Too many Gamecock fans underrate Connor Shaw.

[Kazak]

I've grown so weary of certain fans belly-aching about Connor Shaw and calling him "average." I've seen that word thrown around in numerous threads.

Connor's passer rating is 3rd best in the SEC at the moment, behind only Aaron Murray and AJ McCarron. (Yes, his passer rating is slightly ahead of Johhny Manziel's, believe it or not.) In addition to his passing numbers, he's a tremendous running QB (far better than Murray or McCarron, although not quite as elite as Manziel in that area). He also happens to be 16 - 3 as a starter! It is an empirical fact that Connor Shaw is an excellent college quarterback...far above freakin' average.

Can he improve? Yes. If he's fully healthy next season, and if he refines certain areas of his game that still need a little tweaking, he is capable of finishing his career in truly spectacular fashion.

In the meantime, if I hear that Connor is "average" again, I'm going postal!

[TheUSCMike]

Congratulations, you have started another thread that is sure to turn into another of the many Shaw bashing threads around here.

[CoverTwo]

I'm breaking the rules, but here is a c&p quote from Spurrier's post game I got from a pay site.

“I’m sitting there, ‘You have to throw it somewhere, Connor. You can’t take off every play,’” Spurrier said. “I know they had pretty good coverage, I guess. They had very good coverage. I couldn’t get him to turn it loose. Finally, he turned a few loose. Most of them were pretty short ones, but we did hit a couple of comebacks there.”

My one, and only real problem, with him is that he leaves too many big plays on the field. Give the skill guys a chance, man.

[cofcgamecock9]

Originally Posted by Kazak

I've grown so weary of certain fans belly-aching about Connor Shaw and calling him "average." I've seen that word thrown around in numerous threads.

Connor's passer rating is 3rd best in the SEC at the moment, behind only Aaron Murray and AJ McCarron. (Yes, his passer rating is slightly ahead of Johhny Manziel's, believe it or not.) In addition to his passing numbers, he's a tremendous running QB (far better than Murray or McCarron, although not quite as elite as Manziel in that area). He also happens to be 16 - 3 as a starter! It is an empirical fact that Connor Shaw is an excellent college quarterback...far above freakin' average.

Can he improve? Yes. If he's fully healthy next season, and if he refines certain areas of his game that still need a little tweaking, he is capable of finishing his career in truly spectacular fashion.

In the meantime, if I hear that Connor is "average" again, I'm going postal!

Haha, I understand where you are coming from. I have been such a big Connor supporter that it has driven a lot of fans crazy this year.

But honestly, I hate Clemson so much that I can't even begin to think about next year.

I hear everything you are saying and I also just saw that he was 3rd in the SEC in passer efficiency. That is great!

But his play against Wofford just makes me nervous. He just looked really bad. I don't know what it was, but if he plays like that against Clemson, we get beat.
And I guess since that was his last outing, it just has us all a little worried. Especially since it is our arch rivals.

I "think" Connor will come out and play fine (if he is able to go), but I also don't think it is unreasonable to understand why we are worried about the game this weekend with the way he played against Wofford. It is like he forgot everything Spurrier had been preaching to him all year.

[gamecock88]

I think Shaw is an average to good QB, not great. This season has been a long one for his playing style and he has taken a beating. Regardless of what happens this weekend, the month off before the bowl game should do him very well.

[Red Devil]

Originally Posted by Kazak

I've grown so weary of certain fans belly-aching about Connor Shaw and calling him "average." I've seen that word thrown around in numerous threads.

Connor's passer rating is 3rd best in the SEC at the moment, behind only Aaron Murray and AJ McCarron. (Yes, his passer rating is slightly ahead of Johhny Manziel's, believe it or not.) In addition to his passing numbers, he's a tremendous running QB (far better than Murray or McCarron, although not quite as elite as Manziel in that area). He also happens to be 16 - 3 as a starter! It is an empirical fact that Connor Shaw is an excellent college quarterback...far above freakin' average.

