Sept. 15, 2015

Head Ball Coach Steve Spurrier

Opening statement
Looking forward to playing the University of Georgia. I was watching the tape of our game last year, one of the best offensive games we’ve had around here in a long time. Dylan Thompson and the receivers all played very well, we were fortunate to eek out a victory. Right now we’re not moving the ball quite as well as we were back then, but we feel like we have a chance to match up with Georgia. Vandy played them tough last week, Vandy stayed on the field, made some fourth downs, sort of played keep-away with the ball and had a chance late in the fourth quarter but they threw a pick for a score. Georgia is like always, fast on defense, run the ball extremely well. They don’t throw it as much as they did when (Aaron) Murray was there, but they’re still very capable, outstanding receivers, they’re always in the top ten in recruiting and they have tremendous athletes across the board. We have to go play a little bit better than we’ve been playing. We have to play without some really careless mistakes that hurt us last week.

Just briefly on last week, our fans were super, sensational, loud. We had a bunch of recruits here and even though we didn’t win the game it was impressive to those guys. The new stadium and all the beautification here just adds to South Carolina and South Carolina football so we’re appreciative of all that. Now we have to do a better job on the field coaching our players, and our players have to play more disciplined that what we’ve been doing.

Have you seen any change in Perry since he’s been named the starter?
We’ve just had one practice since Perry’s now the starter and he was pretty much the same as always. He played pretty well the other not, obviously the last play was a careless interception on first down that really hurt us. Other than that he did a nice job of throwing it around, handing it off and catching the snaps. We probably moved the ball with Perry in there the second half the best we have all year.

Are you surprised with the way Perry has handled himself so far?
No, not really, he’s a mature young man. He throws a nice pass as you can see, when he takes his steps and gets protection and throws it he can throw a beautiful pass. He’s been here, what, three years now, earned a scholarship preseason, so if we can protect him and get some guys open he’s very capable.

Do you like to see the walk-ons earning spots in the starting lineup, or is it a statement on the scholarship players not meeting expectations?
Yeah, the scholarship guys have not been quite the hit that we thought they were going to be. But again, we give everybody a chance and sometimes these walk-on players, I don’t know if they work a little harder or are out to prove more, but it has turned out that over the years I’ve had a lot of good walk-on players.

Junior QB Perry Orth

On the atmosphere in the locker room
Saturday was a tough one, but I think we’re doing a good job of putting it in the past, trying to move forward. We understand Saturday is a very big game for us, everyone is excited for the next opportunity to get out there and try to turn it around.

Is the preparation for this week any different now that you’ve been named the starter?
No, last week and the week before I prepared like I was starting so that if I got a chance I’d be best prepared to play. I’m going to continue what I’ve been doing the last couple weeks and hopefully that will translate to success on Saturday

Does it seem like a blur to go from being a walk-on to starting
It’s been quite a journey, I’ve been blessed. First and foremost I have to thank God for the opportunity and for Coach Spurrier and Coach Mangus for even giving me the chance to walk on here. Two and a half years ago I was the sixth-string quarterback and a walk-on, it’s been quite a ride and I’m just so thankful for the opportunity. It’s been a humbling experience and its been a blessing.

Did you every worry that a moment like this would come for you?
I never really thought about that, all I’ve ever wanted to do was just work as hard as I possibly could to give myself a chance and that’s all I’ve ever wanted was just an opportunity to prove myself and the coaches let me do that. I’ve tried to make the most of my opportunities, it has been an awesome journey.

Did you ever feel in your first few years here that you were in too deep or made the wrong choice coming here?
Absolutely not. I wouldn’t replace my years here for anything in the world. I’ve met some awesome friends, my two roommates are my best friends in the world. I’ve had an absolute wonderful experience here, the journey has been awesome.

On Shon Carson’s running style
Shon is an awesome runner, he just finds little cracks. Sometimes after I give him the ball I don’t even see them and I don’t know how he gets through them, but he finds them and he hits them full speed. That’s what makes him difficult to tackle, especially because he’s a little bit shorter so he can hide behind the offensive line pretty well and when he hits those little creases he is rolling out of there. It’s pretty awesome to watch.

Have you had a chance to talk to Connor Mitch?
Yeah, me and Michael Scarnecchia went and visited him in the hospital on Sunday. He’s doing better, I think he’s getting out today. I have talked to him since Sunday but he was doing better. So unfortunate about what happened with him, I feel bad. A lot of people get caught up in that competition and ‘are you still friends?’, absolutely, we’re best friends. I was his roommate for a year and a half in the dorms, first priority was going and making sure my friend was okay. It’s not about football, I had to get in there and make sure he’s okay.