Parker on Spurrier's losing end

TAMPA, Fla. — As Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator, Norm Parker was on the wrong end of the scoreboard both times the Commodores faced Steve Spurrier's high-powered Florida teams in the mid-1990s.

A dozen years later, both men are at different schools: Parker is in his 10th year overseeing Iowa's defense, while Spurrier has South Carolina in a bowl game for the third time in four seasons.

And while Parker says Spurrier's schemes remain the same, he suggested the players executing them for the Gamecocks are not on par with those Spurrier had in Gainesville when he was collecting SEC titles.

"Back then he had Danny Wuerffel and Jevon Kearse and those guys," Parker said Friday following the Hawkeyes' practice. "But he does a lot of the same kind of stuff."

That stuff did not produce a ton of offense. With Spurrier sharing the play-calling duties for the first time with receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr., the Gamecocks finished the regular season ranked last in the SEC in rushing and in the bottom half of the conference in total offense and scoring offense.

But USC was third in the SEC in passing offense, despite Spurrier never settling on a quarterback. And with Spurrier given a month to prepare for next week's Outback Bowl, Iowa's coaches and players are expecting to see a different USC offense than the unit that had eight turnovers and managed just 20 points in back-to-back losses at Florida and Clemson.

"They'll be good. They'll be a precision passing team. He knows what he's doing," said Parker, whose defense kept Vandy close in a 28-21 loss to Spurrier's Gators during Florida's 1996 national championship season.

Under Parker, Iowa is 12th in the country in total defense (289.5 yards allowed per game), one spot below the Gamecocks. The Hawkeyes allowed more than 23 points in a game once this year — a 27-24 loss at Illinois on Nov. 1.

They have the Big Ten's defensive lineman of the year in defensive tackle Mitch King and a secondary that is tied for sixth nationally with 20 interceptions. The Hawkeyes will try to increase that total against Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia, a redshirt freshman given the start in his Tampa hometown.

"He's gotta be excited. First of all, he's back home and maybe it'll distract him. That'd be a positive," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "He's a young player, but very talented. We've got great respect for him."

Ferentz recalled facing a young quarterback in the 2005 Capital One Bowl, when the Hawkeyes overcame a strong effort by LSU's Jamarcus Russell to beat the Tigers 30-25.

"I'm hoping we don't see the same thing (from Garcia) because Russell came into the game and just lit it up against us," Ferentz said.

Though USC is among the worst teams in the nation running the ball, Parker said tailback Mike Davis is a threat.

"I'm sure they worked on that during (bowl practices) because that running back is a good back," Parker said. "He came into this season with a lot of high expectations. And he had done a lot of things previously. It's not like they don't have anybody there to give the ball to."

But the Hawkeyes believe the X-factor is Spurrier, whose teams usually ring up points in bowl games. In 14 previous bowl appearances, Spurrier's offense has been held to fewer than 21 points once — a 23-17 loss to Florida State in the 1995 Sugar Bowl.

The Gamecocks have averaged 37.5 points in two bowl games under Spurrier.

"I doubt there's ever been too many Steve Spurrier teams that haven't been ready to play," Iowa defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski said. "Especially on January 1."

Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.