South Carolina Kentucky Preview with JC Shurburtt of The Big Spur

intro [Music] all right so a big weekend for the South Carolina Gamecock so there's no one better to have on the show than JC sheret from the big spur and inside the Gamecock JC thank you so much for returning to the show hey thanks it's an honor and privilege to be here with you guys talking football today you know what is the general if any maybe I'm over ing the situation but any sense of level of panic in Columbia? panic after that uh week one Showdown with Old Dominion from Gamecock Nation I think probably the fan base I mean you're coming off a five and seven season that that you know injury plague tough schedule there are a lot of reasons uh you know but you still had Spencer Rattler and Xavier Legette and some you know some good moments and you know you expect uh a coach in his fourth year to improve it you open against a group of five team um Lenor sers the new quarterback has a world of talent uh it just things just after that first uh fumble that they recovered early and went up 70 could have started any better things just kind of went sideways a little bit and I went back and looked at the film and you know there's a lot to lot to be desired about the I guess were they prepared to go play their best game in their first game and all that but the breakdowns were really where whereas last year it was such a revolving door on the offensive line you watch that North Carolina film and you had guys on they were on roller skates just getting overwhelmed by what ended up being not a very good defense in the Tar Heels this year's a little different it's like one guy missing this or one guy missing that and uh Shane Beamer said earlier this week it can be cleaned up I believe it can be I and I think you know unlike previous years South Carolina you look at their roster and you look at their depth and you I mean that they've Sur KN wood survived the injury bug so far uh this team should be a lot better than beating Old Dominion by by four points and I'm not even going to be one of those guys that say here goes old DE you can win the Sun Belt my God they're great no no I don't think they will think the sun belts are really good league and uh yeah East Carolina could come in there and cut them this week but uh I uh I think there's a lot of work to be done you know it's it's kind of like uh I used a great analogy on Bill King show and I'll use it here it's it's like you know when you're in your 20s and you go out for happy hour and uh you're sitting there first two three beers couldn't feel any better maybe some skard comes on the jukebox the next thing you know you wake up the next morning it's 10:00 a.m. there's a bag of Taco Bell in your lap there's cheese and sour cream coming off your face you got 27 Miss phone calls from work the dog's crapped on the floor CU you didn't let him out and you may or may not have texted your ex-girlfriend from high school at 2:00 in the morning expressing your undying love to her now you didn't die you didn't get a DUI you didn't go to jail right so so you but look let's be honest it was sloppy and there's a lot to clean up right that's how that game went started off well enough but in the end you're you got to get up and look in the mirror if you're Shane Beamer in the Gamecocks and clean this mess up oh man Mike I've been there you know I understood that analy probably better than anybody everybody I I I've said this a couple times this analogy everybody said sounds like you got a lot of details oh man that's awesome yeah the double decker they need to bring that one back that's the messiest one sorry I got you got me on the Taco Bell and I started thinking about it there's I knew eating a taco like it's like I need to get home and eat this thing but I know it's going to lose its crunchiness so I got to do it on the way and there's no way I'm not getting sour cream and cheese all over the place so I've been there brother it is that is truth it's a god why do the Gamecocks keep starting slowly? honest truth why is it do you think that uh South Carolina under Shane Beamer always seems to start so slow and that's even something during camp that that Beamer said you know we're well aware of it um any I mean is it is there anything obviously if they knew they they' change it but uh is how big of a red flag is that I guess it's a big red flag because you in this league now I mean it's not like the big 10 where yes they'll have a Michigan schedule of Texas and stuff like that Ohio state will play another Dame or something but most of those teams get preseason you know if you look at most Big 10 schedules like uh Iowa tends to jump from like an FCS to then oh the S Hawk trophy which in some years it's very competitive uh and then they play Two Sisters of the Poor so so big 10 schools don't even start playing conference games until September and the SEC you know and then you got big games in the first weekend so you you got to start faster because you know you get in the hole