Georgia football continued its National Championship quest Saturday with a 41-17 blowout victory over the no. 24 South Carolina Gamecocks.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t see that one coming. I was part of the camp who thought that Georgia football was in for a tough, four-quarter battle with South Carolina. Instead, the Bulldogs squashed the Gamecocks 41-17 with touchdowns by five different players. Of course, one of those scores has to be the play of the game, and the choice was really easy:
Deandre Baker’s game opening interception
One of the most talked about narratives going into the game was the match-up of South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel and Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker. That narrative took a twist in the middle of the week when Samuel acted like he didn’t know who Baker was. Could Baker cover the future NFL star wide out? Or would Samuel prove that Baker isn’t in his league.
Baker won the battle early in the game with a interception. With nothing but the end zone in front of him, Baker ran down the side line to provide his team with a 7-0 advantage.
Because D-Andre is an important name on the Bulldog team, I have to mention D’Andre Walker’s play that led to the interception. Jake Bentley tossed a pass to running back Rico Dowdle. Walker hit Dowdle as the ball got to him. That caused the ball to fly in the air and it lander in Baker’s arms.
The pass might not have been intended for Samuel, but I’m sure he learned about Baker. Against Samuel, Baker and the Dawgs did their job. Samuel may have caught six passes, but he only gained 33 yards and was never a factor after the catch. His one big play was a touchdown pass in the first quarter. Although it’s never a good sign when you need a trick play to turn your red zone issues around.
Baker’s interception set the tone for a great day to be a Bulldog. Another D’Andre, Swift, scored the next touchdown for the Dawgs, and Rodrigo Blankenship had a perfect day with two field goals. In the third quarter, Georgia pilled on points with three touchdowns in three drives. That pretty much decided the game. Dawgs continued to roll for a 41-17 win.