Yes, everyone, that's right. In case you haven't heard by now, the Gamecocks' starting quarterback for the Arkansas game is (drum roll, please)...
Blake Mitchell.
He keeps going and going and going...
So how does The Man of 1,000 Passer Ratings feel?
"I've just been sitting there waiting patiently trying to be ready at any time," Mitchell said, "and finally got my chance and went in there and did some decent things." ...
Mitchell said his success is linked to playing with loose confidence. He says he "lets it go."
"Yeah, that's what I did last week," Mitchell said, "just pretty much went out there with nothing to lose and just played as hard as I could and tried to make as few mistakes as possible."
Am I the only one who thinks Mitchell is starting to sound like Spurrier. Take the name off the quotes, strip out a few words essential to proper grammar, and you get:
"Just been sitting there, waiting patiently, trying to be ready at any time. Finally got a chance, went in there, did some decent things. ... Just pretty much went out there, nothing to lose, just played, tried to make as few mistakes as possible."
But I digress.
So is this just a one-game move? According to the Post and Courier:
Spurrier has said he's hopeful Mitchell holds the job the rest of the year.
This almost certainly means that Mitchell will be replaced as starter before the Florida game.
'Forever to thee' The Arkansas game -- and maybe the matchup with Clemson -- will include memorials to those lost in the beach house fire.
When the Gamecocks take the field Saturday at Arkansas, players will wear helmet stickers reading, "Forever to Thee," the closing words to the school's alma mater. A moment of silence will be observed before the 8 p.m. kickoff at Razorbacks Stadium, USC athletics director Eric Hyman said. ...
"I think we can probably bring some happiness to the town, to the school, and just cheer everybody up," [strong safety Emanuel] Cook said. "We can have a good game, and do this for the people that we lost." ...
Spurrier is uncertain whether the Gamecocks will wear the helmet stickers for the remainder of the season. Hyman said officials are considering honoring the victims before the USC-Clemson game Nov. 24 in Columbia. A Clemson student also died in the fire.
Wear the stickers through the end of the year, or at least through the Clemson game. There's nothing that could be more important to play for.
Not a doctor. Call him a genius, and many have. Call him an SOB, and many have. But don't call him a physician.
Coach Steve Spurrier confirmed the surgery, [Dustin] Lindsey's second this year. He underwent surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament last spring, then returned to play in USC's second game when he re-injured the knee.
"That first game, when he covered that kickoff, he hurt his knee again, and they were hoping it wasn't that serious, but he needs another surgery to repair some cartilage or something in there," Spurrier said.
Looking for leaders. Cory Boyd -- who's quickly becoming South Carolina's answer to Mike Hart as the good running back/human being we don't deserve -- isn't being silent anymore. Thankfully. Because, well, the leaders that were vocal without him...
"I wish you guys could've been there in the locker room at halftime against Tennessee," Boyd said. "Some of the younger guys were speaking up and it blew my mind to see that, and it let me know that the program has turned out."
Redshirt freshman Nick Prochak's role -- a stirring halftime speech in Knoxville -- has already been talked about. But Boyd revealed that a few kickers were also involved.
"That was really good to see," Boyd said. "They don't get to be shown too much."
So the team's leaders are now freshmen and kickers?
One can hope they have better success than Ryan Succop last week.