There are 68 days till college football season, and today we focus on the most important position the football field: Quarterback.
Ever since Connor Shaw graduated in 2013, the South Carolina Gamecocks have struggled to find an answer at the quarterback position. But in 2016, they may have finally found their answer, even if the guy is still supposed to be in high school.
And that leads us to no. 68 on the Southbound and Down College Football Countdown.
South Carolina’s Jake Bentley completed 68 percent of his passes in conference play in 2016.
Must Read: 69 for SEC scoring leader
Technically, Jake Bentley completed 67.9 percent of his passes, but who’s counting? After a 2-4 start to the 2016 season, Bentley took over as the starting quarterback. South Carolina went 4-3 with Bentley as the starter, including 2-1 in SEC play.
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Jake Bentley against SEC competition:
Tennessee (W): 15-for-20, 167 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Missouri (W): 22-for-28, 254 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Florida (L): 18-for-33, 213 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Bentley completed 64.2 percent of his passes in non-conference play, so his 67.9 percent mark in conference play was actually better. But the most important thing that Bentley has brought to Columbia is hope.
After three consecutive 11-win seasons from 2011-2013, the South Carolina Gamecocks took nosedive. They’ve gone 16-22 over the last three seasons, including a 1-7 record in SEC play.
But everything changed on Oct. 29. No. 18 Tennessee came into Columbia with a 5-2 record, while the Gamecocks came in at 3-4. The Gamecock defense was spectacular, holding Joshua Dobbs to 161 yards while turning the Volunteers over three times on their way to a 24-21 upset.
It was South Carolina’s second conference win of the season and their first win over a ranked opponent since beating no. 6 Georgia in 2014.
South Carolina might not be a legitimate SEC title contender in 2016, but they might be closer than you think. And it all depends on the play of Jake Bentley.