Georgia Football: A full breakdown of South Carolina

Georgia football opens SEC play against South Carolina on Saturday, and while the Dawgs are heavy favorites, this game will still be a showdown between two SEC East teams.

No. 2 Georgia and South Carolina will face off for the 74th meeting as the Dawgs lead 52-19-2 overall.

To get a closer insight into the South Carolina team, I  reached out to Jacob Elsy, the site expert at Garnet and Cocky.

Elsy and I  each exchanged photos to get to know each team better. Check out this interview, then head over to Garnet and Cocky to see my interview with Elsy.

South Carolina is 2-0 after two victories over Eastern Illinois and Eastern Carolina, they’re confident, and it’s a game Georgia cannot overlook.

Check out my interview with Elsy below.

Q: Give us your thoughts on Shane Beamer through two games?

A: Beamer has brought an excitement to South Carolina football that’s really been missing since the Spurrier era. I think he has fans and players believing that things will turn around. He certainly inherits a massive rebuild, but last week’s come-from-behind win was a testament to that belief.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Back-up quarterback, three first-half turnovers, 14-0 deficit, but the players kept the faith and stuck to coach Beamer’s plan to eke out the close victory on the road. Beamer has a team that’s gaining confidence, which will hopefully continue as the season wears on.

Q: What kind of expectations do yall have for this season?

A: Honestly, bowl eligibility would be a huge success for Beamer in year one. The program was 6-16 over the last two seasons, so getting to six wins this year would be monumental. The path is there following the 2-0 start, but things get much tougher in the coming weeks.

Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, Clemson, and Florida are all still on the schedule, and some swing games vs. Kentucky, Mizzou, and Tennessee. I projected 6-6 heading into the season, but 5-7 may be more likely.

Q: Who are three offensive players Georgia should worry about from South Carolina?

A: It’s going to come down to the run game as the Gamecocks’ top performers all reside in the backfield. Juju McDowell, a true freshman, has come on strong. He led the team in rushing and nearly took back a kickoff last week against ECU.

Kevin Harris led the SEC in rushing last season and should see his workload continue to grow. He returned from an offseason surgery last weekend and played well. In the receiving game, Josh Vann has become WR1.

It took the senior three years, but he’s finally playing up to his recruiting rankings under a new staff. If the Gamecocks can protect the quarterback, Vann could get some opportunities downfield.

Q: Who are three defensive players Georgia should worry about from South Carolina?

A: It’s all about the defensive line. Kingsley Enagbare is looking like a first-round pick and leads the team in sacks. Edge rusher Jordan Strachan, a transfer from Georgia State, had impressed after leading the nation in sacks last season. He’ll line up as both an end and a backer as the defense looks to create mismatches against opposing offensive lines.

In the secondary, Cam Smith has played lights out, but he needs to cut down on extracurricular activities on the field. He was flagged a couple of times last weekend for jawing and taunting. He’ll likely face off against UGA’s top receiver.

Q: How does South Carolina stop Georgia’s stable of running backs and offense?

A: The run game is what killed the Gamecocks in this game last year. The Bulldogs ran for more than 300 yards as a team and cruised to an easy victory. I think a couple of things will go into stopping the rushing attack.

First, I think we’ll see South Carolina load the box and force the Bulldogs to throw it, as they’ve got a little uncertainty at the QB position. Secondly, Beamer could try to play keep away if the Gamecocks can control the ball with a run game of their own.

Steve Spurrier did this often against some of those great Aaron Murray, and Matt Stafford led teams. Keeping the other offense on the sidelines is the easiest way to keep them from scoring.

Q: What does South Carolina need to do to be successful against Georgia’s explosive defense?

A: Find a run game. The Gamecocks struggled against a lousy ECU defense last week, averaging less than 3 yards a carry. South Carolina’s passing attack isn’t good enough to move the ball on its own, and the offensive line has not played well against two inferior opponents.

If the Gamecocks can run the ball successfully, it would create some opportunities downfield on play-action. I’d also expect a few trick plays to come out early as the Gamecocks want to get on the scoreboard early in Athens.

What do you feel are South Carolina’s strengths and weaknesses?

A: Strengths – Defense, Special Teams, RBs

So far, the Gamecocks rank in the top 10 nationally in both total defense and scoring defense, but the task is much tougher this weekend. The defense has already recorded seven sacks, five of which came last weekend. It’s also tied for the SEC lead with four interceptions, two of which have been returned for scores.

Special teams will always be a part of Shane Beamer’s repertoire, and it’s proven to be huge through just two games. Parker White is perfect on field goals, Juju McDowell and Dak Joyner have solidified the return game, and the Gamecocks have already blocked two punts.

Kevin Harris, Juju McDowell, ZaQuandre White, and MarShawn Lloyd are all legitimate SEC backs. Hopefully, the offensive line can create some holes.

Weaknesses – Passing game, offensive line, ball security

Zeb Noland has filled in okay for the injured Luke Doty, who will hopefully be back on the field this weekend. While he’s thrown for 5 TDs and just 1 INT, he’s completing just 57% of his passes. The receiving corps is getting better but is still very unproven. They may struggle to create separation against UGA DBs.

The offensive line came into the season as a strength, but poor play through the first two games has been evident. That’s not a good sign when matchup up with the SEC’s top defensive line. The front five has to find a way to open up running lanes and protect whoever lines up under center.

The Gamecocks fumbled three times last weekend, two of which were recovered by ECU. Both had huge impacts on the game, as one took a South Carolina TD off the board, and the other set the Pirates up with a short field. The Gamecocks also fumbled against Eastern Illinois in game one and have four turnovers to date.

Unlike the first two games, the Gamecocks won’t overcome self-inflicted wounds against the Bulldogs.

Q: Score Prediction?

A: While I think the Gamecocks can cover the massive 31-point spread (UGA has won by 30 just once in the last 45 years vs. SC), I don’t see this one being particularly close.

If South Carolina can find a way to move the ball against the Bulldog defense, there is a chance to stay competitive. Still, unfortunately, I think it’s the Gamecocks’ defensive unit that will be on the field most of the game. Look for South Carolina to try to create a big play early, but in the end, I think Georgia will be able to wear the Gamecocks down.

UGA – 34

SC – 14

Georgia and South Carolina kickoff on Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The first night game at Sanford Stadium this season, and I  know that crowd will be electric. Carolina may have gotten the best of the Dawgs the last time they were in Athens, but 2021 seems to be different.