Can he improve? Yes. If he's fully healthy next season, and if he refines certain areas of his game that still need a little tweaking, he is capable of finishing his career in truly spectacular fashion.

In the meantime, if I hear that Connor is "average" again, I'm going postal!

Then put a stamp on yourself! He is a redshirt senior next year. He shouldn't need tweaking! His passing efficiency is good because he doesn't throw that often. If you are suggesting that he is on a par with Manziel, McCarron or Murray you are mistaken. The other thing is he has been on the field this season with Bray and Wilson and we have seen good passing Qb's and can't help but wonder what we would be like if we had a QB that could throw like they do. Personally I would rather have a QB that can put the ball right where we need it when we need it than one that can scramble. In other words I'd rather have a Marino than a Vick.
More importantly, I think Shaw has topped out. We know what he can do and what he can't do. Unfortunately he cannot go on the road in the SEC and win the big games in hostile environments.

[cofcgamecock9]

Originally Posted by CoverTwo

I'm breaking the rules, but here is a c&p quote from Spurrier's post game I got from a pay site.





My one, and only real problem, with him is that he leaves too many big plays on the field. Give the skill guys a chance, man.

C2, you and I are so much on the same page that it is scary. Clemson's defensive secondary is atrocious. They could be the worst secondary in all of college football. But you can't take advantage of that, if you don't throw it.

That is why I say, in THIS ONE GAME, we need to have a QB in the game that will throw the damn ball. I don't care if it is Seth Strickland or Andrew Clifford.

My honest opinion is that Andrew Clifford could rack up yards against Clemson's secondary.

So if Shaw is willing to throw the ball on Saturday, we will be fine. He will torch them if he will throw it.

But he has to throw it and if he doesn't, then the next guy needs to come in.

Just like Spurrier said "Connor, you have to throw it somewhere."

And remember, I am a big Connor Shaw supporter.

[Coondog]

Connor has all the tools to be a great QB but his decision making this year has been inconsistent to say the least. When he's on he's great but he has had his fair share of mediocre games as well. BUT IN HIS DEFENSE he has been playing injured most of the season whether it was his shoulder or his foot. He has a chance to quiet all the critics this week at Clemson because IMO it is going to take great QB play in order to keep Clemson's offense off the field and win this game. On a good note his best games were against better defenses than he will face this Saturday.

[cofcgamecock9]

Originally Posted by Red Devil

More importantly, I think Shaw has topped out. We know what he can do and what he can't do. Unfortunately he cannot go on the road in the SEC and win the big games in hostile environments.

See, now this is where I will defend Shaw even as much as he frustrated me last week. There is no way you can know this. Tajh Boyd has improved a ton this year from last year. It does happen. This was Connor's first year of starting for an entire season. There were a TON of people said that Tajh Boyd would never be a good QB at the end of last season. I know they play in the ACC, but the dude is still ballin.

I am not saying you aren't correct, I am just saying that there is no way you can know that he has "topped out." You may "know what he can do and what he can't do" as of right now, but it is completely unfair to say that guys can't continue to improve.

Look, I get your frustration, but the guy is still a Gamecock. Don't start criticizing him for next year when we aren't even there yet.

[Garnet girl]

I have decided my problem started when Latti tore his knee. It has cast a shadow over all things football. I haven't been optimistic since. It is not that Miles,Davis can take of things. Seeing Marcus have that happen just sucked the air out of my optimism.
I do know one thing. Our players and coaches know we will win. It is great to see they are pumped. They are playing, not us. We are not nearly as pumped as usual. Go Cocks

[Kazak]

Just as a follow up, Connor ranks 17th nationally in passer rating, and he's a better runner than virtually all of the 16 guys ahead of him. And he's doing it against the best defenses (in the toughest conference) in the nation.

There are 124 BCS (or Division 1) football programs. Do the math.

Again...excellent. Not average. It's both an empirical and a mathematical fact.

