Spurrier: USC will need both Smelley, Beecher
After watching starter Tommy Beecher get banged up in South Carolina's opener, Steve Spurrier figures it'll take more than one quarterback to get the Gamecocks through the season.
Beecher, a junior making his first start, threw four interceptions and was ineffective for much of the first three quarters of South Carolina's 34-0 victory over North Carolina State. He came out before the final period after taking a hit to the head and hurting his left shoulder so badly he couldn't practice Saturday.
Spurrier didn't say Sunday if Beecher or backup Chris Smelley would get the call Thursday night at Vanderbilt, only that the team would likely need them both to succeed this season.
"Guys get hit all the time, this that and the other,"
Spurrier said. "So, we'll just see how the season goes. That's all you can do. But you'd have to guess we're going to need two quarterbacks to maximize our talent this year."
Spurrier also said that doesn't mean he'll alternate passers as he's done at times, both at South Carolina and at Florida. It's just that the physical defenders in the Southeastern Conference make it likely anyone in there at quarterback will get bounced around and possibly hurt.
The state of South Carolina's offensive line last week makes that even more probable. Beecher took five sacks and Spurrier said some of those resulted from Gamecock linemen "opening the gates"
without hitting defenders.
The more practice time Beecher misses, the more likely it is for Smelley to return to a role he had for six games last season.
Smelley looked confident, polished and smooth in his quarter of play. He completed all five of his throws, two that went for TDs, and directed three scoring drives for South Carolina in its season opener.
Beecher's injury also gave third-stringer Stephen Garcia more practice time. Garcia took part in a scrimmage at Saturday's practice for players who didn't see much action Thursday night, Spurrier said.
"He threw some good ones,"
Spurrier said. Garcia "looked better than he's been looking, put it that way."
Spurrier had said since April that Beecher would have the chance to "go the distance"
as South Carolina's starting quarterback. There was no denying, Spurrier said, that Smelley was crisper with the offense. Should Beecher's shoulder continue to hurt and keep him out of practice, "he's not going to be the starter. That's pretty obvious to everyone. But we'll see how the week goes,"
Spurrier said.
It's not going to matter who's back there unless the offensive line improves. South Carolina was called for four false starts and a holding penalty. Spurrier was so frustrated with the situation he said Sunday he was "going to find some guys that can stay on-side. If they can't block, that's OK as long as they stay on-side because then they'll get a chance to play."
Spurrier has said junior college transfer Jarriel King would start over Hutch Eckerson, called for two false starts last week. Spurrier also said tackle Kyle Nunn would work some at guard leading up to the Vanderbilt game.
Offensive line coach John Hunt makes his players run or do extra up-downs to emphasize the need to stay lined up until the snap, Spurrier said.
Spurrier asked Hunt if the Gamecocks needed to go with a silent snap count, a tactic used to combat loud road stadiums, at Williams-Brice Stadium to keep the line in sync.
"He said, 'No, no. They can hear,"
Spurrier said. "They don't want to hear, they want to guess, I guess, anticipate. But maybe we have to go on the foot at home. I don't know."
