Garcia Reading Baby Steps
posted by David Cloninger, 9/04/2009 10:33:00 AM
I’m gonna show you what it’s all about.”
------------------------------- PRINCE
As South Carolina’s defense ruled Thursday’s 7-3 season-opening win at NC State, Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia took another baby step forward.
It’s interesting to see, as frustrating as it is for people who want to see him suddenly channel his inner Taneyhill right away, the redshirt sophomore continue to learn. Last year he was thrown into a lot of non-winnable situations and went about .500 in them.
This year, it seems Garcia, coach Steve Spurrier and quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus are content to let Garcia feel his way around.
“Stephen can scramble out if they get open,” Spurrier said. “But this was just the first game. Sometimes we leave on plays that have no chance. We have to audible a bit better.”
The move is one of necessity, not good charity. We all know Spurrier’s notorious history of yanking his quarterbacks at the first sign of trouble.
But this is the first time in quite a while where there hasn’t been a quarterback controversy. There can’t be, considering the experience of the six QBs behind Garcia (zero combined snaps).
For better or for worse, it’s Garcia’s show. Spurrier vowed to be patient and not summon the stage hook at the first sign of trouble this year, and showed how he planned to do it on Thursday.
The plan was simple. If Garcia was flinging the ball accurately and finding his receivers, fine. If not, don’t pull him and sub in the next guy. Just go to the things that work.
In this case, it was the running game, plowing for 108 yards, and the defense, which didn’t let the Wolfpack sniff the end zone. Garcia looked very good at times and not great at others, but he didn’t need to be Danny Wuerffel for the Gamecocks to win, and Spurrier knew it.
I would have loved to be inside the Head Ball Coach’s head when he looked at the play card, ignored all those tasty-morsel deep passes and went for the drab salad of the run. That must have been akin to replying, “I’ve got work tomorrow,” when Megan Fox whispers “Let’s get away for a while” into your ear.
Spurrier knew he didn’t have to pass to win. It got close – too close – in the fourth quarter, but when Stephon Gilmore broke up that touchdown pass and Garcia dialed a completion into Moe Brown’s outstretched hands, the game was salted.
Garcia’s statistics were ordinary – 13-of-22 for 148 yards and an interception. He threw one touchdown that was reversed on offensive pass interference (Tori Gurley pushed off his defender to catch it, which likely saved another interception – the ball was underthrown).
Garcia had some good plays, scrambling out of trouble and bulleting passes when he needed to, but he also showed he still needs time to learn the position. Gurley and Brown bailed him out with some leaping catches; he was jitterbugging too often in the pocket instead of either throwing it away or running; on the pick, he was caught overlooking the defender when trying to hit Jason Barnes – Michael Lemon camped in space, leaped and caught it to make it look like it was planned.
What the QB did best, though, was take care of the ball. He held onto it on runs and except for the pick, didn’t try to turn slim-chance-of-something into a big play. He didn’t do a lot to win it, but he sure didn’t lose it.
Garcia was thrown into the fire last year and delivered some good performances, as Spurrier yo-yoed he and Chris Smelley throughout the year. This year, though, there’s no Smelley waiting to swoop in at the first sign of trouble.
The Gamecocks have some problems after the first game, but they don’t have a problem – i.e., a loss. No matter how they looked, they won.
Garcia is in the same situation. No matter how he looked, he was the winning quarterback. The next step is to make himself a two-game winning quarterback.
“I learned that it's a tough game out there,” Garcia said. “I’m just trying to get better with every single game.”
For the first time in a while, a Spurrier quarterback will get an extended chance to do so.
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“You just leave it all up to me,
I’m gonna show you what it’s all about.”
------------------------------- PRINCE
As South Carolina’s defense ruled Thursday’s 7-3 season-opening win at NC State, Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia took another baby step forward.
It’s interesting to see, as frustrating as it is for people who want to see him suddenly channel his inner Taneyhill right away, the redshirt sophomore continue to learn. Last year he was thrown into a lot of non-winnable situations and went about .500 in them.
This year, it seems Garcia, coach Steve Spurrier and quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus are content to let Garcia feel his way around.
“Stephen can scramble out if they get open,” Spurrier said. “But this was just the first game. Sometimes we leave on plays that have no chance. We have to audible a bit better.”
The move is one of necessity, not good charity. We all know Spurrier’s notorious history of yanking his quarterbacks at the first sign of trouble.
But this is the first time in quite a while where there hasn’t been a quarterback controversy. There can’t be, considering the experience of the six QBs behind Garcia (zero combined snaps).
For better or for worse, it’s Garcia’s show. Spurrier vowed to be patient and not summon the stage hook at the first sign of trouble this year, and showed how he planned to do it on Thursday.
The plan was simple. If Garcia was flinging the ball accurately and finding his receivers, fine. If not, don’t pull him and sub in the next guy. Just go to the things that work.
In this case, it was the running game, plowing for 108 yards, and the defense, which didn’t let the Wolfpack sniff the end zone. Garcia looked very good at times and not great at others, but he didn’t need to be Danny Wuerffel for the Gamecocks to win, and Spurrier knew it.
I would have loved to be inside the Head Ball Coach’s head when he looked at the play card, ignored all those tasty-morsel deep passes and went for the drab salad of the run. That must have been akin to replying, “I’ve got work tomorrow,” when Megan Fox whispers “Let’s get away for a while” into your ear.
Spurrier knew he didn’t have to pass to win. It got close – too close – in the fourth quarter, but when Stephon Gilmore broke up that touchdown pass and Garcia dialed a completion into Moe Brown’s outstretched hands, the game was salted.
Garcia’s statistics were ordinary – 13-of-22 for 148 yards and an interception. He threw one touchdown that was reversed on offensive pass interference (Tori Gurley pushed off his defender to catch it, which likely saved another interception – the ball was underthrown).
Garcia had some good plays, scrambling out of trouble and bulleting passes when he needed to, but he also showed he still needs time to learn the position. Gurley and Brown bailed him out with some leaping catches; he was jitterbugging too often in the pocket instead of either throwing it away or running; on the pick, he was caught overlooking the defender when trying to hit Jason Barnes – Michael Lemon camped in space, leaped and caught it to make it look like it was planned.
What the QB did best, though, was take care of the ball. He held onto it on runs and except for the pick, didn’t try to turn slim-chance-of-something into a big play. He didn’t do a lot to win it, but he sure didn’t lose it.
Garcia was thrown into the fire last year and delivered some good performances, as Spurrier yo-yoed he and Chris Smelley throughout the year. This year, though, there’s no Smelley waiting to swoop in at the first sign of trouble.
The Gamecocks have some problems after the first game, but they don’t have a problem – i.e., a loss. No matter how they looked, they won.
Garcia is in the same situation. No matter how he looked, he was the winning quarterback. The next step is to make himself a two-game winning quarterback.
“I learned that it's a tough game out there,” Garcia said. “I’m just trying to get better with every single game.”
For the first time in a while, a Spurrier quarterback will get an extended chance to do so.
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David Cloninger. David is a full-time staff writer for GamecockCentral, and covers Gamecock football, men's basketball, baseball and recruiting. He may be reached by email at david(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.