Spurrier defends play-calling system
After another game in which the offense failed to score 20 points, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier defended the Gamecocks’ play-calling system Sunday during his teleconference with reporters.
A day after Gamecocks tight end Weslye Saunders referred to receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. as the main play-caller, Spurrier said he is still calling most of the plays, including the ill-fated fade route to Alshon Jeffery that Arkansas picked off to change momentum in the Hogs’ 33-16 win.
Spurrier Sr. did not put a percentage on the number of plays he calls. The process starts in the press box with Spurrier Jr., who relays a call down to the field, where quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus signals it in.
Sometimes Spurrier Sr. overrules it. Sometimes offensive line coach Eric Wolford suggests a play.
Bottom line: When USC averages 12 points a game, as it has over the past four games, the system is going to come under question.
“I’m still in charge of the play-calling. I don’t call all of them like I used to. But we have a system here that’s not bad,” Spurrier said. “A lot of times our offensive line coach, he will call the goal line run – run this or run that, or third-and-1 – he’ll yell that and we send it in.
“There’s all kind of ways to call plays. But ultimately, I’m the head coach and if there’s an offensive coordinator title, I got it. So we need to do better. We need to block better and we need to score more points than we’ve been scoring.”
If fans were looking for Spurrier to come out and say he was taking over the play-calling completely, forget it. That would amount to a public demotion of his son, and unlike Lou Holtz, Spurrier is not going to do that.
The Spurriers have danced around the nepotism issue delicately during their five seasons. That’s why Spurrier has been so evasive on the topic of play-calling.
He says he’s calling most of them. Others close to the program say Spurrier Jr., as Saunders suggested, is the primary play-caller.
Regardless, until it improves, Spurrier can expect more grumbling from the fans.
“It can go either way,” Spurrier said of a father-son coaching relationship. “Depends on if you’re winning or losing and how that particular phase is playing.”
64 Comments to “Spurrier defends play-calling system”
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USC football beat writer Joe Person has covered the Gamecocks since the start of the 2002 season. He's been on the college football beat since 1993. 
[...] execute. So once again, play-calling is what everyone’s talking about in Columbia.5. Spurrier said he’s the main play-caller, even though Saunders said Steve Spurrier, Jr was the man making most of the [...]
Maybe now we know why Garcia is often getting the play off with 1 second left on the clock.
Pitiful.
“So we need to do better. We need to block better and we need to score more points than we’ve been scoring.” – five years of hearing that is enough. Time for new blood, young blood that still pumps good and flows freely through strong arteries. I have finally figured Spurrier out. Something about his emotions before a game, during a game and after a game always puzzled and angered me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I just knew something was missing. Try this: look at the way he acts as if the only reason he is still coaching here is his son’s career – then it all makes sense – I’m not kidding, try it!
WHOMEVER IT IS, IT IS NOT WORKING AND THE OLD BALL COACH IS THE BOTTOM LINE. LET’S TEACH GARCIA TO HIT THE 10 TO 20 YARD RECEIVER TARGET IN STRIDE WHILE RUNNING.
I have a revelation for the “OBC”….if you have a committee calling plays on gameday…you have a MESS of an offense and it is a complete dis-service to the football team. The offense looks lost, the plays come in late causing problems with time and even get the guys nervous so they are prone to more false starts…HEY COACH…DO YOUR J.O.B and COACH THE FREAKING TEAM. You should be EMBARASSED over the offense this team has put on the field….BTW, Garcia is only an average QB….he lacks “touch”, lacks field vision (he has not seen many open receivers all year including Maddox standing at the 3 yard line next to the sideline in the Georgia game), he panics, he zeros in on his first receiver and throws to him…only in the last couple of games has he checked down from his first receiver to the dump off guy, he under throws alot including the killer interception at Arkansas, he over throws alot including too many open recievers to mention here…dare i say it, if we had a QB who performed like a good QB is suppose to perform…USC would be undefeated this year! Oh yeah, here is another BTW, get a freaking offense line and defensive line….you are the one responsible for ensuring we are recruiting these type players in sufficient numbers EVERY FREAKING YEAR! The sad shape of our OL and DL is a direct FAILURE on your part….ON LAST THING….You quit on this team in the Alabama game…thanks for absolutly nothing! I wish you would donate a couple of million back to USC and retire so USC could go get a quality coach who knows how to build a program that will compete in the SEC….again, thanks for nothing.
