i''m seeing 13-1/2 at the moment
would def buy 1/2 point on this
this ones kinda jumping off the page at me
would def buy 1/2 point on this
this ones kinda jumping off the page at me
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Cray, I don't see value in NC State. South Carolina is returning 17 starters, and will be playing at home. NC State is a young team, with just 10 returning starters.
South Carolina has a clear advantage on the defensive side of the ball, and Spurrier can coach offense a little.
I just don't see how NC State can travel on the road, with such a young team, and keep it close.
I am staying away from this one, but best of luck to you!Comment -
As a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina I will say this...If we don't beat NCSU on Thursday, it will be a LONG season in Columbia.
I really liked the under when it was at 47.5 two days ago...the under has been getting pounded and now the total is 45-45.5 depending on where you shop.
DocLast edited by Doc JS; 08-26-08, 05:25 PM.Comment -
South Carolina Gamecocks
2007 SEASON IN REVIEW:
Steve Spurrier has now spent three seasons at the helm of the South Carolina program, and he has compiled a 21-16 record at the school. Last season was his worst thus far in regard to wins and losses, as the club finished 6-6, including 3-5 in league play.
Expectations were high after winning the first three games of the campaign, including a memorable 16-12 decision over Georgia in week two. Then, after a loss to LSU on the road, the Gamecocks posted three more wins to move to 6-1 overall. Already eligible for a bowl game, South Carolina considered itself a major contender for the SEC title and hoped to reach a BCS bowl. What ensued, however, was a complete collapse, as the team went on to lose its final five games of the campaign. One of the losses was a three-point overtime setback to Tennessee, and a two-point loss to rival Clemson in the finale stung as well.
When the bowl bids were announced, South Carolina was left out of the picture. Spurrier is not used to coaching mediocre teams, as he was a champion at the University of Florida. After the 2007 campaign, some fans may be questioning whether or not the coach is really as good as his reputation dictates.
2008 ANALYSIS
OFFENSE:
Last season, South Carolina ranked 70th nationally in scoring offense and 77th in total offense, including 101st in rushing. Considering that Spurrier has the reputation of being an offensive guru, it is hard to justify those figures. Spurrier has decided that he will not be calling the plays this season, delegating the responsibility to Steve Spurrier Jr. Clearly, father will still be in charge of the offense, but son will be calling the plays on game day.
The first question that has to be answered is who will be the team's starting quarterback. Chris Smelley won four games as a freshman last season but has limited physical skills. Junior Tommy Beecher has more arm strength and is much more capable of making plays with his legs. Going by the happenings in recent seasons, both signal-callers will see significant action. Also, both will benefit from the return of standout receiver Kenny McKinley, who made 77 catches for 968 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. The 77 catches led the SEC and set a new school record.
On a down note, the ground attack does not have a proven leader heading into this campaign, so while an improvement on last season's poor rushing numbers seems logical, one or two capable tailbacks must emerge to make that happen.
DEFENSE:
South Carolina ranked fourth nationally in pass defense a year ago, and the fact that all four starters in the defensive backfield return is tremendously encouraging. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has the freedom to blitz without worrying about exposing the d-backs, who are more than capable of holding down the fort. In fact, the entire defense is extremely experienced, as a whopping 10 returning starters are in place. Emmanuel Cook made 92 tackles, including 77 solo stops, from his strong safety position a year ago. He also intercepted three passes.
Eric Norwood showed flashes of brilliance at the linebacker position last season, and he is more than capable of improving on his sack total of six from 2007. The hope is that middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley proves to be healthy. Brinkley missed most of last season following knee surgery, but he was an All- SEC performer in 2006 who is a true difference-maker.
The Gamecocks played poorly against the run in 2007, and the line is clearly the weak spot of the defensive unit. There are some tremendous running teams in the SEC, and it remains to be seen if coach Johnson has figured out how to sure up the front.
"We haven't had a defensive lineman or a linebacker drafted since I've been there," says Spurrier. "So I'm not blaming the coaches. I'm just saying, as a head coach, I got to do something differently to try to give us a spark."
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Ryan Succop enters his senior season as the team's most experienced placekicker and punter. While he is certainly going to continue kicking the field goals, there is a good chance that the punting duties will be delegated to Spencer Lanning, a sophomore. The special teams units are not among the best in the league, but there is no reason to consider them a problem area either.
OUTLOOK:
First the good news: South Carolina should be outstanding at the linebacker and defensive back positions. Also, McKinley is one of the top pass catchers in the nation.
"We've got better players than we've had here," says Spurrier. "We've hopefully got better coaches too."
Unfortunately, the Gamecocks are not sound at the quarterback position and can't run the ball. Also, the defensive line is questionable. Spurrier and company could be headed for another mediocre season.
By Pat Taggart, Associate College Football Editor
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N.C. State Wolfpack
2007 SEASON IN REVIEW:
Another first-year head coach that struggled in his debut in the ACC was Tom O'Brien at NC State. The Wolfpack got off to a horrific start, winning just once in the first six games. However, to O'Brien's credit, the team was able to turn things around in the second half, finishing the year 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the Atlantic Division.
The season opened up with a much-improved UCF program and O'Brien's team dropped a 25-23 decision to the Knights. Losses at Boston College (37-17), against Clemson (42-20) and at Florida State (27-10) put the team in an 0-3 hole in ACC action. The Wolfpack started to come together after that, with big wins in the second half of the campaign, including a 29-24 win over a top-25 program in Virginia and a three-point overtime decision at Miami (19-16) as part of a four-game win streak. However, the team didn't close out well, with back-to-back defeats at the hands of Wake Forest (38-18) and Maryland (37-0), leaving the Wolfpack home for the holidays.
