Spurrier the Guru?

It was once a rite of fall to see a Steve Spurrier led Florida Gator squad hang 70 points on one or two nonconference opponents. It did not matter who was behind center for Florida, they were successful and put up huge numbers. Much of this success was credited to Spurrier’s “guru” status, and rightfully so. As a former Heisman quarterback who led Duke University to some successful seasons, Spurrier was right at home designing offenses that would score early and often. However, his guru status will truly be tested this season, where South Carolina fans are impatient, and the results have not been as impressive as expected.

In 2007, the Gamecocks finished in the bottom half of the SEC in both points per game, at 26.1, and yards per game, at 371.8. Quite frankly, that is not good enough for a Steve Spurrier led team. Unfortunately, the spring game did not give much hope for the upcoming season. Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher combined for 8 interceptions, and their completion percentages were below 50%. Now, it is not uncommon for the defense to perform well in the spring, given the familiarity with the offense, but these numbers have to be disturbing for South Carolina fans.

It is very possible that South Carolina does not have the quarterback talent to put together a successful offense this season, which would make Lee Corso’s prediction that they would win the SEC look less than prophetic. However, Spurrier has a real chance to cement his legacy as a legendary offensive coach. Barring an extreme change in redshirt-freshman phenom Stephen Garcia’s attitude, either Smelley or Beecher will start for the Gamecocks in the fall. If Spurrier can coax a solid and efficient year out of either player, South Carolina’s staunch defense may be able to carry the squad to an upper-tier bowl game.

Everyone knows that Steve Spurrier can excel with upper level college talent. However, we do not know if he can take average quarterbacks to the next level, the level needed to win big games in the SEC. We may have a chance to find out this season, and if the Ol’ Ball Coach is up to the task, South Carolina may take that next step to consistent elite performances.