Gamecocks Should Use Multiple QB Approach
By Chris Carey
With so much talent on the roster, the Gamecocks should use multiple QB approach going forward instead of just trying to narrow it down to one guy. Steve Spurrier is very fortunate to have so many talented guys on his team at quarterback. Although it made it very difficult to name one person THE starter considering none of them had seen much playing time, it gives them a different sort of competitive advantage.
Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Most teams are happy to just have that one guy to rely on, because he’s usually the big name guy who leads the team. The problem with that approach these days is something always seems to happen and then what? Plus with the one QB system, teams are able to spend all week gearing up against the one guy.
If the one QB system is pretty much the standard in football, then why should the Gamecocks be any different?
1) USC has 4 very young, yet very talented quarterbacks on the team. There’s no guy who’s been waiting (Thompson), or who’s already been leading the team for several seasons (Shaw). Although they’re good, none of them need to stress about playing time yet before they’re gone. As good as they all are, none of them are leaving for the pros anytime real soon, so why not use several of them and play to each one’s strengths?
2) All of them would bring something different to the team in the moment. Connor Mitch and Perry Orth seem similar, but they’re not exactly the same. Lorenzo Nunez is the exciting dual threat true freshman. Michael Scarnecchia seems to be left out of the public conversation, but he did lead the team in the spring game earlier this year. Having different guys in there forces your opponent to spend time thinking, planning, and practicing towards all the possibilities, not just the one.
3) There are so many young receivers that no real on-field relationships have been established anyways, and knowing that each qb might have different go-to guys, it gets more of the young receivers involved as well.
4) Pharoh Cooper. He is the real star of the offense, and we don’t need to overuse him. Sure, the HBC should line him up in the Wildcat formation from time to time, but it shouldn’t be a crutch. Plus, we don’t have the receiving corps we did last year, so we need him at receiver as much as possible. If we want a true running quarterback once in a while to throw off the defense, why not bring in Lorenzo Nunez once in a while? Maybe even with Pharoh still lined up in the slot, or even at running back next to Nunez?
Connor Mitch got off to a little shaky start Thursday night, but he rebounded and looked very much in control as Sanders Early wrote about previously. However, he still didn’t look like an SEC star QB, at least not yet. This is nothing against him, he just needs time, and to some extent, this gives him that. He could still start, but just not play the entire game. With Steve Spurrier as head coach, and the amount of raw talent at quarterback, the different strengths each brings, and as Ashley Kay Stark talked about our lackluster offense, it only makes sense to use multiple quarterbacks at this point to give the offense the most weapons available.
Next: Gamecocks Fans Confident Heading Into Game Two
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