Nov. 12, 2011

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Head Coach Steve Spurrier

Opening Statement
We won a ball game and got six conference wins and beat everyone in the (SEC) East. This was a special one. I don’t mind telling you. I told the team when I took this job seven years ago some of my buddies in Florida said, `Steve, you’re crazy. You’ll get your butt beat like every South Carolina coach has. You can’t beat Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Why do you want to get in that?’ I said I believe South Carolina has a chance. They have excellent high school athletics in the state. If we do a good job recruiting, we can do just as (well) as anyone else. It’s special to know we’re 6-0 the last two years against Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. I wish Dr. Crews was here. The first time we beat Tennessee he was ecstatic. He was over joyful. He would have had a big time here today.

On the win
I know our offense didn’t look real pretty at times. We stayed on the field the whole first half. We did make two or three first downs that last drive. It was a wonderful team victory. Our defense was sensational holding them to 12 points. The offense scraped out 17 somehow. It was just a good win for us. We’re happy to be 8-2. Whatever happens with Georgia and Auburn, we’ll see how Georgia plays when they know they have to win. They have to win two (to win the SEC East). Anyway, we’ll see how the dust settles before we celebrate the big one, but that was a good win for us. Our players ought to be commended for this one.

On Connor Shaw
He throws beautifully in practice. He gets hesitant at times (in games). Guys get in his face and he’s used to taking off. Ace Sanders came over and we ran a curl in front of that guy earlier when we got the interference. He said, `Coach I think I can run by him.’

On the passing game
We always come in with way too many pass plays. Just in case we start hitting them all, we’ll have a different one ready. Connor (Shaw) made some super runs. That first touchdown we had a play called and (Florida) didn’t play the coverage we thought so he had time to run it in for the score. We gave Connor a game ball for running it. He got the wind knocked out of him in the fourth quarter, but he was ready to come back in after it.

On game balls
We gave out a lot of game balls. The head coach was in a happy mood today. Mike Matulis, the right tackle from Florida, we gave him a game ball too. He played super. I can’t count them all right now. I told (Director of Equipment Chris) Matlock to get his pencil and write them all down.

On the pass rush
Travian (Robertson) got the last sack. Melvin (Ingram) was in there a lot. Devin (Taylor) rushed well today. I saw him come in one time quickly and I said that’s how I’m used to seeing Devin rush. Chris Rainey got a bunch of yards. He hit a crack there and it seemed like we couldn’t find him. Fortunately we got it down and had a good goal line stand early to force a field goal. That was a big play. Anytime you can save four points like we did at Tennessee and here today, it’s important.

On completing seven passes
We beat Florida in `05 completing seven passes; seven out of 17. A lot of you were here that day. Blake Mitchell hit Sidney Rice on a fade route in the fourth to put us up and we held on 30-22. We’ve won some that way. It was a beautiful day today. You think this is a day to throw it 300 yards, but we’ll keep working on it and see if we can get better.

On Brandon Wilds and the offensive line
We gave Brandon a game ball … Brandon is a good back; 121 yards. He’s a good runner with the ball. He really is. The line played well too. Give our offensive line some credit for having some holes in there today.

On what makes the win special
It’s interesting, not many of you would say we’d be 6-2 in the conference without Marcus (Lattimore) or with a quarterback who’s never played, Connor Shaw. Or without Kyle Nunn who we lost the second week with a back injury. But our defense stayed pretty healthy throughout. Most of our veteran guys are on defense. This was a good win for us. I’m happy with this one. It’s one of the best I’ve ever had, not because it’s my old school but because it’s six wins in the conference and beating those three schools that have dominated South Carolina prior to `05. That’s why it’s really special.

Assistant Head Coach Ellis Johnson

On the defensive improvement
The pass rush was a lot better obviously. I thought overall the most pleasing thing defensively was we didn’t lose our poise. We didn’t play particularly well early in the game. A lot of mistakes we had to clean up when they got off the field, but we didn’t lose composure like I thought we did last week (when we) started making mental errors.

On the defense
Players played hard. It was difficult to bottle up those guys with so much speed, especially when they dropped the ball off underneath. But starting with the pass rush, that helped a lot because we didn’t have to get in pressure defenses too much.

On tackling
The element of tackling where we kept good angles and got to people was good. I thought we missed some tackles. We had some times in the backfield where we hit people and didn’t get them on the ground. Overall, the aspect of over-running the ball is something we emphasize a lot. We’ve played well down at the goal line, and mainly it’s because guys understand their role in the scheme.

On the improvement of the defense throughout the season
We just have a lot of things to work on. I thought it started as a gradual process in the second or third game. I thought we took a giant step back last week. Arkansas is probably the best offensive team in our conference by far, but still I thought we took a step back last week. We improved this week. I don’t know if there’s any one area that’s gotten better. We’ve got some depth and have some guys that can match up on some people. You take Antonio Allen and DeVonte Holloman out of the lineup the whole game, and we just don’t have the guys back there that can match up with some of these guys on Arkansas and Florida. That’s the biggest thing. When we have all our guys healthy I have a lot of confidence in them. When we’re missing some people I’m not confident in our depth.

