Tailback Shon Carson will receive first career start, taking over for beat-up Mike Davis
Although Saturday’s matchup with Coastal Carolina carries no significance in terms of standings, a South Carolina win would be much more than just that for senior quarterback Connor Shaw, as he looks to surpass Todd Ellis’ record for most wins in school history.
Coach Steve Spurrier said Shaw’s 24-5 record as a starter should place him firmly in the conversation for best quarterback in school history and put him on par with the premier signal callers in the SEC.
Still, Spurrier mentioned some of the things Shaw could still work on, noting that his knee sprain has not allowed him to be as mobile as usual. He cited instances in which Shaw has taken off running and not had as much success as he would if he were healthy.
Spurrier did praise Shaw for taking care of the ball and said the Gamecocks’ turnover-free play helped them grind out a 19-14 win over Florida last week. Shaw has done well protecting the ball all season, throwing only one interception alongside 19 touchdowns.
But the Head Ball Coach said he would like the offense to be more consistent than it has been in recent weeks and that junior quarterback Dylan Thompson will likely see time off the bench in the first half against Coastal Carolina.
“I told Connor yesterday we’re going to play Dylan,” Spurrier said. “I said, ‘You play better when you know Dylan is going to play.’ And you know, he does; he plays better.”
Shaw and his partner in the backfield, sophomore running back Mike Davis, both missed some practice time earlier in the week nursing injuries.
It is still uncertain if Davis, who has been named a Doak Walker Award semifinalist, will suit up Saturday with a bum ankle. Spurrier and running backs coach Everette Sands said that if the team really needs Davis, he would probably be able to play.
With the SEC’s second-highest rushing total, Spurrier acknowledged that Davis has been having a great season but also mentioned areas where the sophomore needs to improve.
“He’s played well, and he’s still learning how to play,” Spurrier said. “And we are talking a little bit [Monday] about protecting him better. He gets in there, and he stands around too much. That’s how he got hurt the other day. You can’t stand up and let about three guys take shots at you.”
Redshirt sophomore Shon Carson was named the starter for Saturday, jumping sophomore running back Brandon Wilds for the No. 2 spot. Wilds has also been dealing with a few injuries, and it is uncertain whether he will play as well.
Carson had a breakout performance against Florida, gaining 102 yards on 13 carries, highlighted by a 58-yard scamper in the fourth quarter to get South Carolina out from deep in its own territory.
Carson said he did not find out he was starting from any of his coaches, but from looking at Twitter. He said it was a relief considering injuries earlier in his career.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Carson said.
Carson credited some of his success to his offensive line, a group that seems to facilitate a 100-yard rushing game no matter who it is blocking for. In eight of the ten games for the Gamecock offense, there has been a 100-yard rusher.
Junior offensive guard A.J. Cann said the progress for the offensive line has been steady, but there is room to get better.
“To me, I think we have been playing pretty good,” Cann said. “One thing we can focus on is just communicate more. We’ve been doing a good job communicating, but there are some small things we can do to alert each other on the field.”
Offensive line coach Shawn Elliott was happy to escape Florida with a win, but knows this matchup against an FCS opponent is not something to take lightly.
He should know; Elliott was part of perhaps the biggest college football upset ever. He coached the offensive line for FCS school Appalachian State when it beat No. 5 Michigan in 2007.
Elliott said the Gamecocks should strive for a “flawless” performance against Coastal if they want to win.
“I’ve been on the other side, so I warned them,” Elliott said. “I’ve talked about how they’re going to come and play us. And we better be ready for a fight, because they’re a good football team.”