Countdown begins to Georgia-South Carolina showdown; Gamecocks favored
It has all the trappings of a mega-game: two undefeated teams that are among the nation’s top half-dozen in the polls, a team that has scored 48.2 points per game vs. a team that has allowed 11.2, the early lead in the SEC East at stake.
The countdown is on for No. 5 Georgia, the offensive juggernaut, vs. No. 6 South Carolina, the defensive juggernaut, Saturday night in Columbia, S.C. Both teams are 5-0 (3-0 SEC).
“It’s a huge game,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Sunday. “We all know it.”
“It’s a big, big game,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said, “when you’re playing this deep into the conference season and you’ve got two undefeateds.”
Validating the game’s marquee status, ESPN announced that its “College GameDay” show – the popular three-hour preview program – will air from the South Carolina campus Saturday morning.
“The last time they were here [was when] we played Alabama two years ago,” Spurrier said. “Obviously that was one of the best days in Carolina football history, first time we had ever beat a No. 1 team.
“So [the show] adds to the importance of the game. It sort of lets the world know, the country know, ‘Hey, South Carolina football is pretty good.’ We’re not quite where we want to be yet, but we’re up there amongst them, and hopefully we can keep pushing on.”
Depending on the outcome of Saturday’s Florida-LSU game, the Georgia-South Carolina winner will lead the SEC East outright or be tied with the Gators for first place.
The Gamecocks opened as a 2 1/2-point favorite, according to vegasinsider.com.
Defensively, the game will feature two of the SEC’s more acclaimed players, Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones and South Carolina end Jadeveon Clowney. Offensively, it will feature three of the SEC’s top seven rushers: Georgia freshman Todd Gurley, who leads the league with 107.2 yards per game; South Carolina junior Marcus Lattimore, sixth in the league at 88 yards per game; and Georgia freshman Keith Marshall, seventh at 85.6.
Lattimore has gained 358 yards on 64 carries against Georgia the past two seasons – 182 yards on 37 carries as a freshman in 2010, 176 yards on 27 carries last season. Lattimore returned this season after missing the final six games last year with a knee injury.
Asked Sunday if Lattimore is back to pre-injury form, Spurrier said: “I hope he’s where he was when he ran against Georgia two years ago. That’s where I hope he is because that was sort of his coming-out day here at Williams-Brice [Stadium]. … I think he’s close to being just as good as he has ever been. I think he tells people, ‘Not quite where I was, but I’ll get there real soon.’”
Georgia is coming off a wild 51-44 victory over Tennessee. The Bulldogs’ offense piled up 560 yards but committed three turnovers, while their defense gave up 478 yards but forced four turnovers, including three in the final six minutes. Spurrier’s impression after watching highlights of the game: “A lot of long runs by those Bulldog freshmen.”
South Carolina, meanwhile, is coming off a 38-17 victory at Kentucky. The Gamecocks trailed 17-7 at halftime but dominated the second half behind stellar defense and Lattimore’s running.
“They’ve beaten us the last two years,” Richt said, “so we’ve got something to prove.”
Etc.
On his Sunday evening teleconference, Richt said he was happy with the defensive plays the Bulldogs made near the end of the Tennessee game but unhappy about the offense’s inability to “knock out a first down when we needed it the most to try to take [the] drama out of it at the very end.” Said Richt: “One thing we’ve got to improve on is our ability to get a couple of first downs at the end of a ballgame, force people to use some timeouts and run some clock. We just really haven’t done a good job of that in recent memory.” … Richt on Lattimore: “He does seem to play even better as the game wears on.” … Richt on South Carolina defensive ends Clowney and Devin Taylor: “They’re super tall [6-6 and 6-8, respectively] and athletic; they have outstanding technique; they are much more physical against the run than they were a year ago. They’re really complete players now, and there are two of them.” … This is the first season since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1992 that the Gamecocks were not the Bulldogs’ opening league opponent. “I think the biggest difference [in facing the Gamecocks later] is that we’ll be watching this year’s film instead of last year’s film,” Richt said.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
276 comments Add your comment
HBC owns Ua
October 1st, 2012
3:28 pm
Th
HBC owns Uga
October 1st, 2012
3:33 pm
@ Rocky Mount, I would love to party with you! You must have the best homemade Hooch. You are worried about Fla but not SC?!?!?! We are undefeated in 2 years against you and the mighty Gators. This will be a close game. But, I will take the HBC in this one. He owns Georgia and you know it.
LakeDawg
October 1st, 2012
3:52 pm
I’m going against conventional wisdom. I have the Dawgs winning by 14 and LSU beating the Gators.
ARdawg
October 1st, 2012
3:59 pm
The old bawl sack is worrying about this one more so than the previous 2 years. Otherwise he’d have a smart alec remark. I’m still taking bets that he has one before the week is out.
I love being the underdog in this one. SC’s D will get it’s test
mambo
October 1st, 2012
4:34 pm
21 of the 44 points that Tennessee scored were on our defense. 20 of those points were given to Tennessee by mistakes on offense or receiving teams. Quit making mistakes, think hard and hit hard.
fan
October 1st, 2012
4:45 pm
New sign at Sanford Stadium.
GEORGIA FOOTBALL, When all is said and done, There is a lot more said than done!
LogicalUS
October 1st, 2012
5:01 pm
The only interesting part of this matchup is whether Murray scores more TDs for SC or UGA?
Really shocked that the UGA defense was gashed so easily by UT for the last 20 minutes of the game and the offense was shut completely down.
