Who has the edge? Georgia at South Carolina
Georgia gets to check off a few post National Championship firsts on Saturday. The Bulldogs will play their first SEC game. They’ll also play their first true road contest and their first game outside of the Peach State with a trip to South Carolina.
The last time Georgia lost at Williams-Brice Stadium was 2014. It is the heavy favorite going into this game below we take a look at who has the edge in five different areas.
When Georgia throws it
When you look at the overall stats, the Gamecocks pass defense has been pretty stellar for the first two games of the season. A slightly deeper look shows how they dominated Georgia State’s passing attack but Arkansas was able to have some success. The Razorbacks completed 18 of 21 passes and averaged 7.7 yards per attempt.
Georgia presents a different challenge. The Bulldogs have averaged over 395 passing yards per game through their first two. That leads the SEC. UGA also leads the SEC in yards per attempt at 9.9. The sample sizes are small and we don’t yet know a ton about the competition levels each team has faced, but Georgia, even if it doesn’t have AD Mitchell, brings a diverse set of weapons to Columbia. Edge: Georgia
When South Carolina throws it
The Gamecocks’ passing attack is one of four in the SEC averaging over 300 yards per game. When you look at yards per attempt, however, they rank seventh at 7.9. Spencer Rattler has a lot of raw talent but he has also thrown it to the other team three times in the first two games. His top target, Antwane Wells Jr., has been a force in the first two weeks, catching 15 passes for 244 yards and a score.
The Bulldogs have an experienced defense backfield led by redshirt sophomore cornerback Kelee Ringo and fifth-year senior safety Christopher Smith. The unit has been responsible for forcing all three of the Bulldogs’ turnovers this season. UGA’s pass rush, however, hasn’t been all that productive. It has just one sack in two games despite getting some pretty consistent pressure on the quarterback. This one is fairly tight from our vantage point. Edge: Georgia
When Georgia runs it
Georgia State and Arkansas essentially gashed South Carolina on the ground. Both teams went for 200 rushing yards or more. Those two teams also combined for six rushing touchdowns with Arkansas reaching the end zone five times on the ground. This has to be an area of major concern for the Gamecocks.
With that said, most would point to the rushing attack as the weak point of Georgia’s offense. The Bulldogs rank 10th in the league in yards per game and ninth in yards per carry. It’s worth pointing out that there hasn’t been much of a commitment to the run game through two games. Despite a couple playing in games where it had 25 and 30-point leads at the half, UGA has just 57 rushing attempts through two games. This could be a game where the UGA ground game gets right. Edge: Georgia
When South Carolina runs it
We’re seeing a pretty large disparity here. South Carolina has had a really tough time running the football this season. It ranks dead last in the SEC in yards per game. It is also averaging less than two yards per carry and ranks 13th in the league. Like Georgia, there hasn’t been a huge commitment to the ground game with just 61 attempts, but the sledding has been incredibly tough.
Those who follow Georgia’s program know how much pride it takes in stopping the run. Oregon had some success but a large portion of that came when the game was already in hand. We should also acknowledge that the opponent in week two, Samford, used an Air Raid offense and only picked up 19 yards on 17 carries. Still, Georgia’s defensive talent will pose quite the challenge for a scuffling South Carolina ground game. Edge: Georgia
When Georgia is on special teams
These two teams are comparable when it comes to the numbers. Both have done a pretty job of covering kickoffs and punts. Georgia has allowed just one kickoff return this season and zero punt returns. South Carolina has punted it better than Georgia and it has connected on all three field goal attempts while UGA is four of five. The Bulldogs’ lone miss was from 54 yards out.
When the numbers are close, it’s fair to look at depth and talent. Georgia has significantly more even with a 70-man travel roster. Edge: Georgia
Overall
There’s a reason that Georgia is heavily favored in this game. Shane Beamer has done a good job of recruiting and using the transfer portal to bolster his roster, but UGA has been doing that for the past six-plus years under Kirby Smart. Home field advantage is really the only thing South Carolina has going for it on paper. Edge: Georgia
