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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Steve Spurrier (2nd season, 7-5) 2005 record: 7-5 (Lost to Missouri in Independence Bowl) SEC finish: 5-3 (t-2nd East) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 108th (95.2 ypg) Passing: 64th (220.8 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 85th (174.3 ypg) Passing: 22nd (186.5 ypg) Date Opponent Aug. 31 at Mississippi State Sept. 9 Georgia Sept. 16 Wofford Sept. 23 Florida Atlantic Sept. 28 Auburn Oct. 7 at Kentucky Oct. 21 at Vanderbilt Oct. 28 Tennessee Nov. 4 Arkansas Nov. 11 at Florida Nov. 18 Middle Tennessee Nov. 25 at Clemson Depth Chart: Offense 5 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 11 Kenny McKinley So. 23 Mike West Jr. WR 4 Sidney Rice So. 15 O.J. Murdock Fr. WR 1 Noah Whiteside Sr. 82 Freddie Brown Fr. LT 75 Gurminder Thind So. - Clarence Bailey Jr. LG 55 Thomas Coleman Sr. 71 William Brown Jr. C 60 Chris White Sr. 76 Jeremy Burgess So. RG 67 James Thompson Jr. - Kevin Young Fr. RT 77 Jamon Meredith Jr. 68 Justin Sorensen So. TE 93 Robert Pavlovic Jr. 84 Jared Cook Fr. QB 12 Blake Mitchell Jr. 7 Cade Thompson Fr. TB 3 Cory Boyd Jr. 25 Mike Davis So. Depth Chart: Defense 4 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 41 Jordin Lindsey Jr. 90 Shea McKeen Fr. DT 79 Marque Hall Jr. 98 Joel Reaves Jr. NT 55 Stanley Doughty Jr. 95 Nathan Pepper So. DE 43 Ryan Brown Jr. 99 Dakota Walker So. SLB 51 Casper Brinkley Jr. 53 Marvin Sapp So. MLB 52 Jasper Brinkley Jr. 47 Curtis Rice Jr. WLB 35 Brent Davis Fr. 24 Cody Wells Jr. CB 8 Fred Bennett Sr. 18 Jeremy Ware Fr. CB 5 Carlos Thomas So. 36 Stoney Woodson So. ROV 26 Brandon Isaac Sr. 23 Mike West Jr. FS 33 Chris Hampton Jr. 27 Ty Erving Jr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 14 Ryan Succop So. P 14 Ryan Succop So. KR 5 Carlos Thomas So. PR 11 Kenny McKinley So.

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In his second year at Florida, Steve Spurrier led the Gators to an SEC championship and a berth in the Sugar Bowl with an undefeated record in conference play.

In his second year at South Carolina, Spurrier still has championship visions for the Gamecocks, although he's not ready to claim that this year's squad will find its way to the Georgia Dome in December.

"Right now where we are, if we win more than we lose and go to a bowl game, that's a dadgum good season," Spurrier says. "We're just not near where those other schools are. But maybe the ball will bounce our way again a bunch of times. I think we'll be just as good as last year, if not better."

The Gamecocks return virtually all of their skill position players from a 2005 team that finished 7-5 after a loss to Missouri in the Independence Bowl.

The 61-year-old Spurrier wasted no time in upsetting the balance in the SEC East with wins over Tennessee and Florida. The victory at Tennessee was South Carolina's first in Knoxville, while the win over the Gators broke a drought that dated to the 1930s.

Spurrier has the ammo for his Cock 'n' Fire offense with the return of the Gamecocks' leading passer (Blake Mitchell), rusher (Mike Davis) and receiver (Sidney Rice). But questions abound up front; South Carolina must replace most of the offensive line.

The defense remains a work in progress following the early departures of cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Ko Simpson to the NFL.

With only six seniors on scholarship, this will be a younger team than the one Spurrier inherited from Lou Holtz. Spurrier admits he is still building the program, and his players are ready to add on to last year's foundation.

"We have to take it up another notch. We started out 7-5. That's not good, but it's OK," nose tackle Stanley Doughty says. "So basically, we have no choice but to go up."

OFFENSE

In his first season at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier did not have the luxury of flip-flopping his quarterbacks as he often did at Florida. But after redshirt freshman Cade Thompson's solid spring, Spurrier will not be as patient if Mitchell struggles.

Among returning SEC quarterbacks, only Florida's Chris Leak (219.9) averaged more yards per game in 2005 than Mitchell (215.5). But Mitchell seemed to regress as the season wore on: Half of his SEC-worst 12 interceptions came in season-ending losses to Clemson and Missouri.

Mitchell says he feels more comfortable in the offense than he did in '05. If he continues to mature as a passer and leader, he could be one of the conference's top quarterbacks.

The Gamecocks picked up the equivalent of a free agent with the return of junior Cory Boyd from a yearlong suspension for violating athletics department policy. The hard-running New Jersey native was South Carolina's second-leading rusher and receiver in 2004.

Boyd gives the Gamecocks the big-play running threat they lacked in 2005 when they ranked 108th out of 117 Division I-A teams in rushing offense with 95 yards per game.

But the most important player on the South Carolina roster is Rice, who caught 70 passes and 13 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. Spurrier has to figure out a way to get the ball to receivers other than Rice, who accounted for 43 percent of the Gamecocks' receiving yards in '05.

With several new faces, Spurrier believes this year's offensive line will be better than the underachieving 2005 unit.

DEFENSE

South Carolina lost its top seven tacklers from last year's team, led by early NFL entrant Simpson, who had 103 stops from his safety position.

"Hopefully our safeties aren't making all the tackles," Spurrier says. "I'm not sure our linebackers and linemen last year knew they were eligible to tackle."

The Gamecocks' biggest defender and biggest enigma is Doughty, a 318-pound tackle who can be a dominant player if he ever gets in shape. For the second year in a row, Doughty will have to work his way out of the doghouse with a coaching staff that is growing tired of his loud mouth and lazy work habits.

Spurrier is much more impressed with middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, a junior college transfer who looks "like those linebackers that play at Georgia and Tennessee," according to Spurrier.

Translation: The 6'2", 250-pounder is big and can run.

Ditto for his identical twin, Casper, who arrives this summer and could step into a starting role at strong-side backer.

Cornerbacks Fred Bennett and Carlos Thomas are solid cover corners, but the Gamecocks are lacking playmakers at safety.

SPECIALISTS

Ryan Succop, who kicked off last year, adds punting and placekicking duties following the departure of Josh Brown. Succop has a strong leg but struggles with his accuracy on longer field goal attempts.

FINAL ANALYSIS

With an easier schedule and so many returners at the skill positions, it's not hard to imagine Spurrier matching last year's seven wins. The keys will the play of the offensive line and the defense, which coughed up a three-touchdown lead to Missouri in the Independence Bowl.

You just know Spurrier is cooking up some special plays to take to Gainesville for his return to his alma mater on Nov. 11.

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