Luke Doty didn’t wake up Saturday expecting to play extensively against Missouri. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound true freshman had been told he’d have a few packages — mostly zone read and option opportunities — but nothing that resembled full responsibility in leading South Carolina’s offense.

But that changed when Doty was handed the reins to the Gamecock offense after halftime of an eventual 17-10 loss to now 3-3 Missouri. The plan was to play Doty sparingly, but plans change.

Shi Smith exited with an apparent head injury as the Gamecocks were moving on the first drive of the game. After Shi’s departure, the South Carolina offense, led by season-long starter Collin Hill, mustered only another 39 yards in the half and entered the break down 17-0.

It was then that interim head coach Mike Bobo decided to hand over control of the offense to the freshman Doty, who had attempted just one college pass prior to Saturday’s contest.

“I don’t think it was anything expected,” Doty said. “I’m just ready when my number’s called and that’s really just how it’s been this entire season … Just gotta go out there and do my job to the best of my abilities and have fun with my guys.”

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As Bobo said after the game, the moment was not too big for Doty, whose talent has been apparent for years. Doty was a star sophomore wideout for Myrtle Beach High School when he was first garnering attention as a high-profile quarterback. He and then-recruiter Will Muschamp had a good relationship and Doty was told to be patient and wait for a scholarship offer after he had some experience playing at quarterback.

Less than two hours after his first start under center, he received his first offer from South Carolina. He committed early and never wavered in his commitment.

At times this season, fans have clamored for a quarterback change, mainly due to increasing frustration with an all-around struggling offense. When Doty finally got the call, the atmosphere changed.

Doty provided a spark, starting with a 14-yard scramble in his second dropback of the half that changed the direction of the game for all three phases of the game. The defense stepped up with a shutout in the second half, while Doty led the offense to 215 yards.

Doty’s debut was not without its hiccups, as Doty committed an illegal forward pass and threw what ended up being a game-ending interception, but Doty’s impact cannot be overstated.

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“The mindset is to win the game,” Doty said. “We were backed up in the end zone, but that doesn’t stop from going down and scoring points. Obviously we had a couple of mishaps … throwing the ball past the line of scrimmage, that’s on me. On that last play it just comes to checking the ball down. That’s something that I learned tonight. If nothing’s there, you don’t see anything, just check the ball down.”

Doty made some of the freshman mistakes. But on a team and for a fanbase desperately searching for some semblance of hope, Doty’s performance represents the potential South Carolina possesses. He’s young, but so are a lot of the other playmakers, and any potential head coach would have to be excited about the prospect of having Doty behind center.

South Carolina came up short and as repeated ad nauseum by several players after the game, there are no moral victories in football. But for a fanbase looking ahead, the future looks better than it did just a few days ago.