and then sometimes it's hard to reclaim the momentum I thought that happened this team last year along with some unfortunate injuries you know the North Carolina game sapped the momentum out of them they had enough to compete with Georgia for a half and but then by the time that Florida game they collapsed in that game and and the season collapsed and it it took them until after you know three games left in the year to get it back and sometimes that happens and I think I think it's very important with the way the schedule sets up two guys for Carolina this year in 2022 they started B okay but then you had Charlotte and South Carolina state and then a rad game with these Kentucky Wildcats that did not have will Levis and then a week off an A or no& yeah week off than A&M came to town and a bad A&M five and seven A&M team and they beat him so you had those two back-to-back games against teams you were going to get right games there's a get right game in a couple weeks against AAR and after that it's Old Miss at Alabama at Oklahoma then another off week than Texas Sanam so there's not really a get right period if you start bad this year and there's really just no reason for it I mean everybody else in SEC took care of business last week um the teams that lost lost to good teams in my opinion uh regardless of how they looked you know I South Carolina should not have had the worst performance of anybody and and by all measures they did Kentucky a must-win for South Carolina? are are you afraid of of you mentioned collapse I I don't like to say must wins I think I get thrown around too often but it's it's kind of feeling like this Kentucky game based off your schedule cuz you don't have a preseason it it ramps up real quick and Kentucky's not the toughest opponent you're going to face in the next four weeks but it feels like it's a kind of must-win situation to avoid that type of collapse would you agree well I don't know you know Shane Beamer if you look at his first three years there are times when I mean 2022 is an example they they they had that good stretch I was talking about well then they turned around and lost to a pretty bad Florida team third 386 the next week not to bring it up but they turned around and beat Tennessee and then beat Clemson and you know then had a pretty good bowl game they lost another Dame so he's he's and and even in 2021 you know Dan Mullen in Florida come to town for a night game and they beat him 40 to 17 it was odd uh he he's had this ability to get things right in the Wei but my question would be are you you know are you waiting too long or or what but I think it is important because Shane Beamer is uh two and 10 on the road in the SEC during his career he's 1- seven against Power five teams in the month of September in his career the only win was a seven-point Escape really against a Mississippi State team that fired their coach last year in Columbia so things haven't gone well against good competition I consider Kentucky good competition it's not as easy as it used to be to play those guys and so uh yeah at some point it's got to turn am I afraid man I've owned the big pro.com since 2007 I've been a game K about my whole life 76 uh started following it in 86 nothing nothing scares me anymore I don't get afraid I'm used to the fan backlash and all that for the fan sake though and for people who save up their money all and and spend a bunch of money and take their families to games and you know the the fans like we have around the SC you know for them I'd like to see it turn around I mean because these these people that you know there's a lot of depression and stuff last year I don't want there to be depression this year so hopefully hopefully they do it at some point it's biggest issue holding back Carolina’s passing game? got to change because you you can't just start can't start poorly every year cu the the schedule's too tough always on the back I just heard a a pretty alarming stat though on week one against Old Dominion of the 27 dropbacks South Carolina had I believe that they had 17 that went for incomplete or a sack so 17 out of 27 so what what is the key issue there do you think is it the is it the offensive line is it the is it the receivers or is it sers in his first time taking over all of the above uh you know I I think that uh you know you look at some plays and like I said you I I walked away going yeah and I think I think in the SEC in general fan bases have like H way out of whack expectations for offensive lineman because uh but this wasn't an SEC team Carolina was playing so um you know I walked away going oh that and they're going to have problems they're going to be leaky up front but then then you go back and look it's like okay some plays sers drops back and he misses the open guy and you know and for young quarterbacks with strong arms like he's got sometimes that's the hardest part drives coaches crazy used to drive Steve sper crazy to a certain extent but sometimes sper didn't want you to take the short pass