2008 ANALYSIS
OFFENSE:
The Wolfpack return six starters from last year's offense and that seemed to be a plus heading into the summer. However much like last year, NC State has been ravaged by injuries in the preseason, leaving O'Brien with some uncertainty as the season approaches. Tailback Toney Baker (knee) and wide receiver Donald Bowens (back) are significant injuries. Bowens is a season- ending injury and will be felt throughout the year.
"Losing Donald is a tough loss for the football team. When you lose your most experienced and best receiver coming back it certainly hurts you, especially when you are trying to find a quarterback," says O'Brien.
Now the team is extremely raw in the receiving corps, with sophomore Owen Spencer (five receptions, for 73 yards) as the most experienced wideout.
"They're about as green as the quarterbacks, with the exception of senior Daniel Evans," OBrien said. "Its a situation that is a work in progress. Some of those kids have to step up and make some plays."
The quarterback situation is an obvious area of concern, with Evans, redshirt freshman Russell Wilson and true freshman Mike Glennon battling it out for the starting job. Evans played to mixed reviews last season, completing 57.2 percent of his passes, for 2,030 yards, with 12 TDs and 13 INTs, but by no means has the job locked down heading into mid-August.
Although Toney Brown is banged up in the backfield, the outlook there is a little better, with returning tailbacks Jameele Eugene (667 yards and five TDs) and Andre Brown (447 yards, five TDs) ready for action.
The offensive line returns three starters, but O'Brien would like some depth up front and nothing is set in stone.
"We are still trying to find the best five guys and also find some guys who can go in and spell them so they won't have to play 82 plays or 75 plays a game. We'll be better in the long run for that," says 'O'Brien.
DEFENSE:
Defensively, the Wolfpack struggled in 2007, ranking 11th in the conference in total defense (393.9 ypg) and scoring defense (28.2 ppg). The real problem came in stopping the run, something NC State did very little of last season (last in the conference at 186.4 ypg).
The team returns just four starters on the defensive side of the ball and to make matters worse, depth in the secondary has taken a hit, with Clem Johnson suffering a broken jaw, leaving him out indefinitely. Senior cornerback Jeremy Gray is the top returning tackler on the squad after posting 62 tackles and three INTs a year ago.
The linebacking corps is in need of a complete overhaul, but the hope is that sophomore Nate Irving (52 tackles, six TFLs, one sack) can build off a solid freshman season.
Up front, the team must replace Martrel Brown and DeMario Pressley, but there is a couple of playmaking juniors that can fill the void with the return of tackle Alan-Michael Cash (50 tackles, 3.5 sacks) and rush end Willie Young (48 tackles, 10 TFLs, six sacks).
SPECIAL TEAMS:
The kicking game is a bit of an unknown right now as well. The punting job is secured with the return of senior Bradley Pierson, although his average of 37.2 yards per punt could use some improvement. The placekicking job however, needs new blood with the loss of Steven Hauschka, who hit 16- of-18 field-goal attempts, including a long of 49 yards last year. His replacement is sophomore Josh Czajkowski, who has been chomping at the bit to get his opportunity.
"Stephen Hauschka was a great kicker and I loved watching him kick. Just being around him and John Deraney was huge for me, because they were both so successful. It puts the idea in your head: I was waiting behind two NFL guys. I am eager to fill their shoes and get my shot."
The return game is the biggest concern on special teams. Not only did the team lose Darrell Blackman, whose career is now over in Raleigh, but the injury to Bowens leaves the team with no reliable return man.
OUTLOOK:
O'Brien had the luxury of a stacked team almost every year at Boston College and it will take some time for him to fill in the necessary depth at NC State. The injury bug has once again hit this team hard before the season has even started, so to get a true gauge of the Wolfpack is difficult.
The team opens up at South Carolina and that will not be an easy task. The rest of the non-conference slate includes William & Mary, East Carolina and South Florida. The Wolfpack would be lucky to split those games. The team avoids Virginia Tech altogether and gets Boston College, Florida State, Wake Forest and Miami all in Raleigh. The road games at Clemson, Maryland and North Carolina are crucial in determining if the Wolfpack can improve on their five win total from last year.
By Scott Haynes, Senior College Football EditorComment -
south carolina
DEFENSE:
South Carolina ranked fourth nationally in pass defense a year ago, and the fact that all four starters in the defensive backfield return is tremendously encouraging. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has the freedom to blitz without worrying about exposing the d-backs, who are more than capable of holding down the fort. In fact, the entire defense is extremely experienced, as a whopping 10 returning starters are in place. Emmanuel Cook made 92 tackles, including 77 solo stops, from his strong safety position a year ago. He also intercepted three passes.Comment -
You have a RS-Frosh QB making his first start in a very hostile environment (see Andre Woodson @ SC on a Thursday Night in 2007).
The top 2 RB's coming into the season for NCST would of been Jamelle Euguene and Toney Baker. Baker is coming off a knee injury, he is out this game. Eugene was just announced today that he is out. The top 2 RB's now are Andre Brown who is coming off a broken foot and Curtis Underwood who has 19 carries last year.
The top WR Bowens is out for the year
The OL has two converted DL making their first start on the OL.
The defense lost 5 of top 6 tacklers and has to replace all 3 LB's.
The projected Safety Clem Johnson is out in this game and they are starting a frosh back there.
SC is very healthy going into this game and they are looking to make a statement on national TV in spite of what happened last yr.
Take a deep breath and slowly walk away from NC State . . . .
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The under might be the only -110 play. South Carolina's defense will control this game. But winning by two touchdowns may or may not be feasible for this squad in the early goings. But, they will look very good on a teaser card!!Comment -
Locked in the under 45.5 -110 @ bookmaker.....
GL
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I think spurrier seeks redemption for last yr...
1st game of the season
national TV...
So Car -14Comment
