Have more faith the USC arsenal takes advantage of a penetrable Husky defense (25 ppg; ranked last in Big East) that took a serious hit with the season-ending injury to stud LB Greg Lloyd (2nd-leading tackler) late in campaign. Better decision-making, mobile jr. QB Stephen Garcia (57%, 2733 YP, 17 TD, 9 ints.) & his rangy WRs, 6-3 frosh phenom Alshon Jeffery (43 catches, 6 TDs) and 6-5 Tori Gurley (28) should repeatedly burn a smallish, frosh/soph laden UConn 2ndary (94th nationally, 67% completions), aided by darting 5-9 frosh RB Miles (602 YR, 5.4 ypc; 114 YR vs. Clemson). Worth mentioning the Husky "D" still had problems despite facing 6 straight Big East squads led by green, 1st-year QBs due to injury or graduation! And SEC insiders tell us redemptive Garcia is taking a more serious approach to this bowl after being reprimanded by Spurrier for playing video games (they weren't even football!) instead of studying the playbook the night before the nightmarish 31-10 loss vs. Iowa in LY's Outback Bowl, when he threw 3 early "picks" before getting the hook.
Moreover, 7-5 Carolina (underdog in 8 games TY) enjoys greater fan support, with 13,000+ making the trek down I-20 to Birmingham's Legion Field, where "Darth Visor" won the 1993 SEC title game when he was the Florida head man. And lastly, give crucial kicking edge to USC's accurate PK Lanning (17 of 20 FGs; 3 of 4 beyond 40) over unreliable counterpart Taggert (just 12 of 21). Play South Carolina
the gold sheet
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