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Book of Garcia starts with a bang
USC quarterback Stephen Garcia (5) takes off on a quarterback keeper while USC guard Terrence Campbell (60) leaps to avoid a Alabama-Birmingham player during the second quarter as USC leads Alabama-Birmingham 17-6 Saturday at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., Sept. 27, 2008.
Gerry Melendez/gmelendez@thestate.com /The State
Posted on 09.28.08
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FOR NEARLY TWO years, South Carolina fans have salivated at the prospect of Stephen Garcia, the quarterback they believe can take Steve Spurrier’s fabled offense off the cement blocks and get it running on all cylinders.
So when Spurrier announced his decision — nay, his promise — to play Garcia against Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday night, four words danced in the heads of old-timers — those whose memories go back to 1992: “The next Steve Taneyhill.”
Maybe you remember 16 seasons ago, when the big-armed, brash-talking freshman from Pennsylvania all but single-handedly transformed an 0-5 USC team into an outfit that won five of its final six and nearly upset Spurrier’s Florida Gators — in Gainesville, no less.
Maybe you saw Taneyhill’s debut, a 21-6 stunner over top-25 Mississippi State in which he picked apart the Bulldogs in a performance that the numbers (7-of-14, 183 yards, two touchdowns) don’t do justice.
Consider, too, that Garcia and Taneyhill, now coach at Chesterfield High, have/had similar trappings: long hair (now closely shorn, Garcia previously wore an Achilles ‘do), cocky attitude, big-time reputation and enough “bad boy” aura to stir excitement.
No wonder folks were worked up. “When I had my long hair,” Garcia said with a grin late Saturday, “that’s all they talked about.”
Well. This being an election year, and with apologies to former vice presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen, let me say this about that: I saw Steve Taneyhill play. I covered Taneyhill for four years, reported on his wins, losses and off-field antics.
Stephen Garcia, you’re no Steve Taneyhill.
But in time, you might be.
Not to be harsh, but USC’s 26-13 victory against 1-4 UAB does not measure up to Taneyhill’s debut. That game was electrifying, and unexpected. The only question vs. the Blazers was if USC could cover the 25-point spread.
Much to Spurrier’s chagrin, the Gamecocks could not. “We couldn’t score but two touchdowns against UAB,” the coach said, sarcasm dripping from the “two touchdowns” part. But almost no one else at Williams-Brice Stadium seemed to care.
They had seen the future of Gamecocks football — and they liked what they saw.
Spurrier started incumbent Chris Smelley, serviceable during USC’s opening drive for a 3-0 lead. Then in came Garcia, who saw his first series end with an Eric Baker fumble on the second play.
Garcia’s second possession also started inauspiciously. Two deep throws would’ve ended in an incompletion and an interception if not for timely UAB penalties.
But Spurrier, who conceded that “obviously we’ve got to let Garcia play, and obviously we’ve got to live with his mistakes,” stuck with his man. And Garcia, who admitted to first-snap nerves, settled down.
He ran the offense well for the most part, completing 13-of-20 passes and showing touch on several throws, notably a 22-yarder to Jason Barnes during a drive that produced no points, and on a sweet flare pass to Brian Maddox for 13-yard touchdown and 10-3 lead.
“It’s been a long time,” Garcia said. “I can’t remember the last time I played (that many plays) in a game.”
From the first quarter until late in the third, it was all Garcia, all the time. Garcia passing for 131 yards; Garcia rushing for a team-best 86 yards and a 6-yard touchdown where he scrambled left, faked UAB’s Ugonna Amarikwa outside and dove inside.
Garcia running or passing on 38 of USC’s 78 plays, producing 217 of the Gamecocks’ 353 yards and three of five scores. The Blazers knew what was coming. They just couldn’t do much about it.
“Garcia did some good things. His running was the best thing,” Spurrier said. “He can run out of the pocket and make some yards,” a weapon this team needs.
“He kept the ball moving, picking up first downs. That’s what you need in a quarterback,” Maddox said.
Still, after throwing an interception late in the third quarter, the last of several mental errors that churned Spurrier’s stomach, Garcia sat. In came Smelley, who a series later also was intercepted. And ... was booed.
Smelley and Tommy Beecher, not seen since the third quarter of the season opener, ran things during mop-up time. Garcia did not play in the fourth quarter, but don’t read too much into that.
If this is not now Garcia’s team, or soon will be, then Steve Taneyhill was an introvert. “He hasn’t done enough (to be named the starter),” Spurrier said, “but he’s certainly going to play a lot.”
The story on Stephen Garcia is a long way from written, but the first chapter will keep fans turning pages. Will he be a bestseller, a la “Tales of Taneyhill”? Stay tuned.
Chapter Two comes in six days at Oxford, Miss., against an Ole Miss team that took down Florida on Saturday — in Gainesville, no less.
Talk about a book you can’t put down.
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