[Tuck4Bama]

WHEN BLAKE MITCHELL concluded practice Wednesday at the Bluff Road field, he sauntered over to the media gathering and began answering questions. There appeared about him an aura of confidence rarely displayed since the day he arrived five years ago on the USC campus as a young quarterback prospect out of LaGrange, Ga.

This was the same Blake Mitchell who Steve Spurrier described on Monday as lacking in confidence. He was the same Blake Mitchell who Spurrier pretty much dismissed when asked if it helped having a fifth-year senior play on Saturday in front of a hostile crowd at LSU.

“I guess so, if your senior’s a good player,” Spurrier said.

It has taken three seasons of watching him play under Spurrier to conclude that Mitchell is an enigma. Just when USC fans believe Mitchell is ready to have Spurrier’s Cock ’n Fire offense click on all cylinders, he throws a rod through the engine. Just when it appears that Mitchell wants to lead this team, he is standing on the sideline saddled with a suspension.

Coming off a season-ending stretch of games in which Mitchell looked every bit like any of Spurrier’s long lineup of strong-tossing quarterbacks at Florida, there was every reason to believe Mitchell was ready to lead the offense this season. Teammates swear Mitchell was the ring leader in off-season workouts. Then he missed summer school classes, failed a course and was suspended for the season-opener.

GoGamecocks.com | Senior under center handles life under fire