For the first time since the game began ten years ago, the South Carolina Gamecocks were represented in the U.S. Army All-America game. Carolina had one verbal commitment heading into the contest, as Greenwood, SC Defensive lineman Kelcy Quarles pledged to the Gamecocks as a junior. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound son of former offensive lineman Buddy Quarles alternated at defensive tackle with Florida bound Sharrif Floyd. Quarles was impressive, as he was explosive off the ball, used his hands well and played with good pad level and leverage. The No. 2 DT prospect nationally according to Rivals.com is still built like a DE and will need to add 20-30 more pounds to be an effective DT in the SEC, but nonetheless, Quarles was impressive going against 300 plus pound offensive guards and tackles.
It is easy to see why Quarles garners such a lofty national ranking. Not only is he qucik and explosive off the ball, but he also does an excellent job using his hands to get leverage, which is an advanced skill, and one that he no doubt learned at summer camp from USC defensive line coach Brad Lawing, who really believes in teaching hand and arm leverage techniques to his linemen.
I expect Quarles to start off playing strong side defensive end as a freshman, and then move inside after a full year in strength coach Craig Fitzgerald's weight program. It is doubtful Quarles will redshirt, as a source close to the USC program believes the prep-All-American is just too good to sit out, even with USC's depth at end. Quarles is a legacy, and a great get for the Carolina program, joining other young studs as Devin Taylor and Chaz Sutton to ensure Carolina's defensive line continues to be one of the best in the SEC after the departure in 2010 of three starters.
At the conclusion of the first quarter, CB prospect Victor Hampton finally made a public commitment to the Gamecocks. This was perhaps the worst kept secret of the recruiting season, as many have known since November Hampton would be a Gamecock. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder was one of the biggest surprises of the week and it is now easy to see why the Florida Gators accepted such an early commitment from Hampton. Rivals expert Mike Farrell stated that Hampton was the top corner on the East squad after his performance this past week.
Hampton plays with wild abandon and shows no fear. He plays lie he is the best on the field, using excellent speed and great ball skills. I fully expect him to be a contributor immediately at South Carolina. Kudo's to South Carolina assistant head coach for defense Ellis Johnson and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward for staying on Hampton after he was dismissed from the Independence HS program in Charlotte over the summer. While it took almost half the season, Hampton did gain eligibility at Darlington HS, where his mother resides and made teh most of his senior season. Hampton showed he has elite cover skills and showed excellent run ssupport as well in the Army All-American contest.
As long as he keeps his nose clean and does the right things at South Carolina, I think Hampton will continue the trend of Gamecock DB's taking their skills to the next level.
Carolina target Marcus Lattimore was also impressive in limited duty. The 6-foot, 200-pound Byrnes HS product is clearly one of the nation's finest, and overall, I think the most sure fire NFL back in the contest. While Lattimore will not be confused with CJ Spiller, a speedster that is a game breaker, but lacks durability, Lattimore is the total package. He has good speed, but is quicker than he is fast and has the best foot work and change of direction skills of any back I have seen come out of South Carolina since Harold Green. Because of the sophistication and versatility of the Byrnes offense, Lattimore has developed great receiving skills, which is another reason why I think playing in an offense like Spurrier and GA Mangus plan to deploy will highlight Lattimores skills even more and help him develop into a top notch NFL back, along the same lines as Fred Taylor and Eric Rhett.
Barring anything unforeseen, I fully expect Lattimore to ink with the Gamecocks after he makes his public declaration at his church on signing day eve. New running backs coach Jay Graham has done a fantastic job building a relationship with Lattimore, and is a great example for his next star pupil. Graham starred in the SEC and then took his game to the NFL, something Gamecock fans hope this upstate product will do.
The news was not all good for the Gamecocks, as USC target Sharrif Floyd selected Florida over USC, Ohio State, and North Carolina. The Gamecocks were thought to be out of the running for the top rated defensive tackle, but a late push by recruiters GA Mangus and Brad Lawing placed the Gamecocks back in the game, and there were rumors swirling on the eve of his decision that lead many to believe he may ultimately choose the Gamecocks. However, the 6-foot-3, 310-pounder selected the Gators, despite the uncertainty of Florida head coach Urban Meyer's health and the fact the Gators are absolutely loaded at DT.
