South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson and Georgia’s Hutson Mason will be bitter rivals hoping to beat the other’s brains out the second week of September. But the other 51 weeks of the year, they’re kindred spirits and pretty good friends.
If anybody can identify with Mason’s plight of having to sit behind Aaron Murray for four years before getting the chance to be the starting quarterback in his fifth season, it’s Thompson. He had to do the exact same thing behind Connor Shaw.
“We’ve talked over the past few years and then this past weekend we were at the Manning Camp,” said Thompson, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound resident of Boiling Springs, S.C.. “He’s a great guy. I really like Hutson and his attitude and approach. We don’t really talk about football that much. We talked about Murray and Shaw last year some and how we learned so much from them.
“Hutson’s a good guy. In Week 3 we’ll face off against each other. But I respect him a lot and like him.”
Like Mason, Thompson has been very effective whenever he has gotten a chance to play. He is 3-0 as a starter and played a good bit while filling in for the oft-injured Shaw. Overall, he has completed 55.0 percent of his passes for 1,827 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions and five rushing touchdowns. He’s considered more of a pure passer and threw for more than 300 yards in two of his three starts.
Mason’s career numbers are similar: 1,324 yards passing, 60 percent completions, 8 TDs, 3 interceptions.
“I think it’s a good spot to be in,” Thompson said of finally getting to be a full-time starter. “People should always look at the quarterback for leadership, but at the same time I think we’ve got a lot of guys leading and doing a good job of that. … We just have a collective unit that’s bought in and that’s something I really love about this team. Not a lot of big me guys, just all about the team.”
Coach Steve Spurrier said he’s confident behind Thompson and just hopes he stays healthy.
“He’s very patient. He’s a very good quarterback and can play. Him and Connor are best of friends. It just kind of worked out that way.”
Thompson and Shaw are actually very different personalities on the field, his teammates say.
“Connor was that guy who led more by example,” senior guard A.J. Cann said. “Guys looked at him, he was a winner, he worked hard and guys fed off that. Dylan is more of a vocal guy. He let’s it be known when he wants something done and he wants guys to hear him. He’s just more of a vocal guy.”
The Gamecocks’ offense will look different with Thompson at the helm as well.
“I don’t think you’re going to see me running speed options to win the game too much,” he said. “I think we’ll still run the zone-read to keep people honest, and I’m fine with pulling the ball and running. I’ve done that. But I don’t know if we’ll run the quarterback as much. Probably more down-field passing I would guess.”
About the Author
