Morris: Lessons learned

This shift for Spurrier began in the fourth week of the season when 3-0 and No. 17 USC traveled to the Alabama plains to take on a 3-0 Auburn team that was ranked 14th nationally. Little did we know then that Auburn would eventually climb to No. 2 in every poll and contend for a national championship.

We also did not know going into the Auburn game that Stephen Garcia would emerge as a solid, all-SEC caliber quarterback. Spurrier had crowed throughout the offseason and through the opening weeks of the season that freshman Conner Shaw was ready to take charge of the offense at the first sign of Garcia faltering.

That occurred during the fourth quarter when Garcia fumbled on consecutive USC possessions. Auburn converted both fumbles into touchdowns for a 35-27 lead, and Spurrier called on Shaw to win the game.

On USC’s final two possessions, Shaw threw two interceptions. He had another interception nullified by a penalty. It might have been the best thing to happen to USC, because Spurrier likely realized Shaw was too inexperienced to handle such situations and should not have been put in that position.

From that point on, Garcia has been USC’s quarterback. He might make mistakes, but he is not likely to be yanked again, particularly in a crucial situation of an important game.

Beyond that, Spurrier began to curb his public criticism of Garcia. For much of the previous three years, Spurrier has publicly taken Garcia to task for just about anything and everything, from off-field behavior to practice habits to ducking his head on running plays.

Spurrier still does not trust Garcia enough to allow him to speak to the media, except following games. The coach also rarely heaps praise on his quarterback, and when he does compliment Garcia it sometimes seems forced. But at least he curbed the disparaging public remarks about his quarterback.

USC rebounded from the Auburn loss to defeat No. 1-ranked Alabama, only to turn the euphoria of that win to devastation the following week in the loss at Kentucky.

USC bolted to a 28-10 halftime lead before falling apart in the second half of a 31-28 loss. Spurrier said the lesson learned at Kentucky was to finish games in the second half, which USC did in shutting out Vanderbilt after halftime and outscoring Tennessee 28-14 over the final two quarters.

Next was the humbling loss at the hands of Arkansas. The game’s tone was set on USC’s first possession when Garcia lined up under center, which he had rarely done all season, and threw three consecutive incomplete passes.

After Arkansas scored on its first possession, USC countered with a 76-yard drive for a touchdown. But 70 of those yards came on passing plays, a strange turnaround from previous weeks when USC had established that it wins games with a strong running attack.

That philosophy changed dramatically in the SEC East Division-clinching victory at Florida. Having apparently learned once and for all that its bread, butter and jam is the read option behind zone-blocking schemes, USC ran the ball through and around Florida.

Marcus Lattimore led the charge with a school-record 40 carries for 212 yards and three touchdowns. Lattimore has become USC’s beast and now there is recognition that he needs to be fed for the Gamecocks to win games.

No doubt, learning through losses — even for the veteran coach — has proved to be part of the maturation process for a team that will play for the SEC championship in two weeks.

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