Apparently, South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw’s right shoulder is just fine.
Knocked out of the game in the first quarter last week against Central Florida, Shaw was back in the lineup Saturday night and passed for 262 yards and a touchdown in the Gamecocks’ 35-28 victory over Kentucky.
“Connor Shaw played a heck of a game,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. “He was a big reason why we were able to win.”
The initial diagnosis on Shaw following his injury was that he would be out two to three weeks, but the 6-foot-1, 209-pound senior from Flowery Branch was back at practice Monday and pronounced fit to play.
“It’s my senior year,” Shaw said. “I didn’t want to miss another game.”
He completed 17 of 20 passes against Kentucky, with the Gamecocks (4-1, 2-1 SEC) scoring on six of the seven possessions he was in the game.
The seventh possession ended with Shaw kneeling to run out the clock after the Gamecocks ran out the last 4:02 of clock to preserve the victory.
Shaw also rushed nine times for 61 yards and a touchdown, despite Spurrier’s efforts to keep the running to a minimum.
“Well, he ran a bunch early,” Spurrier said. “He was on the sideline with me about the whole second half. I think we had one possession in the third and about two in the fourth, and that was it. He played his normal game. He can stay in the pocket or run out. Excellent touchdown there at the end.”
Shaw’s second-half possessions were limited because South Carolina’s woes on defense and special teams continued, and Kentucky took advantage to rally from an early deficit.
The Gamecocks played without defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who told Spurrier before the game that his ribs hurt and that he couldn’t go.
Even without Clowney, the Gamecocks looked safely in front 24-7 in the second half, but Kentucky drove 75 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Whitlow to Demarco Robinson.
South Carolina fumbled the ensuing kickoff with Kentucky recovering at the South Carolina 35.
Five plays later, the Wildcats scored on a 14-yard pass from Whitlow to Ryan Timmons to cut the Gamecocks’ lead to 27-21 with 11:50 to play.
South Carolina countered with another scoring drive and a two-point conversion, but Kentucky came back to drive 81 yards for a score that made the score 35-28 with 4:02 to play.
The Gamecocks managed to control the ball the rest of the way.
“I have confidence in our offense,” said Shaw, who has yet to throw an interception this season. “We just go out and play the best that we can the rest of the season. Our defense will be fine. Kentucky just fought us all night.”
South Carolina’s offense was methodical but efficient in the first half.
The Gamecocks scored on four of five possessions to lead 24-7 at halftime.
The only possession on which the Gamecocks didn’t score came in the second quarter when Shaw and tailback Mike Davis came out of the game for a series that featured Dylan Thompson at quarterback and Shon Carson at tailback.
The Gamecocks managed one first down, but had to punt to Kentucky after six plays.
South Carolina scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, including a 62-yard scoring pass from Shaw to Damiere Byrd, and runs of 22 and 1 yard by Davis.
Kentucky had one sustained drive in the first half, moving 75 yards in 14 plays and scoring on a 2-yard run by Raymond Sanders with 7:38 to play before halftime.
“We feel real fortunate,” Spurrier said. “We won the game. Well, we barely won the game, but it is what it is. We can’t slow anybody down. But we’re 4-1, and we’re getting ready for Arkansas next week.”
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