. Last Saturday, he spent most of the night flipping dump-off passes, swing passes and middle screens to running backs circling out of the backfield or short, safe passes to receivers.

Deep passes to speedy receivers streaking down the field? They were nonexistent.

"Chris Smelley has played pretty well," Spurrier said. "He just hasn't played great. At some point, you've got to play great. When it's there and it's open and you've got time, you've got to hit (that pass). Sometimes we just don't get the ball thrown and so forth.

"His short passes were very good the other day. Heck, we made seven third downs out of 11. His short ball was pretty good, catchable and all that. I just wish he could hit the big opportunities when they're there. Right now, we're not even throwing it."

Spurrier rejected the suggestion that Smelley lacks the arm strength to make the necessary throws. Rather, he blamed the sophomore's struggles on the failure to throw it where Spurrier wants and not reading coverages correctly.

"I don't think so," Spurrier said. "Sometimes, the ball just doesn't go where we wanted it to. We're trying to get him to think all the way through every play. Sometimes I just think he makes up his mind that I'm going to throw to this guy no matter what the coverage is. He's not playing the play out."

The centerpiece of Spurrier's offensive system are deep passes to wide receivers with the speed and ability to run past SEC defensive backs. In fact, Spurrier expects his quarterback to often look for the long pass first and then work his way back closer to the line of scrimmage. But that hasn't happened, especially in the absence of Kenny McKinley.

"We actually have a plan on every play," Spurrier said. "Sometimes (Smelley) doesn't start with the plan of looking for the deep ball first, or the deeper receiver first, and then working your way down. Sometimes he works to the other guy first and doesn't look to the deeper guy. After three years, I expect him to see those deeper guys a little bit better. Hopefully, he'll start seeing those throws.

"I know all of us would love to see some 15, 25, 30-yard completions every now and then. We're going to keep trying, though."

Contrastly, Spurrier said Garcia too often in practice looks for the deep receiver immediately and doesn't work down through his progressions.

"We've got to find out, in the heat of battle, if he's just going to toss it down there," Spurrier said. "Our other quarterbacks have tossed it down there when they shouldn't. They haven't picked them out exceptionally well yet. We've got to live with (Garcia) not being perfect, of course. We need to give him a chance to see what happens."

This weekend's contest against the 1-3 Blazers could be a good time for USC's passing attack to get healthy, albeit temporarily. UAB possesses one of the worst pass defenses anywhere with a No. 117 ranking nationally.

The Blazers are surrendering 315.0 yards per game through the air. The fewest passing yards UAB has allowed this season is 259 to Div. I-AA Alabama State last Saturday. In the first two games of the season, UAB allowed 361 and 358 passing yards to Tulsa and Florida Atlantic, respectively.

Even struggling Tennessee compiled 282 passing yards on Sept. 13 in a 35-3 victory over the Blazers.

"We've got to look at the defense and make a decision where to throw it," Spurrier said. "Football is not real complicated, it really isn't. If they play way back, you've got to throw it in front of them. If they play tight, you better be able to throw it over their head or you're in for a long day. It really hasn't changed much from sandlot ball. You get in the open area of a defense and the quarterback throws it to the open area and away you go. Some guys have a knack of it and some guys sort of struggle. Right now, we're not doing it quite right."

 

[RambleOn]

GL this week broski

 

[E.T.G.]

UGA -7

Can't embed this cause I'm dumb. Move to around 1:00 minute mark, I'm sure UGA players heard all about this as if they need any other motivation with a top-10 team coming to their stadium. It actually made the front page of their rivals website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beP_3gGJ5So

"They're wearing black cause they're going to a mother-fuken funeral"

I think UGA is a team we will see get better every week. There is 1 concern I do have with UGA starting a true-frosh at center in this game, from all accounts, he is a beast, but he is going to be paired against that mamoth Cody so he has to hold up in the middle. Obviously, UGA's weakest part on offense is their OL, which isn't a good thing, but its not really that weak and I can see it improving since the start of the season.

