Photon Torpedo Tube's Blog: October 2011

October 31, 2011

Rumors of Spurrier's Alleged Retirement Make No Common Sense

On Saturday October 30, 2011, ESPN announced that the Gamecocks defeated the Tennessee Volunteers on the road in Knoxville by the score of 14-3. The three points were the third fewest point total ever permitted by Gamecock teams against Tennessee, behind the series opening 24-0 shutout in 1903, and an abysmal 1942 game that ended in a 0-0 tie.

The Gamecock defense was stout. Tennessee had only 35 yards rushing. It was able to pass the ball a little bit, but only accumulated 151 yards in the air. That is a total offense produced of only 186 yards.

The performance was top five for Spurrier in many defensive categories since Spurrier has been coaching at South Carolina, including Fewest Points Allowed, Fewest First Downs Allowed, Fewest Rushing Attempts, and Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed. See UT Game Notes

The offense, despite scoring only 14 points, also set several top-five record setting Gamecock offensive performances in the seven years under Spurrier. It produced a top five rushing performance gaining 231 rushing yards. The mind-crushing, 12:22 minute, 20-play, 98 yard drive that ate up nearly the entire third quarter was the Gamecocks second longest scoring drive by yards, and the longest by possession time and by plays. Amazingly, those records were set with a true freshman running back starting in his first game and on the road in one of the most hostile stadiums in the nation. South Carolina vs Tennessee (Oct 29, 2011)

Seems like a story there, but instead of reporting it ESPN trotted out the old Spurrier is retiring rumor: “South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier won the 193rd game of his 22-season career Saturday. As speculation persists that Spurrier, 66, won't hang around to pursue No. 200 next season . . . .” Ivan Maisel, College GameDay Final, Three weekend observations (Oct. 30, 2011).

The Spurrier is retiring rumors keep cropping up around this time of year. The AOLNews published Internet rumors and did a story on Spurrier's alleged 2008 retirement. Rumors: Steve Spurrier to Retire? (Nov. 18, 2008). Somebody got the media started up again in December 2010 after the Chick-Fil-A Bowl game against Florida State. Kevin McCrary, Not ready to retire: Spurrier says USC’s best days are ahead (Dec. 10, 2010).

It is interesting this comes up annually just as adversary schools like Clemson are out recruiting the same High School players as Spurrier. The retiring rumors are always denied as without basis.

The rumors also make no common sense. Spurrier likely still will need three more years as Head Coach before he has a shot to become South Carolina's all-time winningest football coach. Spurrier likes to set records, and becoming the all-time, winningest coach at both South Carolina and Florida seems like a worthy, perhaps legendary, goal. Has any other coach in SEC history done that?

At this point, Spurrier is still 19 wins behind Rex Enright, who won 64 games. Spurrier now ranks third on the most wins list with 44 victories, one behind Jim Carlin.

October 23, 2011

European Debt Crisis Is Still Burning

Blogger Charles Hugh Smith has a nice summary of the situation The European Financial Crisis in One Graphic: The Dominoes of Debt, Of Two Minds Blog (Oct. 24, 2011).

October 21, 2011

Office of Congressman Ron Paul Money Lecture Series -- "What is Money?" with Joseph T. Salerno

October 19, 2011

Black This Out

Thirty Second Ron Paul Ad About His Economic Plan, Link To Same

RON PAUL “PLAN TO RESTORE AMERICA”

October 18, 2011

1912 Political Cartoon About Federal Reserve

October 16, 2011

Black This Out (October 19)

October 9, 2011

Spurrier Spread: A New Offensive Concept Built Upon E&H Formation

The Gamecocks beat Kentucky 54-3 on Saturday afternoon, completing their home stand with a win. During the game, Spurrier called several plays from a modified Emory and Henry formation.

During the post-game press conference, a reporter asked Spurrier about the Emory & Henry formation plays. Spurrier said the formation was "not exactly the Emory and Henry" (E&H). Spurrier said, "we call it the spread."

Spurrier's tweak to the E&H involved bringing one of the flankers into the central formation as a slot back. In the game against Kentucky, that player was a tight end, Justice Cunningham, a strong blocking player.

Before the game on Saturday, Gamecock message boards were alive with Sunday morning quarterbacks asserting Spurrier was no longer capable of innovation and that his offense was outdated. This tweak to the E&H proves that no rational fan can say Spurrier is not creative. His new scheme seems to have more potential than mere gimmickry. It has potential to be an effective offensive system that could be used more than just a few plays to keep defenses off balance.

