Spurrierismyhomeboy
10-30-2005, 11:48 PM
Instant Analysis
South Carolina 16 ... Tennessee 14, Oct. 29
By Matthew Zemek
Seven long years ago, Steve Spurrier watched from the visitors' sideline inside Neyland Stadium as his placekicker lined up on the right hashmark for a very important kick. That kick--by Collins Cooper--swung just wide of the left upright to give Philip Fulmer an unexpected yet supremely significant win over Spurrier and his Florida Gators. That errant kick from a right hash on a Checkerboard-laden field signaled the beginning of something special for a Tennessee program that had lingered behind Spurrier for years.
Saturday night, another kick was launched by a visiting kicker from the right hash at Neyland Stadium. Same end of the field, same make-or-lose pressure. But the distance was a much more daunting 49 yards for South Carolina's Josh Brown--17 yards more than what Cooper faced back in 1998. A game bunch of Gamecocks battled valiantly for just over 57 minutes, but historically, the script always has the Big Orange beating the Roosters in the end. Surely, the smart money had to suggest that Spurrier would watch yet another unsuccessful kick from the same sideline where he suffered an agonizing loss to Fulmer and Tennessee several seasons ago.
But on Saturday, the smart money didn't hold up, and the school in Columbia with an inferiority complex suddenly beat the SEC East rival it's been unable to solve since joining the SEC.
You see, that 49-yarder from Brown's foot--which would not have been good from 51--eased over the crossbar by no more than a foot or two. It lifted Carolina to a 16-15 triumph in Knoxville on a night when, for all of Tennessee's struggles, it seemed impossible to think the Gamecocks could actually win.
South Carolina's offense--in a typical repetition of season-long tendencies--often failed to line up properly, display any remotely decent run blocking, or show any sign it could get out of its own way. With a terribly inconsistent performance against Tennessee's first-rate defense, the offense run by Spurrier didn't play at a level necessary for the Gamecocks to win the ballgame.
At least, not on most nights. But this wasn't most nights.
Against an undermanned South Carolina defense who wilted like a dandelion against Alabama, Auburn and other similarly physical opponents, Tennessee couldn't pound the rock with authority. Instead, the Vols had to go to the air much more than they would have liked, and that meant two customarily abysmal performances from Rick Clausen and Erik Ainge, who couldn't do thing one against the best unit of USC's defense--its secondary. Even after Ko Simpson dropped a game-sealing pick on UT's final drive, Clausen--while getting a first down on the next play--couldn't parlay that Gamecock mistake into a game-winning field goal. Despite the fact that Britton Colquitt's superb punting kept the Roosters inside their own 5 for much of the night, Tennessee's offense--with all its great drive starts, all its great chances to blow the doors off this game--could never, ever make that one play to seal the deal.
Call Brown's 49-yarder an improbable boot that barely made it--know what? it was improbable--but Tennessee never should have been in position to lose in the final minutes.
But when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, Spurrier found his oh-so-familiar play-calling mojo, and with that rhythm came Blake Mitchell's ability to--once in a while--find a tremendous groove, usually on a solid foundation of slant and crossing routes. Mitchell's consistency, plus the surprise clutch performance of Kenny McKinley to supplement an expectedly superb showing from Sidney Rice, gave the Cocks the pass-and-catch combos they needed against the Vols... and which they'll need to develop Spurrier's offense even more in future seasons.
Saturday night in Knoxville--on the same field where a Volunteer run to championship glory once began on the strength of a missed right-hash field goal--another right-hash placekick had a decidedly different outcome, with Spurrier winning and Phil Fulmer losing. This game won't decide a BCS bowl or an SEC division title, but it could mean the start of something big in Columbia that will find ultimate fruition a few years down the line.
WATCH OUT HOGS YOUR NEXT!!!!!! :cool:
South Carolina 16 ... Tennessee 14, Oct. 29
By Matthew Zemek
Seven long years ago, Steve Spurrier watched from the visitors' sideline inside Neyland Stadium as his placekicker lined up on the right hashmark for a very important kick. That kick--by Collins Cooper--swung just wide of the left upright to give Philip Fulmer an unexpected yet supremely significant win over Spurrier and his Florida Gators. That errant kick from a right hash on a Checkerboard-laden field signaled the beginning of something special for a Tennessee program that had lingered behind Spurrier for years.
Saturday night, another kick was launched by a visiting kicker from the right hash at Neyland Stadium. Same end of the field, same make-or-lose pressure. But the distance was a much more daunting 49 yards for South Carolina's Josh Brown--17 yards more than what Cooper faced back in 1998. A game bunch of Gamecocks battled valiantly for just over 57 minutes, but historically, the script always has the Big Orange beating the Roosters in the end. Surely, the smart money had to suggest that Spurrier would watch yet another unsuccessful kick from the same sideline where he suffered an agonizing loss to Fulmer and Tennessee several seasons ago.
But on Saturday, the smart money didn't hold up, and the school in Columbia with an inferiority complex suddenly beat the SEC East rival it's been unable to solve since joining the SEC.
You see, that 49-yarder from Brown's foot--which would not have been good from 51--eased over the crossbar by no more than a foot or two. It lifted Carolina to a 16-15 triumph in Knoxville on a night when, for all of Tennessee's struggles, it seemed impossible to think the Gamecocks could actually win.
South Carolina's offense--in a typical repetition of season-long tendencies--often failed to line up properly, display any remotely decent run blocking, or show any sign it could get out of its own way. With a terribly inconsistent performance against Tennessee's first-rate defense, the offense run by Spurrier didn't play at a level necessary for the Gamecocks to win the ballgame.
At least, not on most nights. But this wasn't most nights.
Against an undermanned South Carolina defense who wilted like a dandelion against Alabama, Auburn and other similarly physical opponents, Tennessee couldn't pound the rock with authority. Instead, the Vols had to go to the air much more than they would have liked, and that meant two customarily abysmal performances from Rick Clausen and Erik Ainge, who couldn't do thing one against the best unit of USC's defense--its secondary. Even after Ko Simpson dropped a game-sealing pick on UT's final drive, Clausen--while getting a first down on the next play--couldn't parlay that Gamecock mistake into a game-winning field goal. Despite the fact that Britton Colquitt's superb punting kept the Roosters inside their own 5 for much of the night, Tennessee's offense--with all its great drive starts, all its great chances to blow the doors off this game--could never, ever make that one play to seal the deal.
Call Brown's 49-yarder an improbable boot that barely made it--know what? it was improbable--but Tennessee never should have been in position to lose in the final minutes.
But when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, Spurrier found his oh-so-familiar play-calling mojo, and with that rhythm came Blake Mitchell's ability to--once in a while--find a tremendous groove, usually on a solid foundation of slant and crossing routes. Mitchell's consistency, plus the surprise clutch performance of Kenny McKinley to supplement an expectedly superb showing from Sidney Rice, gave the Cocks the pass-and-catch combos they needed against the Vols... and which they'll need to develop Spurrier's offense even more in future seasons.
Saturday night in Knoxville--on the same field where a Volunteer run to championship glory once began on the strength of a missed right-hash field goal--another right-hash placekick had a decidedly different outcome, with Spurrier winning and Phil Fulmer losing. This game won't decide a BCS bowl or an SEC division title, but it could mean the start of something big in Columbia that will find ultimate fruition a few years down the line.
WATCH OUT HOGS YOUR NEXT!!!!!! :cool: