[Tuck4Bama]

When Chris Smelley replaced an injured Blake Mitchell in the opener last year at Mississippi State, Smelley felt like he had stepped into a video game.

He called it a “surreal” feeling, perhaps bordering on an out-of-body experience — at least until the momentwhen a Bulldogs’ defensive lineman planted him in the turf.

A year later, Smelley’s place in the Gamecocks’ universe is rooted in reality: The right-hander will start tonight’s opener against Louisiana-Lafayette for the suspended Mitchell, who will miss a game after missing too many classes this summer.

Unlike last season, when he was force-fed the playbook in a month and rushed into backup duty, Smelley is calmer and more confident. With a firmer hold on Steve Spurrier’s Cock ‘n’ Fire offense, Smelley expects to play well tonight — and for however long Spurrier chooses to stick with him.

“Last year I was kind of confused a little bit. I feel confident right now I can go out there and put the team in a position to win,” Smelley said this week. “I knew it was going to be tough, just going from high school to college football last year. I was here basically for a month before games started. I didn’t really have enough time to prepare myself and be ready like I am now.”

Chris Smelley leads Gamecocks into action tonight