2006 record: 8-5, 3-5 (5th in SEC East)
2006 bowl: Beat Houston 44-36 in Liberty
2006 final AP/coaches' ranking: Unranked
Coach: Steve Spurrier (15-10, 2 years; 157-50-2 overall, 17 years)
Offensive coordinator: Steve Spurrier (3rd year)
Defensive coordinator: Tyrone Nix (3rd year)
Returning offensive starters: 6
Returning defensive starters: 9
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Stadium: Williams-Brice (grass, 80,250)
Last league title: 1969 (ACC)
2007 schedule: [view]
2006 statistics: [view]

Offensive: Coach Steve Spurrier has taken the Gamecocks to consecutive bowl games, including a riveting performance against Houston at the Liberty Bowl. Now he’d like to take the next step. Senior quarterback Blake Mitchell enters his third year in Spurrier’s system — with mixed results. Don’t be surprised if freshman Chris Smelley gets some significant playing time. South Carolina would really be cooking had wide receiver Sidney Rice not declared early for the NFL draft, but junior Kenny McKinley (51 receptions) isn’t a bad fallback option. The offensive key probably will be senior running back Cory Boyd (823 yards), who displayed terrific instincts and speed in his coming-out party last season. Spurrier is not enamored with his offensive line. He will either light a fire under the existing players or work in some of the recruits and young prospects. Either way, the level of play has to change.

Defensive: The makeover has been gradual, but South Carolina is slowly upgrading the talent level on the defensive side. Senior Jasper Brinkley might be the SEC’s best middle linebacker. The Gamecocks have three cornerbacks — junior Carlos Thomas, sophomore Captain Munnerlyn and sophomore Chris Hall — capable of starting for most teams. Word is the crop of freshmen, including a few who took a redshirt season, will add a new dimension to the defensive line.

Specialists: Junior place-kicker Ryan Succop is a dynamic talent with long range, and he also doubles as South Carolina’s punter. Kenny McKinley is the primary return man. 

Game of the year Dec. 6 at West Virginia The Bulls have two straight victories against the Mountaineers. Some might have circled South Florida’s Sept. 12 home game against Kansas — and there’s certainly much at stake there — but Leavitt says the program’s aim is to win the Big East. That title might hang in the balance during this potential winner-take-all meeting in Morgantown.

Coaching: The Head Ball Coach has eased into his return to college football after his doomed stint in the NFL. He has discovered it’s not as easy to win at South Carolina as it was with Florida. But he has shaken things up, raised expectations and set the Gamecocks on a path for success.

Heisman Hopefuls: One of these days, Spurrier might have a quarterback with the physical skills and moxie to compete for Heisman attention. One day. Not today.

Overview: The Gamecocks figure to make a move in Year Three of the Spurrier Era. Were it not for some botched fourth-quarter execution in a loss at Arkansas and LSU’s comeback against Tennessee, the Gamecocks could’ve been playing at Florida in a winner-take-all matchup for the SEC East. How delicious might that have been? The Gamecocks aren’t that far away — they have lost five games in the fourth quarter under Spurrier — but they reside in the rugged SEC East. So step-by-step improvement is the realistic way to travel.

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