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[Blog] Good night for USC QBs
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Much better night for Connor Shaw on Tuesday during his second practice with the Gamecocks.
After struggling with nerves during the first workout before spring break, the right-hander showed off a strong arm on a pair of scramble-play throws. The second was most impressive: He ran to his left, threw back across his body and hit Dion LeCorn in stride down the sideline.
“Connor made a couple of good scramble plays. He scrambled out and hit a couple of deep balls tonight,” Steve Spurrier said. “He’s got a chance. He’s just got a lot to learn.”
As for the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback …
Some observers, including this blogger, have been critical of Stephen Garcia’s leadership in the past. But it looks like he is starting to take ownership of this team in his fourth year.
He seems to be more vocal and is trying to encourage the young quarterbacks behind him. After Aramis Hillary (who has been reinstated following last week’s underage drinking arrest) made a poor throw during 7-on-7s, Garcia gave him a fist-bump when he reached the sideline.
The first crack in Garcia’s tough exterior was revealed after the bowl loss to UConn when he became emotional and had to try to fight back the tears because the Gamecocks were unable to send Eric Norwood and the other seniors out with a win.
Garcia said it took him until winter workouts to get over the defeat.
As for Garcia’s continued growth as a quarterback, Spurrier wants him to cut his 37 sacks from last season in half in 2010.
Garcia has always been refreshingly candid with the media – he conceded Tuesday he didn’t do as many as the QB drills over spring break as the coaches would have liked. But he is beginning to sound more like a leader.
“I feel like a veteran, but I’ve still got two years left and I’m going to use every single day I can to get better,” Garcia said Tuesday. “I’ve been in the system for four years now. I think it’s about time I figured it all out.”
Other notes and observations on a cool night on Bluff Road:
–USC is taking steps to improve its kick coverage. Special teams coach Shane Beamer did a drill Tuesday in which the coverage team ran the entire length of the field – something I don’t remember seeing the Gamecocks do last season.
–T.J. Johnson is still adjusting to the move from guard to center. Johnson, who said he’d never played center before this spring, had a couple of low snaps Tuesday that Garcia couldn’t dig out.
But Garcia believes Johnson will be fine, and complimented him for his “mean streak.” Johnson is a good player. I’m betting he figures out the snapping business.
–Tony Dungy spoke to USC’s team Tuesday afternoon after speaking engagements earlier in the day at the Broad River correctional complex and Columbia International University.
Dungy’s message to USC was hard work and teamwork.
“He gave us two words that we can remember,” Spurrier said. “And our guys seemed to do that better tonight.”
Dungy pointed out that Spurrier indirectly played a part in his career, which culminated with Dungy becoming the first black coach to win a Super Bowl in 2007. Before Tampa Bay hired Dungy in 1996, the Bucs first approached Spurrier, who was in the middle of a successful, 12-year run at Florida.
“If he had taken the Tampa job, I don’t know where I would be,” Dungy said. “So I owe him a lot.”
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