[boonyg]

do you guys think connor's any sort of a running threat this weekend? is the injury maybe not as bad as advertised and we are playing coy? just curious

[eatlighting]

I love Connor, and it is obvious in the fact that I take up for him more often than not. However, he is similar to the stock market. You play it safe, and you will win More often than not. That's what he does that Some of our other QBs couldn't. The guy wins, and that's respectable. He has yet to have a meltdown game. Even at his worst, he's not the type who's going to throw 4 picks in a game and blow it.

The flip side is that high risk tends to yield high rewards. The question is whether you'd like to play it safe and win consistently and hope we break through, or take more risks in games like LSU and hope they pay off. I know it's not a perfect analogy, but I think Connor just has it in his head that taking chances is bad, and in some cases, he's totally right.

The problem is if you never try to make the risky throws to win the close, important game, you will miss those throws 100% of the time.

[cofcgamecock9]

Originally Posted by Kazak

Just as a follow up, Connor ranks 17th nationally in passer rating, and he's a better runner than virtually all of the 16 guys ahead of him. And he's doing it against the best defenses (in the toughest conference) in the nation.

There are 124 BCS (or Division 1) football programs. Do the math.

Again...excellent. Not average. It's both an empirical and a mathematical fact.

We hear you loud and clear. If we were just coming off of the UT and Arkansas games, I would feel very confident about this weekend. I really would.

But then Wofford happened. Sorry, but the QB that played against Wofford scares us all, and it should. He didn't run very well against Wofford and he pretty much just refused to throw it at times. As was said above, even Spurrier said "Connor, you have to throw the ball somewhere."

[Mick Chicken]

We need his legs badly this weekend. Running qb's give clemson fits...and it will also help open up some of the passing game too, if they bring up extra defenders to spy Connor. I just hope he's healthy at this point.

[sparklecityspur]

Guys are going to be running wide open all over the field Saturday, especially the TEs. If his foot is still bothering him, he's gonna have to get rid of the ball.
I hope he realizes that the defense bailing out the offense may not be as sure of a thing as it has been before.

[Kazak]

Originally Posted by Red Devil

Then put a stamp on yourself! He is a redshirt senior next year. He shouldn't need tweaking! His passing efficiency is good because he doesn't throw that often. If you are suggesting that he is on a par with Manziel, McCarron or Murray you are mistaken. The other thing is he has been on the field this season with Bray and Wilson and we have seen good passing Qb's and can't help but wonder what we would be like if we had a QB that could throw like they do. Personally I would rather have a QB that can put the ball right where we need it when we need it than one that can scramble. In other words I'd rather have a Marino than a Vick.
More importantly, I think Shaw has topped out. We know what he can do and what he can't do. Unfortunately he cannot go on the road in the SEC and win the big games in hostile environments.

Connor never redshirted, Dude. And he's been a starter for only a season and a half thus far. I absolutely do NOT believe he has "topped out." If his senior season isn't his best season, I'll eat my hat.

[cofcgamecock9]

Originally Posted by eatlighting

Even at his worst, he's not the type who's going to throw 4 picks in a game and blow it.

The problem is if you never try to make the risky throws to win the close, important game, you will miss those throws 100% of the time.

I agree with this and that is why I usually love Connor. But let me ask you a question because I would love to hear your opinion. In THIS PARTICULAR game, when you are playing a team that may honestly have the worst secondary in college football, don't you have to make sure that you have a guy in the game that will at least take the shots?

I don't know, I may really be simplifying this too much because I know every team has good players, but to me it seems like any QB on our sidelines could carve up Clemson if they actually throw the ball. It really does seem that simple to me. Is that off?

Again, I am just talking about this particular game.

[Carolina4Life]

Spurrier has given the guy the chance to have had some big time plays this year. He has not taken advantages of them. Imagine how frustrating it is for a coach to run an easy 40 yard complete pass only to have the QB become afraid and run for two yards.

[Legalman72]

I'm a huge Connor fan. And guess what? He has a GREAT chance to (once again) endear himself to every Gamecock fan this Saturday night. If he plays well, you will hear no griping.