Why Luke Doty didn’t play in South Carolina’s opener against Tennessee
South Carolina quarterback and wide receiver Luke Doty was the talk of much of the Gamecocks preseason for how his versatile skill set allowed him to be one of the team’s top six or seven pass catchers.
But when the Williams-Brice Stadium lights came on against Tennessee this weekend, the former Elite 11 passer didn’t see the field.
His coach, Will Muschamp, said it wasn’t a matter of not planning to play him, but just part of the flow of the offense.
“There was no plan for him not to play,” Muschamp told reporters Sunday night. “We played more 12 and 21 personnel and some 22. I think we were in 40-some snaps of 11. He was not in that plan.”
Eleven personnel means three receivers, while 21 and 12 mean two with either two tight ends or two running backs. And Muschamp said the plan is to get Doty his debut this weekend when the Gamecocks travel to face No. 3 Florida.
“He’ll get his opportunities this week,” Muschamp said.
The Gamecocks are short at the receiver spot after a run of players not developing as hoped. Only two receivers — Shi Smith and Xavier Legette — caught passes from quarterback Collin Hill in South Carolina’s 31-27 loss to the Volunteers.
Doty was signed as a QB, and word of him catching balls for the Gamecocks first leaked out during summer workouts.
The 6-foot-1 speedster played receiver early at Myrtle Beach High School before blossoming as a dual-threat passer and leading the Seahawks to a state title as a junior and an 11-0 start as a senior before suffering a season-ending injury.
Next South Carolina football game
Who: South Carolina at Florida
When: Noon, Saturday, Oct. 3
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
TV: ESPN
Line: Florida by 21.5
This story was originally published September 27, 2020 at 7:33 PM.
