Connor Shaw to start against Kentucky
Only three days after he announced quarterback Connor Shaw would be out for two to three weeks, coach Steve Spurrier said that Shaw would be starting in this week’s game against Kentucky.
The announcement came after Wednesday’s practice and is a pleasant surprise for a Gamecock team that was prepared to turn to Dylan Thompson.
“He was throwing the ball very well (Wednesday),” Spurrier said. “Dylan will probably go in on about the third or fourth possession or somewhere right in there. They both deserve to play, we think, and we’ll send them both out there and go from there.”
The news changes a lot of things heading into this weekend. While the coaching staff is confident in Thompson, Shaw brings an ability to run that Thompson doesn’t quite have.
Spurrier has taken a more positive approach this week after expressing obvious frustration after the Central Florida game last Saturday.
“I was way too negative afterwards, and I don’t want to be too negative to some of our players or some of our coaches that coach secondary, including myself,” Spurrier said. “I always try to include myself if we’re not coaching very well.”
Spurrier was most frustrated with the turnovers on offense and the defensive miscues that allowed UCF and Vanderbilt to get back in the game. One of the offensive mistakes was tailback Mike Davis’ fumble at the UCF 4-yard line last week.
Spurrier was disappointed with the turnover, but it doesn’t change his opinion about the sophomore.
“It doesn’t waver our confidence in him, but it is something that shouldn’t happen, and it doesn’t happen to good teams,” Spurrier said. “Stuff that has happened to us the last two games doesn’t happen to good teams or well-coached teams.”
Davis’ 508 rushing yards lead the SEC among running backs who have played four games. What’s even more impressive is that Davis is in his first full year of starting.
With Brandon Wilds injured, Davis may be asked to carry more of the load, but he said that wouldn’t change his preparation. And after the game in Orlando, Fla., Davis said he knows there are plenty of things he can do to get even better, especially with the added workload.
“I didn’t expect to get this many carries, but that’s up to the coaches,” Davis said. “If they want to put the ball in my hands, I’m all for it.”
The injury may also open up a door for another Gamecock who has yet to make an appearance in college play.
Freshman tailback David Williams, a four-star recruit from Philadelphia is backing up Davis and Shon Carson. While the initial plan was to redshirt Williams, he may see the field this weekend, and the coaches say they are confident in his abilities.
“We sort of had to give him a ‘refresh,’ where he learned everything, but he is picking everything up,” running backs coach Everette Sands said. “I’m not going to hesitate. I think we might go ahead and throw him in. The big question is how long Brandon is going to be out. But we have to make sure that David is ready to go if we need him.”
For now, the prognosis on Wilds is that he is going to be out two or three weeks, but the experience with Shaw shows that could change quickly.
*Roland
*
On Tuesday, Spurrier announced that wide receiver Shaq Roland will be suspended until the Tennessee game in two weeks for violating an undisclosed university policy.
Spurrier said the three-game suspension was not related to drugs, academic issues or social media violations.
Offensive line
Center Clayton Stadnik is likely to start at center this week after Cody Waldrop sprained an ankle last week. Stadnik was named the SEC’s Offensive Lineman of the Week in his second career start against Vanderbilt.