20/20 Hindsight: South Carolina Edition
by kleph on Oct 10, 2010 8:25 AM CDT
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PrintThat, to use the common vernacular, sucked. But in a very important way it wasn't surprising. For months Coach Saban has been telling everyone that this team is not defending anything, it is starting from scratch on it's own journey. And yesterday proved him completely right.
What we learned yesterday is what we already knew but now we can recognize it as such. This Crimson Tide squad is a very young team with a huge amount of talent and some very specific weaknesses. They are now 5-1 overall and facing one of the most difficult schedules in all of college football and everyone will be bringing their "A" game.
How they respond to this loss will determine if we have to suffer through Sunday reading stories like these again this season...
It had to happen sometime: No winning streak goes on forever, and the offseason questions about the Tide's totally revamped secondary finally came to pass. Alabama still controls its own destiny in the SEC, and has enough big games in front of it to make another run at the BCS championship, with some help. Everything we know about the Tide still suggests they should be in the mix down to the wire.
Steve Spurrier got mystic. Nick Saban got humbled. Greg McElroy channeled Tim Tebow. Mark Ingram reminded that players, not reputations, win football games.
For 19 games, the University of Alabama football team had either overwhelmed opponents or found a way to get past the ones that weren’t overwhelmed. But in a classic case of role reversal, it was South Carolina that came out and took the fight to No. 1 Alabama, building a big early lead and making the big plays in the fourth quarter to fashion a 35-21 victory that snapped the Crimson Tide winning streak and made all sorts of Gamecocks history.
South Carolina deserved the victory. Alabama didn't give away the game. The Gamecocks flat-out pounded the Crimson Tide.
In front of a delirious home crowd, Garcia and the Gamecocks answered every challenge Alabama threw their way. It was the most impressive win in school history, at least by rank, since the Gamecocks began playing in 1892. South Carolina had never defeated a No. 1 team in football in four previous tries; its biggest scalp had been No. 3 North Carolina in 1981.
The only things intact after South Carolina’s 35-21 thrashing of top-ranked Alabama were the goal posts at Williams-Brice Stadium. Not that the students didn’t try for those, either.
And the shocking part wasn't that South Carolina scored 21 first-half points on the vaunted Alabama defense—we'll call that "very surprising" instead—it was how easily the Gamecocks scored those points. Their first three drives were met with all the resistance of a showdown between tissue paper and a falling bowling ball.
Was this the biggest victory of the Steve Spurrier Era? Heck, it only was the biggest win in school history. Who's afraid of the Big, Bad Elephant? Certainly not that team wearing garnet and black in Columbia.
It's hard to tease out how much of this game can be credited to great play by South Carolina and how much can be blamed on Alabama's mistakes. The Tide made plenty of mistakes -- a missed extra point, a missed field goal, a fake field goal attempt that featured the receiver dropping the ball -- but also ran into a team that was playing its best game of the Steve Spurrier Era. The win might actually be the best in South Carolina's 118-year football history.
By the end, South Carolina fans had witnessed a historic victory. But this was no fluke. This was one in which South Carolina soundly beat Alabama at its own game.
There isn't much else to say right now other than that this was the most epic performance we've ever seen from Carolina. Gameday in town, biggest stage, BEST PERFORMANCE EVER from the Gamecocks! This is exactly what we signed up for when we lured Spurrier here.
Alabama entered this game looking like the best team in the country for the second consecutive year. They entered the second half with their biggest halftime deficit under Nick Saban. And despite a moment of incredible stupidity from Garcia, who chucked a loose ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety on the first snap of the second half, swinging momentum squarely in the Crimson Tide's favor, they now exit the ranks of the unbeaten.
When Alabama finally lost, it was a complete team effort. The Crimson Tide had failures on offense, on special teams, and, particularly, on defense, and the result was Bama’s first loss since 2007.
A South Carolina program that has been desperately striving for acceptance in the toughest football conference in America announced its candidacy for a bona fide [SEC] title run.
It wasn't the end of the world, but there was a definite "Apocalypse Now" feel to South Carolina 35, Alabama 21. The immoveable object got pushed around. The irresistible force went weak in the knees. The football team that never loses got beat at its own game.
Whether the Gamecocks are there or if this was a one-game occurrence, they showed the wherewithal that players on the top teams do. USC counterpunched on Saturday when the attack from Alabama was at its most fierce level. You don't always win in those situations, but it you do so on a regular basis, it could lead to a pretty nice record.
