South Carolina players recognized for achievements 12/16/2009 9:09 PM By TRAVIS HANEY The (Charleston) Post and Courier
COLUMBIA -- How different does 7-5 feel this year compared to last year? Beating Clemson has brightened a lot of spirits, including Steve Spurrier's. He's upbeat about playing in the Jan. 2 Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.
Here are some of the highlights from the Gamecocks' regular-season, which included the school's first victory against a top-5 team and, of course, the 34-17 win against the Tigers.
OFFENSIVE MVP
Stephen Garcia, quarterback
The redshirt sophomore quarterback was far from perfect. But he was also far from the player we saw at the Outback Bowl.
Sure, Garcia had a lot of what-the-heck-was-that moments. But he also had plenty of moments that left your mouth ajar. The third-down leap against Kentucky and fourth-down scramble against Florida come immediately to mind.
Most important, Garcia took care of the ball - something foreign to him in his first season at the position. Seventeen touchdowns to nine interceptions. With 2,733 yards, he's got a decent shot at 3,000 for the year.
Name two better quarterbacks coming back in the SEC. Leadership and play-making are there. Accuracy is what Garcia needs to hone in the off-season.
BEST LINEMAN
T.J. Johnson, right guard
He's really the only guy that didn't get yanked in and out of the starting rotation. You might remember Johnson for some holds and false starts, but if he weren't doing more good than bad, he wouldn't have been in there.
BEST RECEIVER
Alshon Jeffery, wide receiver
It took him half the season before he really found his place. Jeffery lit up Kentucky, scoring three touchdowns. His pace was strong thereafter. You could see his development from week to week. After 43 catches, 736 yards and six touchdowns, he's looking pretty polished. Sky's the limit for this freshman.
BEST ROOKIE
Alshon Jeffery
He made a decision that hasn't been all that popular, spurning the glossy offer from a top-10 school (Southern Cal) to stay home and go to South Carolina. The unanimous selection on the coaches' All-SEC Freshman Team might've started a trend by making Columbia his college home. As soon as he enrolled, suddenly high school teammate Eric Mack and opponent A.J. Cann - both offensive linemen - were committed to USC. Jeffery's impact is felt beyond the football field.
DEFENSIVE MVP
Eric Norwood, linebacker
The senior became the first Gamecock to be a first-team AP All-American since 1984. Norwood had one of the best first halves of any football player in America. He was even garnering some Heisman talk in late September and early October.
He cooled off with more teams scheming to stop him. By then, Norwood (29) had already set the school record for career sacks. Quite simply, he's one of the best to ever play at South Carolina.
BEST LINEMAN
Cliff Matthews, defensive end
Matthews had long been lauded by Spurrier as a hard worker and leader. When Matthews chased down N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson from behind, that's when everyone knew Matthews had elevated his game. He's expected back for his senior year. Good news for the Gamecocks. Bad news for opposing passers.
BEST LINEBACKER
Shaq Wilson, linebacker
Wilson expected to be a third-down, special-situation player until Rodney Paulk suffered a season-ending knee injury. All Wilson did was lead the team in tackles.
With Paulk and Wilson back next year, the Gamecocks have the able bodies to replace Norwood.
BEST ROOKIE
Stephon Gilmore, cornerback
Defensive head coach Ellis Johnson said Gilmore is making decisions that resemble a junior or senior. He's shown the knack to let a bad play roll off by coming back soon after with a positive game-changing play.
Then there's the Clemson win, when he turned the game on its ear by engineering a touchdown drive with his first college experience at quarterback.
Trust this: Gilmore could play in the NFL - tomorrow.
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