QBs bombing on their deep passes so far

If chicks dig the long ball, then college football fans love the deep throws.

And through four games, South Carolina’s offense has come up woefully short on its long passes.

To hear some football historians tell it, Steve Spurrier practically invented the downfield passing game when he was ringing up points and collecting SEC titles during a 12-year reign at Florida.

But in his fourth season at USC, the 63-year-old Spurrier has had to re-invent himself, relying on a dink-and-dunk passing attack while the Gamecocks struggle to complete the crowd-pleasing bombs.

And though the underneath routes and dump-off passes to tailback Mike Davis have helped the Gamecocks climb to No. 3 in the SEC in passing offense (226.5 yards a game), Spurrier would like to pick up yards in bigger chunks.

“Fortunately, we throw those little behind-the-line plays. I know all of us would love to see some 15-, 25-, 30-yard completions every now and then,” Spurrier said Tuesday. “We’re going to keep trying, though.”

The Gamecocks have completed five passes of 25 yards or more — all to receiver Moe Brown or tight end Jared Cook. Three came in the fourth quarter against Georgia, and none has been longer than 34 yards.

The pass protection has not always been solid and the receivers have not always been open, but Spurrier said quarterback Chris Smelley had chances to connect on deep passes and either threw to the wrong receiver or failed to pull the trigger.

“I just wish he could hit the big opportunities when they’re there. Right now, we’re not even throwing it,” said Spurrier, who called two seven-step-drop plays against Wofford.

“He should get better, but he hasn’t got there yet. ... That’s why we’re going to play Stephen (Garcia). If Chris was tearing them up and doing everything we’re asking him to do, shoot, there wouldn’t be any question he’d be our best quarterback.”

Spurrier said Smelley’s arm strength is not the problem. In his third year in the program, Smelley struggles with route progressions and finding the primary receiver.

“Sometimes I just think he makes up his mind that ‘I’m going to throw to this guy no matter what the coverage is, and he’s not playing the play out,” Spurrier said.

“Sometimes he doesn’t start with the plan of looking for the deep ball first, or the deeper receiver first, and then working your way down. Sometimes he works to the other guy first and doesn’t look to the deeper guy. After three years, I expect him to see those deeper guys a little bit better.”

Garcia, a redshirt freshman from Lutz, Fla., is Spurrier’s highest rated quarterback recruit at USC. Coaches say the right-hander has the strongest arm. But after missing the past two spring practices while suspended, he still is learning how to harness it.

Asked if Garcia looks for deep receivers in practice, Spurrier said: “Oh, he does every time unfortunately.”

After playing three snaps against Georgia two weeks ago, Garcia is expected to receive his most extensive playing time against Alabama-Birmingham and might start.

Whether it is Smelley or Garcia, this would seem to be a good week for USC quarterbacks to air it out: The Blazers are ranked 117th among 119 teams nationally in pass defense and total defense.

“We’re still struggling defending the pass,” second-year UAB coach Neil Callaway said this week. “It’s kind of a twofold deal. We have to do better in the back end, but at the same time we have to get more pressure on the quarterback.”

But if the Gamecocks can protect and Spurrier has confidence in his passers, the USC coach might be able to say those two words that have energized players and fans for generations: Go deep.

“It really hasn’t changed much from sandlot ball. ‘Hey, can you run by him? OK, I’ll hit you deep. Nah, he’s way back there. OK, well, I’ll hit you in front of him,’ ” Spurrier said. “You get in the open area of a defense and the quarterback throws it to the open area and away you go. Some guys have a knack of it, and some guys sort of struggle, I guess.”

Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.