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With Nothing To Lose, Spurrier Is Dangerous

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By ANDY STAPLES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2007

Updated: 11/06/2007 12:14 am

GAINESVILLE - Steve Spurrier rejoiced Sunday that the pregame run-up to the football matchup between the universities of Florida and South Carolina finally will focus on the players on the field instead of Spurrier against the program he raised to national prominence.

"It's just South Carolina versus Florida now," Spurrier said Sunday in a teleconference.

But should it be?

In two games against his alma mater and former employer, Spurrier has inspired an athletically inferior team to crush a Southeastern Conference East Division title dream with an upset win (2005 in Columbia, S.C.) and nearly derail a national championship season (2006 in Gainesville).

Sunday, Spurrier bemoaned the fact that his team has lost three consecutive games and the fact that the Gamecocks allowed 542 rushing yards in an 48-36 loss at Arkansas this past Saturday. But even as he counted off a litany of woes, Spurrier sounded calm - almost happy.

That should terrify the Gators, who will face Spurrier's Gamecocks on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.

"He's at his best when he's got nothing to lose and he's the underdog," said former UF receiver Travis McGriff, who played for Spurrier from 1995-98. "He's at his most creative and his most relaxed."

McGriff remembers Spurrier acting that way the week of the 1997 Florida State game. The Seminoles entered ranked No. 2 and seemed destined to play for the national title. The Gators had missed out on the SEC East title game for the first time since the conference split into divisions in 1992.

Before the game, Spurrier gave no rah-rah speech. It's not his style. The players simply fed off his confidence - and an inspired scheme to rotate quarterbacks Doug Johnson and Noah Brindise on every play - and beat the Seminoles, 32-29.

Shane Matthews, who played quarterback for Spurrier at Florida from 1990-93, remembers weeks like that.

"Coach Spurrier never really did anything differently for any games," Matthews said. "You knew if it was more important to him, usually because of the opponent. ... He coaches with a swagger, and his players follow that swagger."

He also sees from the sidelines what most coaches need three assistants in the press box to see. That's how, in 2005, Spurrier surveyed Florida's defense prior to every play and signaled an audible from the sideline. The Gamecocks, who entered the day ranked No. 113 in the nation in rushing offense, ran for four touchdowns in a 30-22 win.

Asked to pinpoint the reason why his teams have played over their heads against the Gators the past two years, Spurrier recalled with a near-photographic memory how Florida statistically dominated the 2005 game, but the Gamecocks made plays when it mattered. In 2006, he said, Florida didn't play particularly well, but the Gamecocks didn't have any kicks blocked the rest of the season, either.

This year, Spurrier would prefer everyone pay attention to his team so he can worry about calling plays.

"To me, Spurrier against Florida is what it was all about the first couple years anyway," he said. "Everybody asked me how I felt, I said, 'Hey, I'm just trying to find a ball play or two that we can make a first down or two and score some points.'"

With the focus off him somewhat, Spurrier may relax enough to draw up some new ball plays. And in a week such as this, with his team reeling, with a favored opponent coming into his stadium, he is at his most dangerous.

"You combine the fact that he gets stronger in these situations with the confidence you already have in his playcalling," McGriff said, "and I can understand why he's gotten his team to play that way."

Reporter Andy Staples can be reached at (352) 262-3719 or astaples@tampatrib.com.

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