Alright so getting into this game. I have more trouble assessing how good Bama is than I do with UGA. Some problems with Bama start with JPW. If his time is limited this weekend, Bama will be in a world of trouble. Bama's OL is good, but is it great like people are proclaiming? I think they are good, not great. UGA rush defense is very good and very fast so if they contain Bama ground game, can JPW put the team on his shoulder? Clemsux was just so out-coached in that game, its really hard for me to grasp how Bama will do going against the UGA rushing attack. AJ Green also adds so much to the vertical passing game for Stafford, its going to be fun to watch those 2 hook up all season. Stafford has been taking care of the ball, he calls the plays at the line after reading the defense, and I believe this yr he really lives up to the hype. AJ Green's emergence also moves MoMass into what I feel is a better spot for him, a #2 WR.

I'm not totally convinced that Bama can get to Stafford without sending the blitz and that is a big big problem if they are picked up. At the end of this game, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the second best defense UGA has faced this year (all homerness aside).

Saban is an excellent coach, his record against ranked teams on the road isn't all that pretty (5-17) and I believe Richt might be a tab bit better coach overall.

So Bama lost in OT at home to UGA last yr and they were able to run the ball on UGA so why do I think UGA can win this game 27-17? Sometimes you just have to step away from the numbers and believe in your gut and my gut tells me UGA wins this game and covers, now I have to see if my head agrees.

Talked to an Auburn fan, says the blackout last yr in Athens was thee loudest crowd he has ever seen, I expect it to be a great CFB atmosphere this week, this is a game I would love to just attend, take in the scene and watch live.

 

[Dmoney416]

Amazing thoughts ETG - enjoyed the reads.

Also like this spot for USF - expect them to take care of business by 14-17 here. Agree with most of the leans as well (NW +9 being the only game I really disagree with).

BOL this week.

 

[RambleOn]

ETG: Thanks for turning me on to the USF game. I think I'm playing that one, USF should dominate.

 

[HUNT]

http://<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/beP_3gGJ5So&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/beP_3gGJ5So&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

[HUNT]

I'd love to be there as well...and yes, I believe bama's line is that good...I guess we will find out fo sho on saturday night!

 

[JPicks]

Great thread as always man. GL this weekend.

 

[ATXHorn]

ETG, who the hell is that in your sig? She is not bad...

 

[nawlins51]

Some of the rest of the games I am going through:

WMU-3.5
NW+9
Purdue+1
UGA-7
BGSCU-3.5
CU+5.5
Nevada+4
Ark St-1
Ok St-16.5

I am loving Arky State myself.Smaller games/schools is where the money is made IMO.GL this weekend.

 

[E.T.G.]

ETG, who the hell is that in your sig? She is not bad...

lol, not bad?

u give her a 7/10?

 

[broadwayjoe]

like pretty much all of your leans...gl this week.

 

[E.T.G.]

I'd love to be there as well...and yes, I believe bama's line is that good...I guess we will find out fo sho on saturday night!

:shake:
thanks for embeding it hunt, we'll see what happens this weekend. i am still holding out hope the line goes 6 or below

 

[Marlo]

Good Luck buddy, gotta think NCST has a let down game as well after last weeks win.

Love UGA just havent put it in yet. This team is solid, and I really hope we see them against USC.

 

[E.T.G.]

JPicks - Thanks a lot, I think I'm going to avoid that Wyoming game, not reallying liking it much anymore.

Nawlins - Agree, bout to do a writeup on that game.

Broadway - Thanks a lot

Marlo - Yea, I forgot to mention that NCST should feel pretty content with themselves right now getting a Win over a ranked opponent, an in-state rival as it was. USF on the road has to come to play though, if Wilson in Irving were in this game, I would probably just avoid it but Harrison Beck is a walking turnover. I think UGAY is legit and I would love to see OU, UGA, USC all undefeated at the end of the yr so the BCS can go fuck themselves.

 

[E.T.G.]

