Gman: Welcome to our first installment of our new weekly series, “Poopin’ Around with Steve Spurrier”. We’re happy to have Coach Spurrier on this week to tell us who and what were “poopin’ around” during Saturday’s 38-20 victory over Arkansas. Coach, thanks for joining us, can you give us your general thoughts on the game?

Spurrier: Well, glad to be here Gman. Offensively we didn’t run the ball very well. Ran a few good ones here and there, hit a few passes here and there, but otherwise we just sort of pooped around the whole 4th quarter.*

*last sentence is an actual quote

Gman: Any individuals’ poopin’ around stand out to you?

Spurrier: Connor played well most of the game, but he probably pooped around more than anybody in the fourth quarter. We coulda scored more points but he really pooped around on that interception in the end zone. Then again, Busta could’ve run a more determined route, so you might have to accuse him of a little poopin’ too. Anyway, it is what it is. 

Gman: Coach, how about the defensive side of the ball?

Spurrier: Not a lot of poopin’ around after the first half. Jimmy (Legree) pooped around quite a bit out there early, but we made some anti-poopin’ around adjustments at the half that seemed to work. You’ll have to ask Coach Ward about those.

Gman: How about Jadeveon Clowney?

Spurrier: Definitely no poopin’ around from Doo Doo. He probably caused some poopin’, but I didn’t see any specific plays where he was poopin’ around. Doo Doo usually is one guy we can count on to not poop around.

Gman: Can you comment on special teams?

Spurrier: Adam (Yates) pooped around on a couple of kickoffs, but besides that he and Tyler (Hull) kicked it ok I guess. Our entire return game has been poopin’ around the last few weeks, I don’t know what’s going on there. That’s one area where I thought our poopin’ days were over, but we just don’t seem to ever turn that poopin’ corner on special teams.

Gman: How about the crowd Saturday?

Spurrier: Not as much poopin’ around by the student section as usual, ‘specially for a noon game. I thought they did a decent job. Folks in the east upper were poopin’ around from the beginning, but I can’t blame them, looked hot up there. I’d probably poop around by the beginning of the fourth myself since all our offense was doing was poopin’ around.

Gman: Coach, have you heard from Stephen Garcia lately?

Spurrier: /intense stare

Gman: Okay, that’ll wrap up our first installment of Poopin’ Around with Steve Spurrier, thanks coach!

Spurrier: OK then.

Congratulations to the University of Georgia for their 2012 SEC East Championship! To commemorate the accomplishment we’ve gone to our random number generator to help the “Dawg” fans celebrate. Enjoy!

OK, so it’s not exactly an original idea, but still…this could be a real TV show, no?

I have an irrational fear of seeing serious football injuries. I literally have nightmares about them. Nightmares about seeing compound fractures, dislocations, and other injuries that are an unfortunate byproduct of the game that I love. I’ve often thought that I never want to see anything like that happen to a Gamecock.

Yesterday it not only happened to a Gamecock, it happened to THE Gamecock.

I was getting ready to go coach a youth game, trying to watch as much as I could before I left. I was in my bedroom getting ready and getting my son ready, keeping an eye on my bedroom TV all the while.

I saw the play, and I saw the foot planted as a Tennessee defender plowed into Marcus’ leg. The camera panned away, but before it did I saw Marcus put two hands on his knee, and I saw his lower leg bent at an awkward, grotesque angle. I knew immediately it was over.

I turned my head and didn’t watch the replay – I haven’t watched any replays – but yet I still have this brief few seconds burned in my mind. And it won’t go away like the others.

This is Marcus.

This is one of the highest profile recruits we have ever landed – a home-grown bulldozer of a running back that could’ve chosen any school in the country, and he chose us.

This is the guy who burst onto the scene against Georgia with a Herculean performance in his second college game and validated everything we thought about him as a football player.

This is the guy who spoke at churches and other events, willing to tell his story and teach and inspire others, and showing us we had something more than just a football player.

There were those games as a Freshman in 2010. Oh, man, those memories that will last a lifetime.

Then there was the Mississippi State game in 2011. Torn knee ligaments. A setback for sure, but we knew he would be back to 100% someday.

All this season there were trivial debates about whether Marcus was 100% or not. When he ripped off a 28-yard scoring run in the second quarter against Tennessee, he looked as good as ever.

Then there was the play. The play that made tears well in my eyes as I saw Marcus carted off.

