[Tuck4Bama]

As Blake Mitchell stood on the sideline at Williams-Brice Stadium before last week’s season opener, a group of fans heckled and yelled insults at South Carolina’s fifth-year quarterback.

That is not unusual, except the heckling was coming from Gamecocks’ fans.

“It doesn’t surprise me. People are going to be upset,” said Mitchell, suspended for the Louisiana-Lafayette game due to excessive summer school absences.

USC linebacker Dustin Lindsey, who was out with a knee injury, said he stood next to Mitchell as “student-section kids” lobbed insults at Mitchell such as “Loser” and “Go to class, Blake.”

“It’s no big deal,” Mitchell said. “I don’t let that kind of stuff get to me.”

Ranked seventh on USC’s career passing list with 4,245 yards as he enters his third year as a starter, Mitchell should be the toast of the town. Instead, the LaGrange, Ga., native has become a lightning rod for criticism among some fans who would like to see Mitchell make better decisions off the field.

Several letter writers to The State chastised Mitchell’s parents for criticizing USC officials for failing to communicate with them about their son’s absences in a three-hour English course.

Through it all, Mitchell has maintained his trademark stoicism. In his first comments Wednesday since the suspension, Mitchell said he was unfazed by the public’s negative reaction.

“It is what it is,” he said. “Everyone has their own opinion and they’re entitled to their opinion.”

Senior is on receiving end of fan skepticism