Arky St -2

The money is coming in on Arky St which is completely reasonable here. I hate getting the worst of a line but it is what it is, I didn't act fast enough but it is still under a field goal. I had ASU in this game last yr and it was a pretty wild game, Memphis was up 31-6 at one point and lost. Memphis had a lot of big plays in that game as well, 80yd pass and a 88yd fumble recovery from looking at the box score but I know some other crazy crap happened in that game. Any how on to this yr. ASU offense is rolling and it is very balanced. They average 234 in the air and 250 on the ground. Memphis defense is weak against the run (156ypg) with 4.8ypc and the ASU rush defense has been pretty strong (100ypg) on the ground and against the pass (200ypg). Leonard has been great with a 10td-1int ratio and he is good for 70+ with his feet. Duel threat QB's are very hard to stop, especially when they have a rushing game to compliment them. You have to play assignment football and a lot of teams can't do that if they practice against it for a whole summer, never mind a week. I believe Memphis will have trouble running the ball on ASU, ASU will have a lot of success on the ground versus Memphis and winning the rushing battle is pretty important in a lot of different ways. Confidence wise, ASU has to be flying high right now with their 3-1 start and they rebounded nicely off the SoMiss loss at home. ASU has the better rush offense, better rush defense, and better pass defense so if they can avoid the untimely mistakes they should roll here.

 

[E.T.G.]

I've been going back and forth with myself about varying my bets and have decided I am going to flat bet for the rest of the year. Went 0-2 on both of my 3 units picks this weekend and statistically, the Utah game should not of even been close but even when you are real confident about a play, shit happens. Going forward from here on out, all bets will be for the same amount.

Games I am on:

USF-9
Arky St-2


Still going through a lot of stuff and narrowing my list but I feel pretty comfortable with both of these games. Will update the record and post some more thoughts in a little bit

 

[E.T.G.]

Nevada +4 / ML

Not played yet, still would like to discuss this game with VegasKyle but I see a lot of positive for Nevada here. Nevada has won the last 3 games in this series and they've covered the spread all 3 times. UNLV is off B2B OT wins over programs from BCS conferences and now they have to play a rivalry game, so in my mind, this situation is TERRIBLE for UNLV. Nevada is fresh off a bye and their last game was a beatdown by Mizz. With Lippincott out at RB, someone does need to pick up the slack for Nevada. UNLV QB Omar Clayton isn't the type of QB to just go off for 300yds either so they won't fully take advantage of the UNR secondary and Nevada does a decent job against the run. Read in an article, for Nevada, if they don't win this game, its like a lost season so you have to like them coming off the bye and a big loss while UNLV is off 2 emotional over-time wins.

 

[RambleOn]

Looks like you and I got the worst of the Arky St line. Oh well, I think they win by a comfortable margin so I think we're fine.

I responded briefly to your SC/Ole Miss question in my thread. I really want to see how we rebound from the fucking Vandy game before I give you an opinion. If we play a complete game with few turnovers I'll probably lean to Ole Miss catching any points at home next weekend. The Rebs lost a close one to Wake and another close one to Vandy at home. It's imperative that we win this game.

 

[RetroVK]

answered in my thread and just copy and paste here some of my thoughts on that one and see if we see things similarly....

I'll start.

The first thing that stands out to me is spot and trend. So since that is much easier to get into than matchups , that is what we should discuss first ...hehe. i will throw in a little line value discussion too.

I like the spot here for nevada. Nevada played a very hard fought game against texas tech the first week of the season and then went to missouri to face the tigers and gave up big gainer after big gainer. I was talking to sirwinzalot about this and he correctly pointed out that the spot might have been tough for nevada as they had put a ton into that TT game and with lippincott injury and travel that they would likely struggle. At the time of that game , i didn't see it that way but after talking about it the other day , i think sirwinzalot was right. Nevada then gets the bye week. 1-2 overall and 0-2 vs fbs and heading into rivalry game. Looking over nevada schedule , if they want to sniff bowl eligibility they need this win badly. at hawaii , at fresno and at latech are all tough conference games and boise state at home is going to be a tough matchup for them. They should be about as focused as we could want. Meanwhile , unlv is playing some pretty damn good football , and i wont lie ...i was a naysayer to all the love this team was getting in the offseason ... i said "prove it" and so far they have. But they are now coming off of wins vs two bcs schools at arizona st ( amazing ) and home to iowa state. The team has to be emotionally spent somewhat after that as both games went to overtime. I am not saying that the team wont be ready for nevada but the need for victory here is huge for one school and much less so for the other. the closest we have come to this situation ( two huge back to back wins ) was back in 2003 when we beat wiscy at wisconsin and hawaii at home. We followed that up with a road game at nevada ... and won 16-12 as 5.5 point favorites.

