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Spurrier, Gamecocks look for Liberty Bowl win to cap season

Dec 29, 2006 - 4:27 PM South Carolina (7-5) at Houston (10-3) Liberty Bowl 4:30 pm EST

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- South Carolina has had a number of tough losses this season, but a bowl win could go a long way toward easing the pain.

Steve Spurrier guides the Gamecocks in the Liberty Bowl against Houston on Friday.

South Carolina (7-5) finished the season with a pair of victories, including a 31-28 triumph over intrastate rival Clemson. It was one big win in a season marked by near misses.

The Gamecocks lost to Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida all by a touchdown or less. Coming up with wins in those types of games is the next step South Carolina will have to take if it is to join the Southeastern Conference elite.

Spurrier thinks that kind of move could be helped by a win over the Cougars. "It would be very helpful to have an eight-win season and finish with three straight wins," Spurrier said. "That would be very helpful, we are going to try. I just want our guys to play well, play hard and play smart."

Spurrier has used Blake Mitchell and Syvelle Newton at quarterback this season and seems to have settled on Mitchell as his starter, with Newton playing quarterback, wide receiver and safety.

Mitchell completed 67 percent of his passes with six TDs and five interceptions in eight games. Newton has thrown 12 TD passes this season.

One thing Houston doesn't have is any kind of quarterback contorversy - that job belongs to Kevin Kolb.

A four-year starter, Kolb does an excellent job of taking care of the ball. He threw for 3,423 yards and 27 TDs with only three interceptions in 393 attempts.

"He can run and throw. He's a fifth-year player that doesn't make a lot of mistakes," Spurrier said of Kolb. "We have to get some pressure on him, turn our ends loose."

Houston leads the series, 2-0, but the teams have not met since 1974.