Entering his fifth season at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier is still searching for the right formula to do “what’s never been done before” — bring an SEC championship home to Columbia. The coach who won six SEC titles and a national championship during a 12-year run at Florida has found the sledding to be tougher at South Carolina.

The 64-year-old Spurrier is 28–22 with the Gamecocks, including a 15–17 SEC record, and has not finished above .500 in the conference since his first season in 2005. After South Carolina was embarrassed in its final three games last season — outscored 118–30 in losses to Florida, Clemson and Iowa — there was major turnover on the coaching staff. A couple of assistants were fired or forced out; several left on their own. Four of the five new coaches are on offense, where Spurrier wants to improve a rushing attack that was the SEC’s worst the past two seasons.

Defensively, there are big holes to fill on a unit that was among the league’s best in 2008. A pair of defensive backs (Captain Munnerlyn and Emanuel Cook) left early for the NFL Draft. Fortunately for Gamecock fans, All-SEC linebacker Eric Norwood returns for his senior season after initially announcing he was leaving.

Norwood is the team’s best player, but the Gamecocks’ fortunes will be tied to quarterback Stephen Garcia, who will try to live up to the hype that accompanied his arrival before the 2007 season. If Garcia gets protection and a couple of playmakers emerge, the Gamecocks could be a factor in an Eastern division that looks suspect after Florida. If South Carolina again stumbles down the stretch and finishes 5–7 or 6–6, the next coach to leave could be Spurrier.

Quarterbacks

Garcia, whose development was slowed by off-the-field problems early in his career, was inconsistent last season while splitting time with Chris Smelley. But with Smelley transferring to Alabama to play baseball, Garcia has the job to himself. The righthander from Tampa has always had the physical tools. Now Spurrier wants to see him mature into a team leader who takes film study and game preparation more seriously. “We’re in better shape than last year at the quarterback spot,” Spurrier says. “(Garcia) should be ready if he will dedicate himself this summer.” Garcia completed 53 percent of his passes last fall for 832 yards and six touchdowns. He also had eight interceptions, as South Carolina quarterbacks combined to throw more picks (27) than any team in the country. None of the quarterbacks behind Garcia has attempted a pass. Redshirt freshman Reid McCollum and walk-on Zac Brindise, the brother of former Florida quarterback Noah Brindise, are the backups.

Running backs

That Garcia was the team’s second-leading rusher last season speaks to the problems the Gamecocks had running the ball. South Carolina averaged 94.1 yards per game in 2008, which ranked 112th out of 119 teams nationally. The Gamecocks have put in a new one-back running scheme out of the shotgun formation, featuring wider line splits and deeper handoffs to allow more time for plays to develop. South Carolina, which has no returning back with more than 200 career rushing yards, might try a backfield-by-committee approach. Junior Brian Maddox is a power runner and likely starter, but freshman Jarvis Giles gave the Gamecocks a breakaway threat after graduating high school early and enrolling in January. Eric Baker averaged 4.0 yards per carry as a freshman but has been injury-prone. Redshirt freshman Kenny Miles needs to learn the offense better.

Receivers

The Gamecocks lost nearly half of their receiving yards from last season with the departures of Kenny McKinley, the school’s all-time leading receiver, and tight end Jared Cook. Jason Barnes, a 6'4" sophomore, has the skills to be an elite receiver. The Charlotte native had big games at Ole Miss and Kentucky in ’08, then seemed to disappear. Senior Moe Brown has 633 career receiving yards, but surprisingly few big plays considering his speed. Dion LeCorn, the Gamecocks’ best possession receiver, should be okay by preseason practice after cracking a bone in his leg on the final play of the spring game. Tight end Weslye Saunders and 6'5" wideout Tori Gurley, a jump-ball specialist, are red zone weapons. Coaches are eager to look at freshman Alshon Jeffery, who stayed in state rather than go to USC or Tennessee.

Offensive linemen

New line coach Eric Wolford inherits a group that gave up 39 sacks last year, more than any SEC team but Arkansas. The three returning starters up front include left tackle Jarriel King, a 6'5", 312-pounder who had offseason surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat. Senior center Garrett Anderson is a two-year starter, while guard Terrence Campbell made nine starts last season. Heath Batchelor, a starter who was suspended midway through the ’08 season and went home to Alabama, will be in the mix if reinstated. Tackle Hutch Eckerson and guard Lemuel Jeanpierre also have starting experience, while redshirt freshman T.J. Johnson was one of the surprises of the spring. “The line needs to get better,” Spurrier says. “They need to block a little more aggressively.”

Defensive linemen

In an effort to get his best players more involved, Spurrier is using defensive end Cliff Matthews in a limited role at tight end — an arrangement that assistant head coach for defense Ellis Johnson is not crazy about. Hard to blame him: Matthews, who had three sacks last season, is a key cog in Johnson’s 4-2-5 scheme. Defensive end Clifton Geathers, the brother of Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Robert Geathers Jr., could have a breakout season in his first year as a starter. Nathan Pepper, a three-year starter at defensive tackle, mans the interior front. Pepper made a strong return from knee surgery that cut short his ’07 season. If run-stuffer Ladi Ajiboye, who was suspended for spring practice, does not return, the Gamecocks feel good about using converted end Travian Robertson at one of the inside spots.

Linebackers

Spurrier had to hold Norwood out of some spring drills because the Gamecocks’ linemen couldn’t block him. The two-time All-SEC selection is South Carolina’s all-time leader in tackles for a loss and is closing in on the career sacks record. Johnson likes to walk Norwood up near the line of scrimmage in passing situations to give him a running start at the quarterback. “He’s quick,” Spurrier says. “He’s faster than he used to be.” The Gamecocks lost middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, but will replace him with a junior who has 22 career starts. Rodney Paulk returns from a nagging knee injury that forced him to take a redshirt last fall. Paulk is not especially big or fast; all he does is make plays. Depth could be an issue for the Gamecocks, although Georgia Military transfers Josh Dickerson and Tony Straughter showed promise in the spring.

Defensive backs

The secondary took a big personnel hit due to graduation and early NFL departures. The Gamecocks lost their top three cornerbacks from a year ago; a fourth, sophomore C.C. Whitlock, is a question mark after being suspended in the spring. Into that void stepped freshman Stephon Gilmore, who graduated high school early and needed only a week to lock down a starting spot. Gilmore is a big corner (6'1", 188) who is not afraid to challenge receivers. Akeem Auguste is solid at the other corner, but the Gamecocks could be in trouble if either starter is injured. Depth is not as big an issue at safety, where Chris Culliver and Darian Stewart return. Stewart was one of the SEC’s most underrated players in ’08 when he led the Gamecocks with eight pass breakups and was second in tackles for a loss.

Specialists

Shane Beamer, son of Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, takes over as special teams coordinator and will try to mimic his father’s success in that area. One of his first priorities will be deciding on a kicker. Spencer Lanning, who was sixth in the SEC in punting last year with an average of 42.1 yards, might have to do the punting and kicking following the loss of Ryan Succop. Lanning has a strong leg but was inconsistent during the spring. Walk-on Adam Yates, who is expected to handle the kickoffs, could get a shot on field goals if Lanning struggles. Culliver was the SEC’s fourth-leading kick returner, but is still looking for his first return for a touchdown.

This preview appears in the 2009 Athlon Sports Southeastern Magazine. Click here to order yours today.

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