Spurrier more inclined to go on fourth down than kick field goals
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier didn’t see the need for mystery before the Gamecocks’ first SEC home game, declaring junior quarterback Connor Shaw the starter against Missouri.
Shaw, who injured his right shoulder in the season opener against Vanderbilt, started on Saturday against Alabama-Birmingham, but had to leave the game after taking a hard hit at the end of the first half. Sophomore Dylan Thompson finished the game at quarterback, completing 5-of-10 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Thompson played the entire game against East Carolina, tallying 330 yards and three touchdowns.
On his Sunday teleconference, Spurrier said Shaw had a hairline fracture in his shoulder and that his status for the game would be evaluated in the same way it had been for the last two weeks: seeing if he could throw in practice and making a decision from there. After seeing Shaw throw at Monday night’s practice, Spurrier had seen enough.
“I think he could have played the second half the other night,” Spurrier said. “He just had some quick pain right there, and I think the trainers halfway told him ‘you’re finished’ because we were ahead a little bit. I think if he had to play, he could have played the other night.”
Spurrier said he’s not worried about defenses targeting Shaw’s shoulder because there aren’t “dirty teams out there like there used to be some days back,” but Spurrier said he does believe that hits on the quarterback should be restricted more, since he’s a defenseless player.
“We talk about all these defenseless guys getting hit,” Spurrier said. “Well, how come they’re not worried about the quarterback getting hit? If he throws it, the guy wrapped him up, he buried him after he’d thrown the ball ... A quarterback’s defenseless. If you just knock him down, that’s part of football. A guy’s running right at him and he can’t avoid him. But they don’t have to bury the quarterback.”
Injury update: Spurrier said wide receiver Bruce Ellington will be fine to play this week against Missouri after suffering a shoulder sprain against UAB. Spurrier said cornerback Akeem Auguste, who injured his groin in the preseason, will return to the field this season, though it probably won’t be until the game at Kentucky on Sept. 29.
“I saw him doing some drills over there with the trainers and strength coaches,” Spurrier said. “I think they’re going to hold him out until maybe next week, but he’s getting pretty close. Akeem will certainly be back this year unless he re-injures the groin muscle.”
Not a field goal fan: Spurrier has attempted just two field goals this season, both in the red zone, but he doesn’t find that unusual.
“Usually, the team that scores touchdowns is much better off,” Spurrier said. “I’d rather go for a touchdown and miss and go for one and get one than two field goals ... Just trying to go for touchdowns. We’ve been a lot better with Marcus (Lattimore) here and the ability to run it in. The first three or four years here, we couldn’t run it in much from the 4- or 5-yard line. So now we can. That’s very, very helpful.”
Spurrier said in his personal experience, whenever his team goes for four or five field goals, it gets beat.
Kickoff announced: South Carolina’s game at Kentucky on Sept. 29 will be a 7 p.m. kickoff and will be televised on ESPN.