My thoughts-Auburn survives Alabama, 28-27

A pumped up Gene Chizik is riding high into the SEC Championship game, Glendale is a calling!

• Cam Newton is phenomenal. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe what he has done this season.
• Is there any question that Auburn is the No. 1 team in the nation?
• He had a tough time sledding against the ‘Bama defense. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and Nick Saban must have looked at what LSU did wrong on defense to slow down Newton; he only had 22 carries for 39 yards, a career low that will last for a long time.
• Alabama is still a good team, even though they only mustered a pathetic three points from their last scoring drive in the second quarter; they finished the second half with only 55 yards of production.
• Greg McElroy could do no wrong in the first half of the game, especially the first quarter. He ended the day 27-37, 377, 2TDs, a 199 yards of that total was thrown to wideout Julio Jones.
• Jones is really spectacular, but I still give the edge to South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey.
• Alabama needs to be more balanced on offense. If one thing is working, they stick with it. And in this game it was the passing game, where was Ingram and Richardson? They both combined for only 20 touches, not enough since the running game is your bread and butter. No one wants to admit it, but the offensive line has been widely inconsistent this season.
• Shame on Ingram for erasing either a touchdown or three points by allowing the ball to be punched out of his arms for a touchback. Also the butterfingers award should be given to Richardson who dropped an easy touchdown catch. More mental errors from this Nick Saban-coached team.
• Do you think McElroy being knocked out in the fourth quarter cost them the game? I don’t think so. Even if he was in and took the lead; it would have been another thrilling comeback victory by Newton and Co.
• For all the flak that Auburn’s defense gets, they continue to make plays when needed in the second half of games. In no shape or form are they as dominant in the second half like Oregon’s defense but they get it done. And against stiffer competition than the Ducks.
• Is there an award for the most comebacks in a season?
• Gene Chizik should be the Coach of the Year and Gus Malzahn has to be the best offensive coordinator in the nation.
• Cam Newton can be a pro quarterback, but he will need to work on his footwork, first and foremost.
• Would you believe that Alabama would have lost three games this season? Not me, I thought after their uplifting win at Arkansas that they would go unscathed in the brutal Southeastern conference. Boy was I wrong on that one.
• The Heisman is Newton’s to lose.
• Steve Spurrier is lurking around the corner in the SEC title game, a familiar foe that the Tigers met in Week 4: A different South Carolina team that is playing with a hunger and also a stronger Auburn team too.

They did it: South Carolina goes to their first ever SEC Championship game behind the legs of freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, 36-14

Steve Spurrier is on his way to the SEC Championship game

It wasn’t exciting but no one expected it; no one thought the inconsistent and often manic Gamecocks could knock off the Florida Gators in the swamp but they did. Steve Spurrier got his signature win as head coach --going to their first ever SEC title game and downing the Gators at home (for the first time)--which they never done.

South Carolina was intent on running the ball down Florida’s throat, and they did so with freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, a home-grown talent, to the tune of 40 carries, 212 yards with 3 TDs. Mistake-free football was on the agenda last Saturday night in the Swamp.

QB Stephen Garcia was a modest, albeit unimpressive 15-26, 156 yards, O TDS, O INTs.  All the staff has asked of Garcia is that he does not turn the ball over and that is what he did; his partner in crime, wideout Alshon Jeffrey had no TDs on the night and only had 53 yards receiving, something you would not expect from the best wide receiver in the SEC or the nation, for that matter.

Spurrier could not ask for a better performance from the offense and defense, and especially from Lattimore that has exceeded expectations since his first snap. Who would have thought that Spurrier would have a freshman standout at running back?!  He is known for having and grooming superb quarterbacks, but Lattimore has fallen into his lap and he is willing to ride this kid to a victory in the SEC Championship game.

But I’m here to caution that they cannot beat Auburn in the title game with just running the ball and not passing for more than Garcia did. It will not happen. The Tigers will put up a bunch of points on the scoreboard and will continue until the final whistle. We all know that special player, Cam Newton; he is on a tear this season and he has one victory over South Carolina and he is looking for another one that will bring his team closer to Glendale.

Will Marcus Lattimore be healthy when they face Auburn?

It’s scary to think that Lattimore had 40 carries in the last game. This kid has been nicked up and I can already tell that he will continue to play his career at not a hundred percent. He runs hard and he is a north-south runner and that is fine. However, his style of running and the number of carries will cause him to wear down when they need him. Watching him in high school, ball security was a problem whenever he was over-utilized in a game and so far it has not been an issue, but it might if they continue to run him into the ground.

