Coach Johnson backs Culliver

Coach wants fans to lay off safety; Spurrier again talking SEC title in future
By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

Ellis Johnson does not condone how South Carolina safety Chris Culliver acted this week. But the Gamecocks' assistant head coach for defense said it is time for fans to get off Culliver's back.

Culliver, a junior with 22 career starts, will not make the trip to Arkansas. He was benched because of a shoulder injury and an incident Monday when Culliver walked out of practice after an argument with coaches.

Culliver has come under fire for his effort in last week's 31-13 loss to Tennessee. Culliver had a couple of glaring missed tackles, although it was later revealed he reinjured his surgically repaired shoulder in pregame warmups.

Lorenzo Ward, who coaches USC's safeties and cornerbacks, said Culliver told him about the injury before the game but indicated he was OK.

"Really it's our fault for not seeing that he wasn't himself," Johnson said Thursday. "Now what happened after that, he didn't handle it well. And as a result, he's not going. But I'm tired of all the Chris Culliver bashing."

Johnson said anyone questioning Culliver's desire has not watched the Gamecocks enough.

"The kid has played 647 snaps for us, and the only guy that's played more is (All-SEC linebacker Eric) Norwood by three snaps. And he's played (darn) well," Johnson added. "He needs to take his medicine because he didn't handle it the right way. But we don't need to get into Chris Culliver bashing."

Raising the bar

USC coach Steve Spurrier has not mentioned the SEC championship as a goal since prior to the 2007 season - until Thursday.

"Our plan is within the next three years, we've got a team that can compete for the SEC championship. That's our plan," Spurrier said on his call-in show. "If we can't do it within three years, they probably need to hire another head coach here and let him start his plan."

The 64-year-old Spurrier said USC was in "good shape" to contend for a title, citing the new assistant coaches, the incoming recruits and improved facilities.

"Maybe what we did the first four years, we didn't build it the right way," he said. "So we're trying to build it the right way right now."

Starting them young

USC is not the only SEC team playing a lot of freshmen this season. Arkansas has started six true freshmen this season, tied for second most in the country.

Four true freshmen have started for the Gamecocks: tight end Justice Cunningham, receiver Alshon Jeffery, cornerback Stephon Gilmore and strong safety DeVonte Holloman.

Eat more chicken

The Chick-fil-A Bowl will have a scout at Saturday's game to watch the Gamecocks for the second consecutive week.

"To stay on our list their offense will have to keep pace with their defense and carry them through the last three (games)," Chick-fil-A official Leeman Bennett wrote on his weekly team selection blog. "If they can win two of them, we'll give them a good look."

Auburn and Tennessee were the other SEC teams Bennett mentioned in his blog.

Extra points

After video review, USC has credited its blocked field goal against Tennessee to Norwood instead of defensive end Devin Taylor. It was Norwood's third block this year. ... Fifth-year defensive tackle Nathan Pepper will serve as one of four captains this week in place of injured defensive end Cliff Matthews. ... Spurrier said Mississippi coach Houston Nutt called him to say he appreciated Spurrier's comments this week about being bowl eligible. The Rebels (5-3) need one more win for bowl eligibility.

Gamecocks Game Keys With Vols

New Mouth of the South

For a guy who has managed to offend an entire community in Florida to the SEC's officials, Tennessee first-year coach Lane Kiffin was surprisingly quiet this week on USC wideout Alshon Jeffery, whom he told would pump gas for the rest of his life if he signed with the Gamecocks. Likewise, Steve Spurrier said nothing about Kiffin. The more relevant matchup will be Spurrier's ability to find gaps in Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 defense.

Has USC caught Tennessee?

With a win tonight, the Gamecocks will be threatening to move past UT into the top half of the SEC East. USC enters the game with an 18-19 conference record in four-plus seasons under Spurrier, while the Vols have an 18-18 mark during that span. After Lou Holtz was 0-6 against UT, Spurrier is 2-2 against his home-state school.

Double trouble

Spurrier has been looking for a way to get Jeffery and Tori Gurley on the field at the same time. The two tall targets - Jeffery is 6-3, Gurley 6-5 - have combined for 45 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns, but play the same wideout spot. Jeffery missed a practice this week with a stomach bug, but should be fine for his first trip to Rocky Top.

Bring the 'wood

Gamecocks linebacker Eric Norwood is the SEC sack leader with six, but has gone four weeks without a sack. USC wants to force Tennessee into throwing downs, so the Gamecocks can go after Vols quarterback Jonathan Crompton (10 interceptions) and try to force him into mistakes. Norwood has been drawing his share of double-team blocks, but has to put his stamp on this game.

By a foot in Knoxville

USC's past two games at Tennessee have been decided by a field goal. Josh Brown made a game-winner for the Gamecocks in 2005, while Ryan Succop missed a 40-yarder in overtime in 2007 after the Vols' Daniel Lincoln connected from 27 yards. Lincoln is coming off a rough game at Alabama, where he had two field goals blocked and was short on another.