If anybody deserved a game ball Saturday in the aftermath of one of the more glorious fall afternoons in South Carolina football history, it was the embattled [Stephen] Garcia. After all, the Gamecocks beat the No. 1-ranked team in the country about as often as Spurrier praises Garcia.
Behind a nearly flawless performance from quarterback Stephen Garcia, another monumental game from receiver Alshon Jeffery and a shocking defensive effort, USC handed defending champion Alabama its first loss in 19 games.
But Spurrier, in his sixth season as South Carolina’s coach, beat Alabama using the Tide’s own formula. Garcia and the Gamecocks cashed in when they got close to the goal line and shut down Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson
They said the game had passed him by. They said that without all of those great players, he was just another guy throwing a visor. They said that the new rock star coaches in the SEC -- Urban Meyer and Nick Saban -- were the future and he was very much the past. But on this day, Steve Spurrier -- all of 65 years young -- showed that he still had his fastball. He showed that he can still call plays with the best of them when he has the talent to make them work.
Finally, fate shined on the Gamecocks on Saturday, just like it used to shine on Spurrier's pass-happy teams at Florida, where he led his alma mater to six SEC titles and the 1996 national championship.
South Carolina's Gamecocks made some history Saturday and the dreaded Chicken Curse is - at least for now - broken.
Of all the places for Alabama to finally lose a game. As any South Carolina football fan knows, Williams-Brice Stadium has seen far more heartache than happiness over the years. Saturday was different. Remarkably so.
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the upside
this will hopefully shake off some of the bandwagon fans
also we now get to be motivated by hot sticky revenge
I want Atlanta and I want the gamecocks to be there, I don’t want to have to wait for them to get back in our rotation. I want their heads and I want them soon
In fact, most SEC players don't consider their careers complete unless their bus nearly gets overturned in Baton Rouge or someone flings bodily fluid at their coach's wife in Gainesville. - Andy Staples
true,
i am sure things will get a little quieter around here, for a little while at least.
That white stuff on the top of chickencrap...... is chickencrap.
not anytime soon...
we’ve got lots and lots of rubberneckers dropping by.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Out coached, out played
and made our ass quit …. The game yesterday will be a gut check for everyone. We will rise to the challange becoming a better team (& fan), accept the defeat with passion and kick ass the remainder of the year. WINNERS NEVER QUIT !!!
as a side note:
The MELTDOWN should be very enlightening this week.
by BigBamaLafayetteLA on Oct 10, 2010 8:44 AM CDT reply actions
MUST BEAT AUBURN.
MUST BEAT AUBURN. MUST BEAT AUBURN.
Winning the other games would be nice too.
Being good has nothing to do with it, Mikey. They choose your name randomly out of the phonebook.
It sucks reading these
but our time has come. As much as I dont like it, there isnt a single thing written up there that wasnt true or isnt accurate. Deep down, we all knew this would happen at some point this season. I just dont think we were prepared for how crappy it feels.
it's important to remember that there is no substitute for experience
one of the reasons last years squad was so good was they had the scars. much of this team has never endured that. motivation is important but it’s no replacement for having gone through the fire. all those firey pep talks by coach saban only work when they touch the ember of truth learned the hardest possible way on the field.
OTS is going to be brutal in his assessment today and how this team addresses all those shortcomings he points out will be the measure of how great they really are. it’s in them, we all know it. but now we are going to learn if they can bring it out.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Maybe OTS will finally abandon the idea that we don’t try to throw downfield enough.
by HarveyBirdmanAAL on Oct 10, 2010 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions
Are you serious?
We called about 45 passing plays yesterday. All of about two of them even resulted in an attempt to throw the football more than 15 yards down the field.
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman
by outsidethesidelines on Oct 10, 2010 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, I think they all came in the 4th quarter when we had to.
But I would still say the biggest sin on offense was not establishing the run. Did we learn nothing from Arkansas 1st half vs. 2nd half? Le sigh.
True
But we were TRYING to throw downfield I’m pretty sure.
by HarveyBirdmanAAL on Oct 10, 2010 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Leaders are born in tough times.
We need the leaders on this team to show the followers what type of guts it takes to be the best on every play and off the field when nobody is watching. These players have a ton of football left this year and if they take care of business, they might be able to exact some revenge. SC played great when the moment called for it. I’m glad our players got an up-close look at it. The next great winning streak still starts at one.
by Tider1701 on Oct 10, 2010 9:08 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
It seem hard to believe that Bama's road...
will be an easier from here on out. USC was a step or two faster than us all night. This product of the bye-week will not go away this year.
