COLUMBIA— Georgia instruct Kirby clever and his No. 1 Bulldogs are sending messages to every body who idea they have been going to drop off after a national championship.
The trendy declaration got here Saturday in a forty eight-7 victory over South Carolina (1-2, zero-2) in their Southeastern conference opener, wherein the Gamecocks wished a touchdown with fifty three seconds to go to keep away from becoming the fifth shutout sufferer of the Bulldogs (three-0) of their past 14 video games.
Meanwhile, the Georgia offense received 547 yards, scoring on eight of its first nine possessions and became averaging nearly 10 yards a play earlier than the backups got here in and took their foot off the gasoline inside the fourth region.
Despite the fact that 15 players left for the NFL after triumphing Georgia’s first national name considering 1980, there nevertheless continues to be plenty of expertise and an mind-set that triumphing a championship leaves in the back of, educate Kirby smart stated.
“That became a completely unique group. It is going to linger in our constructing,” Kirby said. “not the championship, however the way they practiced, the manner they carried themselves.”
Stetson Bennett went sixteen for 23 for 284 yards and touchdowns and ran for some other score. Similar to the Bulldogs’ 49-3 victory over Oregon and 33-0 win over Samford, Bennett didn’t take a snap within the fourth area. He reminded his teammates that it won’t live this smooth.
“We’re going to need to play a four-sector game sooner or later. We’re going to ought to stay in shape,” Bennett said. “This isn’t going to occur each week.”
Tight stop Brock Bowers had five catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns and additionally ran for a score. Georgia allow 10 players carry the ball, dashing for 212 yards.
The Bulldogs’ protective line crushed South Carolina’s the front. A defender was in quarterback Spencer Rattler’s face almost every time he dropped again greater than 3 steps. The Oklahoma switch were given off just 3 deep balls, with of them intercepted. He didn’t play within the fourth sector and was thirteen of 25 for 118 yards.
“I manifestly did a horse-crap activity of getting our team equipped to play nowadays regardless of what number of men we had out,” stated South Carolina educate Shane Beamer, who changed into lacking six protective players. “I don’t even need to listen it. We had an awesome sufficient team to go out there and compete.”
The forty one-factor victory became Georgia’s largest in opposition to the Gamecocks in their 75 meetings. It turned into South Carolina’s worst loss in view that a fifty six-6 defeat to Florida in 2008.
SHUTOUT SO close
That touchdown that ruined the shutout nonetheless stung, especially after Trezman Martin intercepted a fourth area-skip at the Georgia 9 that appeared to snuff out the Gamecocks’ remaining threat with 4:33 to head.
Linebacker Nolan Smith said there’s no garbage time for the Georgia defense, which allowed an offensive touchdown for the primary time within the ultimate 5 regular-season games.
“if you are on the sector, you’re a starter,” Smith stated. “That’s our frame of labor. That’s our entire defense.”
BENNETT BARFS
After throwing a touchdown to Bowers inside the 2nd area, Bennett threw up on the sector as his teammates celebrated ultimately area. He said he changed into dry heaving at some stage in the force but stayed in. Clever said he thinks Bennett changed into worried approximately the heat and drank an excessive amount of water.
Bennett failed to omit a play.
“It hit me all of a surprising,” he said, smiling. “I ate plenty of grapes. Perhaps I had a horrific grape.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Georgia: Struggles in opposition to groups like South Carolina used to outline the Bulldogs. At one point whilst Steve Spurrier turned into Gamecocks educate in the early 2010s, South Carolina gained 4 of five inside the series. But after Saturday, Georgia has won 15 of its last sixteen over SEC East groups.
South Carolina: Beamer appears to be breathing existence into a software that had misplaced 13 of its ultimate sixteen when he took over in 2021, but there may be still a huge gap to the first-rate. In his 2d season, Beamer is 0-four towards pinnacle 25 groups, dropping through a median of nearly 24 factors.
Poll IMPLICATIONS
Beating an SEC opponent by way of 41 points have to be sufficient to maintain the Bulldogs at No. 1.
UP subsequent
Georgia: The Bulldogs have one extra nonconference tuneup, this time in opposition to Kent nation, before gambling seven SEC games.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks dip out of the SEC for a home game next Saturday against Charlotte.