The Gamecocks have two more games left, Troy at home and @Clemson (their rival). It will be interesting to see how Lattimore is used in those games. You do not want him limping into the SEC title game because that will be a big problem. For South Carolina to flourish they need to open up all facets of their offense, this will make this team unstoppable like they were against then No. 1 Alabama.

Going forward to next season, it will be trying times (for South Carolina) where the departure of Garcia, at quarterback, and the insertion of Connor Shaw, will challenge the staff to not overuse Lattimore with a young quarterback. They will need to find ways to keep him fresh since they will have to rely heavily on the run game with a green quarterback behind center. I’m curious to see if Lattimore will be healthy come his junior year and if the wheels will fall off this wagon.

For now the future is bright for Spurrier and he has a huge game with Clemson and the title game to prepare for. He wanted to play close to the vest against Florida (and it worked) but how will this offense look against Clemson and Auburn? Will being conservative get this program a much needed win over Clemson and a much bigger win against Auburn?

My Two Cents-Who will come out of the SEC East?

The SEC East is the weakest division of the Southeastern conference; it actually looks like the ACC where you have all these teams neck and neck because there is no consistency from week to week.

Lowly Tennessee continues to sink to the bottom as they are the only team in the conference without a conference win; Florida continues to implode week after week, and there looks like there is no solution to this downward spiral; Kentucky’s signature win over South Carolina was a huge one for the university but that was their only conference win; Vanderbilt also has one win in conference play and their problems continue; Georgia has turned around a dismal start to reach the .500 mark and they have a big game against Florida this Saturday; however, South Carolina looks like the team that will win this division and get a chance to play in the SEC Championship game on Dec. 4^th.

The Gamecocks must seize this moment and continue to win from here on out and not stub their toe like they did two weeks ago against Kentucky, after beating No. 1 Alabama the previous week. Steve Spurrier must be rooting for Georgia to down the Gators, this Saturday, and hope his team will beat Florida come Nov. 13^th in the Swamp, to undoubtedly make them winners of the East division, going into the championship game.

Florida could make a splash with a win at Georgia and a win at South Carolina to take the East Division but with how hot Georgia is playing now (the offense is clicking) and South Carolina possessing the experienced Stephen Garcia and Alshon Jeffrey, I just do not see it. Anything is possible. When you put too much faith in South Carolina, they will let you down as we have seen in Spurrier’s tenure in Columbia, SC.

I do strongly believe that Urban Meyer will have a signature win this season and maybe it will be against Georgia but this team will not get further than that, though. However, if they lose to the Bulldogs, it will be an unprecedented four losses in the row for Meyer at the university. It’s funny how the Gators and Texas Longhorns seem to be channeling each other. So don’t be surprised if they beat Georgia and then lose the following week to Vanderbilt. You remember when the Longhorns shocked Nebraska (@home) and then lost last week to Iowa State, don’t be surprised if Florida follows in their footsteps.

The Gamecocks’ defense needs to play better in the second half of games and not let teams get back into games; and Garcia needs to protect the ball and not turn it over. South Carolina blows your doors off in the first half of games and then puts it into cruise control. Also will Marcus Lattimore be healthy for the remaining games on their schedule. He got dinged up in the Kentucky loss and is questionable at this moment; it’s important to have this element of the running game to be well-rounded as a team. You don’t want Garcia to feel like he needs to put the whole team on his shoulders.

Everything sets up well for the Gamecocks: win your remaining games and play for the SEC title. It’s best to help yourself first than having to rely on other teams to help you out. If Spurrier does not get to the title game, I do not know when they will be closer than they are now, especially with the athleticism and playmakers on offense and defense.           

My Two Cents-Will Auburn play in the SEC Championship game?

Auburn hopes to have the scoreboard read in their favor come Nov. 26th.

Yes, I feel they have the best shot coming out of the SEC West. Auburn QB Cam Newton is just phenomenal. He broke the record for the most rushing yards(in history) of SEC quarterbacks in a single season at 1, 077 yards on the ground, and he has four regular season games left. Before the season started I actually thought that that Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett would make people forget about Tim Tebow but boy I was wrong. I do not think anyone knew how dynamic Newton would be and how much he means to his team. He is clearly the Heisman front runner and if it was up to me, I would give him the trophy now.

