SOUTH CAROLINA INSTALLED AS SEVENTEEN-POINT FAVORITE OVER EAST CAROLINA
We don’t like to use the word “epic.” In fact wherever possible, we actively eschew it. Think about it: If everything’s “epic,” then nothing is epic. Right?
We also can’t stand the “Keep Calm and (Whatever Whatever)” icons … unless of course they’re being worn by our favorite Twitterer, Ellie Chivette.
Anyway …
With those thoughts in mind, we’ve had a lot of people urging us to “Keep Calm and Trust the Visor” in the wake of last week’s humiliating University of South Carolina football defeat at the hands of Texas A&M. That’s obviously a reference to visor-wearing (throwing?) USC head coach Steve Spurrier – who has guided the Gamecock program to unprecedented heights over the last four seasons.
There’s just one small problem with such advice: Spurrier can’t coach defense – which is where the Gamecocks (0-1, 0-1 SEC) were badly exposed last Thursday, surrendering a school record 680 yards of offense to the Aggies.
“Keep Calm and Trust Lorenzo Ward” doesn’t really have the same ring to it, does it?
This week the Gamecocks host East Carolina – which is coming off a 10-3 season (and which runs the same sort of up-tempo offense South Carolina struggled to contain last week).
In 2011, South Carolina spotted ECU a 17-0 lead before coming back and winning the game 56-37 in Charlotte, N.C. In 2012 Dylan Thompson – playing in relief of Connor Shaw – three for 330 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-10 rout of the Pirates.
Despite their “epic” (oops) egg-laying against the Aggies, the Gamecocks have been installed by the odds makers as 17-point favorites at home against the Pirates – who racked up 582 yards of total offense in their 52-7 season opening win over North Carolina Central last weekend.
Senior signal-caller Shane Carden completed 26 of 37 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns, while senior wide receiver Justin Hardy caught eight passes for 87 yards and a pair of scores. Hardy – who eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of the previous two seasons – also threw a 41-yard touchdown strike on a trick play in the first half.
We know what you’re thinking … the Gamecock defense is better than the North Carolina Central defense, right?
Uhhh … right?
Let’s hope so … but the early signs haven’t been optimistic …
Pics: Travis Bell Photography
33 comments
The same Lorenzo Ward who said there’s nothing wrong with the 3-4 defense and doesn’t plan to get rid of it.
We’ve been all over this for days. Welcome to the club FITS…and you notice I altered the name of the site to fit. It’s generated a lot of traffic.
Its generated a lot of traffic. Its not it’s. Now go fix that and then tell me I’m nuts. Better hurry before someone else see it.
What is “a lot of traffic”? Double what it was a few weeks ago when you were over there talking to yourself? I doubt your weekly views are even close to a peak hour views number here.
Waiting to see if these little pissants all walk through Gamecock Village again this week with their stupid Dr. Dre headphones on trying look all stone faced killa. At the end of the game last Thursday that strut through GCV made them look like complacent fools. The ECU Pirates are liable to give them another week of trouble at Williams Brice.
The dreadlocks and tattoo’s make them look even that more hard.
As someone noticed earlier, did you notice the lack of dreadlocks and tattoo’s on the aTm players? They played like a well disciplined team, not a bunch of individual players who were looking to distinguish themselves from their teammates and only to be on the highlight reels.
Why else would you play for USC? Those fuckers can’t wait to fly the coup to the NFL first chance they get.
Tell me a major college program that is keeping a major talent all four years these days. Stupid comment.
Yes, it’s almost easier to count the ones that don’t look like The Predator.
L-o-n-g season for the Cocks; they will most likely spend the holidays wondering “Whut happened?” By-the-by….could Spurrier find any SMALLER DB’s anywhere in the state?
“…Spurrier can’t coach defense…
Don’t fool yourself that Spurrier can’t coach defense. He knows when it needs to be fixed. Look how fast John Thompson’s DL standing at the line defense lasted here. One, two games? He was shown the door. I cannot remember when exactly, but he took over the defense at Duke, I believe, for three, four games, until it was doing what he wanted it to.
He vastly PREFERS offensive play calling, but the man knows the game.
SC’s only hope this season is if TAMU is actually an NFL caliber team like SC made them look.
Texas A&M is not NFL calibur, so it is big trouble for SC. Probably a 4-8 team this year.
Georgia will be our only loss in the East, they will play for the SEC title and win it. USC will continue as before, a decent bowl, lots of bragging rights. Clemson, well , will be Clemson. About the same scenario – a successful season – maybe a win over USC but doubtful and eventually IPTAY will grow tired of Dabo and the gang and flip the switch. Give both coaches two more years
Spurrier retiring at will because he can and there is life after football. We will be forever grateful. Dabo’s act will just grow old to the IPTAY folks but he will coach wherever he wants.
