GAMECOCK QUARTERBACK ENTERS 2014 WITH COACH’S CONFIDENCE …
University of South Carolina starting quarterback Dylan Thompson completed six of eight passes for sixty-five yards during an intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday.
More importantly, he earned a vote of confidence from his head coach Steve Spurrier – the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who is notorious for being hypercritical of his signal-callers.
“Dylan hit about everything and made some nice checks,” Spurrier said. “He’s ready to play. We’ve got to keep him healthy, but he’s ready to have a big year I believe.”
Hmmmmm … could this be why Spurrier’s been so confident this off-season?
Thompson played in eight games in 2013, seeing extensive action in four contests. He completed 52 of 89 passes for 783 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions as a backup to starter Connor Shaw. He also ran for three scores.
In 2012, Thompson saw more action – completing 66 of 127 passes for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns. In a clutch start on the road against No. 11 Clemson – he completed 23 of 41 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Gamecocks to a 27-17 win over the Tigers.
Thompson then capped the Gamecocks’ 2012 season by filling in for Shaw in the waning moments of the 2013 Outback Bowl, hitting wide receiver Bruce Ellington with a 32-yard game-winning touchdown with only 11 seconds on the clock.
Who would Spurrier play if Thompson were hurt or otherwise unavailable? Nothing is set in stone at this point, but redshirt sophomore Perry Orth – a 6-foot-1, 200-pound Florida native – appears to be the current No. 2.
“If we had to put somebody in today, there’s a good chance he would probably be in there,” Spurrier said of Orth, who completed three of six passes in the scrimmage for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Redshirt freshman Connor Mitch – a 6-foot-2, 211-pound Raleigh, N.C. native – is also in the mix, as is true freshman Michael Scarnecchia, a 6-foot-4, 189-pound native of Fleming Island, Florida.
Gamecock quarterbacks have big shoes to fill.
In two-and-a-half seasons running Spurrier’s offense, Shaw posted a 27-5 record as a starter – including a perfect record at home (17-0), in bowl games (3-0) and against arch-rival Clemson (2-0). Shaw threw for 6,074 yards and 56 touchdowns at USC – completing 65.5 percent of his passes and throwing only 16 interceptions (including only one pick in 2013). He also ran for 1,683 yards and another 17 touchdowns.
Shaw was signed as an undrafted free agent this year by the Cleveland Browns.
Spurrier’s Gamecocks – ranked No. 9 in the preseason USA Today/ Coaches’ poll – open their 2014 season at home on August 28 against No. 20 Texas A&M. That game will kick off at 6:00 p.m. EDT and will be televised nationally on the new SEC Network.
15 comments
2014 is to Sakerlina’s SEC Championship hopes what 2008 was to Hillary’s POTUS hopes.
Dylan played a pretty decent game last time the University of South Carolina played Climpsun at their home field. You remember, he was a sub quarterback and our best receiver was the point guard on the basketball team? Six in a row hayseed. Oh, sorry, Hayseed.
How about those uSC academics! Where are they ranked? Oh, behind the hayseeds , taters, dirtpeckers and whatever else you call us. Deal with that sports fans!
And I would be willing to bet my degree still got me a much higher paying job than you have, so what is your point? Deal with that you smug and self-righteous little prick. And by FYI your little comment shows how stupid you really are, “dirtpeckers” are what ignorant Clemson people call USC fans. No one has ever referred to a someone from Clemson as that and you would know that if you weren’t masking your own insecurities. The mighty ACC standard you try to brag about also have scandals going on right now such as no show classes (UNC), pay for play athletes(FSU), and now look at what is happening at the mighty Notre Dame. Hell they just joined your scholastic conference and then get busted. Not to mention how regarded those ‘higher learning institutes” Miami and Louisville are. You are so pathetically jealous you are laughable.
Go Dawgs!!! All-time win/loss record: UGA 47 wins, ‘Cocks 17 wins, 2 ties. For you Gamecocks, that’s a .712 winning percentage!
Dumbass. You didn’t go to college did you? You failed math on SAT and probably English as well.
Cocks aren’t real big at looking at overall history unless its only in the last 5 years or so.
and Clemson isn’t even looking at a future since they dont have none (no present either)
nah uga willl always suck
Hey FITS: you hear about this: “Sammy Watkins leaves Bills game with rib injury”…
Ouch…Hope he gets back. A lot of media – like FITS- told us he is the greatest to ever play the game. Before he ever took a snap in a real game…
Remember FITS is the news source who told us Clowney was over-rated, and SC fans were ridiculous to be excited about him …Credibility ain’t lookin’ so good for SC’s number one Gossip Blog.
Too bad nobody reads your drivel blog, huh?
Have you checked by Google Views profile?…think again DUMB@$$….LMAO…
yeah and too bad no one even touched Sammy on the play he got hurt. What a baby, but looking at who he played for what did anyone really expect.
Connor Mitch is legit.
The Cocks will go underfeated until they lose a game.