Everyone knows that the defense is the biggest problem on this team. They actually gave up only 17 points in this game compared to 43 points (against Arkansas) and 34 (against Kentucky). There are improvements on defense, even though it might be minimal. The cornerbacks need to track and play the ball, how many times have we seen them with their backs turned to the ball allowing wide receivers to make big catches?

The annual Iron Bowl will take place on Nov. 26^th and this will be another game, if Auburn wins, that will define their impressive season thus far. Alabama leads the rivalry with a 40-33-1 record, but I feel this year the Tigers will cause the tide to shift in their favor for the next couple of years. Last season they lost a close game to the Crimson Tide that came back to pull out the win, 26-21; however, Newton was not the quarterback and this brings a very interesting element to this game.

Nick Saban and Kirby Smart will have to dial up inventive defensive schemes to confuse and shutdown the running lanes, so Newton will be forced to pass. We thought, last week, that LSU was going to be that team that took away the holes in the defense for Newton but that did not happen. And that is why I strongly believe that he will continue to have success against Alabama.

The problem with ‘Bama is that this team is better suited when playing with a lead as opposed to being down. For evidence, check out the South Carolina game,  knowing that Auburn will put up points, what will happen if Alabama finds themselves down by 14 points or more? We know Auburn will not let up on the gas pedal once they have a lead so it could get ugly and embarrassing for the Crimson Tide, if they do not keep this game close. I can certainly see the Tigers coming out like gangbusters and then Saban corralling his troops, at halftime, and have them ready for the second half.

I strongly believe that this year belongs to Newton and he will give his all in the Iron Bowl, so there will be no shortage of effort on both teams. But Auburn will make a big splash with a win over Saban’s team and ride into the SEC Championship game on a high, where they could possibly face the Gamecocks again. Momentum is on the side of the Tigers this year with the SEC having a down year, so if Newton does not capture the SEC Championship this year then it will have to be the following year. One must realize that Newton will capture the conference championship before all is said and done for him at Auburn.

Auburn spurns South Carolina, beating them 35-27

My thoughts:
• Cam Newton greatly improved his performance from the Clemson game: Newton rushed for 176 yards, 3 TDs and threw for 158 yards, 2 TDs. There was no indecision when the play called for a designed quarterback run; he ran for the hills and took on defenders, not once did he shy away and run out of bounds. You could tell this kid felt it that night.
• Gus Malzahn’s offense was in high gear in last Saturday night. The hurry-up offense wore down the Gamecock defense.
• Auburn freshman running back Michael Dyer started to show flashes of brilliance: 23 carries for 100 yards on the day. His highest output since Sept. 4th when they played Arkansas State (95 yards).
• The Auburn Tigers have played the most exciting football games in the SEC: Sept. 18th overtime thriller over Clemson and last week’s come from behind win over South Carolina.
• Quarterback Stephen Garcia is the most improved quarterback in the Southeastern conference. He made accurate, long throws against Auburn that were beautiful. He has good touch on this throws.
• Anyone else wondered why he tried to play Tim Tebow and coughed up the ball twice, costing his team the game?! Garcia had a phenomenal day: 15-21, 233, 3TDs, no Interceptions!!! But all that was marred by the fumbles.
• Bad move on Steve Spurrier to bench him for the freshman backup quarterback Connor Shaw, late in the fourth quarter. Shaw ended up throwing two interceptions and sealing their fate. Did Spurrier think the freshman would pull his team through in this crucial moment? Garcia should have been in there to redeem himself and win the game for his team; he deserved it.
• Sophomore wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey is a stud: 8 catches, 192 yards, 2 TDs. I might go so far as to put him up there with Alabama’s Julio Jones and Georgia’s A.J. Green, has anyone seen A.J.??
• I really did not think Auburn would be healthy enough to beat South Carolina after their tough game against Clemson.
• The Gamecocks gave up on the run too early. Freshman running back Marcus Lattimore only had 14 carries, 33 yards, 1TD. Lattimore had a measly 2.4 yards per carry average. This by far was the worst output he has had.
• Auburn has an opportunistic defense that makes plays when it counts: 2 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions.
• Auburn sophomore running back Onterio McCalebb is one fast player that teams need to account for when he is in space. Seriously how do you game plan for Newton, Dyer and McCalebb?!
• Arkansas visits The Plains on Oct. 16th . This game will be one for the ages, as they say. I hope they have enough wattage in that scoreboard because it will be working overtime.

