LSU's football team is hopefully finished dusting off that blowout loss to Florida, because this Saturday's contest in Columbia with South Carolina will be no cakewalk. The Gamecocks have, statistically, the best defense in the conference and a young quarterback in Stephen Garcia who they think might finally be the answer for their offense after Steve Spurrier's long progression through a host of lousy signal callers (Syvelle Newton, Blake Mitchell, Tommy Beecher, Chris Smelley and now Garcia in Spurrier's fourth year).

Garcia, who cuts something of a Ryan Perrilloux figure for South Carolina after having been suspended three times for various scrapes with authority, has been solid off the bench for USC so far this year, including directing two touchdown drives late in last week's win over Kentucky. He's getting his first collegiate start against LSU, which should tell you something about Spurrier's confidence in Garcia, and maybe something about how LSU's defense is perceived.

Spurrier underscored that in his press conference this week, when he stated that if the Gamecocks can play their game offensively and not turn the ball over, they'll be right there with LSU. For Garcia's part, you get the impression he sees himself as a kid in a candy store, of sorts.

So for the first time in a long time, LSU goes into a game where the opposing team gives off a vibe that they've got an opportunity rather than a chore in playing LSU. For the Tigers' part, one doesn't sense a crisis of confidence. But head coach Les Miles is taking pains to insure that team morale stays high, and there's lots of "it's gonna be okay" type talk around LSU's team, as personified in today's Advocate column by either Sheldon Mickles or Randy Rosetta, I can't tell which. Two areas of the club doing the most wound-salving are the offensive line and secondary, both of whom are vowing never to have a game like that again.


No talking. Just play. Nobody wants to hear it anymore.

LSU doesn't seem to be too banged up at present, while South Carolina is completely healthy for the game from what Spurrier says.

LSU is a better team than South Carolina is. But it's a bit unnerving and off-putting that the Gamecocks are carrying themselves as the Tigers' equal right now in their pre-game statements. Spurrier usually does the Ol' Ball Coach Poor-Mouth routine, and he's been pouring it on extremely thick since landing in Columbia. Not this week. So rather than doing lots of talking, LSU's guys need to do some listening. They need to realize that all of a sudden they're not feared anymore. They'll have to prove themselves all over again. This could either be a good thing or a bad one - it just depends on how they respond.

Some different personnel combinations and a few defensive wrinkles wouldn't hurt, either.