Jake Bentley likely playing hurt
South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley came into the 2018 season with some buzz for the 2019 NFL Draft. Some thought he had the tools to be a first round pick, but it hasn’t gone his way so far in 2018.
He struggled against an elite Georgia defense. He went 30-for-47 (63.8 percent) for 269 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He had a decent game against Vanderbilt but then struggled again when taking on Kentucky — he finished 13-for-28 (46.4 percent) for 148 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
To top it off, Bentley was hurt in the Kentucky game and didn’t play against Missouri. Michael Scarnecchia started and went 20-for-35 with 249 yards and three touchdowns and, most importantly, no interceptions. Missouri’s defense is not nearly as good as Georgia or Alabama, but it at least created some controversy at the position moving forward. Bentley was actually cleared to play but Will Muschamp went with Scarnecchia anyway.
According to ESPN, Bentley is expected to start Saturday against the Aggies. Perhaps Muschamp was saving Bentley for this game against a better defense, or maybe Bentley is more hurt than they let on. We will see on Saturday, but Bentley was already struggling this season. If he is compromised in any way by his health, Mike Elko’s pass rush will feast.