Aug. 24, 2010

Our work begins in earnest this week for our season-opening broadcasts (radio and TV) vs. Southern Miss. Scanning through the USM Media Guide, something caught my eye:

• The highest-ranked opponent that Southern Miss ever defeated in a season opener was a 30-26 upset of then-#6 Florida State in 1989. The defensive coordinator of that Golden Eagles squad? None other than the Gamecocks’ current defensive coordinator, Ellis Johnson. His defense forced two FSU turnovers that day, which Brett Favre and the Southern Miss offense converted into 14 2nd-quarter points.

An even stranger (or, if you believe in karma, more cringe-inducing) coincidence: that Florida State upset also took place on September 2nd. Johnson spent two seasons in Hattiesburg under Curly Hallman, before parlaying his success into a gig as Alabama’s defensive coordinator.

• One year later, in 1990, Steve Spurrier christened his first Florida team with a 50-7 thrashing of Oklahoma State. Spurrier has not lost an NCAA season opener since, a streak that now stretches 17 seasons. Did you know, one of those wins came against Southern Miss? His Gators opened defense of their national championship with a 21-6 victory over the #19 Golden Eagles in the 1997 season opener. Spurrier has faced Southern Miss twice in his head coaching career (he also defeated the Golden Eagles 26-24 in 1992).

Finally, courtesy of our statistician nonpareil, Doug Adams:

• Steve Spurrier’s teams have averaged 25 or more points per game in 17 of his collegiate seasons. In 14 of those 17 seasons, his teams have won 8 or more games.

PPG and Against Averages Relating to Wins

Does that bode well for the Gamecocks? We’ll see what kinds of offensive pyrotechnics they produce September 2nd.

Check back throughout the season for more anecdotes, first-hand accounts, and insights you may have missed.