Greg has to take ownership of his inability to get rid of the ball and not put Bama in a hole by taking a sack. Seven sacks is not playing winning football and that’s on Greg, who had time on at least five of the seven, to get rid of it.
It will be interesting to see how they respond, but I’m a little skeptical seeing how little they learned from the first half of Arky.
Unity begins with the understanding that everyone is different and to accept them as such. - Confucius
thanks kleph for reading all those articles
so i don’t have to
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
Agreed!
"There's no substitute for guts."
http://www.soundcheckmama.com
by SoundCheckMama on Oct 10, 2010 9:35 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
just thought the same thing...
But, I’m a masochist, so I’ll browse through them. When you’re miserable, it’s sometimes better to just let it rain down on you.
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 10, 2010 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
second
(Disclaimer: This is The GTO Judge’s mobile posts so you are being warned of the following: The Judge can not spell and his grammar ain’t no good. In addition, these are the ramblings of a Lawyer/Rockstar/Crimson Tide fan with very little football knowledge outside of the SEC. One more thing, My Judge is Carousel Red not F’ing orange. I hate orange!)
by TheGTOJudge on Oct 10, 2010 12:54 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Disappointing effort from our boys
But the Gamecocks were playing with bellies full of fire.
I think that Steve Spurrier has been waiting for this biggest of all stages—with a bye week to prepare—to unveil the intersection of coaching and talent that has taken him six seasons to build. Not that he didn’t want to showcase it before, but he probably couldn’t.
Garcia is for real, Jeffery is for real; Lattimore may be for real.
Can’t wait till next week!
"The North isn't a place. It's just a direction out of the South."
--Roy Blount, Jr.
I'll make your boom boom go zoom zoom.
Garcia is real...real freakin lucky. Jeffery and Lattimore are all-world however.
Never truss a big butt and a smile.
Seriously?
“Whether the Gamecocks are there or if this was a one-game occurrence, they showed the wherewithal that players on the top teams do. USC counterpunched on Saturday when the attack from Alabama was at its most fierce level. You don’t always win in those situations, but it you do so on a regular basis, it could lead to a pretty nice record.
Dennis Brunson"
I hope Mr Brunson surely does not believe this game was Bama "at its most fierce level’. The lack of ferocity was evident throughout the game. More like Bama going through the motions of playing a game. I still give credit to SC. They truly played a great game. Bama just did not match Carolina’s intensity In any facet of the contest.
Have a Crimson Tide Day!
Roll Tide, Saban Tsunami Roll!
Did not match their intensity ...
That is absolutely right. SC palyed withtheir heads on fire and we just went through the motions. But even after a bad first half, I was sure that we would pound the ball on 2nd and 4 at their 24. This was after an Ingram carry for 6 yards.
Was our run game pounding away yesterday? Hell no. But at that point in the game we have had enough success to be able to get 4 yards on 3 running plays. If we knew we would fake if no yadage was gained after 2 plays, I will ALWAYS take my chances on gaining 4 yards with Ingram and Richardson – no arguement against it can be won.
But we did not play to our strengths. 17 total carries between Ingram and Richardson is never enough carries.
The better team won yesterday. And now maybe we can get back to playing motivated footabll.
Roll Tide!
Screw Mark McCarter
Mark Ingram reminded that players, not reputations, win football games.
Of all the players to shovel blame on, Ingram and Richardson deserve the least. Nearly 4 yds a carry (while not spectacular) should have been plenty if they’d gotten more carries.
"Shave your head, get a wet sponge, and flip the switch, 'cause you're about to get a Truthocution!" -Stephen Colbert
McCarter was just paraphrasing Ingram's postgame comments
22 said that just “being Alabama” won’t win football games but playing “Alabama football” will. He believes some of the players didn’t know the difference, or at least didn’t before yesterday.
by TETRAGRAMMATON on Oct 10, 2010 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions
Ingram is 100% right
(Disclaimer: This is The GTO Judge’s mobile posts so you are being warned of the following: The Judge can not spell and his grammar ain’t no good. In addition, these are the ramblings of a Lawyer/Rockstar/Crimson Tide fan with very little football knowledge outside of the SEC. One more thing, My Judge is Carousel Red not F’ing orange. I hate orange!)
by TheGTOJudge on Oct 10, 2010 12:56 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Apologies.
I do agree with that sentiment.
"Shave your head, get a wet sponge, and flip the switch, 'cause you're about to get a Truthocution!" -Stephen Colbert
by Slice of Life on Oct 10, 2010 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions
We are 5-1, right?