People have been speculating ever since on the severity of the injury. Will he be back next year? Will this hurt his pro career? Will he be back EVER?

As I put on Twitter last night, I am no doctor and I am no surgeon. But what I saw with my eyes yesterday tells me his injury is something catastrophic.

Steve Spurrier saw the same thing, and spoke ominous words after the game yesterday when he said, “He’s such a wonderful man. Good things will happen for Marcus Lattimore. I don’t know in what field of life, but he’s a wonderful guy. He’s going to do well in whatever he does.”

“I don’t know in what field of life…”

That makes me hurt, because even though there is no official word as of this writing, Spurrier knows if Marcus ever comes back to football it will be a long, long road.

Honestly, I am half way hoping he hangs it up. I hope he just says, “I had a great ride, but I’m done.” He has nothing to prove to anybody, including himself. As Spurrier said, he will be successful no matter what because of his character, not because he can run with a football.

I prayed for Marcus. My whole family did. If he wants to come back, I hope he does and I hope he’s stronger than ever.

But if he doesn’t that’s perfectly ok, because the game Marcus loves has betrayed him for a second time.

I won’t blame him if he doesn’t want to tempt fate on a third.

The Transitive Property Report comes to you a little late this week, but I typically react to the first loss of the season by pouting like a spoiled little brat and refusing to have anything to do with football for a little while. Aw, heck, I actually respond that way with any loss, so be prepared, things could get downhill quicklike if we don’t bring our A game to Gainesville.

Here’s how past and future opponents fared last week:

(Reminder: I do not include this past week’s opponent in the TPR.)

• Vanderbilt – lost to Florida 31-17. This game was actually close most of the way. At one point Vandy scored on a long TD to apparently take the lead over UF, but a penalty nullified the score. You know the refrain, “Vandy being Vandy”. TPR for Vanderbilt: Starting to play decent football. A strong finish could get them in contention for bowl slot.
• East Carolina – beat Memphis 41-7. Memphis is a 17-car pileup, but nevertheless the Pirates get their fourth win of the year. TPR for ECU: About like a bag of microwave popcorn, satisfying at the time, but easily forgotten.
• UAB – lost to Houston 39-17. The same Houston team that just gave up 72 points to Pony Express-less SMU. TPR for UAB: Blech.
• Missouri – lost to Alabama 42-10. Mizzou’s application to the SEC is currently being reviewed to make sure all papers were properly signed. TPR for Missouri: 0 SEC wins, so I’m not sure how you can take anything positive out of our pantsing them.
• Kentucky – lost to Arkansas 49-7. We can complain about our schedule now that we’re about to play our third straight top 5 team, but in retrospect the first five games of the year were about as easy as it gets, culminating with this victory. TPR for Kentucky: We were losing to them 17-7 at the half. I can’t shake that, because they are TERRIBLE.
• Georgia – bye week. Somehow they are still in decent position to win the East if we stumble. Have to stop there before I get really pissed. On a side note, apparently UGA changed their mind about playing us later in the year and complained to the SEC office, so now we’re their first SEC game again in 2013. TPR for Georgia: Remains to be seen. Like us, the UF game will be their barometer.
• Florida – beat Vandy 31-17. The Gators are riding a wave of confidence and are somehow ranked second in the BCS. They have some quality wins, but we’ll be the best team they’ve played. TPR for Florida: Like I felt before the UGA game, I have no idea how this game will play out. Which bodes well for us. Maybe.
• Tennessee – lost to Mississippi State 41-31. The Dooley watch is on. TPR for Tennessee: They have enough talent to beat us if we’re not at our best. Still a scary game to me, especially early in the day and coming off an emotional game at Florida.
• Arkansas – beat Kentucky 49-7 (!!!). Of course Arky starts to get well late in the season. Of course, everybody gets well against Kentucky. TPR for Arkansas: Wary, definitely not as confident as last week.
• Wofford – lost to Georgia Southern 17-9. Wofford’s first loss of the season. TPR for Wofford: STOP SCHEDULING OPTION TEAMS.
• Clemson – bye week. The big news out of CTU this week was Dabo had them all sign a “commitment poster”. Dabo picked up the idea from a self-help book he’s currently reading called “Shystering for Dummies”. TPR for Clemson: 4peat coming.

The boys from TRC review the LSU game and tell you why we’re all so bummed. They also tell us why we shouldn’t be. (But still should be.)

It’s not as confusing as it sounds. Give a listen.

Oh, and This Week in Dabo.