Ol' Ball Coach calls South Carolina his school, respects playing ECU more than 'bottom-tier Big Ten teams'

When Steve Spurrier meets with the media, he’s guaranteed to shoot from the hip.

Much has been made this offseason about soft non-conference schedules, but Spurrier disagrees with the assertion that playing a program from a Power 5 league automatically presents a stiffer challenge.

He didn’t pick up any Big Ten fans after stoking the fire Sunday concerning the Gamecocks’ non-conference tilt with East Carolina the second week of the season.

“Playing East Carolina is maybe a little bit better than playing one of those bottom-tier Big Ten teams,” Spurrier quipped at South Carolina’s fall camp media day.

The Ol’ Ball Coach strikes again.

In Spurrier’s defense, the Pirates do bring back Shane Carden, the top returning quarterback in the American Conference. Carden’s completion percentage of 70.5 last fall is best in the nation among returning passers and he’s the only quarterback in East Carolina history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season.

Carden’s played at Williams-Brice Stadium before, completing 12-of-18 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown in a reserve role during a 48-10 loss in 2012.

Spurrier went on to mention how impressed he’s been with the play of several freshmen defensive backs along with first-year linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams and wideout Tyshun ‘Deebo’ Samuel. Spurrier also reiterated his confidence in this year’s schedule, but isn’t getting too excited before knowing the result of his team’s opener against nationally-ranked Texas A&M.

“If we can play well within the division, and win one or two of the West ones, we’ll have a chance maybe,” Spurrier said. “I like the fact that there aren’t back-to-back away games.”

It was revealed in March that Spurrier and his wife, Jerri, have donated a total of $1 million back to the university since his arrival in 2005. Spurrier answered a question pertaining to his generosity Sunday and urged current Gamecocks in the NFL to also give back.

“I just wanted the Gamecocks to know that this is my school now,” Spurrier said.

Junior tailback Mike Davis, who sat out Friday’s opening practice with a hamstring pull, was asked if he was going to win the Heisman this season, a year after rushing for a career-best 1,183 yards and 11 touchdowns.

I’m not putting too much emphasis on it,” Davis said. “If it happens, it happens. I’m more of a team person. As long as we keep winning, I really don’t care too much for my stats.”

Davis, a Georgia native, also revealed a budding relationship with fellow SEC Heisman candidate Todd Gurley.

“(He’s) the only guy I really, really talk to out of the SEC,” Davis said. “We text here and there. He’s a great guy. He’s been up here and I’ve hung out with him.”