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Perry Orth will remain South Carolina’s starting quarterback, despite the imminent return of two other signal callers from injury.
On Sunday, interim head coach Shawn Elliott said he was sticking with Orth as the Gamecocks’ quarterback.
“I think Perry, right now, is our solid starter,” Elliott said during his teleconference Sunday. “He’s playing really well, we thought, against Vanderbilt, and (he’ll) continue to do well in practice and make good decisions. He has the backing of our football team at this moment. The guys believe in how hard he works and his preparation. … He’s the solid starter at this time. We’ll see how it all plays out, but right now, Perry’s the guy.”
Lorenzo Nunez is expected to return to practice this week. So is Connor Mitch, who has not played since getting injured in South Carolina’s game against Kentucky on Sept. 12. Elliott said that Nunez’s progress will be determined on a day-to-day basis, but that Mitch is still a long way away from returning to action.
“I think (Connor’s) still got some time to go,” Elliott said. “He’s becoming more confident, stepping in there and doing a lot more. We’ll play it by ear. It was a serious situation he went through. He lost a bunch of weight and strength. As he gets further away from that injury, he’s becoming a much better player.”
Orth, a junior, has played in all seven of South Carolina’s games this season. He has passed for 755 yards and four touchdowns, with four interceptions. Nunez, a freshman, has thrown for 374 yards and three touchdowns in four games, and has been picked off three times. Mitch, a sophomore, has thrown for 165 yards and one touchdown in two games.
