No Show
Posted September 18, 2005, 11:14 AM ET

Last week, many listeners called my radio show complaining about how many Carolina fans were leaving early. Many people made statements like these:

"How can you leave after halftime?"

"It is a game in the division, and these are the games that you have to win."

"If you plan on making it to the postseason, you must win games like this at home."

Carolina, meet Carolina.

Carolina Panther fans have certainly gained a reputation, thanks to the PSL, of being lukewarm in the passion department. You cannot make the same statement of the fans that follow the South Carolina Gamecocks. There are 80,000+ every weekend at Williams-Brice when the Gamecocks are playing, and it doesn't matter who is coming to town to play against Steve Spurrier's crew.

But Saturday afternoon in Columbia, the Gamecock faithful did their best impression of Wallace Wade Outdoor Stadium. Don't get me wrong; the Cocks were fired up with the theme of "2001" blaring in the background, but then it got ugly on and off the field.

Like most Southern Fried Football™ nuts without a ticket, I kept switching back and forth between the Alabama-South Carolina game and also the Clemson-Miami game from Death Valley. Both games kicked-off at 3:30 and the Palmetto State was in full display with big-time matchups on national television.

The difference between the games and the crowds was like night and day. It was astonishing.

Alabama destroyed Steve Spurrier's "Cock-n-Fire", and by halftime, Williams-Brice Stadium looked like an aluminum seat showroom. What gives, Carolina? It was an ugly first half, but it was only 20-7! After all the grief Panther fans took on the air last week for not showing up in the 2nd half, USC fans were hurting their reputation as loyal supporters...and to make it worse, a national TV audience was watching Steve Spurrier squirm on nearly every play. Spurrier threw his visor, headset, gameplan...you name it. Unfortunately they were all incomplete, too.

By the end of the third quarter, Duke-South was in full display. Thank goodness the 10,000 Bama fans were hanging around, because it was slim pickings in the stands. I couldn't believe it. Yeah, the Gamecocks didn't play well, but the fans left them high and dry.

I've stated on the radio every week this football season that Steve Spurrier should not be judged this year. It will take time for him to get his recruits, his staff and his system in place. There will be some football Saturdays this year during which the Gamecocks will get out-matched by teams in the SEC with better players and athletes. Gamecock fans must think that Spurrier will wave a magic wand and the Cocks will automatically compete...it just doesn't happen overnight. Give the man some time.

While Williams-Brice emptied out by the tens of thousands, that wasn't the case at Clemson. One quick touch on the TV remote, and you were instantly transferred to a classic. Miami and Clemson in front of 80,000 lunatics in Death Valley played one of the best college football games either program has ever experienced. It was incredible...the game, the plays, the crowd, the noise...it was the poster for why college football in the South is so great. Miami ended up beating Clemson in triple OT...an instant classic. It is a shame that the Tigers and Canes won't meet again in the regular season until 2009. But after back-to-back OT thrillers, maybe these two programs need a break from seeing each other in the regular season.

In Columbia, Steve Spurrier apologized to his fan base for their performance...or in this case, their lack of one. Gamecock fans should reciprocate...and apologize for their effort, too. Or perhaps they wanted to watch some good football and they decided to go back to their tailgate parties and watch the Clemson-Miami game.