Notebook: Gamecocks starting QB still a mystery
Steve Spurrier did not name his starting quarterback Thursday night on his “Carolina Calls” radio show.
“It may happen in the scrimmage this Saturday,” South Carolina’s 11th-year coach said. “They have been OK. They have not been terrible at all.”
Sophomore Connor Mitch, junior Perry Orth and freshman Michael Scarnecchia are competing for the position. The Gamecocks took Thursday off from practice so that players could concentrate on the first day of classes. They will practice again Friday evening and then scrimmage Saturday morning.
“If one of them really plays well, and we are sort of hoping one will, it’s easier on the coaches to say, ‘This is our guy,’” Spurrier said. “He doesn’t have to say, ‘Hey I’m going to win the game for us.’ He just has to play well, when a guy’s open, throw it to him.”
Closed scrimmage
Spurrier confirmed Thursday that Saturday’s scrimmage will be closed because the Gamecocks will be using some of the offensive and defensive playbook they plan to use against North Carolina on Sept. 3.
“It’d be easy for them to send a guy down here with a Gamecock T-shirt and watch,” Spurrier said.
Happy returns
Junior wide receiver Pharoh Cooper probably will be the No. 1 punt returner, Spurrier said. Running backs Shon Carson and A.J. Turner and wide receiver Deebo Samuel are competing to return kickoffs, Spurrier said.
Adams turn
Senior Jerell Adams will get his opportunity this year. What he does with it is up to him, Spurrier indicated.
“It’s just a fact of life that if you’ve got a receiver who can get open and catch, he’s going to get a lot of balls,” Spurrier said. “If Jerell can get open and catch, I hope our quarterbacks are going to toss him the ball a bunch.”