From a line value standpoint we have value as well in my eyes. Here is the link to the game of the year lines posted at golden nugget this offseason. nevada was -6 a month ago ....
http://www.cappingthegame.com/forum/...=golden+nugget

that was when lippincott was still running the football though.

Will wait for some of your thoughts before getting into the matchup edges i see here beyond the spot and line value.



From a spot perspective it looks like we see similar things.

 

[E.T.G.]

WMU -4

Added this game, it just stick out so much to me. Temple is struggling on offense and they just lost the leader of that unit in DiMichele. WMU is balanced on offense and playing really well on that side of the ball. This line seems really short. I know Temple has played much better competition with PSU and UConn but I think without DiMichele, team moral is going to be down after the last two weeks and I'm going to guess they don't want to put the ball in the air with Chester Stewart so an already struggling offense just got much easier to defend for a defense that isn't playing lights out.


Nevada +155


Thats Arky St-2, USF-9, WMU-4, Nevada+155

 

[E.T.G.]

if any1 is interested in the UAB/SC game heres an article, im personally not touching it in any way.


September 24, 2008

No Winner yet in QB Sweepstakes

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Scott Hood
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
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By early Thursday evening, we should know who South Carolina's starting quarterback for Saturday's contest against Alabama-Birmingham will be.

Until then, head coach Steve Spurrier and the two quarterbacks in the running for the prime-time gig – redshirt sophomore Chris Smelley and redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia – weren't saying a whole lot about the status of the race when they met the media following Wednesday's standard two-hour workout on the Bluff Road practice fields.

"They both had some good moments today and they both threw some good balls," Spurrier said. "We'll have an announcement tomorrow who's starting at all the offensive positions."

Spurrier, who announced several days ago that all 11 starting positions on offense were up for grabs, declined to name a leader in the QB competition.

However, unlike last week's 23-13 win over Wofford, Spurrier expects Garcia to see action against the Blazers, especially with SEC road contests against Ole Miss and Kentucky looming on the horizon.

"He's getting a little more knowledgeable about everything," Spurrier said. "He just hasn't been here a whole lot. He's getting ready to play and we're definitely going to play him. Whether or not we start him, we'll figure that out sometime tomorrow."

Garcia didn't leave the sidelines during the victory over the pesky Terriers after playing three snaps against Georgia the previous week and finishing with seven rushing yards and one incomplete pass.

"Stephen Garcia needs to play some this week," Spurrier said early Wednesday afternoon. "So, we're definitely going to try to get him into the game. He's made some improvement. He's going to play."

Garcia, speaking with the media for the second time since his four-month suspension was lifted Aug. 1 by the university, said his progress in learning the USC offense has accelerated the last few weeks after Tommy Beecher went down with multiple injuries sustained in the N.C. State game and then an intestinal infection.

"Smelley and I have been practicing pretty well, so whoever starts will do a pretty good job," Garcia said. "I was excited (when I heard I was in the mix), but I don't think Smelley did anything wrong to not deserve the starting job. But (Spurrier) called my name, so I'm going to compete for it just like any other quarterback."

Smelley, who has started the last three games, finds himself in a heated battle to save his starting job despite completing 63.8 percent (74 of 116) of his throws for 800 yards so far this season. He is the fourth leading quarterback in the SEC in passing yards per game (200.0 yards per game) and passing efficiency (130.2 rating).

"I just go out there and give 100 percent and play hard," Smelley said. "It would be the same if there were 10 quarterbacks on the team. I'm just working hard every day. Every position is competing, just like on any team really. Once you get to this level there's always guys behind you, so you have to bring your A-game."

Smelley told reporters he and Garcia have split snaps evenly during the first three practices this week. USC will hold its final full squad workout Thursday afternoon.

Although Smelley has accumulated respectable statistics, the vertical passing attack adored by Spurrier has misfired most of this season – it's been practically nonexistent since Kenny McKinley went down with a hamstring injury against Vanderbilt - and USC's passing offense last week against the Div. I-AA Terriers was reduced mostly to dink-and-dunk throws, underneath routes and dump-off passes to running backs.