Alabama shows why they are the No.1 team in the nation, pushing past Arkansas, 24-20

Alabama is a great team -the best team in the nation- and they showed it Saturday in Fayetteville. In the opening moments, the entire Arkansas team was fired up to be at home and get the chance to knock off the No. 1 team. If there are still any doubts about Ryan Mallett, please put them to rest. He threw for 250 yards in the first half, and finished the day with 357 yards through the air. You have to be special to do this against an Alabama defense, albeit a young and inexperienced unit. But I tip my hat to Mallett because he is the real deal. The Razorbacks picked on cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick all game long and exploited his inexperience for a few big plays by Arkansas wideout Jarius Wright (6 catches, 131 yards). In the first half, the upset alert was going off as the wheels were falling off of the Crimson Tide. Greg McElroy was not his steady self in the first half and that had to do with a couple of bad passes and a fired up Razorback team. The second half was when Alabama stuck to their bread and butter: the running game with Mark Ingram (157 yards and 2 TDs) and Trent Richardson (85 yards, no rushing TDs, 1 REC TD), perfect strategy to keep the potent Arkansas offense off the field and wear away at the Razorback defense. Nick Saban’s boys showed resolve and true grit in the face of adversity. McElroy orchestrated drives that put his team in position to win; there was a sense of been-here-done-that attitude by the Crimson Tide. There was no point where I saw this team panic being down for the majority of the game, taking the lead with 3:18 left in the game. Three interceptions by the ‘Bama defense was the key factor to thwarting the Razorbacks. Robert Lester had two interceptions on the day, one very important one, setting up Alabama to take the lead; and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick picked off the last interception to seal the game and put an end to any chances for an Arkansas comeback. I feel in my gut that the Crimson Tide faced their biggest and stiffest test they will see all season. This team will be undefeated and have a chance to be back-to-back national champions. I really believe it and you should too. Greg McElroy will continue to improve, and he’s no longer a game-manager, maybe last year he was but not anymore; he comfortable with the offense and the playmakers around him. McElroy will end up being the most efficient passer in the SEC, or out of the BCS conferences. Arkansas really needs to work on establishing a running game to become more balanced with the passing attack. It’s a lot for Mallett to carry the offense with his arm for four quarters. But this team might just get the majority of their wins in shootouts; and the defense needs to improve as well. There are still signature wins to be had against Auburn, South Carolina, and LSU. And how Mallett performs in these games will put him right in the thick of the Heisman race, but no better win would have been bigger than downing Alabama.

Our Two Cents-Which team will have the quickest turnaround, Texas or Florida?

Matt Deringer Texas. Forget that the Longhorns are 3-0 and don't need a "turnaround" as much as they do an "acceleration", and look at the schedule. Sure, the first half of October is brutal - Oklahoma and at Nebraska - but after that, there's not a game they won't be at least touchdown-favorites in. The Gators, on the other hand, have to go to Alabama, play better-than-expected Kentucky and Mississippi State, host LSU and South Carolina - my pick to win the SEC East - and get rivals Georgia and Florida State. I think Urban Meyer is a better game coach than Mack Brown, but just-as-much talent in a not-as-tough conference makes Texas the pick. Matt Melon I do not think picking Texas is the easy answer to this question. I literally think both teams cannot stop tripping over themselves. Florida finds life in the second half of games, while Texas awakens in the second quarter. Both teams rely on their defenses and that is why they are undefeated. It’s true that defense does win championships, but you need to score as well. Of course, we know that Texas has perennially played cupcake teams in their nonconference games so you would think they would be lock to end up having a better season, and a quicker road to the BCS Championship game. However, Nebraska and Oklahoma are licking their chops to get a piece of this team that has no Colt McCoy or running game. And Texas finishes off with Texas A&M that gives them problems. Florida has some tricky SEC games coming up: @Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State, Georgia, and South Carolina. They are fortunate that the meat of the schedule is at home, but the brutal Southeastern conference teams won’t be as forgiving as they will bring the toughness and the big hits, every Saturday. The Gators cannot afford to start scoring in the third quarter against their SEC brethren it will be too late, and when you are pressing turnovers happen. Both teams will stumble season-long to find their legs. Pick: Florida and Texas.

