22 Jan 11 South Carolina's Win Over Furman Produces More Questions Than Answers

Mike Zarrilli/Getty ImagesAs I sat in the stands watching this football game, I caught myself (a very optimistic fan) asking, is this really the 13th-ranked team in the country?My answer was a very cautious yes.Furman is no regular small school team. They have history and on the field look very large. They also had one Reebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
of the fastest receivers I have seen this year (other than Carolina's own Ace Sanders).After the game, Steve Spurrier had positive comments, which I didn't expect. I trust the Ol' Ball Coach, but I was expecting him to lash out about a game that was much closer than the score indicated.Here are some musings from the game.1. If South Carolina wants to win the East, Stephen Garcia must wake up and play better.Garcia missed wide-open receivers and had two interceptions. One of the interceptions was the result of a bad play call mixed with a bad decision. The other was just a bad throw. With Garcia struggling to get the ball out of his hands and to his playmakers, the passing game has looked bad.Connor Shaw may have to get a look soon if Garcia struggles more.2. Marcus Lattimore's Heisman hype will be all but gone after this game.Which I am glad about...he is too young to bear that sort of burden. He is a great back, but these games against teams like Furman are the games where Heisman hopeful backs are supposed to get a couple hundred yards. Latti didn't even break Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
70.The line struggled to get any sort of push against this Furman team. That doesn't bode well for the future.3. Ace Sanders is now officially M.I.A.After having a huge opening game against Southern Mississippi, Sanders has sort of disappeared. He had a couple of catches against Furman, but none of the big play variety it looked as if he would be contributing on a regular basis. One good-looking play got called back on a hold.What happened to the idea of getting the ball in Ace's hands more?4. There is nothing wrong with the pass rush.There were seven sacks in this game by the South Carolina defense. Enough said.Devin Taylor and Cliff Matthews are still two of the SEC's best ends. The tackles have played well, and the linebackers have looked better than anyone would have originally thought.5. What happened to the insanely deep defensive back corps?At the beginning of the season, South Carolina's defensive backs were considered by many to be the BEST in the country. Now, after being torched for over 200 yards by ONE RECEIVER, one has to wonder if a lack of focus is in play.Stephon Gilmore played well. Beyond that, there were way too many busted coverages in the middle of the field.6. The special teams woes are officially gone.South Carolina's special teams have looked good. The coverage has Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison Realtree camo Jersey
been good, and the kicking has been phenomenal.This seems like the biggest improvement from last year.Overall, this isn't what anyone expected, but a win is a win. Next week is a benchmark game that will truly show where this South Carolina team ranks. A win over Auburn, and South Carolina should hop into the Top 10 for a big time showdown against Alabama.