Editorial: Steve Spurrier’s Top Moments and Lasting Legacy at South Carolina

Written by James Gray

Honestly I had always hoped this day would never come. As the news broke my eyes didn’t leave the screen of my phone. Before I was intently watching the MNF game, after the news I didn’t see a play until the fourth quarter. For several minutes I couldn’t even process the news. It couldn’t be real, at least I didn’t want it to be. Like a child in denial, I went to bed hoping to wake up in the morning with everything being back to normal.

Well after tossing and turning all night, and yes having Carolina football in my dreams, the next morning came the official announcement, Steve Spurrier was retiring.

It was a numb reaction from me. I just starred at the screen with zero emotion, and didn’t have anything to say. It’s strange, I think I have had too many real experiences happen in my life to let my favorite coach retiring, trump real life events.

Let’s be honest there are much more tragic things going on in life than a legendary coach retiring. In the very town that many are sulking and depressed because of this announcement, there are people who can’t even walk on land due to flooding. There are people that are arranging funerals for their loved ones, and there are people that don’t have homes to go back to.

For those that know me, know how much I love the HBC (Head Ball Coach) and this football team. However, I think I saw more of a reaction about this retirement than I did about the floods that just a week ago have devastated thousands in the city.

The HBC is alive and healthy and way better off than a majority of the people living in Columbia. As a city, a state, and a proud group called Gamecock Nation, we must move on and focus on the real issues that affect the livelihood of many.

Instead of getting caught up in our own selfish emotions, let’s help the unfortunate, and celebrate what Steve Spurrier has done for the University of South Carolina. With that said, here’s my hat off to the guy who changed the university forever.

It seems like yesterday that Steve Spurrier was announced as head coach on November 23, 2004. The whole city was filled with excitement when the man who put Florida and Duke on the map decided he would try to do the same at South Carolina.

What an amazing ride the HBC took us on. My college experience was made better because of Saturdays, as football is a religion in the South. Just about every game Carolina played, I believed we could win, because of the man behind the visor.

I could go into detail about all of his big games but instead here is just a reminder of just a few of Spurrier’s top moments on the South Carolina sidelines. Let these bring back the memories, I for one wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Steve Spurrier’s Top Moments

10/29/05: Spurrier wasted no time making a splash in his first season. He went into Neyland Stadium and upset the No. 23 Vols in front of a crowd of 107,716.

11/12/05: Spurrier’s first matchup against his alma mater, No. 12 Florida, Gamecocks won 30-22.

11/25/06: Spurrier gets his first win in the USC-Clemson rivalry, 31-28 at Clemson. “Wide right.”

12/29/06: Spurrier gets his first bowl win at USC, over Houston in the Liberty Bowl.

9/8/07: Spurrier gets his first Gamecock victory against Georgia in Athens, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 11.

10/04/07: Kentucky comes to Columbia with their highest ranking in decades at No. 8, falling to the Gamecocks 38-23 in the pouring rain.

10/04/08: Spurrier leads the Gamecocks into Oxford and defeats Ole Miss 31-24.

9/24/09: A resurrected No. 4 Ole Miss team pays the Gamecocks a visit and falls 16-10.

11/28/09: The unranked Gamecocks take down rival No. 15 Clemson at home 34-17.

10/09/10: South Carolina’s first win over a top ranked team, the Gamecocks defeated Alabama 35-21. An Alabama team that featured Julio Jones, Marcell Dareus, Mark Ingram, Mark Barron, D.J. Fluker, Dont’a Hightower, Courtney Upshaw, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Trent Richardson.

11/13/10: Urban Meyer’s last SEC game in “The Swamp.” The Gamecocks defeat No. 24 Florida 36-14. Marcus Lattimore rushed for 212 yards and three touchdowns.

11/27/10: The Gamecocks win on the road at Clemson 29-7.

11/26/11: The Gamecocks win at home against No. 18 Clemson 34-13.

1/2/12: The Gamecocks defeat No. 21 Nebraska 30-13 in the Capital One Bowl, capping off the school’s first 11-win season.

10/06/12: No. 5 Georgia at No. 6 South Carolina, ESPN College GameDay was in town for the 35-7 USC victory.

11/24/12: No. 13 South Carolina goes into No. 12 Clemson with backup quarterback Dylan Thompson and wins 27-17.

1/1/13: No. 11 South Carolina wins in the final seconds to defeat No. 19 Michigan in the Outback Bowl. “The Hit.”

