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Amid disappointment and injury, South Carolina turns attention to UGA
By Randy Capps
Published:
It’s one thing to lose a football game, which South Carolina did at home to Kentucky last week.
It’s another to also lose your starting quarterback — Connor Mitch is out with a shoulder sprain — and all the momentum from an opening-week win over a rival (North Carolina).
That’s the scenario for the Gamecocks this week as they get ready to visit Georgia (2-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN).
“We’ll try to play our best against Georgia in Athens,” Spurrier said on a teleconference call. “They look awfully strong, as usual. But I think our guys will look forward to playing the game.”
The Bulldogs waltzed past Louisiana-Monroe in the opener before knocking off Vanderbilt in Nashville last time out.
Last season, the Gamecocks needed a late goal line stand to preserve a 38-35 victory. In fact, a 41-30 loss in Athens in 2013 is the only Georgia win in this series in the last five meetings.
The Bulldogs are breaking in new quarterback Greyson Lambert slowly, with only 33 passes thrown by the Virginia transfer in the first two games.
But with four returning starters on the offensive line — LT John Theus, C Brandon Kublanow, RG
Greg Pyke and RT Kolton Houston — making holes for Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, keeping the ball on the ground is likely to be Georgia’s plan all season long.
The Bulldogs defense also has been stingy under second-year coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, allowing only 14 points per game while tying for the SEC lead with South Carolina and Ole Miss in interceptions (4).
GEORGIA BULLDOGS CLOSER LOOK
Top offensive player: RB Nick Chubb — It’s hard to start anywhere else with the Georgia offense. The sophomore already has 309 yards and two scores this season. He also has 10 straight games with at least 100 yards rushing.
“Chubb is one of the best you’ll ever see,” Spurrier said. “Like any great running back you hope to not let him get started. You can’t give him much of a hole at the line of scrimmage. So we’ll probably get a bunch of guys up there like everybody else tries to do when the they play Georgia and try to stop him.”
Top defensive player: LB Jordan Jenkins — The senior linebacker leads the Bulldogs with 18 tackles and three sacks.
Top special teams player: WR Isaiah McKenzie — The sophomore wide receiver is dangerous on punt returns, taking one back 77 yards for a score against Vanderbilt last week.
Randy Capps is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, South Carolina and Georgia.
