Thanks for the effort, Michael Scarnecchia. Now get back on the sidelines, grab a clipboard and throw on a visor. Probably.
Because of an injury to Jake Bentley, Scarnecchia, a fifth-year senior, made his first career start in this past Saturday’s 37-35 win over Missouri. And Scarnecchia acquitted himself well, completing 20-of-35 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns -- and no interceptions despite the weather conditions -- as the Gamecocks pushed their record in SEC play back to .500 at 2-2.
Tuesday, Will Muschamp stated that Bentley, who suffered a Grade 1 MCL sprain in the Week 5 loss to Kentucky, was a full go in practice earlier in the day. And, despite Scarnecchia’s play -- and a push from some segment of the fan base for the backup to become the starter moving forward -- the head coach stated that Bentley will return as the starter for Saturday’s game against Texas A&M if he’s healthy.
Will Muschamp says that if Jake Bentley is healthy for Saturday, he'll be the starter. @wachfox pic.twitter.com/fhvyvtlFJt
— Mike Uva (@Mike_Uva) October 9, 2018
That said...
“But I told Jake and Mike, both of them need to be ready to go play,” Muschamp said by way of Rivals.com. “We’ve got two guys we can go win with and that’s good to have.”
For the season, Bentley has completed 64 percent of his 132 passes for 928 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions. The true junior is currently eighth among SEC quarterbacks and 77th nationally with a 131.1 pass efficiency rating.