Stephen Garcia has been dismissed from the football team. Many, like myself, are happy to see him off the field, yet others are saddened by his departure. Regardless of your opinion, one fact remains, and it’s that Connor Shaw has now officially become our starting quarterback.

So the big question is: What will our football team look like from here on out? Gamecock fans have had high expectations for this year’s football season and after the abysmal performance against Auburn, our hopes at another title seemed dashed. But we were rallied one week later in a win over Kentucky led, for the first time, by Connor Shaw.

Now I hear people warn, “It was only Kentucky,” and that Shaw will have to prove himself. This is true; Kentucky is not a team the Gamecocks should have feared, but we lost to Kentucky last year with Garcia. Yes, I know, I wince just typing that sentence, let alone remembering that performance. While we were reeling off an astounding win over No. 1 Alabama (a game none of us will ever forget) everyone was asking themselves— how could we lose?

Again, it’s just Kentucky, but look at the way Shaw played this game. In my opinion he delivered a great performance regardless of our opponent. He seemed to take his time, concentrating on throwing the ball and always knew where his teammates were. He didn’t just make wild passes and hope someone (preferably our team) caught the ball like Garcia did. Shaw was also very good at dodging rival players when he had the ball. He kept his cool where Garcia always seemed to panic.

Overall, I have confidence in Connor Shaw. These next couple of away games will test his skills and abilities while deciding our fate. I think he is very capable of leading us to another championship title and perhaps beyond.