Auburn downs Clemson in a heated battle, 27-24 OT

I was expecting Auburn to run Clemson out of the stadium; I was expecting QB Cam Newton to have a big day; I was expecting Gus Malzahn’s offense to shred Clemson’s defense but none of these things happened. I tip my hat to Clemson and offer a bow for a good, solid performance. Auburn, by all accounts, won the game but they were very shaky on offense and Newton is still in developmental stages. Newton is the Southeastern conference version of Terrelle Pryor, a tall kid that is a long strider. Newton and Pryor look like they are thinking too much and just not playing the game, have fun guys. Newton was 7-14, 203 yards with 2TDs and 2INTs, hardly spectacular. Newton suffers from the syndrome of relying on his physical attributes to win games. Like Pryor, he makes ill-advised throws and hopes his wideouts will bail him out and Darvin Adams (5 catches for 178 yards and 1 TD) did in this game. But against a better defense those passes would not have been completed and probably run back for six points. If you are a dual-threat quarterback and things are breaking down, run like crazy, show some suddenness, cut through defenders. At times, it looks like once the play is a designed quarterback run, Newton saunters instead of hitting the open holes with authority. Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker was impressive, completing 21-35 for 227 yards with 2 TDs and no INTs. This kid has moxie, after taking a helmet to the middle of the back, to give his team the best shot to win but it was all for naught, as he overshot a wide open WR Jaron Brown in overtime. And a penalty caused a re-kick of field goal that was missed the second time to send Auburn away with a win. I did not expect this game to have so many brutal hits and two players being carted off the field in stretchers. Clemson brought their lunch pail and went to work, giving Newton and his offensive line fits all night. This heavy-hitting game reminded me of the 2007 LSU-Florida game, where Jacob Hester pushed in the endzone for the game-defining touchdown. This game will have repercussions for both teams going forward. Clemson gets a week off to rest before facing a physical Miami team at home followed up by another physical team in North Carolina on the road. The rest of the slate does not look bad, but they will probably wear down after their away game at Boston College (Oct. 30). Auburn, who is my dark horse this season (I’m not giving up on them just yet), has to face South Carolina next at home and face the likes of Arkansas (Oct. 16), LSU (Oct. 23), Georgia (Nov. 13) and @Alabama (Nov. 26). They are fortunate that they have home games against the meat of the SEC teams but in a physical Southeastern conference they will have trouble escaping with only two losses. But who knows, this is college football and like the weather (especially in New England), things can change very quickly.

Alabama is more than deserving of the No.1 spot in the nation

Wow, is all I can say about Alabama. I must say that I actually thought Greg McElroy would be the Achilles heel of this team. However, I’m wrong about that. McElroy might be the most efficient passer of the SEC, forget about Ryan Mallett and John Brantley and Cam Newton. They can put up those gaudy numbers, but McElroy will spread the ball around to his receivers and he as the best running back tandem in Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Against Penn State, McElroy stood tall in the pocket, checked down to his 1st and 2nd receivers and let the ball fly or broke the pocket for a run. He is more confident in his second year with his playmakers. The only problem might be the young secondary, but with good coaching they might not be that vulnerable as everyone thinks. During the offseason, I was adamant that the Crimson Tide could not repeat as national title winners, but it is looking to me that they have the best shot out of anyone to reach the title game and win. Before I drink their Kool-Aid, I will let them take a bite of their conference pie, first. However, the way things are now, they will be a dominant force in the Southeastern Conference. September 25th @Arkansas and October 9th @South Carolina will be pivotal games. If Alabama beats both teams then they will play for the national title, no bones about it. I can realistically see a rematch for the SEC title game between the Crimson Tide and South Carolina, unless the Gamecocks implode down the stretch and Florida sneaks in through the back door. I’m starting to believe that Florida has legit problems on offense and with Chris Rainey being dismissed from the team, they could be in trouble. In my mind, Alabama is a more complete team than last season, and they are serving notice to everyone in the nation that they are going back to Glendale to take another crystal trophy home with them.

