Spurrier has something new to worry about this season — sky-high expectations

Stop the presses: South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier looks and sounds generally happy this summer about his offense.

Granted, that might all change after the Sept. 3 opener against East Carolina in Charlotte. But for now, he’s pleased. And that’s progress — quite a bit of it — for the Ball Coach, typically difficult to please in August.

“Yeah, it is more fun when you can score some points here and there,” Spurrier said. “We’ve talked with our guys. They know we have a chance. We do have a chance. But we have to play, go win some games. This is just talking.”

It’s talking, though, that’s based on some level of success in 2010 — and the number of skilled returning players from that team, the first to win the SEC’s Eastern Division since the school joined the league in 1992.

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South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks went 9-5, one win shy of the school record set in 1984. But, as Spurrier likes to remind everyone, they did lose their final two games.

In fairness, one was to Auburn in the SEC championship game. The Tigers went on to win the BCS national championship a few weeks later. The second was to Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Seminoles are a top-five team entering 2011.

The Gamecocks will begin the year ranked 12th in the national polls. It’s the highest start ever and only the seventh time the school has earned a preseason ranking — the first in Spurrier’s seven-season stay.

The team has downplayed the ranking. Spurrier has pointed out Texas and Florida were both top-five teams in the 2010 preseason poll, only to limp to .500-ish finishes. All-America receiver Alshon Jeffery had another citation.

“No one picked Auburn last year,” said Jeffery, who had 88 catches and 1,517 yards last season. “It’s not where you start. It’s where you end up. We’ve got to stay humble and stay focused.”

Jeffery and the team’s other offensive All-American, running back Marcus Lattimore, seem to balance talent and humility pretty well.

“There’s a lot of talent out here. There’s a lot of great athletes,” said Lattimore, who rushed for a USC freshman-record 1,197 yards in 2010 despite missing a couple of games. “There’s an excitement, because we know we’ve got a chance.”

Even with the proven commodities on the field, there’s still some air of mystery with a pair of similar, new receivers. Damiere Byrd and Berkeley High’s Bruce Ellington are potentially two of the fastest players in the SEC, to go with sophomore Ace Sanders, no slowpoke himself.

There are playmakers everywhere. There are veteran players everywhere. A gradual build in recruiting, fueled by in-state prospects, has come to this. It’s something center T.J. Johnson, a redshirt junior, has waited for since he arrived.

“I believe everything has improved since I’ve been here,” he said. “I think it’s made leaps and bounds. I think he’s got the coaching staff he wants in place, and I think the players are in here who can make the plays. It’s exciting to watch. It’s going to be an exciting season to see what happens.”

Spurrier said this is could be the best offense he has coached since 2001, his final year at Florida. That Gators team finished third in the country.

Don’t panic, though.

South Carolina isn’t yet fancying itself as that type of team.

“All we’ve got to do is look at our record book around here,” Spurrier said. “All we’ve got to do is look at our history. We’re not getting all pumped up. Hopefully our coaches and players understand we’ve got a long way to go and a lot of good teams to beat.

“It’s good to have some expectations. You’ve just got to live up to them.”