he just throw it 25 yards come on you know that's what he wanted but uh and and so he go for the longer pass or whatever and lower percentage and and he'd have guys running open underneath there were some drops uh the pressure plays sometimes uh were kind of a mix of him holding on to it too long being a little tense and incisive or sometimes you know like I said one guy maybe two guys and you it's frustrating when you look at it if you if you want this team to do well because you know you look at it and four guys are doing what they're supposed to do dominating you know the got the guys drive back they they're beautiful pocket one dude you know and and one one time one dude just fell down just fell down I don't I don't know if soccer game you know I don't a couple weeks ago I don't know but uh that was uh it's frustrating at the same time as frustrating as that is that's a there's a big difference between that and my God we just got whipped at the line of scrimmage by Old Dominion that's that's a different ball game so you I don't know the score was ugly the game was ugly but uh you know when you kind of dig into it because the coaches Beamer and the coaches saying that all week and you know everybody of course is like yeah whatever but uh when you really go back and look playto playay which I'd like to say I break down every single play I don't but you know you take a nice sample size and you're like huh okay and it's good to watch the bad plays more than the the good plays because that tells you more and there was some good plays man I I how improved is Carolina at running back? I'm looking at that running back room you know that growing up the South Carolina seemed to always have a good or great running back and it and it feels like last few seasons we've not had that but I saw a glimpse of it last week so how's how's the fans reacting to having rocket Sanders back there it's night and day better man boy everybody nobody as much as the offensive line took a lot of crap last year uh South Carolina had one guy by The End by that cson game and he was he was banged up not injured where he couldn't play but really sore banged up by about 65% Mario Anderson a D2 transfer from new good player he's at Memphis now but South car went out and got rocket they got AdAway from North Texas who's their backup they they have a scabb named Juju McDowell that's been there a while they got a kid from South car state who going to be really good that reminds me of dererk Watson jawor Howell plus Don Tavis brazwell plus this kid Matthew fer they got out of Georg is a true freshman it's going to be really good so they they went from zero to pretty dagam solid Now Rocket had to kind of take the majority the carries I don't I think I think it's probably a situation where you you'd like rocket to baby carry 24 times against Bama not not old to many but uh but he he did look good and boy he was you want to talk about close he was that close from breaking one uh against ODU but but then again you know you talk about the the offensive line we talked about the pass blocking earlier there was too much penetration in the Run game overall that's one I will say uh PFF charted it and sometimes PFF they may miss something every now and then and uh it's not what I would call 100% accurate but it's pretty accurate I think I think it was them that charted it said his yards after contact were 100% 100 well that's quite a performance but but hey you know what I'll take it because I think there's a lot of games where you do have a lot of yards after contact but that also means that you know if you get a block off which isn't going to be easy against Dion Walker and these guys uh you know rocket he may go even further so uh I thought I think he's a good player and and he I think he was kind of feeling his way back this last game I think he he'll get better and better he's healthy I just think he's kind of feeling his way back and um heck I'd like to see him throw him some passes and get because he did that at Arkansas too he's yeah he's a really good back and you're right South Carol's had nobody like him since Mike Davis and 2013 in my opinion even though Rico D who was always hurt is now the starting running back for the Dallas Cowboys so go figure during the mus champ era you know poor poor will had all kinds of inuries and stuff but yeah there's this off injured running back starting for the Cowboys now so what hey do you think it's fair to say JC that that after week one that um all the pressure on this game is actually on Kentucky they're hosting it they they've lost two in a row to the Gamecock uh I think everybody that's not associated with South Carolina is probably going to be expecting Kentucky to win and everything Shane said about South Carolina's upcoming schedule you can make the same case for Kentucky they play Georgia next week if they if they don't win this game they they they may even lose college game day I mean there's there's a lot I I I feel like the pressure is on Kentucky in this