Steve Spurrier Expects Dogfight With S.C State

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier says he expects a knockdown, drag out down-to-the-wire game this weekend with South Carolina State.

That might be a surprising assessment from a coach who has never lost to a team outside the Bowl Championship Series. Spurrier once suggested during his days at Florida that he had Louisiana-Monroe outmanned pretty well and in a perfect world with a playoff his Gators would play Notre Dame or Michigan.

Spurrier says his Gamecocks just aren’t explosive enough yet. They lead the Southeastern Conference in field goals and haven’t beaten a team by more than 24 points since the 2008 opener.

Spurrier’s players say the coach has told them that about half of the Bulldogs’ roster is good enough to play in the SEC.