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Spurrier encouraged by Garcia
Steve Spurrier hits a tee shot on the par three No. 8 Thursday during the annual media golf tournament with Gamecocks coaches and staff at the University Golf Club at Cobblestone Park in Blythewood. Spurrier played golf with The State's Bob Gillespie, Spurs & Feathers' Dexter Hudson and 107.5 The Game's Michael Haney.
Rich Glickstein/rglickstein@thestate.com
Written by JOSEPH PERSON
jperson @thestate.com
Posted on 07.31.09
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GALLERY: Steve Spurrier media golf outingThe last memory many South Carolina fans have of Stephen Garcia is from the Outback Bowl, when the Tampa native had four first-half turnovers in a 31-10 loss to Iowa that was about as miserable a homecoming as could have unfolded.
But Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier recently saw footage of Garcia that was far more encouraging - video of the Gamecocks' spring game in which he completed 13 of 20 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
"I called Stephen that night and I said, 'You know what, you actually looked pretty good in the spring game. You took your steps, had your head in the right position, one time you stepped up and hit Dion (LeCorn) on a little short corner route, instead of taking off running,' " Spurrier said Thursday following his annual media golf outing. "I said, 'Last year you would have just taken off running anywhere.’ “
As he mentioned last week at the SEC Media Days, Spurrier said Garcia has to stay healthy because none of his backups has taken a snap in a game.
"Stephen needs to keep progressing, progressing," Spurrier said. "But he does have ability to play this game."
Waiting game. Spurrier said incoming tailback Ben Axon, who entered pretrial intervention last week in Florida on a marijuana charge, must be approved by USC's administration. Recruiting coordinator Shane Beamer said Georgia Military offensive linemen Steven Singleton and Rokevious Watkins are expected to join the team the first and second weeks of August, respectively.
The situation with defensive end Leon Mackey is less certain. The NCAA Clearinghouse is reviewing Mackey's transcript, which includes online courses he took through BYU - a correspondence program that came under NCAA scrutiny a couple of years ago.
Play a mulligan. Spurrier expressed regret over his handling of Tebowgate, particularly his mentioning in Birmingham that director of football operations Jamie Speronis had filled out the preseason All-SEC ballot that omitted Tim Tebow on the first team.
"I should not have gotten Jamie Speronis involved at all because he does a heck of a job as director of operations here," Spurrier said. "He's an important, key guy. And I hope he didn't take a lot of grief."
If he had it to do over, Spurrier said, he would not have made such a "big deal" of the situation.
Injury update. LeCorn, who broke his leg at the end of the spring game, is not 100 percent but is expected to participate in preseason drills, Spurrier said. Free safety Chris Culliver (offseason shoulder surgery) could be held out of contact drills early in two-a-days. Linebacker Josh Dickerson (shoulder) and tailback Eric Baker (hernia surgery) should be OK. ...
Running backs coach Jay Graham was in California on Thursday to visit a specialist about a neck injury from Graham's playing days.
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.
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