Shaq Roland OUT - Gamecocks face pivotal game vs Kentucky?

It took a years to build what Head ball Coach Steven Spurrier has built at South Carolina. And it's too

Is Roland's absence an incidental event, or a sign
 of bigger turmoil with the Gamecocks? 

early for his rise to have peaked. There are championships awaiting, but some re-building must be done in a year that remedial coaching was not expected.

And now big-talent Shaq Roland is out for the Kentucky game: SDS is reporting: “Thought to be a breakout performer on the outside, Roland has sputtered to a 15-catch, 180-yard start through five games, disappearing at times within the Gamecocks offense. He has scored two touchdowns this season.” And: “Roland missed three games as a sophomore after serving a suspension for a violation of university policy.”

Before that: Spurrier has had a defense that let Missouri score on one drive last Saturday so quickly, it was as if no defense at all was on the field. The Tigers' second three-play TD drive could not have been any easier. On top of that, the Gamecock’s D did not show up versus Texas A&M and it all but lost the game to Georgia.

Spurrier was criticized for calling out his defense after it surrendered an effort-less TD to Vandy, late. But now we see why that so concerned him.

Over the Spurrier era at SC, Spurrier's ranked Gamecock teams have lost to Vandy and Kentucky.

For the most part, the Gamecocks had put the truly inexplicable upsets behind it. But with a defense that is horrible, and does not seem to have much of answer, will the Gamecocks move back to that level where becoming bowl-eligible is the best it can hope for?

While it seems media is hungry to blame Spurrier for all of his team's failings, a weak link, like the defsnse can become contagious, and spread apathy throughout the whole team.

While it may not directly be Spurrier's fault the D has been caught with a bare cupboard and a coaching staff struggling to find answers, he is ultimately judged on wins and losses.

If the team is unraveling, it's time to jump in and pull it back together.

If you look at Spurrier's track record at USC, it obvious he can do it. But he has to be surprised he is faced with this dilemma, at this point in his tenure.

That said, You'd have to believe he's already rolled up his sleeves, and gone to work.

If the team gets a win at Kentucky, regardless of the point spread, it's a victory. That's where the Gamecocks are right now, regardless if that is fair or not.