Arguments For and Against Starting Connor Shaw Against Alabama
by Gamecock Man on Sep 28, 2025 7:27 PM EDT
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This is the second part of a series on who should start against Alabama. I'll choose a side tomorrow and provide a rationale. You can vote in the poll and continue to provide your take in the comments section.
Pros
We know what we're getting with Stephen Garcia, and while it may include some good play from time to time, we can probably assume it will also include some serious mistakes that we can't afford to make in a game in which the margin for error will be razor thin. We don't know exactly what we'll get if Connor Shaw starts, but it may--emphasis on may--be better than what Garcia brings.
Shaw, from the limited amount of evidence we have available to us, makes better decisions on his feet. This is really important considering our line woes in pass protection and the new zone-read philosophy behind our offense. Shaw seems to make better option reads and have a better sense of when to scramble on passing plays. He also made a wise decision to go out of bounds on a run last week, which is exactly the kind of thing Garcia has tended to choose not to do.
Cons
Shaw has never started a game, and this one is against what will likely be the top-ranked team in the country. Starting him here would be tantamount to throwing him to the wolves. Garcia, on the other hand, has started before, and although his ability to perform well under pressure is questionable, he does seem to play better at home--see Tennessee 2008, Ole Miss 2009, Clemson 2009, etc. I believe he has something like a 10-2 home record as starter, with the losses being LSU 2008 and Florida 2009, in both of which he had some positive moments.
We know we're going to get some mistakes with Garcia, but we'll probably get them with Shaw, too. He's a true freshman, after all, and he'll be going up against a Saban defense that is bound to confuse him with its unpredictable blitz and coverage schemes. Shaw may protect the ball better on the run, but his first interception against Auburn suggests that he may not be ready to face SEC coverage schemes, especially against 'Bama.
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Bluntly, I'd rather see more Wild Cock / Gilmore
than debate whether a true FR is ready to start in place of a RS Junior against the number 1 team in the nation.
I’ve said before that if Garcia has topped out mentally this year, then I’d rather see Connor’s learning mistakes than Steven’s repeat errors. But I will caveat that we shouldnt hand Connor the reins against Alabama. Alabama made Penn State’s frosh QB look like a chump; they Mallet look bad at home.
In either event, I’m ready for Gilmore. Bama ran their Wildcat in the 4th against Arkansas to devastating effect. Lets try to give the Tide a taste of their own medicine.
by tryptic67 on Sep 28, 2025 8:06 PM EDT reply actions
I'd rather not see Gilmore out there under center.
Gilmore is too important to our defense, which isn’t exactly swimming in depth as it is. If you want the Wild Cock, I think Shaw could run it serviceably.
Connor Shaw is the future - no doubt. I don’t want to trot him out there as the full-time starter and watch him commit frosh mistakes all year. Shaws seems leagues ahead of where Garcia was in 2007, but he still doesn’t look as good as Garcia to me.
I remember Garcia throwing a similar interception to Connor’s first one against Auburn. I think it was against LSU in 2007 and it was a pure freshman mistake. Shaw could win some games this year, but not enough. Not this year.
Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina
by The Feathered Warrior on Sep 28, 2025 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I wouldn't mind seeing more Wild Cock.
And I have to kind of agree with FW—I think Shaw would run it quite well. He seems to be excellent running with the football, and he’s presumably a better passer than Gilmore, making it difficult for the defense to sell out against the run if we use it.
At any rate, another side of this conversation is just that we need to start using more of our weapons. Alshon and Lattimore are monsters, but we have plenty of other playmakers on this team. They need to see the ball more. Vary it up, Spurrier.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Sep 28, 2025 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Garcia Bandwagon
I’ve been driving the Garcia bandwagon for some time, and I don’t really see any reason to jump over to Shaw’s side right now. Last I checked, Garcia had a really good game against Auburn- 235 yards, 71% completion rate, 3 TDs, no int. He had two extremely costly fumbles because he got his world rocked by linebackers who were highly recruited to rock quaterbacks’ worlds (seriously, why can’t Garcia get down earlier like a self-respecting big time passing QB?).
But if I wanted to pass blame around for this game, I certainly wouldn’t put it all on Garcia’s shoulders. I might blame the defense for allowing Newton to run all over us Darren McFadden style. Or I might blame Connor Shaw for throwing an easily intercepted pass over the middle of the field followed by a poor decision to force a throw into triple coverage on the next drive. Or I might blame myself for getting my hopes up for the game.
What I’m trying to say here is that I think Shaw has a lot of talent. His throws look nice, his running looks nice, and he does not have a ridiculous haircut. But I’m not convinced that he gives us a better chance to win, and I certainly don’t see any reason to pull Garcia when he really had a good game on Saturday (we did score 27 points).
by MedCocky on Sep 28, 2025 10:24 PM EDT reply actions
Garcia did have a great air game
but he is a careless runner … his biggest running sins last year were happy feet and failing to hold the ball at three points … his biggest sin this year is a bonehead mentality that he can put his head down and blow through SEC linebackers. Steven’s lucky he wasn’t more badly hurt than he appears to have been … and from what Ive heard, the second fumble can be linked to still being dazed/confused.
I definitely think Auburn out-schemed Spurrier and Ellis Johnson. on D, we never spied Cam Newton. We let him run free. Sure, we shut down their RB’s until late in the second half, but by then Newton had put the dagger in our heart.
Ultimately, it is like hell to win on the road in this league. Off the top of my head, there have been only four road wins this season (Aub over MSU week 1; Vandy over Ole Miss week 3; Arkansas over UGA week 3; Bama over Ark week 4). If you divide the league into the six top and six bottom teams (and I still place us in the top 6), then there has only been one top over top road win, and that was Bama over Ark and Bama had to come from behind.
There’s no shame in losing to Auburn - the bigger shame is if we let the nightmare of four 4th quarter turn-over haunt us. We have a legit shot against Bama (though the Tide will clearly be favored). Find a way to beat Bama, and the pain in the Plains will be a distant memory.
by tryptic67 on Sep 29, 2025 8:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Duh, I forgot UF over UT, and LSU over Vandy
but i still think my point holds …. maybe i should refine it by saying its incredibly difficult to beat an “upper division” team at home and only Bama has acheived it so far.
by tryptic67 on Sep 29, 2025 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Garcia should start
I agree starting Connor against Bama is akin to throwing him to the wolves. I would, however, like to see him get some action out there if the game permits - even if it’s the WildCock or option read plays. I also think Gilmore should be used at QB in the WildCock. Football is a game where you can get hurt on any play at any time at any position. Should all caution be thrown to the wind with Gilmore? No, but I disagree with all the talk that we can’t afford to chance an injury by letting him run and/or throw it. To beat Bama, we’re going to have to throw everything at them and take some risks and hope they pay off.
by Skulls and Spurs on Sep 29, 2025 10:43 AM EDT reply actions
Yeah...
You’re right there. Sometimes you have to take risks, and one of those times is when you have a chance to beat a team that hasn’t lost in over a year.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Sep 29, 2025 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions
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