Six things South Carolina must do to break through with an eight-win season

Here are six things South Carolina must do to break through with an eight-win season

1. Forget 6-6

Everyone is aware that the Gamecocks ended 2007 with a five-game losing streak. But USC cannot enter 2008 letting that hang over its head. It's over. There are new coaches, new players and (Steve Spurrier hopes) a new attitude. Some players say they've forgotten the losing streak. Some say they're using it as motivation. Either way, USC simply cannot continue it against North Carolina State. That would signal disaster, with every Chicken Little in Columbia looking for a falling sky.

2. Day at the Beecher

Spurrier's confidence about Tommy Beecher, for some reason, grew during the summer months. And Spurrier let the world know about it. He thinks Beecher has the physical tools to be an SEC quarterback. We all know Beecher's a brilliant guy, too. But will he make the proper decisions in crunch time? Summer scrimmages haven't been all that glowing, but we won't know until the opener and beyond. Seems like Spurrier's willing to bet the house on Beecher. Bold move?

3. Block somebody

When things got bad last year, particularly in the Vanderbilt game, the offensive line was downright dreadful. There's more depth and experience on this year's line, but it must prove able to protect Beecher and make room for Mike Davis. North Charleston's Jarriel King is raw now, but could be a factor on the left side of the line at some point this fall. There's more talent there than in Spurrier's first three years.

4. Getting defensive

Arkansas and Florida flat-out embarrassed the Gamecocks' defense late last year. Some say that was due to injuries that had decimated the unit. While it's true that star starters such as Jasper Brinkley were out, remember that even Louisiana-Lafayette in the opener was able to run all over USC. That stuff has to stop. Enter coordinator Ellis Johnson, who's bringing a no-nonsense brand of fundamentals to a talented group that includes 10 returning starters. It would be stunning, and paralyzing for the program, if things don't improve.

5. Feel special

In addition to Johnson, Ray Rychleski was brought on the staff to change the face of the Gamecocks' special teams units. He's tough, he's brash and he's getting positive feedback from the players. They seem to want to play for Rychleski, who didn't have a punt blocked in seven years at Maryland. Games can be won with special teams. Don't be surprised to see it happen this year for USC.

6. Weather November

Once again, don't be surprised if USC comes flying out of the gate — the Gamecocks could and probably should be 6-1 entering the Oct. 18 LSU game. But then comes that familiar late-season obstacle course. South Carolina needs to figure out a way to win two of these four games in November — Tennessee, Arkansas, at Florida and at Clemson — if it wants to get to the eight-win plateau that would signal success for Spurrier and get USC back into a New Year's Day-ish bowl game.