Spurrier says QB still needs work

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Steve Spurrier still isn't sure if Stephen Garcia is prepared to be his starting quarterback, but he'll take Saturday night's result of a 21-point victory over Tennessee any day of the week.

"He's not familiar with everything. He's just not ready," Spurrier said. "He hasn't been through a spring practice yet. He's got a lot of ability to make plays, but he has to know what's going on out there."

Garcia made enough of them to ensure his second career start ended with a more favorable result than his first one. He made just enough plays in leading the Gamecocks to a 24-6 lead before he left with a hyper-extended knee late in the third quarter after throwing his only interception of the night.

While his numbers weren't spectacular, the results were solid. He completed 9-of-19 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Better yet, he avoided the rush against a Tennessee team two weeks after getting sacked six times by a fierce LSU rush in a 24-17 loss. Not only did he make better decisions, he also got stronger protection from his line.

"It was awesome," Garcia said. "The line did a great job of protecting me. Coach Spurrier worked with me a lot about getting rid of the ball if it's (the play) not there. No sacks are pretty good for us."

While his play wasn't as flashy as his quarter-and-a-half coming off the bench in a 24-17 win over Kentucky, when he completed 10-of-14 for 169 yards and a touchdown, he displayed enough poise to deliver another much-needed SEC win, especially against a team that USC had not defeated in Williams-Brice Stadium since 1992.

"It's a good feeling to finally beat those guys," said Garcia, who will get an MRI today on his knee, which was hurt when teammate Jarriel King's shoulder pads hit his shin on the interception return.

Garcia could have reentered the game, but Spurrier played it safe with a big lead. He had gotten just what he needed out of his redshirt freshman signal caller. Garcia didn't even mind that Spurrier said he's not quite ready. He'll take all the on-the-job training he can get.

"I came here to play," he said. "I didn't come here to sit on the sidelines."

Garcia added that Spurrier can grade him off the film, but he was ready with his own evaluation.

"I think I did all right," Garcia said.

He single-handedly moved USC down the field for its first touchdown. In the five-play, 82-yard scoring drive, he passed for 80 of the yards and scrambled for the other 2. His scrambles on two of those completions gave him the time to find receivers. He tossed a 19-yarder and a 18-yarder to Kenny McKinley, a 31-yarder to Eric Baker, and a 12-yarder to Mike Davis for the touchdown. Spurrier especially liked what his young quarterback did on that first scramble to find McKinley to get that drive going.

"That was a heck of a play," Spurrier said.

Garcia's 4-yard scoring pass to McKinley in the second quarter came on a check-off at the line of scrimmage, when he didn't run the planned quarterback draw and switched to a quick slant upon seeing the coverage.

Garcia's decision-making also showed up on two consecutive plays near the start of USC's field-goal drive in the third quarter. He avoided one sack by throwing a ball away. And on third-and-9 on the next play, he dumped a ball off under heavy pressure to Davis in the middle of the field for a 12-yard gain.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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