Shawn Elliott is South Carolina interim coach as Spurrier steps down

Steve Spurrier knew it was time. South Carolina was struggling and the gregarious and once innovative coach believed he needed to step aside.

Spurrier resigned as Gamecocks coach Tuesday, resisting pleas from the University of South Carolina president and athletic director to stay through the season.

“You can’t keep a head coach as long as I have [coached] when it’s heading in the wrong direction,” Spurrier said.

The Gamecocks have struggled at 2-4 and are 0-4 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time in Spurrier’s 23 seasons in the league.

Interim Coach Shawn Elliott said his job was to help the team move forward.

“Our team is not in shambles, as some might say,” he said after Spurrier left the podium. “Not sure the change is what they’ve needed but the change is what they’ve got.”

Athletic director Ray Tanner said he would form a search committee and hire a firm to help identify candidates going forward. Tanner said Elliott would be a candidate to earn the full-time job.

Iowa loses key player

Coach Kirk Ferentz of No. 17 Iowa confirmed that star defensive end Drew Ott was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

“It’s a big void. But this team has done a good job of handling adversity,” Ferentz said. Iowa (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten Conference) is down five opening-day starters ahead of Saturday’s West Division showdown at No. 20 Northwestern (5-1, 1-1).

Ott is sixth in the Big Ten with 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Parker Hesse, a 240-pound freshman who was a linebacker as a redshirt last season, will get the start in place of Ott.

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Tennessee’s Tuttle injured

Tennessee defensive tackle Shy Tuttle will miss the rest of the season with a broken fibula and torn ankle ligament.

Tuttle was injured Saturday in a 38-31 victory over Georgia, which was ranked 19th at the time. He played in each of Tennessee’s first six games and had 10 tackles and one fumble recovery.

Running back John Kelly was taken to the hospital Tuesday after getting hurt during the Volunteers’ afternoon practice. An athletic department spokesman said Kelly went to the hospital for a “precautionary evaluation and was released” but didn’t specify the nature of Kelly’s injury.

Tennessee (3-3, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) has this week off before playing at No. 10 Alabama (5-1, 2-1).

Quarterback quandary

Gunner Kiel is back to full practice following his latest neck injury, giving Cincinnati a decision for its game Friday night at Brigham Young.

Coach Tommy Tuberville will let Kiel and redshirt freshman Hayden Moore compete in practice this week and won’t announce his starter until shortly before the game.

Kiel, a second-year starter, has been sidelined since a 53-46 loss at Memphis on Sept. 24, when he was taken to a hospital with a neck and head injury suffered in the first half. Moore stepped in and set a school passing record by throwing for 557 yards in three quarters. A week later, he made his first start and led the Bearcats to a 34-23 win over Miami on Oct. 1.