Gamecock assistants GA Mangus, Jay Graham, and Brad Lawing were in San Antonio to meet with Carolina target J.R. "Ego" Ferguson. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive end started for the East squad and is rated as a five-star prospect by Rivals.com. Lawing and Graham met with Ferguson and his father to try and secure the Hargrave standout's final official visit on January 29th. Sources say the meeting was positive, but the Gamecocks are battling FSU and Miami, so stay tuned. TBS insider Tony Morrell believes a decision will be made by early next week on who gets the last visit.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Monday, January 04, 2010
The Pappa Johns Mastercard Experience
One ticket to 2010 Pap Johns Bowl- $40.00
Two night hotel stay at the Perimeter Hilton- $258.00
Under Armour cold gear- $51.00
Under Armour Hooded Sweatshirt- $74.50
Round trip ticket from Austin, TX 298.00
2010 Pappa Johns Bowl Experience- Anything but priceless!
Yes, my master card took a big hit to attend the 2010 Pappa John's Bowl just like the other 30 thousand or so loyal Gamecock fans that made the trip and braved the cold to watch our Gamecocks lay an egg on ESPN against a University best known for its Women's Basketball program.
No offense to UConn head coach Randy Edsall. I like the way his team plays. They play hard nosed, physical football. UConn was clearly the tougher and more disciplined team on the field on Saturday afternoon. But they were not the most talented. Talent does not always win, but rather it is the team that executes, plays hard, and wants it the most.
For the second straight year, Carolina lost to a blue collar team that was tougher, more physical and played with more determination and desire. Perhaps its time that Steve Spurrier start implementing some of those traits and characteristics in his team instead of running country club bowl practices and not using the 15 practices allowed by the NCAA. Last year, Carolina practiced 14 times and this year, with a very young team missing its offensive line coach, the Gamecocks practiced only 12 times.
Why leave three practices off the books with such a young team? The question begs an answer.
Simply put, Spurrier never has been a good bowl coach. At Florida, his talented Gator teams lost several bowl games they should have won. Now at Carolina, Spurrier's bowl record stands at 1-3, with Iowa the only team that was favored to defeat the Gamecocks.
I do think Spurrier took a big step in hiring App. State offensive line coach Shawn Elliott. The Camden native will bring a passion that has been lacking to the offense. This was a bold move by Spurrier to pass on several coaches with NFL and SEC coaching experience. My next blog will take a look inside the Elliott hiring and what we can expect from our next offensive line coach, who hit the road recruiting today.
Two night hotel stay at the Perimeter Hilton- $258.00
Under Armour cold gear- $51.00
Under Armour Hooded Sweatshirt- $74.50
Round trip ticket from Austin, TX 298.00
2010 Pappa Johns Bowl Experience- Anything but priceless!
Yes, my master card took a big hit to attend the 2010 Pappa John's Bowl just like the other 30 thousand or so loyal Gamecock fans that made the trip and braved the cold to watch our Gamecocks lay an egg on ESPN against a University best known for its Women's Basketball program.
No offense to UConn head coach Randy Edsall. I like the way his team plays. They play hard nosed, physical football. UConn was clearly the tougher and more disciplined team on the field on Saturday afternoon. But they were not the most talented. Talent does not always win, but rather it is the team that executes, plays hard, and wants it the most.
For the second straight year, Carolina lost to a blue collar team that was tougher, more physical and played with more determination and desire. Perhaps its time that Steve Spurrier start implementing some of those traits and characteristics in his team instead of running country club bowl practices and not using the 15 practices allowed by the NCAA. Last year, Carolina practiced 14 times and this year, with a very young team missing its offensive line coach, the Gamecocks practiced only 12 times.
Why leave three practices off the books with such a young team? The question begs an answer.
Simply put, Spurrier never has been a good bowl coach. At Florida, his talented Gator teams lost several bowl games they should have won. Now at Carolina, Spurrier's bowl record stands at 1-3, with Iowa the only team that was favored to defeat the Gamecocks.
