Ryan Hilinski’s first start had Darius Rucker pretty hyped

South Carolina quarterback Ryan Hilinski got some attention following his first start with the Gamecocks. The Williams-Brice crowd chanted his name before and after the game. ESPN gave him a “helmet sticker.”

Oh, and die-hard Gamecocks fan Darius Rucker gave him some over-the-top praise on Twitter.

The multi-Grammy winning musical artist and former front man for Hootie & the Blowfish is a highly visible USC fan. After Jake Bentley lead the team to a bowl in 2016, he played a special concert to honor the strong second half of the year.

Hilinski, a former four-star recruit and top-75 player in his class, delivered about as perfect a debut at one could expect. He connected on his first 12 passes, finished 24 for 30 for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns, plus ran for a third score. He led USC to the most yards in program history.

Each time he scored, Hilinski pointed to the sky and raised three fingers to honor his late brother Tyler.

Hilinski had to step into the lineup after Jake Bentley hurt his foot against North Carolina. Hilinski projects to start for at least the next month.