Palmetto Points

Amazing some of the stuff that is being written out there about South Carolina's forthcoming football season. Here are some thoughts from a writer at the Nashville Tennessean. Offseason objective: The inability to run the ball has been a glaring weakness since Steve Spurrier became the Gamecocks coach, and getting it fixed was the focus in the spring. Progress report: There remains work to be done on the offensive line but TB Brian Maddox shined in the spring game, sending a message that he will challenge Mike Davis for the starting assignment. Looking back/ahead: 2007 record: 6-6 (3-5 SEC); 2008 predicted record: 6-6; key game: Sept. 6 at Vanderbilt. OK, the first point is true. The Gamecocks' inability to run the ball has been a glaring weakness during the Spurrier era, but not being able to block and not being able to stop the run on defense has been more damaging. When USC has gotten blocking, it's been able to run it just fine. When USC has stopped the run on defense, it has typically won games. While improving the run game on offense was an objective during the offseason, it hardly was the priority that working the players into the new defensive scheme and improving the offensive line as a whole was. On the second point, while I was more than impressed with Brian Maddox during the spring game, most who know the Spurrier system realize that it's a two-running back system. It was at Florida, it has been at South Carolina (2001: (E. Graham/Gillespie); 2005: Mike Davis/Daccus Turman; 2006: Davis/Cory Boyd; 2007: Davis/Boyd) so I am not sure that Maddox challenging Davis should be the major point in terms of progress within the program. As to the third point, I think that it's completely fair to pick the Gamecocks to go 6-6 this season. With that, I am not sure how likely it is considering the number of talented lettermen returning. The Vanderbilt game? It will be key as far as the second game of the season, conference opener and first road game of the year is concerned. But last time the Vandy game in Nashville was considered to be the "key game" of the season, USC whipped the Dores, 31-6 in the 2004 season opener. Overall, I think it's very easy for writers who know little about the program to throw dirt on Spurrier, throw dirt on USC and quickly point out (even though it's clear to anyone who glances at the Gamecocks roster and knows a thing about football or football talent that the Gamecocks' best days are to come) that Spurrier has failed in his return to college football. Prepare for this type of stuff during the entire summer. The only way that this type of chatter will end is for Carolina to go out and win some football games next year.