I had actually forgotten the details of his contract. This was just after the Orange Bowl win and, perhaps more importantly for some in the administration, after the Chronicle of Higher Education ran a major feature on Dabo and religion in the football program. “We’ll show those lib’rals.
http://www.chatsports.com/clemson-tigers/a/Dabo-Swinneys-Ridiculous-Contract-Extension-2-9173965#
What will happen to Jr. and Scotty once their dad isn’t there to provide them with jobs?
The Clemson administration and Board of Untrustees made the mistake of giving Dabo a huge buyout, not to mention paying his assistants more than nearly all other assistant coaches in the country. And for what, exactly? In actual football games last year, the team went 2-2. This year, 0-1.
Orange Bowl Victory and Ranked 8 in the AP. 2-2 is Alabama’s record also.
Boy your sunshine pumping machine is on overdrive today.
Yes, but Spurrier is a clever one. The team goal is the SEC Championship. Getting humiliated by the Aggies did not affect the outcome of that goal. Davis and Thompson are healthy. In many ways this season, from a divisional standpoint, still looks like it did last year at this time.
We could play all backups Saturday, lose to the Pirates, and still be in contention for the East. Don’t forget, Georgia has a week off to prepare and we should be doing our best to show up for that game in the same condition as they are if we have ANY chance of stopping Girly Man. Trying to think positive as hard as it is.
Yeah, nothing like attaining your goal of an SEC championship getting your ass handed to you by another SEC school.
So you’re already preparing your excuse for the Georgia game.
no preparing an excuse motherfucker – we’ll lose that one for the same reason you goddamned Taters lost it – Gurley will run his ass straight down our throats. As for the SEC Championship, I am hopeful that we will play for it but did not say we would win it. You fucking CUNT
Typical dirtpecker fan response, say something negative about dear team, you are automatically labeled a tater.
How are you going to play for the SEC championship if you’re 0-2 in the SEC including a loss to Georgia. You expecting Georgia to lose twice to SEC East teams?
No need to worry about squishy, he is every bit of a Clemson fan but is too embarrassed to admit it. He comes on here all the time doing nothing but talking smack against only the gamecocks because he did not get asked to play ball for them. Its funny he call them dirtpeckers as if that is some sort of insult when the truth is Gamecocks had put their peckers in his momma for years. He will then come back talking about “class” but anyone who has ever read his BS knows he has none to speak of to begin with. Its why not one person on this site has ever come to his defense when he gets it thrown back at him. He is a little bitch. In fact he repeatedly says he will ignore me talking back to him, but he cant and just has to reply. I’d bet he has some typical BS reply here just wait for it. It would prove my point. FYI he post under many different names, and up votes his own comments too. He is actually not just a bitch, I have made him my bitch. And that’s the best thing in the world his sorry ass could ever hope for!!
LMFAO….Besides East Carolina, Vandy, Furman and S. Alabama —- pray tell who else do the Lamecocks have a prayer of beating without any D? Kentucky and Tennessee are going to be close….IF and its a BIG IF those 6 games can be salvaged, SC will get a bid to the Duck Commander Independence Bowl in Shreveport on the 27th (where they will face an ACC team, most likely Boston College or Georgia Tech. My prediction is the Lamecocks will not hit the magic 6 and they will shuffle with their tailfeathers eaten off back down to Columbia on Nov 29.
My main question about South Carolina this year is, “How long will Spurrier hang on before he says ‘F it and heads out to the golf course with a case of beer’?” That’s the main question. I predict they will basically be coach-less before/after the Florida game in the Swamp.
Silver lining from last Thursday night? Five years ago the place would have emptied out at halftime.
So when was the place emptied out? I heard it was pretty empty midway through the 3rd quarter.
It didn’t actually start to empty until the 4th quarter with about only about 8 minutes left.
No problem, they will be in the top 10, again, after beating Little Carolina and you will criticize the polls for not having them higher. Truth, Clemson and SC are not top 25 teams.
You can tell what is going to happen on the first ECU offensive set of downs. If you see USC in the uncovered 4 defense, (that’s 4 down lineman and linebackers 6 yards off the ball and not stunting), then it’s another blow out game for the USC opponent. Just check it out. Ward thinks that he has fantastic defensive players like last year that can make any rotten defense look good. He doesn’t, just good solid players, and they can’t make him look good.
I said promoting Lorenzo to defensive coordinator was a mistake when it happened, but the real result would be seen when he was playing folks he recruited. He is out of his league, does not seem to create a pre-game defensive scheme nor adjust during the game. Fire him now-avoid the Christmas rush!