Senior DE Melvin Ingram

On if there was a difference in the first half and second half defense
It really wasn’t different. We just tried to play out with effort and be physical the whole ball game. It wasn’t any different (each half).

On going unbeaten against the SEC East
It’s just another stepping stone for us. We try to get better every week. Winning the (SEC) East is a big achievement, but we’d like to go undefeated in the whole SEC.

On the pass rush
We always put pressure on ourselves every week to get to the quarterback. Throughout the week we try to practice hard so we can play like we practice. We just try to practice hard all week so we can get to the quarterback. During the course of the game we tell each other to just keep going. We feel like if we work hard we’ll get there eventually.

On the defense getting a sack on the last play of the game
That’s how we like it. Good defenses make their name in situations like that, so we pray for situations like that. We just went out and played hard.

On Coach Spurrier being happy about the win
It feels real good. It’s always a good feeling to make your coach happy. We just try to play hard for him. They told him he couldn’t do it (win at South Carolina), but he told us we could.

On if he would have believed South Carolina would be 6-2 in the SEC without Marcus Lattimore and Stephen Garcia
I wouldn’t believe that if we didn’t have Marcus or Garcia here, but it’s big football team. If they’re not here, there are other players behind them. If they’re on scholarship, they’ll step up too.

Sophomore Quarterback Connor Shaw

On the victory
Big win for us, we are undefeated in the East this year, which is huge. Coach was harping on that all week and it was just a big win for us after a tough loss. We got two more to go.

On the game plan
We came in with more of a passing attack. Florida played a lot of cover one against other teams, but against us they came out in basically the same thing Tennessee did, just a big zone and forced us to run the ball and I think we proved that we can.

On 6-0 in the SEC East
It is huge for us, huge for the program. I don’t think it has ever been done here before. It is just huge for the team and for the fan base.

Freshman Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney

On the difference in the first and second half
It took us a little to get going, but we came out and played hard and the crowd really got into it for us.

On how the defense has grown through the season
Practice. We have been practicing hard every week and getting better. Coach preaches everyday you practice the way you play and I believe that.

Freshman Running Back Brandon Wilds

On his performance
Just had a little bit of a rough start, but once I get going it is hard to stop.

On Connor Shaw’s running ability
It helps a lot, especially when we run that read option because when the end crashes hard on me he is able to sweep around for a good gain, and that happened a lot today.

On Coach Spurrier’s satisfaction on the win
He was really happy about the win. He teared up a little.

Junior Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery

On how it feels to have the record now
It is the same feeling, I don’t have any different feelings. It’s just a normal day for me. It is something that my teammates helped me accomplish.

On the big pass play to Ace Sanders
It was actually the first play of the game, but the coverage was different, but it was a great call by Coach Spurrier when we needed a big play. Ace made a great catch and Connor made a great throw.

Head Coach Will Muschamp

Opening Statement
Three ball games and we have had our opportunities. Comes back to turnovers, and critical errors especially when you have to make plays and when you’re in a field goal game. We just have to execute in those situations, so we have to do a better job coaching, and a better job in those critical situations. In four of our last games three of them have come down to the last drive. Turnovers would be the one thing I looked at. In the first half we didn’t do a great job because they converted some fourth downs. We have to maintain some possessions offensively. We got tired late there in the second quarter. A lot of the runs were from quarterback scrambles. Pass rush discipline has been an issue.

On Connor Shaw being effective in the running game
A lot of them were just quarterback scrambles, we just have to be better in our pass rush discipline. Two times we were there, just have to make a tackle.

On the defensive line
They’re good up front; they’re talented. They have recruited very well, they’re very deep and they roll a lot of guys in there.

Senior Center Dan Wenger

On being moved to center
I was just told I would be moved there. I can’t argue or do anything. Whatever the coach says, goes. I know they have our best interest and the best interest of the team for us, so I fully trust them on that.

On running game being more successful in second half
To tell you the truth, it wasn’t really an adjustment. As the offensive line, we put it on ourselves to go out and do it. We just wanted to go out and move the ball.

Sophomore Linebacker Jelani Jenkins

On being able to stop the run in the second half
They did a few things in the first half that we had not seen before. We came into halftime, drew it up on the board, and got to where we needed to be.

On what they have not seen before
Different formations. They were able to put us in a position that we had not seen or recognized before.

Senior Quarterback John Brantley

On injury in the last play
I just got stepped on.

On multiple hits he took throughout the game
It’s a rough game but it is no one’s fault. We just need to be able to stick together. We need to finish strong. Even though we didn’t finish strong today, we just have to forget about it and move on.

On adjusting to corner blitzes throughout the first half
We had more bodies in protection. We were just trying to pick up everything they were bringing at us.

On the run play miscommunication between Brantley and Rainey
It was just some miscommunication. It was an audible that no one really heard. Things happen, we just have to move on to the next play.