Quarterback looking to improve pocket presence, throwing ability
For the first time in South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier’s coaching career, there may not be a battle for the starting quarterback position going into the season.
In fact, the biggest quarterback controversy may be for the backup spot to sophomore Connor Shaw, who led the team to the program’s first 11-win season after taking over the starting job midway through the year.
Though the job is “pretty clear cut” in Spurrier’s mind, quarterback coach G.A. Mangus said Shaw needs the competition to push him, so he and a graduate assistant suggested Shaw compete against himself and study an NFL quarterback to improve on some of his fundamentals.
Shaw chose his favorite quarterback, the Saints’ Drew Brees, who he’s watched a lot, but hasn’t studied in-depth until this offseason.
“He’s about my height, and he stays in the pocket — he’s got great feet,” Shaw said. “He always keeps his eyes downfield which is what I’m trying to do.”
While this season marks a first for Spurrier, last season marked a different first, as the Gamecocks accomplished their best season with the zone-read offense, which is quite the contrast to Spurrier’s beloved Fun ‘n’ Gun system.
Shaw, who said he gained 12 pounds from last season and has a 4.5 40-yard dash, is looking to implement some of the pass-oriented Fun ‘n’ Gun this season, saying he wants to keep his eyes downfield more, but he’s not ready to let his athleticism go to waste.
“We mentioned to him to get the ball to the receivers that are open a little bit more instead of running so quickly,” Spurrier said. “His value is running ... we know that and we’re not going to change his style. Maybe, just make him a little better passer.”
The Gamecocks might need Shaw to become a better passer now that his running ability is well documented. Having 6’4” wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who opted to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, on the squad last year, opposing defenses used a cover-two scheme that brought an extra defender over to cover Jeffery, leaving the middle of the field more open for Shaw to run.
This season, the only returning starting receiver is the 5’7” Ace Sanders, who will be used in a slot receiver role. Though the Gamecocks do have the 6’5” D.L. Moore on the roster in his senior season, but he hasn’t had the production Jeffery had in his three seasons, as Moore made just one start last season.
With the threat of Jeffery gone, defenses can shift their focus to Shaw’s running game, making him rely on his ability as a passer more than he did last season. With a healthy tailback in Marcus Lattimore, teams will already be defending the running game, and Shaw’s run relies on the seal from his offensive tackles, one of which will be a first-year starter in Brandon Shell, with Rokevious Watkins graduated. In 2011, Shaw averaged 52.5 rushing yards per game and 144.8 passing yards per game.
In studying Brees, the biggest focus for Shaw has been the movement in the pocket. He said he has a tendency to roll out or roll up where he could usually slide right or left and throw the ball down the field.
“He does a good job of moving in the pocket and maybe hanging for one more second to get a guy open downfield before he takes off,” Mangus said of Brees. “We wanted [Shaw] to look at that and see how he moves around in the pocket rather than just taking off. But you never want to take away that ability to do that because, Lord knows, he made some big, big plays with his feet, especially on third downs.”
Shaw mentioned Brees’s ability to use his legs to create open passing lanes, which suits Shaw’s own skill set. With each game last season, Shaw felt more comfortable with game-time experience, as his last three games were his statistically most productive as a passer, averaging 219 passing yards and a 74.5 completion percentage in those games.
While Shaw admits that there’s some momentum from the historic season, it’s a brand new season and the team needs to forget about it. There might even be a brand new player.
“We’re out here to get better,” Shaw said. “That goes for me as well.”