Running back Mike Davis was USC's leading receiver against Wofford with six receptions for 51 yards.

Spurrier said a transformation in Garcia's personality resulting from his various off-the-field issues has helped him become a better quarterback.

"Has he been humbled? Oh yeah, he's been humbled," Spurrier said. "I think he's finally learned how much he needs to learn. A lot of kids come out of high school and think I'll just go out and start playing. It doesn't work that way, especially playing quarterback. You have to know what everybody is doing, defensive guys, your guys. He's in the process of learning how to play quarterback."

Spurrier said sophomore wide receiver Joe Hills shined in Wednesday's workout, along with WR Jason Barnes, TE Larry Freeman, RB Eric Baker, RB Brian Maddox and OL Quintin Richardson.

"Joe Hills made some catches and Jason Barnes made a few," Spurrier said. "It looks like (Freeman) is ready to play some. Those guys made a few plays. Both Baker and Maddox ran pretty well."

Bakker and Maddox are battling to replace senior Mike Davis inthe starting lineup. Davis is one of four players suspended for Saturday night's game after violating the school's class attendance policy. OL Heath Batchelor, DE Jordin Lindsey and WR Chris Hail are the others who must sit out.

According to USC's depth chart released on Tuesday, sophomore Clifton Geathers or redshirt freshman Byron McKnight will start at the defensive end left open while Lindsey serves his one-game suspension.

Spurrier said Tuesday that Terrence Campbell is the mostly likely candidate to replace Batchelor at tight guard. Campbell started last week's game when Batchelor was suspended for the first quarter for missing class.

KING RETURNS TO PRACTICE AFTER SCARE: Left tackle Jarriel King, who takes medication for a heart condition discovered when he was attending Georgia Military College, received a scare early Tuesday morning while lifting weights at the Crews. Facility. He was taken by ambulance to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital and released about nine hours later after undergoing a battery of tests.

King returned to practice on Wednesday and told reporters he should be able to play Saturday against UAB. He hopes to make his third start of the season at left tackle.

"My doctors and the trainers are trying to get everything straight with the dosages and what to take and what not to take," King said. "That's all it really was. It was side effects and reactions and what not."

King, who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs close to 300 pounds, was taken to the hospital after experiencing what he described as "a lot of squeezing and chest pains and shortness of breath."

"It was pretty bad for that day," King said. "But it has been going on for a long time. I know I'm going to be all right. I just want to be all right fast. I worry about (my health) every day. I'm concerned about it, but I keep God's grace with me in everything. I'm not going to sit here and stress about it. I still have to do what I have to do at the end of the day. I normally take care of myself. I know my coaches and teammates are looking out for me. I'm all right with it. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here."

King was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and cardiac ischemia, which prevents the heart from receiving an adequate supply of blood, when he was at GMC. He said Wednesday that he plans to undergo a medical procedure following the conclusion of the season to hopefully alleviate the problems with his heart.

"The trainers and doctors have a good plan for me to get through the season," King said. "After the season, they're going to take care of it permanently. I'm confident with it and I feel better. I've been taken off one of the medications. I'm cool."

King told reporters Tuesday's tests at the hospital revealed "my heart really looks good" and that the irregular heartbeat condition remains the only problem afflicting him right now."

"It's right there. They do the tests and they see it plain on the paper," King said. "It's been that way for the past year-and-a-half, two years. It's apparent I need to have something done about it. After the season I'm going to get it taken care of."

Head coach Steve Spurrier declared after Wednesday's practice that King "was fine today and should be ready to go Saturday night." Team doctors have cleared King to play against the Blazers, Spurrier said.

SAPP WANTS TO SEE GARCIA: It's well known most Gamecock fans are looking forward to watching quarterback Stephen Garcia perform this week against UAB. But, how do the rest of USC's players feel? If LB Marvin Sapp is a good barometer, they're just as eager to watch him play as the fans are.

