Steve Spurrier is one of the most renowned head coaches in college football; an ACC Championship with Duke and six SEC titles and a National Championship with Florida in 1997 is quite a resume, unfortunately, one that is yet to be added to with South Carolina.
Spurrier has continued the work started by Lou Holz, as the last two season have seen the Gamecocks finish with consecutive 11-2 records and top-ten finishes for the first time in school history, the elusive second National Championship is on the horizon for Spurrier. Jadeveon Clowney, the 2012 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, returns for his junior season to lead a strong defence. However, Spurrier has always been an offensive mind, and that’s why the Gamecock’s success in 2013 will come down to quarterback play and production.
In 2013 South Carolina has two quarterbacks who can repeat the success of the 1997 Florida Gators,senior Connor Shaw, and junior Dylan Thompson. Connor Shaw is the more experienced of the two, 19 starts over the last two seasons come after he split time with Stephen Garcia in 2010. A dual-threat quarterback, Shaw has 3,627 career passing yards to complement 1,125 rushing yards. Standing six-foot-one, Shaw is a smart football player who boasted a 67.5 completion percentage on passes thrown in 2012. Against Missouri, Shaw completed his first 20 passes on route to a 20 of 21 performance. Dylan Thompson is a prototypical quarterback. At six-foot-four he is a pocket passer with a strong arm. Although he may not be a runner like his compatriot, he does have the mobility to move around the pocket and keep plays alive. Thompson started two games a season ago, filling in for an injured Shaw. During his time under center, he threw for 640 yards and six touchdowns, as well as recording an impressive victory over state rivals Clemson.
Both quarterbacks have the tools to be starters in their own right, but together, they can become a formidable force. Here are five reasons why a two-quarterback system can work in South Carolina.
Firstly, Steve Spurrier. Spurrier has a history of playing a two quarterback system. During the 1997 National Championship game, Spurrier rotated quarterbacks Doug Johnson and Noah Brindise throughout the game, which resulted in a stunning 32-29 victory over rivals, and heavily favored Florida State Seminoles. In 2000, Spurrier rotated Rex Grossman and Jesse Palmer throughout the season, leading to an SEC Championship.
Secondly, the quarterbacks themselves. Shaw and Thompson complement each other perfectly. Shaw brings his experience and leadership qualities as a senior, while Thompson has the fearlessness of a junior with just two starts under his belt. Shaw has enough speed to line up at running back or wide receiver, allowing both players to take the field at the same time. With two dimensional play at quarterback, the Gamecock’s will have the assets to play situational football at its best.
Thirdly, Shaw is the starter. Spurrier has come out and said Shaw is the starter, leaving no doubt in either players mind who is the team leader. Shaw has the experience and has proven he can win for the last two seasons. Spurrier’s commitment to Shaw will make for a smooth off-season where each player clearly knows their position within the squad, and that they are fighting to achieve a common goal together, and not as individual starters. Undoubtedly, Thompson will get extensive playing time in a number of games, occasionally more time than Shaw, as the game situation will dictate who plays and when.
Fourth, Competition. A time will come during the season when Spurrier will need to decide which quarterback to use in a season defining situation. Who will be trusted when there are seven seconds on the clock and no timeouts? Neither player wants to be left out when the time arises, both men will be itching to prove they deserve the chance to be the hero, healthy competition will go a long way to getting the best from both players over the duration of the season.
Finally, it’s the other side of the ball, defence. South Carolina boasts an impressive defence led by the aforementioned Clowney. Clowney had a ridiculous 13 sacks and 23.5 tackles for a loss in 2012, while Senior Chaz Sutton and Junior Kelcy Quarles had 5 and 3.5 sacks respectively, the latter of which will receive a bigger role in 2013. Only three teams in the final BCS rankings had more than South Carolina’s 43 sacks, while 18.2 points allowed per game a year ago was 13th best in the nation.
They have the staff, they have the players, and they believe they have the system. If South Carolina can pull it all together on game day, they can challenge for a National Championship.