Shaw may be used as emergency backup
The talk all week on the South Carolina offense has been the injury to South Carolina senior quarterback Connor Shaw.
His sprained knee looks like it will keep him out against Missouri on Saturday, but head coach Steve Spurrier said there is a chance that Shaw will dress for the game.
Quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus said after Wednesday’s practice that Shaw was throwing the ball around a little bit. Mangus said that nothing surprises him about Shaw’s ability to overcome injuries and that if he makes large strides in his healing, he may be used as an emergency backup.
If Shaw does not suit up, redshirt freshman Brendan Nosovitch took a number of reps in practice this week and will come in if needed.
Stepping into Shaw’s place as the starter is redshirt junior Dylan Thompson.
This is far from his first time out. He beat Clemson on the road last season and also came into the game to beat Michigan in the Outback Bowl on a last-minute touchdown pass. The pressure of winning this game against a top-five opponent to keep the Gamecocks in the SEC East race does not faze him.
“In the big scheme of things, it’s not too big,” Thompson said. “You got to take it for what it is and roll with it. I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
Thompson acknowledged that Missouri has a very talented defense, but said he looks forward to the challenge of facing it.
“I think this defensive line is probably the best I’ve seen on tape in a long, long time,” said offensive line coach Shawn Elliott. “They’re quick; they’re fast; they’re relentless. Just based on their stats alone, they scare you; you don’t have to turn on the film.”
Those stats represent the best defense in the SEC, as the Tigers lead the conference with 23 sacks and 14 interceptions.
Redshirt senior defensive end Michael Sam is one of the main players responsible for Missouri’s attractive defensive statistics. He leads the Tigers with nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
South Carolina redshirt junior guard A.J. Cann said Sam’s abilities to get off the ball and speed rush have led to his success.
Sam’s partner on the edge, redshirt junior Kony Ealy, is no slouch either, as he is second on the Tigers with 3.5 sacks. The two pass rushers will make life difficult for the Gamecock offensive line.
Some good news for South Carolina is that senior right guard Ronald Patrick is expected to return after missing the Tennessee game with an ankle injury. He will be key in helping redshirt freshman center Clayton Stadnik identify all the stunts and twists that Missouri’s defense has made a name with the past few years.
Another key figure in stopping the Tigers’ pass rush is sophomore running back Mike Davis. Davis leads the SEC and is sixth in the nation with 879 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
If Davis can get going early, it could take some pressure off Thompson and help get the quarterback into a rhythm.
Spurrier said the offense’s performance against Tennessee was probably the worst of the year. He added that the team needs to mix up its plays on offensive to stay on the field this weekend.
Whatever the final gameplan is offensively, it all comes back to Thompson.
If he comes in and plays like he did against Clemson last season, he could lead the Gamecocks to an upset. Thompson’s quarterbacks’ coach has a lot of faith in him to get the job done.
“Dylan always gets himself ready like he’s the starter,” Mangus said. “That’s why I don’t worry about Dylan; he’ll be ready to roll.”