COLOMBIA, SC – No. 9 Georgia defeated South Carolina 45-16 at the Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday. Here are some observations from The Red & Black:
Causing defensive destruction
South Carolina managed to score 10 points and 156 yards in the first half, but their totals in the second half were stifled. Gamecocks were maintained for a total of 19 yards in the third quarter (-23 on the ground from a myriad of plays in negative yards) and 98 yards in the fourth.
Of its three moves in the third quarter, the first two in South Carolina ended in negative yards. His first attempt took three moves to lose 12 yards, and his second was six moves to under-1 yard.
Even when Gamecocks started moving on the field in the third quarter, their eight-game, 32-yard drive ended in a great interception by Tyson Campbell – the first in his career. Campbell returned the interception for 40 yards and prepared the Bulldogs for a quick touchdown to open the fourth period at 45-10.
South Carolina had better luck in the fourth period, with its 98 yards and a touchdown counting to 6 points, as the kicker Parker White missed the extra point attempt, taking the score to the final 45-16.
Safety Lewis Cine was across the field in Columbia, leading the team with 12 tackles. Freshman Jalen Carter performed well in the place of striker Jordan Davis, registering three tackles in total (two solo) and one defender hitting. Davis got dressed and warmed up, but did not play against South Carolina.
Georgia’s defenders had the record of the season, 10 tackles to defeat and four sacks, good for the second best of the season. Jermaine Johnson, Adam Anderson, Azeez Ojulari and Columbia native Channing Tindall took down South Carolina quarterback Luke Doty for a sack each.
Comparing offenses
Georgia’s attack was able to put 471 yards against South Carolina, along with 332 running yards, the season’s maximum. By comparison, Gamecocks were maintained for a total of 273 yards (83 on the ground, 190 in the air).
Bulldog quarterback JT Daniels hit 10 out of 16 for 139 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but he didn’t have to do much, as Georgia was running very well.
Bulldogs had a healthy mix of players who produced on the field. James Cook covered 104 yards in six attempts, averaging 17.3 yards per transport and two touchdowns, while Zamir White followed behind with 84 yards in 13 attempts (6.5 yards per transport) and two touchdowns. Kenny McIntosh followed with 79 yards in nine races, and freshman Daijun Edwards was able to win 77 yards in 14 races.
The South Carolina quarterback ended up going from 18 to 22 to 190 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Kevin Harris, the leader of the Gamecocks, advanced 53 yards in 17 attempts (3.1 yards per load) and a touchdown.
The moment it ended
Georgia brought together one of its most cohesive performances in defense, special teams and attack to kick off the second half – and that pretty much put the game out of South Carolina’s reach.
The Gamecocks started the third quarter in the attack, and the Bulldogs didn’t want to. South Carolina running back Kevin Harris failed to get anywhere and lost a yard in the first hasty attempt of the second half. Doty then lost 7 yards and messed up the ball before recovering it in Gamecocks’ own 17. The third and 18 subsequent game ended with a Johnson-on-Doty sack, bringing the Gamecocks back another 4 yards and forcing a punt.
South Carolina punter Kai Kroeger mounted a solid 52-yard punt, but Kearis Jackson returned it to them, bringing it back 52 yards to define Georgia’s attack on South Carolina’s 13-yard line.
From there, the Bulldogs continued their racing game in three consecutive races (Kenny McIntosh, White, White), to put the score at 35-10 and apparently out of Gamecocks’ reach.
The atmosphere also changed at the end of the break. When the third quarter started, much of the student section in Columbia, South Carolina, was gone. Williams-Brice Stadium managed to get quite noisy in the first half, despite its crowd of 16,444, due to social distance, but as soon as the second half started, the noise was drastically reduced.