Interim offensive playcaller Mike Furrey spoke with reporters Wednesday as South Carolina prepares for its season-ending showdown against Clemson. Here’s a breakdown of everything he shared ahead of Saturday’s rivalry matchup.
Approach for the Rivalry Game
Asked whether the Gamecocks are installing new wrinkles or sticking to what they’ve shown, Furrey said the plan is more about refinement than surprise.
“Yeah, I don’t know about throwing a bunch of stuff in,” he said. “But I think kind of what we’ve been doing…we put some stuff in last week that we wanted to start presenting to the guys and not running it maybe last week, so it’d be ready for this week.”
He added that the offense will continue expanding concepts familiar to both him and the staff.
Screen Game Success
South Carolina opened its last game with a 75-yard screen touchdown — and the screen game was efficient all afternoon. Furrey credited perimeter blocking.
“That was a big challenge to our guys last week on the perimeters,” he said. “You’ve got to block on the edge…we challenged the guys to improve in those areas, and expect the ball to go everywhere.”
Jawarn Howell’s Rising Role
Running back Jawarn Howell has earned increased opportunities, and Furrey said the reason is simple — his practice habits.
“He’s practiced really, really well,” Furrey said. “He kind of has an edge to him…there’s a mindset to him where he wants to do everything he can to help this team.”
Howell’s recent performances are the result of that mentality.
Jayden Sellers’ Growth
Wideout Jayden Sellers has emerged as another playmaker, and Furrey attributes it to self-belief.
“There was a stage of him truly believing that he belongs in the SEC,” Furrey said. “His confidence has just continued to grow.”
With that confidence, Sellers is now playing faster and more decisively.
Stopping Clemson’s Focus on LaNorris Sellers
Clemson has emphasized containing quarterback LaNorris Sellers, but Furrey stressed the offense is bigger than one player.
“It’s not really just him. It’s everybody,” he said.
He pointed out how many Gamecocks touched the ball last week as proof that any player can be the playmaker on a given snap.
Offensive Buy-In Growing
Furrey said results from recent games have fueled team confidence — but it’s the demanding approach during the week that’s driving improvement.
“When you demand excellence…you’re holding them accountable…we’ve made a point to continue to just keep finishing,” he explained.
Players are beginning to enforce that standard among themselves.
Preparing for Clemson’s Heavy Blitzing
Clemson has blitzed at high rates in several games, something Furrey says requires simplifying the offense and maximizing reps.
“If I’m as talented as they are, I probably would do the same thing,” he said.
“It’s really just simplifying things, giving these guys as many looks as we can through the week.”
LaNorris Sellers’ Confidence
Furrey says Sellers’ recent performances have him playing loose and confident.
“When you see him smile, he’s having fun. And when he’s having fun, he’s confident,” Furrey said.
He praised Sellers’ poise, especially on third-down throws against Texas A&M and his 16-for-18 passing start last week.
Coaching Through Experience — Without Using His Own NFL Career
Despite being a former NFL receiver, Furrey said he avoids talking about his playing career to motivate players.
“I was never going to talk about my career,” he said. “If I need to be motivated by someone else’s story, then I’m probably in the wrong business.”
Instead, he uses film of elite receivers like Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase to teach technique and effort.
Incorporating Creative Plays
Furrey said trick plays and creative concepts are part of the weekly process, and used a “Matt Nagy” analogy:
“We put it in the incubator,” he said. “Sometimes it stays in the incubator…once the guys are comfortable with it…you’ve got to have the nerve to call those things.”
On His Future After a New OC Is Hired
Furrey didn’t entertain hypotheticals about whether he’ll return to coaching receivers full-time.
“All I know right now is…today is Wednesday and I gotta go back and watch our third-down practice,” he said.
“God’s got all that stuff…right now we’re getting ready for Saturday.”