Spurrier, the players, or perhaps Gamecock fans need to dub this new offensive system with a name. For now, it seems appropriate to call the offensive system, the Spurrier Spread.

In the Kentucky game, the Gamecocks ran the play enough times to see the concept of the Spurrier Spread. Like with the E&H, you can call various passes to the ends and flanker, including bubble screens, posts, and fades. Those are plays that are included in the E&H offensive system.

Spurrier's idea incorporates the read option running game, and a vertical passing threat to the tight end.

Kentucky tried to defend the central formation of offense with defensive linemen and linebackers. However, that forced one of the linebackers to cover both running plays and the tight end deep over the middle. The formation resulted in one touchdown as Cunningham got behind the linebacker for a pass reception in the end zone. If Spurrier puts a guy like Rory Anderson into the formation, that might create a mismatch when teams try to use linebackers to stop the read option running attack. Teams will have to defend the central formation with at least one safety, and that will allow better odds for running plays.

The spread also has the advantage of creating space for Lattimore. Only a very talented sure-tackling defense is going to consistently stop Marcus in space.

Then, the defense must also stay disciplined or Shaw could read the unblocked defender in the option game, and run upfield. If a defense tries to establish a tweener defender to cover the Shaw run option, he can pull up and fire a bullet to Alshon running a bubble screen.

The Spurrier Spread incorporates elements of Malzahn's vertical passing scheme, with a read option running game.

The Leap: Gamecocks Verses Kentucky 2009

It was 2009. Randall Cobb was killing Johnson's defense out of the Wildcat. UK was within one touchdown and the game would have been over. That, despite Alshon's three TD performance.

After a Kentucky TD, the Gamecock offense had the ball with around 3 or 4 minutes left in the game.

Everyone in the stadium knew that it was critical that the Gamecock offense control the ball. However, the Kentucky defense was playing very stiff and tough and held the Gamecocks to minimal gains on the first two downs of the late-game, possession.

On third and seven, Garcia dropped back to pass, swiveling his head back and forth to no avail. Garcia scrambled out of the pocket and around the right end. A Kentucky defensive back zeroed in on Garcia and it appeared he had no chance of making the first down.

However, much to the surprise of the Kentucky defender, the 220 pound Garcia leaped high in the air, over the tackle. Garcia tumbled forward as his legs were cut out from underneath, stretching his arm before hitting the ground across that first down line.

The rest was anti-climatic. Kentucky had no timeouts and the game ended 28-26 with the Gamecocks in the Victory Formation.

October 8, 2011

Revolution Pac's New Ron Paul Foreign Policy Video

October 7, 2011

Giving Focus to the Occupy Wall Street Protesters

The OWS protesters are mostly young people. Most of the protesters are out there because they sense that something is very wrong with the American economy. However, most of the protesters have no idea what is really causing the problem. Hence, the Occupy the Fed effort is underway to channel the protesters to the root problem of the American economy.

Because the masses are unfocused, there are elements attempting to get out ahead of the OWS movement, similar to the way establishment Republican organizations have co-opted or assimilated many elements and groups in the Tea Party movement. In the case of the OWS protesters, the White House, far left Marxist groups, and unions are attempting to assimilate the youthful protesters.

That is a dead wrong move for the protesters. They are headed toward a Marxist tyranny, definitely not the aim of the masses. Countervailing philosophies of individual liberty must be presented to the protesters so that they are not led astray by wolves in sheep's clothing.

The main problem now with our economic system is not free market capitalism; it is a corrupt monetary system involving a central bank, the Federal Reserve. The Fed creates money electronically from nothing and distributes it to banksters and cronies with connections to Wall Street. That corruption deserves a huge amount of civil unrest. Many of the OWS protesters may be upset with the system because of the corrupting influence of the Fed. Now the task for the liberty movement is to enlighten the youth. Thus, instead of protesting in front of chambers of commerce, the protesters should direct their ire at the Federal Reserve system. Occupy the Fed starts at noon today.

The nearest Federal Reserve Bank to South Carolina is in Atlanta, 1000 Peachtree Street NE.

Unless the American people make their voices against the Fed heard loud and clear, Congress will do nothing to fix the problem. Congress likes the Fed because it permits them to run massive deficits by implementing spending programs and wars that are financed by fake money out of the Fed. The Fed and Congress work hand and glove to flay the American economy.