Video: Steve Spurrier says Connor Mitch ‘has chance to be our QB the entire season’
Published:
Nine days before South Carolina’s season opener in Charlotte against North Carolina, Steve Spurrier named his starting quarterback after Tuesday’s practice, expressing confidence in redshirt sophomore Connor Mitch.
Opening statement naming a starter:
“We’re going to give him every opportunity to take the reins and run with it. We’re going to give him every chance to be the starting quarterback the entire year. the compassion was extremely close, but we got to make a decision and we felt he was slightly ahead maybe.
“As long as he takes care of the ball and keeps his head calm, he very easily could be the quarterback for the entire year barring injury.”
On why Mitch was the right guy for the job:
“I felt like he was slightly ahead of the other guys and a little bit better prepared. What the competition has done has got two other guys ready to play. (Connor’s) been here a little longer than the other guys and I think he’s prepared well this offseason.”
On the competition:
“It was close, you guys watched it. Statistically, there wasn’t much difference at all. Sometimes you just got to make a decision.”
On Mitch’s 3 INTs during scrimmage play:
“He turns the ball loose a couple times, but hopefully he’ll learn from it.”
On idea Mitch was the starter heading into camp:
“We had to let them compete. Nobody had done enough to say he’s it. They’ve all done pretty well. None of them have been terrible. We’re going to get behind him. This is not a ‘hey, you’re starting and you’re going second quarter.’ It’s none of that. He’s got a chance to be the quarterback. Hopefully he’ll go the distance against the Tar Heels and be ready for the next game.
On Mitch’s No. 2:
“I would say that Perry Orth and (Michael) Scarnecchia are very close. Perry’s a little older, he might go in there second, but we’ll worry about that when the times comes.”
On Lorenzo Nunez playing in opener:
“We’ll put him out there somewhere, I’m not sure where right now but hopefully he’ll be on the field.”
