Steve Spurrier gets defensive

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — If last week’s three upsets in the top four weren’t enough to indicate a crazy, college football season, how’s this: Steve Spurrier owns the country’s No. 1 defense.

That’s right, the South Carolina coach famed for shredding top defenses with his Fun-‘n-Gun attack during 12 seasons at Florida, now points with pride to his stout bunch of Gamecocks.

“That’s pretty neat,” he said Tuesday.

Through five games, South Carolina has allowed fewer than 222 yards a game, ahead of Arizona in second and Florida State in third. They’re also second nationally against the pass with a 105-yard average under first-year coordinator Ellis Johnson.

“Yeah, I don’t know that we ever had that before,” Spurrier said with a grin.

It’s probably a good thing, too, since the “Cock-‘n-Fire” offense at South Carolina has yet to take off in Spurrier’s fourth year. The Gamecocks (3-2, 0-2 SEC) stand eighth in Southeastern Conference scoring and total offense as they resume league play at Ole Miss on Saturday.

“I used to say that if we could get a defense around here just in the top half of the SEC, … now that we’ve got one on top, we’re struggling a little bit on offense,” Spurrier said.

It enough to make a head ball coach want to hurl his visor.

Spurrier has used three quarterbacks so far. None have thrilled him with their play.

The most consistent has been sophomore Chris Smelley, who has started the past four games. Smelley threw for 271 yards and a touchdown against Georgia, but failed on three fourth-quarter drives as South Carolina attempted to tie the game.

He started last week’s 26-13 victory over UAB, but mostly watched from the sidelines as freshman Stephen Garcia took the majority of snaps in his most extensive action so far.

Spurrier had all but given the starting nod to Garcia, who’s listed as starter on the team’s weekly depth chart. Spurrier even put that on his Website, SpurrierHBC.com, before backtracking the past couple of days.

“After further review, we felt like we’d better not make that decision,” Spurrier said.

Spurrier says he’ll wait until Thursday before choosing between Smelley and Garcia.

The Gamecocks had hoped to pile up big points the past two weeks against nonconference foes Wofford and UAB. Against the Terriers, South Carolina posted 30 first downs and punted just once, yet finished with just two touchdowns against the Championship Subdivision team.

Then last week, South Carolina again controlled the offensive flow with 24 first downs and held the ball for nearly 10 minutes longer than the Blazers. Again, Spurrier-style points were not produced, leading to a vintage Spurrier postgame tirade.

“I told our guys I don’t see how some of you guys look in the mirror sometimes after the performance you played,” he said moments after victory. “The effort level and the way they played is sad.”

On Tuesday, Spurrier was much sunnier about his offense’s chances at turning things around at Ole Miss. Or maybe the idea of having the game’s top performing defense had sunk in.

South Carolina’s defenders had plenty to overcome this offseason. They finished ninth in the SEC last season, then watched three-year coordinator Ty Nix leave for Ole Miss and Brian VanGorder accept, then reject the position three weeks later. Spurrier finally settled on Johnson, who led defenses at Clemson, Alabama and Mississippi State before this.

The defense hasn’t let its lofty status sway its focus. “It doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish,” linebacker Jasper Brinkley said.

Safety Emanuel Cook, the team’s leading tackler, says Johnson emphasizes watching film and getting as prepared as possible before hitting the field. Another part, Cook says, is the team’s experience. South Carolina could start as many as eight upperclassmen against the Rebels on Saturday.

“The defense as a whole is getting more mature. We’re getting comfortable with each other, with each other’s moves and everything,” Cook said. “We’re going to run around like wild men, basically.”

If only Spurrier could get the same thing out of his offense. The last time Spurrier’s defense had so outshined his beloved passing game? Maybe, he says, in the first of two NFL seasons in Washington.

“Yeah, you feel a little frustrated as an offensive coach,” he said. “‘We’re not holding up our end of the deal here. This is a team sport, offense, defense, special teams. C’mon on, lets hold up our end of this.’ But we’re coaching just as hard as we did, you know, 10 years ago, eight years ago.”