I wholeheartedly agree with some of the other comments, it is no wonder Garcia and the offense are dysfunctional trying to execute plays sent in at the last minute or audibled by the coaches on the sidelines just before the snap by a committee of 4 coaches (Spurrier Sr., Spurrier Jr., Mangus, & Wolford). Not only are the players then frantic and unfocused, but the offense cannot establish or maintain rhythm and momentum. Moreover, despite good intentions at the beginning of the year and, ostensibly, upon reflection after each game, Spurrier Sr.’s talk of getting and keeping a host of playmakers involved in the offense or at least considering all options (e.g., Saunders who can force double coverage, opening up other receivers; to running or passing to DiMarco to keep the defense honest or on quick, hard hitting runs; to creating other matchup problems like Gurley, Jeffrey, and Saunders all on the same field running option-able patterns) gets thrown out the window, in order to run the fade route to Jeffrey over and over and over again. I agree that Spurrier’s original offensive plan can be multi-layered and very sophisticated if executed well and timed well by a QB with a high on-field game IQ, but that is not an apparent luxury. Getting frustrated and resorting to the same old play over and over again, hands an easily-defendable scheme over to the opponent’s defense. Saunders is right (so was Culliver’s critique of the non-attacking, bunker-mentality defensive scheme at the end of the ‘Bama game), the coaches are losing confidence in other players on the team and making it a one man show (Jeffrey). The same festering dysfunction took over last year’s offense (how could you expect Jared Cook to take the blame for a pass thrown two yards behind him on a quick-hitting slant route by a QB platoon that repeatedly made bad, self-destructive plays?…morale goes down hill quick, especially when you know that you have the playmaking ability to make things happen if they just get you the ball!). If you need a committee to get the original play (presumably offered by Spurrier Jr.) correct, then the system is poor!
Plus, what kind of top recruit wants to come in and waste away in that type of dysfunction. I suspect that the Latimore’s of the recruiting class are thinking twice about such issues (while Latimore’s highly coveted high school teammates—the defensive end standouts—are firmer on their commitments to not to go to Carolina, staying with Tennessee, after seeing such dysfunction). The costs go beyond this year’s team.
Joe – do you sense that the SC fanbase is becoming increasingly agitated to the point where the so-called “culture change” that Holtz & Spurrier have long spoken about is actually here? Speaking for myself, I am very angry over the fact that we pay SOS $1MM+ and our offense looks less organized and ill-coached than many 2-A high school programs. This 4-man play calling process is the most absurd thing I’ve heard in a while considering we are an SEC school that supposedly has an experienced HOF coach at the helm. Frankly, I’m about to the point where my financial support is in jeopardy. Not because of finances. But, because of the incompetence that SOS is displaying. I simply don’t want to pay for that anymore. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say if we lose to Clemson this year, Hyman won’t have to questiion whether I’m “All In.” I’ll be “All Out.”
All those people saying we’re a young team that needs time to develop… let me ask you this – did you know Arkansas is an even younger team than we are and they beat the tar out of us? That’s coaching plain and simple.
3…2…1…timeout/penalty?? Seems like the same old story. New Carolina? I don’t think so.
For anybody who has not heard Duce Staley’s comments on USC football yesterday on the The Halftime Show on 107.5 needs to listen. He sums up everything the fans are upset about perfectly. I vote to hire him as an assistant coach asap.
Carolina is my team but when I see an opportunity thats so obvious I have to take it…I just for the first time in my life bet against us…I am taking Florida because there is no way USC will keep the score within 15 points…I’m taking common sense over my heart because these odds are just too good.
golfball, what YOU got? Which team do you consider good? TCU, GT or Miami? Let’s guess TCU, ’cause goodness knows you couldn’t admit there are good teams in the ACC. You people bring this ridicule on yourselves.
WOW! Must be great to be a Hall of Fame coach on your damn couch?
No wonder the team is mediocre….FANS!!!!!!!
Spurrier is Greek for Sorry! If I see that whining face another time I think I will throw up! The offence he is running has no clue! The Quarterback is just plain dumb! He has no football instincts, cna’t tell when he is in trouble. Not sure who is more stupid, Garcia or Spurrier! He is NO Hall of Fame Coach now!