Gamecocks set to face Kentucky backup QB, not for the first time
Whenever South Carolina football faces off against a backup quarterback, there’s a sense of dread that pervades the fan base.
Perhaps it’s not rational. Perhaps it’s only remembering the bad moments, but instances such as Drew Lock’s first start, Johnny Manziel’s replacement, Josh Dobbs, E.J. Manuel and others color memories.
And this week, the Gamecocks will be facing an unusual backup.
When Sawyer Smith joined the Kentucky Wildcats, he was leaving a situation at Troy where his head coach left. He’d stepped in for an injured starter last year, going 5-2 and leading the Trojans to a 10-win season.
His path as a grad transfer in Lexington seemed to be sitting out a year behind Terry Wilson and stepping in next year. They Wilson went down, and suddenly, the offense the Gamecocks will face this week is in his hands.
“He has legs,” USC coach Will Muschamp said. “I wouldn’t say he’s Terry Wilson, but he has legs. He’s been able to extend plays for them. He was a really good runner at Troy. So, we’ve done a lot of research as far as those things are concerned.”
Wilson ran for 547 yards last season, while Smith had about 199 in his half-season of play. Smith had also put up respectable numbers through the air, with 1,669 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.
His time leading the Wildcats has been a little rocky. Against Florida, he had 267 passing yards but paired a trio of interceptions with three total scores in a close loss. He hurt his shoulder against Mississippi State, going 15-for-41 and averaging 15.5 yards per completion.
Smith had X-rays taken during the MSU game and is some level of questionable for Saturday. Should he not play, that role falls to former three-star recruit Walker Wood. This won’t be the first time USC faces a new starter in the past six years, when the Wildcats have carved out a five-game winning streak.
Stephen Johnson made his first career start against the Gamecocks in 2017. He threw for 135 yards, ran for 6 and mostly handed off in a grinding win. Last year, Wilson had settled in as the starter by the time the teams faced off in Week 5.
Despite a new face and a different presence back there, Muschamp doesn’t expect a much different looking offense. He’s worked with and coached against UK offensive coordinator Eddy Gran, a coach who likes to come downhill and often bring in extra tight ends.
“I don’t know that how much it changes, you know, what they do,” Muschamp said. “They want to run the football play action, and that’s kinda their mantra since Eddy’s been there. So, but I don’t know how much it changes it.”
NEXT
Who: Kentucky at South Carolina
When: 7:30 pm Saturday, Sept. 28
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia
TV: SEC Network
Line: South Carolina by 3
This story was originally published September 25, 2019 at 11:55 AM with the headline "Gamecocks set to face Kentucky backup QB, not for the first time."