Think About the Future
posted by David Cloninger, 11/28/2009 08:03:00 PM
Let's do it all over again.”
---------------------- STROKE 9
Look around the locker room, South Carolina, and start remembering.
Remember how good a win over Clemson feels. Remember what the mental preparation over the last two weeks was like. Remember how nice it is to walk out of Williams-Brice Stadium after a dominant victory. For the rising seniors especially, remember the smiles creasing the faces of this year’s graduating class.
It is never too early to begin thinking about the 2010 rivalry game. I know there’s going to be 11 games before it (12 if you count this year’s bowl game), but there’s no harm to go ahead and start planning.
Because, Gamecocks, this doesn’t happen every year. I don’t think there’s anybody among you who doesn’t know that – you can read the history as well as the rest of us can and see the 10 wins in 12 years Clemson had in the rivalry before Saturday.
Try to find the last time USC won two in a row over Clemson and it’s even more depressing. Before any of you were ever born, the current color radio man led the Gamecocks to their third straight rivalry win.
That was 1970. Forty years ago once next season’s game pops up.
So as you pat that big gold football on top of the state championship trophy one more time before accepting your well-deserved congratulations, remember.
This can happen again.
No one has any way of knowing what kind of team USC will take to Clemson next year, or what kind of team will be waiting on the Gamecocks. We can all sort-of project, based on seniors and that kind of thing, but there’s too much unknown to accurately predict what could happen a year from now.
But repeating isn’t – and shouldn’t be – nearly as impossible as it has been.
The Gamecocks’ physical part of game-planning for the Tigers was wonderful. The defense had Kyle Parker, C.J. Spiller and company played out. It often seemed as if the defense was calling the Tigers’ offensive sets for them.
The mental part, which has been a two-week process, was also evident. USC didn’t panic and quit playing when Spiller returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The Gamecocks also didn’t run away when the mistakes kept piling up – an offsides penalty that would have negated Spiller’s touchdown; a should-have been interception from Stephen Garcia; an Alshon Jeffery fumble that Garrett Anderson pounced on; Garcia’s interception that wasn’t dropped. All of that was within the first five minutes.
Yet, USC kept playing. The breaks began to swing USC’s way and the Gamecocks took advantage of them. Then when they got the lead, they didn’t take any plays off – it sure wasn’t what Steve Spurrier is used to (running 58 times) but it worked.
At the end, USC leaped all over the field, exulting in something unfamiliar – a win over Clemson only three tries after the last. In recent history, entire four-year classes of Gamecocks have gone without once knowing what a win over the Tigers felt like; some of the players on this team have two.
“I usually get choked up over stuff like this, and it really hasn’t gotten here yet,” senior Moe Brown said. “The seniors, we were trying to show the underclassmen how to go out the right way.”
Too many times in the rivalry, USC has not had the proper approach to Clemson. Several times, the Gamecocks lost because the Tigers were the better team. A few other times, USC lost because the game was over before it began – the Gamecocks decided they couldn’t win, so they didn’t win.
This year, it was evident USC wanted and needed the win. The Gamecocks got it.
Not to discount it, but what better time to record the memory and use it for the future? Specifically, for Nov. 27, 2010?
That’s when all of the returnees can accurately describe how it felt on Nov. 28, 2009. Then they can show the pictures, videos and recordings taken just after the final seconds ticked off a magnificent win.
“We’ll try to enjoy the win and understand it,” coach Steve Spurrier said.
Looks like the Gamecocks already do.
Now to make sure the future Gamecocks do as well.
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“If feeling this good is a sin,
Let's do it all over again.”
---------------------- STROKE 9
Look around the locker room, South Carolina, and start remembering.
Remember how good a win over Clemson feels. Remember what the mental preparation over the last two weeks was like. Remember how nice it is to walk out of Williams-Brice Stadium after a dominant victory. For the rising seniors especially, remember the smiles creasing the faces of this year’s graduating class.
It is never too early to begin thinking about the 2010 rivalry game. I know there’s going to be 11 games before it (12 if you count this year’s bowl game), but there’s no harm to go ahead and start planning.
Because, Gamecocks, this doesn’t happen every year. I don’t think there’s anybody among you who doesn’t know that – you can read the history as well as the rest of us can and see the 10 wins in 12 years Clemson had in the rivalry before Saturday.
Try to find the last time USC won two in a row over Clemson and it’s even more depressing. Before any of you were ever born, the current color radio man led the Gamecocks to their third straight rivalry win.
That was 1970. Forty years ago once next season’s game pops up.
So as you pat that big gold football on top of the state championship trophy one more time before accepting your well-deserved congratulations, remember.
This can happen again.
No one has any way of knowing what kind of team USC will take to Clemson next year, or what kind of team will be waiting on the Gamecocks. We can all sort-of project, based on seniors and that kind of thing, but there’s too much unknown to accurately predict what could happen a year from now.
But repeating isn’t – and shouldn’t be – nearly as impossible as it has been.
The Gamecocks’ physical part of game-planning for the Tigers was wonderful. The defense had Kyle Parker, C.J. Spiller and company played out. It often seemed as if the defense was calling the Tigers’ offensive sets for them.
The mental part, which has been a two-week process, was also evident. USC didn’t panic and quit playing when Spiller returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The Gamecocks also didn’t run away when the mistakes kept piling up – an offsides penalty that would have negated Spiller’s touchdown; a should-have been interception from Stephen Garcia; an Alshon Jeffery fumble that Garrett Anderson pounced on; Garcia’s interception that wasn’t dropped. All of that was within the first five minutes.
Yet, USC kept playing. The breaks began to swing USC’s way and the Gamecocks took advantage of them. Then when they got the lead, they didn’t take any plays off – it sure wasn’t what Steve Spurrier is used to (running 58 times) but it worked.
At the end, USC leaped all over the field, exulting in something unfamiliar – a win over Clemson only three tries after the last. In recent history, entire four-year classes of Gamecocks have gone without once knowing what a win over the Tigers felt like; some of the players on this team have two.
“I usually get choked up over stuff like this, and it really hasn’t gotten here yet,” senior Moe Brown said. “The seniors, we were trying to show the underclassmen how to go out the right way.”
Too many times in the rivalry, USC has not had the proper approach to Clemson. Several times, the Gamecocks lost because the Tigers were the better team. A few other times, USC lost because the game was over before it began – the Gamecocks decided they couldn’t win, so they didn’t win.
This year, it was evident USC wanted and needed the win. The Gamecocks got it.
Not to discount it, but what better time to record the memory and use it for the future? Specifically, for Nov. 27, 2010?
That’s when all of the returnees can accurately describe how it felt on Nov. 28, 2009. Then they can show the pictures, videos and recordings taken just after the final seconds ticked off a magnificent win.
“We’ll try to enjoy the win and understand it,” coach Steve Spurrier said.
Looks like the Gamecocks already do.
Now to make sure the future Gamecocks do as well.
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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 @.