I do think Spurrier took a big step in hiring App. State offensive line coach Shawn Elliott. The Camden native will bring a passion that has been lacking to the offense. This was a bold move by Spurrier to pass on several coaches with NFL and SEC coaching experience. My next blog will take a look inside the Elliott hiring and what we can expect from our next offensive line coach, who hit the road recruiting today.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Shameful Performance by Gamecock Offense
Folks, there is no way to sugar coat or put a positive spin on what occurred at a cold and windy Legion Field in Birmingham today. This was a shameful performance by the Carolina offense. From the outset the Gamecock gameplan appeared to be finess, as Steve Spurrier conceded the line of scrimmage and the ground attack after the second series.
On a day when the weather conditions were not condusive to passing the football, it appeared tha was all Spurrier intended to do. The Gamecocks were playing a UConn defense that was giving up over 400 yards per game. This was not Florida or Alabama's defense in navy blue jersey's today. Yet, UConn dominated the Gamecock offensive line and Carolina had a mere 84 yards of total offense in the first half.
It was more of the same in the second half, as Carolina abandoned the running game, even though they faced only a 13-0 deficit.
It was the same story as last year's Outback Bowl as the Gamecocks committed key penalties, had lost yardage plays, while their opponent played virtually mistake free. UConn did not commit a single penalty the entire game.
The one big play that could have turned momentum around, never materialized, as Akeem Auguste's potential pick six fell harmlessly to the ground in the 3rd quarter, a play that would have pulled Carolina to 13-7 and swung momentum the Gamecock's way.
It is hard to blame the Carolina defense, as UConn came into the game with a potent ground attack. The Gamecock defense was on the field virtually the entire first half as the offense did not get a first down until over well into the second quarter. The defense was constantly playing a short field and pout in bad situations by Carolina's inability to move the football.
There was nothing to be excited about on this day for the 30 thousand plus Carolina fans that braved this cold winter afternoon at Historic Legion Field.
Now, Spurrier must turn his attention to making a quality hire with the vacant offensive line coaching position, then its on to recruiting. Carolina must get a hard-nosed physical offensive line coach and Spurrier must adjust his philosophy if he is going to be better than a 7-6 program of his first five seasons. A strong finish in recruitng will ease the sting of this loss. While I still think this season was a success, a disappointing loss like this does not send the players into the off season with a lot of momentum. Hopefully this young core of players will take to heart what happened today and learn that in football the toughest and most disciplined team is the oe that wins.
Up next, John Fulton's decision and the importance of being more physical on offense.
On a day when the weather conditions were not condusive to passing the football, it appeared tha was all Spurrier intended to do. The Gamecocks were playing a UConn defense that was giving up over 400 yards per game. This was not Florida or Alabama's defense in navy blue jersey's today. Yet, UConn dominated the Gamecock offensive line and Carolina had a mere 84 yards of total offense in the first half.
It was more of the same in the second half, as Carolina abandoned the running game, even though they faced only a 13-0 deficit.
It was the same story as last year's Outback Bowl as the Gamecocks committed key penalties, had lost yardage plays, while their opponent played virtually mistake free. UConn did not commit a single penalty the entire game.
The one big play that could have turned momentum around, never materialized, as Akeem Auguste's potential pick six fell harmlessly to the ground in the 3rd quarter, a play that would have pulled Carolina to 13-7 and swung momentum the Gamecock's way.
It is hard to blame the Carolina defense, as UConn came into the game with a potent ground attack. The Gamecock defense was on the field virtually the entire first half as the offense did not get a first down until over well into the second quarter. The defense was constantly playing a short field and pout in bad situations by Carolina's inability to move the football.
There was nothing to be excited about on this day for the 30 thousand plus Carolina fans that braved this cold winter afternoon at Historic Legion Field.
Now, Spurrier must turn his attention to making a quality hire with the vacant offensive line coaching position, then its on to recruiting. Carolina must get a hard-nosed physical offensive line coach and Spurrier must adjust his philosophy if he is going to be better than a 7-6 program of his first five seasons. A strong finish in recruitng will ease the sting of this loss. While I still think this season was a success, a disappointing loss like this does not send the players into the off season with a lot of momentum. Hopefully this young core of players will take to heart what happened today and learn that in football the toughest and most disciplined team is the oe that wins.
Up next, John Fulton's decision and the importance of being more physical on offense.
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