The nation’s new top-ranked teams will play their first conference game of the season on Saturday, with No. 1 Georgia taking on South Carolina in the SEC East showdown. The Bulldogs made an impressive start to the reigning national champions’ season by outscoring their first two opponents 82-3 to clinch the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 this week.
South Carolina beat Georgia State 35-14 in Week 1 and got off to a 1-1 start after losing 44-30 to Arkansas in a tough SEC road contest last week. It was the fourth time in the show’s history that the Gamecocks have hosted a #1 ranked team, and previous instances have been competitive. In 2009, the Gamecocks lost to Florida by his 24-14 score, but the following season, Steve beat Alabama in one of the hallmark wins of his Spurrier coaching tenure with the program. rice field. The latest example of South Carolina hosting a No. 1 team was in 2015 when he lost 37-32 against Clemson.
Keeping pace with this Georgia team will be a daunting task for the Gamecocks, but South Carolina delivered a surprising upset for the Bulldogs in 2019. It’s Shane Beamer’s third game as coach, after losing 13 last season.
Watch Georgia v South Carolina live update.
Georgia vs. South Carolina: What You Need to Know
Georgia injuries: The Bulldogs could lean a little deeper into the secondary without cornerback Nyland Green and veteran Nickel William Poole available. was injured and did not play in last week’s 33-0 win against Samford. Poole is a sixth grader who has spent most of his career as a backup player, but was cast into a key role for the Bulldogs late last season. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said this week that Poole is “working through some personal issues.” Junior receiver Adonai Mitchell could also be sidelined after suffering an ankle injury against Samford. Mitchell threw 29 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns last season, and in Week 1 against Oregon, he caught four for 65 yards and one touchdown.
South Carolina’s line of attack: It looks like this could be a rough matchup for South Carolina’s offensive line. The Gamecocks rank last in the SEC with 59.5 rushing yards per game, making him face one of the toughest defensive fronts in the country. Georgia allowed him 140 rushing yards against Oregon, but the Bulldogs maintained a comfortable lead for much of the game, playing up front and passing while honing his defense. From a pass rushing perspective, things aren’t much better. South Carolina pressured his 38% of dropbacks in his two games, which is also the worst in the SEC. His nine sacks allowed by the Gamecocks are his fourth worst in the nation. South Carolina may need to force a few turnovers or play big on special teams if they want to keep things close in a tough matchup on offense.
Will Mushan Returns: Georgia co-defensive coordinator Will Mashamp will be on the sidelines at Williams-Bryce Stadium for the first time since his five-year stint as Gamecocks coach ended during the 2020 season. Muschamp knocked off Smart in 2019, scoring a mark of 28-30 (in the SEC he was 17-22) during his tenure. Former Georgia defensive back he said last season he joined the Bulldogs staff as an analyst, but later stepped up before taking on the role of special teams coordinator. to the job of coordinator this season after former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning left to become Oregon’s head coach. Beamer was also a former Georgia state assistant under his Smart, so this matchup has a lot of familiarity.
How to watch Georgia v South Carolina live
date: Saturday, September 17 | time: 12:00 PM ET
position: Williams Bryce Stadium — Columbia, South Carolina
tv set: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
Georgia vs South Carolina Predictions, Picks
Featured game | | South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Georgia Bulldogs
South Carolina’s predicament on the offensive line spells havoc in this matchup. The Gamecocks have struggled to protect his Spencer Rattler at quarterback and haven’t shown much of a rushing offense throughout the two games. Georgia’s defense looks barely down after five players were selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Bulldogs may be able to keep South Carolina from reaching double digits. Smart is unlikely to outperform his esteemed former assistant, but Georgia will have cover, even if that attack tamed things. Forecast: Georgia (-24.5)
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