South Carolina Dumps Stephen Garcia

To say Stephen Garcia had an up and down career at South Carolina would be putting it mildly. Garcia was in and out of Steve Spurrier’s doghouse and on and off the suspended list more times then you and I have fingers. Garcia was never the perfect quarterback but he played with his heart and he left it all out on the field. Garcia was a pivotal cog in South Carolina’s first SEC East Title last year. But this year the wheels came off and Garcia seemed to regress each and every game in which he played.

Through five games Garcia barely completed 50% of his passes and had a TD:INT ratio of 4:9. That’s 4 TDs to 9 INT not the other way around. Garcia was replaced by Connor Shaw last week against Kentucky and Shaw performed very well (even if it was just Kentucky). Then the news came today that Stephen Garcia had been dismissed because he violated a contract he signed at the beginning of the season. Most have speculated a failed drug test. Some have alledged alcohol, while others have mentioned marijuana. To me it seems like awfully funny timing for South Carolina to suddenly find their morals.

For five years Stephen Garcia has attended the University of South Carolina and the administration at South Carolina has allowed him to do pretty much what he wanted. Yes he was suspended (several times) but he was always re-instated what had to be an NCAA record number of times. Why was he re-instated so many times? Because he was talented and he was South Carolina’s starting QB. Is Garcia a victim in this? No, I don’t think he’s a victim but that doesn’t change the fact that South Carolina made their own bed. They created an atmsophere where it was OK for Garcia to do what he wanted and know that in the long run no matter what happened he would always be allowed back to play football when they needed him. Keep in mind that Stephen Garcia graduated before the 2011 season started and could have transferred to another school and played immediately (like Russell Wilson of Wisconsin this year and Jeremiah Masoli of Ole Miss last year).

Fast forward to 2011 when Garcia is struggling like he’s never struggled before and the week after he is re-placed he is booted from the team. What is that saying…If it smells, it probably stinks! Well this definitely smells and you know what…I think it stinks. South Carolina created this situation by repeatedly allowing Garcia back onto the team. Now when Garcia has been benched and is no longer needed as the QB, they took the easy way out by booting Garcia. Garcia is no saint and I’m sure that he may have violated a policy but every time he has done so in the past, South Carolina has turned the other cheek. Now that he is no longer the starting QB and they don’t want him to become a “problem” as a back-up he is kicked off the team. Congratulations South Carolina, you just took the coward’s way out.