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Morris: Convincing win answers few questions
FOR THOSE 80,000 FANS looking for answers in South Carolina’s season-opening victory against N.C. State, they probably left Williams-Brice Stadium still searching.
The Gamecocks’ 34-0 win provided few.
Let’s start with the defense, which was outstanding from kickoff to game’s end. It posted USC’s first shutout since a season-opening win at Mississippi State two seasons ago.
“The whole defense was super,” coach Steve Spurrier said afterward.
Yet even in holding N.C. State to 10 first downs and 138 yards of offense, at least one USC defender does not believe Gamecock fans have seen the unit’s best effort.
“We played like we were coached, but I don’t think it was our best,” cornerback Carlos Thomas said. “I think we can play better.”
Perhaps the most encouraging element of the defense was the four N.C. State turnovers it forced. The first two set up scores for an offense that struggled for three quarters.
Unfortunately, the superb showing for the defense comes with a caveat. You must consider the opposition. This was an inexperienced N.C. State team missing its top two running backs, its leading returning receiver and then lost its starting quarterback to injury in the second quarter.
Nevertheless, USC’s defense was up to every challenge. It pressured N.C. State’s quarterbacks, stuffed the run and blanketed Wolfpack receivers. It was an attacking defense that made few mistakes, save for an unnecessary unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Emanuel Cook and a wasted timeout when a play nearly started with 10 men.
N.C. State threatened to score twice, once stalling at USC’s 36-yard line and the other time stopping at the Gamecocks’ 32 before a missed field goal.
Entering the game, there were many more questions about USC’s offense. How would quarterback Tommy Beecher handle his first starting assignment? Could the offensive line jell for the first time in the Spurrier era? Who would step up as a secondary receiver behind Kenny McKinley? Could USC establish a running game?
Beecher’s debut was less than sterling, to say the least. He played three quarters before leaving with a head injury. His numbers — 12-of-22 passing four 106 yards and four interceptions — must have given Steve Spurrier and his play-calling son, Steve Jr., headaches, as well.
“I know he had some pressure on him at times,” Spurrier said of Beecher. “I know we had some good plays on at times. I knew he threw the ball away when he wasn’t supposed to. But, then again, it was his first game. He had a lot of guys in his face at times.”
Beecher struggled, but the problems were not all his doing. His line gave him little time to throw, and his best plays were scrambles out of the pocket that gained 41 yards.
Beecher was sacked five times. His line was guilty of three false starts, a holding penalty and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty ... all in the first half.
When Spurrier stood at midfield following the game and shook his head saying, “It was a struggle early, big struggle, big struggle,” he was speaking as much about his offensive line as his quarterback.
Everything finally fell into place for the offense once Chris Smelley took over to start the fourth quarter. With plenty of time to throw, Smelley completed all five of his pass attempts for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Those numbers only clouded the quarterback picture for next week instead of providing an answer for who Spurrier will go with from here on out.
Equally uncertain was the running game, which produced 56 yards on 30 attempts through three quarters. Then Mike Davis gained 80 of his 101 yards in the fourth quarter when N.C. State’s defense was clearly defeated and tired.
Even as Spurrier continued to call passing plays with a big lead late, no receiver emerged as a go-to guy behind McKinley, who caught six balls for 37 yards. No other receiver had more than two catches.
So, USC opened its season with a rather mundane victory over a far inferior opponent. Now the Gamecocks head to Vanderbilt to open SEC play against a higher-quality opponent.
The lingering questions from Thursday night’s USC victory are more likely to be answered next week.