Game Within The Game

QB Stephen Garcia vs. S Eric Berry

About Garcia: The redshirt sophomore has exceeded expectations in his first full season as a starter. Garcia is second in the SEC in total offense (236.6 yards a game) and has done a good job limiting turnovers with one notable exception - an interception on his first pass at Alabama that Mark Barron returned 77 yards for a touchdown.

How he'll win:

Garcia will have to be mindful of where Berry is on the field and be sure not to telegraph his throws. Steve Spurrier will try to help Garcia by sending in audibles from the sideline after seeing where Berry aligns. It falls on Garcia to protect the ball, look off Berry and make plays against a Tennessee pass defense ranked sixth in the country.

Key number:

4, interceptions thrown by Garcia, who had eight in eight games last season.

About Berry:

Berry is the NCAA's active interception leader with 13 picks and is closing in on Terrell Buckley's NCAA record for career interception return yards. Berry picked off Garcia in last year's game in Columbia and returned it 45 yards before Kenny McKinley corralled him around midfield.

How he'll win:

Because of Berry's coverage and run-stopping skills, the Vols often will bring him closer to the line of scrimmage to give offenses a different look in Monte Kiffin's Tampa-2 scheme. Other times, Berry will align deeper and try to get a jump on Garcia's downfield throws.

Key number:

7.9, Berry's average tackles per game, which ranks eighth in the SEC. He is the only defensive bank among the conference's top 17 tacklers

Gamecocks Beat Vandy

USC needs big stats to build small margin that erases slide against Vandy

By JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com

From The State

South Carolina had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver - yet needed a late defensive stand to hold off Vanderbilt.

But after back-to-back losses to their new SEC East nemesis, the Gamecocks were not going to get too picky about any win against Vandy.

Freshman receiver Alshon Jeffery pulled in a 43-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and the 23rd-ranked Gamecocks defense turned back the Commodores' comeback attempt to take a 14-10 victory Saturday before an announced crowd of 75,624 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

"It was a good win for us. I know it wasn't real pretty. But it was a win over a pretty good, tough Vandy team," USC coach Steve Spurrier said. "They don't give up a whole lot of points. But we're happy to have won."

USC (6-2, 3-2 in SEC) won its seventh consecutive home game and set a school record with its fifth consecutive conference victory at home. The Gamecocks are bowl-eligible for the fifth time in as many seasons under Spurrier.

The win was Spurrier's 105th in SEC play, tying him with Vince Dooley for No. 3 all-time on the conference list. But the Head Ball Coach said he was more satisfied with the record-setting streak at home.

"I like that one better," he said. "Hopefully that other part will keep adding up as we go."

Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia threw for 312 yards on 22-of-33 passing, while Jeffery set career highs with seven catches for 161 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight catches. Tailback Kenny Miles added 102 rushing yards on 18 carries.

The last time USC had a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver was in a losing effort. Quarterback Anthony Wright, tailback Duce Staley and receiver Marcus Robinson - all of whom played in the NFL - pulled the trick in a 14-10 loss to Mississippi State in 1996.

Vandy (2-6, 0-5) did not go quietly, driving inside the Gamecocks' 25-yard line with two minutes remaining.

With the Commodores facing third-and-8 from the 23, USC safety Chris Culliver rushed quarterback Larry Smith into an intentional grounding that cost the Commodores 24 yards after the spot penalty.

On fourth-and-long, Eric Norwood and Clifton Geathers chased Smith out of the pocket and forced him out of bounds well short of the first down.

Jeffery provided the winning margin on the strike from Garcia to complete a 99-yard scoring drive at the start of the fourth quarter.

Facing a third-and-20 after a holding call and a sack, the Gamecocks spread the field and sent Jeffery on a crossing route. USC put the play in this week and had run it in the first half, but Garcia and Jeffery could not connect.

"The first time I was wide open, and I just dropped it," Jeffery said. "The second time I was wide open again, and he just threw a perfect ball. Once I caught it, I knew I was going to score."

The Gamecocks looked buried as the fourth quarter started. Trailing 10-7, USC started a drive at its 1-yard line for the second time in the half after Vandy punter Brett Upson again pinned the Gamecocks deep.

After USC was conservative on its earlier drive from the 1, the Gamecocks came out firing. Throwing from his end zone, Garcia went down the left sideline for Tori Gurley, who made a one-handed grab for a 43-yard gain.

Spurrier said the play was called with Jeffery in mind, but Gurley was in the game in his spot. In either case, Garcia was excited to hear the more daring play call.

"It was a great call and Tori made an excellent catch," Garcia said. "That's just something we need to do. I think as our team grows and our confidence grows, I think we're going to take a lot more chances."

Vandy defensive end Broderick Stewart said the Commodores liked their chances when USC began the final quarter in the shadow of its end zone. Garcia was 3-for-3 for 109 yards on the go-ahead drive.

"We can't give up the big play," Stewart said. "We had them pinned and where we wanted them."

The Gamecocks outgained Vandy 431-273 in total yardage despite running one fewer offensive play. Both teams punted eight times in a turnover-free game.

"Vandy plays us tough," Spurrier said. "We've got to find a way to score more points against them sometime soon."

"They're a very disciplined team. They fight very hard to the very end," Garcia added. "We knew it was going to be a dogfight. But a win's a win. We'll take it no matter what."