It wasn’t pretty, but the Will Muschamp era at South Carolina got off to a 1-0 start on Thursday night when the Gamecocks traveled to Nashville and escaped with a 13-10 victory over Vanderbilt.

Senior Perry Orth and freshman Brandon McIlwain both got reps at quarterback and, according to The State, neither did anything to suggest that they’ll lose playing time:

“We wanted to see how things went with Perry, and we wanted to get Brandon in in the first quarter and give him an opportunity,” USC coach Will Muschamp said. “He deserves to play. He deserves to start, too.”

Though Muschamp didn’t specifically address how much playing time each quarterback will receive this Saturday at Mississippi State, it sounds like a two-quarterback system is still in the works:

“We will bounce some things around, but we are going to do what it takes to win games,” he said.

While McIlwain showed more flash in the Vanderbilt game, Muschamp said Orth’s steady hand is a big plus late in games:

“We moved the football with Brandon. We have to take care of the football. That’s why we went back with Perry in the second half,” Muschamp said.

At 1-0, with a win over an SEC East opponent, the Gamecocks currently sit atop the division standings. After the Bulldogs lost 21-20 to South Alabama on Saturday, a 2-0 start is well within reach for Muschamp and the Gamecocks.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.