COLUMBIA, S.C. – At least three times during the news conference following Tennessee’s 38-24 loss to South Carolina on Saturday, UT coach Derek Dooley referred to the Gamecocks as “the team that’s going to the Georgia Dome.”
Dooley meant that South Carolina is in first place in the SEC East with a 4-2 league record. And if the Gamecocks win out, they will represent the East in the SEC championship game on Dec. 4.
But South Carolina must host Arkansas this coming weekend, then play at Florida on Nov. 13.
With the Gators’ overtime victory over Georgia on Saturday, if Florida wins at Nashville this Saturday, the Gamecocks-Gators victor will become the SEC East champ.
But that doesn’t mean South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier’s 6-2 overall record isn’t impressive, even if the Ol’ Ball Coach may have been wrong when he said Saturday, “Regardless of what happens at Florida, we have a chance.”
They have a chance because they have two of the top big-play threats in the conference in wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and running back Marcus Lattimore.
Having shut out Jeffery for three quarters, the Volunteers watched him turn a simple 12-yard hook pattern into a 70-yard touchdown that put the Gamecocks up for good, 31-24.
As for Lattimore, all he did was rush for a touchdown and 184 total yards, prompting Dooley to gush, “They hand it off to him and he looks like Secretariat.”
It was this dose of double-trouble that shocked then-top-ranked Alabama earlier this month. It is this dynamic duo that could deliver the Gamecocks their first-ever trip to the SEC title game at the close of their 19th season in the league.
“We’re bowl eligible today,” Spurrier said. “Don’t ever take for granted being bowl eligible. Now we shoot for our next goal – winning the East.”
He is in his sixth season coaching the Gamecocks. He improved to 41-30 with Saturday’s win.
Befitting a perfectionist who never quite sees it from his players, Spurrier said of the UT win, “We didn’t play extremely well. We had some really ridiculous, dumb plays, especially the fake punt. But our guys found a way to pull it out.”
That they did, and in rather convincing fashion overall, piling up 435 yards of offense and forcing four turnovers.
Yet even Spurrier’s quarterback concurred that this performance won’t cut it the next two games.
Said Stephen Garcia: “We played well enough to win, but we can’t play like that next week against Arkansas.”
At least not if they want Dooley to keep calling them the team that’s going to the Georgia Dome.