South Carolina QB Connor Mitch prognosis looking better, out four to six weeks with separated shoulder

There's a little bit of good news regarding South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Connor Mitch. After separating his shoulder last night in a loss to Kentucky, Steve Spurrier updated Mitch's status during his weekly teleconference on Sunday and reported that instead of missing the rest of the season (as originally expected), he should be out from four to six weeks.

On top of that, Mitch, as you'll remember, suffered a hip injury against North Carolina in the season opener last Thursday. That has become infected and he has been checked into the hospital, where he'll remain for a few days to get that taken care of.

Although there's the possibility that Mitch could return later on in the season, it's likely that he won't play much right away. That's especially considering the control and poise the offense had as backup quarterback Perry Orth entered the game in his place. Orth finished the evening with a strong stat line, going 13 of 20 for 179 yards and a touchdown, the first of his career. He did throw a critical interception late with the Gamecocks driving in the fourth quarter that gave the ball back to the Wildcats and allowed them to run out the clock. But he will be tested much more  in his first career start against Georgia in Athens on Saturday.

We'll keep you posted throughout the next few weeks on Mitch's developing status, but it's good to hear that a potentially season-ending injury has turned out to be something a little less serious.