Topics for Discussion: UK Apocalypse Edition

by Gamecock Man on Oct 16, 2025 9:41 PM EDT

First of all, a major congrats goes to the 'Cats for an epic win. This was a big one for them, and as an equally longsuffering program, they deserve the glory tonight. I give them my regards.

Now it's time to talk Gamecock Fail.

3. Losing Lattimore sucked, and I'm sure it made a huge difference. But what really made a difference was Spurrier's lack of respect for a good UK team at the opening of the second half. We were trying to light them up when we should have been trying to mount long drives. Poor coaching. Period.

2. We still should have won. Our defense flaked. Poor concentration by the players. The schemes were there, by the way.

1. This sucks. It really, really sucks. I want Vandy's rear end next weekend. The East isn't out of reach, as any of you who are watching UF right now can see. But we have to consistently play better than that.

Tweet Comment 15 comments | Add comment | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: South Carolina Gamecocks, South Carolina Gamecocks at Kentucky Wildcats, Oct 16, 2025 6:00 PM EDT, South Carolina Gamecocks at Vanderbilt Commodores, Oct 23, 2025 7:00 PM EDT

Comments

Congratulations to the Wildcats

We got outplayed in the second half. UK was due … due for the season … due against USC … due against Steve Spurrier. They played a winning hand … they outcoached and outschemed us in the second half; when the ball bounced their way, it was because they were in position to make plays (mostly covering fumbles/muffs that would have killed them).

Hartline was magnificent in the second half … he has to be a candidate for SEC weekly honors.

It’s hard to win on the road in the SEC folks. We haven’t done in two years.

They wore garnet helmets.

by tryptic67 on Oct 16, 2025 9:46 PM EDT reply actions

Spurrier is mostly to blame for this loss.

What the hell happened in this game? Our offense was wearing UK out in the first half. Come out in the second and its a completely different team. Granted we lost Lattimore, Maddox does ok if he can get some blocking, which he had none. Our recievers quit catching the ball and our defense switch spots with the cheerleaders. Then to top it all off, Spurrier decides that his ego is more important than the chance to win. Who in their right mind goes for it instead of just kicking the FG and going to OT. His ego always comes first. Common sense would tell you, get the FG and go to OT, so why can’t the offensive “genius” figure that out? Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! I’m am so ridiculously pissed right now!

by Carolina Cock-n-Fire on Oct 17, 2025 12:26 AM EDT reply actions

Coaching Decisions

a FG would have been safe with 11 seconds left. But I would be much, much more angry at Spurrier for not at least trying a shot at the endzone from our the UK 20.

The receiver had a step and was iso on a UK corner. A good ball thrown high to the outside shoulder should have resulted in a TD - or an incomplete with time on the clock (and the clock stopped) sufficient to bring Spencer Lanning in. Alas, Steven threw the ball late, down and in which increases the odds of a pick dramatically. I’m not an “insider” but I would bet my mortgage that is not what Spurrier told Steven to do.

The being said, I dont see it as ego. It was the right call, in my opinion. Honestly, our D was exhausted and beat down. UK had all the momentum. There was time for a shot to the end zone. Steven knows the ball needs to be high and out so that only our player has a chance. He’s thrown that pass two dozen times. He just missed it.

They wore garnet helmets.

by tryptic67 on Oct 17, 2025 8:09 AM EDT up reply actions

I think going for the endzone was the right move. We had enough time to run that play...

And we got the guy open. If it had been well thrown, we would have either won or had a chance to kick. Garcia just whiffed on the throw.

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Oct 17, 2025 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions

Using the timeout when did was stupid, though. No?

Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina

by The Feathered Warrior on Oct 17, 2025 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, using the timeout was dumb.

But going for the win was most certainly not. Eleven seconds is more than enough time to get a play off.

I do think it was a mistake to go to Scruggs and use Jeffery as a decoy, but I’ll grant that Scruggs was open, so it was a well-designed play. A good throw would have won the game, and a decent throw that was at least in the vicinity of the outside shoulder would have at worst resulted in an incompletion. Garcia just whiffed on the throw.

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Oct 17, 2025 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I agree.

I’m not in the camp that thinks Spurrier dialing up that play was somehow “arrogant.” Honestly, I don’t know where all that talk is coming from. I think people are projecting. To the contrary, I think trying to win the game on that play was the prudent move. People are talking like a) a field goal would have been a sure thing, and b) we would have definitely won in over time. I’m not sure either of those things are true. I would have been OK with a screen pass underneath had we had that timeout. Very poor to use that time out when he did.

Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina

by The Feathered Warrior on Oct 17, 2025 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah. If we had had the timeout, we would have had more options on the play.

But the whole idea about Spurrier’s choice somehow being arrogant is a little silly. There are lots of things to be upset about after this game, but Spurrier’s “arrogance” isn’t one of them. His poor decision making is, though.

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Oct 17, 2025 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I should note that I wouldn't have been very confident about an overtime victory.

We weren’t able to stop Kentucky in the second half, and we couldn’t move the ball ourselves. I see no reason to believe that would have changed in overtime.

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Oct 17, 2025 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions

/nods.

Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina

by The Feathered Warrior on Oct 17, 2025 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m wasn’t confident about the OT victory but, atleast we would have had 4 downs to try instead of maybe 2 in 11 seconds with no TO. I think it was an arrogant call because Spurrier hadn’t lost a game to Kentucky in his career and USC has won the last 10. His pride wouldn’t let him tie that game and go to OT. We may have lost in OT but, atleast we gave ourselves a chance instead of throwing away the little chance we had.

by Carolina Cock-n-Fire on Oct 18, 2025 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions

At the very least, you don’t put the game in the hands of a redshirt freshman with only 2 career receptions. We have too many options like Gurley, Saunders, Barnes…..Anyone! Over all bad call from the beginning in my opinion. I can see what all of ya’ll are saying but, I guess I’m not as optomistic. I would have played that out the safe way.

by Carolina Cock-n-Fire on Oct 18, 2025 9:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Need I remind you that our kicker missed a chip shot point after against Auburn?

Kicking the field goal is not a sure thing. You would be even more pissed right now if he had done that and Lanning had missed the kick.

Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina

by The Feathered Warrior on Oct 18, 2025 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions

So your reasoning is...

that Spurrier’s pride wouldn’t allow him to lose game. But then he consciously made a decision that gave him a lower chance at winning the game? That doesn’t make any sense. I think people are reading too much into the whole “Spurrier is arrogant” thing. He hasn’t showed signs of arrogance since he has been at Carolina. He made that call because he thought ( I think) it gave us the best shot to win the game. As Gamecock Man said, you can fault him for trying to get cute, but I don’t think you can chalk it up to “arrogance.”

Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina

by The Feathered Warrior on Oct 18, 2025 9:45 AM EDT up reply actions

In most instances I would have agreed with that decision too but, when our offense has not scored a point in an entire half?? To me when your offense is failing miserably, you need to play on the safe side. Get the tie and go to OT where you have the time to use all 4 downs because you are definately going to need them and give our D a chance at redemption. If it was a close game and we had been playing well in the 2nd half no doubt I woulda went for it but, not when we have failed to execute just about the entire 2nd half of the game. I think that was a poor decision and the totality of the circumstances was not considered.

by Carolina Cock-n-Fire on Oct 18, 2025 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions