South Carolina football: Collin Hill to start versus Texas A&M

Collin Hill to make his 6th start when South Carolina football takes on Texas A&M.

The Gamecocks fell flat in a blowout loss to LSU their last time on the field, losing 52-24 in Baton Rouge, just as it seemed the program was gaining some momentum. The team was beaten in all three phases of the game, with one major area of concern being the quarterback position.

South Carolina’s experienced signal caller was outdueled by a true freshman making his first career start. Collin Hill completed less that 55% of his attempts, and threw a crucial pick six late in the first half that gave the Tigers a 21-point intermission lead.

Since that ugly defeat, Gamecock followers have been chirping about a possible move at the quarterback position. Last year’s starter Ryan Hilinski has yet to see much action, which was particularly frustrating in that LSU matchup as Hill struggled to get much going, and the game was out of hand by the third quarter.

Incoming freshman Luke Doty entered the year receiving a ton of praise from Gamecock coaches, but he, too, has been seldom used, having attempted no passes to this point and taking a few meaningless snaps at wide receiver.

With the Gamecocks having a bye week following that blowout defeat in Death Valley, the chatter for a replacement under center continued throughout the weekend. On Tuesday, though, head coach Will Muschamp announced his intentions at the quarterback position ahead of a week seven matchup with No. 7 Texas A&M.

Collin Hill will make his sixth consecutive start as Muschamp and coordinator Mike Bobo believe the veteran “gives us the best chance to win.”

Did South Carolina football make the right call at QB?

Hill has done a nice job managing the offense thus far, and his familiarity with coach Bobo’s system has obviously given him a leg up in the competition. But was this the right call?

Midway through the season, Hill has completed 61.5% of his passes for a total of 1,076 yards and five touchdowns. He’s done, for the most part, a good job of protecting the football, though two of his three interceptions have been returned for scores.

While the numbers are solid, his play has declined in each of his last few starts, culminating with his worst performance last time out. Even in the win over Auburn, Hill threw for just 144 yards, benefitting from three takeaways by the Gamecock defense.

His experience has been the major factor in the quarterback race, but should that be the only factor in leading the offense, and has he reached his ceiling?

Ryan Hilinski made 11 starts last year, going 4-7 as a true freshman in the SEC. When healthy, he looked fantastic against the likes of Alabama and Georgia. He protects the football and throws a nice deep pass, which we’ve yet to see in Hill’s arsenal.

But Hilinski also struggled at times, particularly late in the year, and the Gamecock offense finished ranked 104th nationally in scoring under his direction. Would inserting him into the lineup provide a spark? That’s an answer we’ve yet to see.

Even more talk has circulated around freshman Luke Doty, mainly due to the fact that he possesses a skill that Hill and Hilinski don’t – mobility.

Doty is one of the fastest and most athletic players on the team, regardless of position. Imagine putting another playmaker in a Carolina backfield to add to an already potent run game. His play could allow the offense to show new looks and incorporate the read option into the game plan.

It could also help the offensive line cut down on sacks, as the Gamecocks currently rank dead last in the SEC in sacks allowed, seeing opposing defenders take down their quarterback 16 times through five games.

But there are also question marks. Have his skills as a passer developed? Will inexperience play a part? Is it smart to throw a true freshman into SEC play early, or should the coaches let him get a little more comfortable with the offense?

Those are obviously factors that went into coach Muschamp’s quarterback decision. For now, we’ll stick with the coaches. But Hill should have a short leash from here on out, unless his play improves drastically next week.

In what is essentially a throw-away year for the Gamecocks, the best option may be getting all three passers involved in some way as they prepare for the future. We’ll have to wait and see how the rotation plays out this Saturday.