matchup would you agree yeah it's the it's the classic uh week two kind of deal you know where week one kind of painted one picture and and but then it's really the truth is another um and and and so if I think both teams need to play better kuy's game at Southern Miss they won I do I will I'll give I will say old Dominion's better than Southern Miss I mean so this is not Brett Fab is not walking today you know I mean Larry Fedor is not walk through that door no I mean you know they they are not the Southern Miss we all grew to love back in the day um they're bad uh but uh there were some plays that you know kind of just like the Gamecocks the difference was when when Kentucky needed to execute they did and they didn't you know Southern Miss didn't provide any sort of resistance so you know if Kentucky doesn't play better South Carolina will go up there and win and if South Carolina doesn't play better Kentucky will win significantly as far as the pressure goes yeah I would look if if you're a 10-point favorite at home and I know it's down to eight and a half or nine which is weird but uh you know double- digit favored at home and you know you South Carolina has not won up there but like once since 2012 2011 uh they W up there in 2012 yeah this is 2012 and uh that was when will Levis was out two years ago you know will Lis did not play so at when ky's had their starting quarterback it's been over a decade since South car's won at Kroger field it was called Commonwealth Stadium back then right so uh and and it and it's it's kind of a weird place to play you know their their fans do get into it they do get a big crowd I can't hear their marching bang because they play DJ music all the time you know you talk about that controversy in Florida State first thing I thought about was Kentucky I was like why ain't there a controversy there I took my wife never been to an SEC football game first one is Kentucky I'm like and she's like it does it sounds like a Chicago Bulls game here and I'm like well honey you know this is Kentucky it's it's a little different you know we had a great time Kean and all but you know it was it was something else but that crowd will get into it they don't they don't want to be they want to be they think they should beat South Carolina every time they play yeah history shows us different um and that matters the confidence matters Mark Stoops matters he's beaten the Gamecocks a lot uh he said at the end that game was at the end of last year so it's fresh on everybody's mind said it was the most disappointing loss of his coaching career in Colombia last year see you know he's ready for this one but uh it's going to come down to who plays the best and the game CS are going to have to show massive Improvement they're capable uh as for the whole season you know if the game CS play like they played against old Deming all year it's going to be a long year they may not they won't win an SEC game if they play like they did um last Saturday that includes Vanderbilt and the Kill Zone over in Nashville Jerry kill the kill zone I knew the Kill Zone I knew that was going to happen I called it last week I said Don't Mess With The Kill Zone ask Auburn about the Kill Zone last year in New Mexico state and I was like Clark Le made probably the most gangster genius move as possible because he's going to get that that OC in there in that quarterback he's GNA start running the option and it's going to drive it and sure enough there they go so vy's not gonna be fun this year so anyway well hey man I I I am how big of a rivalry is this series? curious the I would never considered this a rivalry you know 10 years ago but it's become one ever since the the a sunglasses you know so I I I I feel like in fact me and Mike Mike I should say has dubbed this the sun sunglass bowl and I love it and and Beamer one of the things that I like is is how personal he makes things uh including this game you know we we all seen the infamous celebrations after the victory so um H how how big is is this does this win mean more for Shane Beamer or would this win mean more for the fan base here uh well the fan base will breath the the big S of relief I mean you got to keep most of most of the gamec fan base now you know my age goes back to the 80s I'm 47 but a big chunk of the youngsters they kind of came at the end of Holtz beginning of Spurrier when they were kids they don't oh God bless losing to Kentucky oh my God you know this this should never happen uh and Carolina did beat him pretty good so uh yeah you know uh and then Beamer last year after they won the game they did a little video and he is in his office and he reading something real Qui he opens the drawer and the sunglasses I guess kind of came to life and they were playing that soja boy song and this blow came out of it and he looked down at it and he reached for it that he's like nah he closes it I mean I'm like dude what are you doing uh and you've never really heard of Mark Stoops having beef with anybody you know he just kind