All Hail the QB
Coach Will Muschamp faced a dilemma. Halfway through his first season, his offense was dead last in America in scores. Recognizing the team’s 14-point average was not acceptable, he burned a red-shirt. Had he not enrolled early at USC, Jake Bentley would have been under center at his high school Friday night. His inexperience in college ball did not show, however, as he propelled the nation’s most sluggish scoring offense to victory.
The Gamecock faithful are stoked. At long last, they seem to have finally found their man. It’s only a matter of time before Bentley takes his rightful place amongst other Gamecock legends. The Bentley name will soon be spoken alongside the names Shaw and Taneyhill.
Hold your horses, Gamecock Nation
Doesn’t all this hype sound just a slight bit familiar?
Only a month ago, another true freshman took the reins in his first career start. Brandon McIlwain led the Gamecocks to a 20-15 win over ECU in the home opener. Much of the hype that now buzzes around Bentley was only recently centered around McIlwain. It sounds all too familiar, seeing how McIlwain was also praised for his poise in the pocket and decision making ability.
Jake Bentley vs. Brandon McIlwain
We are talking about two very different, yet also very similar, signal callers. Brandon McIlwain is a dual-threat QB, who can also shred a defense in a hurry with his legs. Jake Bentley, on the other hand, is a pro-style passer with a howitzer for an arm.
So, where exactly do the similarities come in? Look no further than each player’s career start for that answer.
Brandon McIlwain completed 16 of 28 passes for 195 yards against the Pirates. He also put his legs to good use, netting 34 yards and two scores on the ground.
How did Jake Bentley fare? Saturday, his passing tally on the day was 17 complete of 27 attempts for 201 yards. A pair of those ended in scores. Bentley scrambled on several occasions with mixed results. McIlwain popped in a handful of times and tacked on 17 yards in designed run plays.
There is not a whole lot of separation to be seen between the two. One could argue, however, that the 2-5 Pirates are a worthier opponent than the 1-7 Minutemen. Furthermore, Brandon McIlwain didn’t have have the luxury of Deebo Samuel; the standout wide receiver was out with an injury.
After McIlwain’s respectable debut, his stats slumped. He completed half of his 30 passes against the Wildcats his second start, and was benched halfway through his third against the Aggies.
Will Bentley face a similar challenge?
It’a safe to say Bentley will lead USC into battle against the Vols this coming weekend. Each and every position will have to improve in order to pull off this upset. Only time will tell if Bentley is the real deal as many believe. However, his ability and accuracy in getting the ball downfield is currently the best on the roster.
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