"I've got a pretty good idea of what he can do," Sapp said. "He's a great kid. At practice, he works hard whatever he's doing. He has a lot of passion for it. He has great athletic ability. Yeah, I'm ready to see what he can do. I think he'll do pretty well. The coaches have really been coaching him up this week, and they're really focused on helping him be the best he can be. We're all anxious to see what he might do."

WATCH OUT FOR WEBB: UAB quarterback Joe Webb should have the full attention of the South Carolina defense on Saturday night. And for good reason. Although he plays on a below-average team, Webb is recognized as one of the more exciting quarterbacks in the Southeast.

Webb, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior, is averaging 225.0 passing yards per game and is ranked No. 9 nationally in total offense (325.3 ypg). He's also averaging 100.2 rushing yards per game which ranks No. 3 in Conference USA and No. 27 nationally. Webb threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns while running for 121 yards and one score in UAB's 45-10 victory over Alabama State.

"He's the leader of our offense and he's the leader of our football team," UAB head coach Neil Callaway said. "He's a very athletic guy. He's a great kid and a very competitive guy. I've referred to him as sort of a gym rat. He's always here, he's always around. He's a big part of our offense. He's an athletic guys who can run and throw equally well."

As for USC's quarterback situation, Callaway said he didn't see much difference between Chris Smelley, Stephen Garcia or Tommy Beecher after reviewing film of USC's first four games of the season.

"I think they're all big guys, physical guys," Callaway said. "They're OK as athletes. I don't think there is an athletic guy like (UAB quarterback Joe Webb) that's going to have a lot of escapability."

NO RESPECT FOR THE BLAZERS?: According to a blog by Steve Irvine on the Birmingham News website, UAB head coach Neil Callaway was surprised earlier this week to hear USC had suspended four players, including running back Mike Davis, for Saturday night's game. Callaway said his team had already started preparing for Davis, who has 254 yards on 54 carries.

Callaway, apparently, took notice of the fact USC waited until the fifth game of the season to suspend Davis and three other players (OL Heath Batchelor, DE Jordin Lindsey and WR Chris Ghail) for class attendance violations going back to last fall.

"That's good news," Callaway said. "To be honest, I haven't seen past him (while watching film). I didn't know he was suspended. I guess it's good for us and shows you they don't respect us very much if they're not going to play him. That definitely ought to send a message to what they think and how they think."

Spurrier declined Wednesday to respond directly to Callaway's comments, saying only, "We had to pick one game, which one do you want me to pick? Ask him which one he wanted us to pick."

Callaway said on Monday that UAB running back Aaron Johns will miss his second consecutive game because of an undisclosed injury. Other players who sat out last Saturday's 45-10 win over Alabama State, including safety Will Dunbar, defensive linemen Tim Davis and David Decordova and cornerback Brandon Carlisle, should return to the lineup this weekend.

Will it make much of a difference for the Blazers?

"Their team has struggled some defensively," Spurrier said. "But we've struggled on offense, so we expect another tough, difficult game. It seems to always be that way. I'm sure they'll be pumped up to beat a SEC team. Wofford was, too. Hopefully, we'll get pumped up for a change."

NOTES:

-- The University announced on Wednesday that it will operate a shuttle service to Williams-Brice Stadium for football fans during all home football games. The shuttle, which is free to USC students with a valid ID and $5 per person for the public, will drop off riders pick them up at the same location, which is on Rosewood Drive east of the main gate to the fairgrounds.

The service will begin five hours before kickoff and continue for two hours after the game ends. It also will have limited service during the game. Pregame pick-up and post-game drop-off points will be at the Russell House University Union, Coliseum Lots A, B, C and D and Blowfish Stadium. No food or beverages are allowed on the bus. For more information, go to http://www.sc.edu/vmps/gameday.html.

-- Spurrier said USC was "in good health" from an injury standpoint, except for wide receiver Kenny McKinley. He is listed as doubtful for Saturday night's contest against UAB. The senior has missed the last two full games with a strained hamstring.

-- This Saturday's 7 p.m. home game against UAB will be available on pay-per-view throughout the Palmetto State. The PPV broadcast will feature Mike Morgan as the play-by-play announcer, with Brad Muller providing color commentary and former Gamecock great and Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers as the sideline reporter. The game will mark the second meeting all-time between USC and UAB. The Gamecocks won, 42-10, at home on September 20, 2003.

