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Morris: After being under fire, Smelley is on target
Chris Smelley delivers a pass against the Ole Miss defense in the second half.
Erik Campos/ecampos@thestate.com /Erk Campos
Posted on 10.05.08
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OXFORD, Miss —-
WHAT A DIFFERENCE a week makes in the life of a Steve Spurrier-coached quarterback. Where the next spin of the quarterback roulette wheel stops is anyone’s guess.
One week Chris Smelley hears boos from South Carolina fans at Williams-Brice Stadium. The next, he is cheered wildly by USC supporters as he boards the bus outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
One week, Spurrier questions Smelley’s ability to make sound decisions, leading Spurrier to declare Smelley was headed to the bench. The next, Smelley throws for a career-high 327 yards and three touchdowns, leading Spurrier to declare Smelley the starter for another week.
“I have ears. I can hear what goes on around me,” Smelley said after USC’s 31-24 victory against Mississippi on Saturday. “You try to block it out and keep playing. Yes, I heard it a little bit.”
Smelley was speaking to the boos from USC fans each of the past two weeks, games in which the Gamecocks won against Wofford and Alabama-Birmingham, and games in which Smelley’s play was erratic.
“It’s kind of unfortunate that it happens,” Smelley said of the fans’ reaction. “We work so hard and put so much into the game, things aren’t always going to work out perfectly. So, you’ve got to just keep battling through it.”
Smelley certainly has done that in his two seasons of play. The win Saturday moved his record as a starter to 7-4. Yet he never has seemed to garner the endorsement of USC fans. Even his head coach has publicly questioned whether Smelley is USC’s best option.
When asked Saturday why he chose Smelley as the starter this week over heralded freshman Stephen Garcia, Spurrier went on a diatribe about why Garcia was not ready to direct the offense. He barely mentioned Smelley’s attributes.
One would think Spurrier’s comments could shake the confidence of a young quarterback. Not Smelley.
“It hasn’t at all,” Smelley said. “The last couple of games, I didn’t feel I was playing all that badly, just having some mistakes that I really needed to fix. It kind of came together tonight. I was able to limit the mistakes overall and make some plays.”
What Smelley did Saturday that distinguished his play from previous games this season was make big plays. His trio of touchdown passes was evidence to that.
USC faced a third-and-goal at the Mississippi 20-yard line in the second quarter when Spurrier and his son, Steve Spurrier, Jr., contemplated whether Smelley’s arm was worth a gamble.
“I was ready to call a draw play and kick the field goal,” head coach Spurrier said. “(Junior) said, let’s fire it in the end zone. I said, ‘All right, fire it in there and see what happens.’ “
What happened was Smelley threaded a bullet pass to the back of the end zone where Jason Barnes held onto the ball after being belted by a Mississippi defender.
In the third quarter, Smelley lobbed as beautiful a fade pass as you will ever see. It covered 6 yards, and again Barnes was on the receiving end for a touchdown. Then, on the play that sealed USC’s victory in the fourth quarter, Smelley scrambled out of the pocket and spotted an open Joe Hills for a 4-yard touchdown.
The pass to Hills was no thing of beauty, but it was an example of how Smelley can sidestep pressure, survey the field for an open receiver and improvise on the run.
“It wasn’t really designed to be a scramble play,” Smelley said. “I kind of got some pressure. I kind of rolled right. (I) kind of eye-balled Jared Cook a little bit and Joe was kind of standing in the back of the end zone.”
Smelley’s “kind of” throw was more of a lob and had a little hang time before it fell into Hills’ arms.
“It was just a try-to-get-it-out-there (throw),” Smelley said.
That throw gave USC a 31-21 lead with 8:37 remaining. It also climaxed a remarkable 11-play, 95-yard drive. USC has mounted some impressive long drives this season, but has not consistently finished them for touchdowns.
The difference Saturday was Smelley and his ability to make big plays.
“He made some good throws and he missed some guys, too,” Spurrier said. “I still think Chris can really play. I really think he can play. I expect him to play better. I think he can play better than this, I really do.”
Spurrier seemed reluctant to heap too much praise on Smelley. That was not the case outside the stadium afterward. Smelley was the adoring hero of the day. While he waited to conduct a telephone interview with Fox Sports radio out of Los Angeles, Smelley opened a couple of birthday cards. He turned 22 on Monday.
Then Smelley walked toward the awaiting team bus where was greeted by the 20 or so family and friends who made the two-hour drive from his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Ala.
For the afternoon and probably deep into Saturday night, Smelley was secure in knowing he was USC’s No. 1 quarterback for at least another week. As Spurrier said a few minutes before, tryouts are over.
You should know Spurrier immediately qualified that statement by saying, “You never know.”
Listen to Morris on Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m. on ESPN Radio 93.1 FM
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