Gamecocks' Spurrier will survive disaster season

South Carolina should have been demolished Saturday night at No. 4 Auburn.

Spurrier still has his head in the game.
Has he adjusted to a weak defense?
Maybe the Gamecocks can steal a
couple wins with offense only. 

Instead Auburn had to play an almost-perfect game on offense, and step up big on defense to beat the Gamecocks 42-35.

Carolina did not lay down or quit. The team came with pride, ready yo play.

South Carolina 's offense scored enough to win easily. It was the Gamecocks' defense that might as well not even been on the field. Auburn scored like it was sandlot football. The Gamecock defense looked lost, soft and uninspired.

But the game, that was a blowout on paper, was close because Spurrier had his offense ready to play. He gave his team a chance to win the game as a 17.5-point underdog to a team that had only lost on the road to No. 1 Mississippi State.

The impressive offensive showing should tell Gamecocks' fans to hold on. Help is on the way. It's possible South Carolina can win a couple games with its offense. Maybe a future opponent will make a couple costly mistakes, and at least put the Gamecocks in a position to get two or three more wins, and qualify for a bowl game. A good coach takes what he has and makes the best of it. That's how he attracts better players.

If Spurrier can exceed expectations for the next four games, maybe the Gamecocks have a chance to salvage something positive from a disastrous 2014 season.

If you look at Kentucky or Vanderbilt it is evidence that coaching changes make a lot of difference.

And coaching changes among assistants can be just as dramatic.

Give the Gamecocks time to correct past mistakes, get SEC-level talent on its defensive coaching staff and the program can move right back up to where it was.

It is obvious the Head Ball Coach still knows what he is doing. And he is not ready to leave the game he loves. For that, Gamecock fans should be ecstatic.