 

[E.T.G.]

3unit plays: 2-2 -.6units
2unit plays: 2-6 -9.2units
1unit plays: 4-3 +2.25units
ML Parlays: 1-1 +3.92units
Favorites: 5-7
Dogs: 3-1
SouthCar: 1-1
Totals: 0-3
Overall: 9-12 -3.63units


Obviously not happy bout the start of the season. Flat betting from here on out as I said. Done with totals for a while. Will try to play some more dogs and pick them better
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[RambleOn]

Totally agree on flat betting. Only way to go, unless you can consistently hit your higher rated plays at a better percentage than your lower rated ones.

Then again, it that were the case, why wouldn't you JUST play the higher rated ones? :shake:

 

[E.T.G.]

Just wanna add, Id say 65% chance Garcia starts the game

 

[E.T.G.]

Totally agree on flat betting. Only way to go, unless you can consistently hit your higher rated plays at a better percentage than your lower rated ones.

Then again, it that were the case, why wouldn't you JUST play the higher rated ones? :shake:

Varying your betting works for some people, im going to go and say it doesn't for me and Id rather find out now rather than conclude that in wk10. Basically playing all games equiv to my 2unit plays and being more selective.

 

[RetroVK]

nice looking card so far etg.

best of luck this week.

 

[LooseOnTheLead]

ETG..please get a new avatar..it takes me an hour to get through your posts.GL on the card.

 

[Wolfpack17]

ETG...you really do know your info about ncsu and im glad that you recognize that we do have a ridiculous number of injuries. I think this is now 9 starters at the beginning of the season that are now out for this game (some out for season). Beck is like playing the lottery. You might get that $100 scratch off ticket, but more likely than not you are throwing your money away and you will never hit the big jackpot with him.

TOB said this week "We will be sure to tell him that we are in the red jerseys" I will post an interview that someone had with him yesterday. He is one arrogant guy and will keep "throwing the ball" no matter what happens. Please someone make Wilson and Irving healthy right now!

 

[Wolfpack17]

<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD class=storytitle colSpan=3>Beck: 'I'm gonna throw it' </TD></TR><TR><TD class=primaryimage vAlign=top>

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=4 width="60%" bgColor=#f5f5f5 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD vAlign=center noWrap>By Austin Johnson
Pack Pride
Posted Sep 24, 2008
</TD><TD noWrap>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Harrison Beck spoke with the media on Wednesday afternoon, discussing his first start of the season, his pocket presence and having a short memory as a quarterback.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
<CENTER>

Harrison Beck </CENTER>
On playing a school near his hometown
“It'll be familiar again, its only like 20 minutes from my house. I have some friends that don't play football that go to USF.”
On starting
“It's definitely been an interesting past couple of weeks, to get a start against USF. You don't want a teammate [to get hurt], Russell had a great game and has been a great leader for us. I don't have any ill wishes against him but for me personally it does feel good to get to play this week.”
On being recruited by USF
“When I came out of high school they recruited me a lot. But when I came out of high school in 2005 they weren't the USF that they are now. They certainly have gotten a lot bigger and a lot more competitive than maybe they were then.”
On building off the ECU win
“We have a good football team. We are running the ball really well and our offensive line is playing great and our defense has been huge for us this year. They have kept it close and kept us in a lot of games this year. You just play within yourself and go out and have fun and I feel like we can, if we just play our best, we have an opportunity to be in it.”
On getting rid of the ball in the pocket
“When you are in the pocket, even though you can't see someone you can feel them, you can hear them. It's different each play. When you get good pass protection obviously it's a little longer. If they are bringing the house or bringing people and they heat it up a little bit then its faster. So you can't really say 'Oh my clock is this fast' for each play. You just want to get the ball out of your hands – if you see a guy open just throw it to him. Give him the ball and let him take the hit.”
On O'Brien's comment early in the week about Beck 'making sure he knows we are wearing the red jerseys'
“I don't care. It's not a big deal, I'm gonna throw it where I'm gonna throw it. I don't really think about that kind of stuff. If he catches it, he catches it. If it gets picked off then when the next play comes up I'm going to throw the ball again. I don't really think about that stuff nor have I ever.” On not dwelling on the last play
“You can't do that because if you do that the next thing you know you start getting jittery and hold the ball tighter. Instead of throwing a pick, you're going to throw an out route and throw it straight into the ground. I play quarterback, its a position, you're going to get picked off. You're going to fumble the football. Just go to the next play.”
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Mags]

Varying your betting works for some people, im going to go and say it doesn't for me and Id rather find out now rather than conclude that in wk10. Basically playing all games equiv to my 2unit plays and being more selective.

