USC QB Luke Doty not perfect against Kentucky. How his performance brings optimism

Luke Doty slipped behind a laptop in the underbelly of Williams-Brice Stadium with a solemn look gracing his face.

The usually uppity and excitable quarterback was softer in his tone, though he remained positive. He was peppered questions on misfired fourth-down conversions and why the South Carolina offense continued to look wayward in its 16-10 loss to Kentucky Saturday.

Yet on a night where the Gamecocks failed to take advantage of chance after chance, Doty remained calm, cool and collected as he delivered one of the more complete outings of his still young USC career.

“Our biggest thing is going to be to continue to start fast,” Doty said of what South Carolina has to improve moving forward. “We haven’t done a good job of starting fast on offense in the first half. We kind of wait and turn it on in the second half.”

Doty’s final stat line Saturday won’t jump off the page. He finished the night 17 of 25 for 158 yards and a touchdown. He added another 16 yards on six rush attempts. But there are bits and pieces from the outing that inspire confidence moving forward.

Like he was against Georgia a week ago, Doty was poised while marching through his progressions. He kept his eyes downfield and shimmied around the pocket as Kentucky’s defensive line bore done.

The rhythm that came in the latter stages of the loss at Georgia also returned. Doty completed completed 8 of his first 11 passes to open the second half. He also connected on five consecutive passes between South Carolina’s third quarter touchdown drive and the beginning of its next series.

Stepping up in the pocket he ripped his second pass of the half to a crossing Jalen Brooks, who scampered for 17 yards and a first down. Doty next found tight end Nick Muse rushing up the seam for a 25-yard gain. A six-yard completion to Josh Vann followed.

Doty then came back to Brooks on a play-action fake and lofted him a pass into the back left corner of the end zone for South Carolina’s lone touchdown on the night.

“All that is right there is just from translating practice to the game,” Brooks said of his connection with Doty. “That’s just something that we practice a lot.”

For a quarterback who’s been under the microscope for the better part of a year, it’s easy to forget Doty is less than two years removed from his high school career.

The former Myrtle Beach High star was anointed the starter coming out of the spring. Fans threatened revolt when news leaked he’d suffered a preseason foot injury and could potentially miss significant time. His return — fair or not — felt like the return of a savior.

That isn’t the reality.

The one-time four-star recruit spent the bulk of last season bouncing between receiver and quarterback. He didn’t get a shot to start under center until ineffective play and injuries thrust Doty ahead of Collin Hill and Ryan Hilinski.

Entering Saturday, Doty has appeared in a grand total of 10 games. The Kentucky contest was just the third time he’d taken the field as QB1.

“Luke gave us a chance to win tonight,” head coach Shane Beamer said. “...He’s got to continue to get healthy, he’s got to get more and more comfortable and knock that rust off. Then he’s just got to continue to grow and mature as a as a quarterback — which he will.”

South Carolina had ample chances to win Saturday. Clayton White’s defense recorded three turnovers and continuously gifted the offense short fields.

Doty shouldered the blame for missing windows on crucial fourth down misses to Brooks and Dakereon Joyner. Of course, that’s what mature quarterbacks do.

That Doty’s simply young and gaining experience doesn’t cure all ills. He came to South Carolina as one of the more high-profile quarterback signings in the last two decades. His combination of arm strength and speed would make most offensive coordinators drool.

But for a player who’s only seen the field in chunks over the course of 10 outings and — based on Beamer’s tone after the UK game — continues to rehab from the foot injury that sidelined him for almost a month, the Gamecocks aren’t in a position where they can rely on Doty alone to win them football games.

Saturday, though, was a glimpse at a future where they can.