Hold on

posted by David Cloninger, 9/20/2009 03:34:00 AM

“Hold it now, hold it now, hold it now.”
-------------------------- BEASTIE BOYS

Say what you want about South Carolina’s offense in the 2009 season’s first three games. It’s been good in spots and bad in spots.

But it has held onto the football.

At this point last year, the Gamecocks had nine turnovers. Once a team throws four picks in the first game, it begins to become routine.

Now, they have three (two interceptions and a fumble). In three games. A coach would want that total to be zero or as close as possible to it, but three in three games isn’t bad.

That alone shows a realization from Steve Spurrier that he doesn’t have to blow opponents away with the throw-on-every-down approach, as long as his team doesn’t throw it away.

“We only had the one fumble,” Spurrier said on Saturday, referring to Brian Maddox’s drop that didn’t end up affecting anyone. “I think it was our one turnover, wasn’t it?”

Spurrier at South Carolina has been a “kinder and gentler” Head Ball Coach, held back by necessity and the changing times. The game has caught up with Spurrier’s former revolutionary approach – everybody and their second cousin runs the spread now – and the Gamecocks simply don’t have the horses Spurrier recruited at Florida.

But, as in Saturday’s game, USC can occasionally dazzle. The Gamecocks posted the highest rushing total of Spurrier’s tenure at USC against Florida Atlantic and showed no hesitation of throwing deep when necessary.

The difference is not forcing the offense. Stephen Garcia took what he was given last week against Georgia and did the same against FAU. When the throw was open short, he threw short. When he could sell the fake and bomb long, he bombed long.

He also showed a willingness to spread it around, going away from two-game staples Weslye Saunders and Patrick DiMarco. That gives the next opponent, No. 5 Ole Miss, several looks to prepare for and can only help as the offense seeks to keep a two-week, 943-yard performance going.

Before, Spurrier was of the damn-the-torpedoes Rex Grossman school of thought, where throwing deep was the only option. When a Sidney Rice or Tori Gurley, jump-ball receivers who minor in basketball, are waiting, that’s good to have.

As discovered last year, that wasn’t an option. Moe Brown and Kenny McKinley were reliable but couldn’t be counted on to out-jump a defensive back. Spurrier had to be patient but wasn’t, which led to the decisions to throw deep and hope.

This year, the results are much, much better. Garcia has been smart enough to take the easy way out instead of trying to make something out of nothing.

It’s been a learning process for player and coach, but one that has worked thus far. Garcia, under Spurrier and G.A. Mangus, has protected the possession while Spurrier, even though he may not like it, is taking what he can get instead of running the game as he would like to.

Sometimes, especially at USC, good enough is good enough to win.

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