Not a bad idea bro! Oh yeah, GREAT FUCKING AVATAR BRO!

 

[hoopsstar22]

ETG....

Any concerns with the UAB QB being very mobile?

I know this has been some concern for the defense.

And now that Bob has driven the line up, UAB is starting to look better, especially if Garcia get the start.

 

[E.T.G.]

ETG....

Any concerns with the UAB QB being very mobile?

I know this has been some concern for the defense.

And now that Bob has driven the line up, UAB is starting to look better, especially if Garcia get the start.

Woah, this is the first time I was looking at the spread since I got home from work, had no idea that Bob was on the game.

I'm not that concerned about the defense really, they are fine as long as the offense doesn't put them inside SC territory. Tops I see UAB is like 13 but could / might be lower.

Now offense, I said they were having open tryouts this week. The new starters are in Red.

QB – Chris Smelley;
RB - Brian Maddox, Patrick DiMarco;
WR – Joe Hills, Jason Barnes;
OL – RT Justin Sorensen, RG Terrence Campbell, C Garrett Anderson, LG Jamon Meredith, LT Jarriel King.
TE- Jared Cook.

Mike Davis is suspended. RG Heath Bathcelor is suspended, otherwise he would be on the line. Now WR, both are in their 2yr at SC, both are taller and lean WR's but not burners. I'm sure LeCorn, Moe Brown will be shuffling in all day.

Garcia is not starting but Spurrier says he will play in the 1st quarter, no one knows how much, prob depends how well he does.

UAB defense sucks but if they score 10pts, SC has to score 37minimum, I don't know. We have outgained every team we played and have lost the turnover battle in every game. They'd have to show me they can drop 40 first but the defense will be fine. They lose DE Jordin Lindsey to suspension but there is enough depth there, play 8 guys on DL.

UAB Coach has talked a little smack and Spurrier is sick of hearing shit about the offense so 1 thing I am sure of, if he has the chance to score 50 he will, I just can't vision that happen.Guess its kinda sad to have UAB talking shit too

 

[hoopsstar22]

Thanks for the response man.

 

[E.T.G.]

Mags - Thanks bro, best of luck

Wolfpack - Thanks for the article, NCST is in trouble with Beck at QB and as I said, its a shame this team has the injuries it does but hopefully they will all come back next yr good and healthy and NCST might be a team to cause some trouble in the ACC but right now at the point they are at with depth and inexperience, they are not going to take down USF with a 1-dimensional offense and a defense that will eventually wear thin in the 2nd half.

Looseonthelead- I am going to retire this avatar, she has touched the life of many on this forum

VK - Thanks a lot


As I said before, from this point forward, all my bets are flat bet and they are equal to my 2unit plays so 2.2 to win 2. With the Nevada ML, I bet 2units to win 3.10units.


I talked a lot about the UGA game above but still have not played it. See the line still sitting at -7-105. I've stated my reasons above and I've looked at this game a lot, I hope to get -6 and thats what I am holding out for.

Homefield: UGA
Coaching: Richt over Saban
QB: UGA
RB: UGA (Bama might be deep here but none are the caliber of Moreno) and then they have King/Samuel backing the stud up
WR: UGA
TE: Bammer
OL: Bammer

The defensive side of the ball is a more even, both have some excellent players and all-conference studs on that side of the ball. In the end, I think Bama youth, JPW mistakes, and a crazy homecrowd will UGA to a 23-14 victory but I'm still hesitant to bet this game because I'm not as comfortable with it as I am my other 4 games.

Still looking at Purdue as well