Steve Spurrier is 21-16 in three seasons at South Carolina. He pronounced the Gamecocks title contenders last year.

He was wrong.

South Carolina went 6-6, but with the promise of 17 returning starters and a collection of projected future stars ready to step in, spring will bring even more optimism.

Well, it was supposed to.

Spring practice was supposed to bring clarity to the quarterback derby at South Carolina, where one of those future stars, quarterback Stephen Garcia, can't seem to get out of his own way.

Instead of optimism and clarity, the depth chart at the quarterback position is as foggy as ever in light of sophomore Garcia's arrest and university-ordered suspension.

Garcia, vying to be the passer to replace Blake Mitchell as SC's starter after not taking a snap last season, was ticketed with two other players for underage possession of beer when he was found on campus by police with beer in coolers.

"His fate is out of my hands," coach Steve Spurrier said in the Charleston Post and Courier. "We'll put it that way. Stephen Garcia's fate is in the hands of the University of South Carolina."

Garcia already was suspended, the university said, for missing too many English classes. He was arrested twice -- in January and February 2007 -- in his first months on campus.

With his suspension expected to run into mid-August, Garcia is all but out of the competition to start at quarterback. Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher are taking all the snaps in spring practice.

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.