Why USC’s Brandon McIlwain might be better playing fast

During the week leading up to South Carolina's home opener, Gamecocks players said the offense moved faster with true freshman Brandon McIlwain at the helm.

The Gamecocks came out that way, playing with a pace as relentless as they faced at Mississippi State and Saturday against the Pirates.

It might seem counter-intuitive. There are more things swirling around, more pieces moving in a high-speed, no-huddle. But Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said that environment is actually more comfortable for a young quarterback.

“Sometimes the tempo helps those guys,” Muschamp said. “It eliminates a lot of the pre-snap thinking.

“And so there’s some times that I think in spring and in fall camp, he played better with a faster tempo.”

The coach noted the execution wasn’t flawless, as one false start helped defuse momentum on a drive. USC didn’t stick with the high pace all game, but it did a good bit in the first half.

McIlwain, making his first collegiate start, finished 16-of-28 passing for 195 yards and added 34 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He will be the team’s quarterback moving forward, Muschamp said. Coaches knew all week McIlwain would start the game, despite publicly saying otherwise leading up to Saturday.

After splitting time in the first two games, he has 356 yards and two scores through the air, hitting 52.5 percent of his passes. On the ground, he’s got 80 yards, second on the team, and two touchdowns.

This story was originally published September 19, 2016 at 10:42 AM.