For entertainment purposes only!

Jan 4, 2009, 6:54 AM

OBLEY COLUMN: Spurrier on the road to irrelevancy

TAMPA -- What do you think of Steve Spurrier now?

Though he might still be the most important figure in Florida Gators football history, Spurrier currently is irrelevant to his alma mater. Tim Tebow is every bit the quarterback he was. Urban Meyer just might be every bit the coach he was.

All his accomplishments as a player and coach -- and they were many -- are vanishing into the mists, relevant only on late nights in the pub if someone thinks to regale him in fable or song.

And his current team, a scraggly band of South Carolina Gamecocks, is little more than a speed bump for the Gators as they motor down the fast lane to the BCS title game.

No, we can‘t yet ask, “Steve who?” … but we certainly can plead, “Steve, why?”

Questions are what remains after watching South Carolina take a long walk off a short pier against Iowa, 31-10, in the Outback Bowl.

Why is Spurrier at South Carolina? Why, after four seasons at the helm, are his Gamecocks still no better than a Catskills punchline when playing a Big Ten also-ran?

Why hasn’t he churned out at least one decent quarterback in that time?

Why? Why, why, why?

To say South Carolina’s offense went into the fetal position against Iowa would be to insult the unborn. One must be alive in order to assume the position. There were few, if any, signs of life emanating from the Gamecocks and their starting quarterback, thrice-arrested, once-expelled redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia.

Under Garcia’s guidance, the Gamecocks put forth this preposterous parade of imperfection: interception, fumble, interception, interception, punt, end of half.

After being told by Spurrier before the game that the Outback was his to win or lose, Garcia found himself on the bench as the second half began.

“I didn’t play very well,” Garcia said. “I made some throws. I thought I would have been a little better but … I didn’t play very well.”

That's one way of putting it. Here's another:

The game was lost from the moment South Carolina accepted the invitation. At 7-5, the Gamecocks were spinning their wheels. Apparently, the committee that preferred the Gamecocks over Georgia was willing to overlook South Carolina finishing the regular season by slipping on a banana peel in a 56-6 loss at Florida and setting themselves on fire during a 31-14 defeat at an ordinary Clemson.

In any case, there was Garcia, a Tampa native who grew up with the dream of being next in a great line of Spurrier-coached quarterbacks. He got his wish. It just didn’t happen in Gainesville.

Thursday, in front of friends and family in a city in which he once starred, Garcia marched into Raymond James Stadium and gave himself an atomic wedgie.

“Yes, Stephen struggled,” Spurrier said of Garcia.

“He was pretty frustrated,” said Garcia of Spurrier. “That’s as far as I’ll go with that.”

As Thursday’s game devolved, Spurrier went with backup quarterback Chris Smelley, who finally got the Gamecocks on the board in the fourth quarter with a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jared Cook.

That made it 31-7. The next time South Carolina crossed midfield, the drive stalled. But instead of going for it on fourth down, Spurrier sent in the field goal unit for a 48-yard field goal.

That’s right. Steve Spurrier opted for three points. Steve Spurrier. How times have changed.

“Well, it was fourth-and-10. It was a long way, a long way,” Spurrier said with a shrug. “Tried to put a few points up; 31-10 looks better than 31-7. It was disappointing.”

Sure was.

“We had a chance to show the country what we were about,” said lone South Carolina offensive weapon, Kenny McKinley, “and we struck out. Again.”

Also disappointing:

-- South Carolina set Outback Bowl records for fewest rushing attempts (14) and fewest rushing yards (43)

-- Garcia led the team in rushing with 25 and that’s despite not playing in the second half.

-- Iowa didn’t even punt until nine minutes remained in the game, which led to …

-- South Carolina setting another bizarre Outback record for most kickoff returns attempted (six … but since when is that a stat?).

What’s next for Spurrier?

In 2008, the Gamecocks were one of the Southeastern Conference’s worst teams in scoring (eighth), rushing (last) and turnover margin (11th) and that feisty offense will be losing its only asset -- school-record-breaking receiver McKinley -- to the NFL.

The defense was solid and, at times, brilliant. Unfortunately the six guys who really made it work all are skipping town as well.

But, hey, Garcia’s back. So is Smelley.

And, mystifyingly, so is Spurrier.

The current group of South Carolina seniors can make the bold claim of being the first in school history to have been bowl eligible four consecutive years. But what does that matter if the bowl games are the Independence (2005), Liberty (2006), a snub (6-6 in 2007) and the Outback?

Sort of pales in comparison to Spurrier’s final four years at Florida: Orange, Citrus, Sugar, Orange.

He is now 28-22 at South Carolina, 15-17 in SEC play. In a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sport in which winning coaches are paid millions of dollars to walk away for not winning enough, how could Spurrier possibly be content in Columbia?

South Carolina is a program hopelessly locked away in mediocrity. They’re not bad. Rather, they’re simply not that good. In college football, that’s worse.

The recruiting pool is shallow. The school’s resources are limited and the facilities are nowhere near those found on the campuses of the SEC elite.

The fan base is rabid for reasons utterly unknown beyond the state line. That’s likely due to the Charlie Brown Syndrome. In much the same manner as Chuck thinks today will be the day Lucy holds the ball still, so, too, do Gamecocks fans think Coach Fillintheblank will lead them to a meaningful bowl game.

This year was not that year.

Next year won’t be that year, either.

It’s difficult to say if that will ever change and that’s the dictionary definition of irrelevant.

Steve, why?

http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/lspnews.aspx?ArticleID=2656&sppg=0&writer=POble

flag link

military_tech

thumb_down

thumb_up

For entertainment purposes only!

Re: For entertainment purposes only!

Re: LMAO***

uhhh...Kenny...I'd say you showed the country

Best line saved for the end:

Boy I can see coot fans steaming over this, truth hurts.***

The Fates know Clemson has been the dictionary picture

TigerBoard POTD