of marks Stoops he he kind of looks like the man like a guy that's managing the app bees that never comes out of his office you know somebody said that today yeah just good old guy he SM hey Mark here tell him uh Peter called in sick we need to back up on dishwash and he sitting back there he's like hey what's all great guys hey guys ready to ready to roll tonight Who's Got front of the house you know I mean just super guy and here comes Shane you know just uh and what Shane's a good guy too very well liked but yeah there's a there here here's the thing about it guys if if the SEC sticks with the eight game schedule and it goes to a 17 rotating format Kentucky and South Carolina are stuck with each other because within the league who's South Carolina's biggest rival Georgia's a border battle ky's a Tennessee There's no way on God's green earth Tennessee's given up playing Vandy as their permanent opponent I mean after the years Tennessee had to play Bama every year come on man they're going to take that and run and then everybody else is matched up Oklahoma Florida Georgia BL the Iron Bowl the egg bow goes on down the list and so South Carolina Kentucky are stuck with each other no matter what kind of scheduled is they're going to play every single year and uh is it a rivalry probably not from South Carolina's perspective but is it a bad blood kind of football game right now absolutely I I think I think it's one both sides want to win both fan bases want to win for different reasons and certainly both head coaches uh want to win and uh Shane Beamer's the the only coach in the history of South Carolina football with a winning record against Mark steps oh spur was one and two mus champ one and three bike Bobo was 0 and one Shane's two and one had no idea all right let's get you out of here on this JC can we get a South Carolina-Kentucky prediction prediction for the game yeah you know look I I said this week I'm not going to get caught up and um in in after they played the way they played last week get caught up and then oh I'm gonna surprisingly make a prediction not I look I don't like making predictions anyway because every game is determined on scenarios and if this happens this will if this had you never know that's what that's why we love the game but everybody loves predictions I saw make him and I made this on on my inside the game c show just now I'm picking Kentucky to win 2416 uh I think you will you know I think based on that prediction I think South Carolina it's always close so it'll remain close but then you know I don't ne how to put this I don't necessarily trust South Carolina right now in a close game like that to make the plays when it's ma when it matters uh I do trust those receivers at Kentucky and I do trust the defensive players at Kentucky um you know is Kentucky going be able to put 24 on the board maybe with a defensive touchdown you South Carolina my guess is a touchdown and three field goals kind of like normal um so that's why I said but look it could easily go either way uh wouldn't nothing would surprise me it's week to in the SEC but uh yeah I think that Carolina's got a lot to prove right now when you're the only team in the league that that without a valid reason Florida has valid reason to A&M does too without a valid reason you C you don't look you don't even look like you belong then you know nobody should pick you so I I think then you know so that's why I made my pick and uh certainly won't be hoping for that but uh you know you gota gotta kind of call it like you see it and and and uh and uh pick the you know pick the right way or guess what we won't be having a job anymore will we hey before you go C can you tell our audience how to follow you and how to listen to inside the game CCH absolutely like inside the game CCH there's there's multiple ways to listen uh it's the chief Sports Network app it's on Google Play It's on uh iTunes there's a lot of other stuff on there we have a Florida podcast on there and Illinois podcast we're expanding on the chief Sports app uh also youtube.com Chief Sports South Carolina or on 247 Sports thebigspur.com you can also if you want to hear me talk about General college football with Mike Morgan from ESPN the JC and Morgan podcast is also uh on the chief Sports Network and um and on 247 Sports and we rarely talk about the gamec so you fans of other schools if you think you just go call in and hear us go you know crowing and cacklin and Go Cox and all that you you won't we we talk a lot of Georgia Texas big picture stuff on JC Morgan have great guests had Vern Lundquist on this summer and that was uh tremendous so invite everybody to check me out there if you ever start up a a Food Channel let cousin Shane know he's an automatic host right there oh me I think me and Shane would be great with cooking barbecue tasting get us an RV kind of I say no more we just can't call our exes anymore yeah boy got got to lose those numbers all right fellas man it's it's been enjoyable thank you so much thank