Aug. 25, 2014

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Just three days remain before the South Carolina football team opens the 2014 season against the Texas A&M Aggies. The Gamecocks continued their preparations for Thursday’s lidlifter with a two-hour workout at the Bluff Road practice fields on Monday night.

Quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus believes that fifth-year senior Dylan Thompson is ready to take over the reins as the starting signal-caller for the Gamecocks in 2014. “He’s had a good camp,” noted Mangus. “He’s excited and ready to go. Dylan knows it’s his game from start to finish.”

If Thompson would have to leave the game, Mangus would not divulge if Connor Mitch or Perry Orth would be the next man up. “They’re both doing some good things,” said Mangus. “They’re both young. They both haven’t played a bunch. They’re splitting a bunch of reps in practice. Right now, it’s all about knowledge. The more they play the better they get. We’ll see how it goes.”

Offensive line coach Shawn Elliott said he has not yet made a decision if Cody Waldrop or Will Sport would be the starter at right guard, following the knee injury to Mike Matulis. “They’ve both been working. Cody has been working at guard. Will has been working at center and guard.” Coach Spurrier indicated earlier in the week that Waldrop might be better suited for guard than center, something that would require some change, according to Elliott. “The first change is it takes the responsibility of snapping the football. It gives him the opportunity of being more aggressive,” said Elliott. “Playing the center position, you have to understand both sides of it. You’ve got to be an intelligent guy to go out here and make the right calls.”

The Gamecocks will return to the practice fields on Tuesday at 4 p.m. In addition, Coach Spurrier will have his weekly “Carolina Calls” radio show on Tuesday night from Wild Wings Café in the Vista.