South Carolina gives Southern Mississippi a beatdown, 41-13

South Carolina fans should not be happy with the win against Southern Mississippi. I know Gamecocks' fans have been waiting to see Stephen Garcia live up to his expectations since 2007. With Steve Spurrier calling him out and knowing that there is competition at his position, with the acquisition of freshman quarterback Collin Shaw, we saw a level of maturity not seen before by Garcia. He looked confident, well-prepared and tough with few runs where he looked like Tim Tebow, bowling over defenders. Garcia has arrived but please temper your expectations for the Gamecocks. Spurrier hasn’t had a prolific offense since taking over at the helm; the glory days of his Florida teams are a distant memory now. It baffles me how an offensive-mastermind cannot get his offense clicking and cannot find a quarterback to lead him to the big dance. One must look at their competition in this Thursday night beatdown. By all accounts it’s Southern Mississippi, a Conference USA team that because of its tradition and location cannot get the elite players that Auburn,Mississippi State,and Ole Miss gets instate; it's not there fault, its the luck of the draw. You don’t hear kids saying they rather go to Southern Miss. over any SEC team. Why would they pass up the opportunity to play in the SEC conference? The SEC is the heavyweight champion of college football: a gazillion dollar television deal, superior talent, guaranteed a first look for the NFL draft over other conferences, and excellent coaching. Everyone knows that Conference USA is no ACC, Big East, Pac 10, etc. However who would of known that Southern Miss. are two-time Division II national champions (1958 and 1962), 7-time conference champions, and they sport 65 consecutive winning seasons. But on the flip side of that, Southern Miss. was 80th in total defense (giving up an average of 392.46 per game, last season) and their pass defense was 109th in the nation (giving up an average of 261.62 yards through the air) of out of 120 teams. So even though, South Carolina hung 41 points on them, I'm sure Alabama, Florida, Arkansas would have done the same and many other teams from BCS conferences as well. I’m not buying the resurgence of the Gamecocks offense and you should not too. I want to see them against Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas and Tennessee. All that matters to me is how they do in their conference games and this will be the true test for Garcia and this offense. Let’s not worry about the defense because they are usually a stingy bunch. If you want to jump on the bandwagon then so be it, history says it all: Spurrier only has one eight-win season in his five years at South Carolina. If the Gamecocks get nine or ten wins, I will give them their due but now I’m not impressed, move on people.

The Gamecocks' Defense Holds off North Carolina State

With 57,000 people in attendance at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina, South Carolina made a statement about their team and SEC defense. North Carolina was expecting big things from Russell Wilson, their returning sophomore quarterback who threw for 17 touchdowns last year to one interception. However, this night belonged to the Ol’ Ball Coach and his squad. There was no denying on the opening Thursday night of college football that South Carolina was a different team than the ’08 season. From every snap of the ball, whether it was Stephen Garcia making good plays with the football or running back Brian Maddox, there was a renewed commitment to playing hard-nosed football. Mind you, Garcia is not Tim Tebow or Jevan Snead, but he showed poise in the pocket and made good decisions with the ball down the field. You even saw his wheels as he made good plays on the ground, running the football. From the opening snaps, the Gamecocks showed a commitment to running the ball. This was smashmouth football that wore down the N.C. State defense. This was Garcia’s second season as the starting quarterback, and he showed confidence and maturity in being a field manager. He had only one bad play where he did not put enough air on the football and it was intercepted by Defensive End Mike Lemon. Garcia ended the night with 13/22 for 148 yards and one interception; he had 8 carries for 16 yards with an average of 2.0 yards per run. Garcia hooked up with three different receivers, but I was most impressed by the physical play of Tori Gurley (true freshman). He has great size at 6’5 and weighing 227 lbs. He knows how to use his size to his advantage and is physical catching the ball and gaining yards after the catch. Garcia took some hits from defenders, challenging them instead of sliding down out of harm’s way. Brian Maddox ended the night with 23 carries for 68 yards and a 2.9 average per carry. Though his numbers and Garcia’s are not impressive and won’t elicit any players of the week awards, the true grit they showed to fight for every yard was impressive. Garcia did his best Tebow impression by running into defenders and Maddox hit the hole and kept his legs churching for more yardage. However, the most impressive aspect of this game was South Carolina’s defense. Steve Spurrier’s defense was stout at the point of attack. They continue to harass Russell Wilson all night. Linebacker Eric Norwood had eight tackles on the night and two sacks on Wilson. The defense only allowed 59 yards on the ground by North Carolina State and the Gamecocks’ secondary only surrendered 78 yards through the air. N.C. State only had 133 yards on the night. Wilson ended up 12/23 for 74 yards. He finished the night with -17 rushing yards on 11 attempts. The Gamecocks clearly did not let him make any plays with his feet like he is known for. Last year he had an average of 3.3 yards on the ground for a total of 275 yards and 4 touchdowns. I’m sure the Wolfpack had revenge on their mind as last year’s season opener against South Carolina was an embarrassment as they lost 34-0. But the Gamecocks proved too much, defensive-wise for Russell Wilson and company. The thing that worries me is that South Carolina was unable to punch sevens on the board with their many chances in North Carolina State territory. They are going to have to find their offense when they play the likes of Florida, Georgia and the other SEC teams on their slate. But for now, South Carolina showed their commitment to defense and playing sound football.