Published September 29, 2011 - 7:28am
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As is the case with most mid-season games in the SEC, the storylines are endless for ninth-ranked South Carolina’s (4-0, 2-0) East-West matchup with Auburn (3-1, 1-0) Saturday at a sold-out Williams Brice Stadium.
- Can the 9.5-point favored Gamecocks beat the Tigers for the first time in 78 years?
- Will South Carolina’s defense show another strong effort against one of the SEC’s top offenses?
- Does Auburn have enough players on defense to stop – or tackle – Marcus Lattimore?
While tailbacks Michael Dyer and Lattimore are the best players on each team’s offense, there’s a third player I expect to have the biggest impact in the afternoon affair – quarterback Stephen Garcia.
The last time the Gamecocks were nationally-televised in the 3:30 p.m. time slot, Garcia swayed a fanbase back into his corner with one of his best games as a collegian – a 17-of-20, 201-yard, three-touchdown masterpiece during South Carolina’s convincing win over No. 1 Alabama. After that victory, Garcia managed consecutive 350-yard plus games and threw 12 touchdown passes over the final nine games of the season with an average completion percentage of 61.4.
Those numbers were good enough to propel the Gamecocks to their first SEC East title in school history, a berth in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl and a nine-win season.
In 2011, Garcia’s been bad (3 TD, 7 INT) but the Gamecocks are 4-0 and his job is safe. Most of us think the fifth-year senior will turn things around and I think that’ll start Saturday against Auburn. The Tigers’ secondary is giving up 251 yards per game and the defensive line – a talented, sack-happy unit in 2010 with Nick Fairley – has just three in four games.
With time in the pocket and a re-energized receiving corp matched up against a struggling secondary, Garcia has the opportunity to play the way most fans – and coaches – expected him to after encouraging progress during summer and fall workouts. Garcia will be making his 34th career start under center, his third against Auburn. He was exceptional through the air on the Plains last season at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but squandered South Carolina’s chances with two lost fumbles that caused Steve Spurrier to go the Connor Shaw route.
He was sharp in the first-half of the rematch in Atlanta during the SEC Championship Game, but the Gamecocks’ defense didn’t help the cause. Garcia’s pick-six in the third quarter was a result of frustration more than anything else.
Spurrier continues to say there is no quarterback battle at South Carolina and wants to see a different attitude from No. 5 this weekend.
“I hope the quarterback will go out there saying ‘I’m ready to tear them up today’ instead of `what will I do today,’” Spurrier said earlier this week. “We hope the entire team has confidence they can play well. Even the left guard needs to have confidence he can play well.”
Garcia’s admitted he hasn’t played up to his standards yet. That’s good news, Stephen. The season is still young.
He might be playing inspired. His grandfather died and it is said that they were really close. I think a lot has been going through this young man’s head as of late. Maybe he can “just go play” and enjoy this game. Hope his family is doing well with the loss
Sorry to hear about Gramps, but shouldn’t he already be playing inspired?
I mean, 80,000 fans come out to see you, pay tons of money, you’re on national television, ranked in the top ten (in spite of Garcia’s performance), and people are saying that now, after losing a family member he might play inspired ball? As a Carolina fan, I’ve been embarrassed reading message boards the last few weeks, where people are saying stuff like, “Maybe we should chant Garcia’s name, maybe that’ll pump him up,” and other kid-glove, spoon fed, coddle-the-baby stuff.
If a 5th year senior, can’t take 5 years of practice 36 or so starts, playing his final year, with the best supporting cast he’s ever had, with all the potential to have the most memorable season in Carolina history, can’t go out and be inspired without something drastic (and very unfortunate and sad) like a family member’s death, or something babyish like fans trying to “pump” him up, then what. the. f#ck?
Before this season all I heard from other fans was, “Garcia’s a warrior!!!!! I wanna go to war with that brah!!!!!!” Now you’ve got the same fans wanting to hold his hand and baby him.
Get out there and earn the scholarship, and I’ll cheer when you hit a receiver in stride.
Garcia got booed after his third interception against Vandy. i really dont see where you think Gamecock fans are “babying” him. Fans have been nothing but critical of him this year. There are those of us that still have confidence in him to break out and have a great game. I dont think that Spurrier has let him loose yet because we havent needed him to be “Good Garcia” so far this year. While going back and watching the first 4 games over again, Garcia is not actually performing all that badly. Receivers are dropping balls and running the wrong routes. Garcia is making the right throws, but the receivers arent where they should be. When South Carolina NEEDS good Garcia, he will show up.
CMcAulay99, most of what you said is correct, but let’s not pretend some of this isn’t his fault either.
During the Georgia game, most of his throws were high early, 1 of 2 interceptions was terribly underthrown (the other was a Hail Mary heave before the half). In the Vandy game, half of his picks (2) were forced, thrown into coverage.
He needs to work on his decision-making and deep ball more than anything.