South Carolina Midseason Report: Gamecocks on the Rise?

Even after his 35-21 victory over #1 ranked Alabama last week, Steve Spurrier still remained humble, playing the same card he has since arriving in Columbia in 2005. If you take a visit to the Carolina press room after a win (or a big win, at that) you’ll find he keeps his cool and still claims, “his team isn’t good enough to be cocky.”

What…..? What happened to the red-hot Steve Spurrier from the ‘90s? Concluding a win, you would find the Ole Ball Coach poking fun at Ray Goff or taking a jab at Tennessee. Why isn’t he doing it at Carolina?

To be fair, Spurrier’s first five years at Florida found him with a lot more W’s, combining a 61-13 record (not counting tie games). His first five as South Carolina- 39-29 halfway through his fifth season. So I guess there’s not much to be proud of on paper.

When Spurrier arrived at Carolina, he assumed a program looking for an identity. Player scandals, a laughable all-time record, and accusations of no tradition loomed around the Gamecocks’ program, a far cry from the perfect, pro-esque Florida teams he had coached in the ‘90s.

Fast forward to this October. We are looking at a different program. Williams-Brice Stadium can no longer be compared to a slab of concrete. Recruits are *starting* to pour in. The Gamecocks are 11-1 in their last 12 home games, including victories against #1 and #4 teams. Players aren’t getting in trouble, and are keeping up their grades. Though unrelated to Spurrier, the baseball team reenergized the fan base after winning the College World Series.

Remember what I said earlier- Spurrier had nothing to be proud of? Well, maybe he does if you look big picture. Any Gamecock fan should be blessed to have Spurrier as the head man for the program.

You may have pictured winning the SEC Championship and dominating Sugar Bowls an adequate agenda for Spurrier, but what he has done in Columbia is far more important than that. The Ole Ball Coach is essentially giving the Gamecocks a winning tradition.

You might say, “tradition??? The Gamecocks have only won one game against a #1 team! My team has been doing that for years!” Well, not exactly. It’s impossible for an average team go on national television and dominate the best team in football by being “just average.” Could it be that the Gamecocks might be…….good?

So next time you feel the urge to complain about Spurrier being too distant from the program or making a bad call, remember what he has done for Gamecock fans. If things keep going the way they have the past year, we might begin to see the cocky Spurrier from the ‘90s again.