Smelley to start at QB for South Carolina

Sep 2, 2008 - 6:04 PM COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Ticker) -- Chris Smelley has been tabbed as 24th-ranked South Carolina's starting quarterback for Thursday night's game against Vanderbilt.

South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier announced the decision Monday night, claiming that he gave the nod to Smelley because Tommy Beecher - who started the Gamecocks' season opener - has an injured left shoulder.

Smelley played well in limited action during last Thursday's 34-0 rout of North Carolina State, completing all five of his passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

On the other hand, Beecher struggled in his first career start, finishing 12-of-22 for 106 yards and four interceptions. The junior exited the contest late in the third quarter with what the team initially diagnosed as a head injury.

Beecher returned to practice this past weekend but could not lift his non-throwing shoulder, opening the door for Smelley.

"(Smelley) deserves to start probably if Tommy wasn't injured," Spurrier said. "But Tommy is injured, so we don't have to worry about this, that or the other. It appears Chris is going to be our starter right now unless something happens between now and Thursday night."

Smelley started six games as a freshman last season for the Gamecocks, who went 4-2 in those contests. He appeared in a total of seven games, completing 57 percent of his passes for 1,176 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.