10/26/13: No. 20 South Carolina stuns undefeated No. 5 Missouri at Faurot Field in an improbable comeback led by an injured and sick Connor Shaw.

11/30/13: No. 6 Clemson falls to No. 10 South Carolina at Williams Brice Stadium 31-17. Jadeveon Clowney kept his promise and never lost to the Tigers.

1/1/14: No. 8 South Carolina defeats No. 19 Wisconsin in the Capital One bowl 34-24 behind three Ace Sanders touchdowns.

9/13/14: Todd Gurley came to Columbia and shined but No. 6 Georgia fell short as the No. 24 Gamecocks won by inches 38-35.

11/15/14: Spurrier’s last visit to “The Swamp” ended in a miraculous Gamecock victory after a Carlos Heard blocked punt late in the fourth quarter. This victory also led to the firing of Florida head coach Will Muschamp.

12/27/14: Spurrier led the Gamecocks to a victory over Miami in the Independence bowl. His fourth consecutive bowl win as Gamecocks’ head coach sets the school record at South Carolina.

The HBC gave Gamecocks fans the greatest moments in South Carolina football history. Let’s be honest, he spoiled us. We got use to beating teams like Georgia, Florida, and Clemson. We became accustomed to being in bowl games and beating traditional powerhouses in Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Miami.

We went on a five-game winning streak against our in-state rival Clemson, who had previously controlled the rivalry. We produced the No. 1 draft pick in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who might have had the best hit in college football history; just ask ESPN’s SportCenter Top 10 about that.

We took down a NFL talent stacked No. 1 Alabama team on a 19-game winning streak. Not too long ago we held the longest home winning streak in the country at 18 games.

On the business side, we joined Forbes list of “Most Valuable College Football Programs” at No. 17.

Spurrier created greater brand recognition for South Carolina in the NFL because of guys like Alshon Jeffrey, Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram, Stephon Gilmore, Captain Munnerlyn, and D.J. Swearinger.

Spurrier’s legacy will endure after top notch facilities were built that will attract top recruits in and outside of the state for years to come because of his winning ways over the last 11.

The list can go on and on….

Steve Spurrier put us on the dagum map and we have become a force to be reckoned with. All the outsiders and rivals will try to tell you the HBC jumped ship in the middle of a bad season. That couldn’t be further from the truth, but I wouldn’t expect anything else from them. To their defense they don’t know South Carolina or know the HBC like we do, so I don’t expect them to understand. Some of them love to hate him and as soon as the man retires, they come out the woodworks and take shots.

The people who really know college football, have spoken out about their respect for Steve Spurrier. Even Paul Finebaum has come out and said he didn’t believe Spurrier abandoned his team.

The HBC isn’t going to get up on the podium and lie to everybody. C’mon show some respect, the man has done so much for the game, but now you’re going to lay into a 70-year-old coaching legend?

So critics are you going to believe Spurrier when he said, “We slid and it’s my fault.” But not believe him when he says, “When something is inevitable I believe you do it right then. Let’s get started in a new direction today.” Or how about when he admitted it’s time for, “A new message, new voice, gives us time to rebuild.”

For many that don’t understand recruiting, when a coach announces his retirement at the end of a season, it makes it extremely difficult to keep commits around and get new prospects to sign. By announcing now, it shows respect to the current verbal commits, giving them plenty of time to reconsider their decision, and it gives the current coaching staff time to contact those verbal commits and seek out new prospects with their plan. It also gives the school plenty of time to find the next head coach which ultimately is the most important decision.

Too often we see the wrong decision made, which was seen the same day we found out about Spurrier, we learned about Southern California’s coach. Spurrier knew that his guys were not responding to him and knew it would take somebody else, so he said, “It’s their turn for a go at it.”

To call Spurrier a coward is just flat out dumb, why, because he took the job at the University of South Carolina. The place where people told him he couldn’t win and laughed at the idea. He might not have won a SEC title, but he sure proved all those people wrong.

Going forward, it’s going to be strange not seeing the HBC strutting the sideline or hearing his halftime or post game speeches. But, he was right, change was needed. The game is changing and recruiting is key. After all, the man entertained us for 11 years, it’s time for him to hit the links and take a different view of the game he changed.

Out of everything Steve Spurrier did for the University of South Carolina, most importantly he made us believe: Why Not USC?

Photo credit: seccountry.com; Steve Spurrier walks off the field to an ovation from South Carolina fans.