Dylan Thompson Is Having A Record Setting Season
By Chris Carey
In the midst of the Gamecocks going 4-4 so far and disappointing many people including themselves, quarterback Dylan Thompson is having a record setting season. That’s right, record setting, as in best of all time, as in possibly breaking every major single season record for South Carolina quarterbacks. Last year saw Connor Shaw move to hero status with his gutsy performances and leading the team to their third straight 11 win season and Shaw was undefeated at home. Over the years the Gamecocks have had big local names like Todd Ellis, Steve Tanneyhill, Stephen Garcia, Blake Mitchell, Tommy Suggs, and Mike Hold lead the team with some strong games, seasons, and careers along the way.
But what Dylan is doing is special, and could be monumental in Gamecock history. Really. Does that surprise you? Well look past the losses and disappointment, and take a look at how he’s doing, and how close he is to setting several schools records.
Single Season Passing Yards
| Year | Name | Yards |
| 1987 | Todd Ellis | 3,206 |
| 1995 | Steve Tanneyhill | 3,094 |
| 2010 | Stephen Garcia | 3,054 |
| 2009 | Stephen Garcia | 2,862 |
| 1991 | Bobby Fuller | 2,524 |
| 2013 | Connor Shaw | 2,447 |
| 1990 | Bobby Fuller | 2,372 |
| 2005 | Blake Mitchell | 2,370 |
| 2000 | Phil Petty | 2,285 |
| 2014 | Dylan Thompson | 2,241 |
So Dylan is 10th already on the single season passing yardage list behind some of the biggest names in Gamecock history. This means he also has more yards than many guys who played several years but aren’t on the list like Mike Hold, Syvele Newton, and Anthony Wright. With 4 games left, including South Alabama as one of them, Dylan only needs less than 1,000 yards to become the single season record holder for passing yards in a single season by a Gamecock quarterback, eclipsing a mark that’s been there for more than 25 years.
Single Season Touchdown Passes
| Year | Name | TDs |
| 1995 | Steve Tanneyhill | 29 |
| 2013 | Connor Shaw | 24 |
| 2014 | Dylan Thompson | 20 |
| 1986 | Todd Ellis | 20 |
| 2010 | Stephen Garcia | 20 |
From this list, you can see Thompson is ALREADY third all-time tied with Stephen Garcia whom he played with, and the now voice of the Gamecocks Todd Eliss. It puts him only behind Connor Shaw’s great season last year, and Steve Tanneyhill from almost 20 years ago. With four games left, Thompson needs 10 TDs to break that all-time record. That’s a lot in four games, but it’s right on pace with what he has been doing all season.
Thompson isn’t Connor Shaw, nor should he want to be. However, fans try and hold Thompson to that standard, and that’s not fair to him. He’s having an amazing season, regardless of any mistakes he has made. Not only amazing, but most likely record-setting. As in best…..of all time in South Carolina history. Think about that Saturday night when you watch him play against Tennessee.