:-)
"There's no substitute for guts."
http://www.soundcheckmama.com
by SoundCheckMama on Oct 10, 2010 9:51 AM CDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Perspective
I feel much the same…happy about being 5-1 that is.
The bad part was watching LSU and Auburn eke out wins over their SEC East opponents. I would’ve loved to see those two lose. Now we’re behind the 8-ball.
"The North isn't a place. It's just a direction out of the South."
--Roy Blount, Jr.
I'll make your boom boom go zoom zoom.
by animalcracker on Oct 10, 2010 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions
The crazy
thing is that even with everything going wrong for us and South Carolina on fire we STILL had a chance to win this game at the end with it 28-21 and we were close to scoring a touchdown. I hope we can win out and face them again in the SEC Championship game. I don’t think South Carolina will like playing us a second time this year. Roll Tide!!!
A picture says a thousand words unless it is a picture of the Alabama football team then it only says one word.........CHAMPION!
by AlabamaTitans2009 on Oct 10, 2010 10:12 AM CDT reply actions
3 game SEC stretch on the road vs bye week at home. Yes they played well and deserved to win but if this is the
first game of the season in Atlanta we roll them by two TD’s. Of course that is not how the game is played so I’m sure our boys will not make excuses but I hope they also continue to believe they are the best team in CF right now.
Never truss a big butt and a smile.
The gods were smiling on SC yesterday my friends. No other explination for some of those Garcia completions...
cause he is simply not that good a QB. He threw it up with a prayer to Jeffries and 99 x out of 100 Barron comes away with a pick on that long bomb. Same on that pass where Dre just missed the break-up by a millumeter and the ball hits SC receiver in stride for the TD. Of course our receivers never get a chance to make those types of catches since McElroy is very much concerned with his completion percentage. I must admit I am really looking forward to seeing Aj next year. This game manager bs is pussy football at it’s finest and we are wasting the talents of Julio Jones. At some point you have to trust in your recevers to make a play even when they are not wide open.
Never truss a big butt and a smile.
You're the worst
"The North isn't a place. It's just a direction out of the South."
--Roy Blount, Jr.
I'll make your boom boom go zoom zoom.
by animalcracker on Oct 10, 2010 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm no GM apologist
I, too, cannot wait to have a legitimate threat at QB. But let’s face it, Greg McElroy didn’t cost us the game.
For you to bag on one player (who threw for over 300 yds) after that loss is not only wrong, it shows a deep lack of understanding of the game of football.
See how long it took to say that? It’s much more succinct to just say you’re the worst.
"The North isn't a place. It's just a direction out of the South."
--Roy Blount, Jr.
I'll make your boom boom go zoom zoom.
by animalcracker on Oct 11, 2010 12:09 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
i had a headbanger
but a toasted whole wheat bagel w/peanut butter, cream cheese and a banana fixed it.
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
The Ute homers here are busting my balls!
Time for this Alabama football team to regroup, rally, put on their gamefaces and kick some SEC ass.
The thing that concerns me most looking ahead is the fact that everyone gets 2 weeks to prepare for Bama. That extra week to get healthy while Bama is still smarting from last week’s game is a real bonus for our opponents.
Roll Tide Roll!
"...we have not seen anything what we think they can do when there so menny thing we have not seen out of this team, we will seen a lot more in this game buyt still not all." - RBR forum sage, sburton305.
Alabama did not lose the season
And they too much to play for to be considered out now. A one loss ’Bama displaces Boise in the title game in my book.
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football."--John Heisman
The fact we are all down about being 4-1
With a very real chance of finishing 11-1 and getting revenge is teh shit.
"I guess I must stutter. Did I stutter? I'm not very clear on how I articulate. Maybe I need to go back to West Virginia and get some more hillbilly slang and maybe everybody can understand me a little better." - Nick Saban, because reporters haven't learned.
by BamaReturns07 on Oct 10, 2010 11:28 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Aren't we 5-1...
or am I still dreaming?
Unity begins with the understanding that everyone is different and to accept them as such. - Confucius
Yeah, that...
Oops
"I guess I must stutter. Did I stutter? I'm not very clear on how I articulate. Maybe I need to go back to West Virginia and get some more hillbilly slang and maybe everybody can understand me a little better." - Nick Saban, because reporters haven't learned.
by BamaReturns07 on Oct 10, 2010 11:38 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
oh an P.S.
sorry for saying ‘you suck’ yesterday – heat of the moment and all. and you really don’t believe we suck, right?
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
Our defense
is what concerns me the most. Saturday we were outplayed and outcoached. We have got to make the adjustments to get a consistent pass rush. Without it we will probably loose one or maybe two more games.
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