The most un-inspiring of the 4th Q was seeing AMurray lose his composure again…he really does not handle pressure very well. For UGA part, they better hope that the two suspect OTs can handle the SC DEs or that Gurley can carry the load.
LogicalUS
October 1st, 2012
5:08 pm
“21 of the 44 points that Tennessee scored were on our defense. 20 of those points were given to Tennessee by mistakes on offense or receiving teams”
Not to rain on your excuse fest but UGA is taking those same ERROR-PRONE players to Columbia and apparently SC actually plays defense unlike UT.
So that doesn’t look very promising for the outcome.
rocky mount
October 1st, 2012
5:18 pm
@ HBC…….I somewhat agree……..Steve Spurrier has spanked Richt for years and made hime look like a fool………but thus year GEORGIA is just too darn good. I’m telling you, GEORGIA is more solid than Alabama right now. It’s scary how good and potent GEORGIA is this year.
GEORGIA 48
SOUTH CAROLINA
rocky mount
October 1st, 2012
5:20 pm
Georgia 48
SC 10 F
Florida 27
LSU 17 F
Rock And Roller
October 1st, 2012
5:21 pm
Dawgs win national title this year for sure! We beat Spurrier 52-24.
rocky mount
October 1st, 2012
5:22 pm
SOUTH CAROLINA WILL CHOKE SATURDAY NIGHT.
GEORGIA WILL EXPLODE 1ST QTR AND SC WILL NEVER CATCH UP.
CONNER SHAW……4 INT’S
MARCUS LATTIMORE…………2 FUMBLES
I GUARENTEE IT…………….MARK IT DOWN.
Aaron Murray #11
October 1st, 2012
5:27 pm
To all my fans……
Yes, it’s true. I am a big jerk. i pout when we are losing and act like my dookie is gold plated, but I am never going to make it in the NFL so I must win now. I am a jerk though. I am the best of the best. Without me UA would be nothing. Bobo will be gone when I graduate, I will gett hat gig.
Love,
Aaron
Arnold Scwartenegger
October 1st, 2012
5:28 pm
I like that Gurley man!
Todd Grantham
October 1st, 2012
5:31 pm
I am after Mark’s head coaching job. You know I am…..why wouldn’t I be. I will have it in less than two years and I can promise they won’t no pot smoking thugs under my belt.
Love,
Todd
Mike Vick #7
October 1st, 2012
5:33 pm
Yo yo yo…….all da’ hoes!!!
All my former teams are 4-0 right now……..what up wit’ dat doe?
I am played out, yo?
Love,
Mike
GameDay on Saturday
October 1st, 2012
5:35 pm
Biggest question to me is if USC can stop the run game of UGA. It should be a very competitive game with all of the talent on both sides of the ball.
Jarvis Jones
October 1st, 2012
5:35 pm
Dear Conner,
I am coming to get cha! Don’t get scared now.
Love,
Jarvis
Barrack O
October 1st, 2012
5:37 pm
Dear Mark Richt,
You didn’t build that!!!!
Love,
Barrack O
Huh?
October 1st, 2012
5:50 pm
For UGA fans to talk about how much you would have beaten TN without the turnovers, let me say this…TN had more turnovers than UGA did….including multiple while trying to tie the game. Get over it already. I’m sure TN would like to have had 0 turnovers as well.
Rick James
October 1st, 2012
5:50 pm
Latimore is not running like he did two years ago.I dont know if he does not trust his knee,if its the weight loss or he’s just lost a step.I just hope he wont have a breakout game saturday.I would have never thought that after 5 games he would be 6th in the SEC in rushing..
Rick James
October 1st, 2012
5:54 pm
@Huh?
For UGA fans to talk about how much you would have beaten TN without the turnovers, let me say this…TN had more turnovers than UGA did….including multiple while trying to tie the game. Get over it already. I’m sure TN would like to have had 0 turnovers as well.
—————————————————————————————————————————-
Tennesee played a good game,may beat South Carolina and will make some noise in the SEC this year..Get over it and move on.
Huh?
October 1st, 2012
6:01 pm
Rick James…I’m not sure what your point is. Yes, TN played well…that’s what I was saying. ????
loserdawgs
October 1st, 2012
6:28 pm
georgia fans talk so much $hit.
trick plays, last two years is the only reason they lost. blah blah blah
Jeb Pritchett
October 1st, 2012
6:41 pm
@Boris
Hey nice suggestion, this is why you’re on the sideline, right? Hindsight is always 20/20 isn’t it? Be grateful this isn’t like in seasons past where we wouldn’t have dreamed of putting up 51 on an SEC team and wouldn’t have pulled through such a game.
Hammer
October 1st, 2012
8:01 pm
Cocks win a close one, 27-23.
Gamecock Fan
October 1st, 2012
8:12 pm
Dawg fans riddle me this? you guys have historically recruited every year among the best in the NCAA but you have no BCS titles to show for it like Bama, LSU, or Auburn…so help me understand the arrogance of the puppies…how could the dawgs let the Cocks catch them with all the built in advantages you have in big state? face it the Cocks are better and you can’t stand it!!! yeah i said it
Cocks 34 Pups 20
icedawg
October 1st, 2012
8:38 pm
The Dawg defense must come up with an A game to win.
Mobile Dawg
October 1st, 2012
8:43 pm
This one will be decided along the offensive line of UGA IMO. The tackles will have to have some help, both sides, or we may be watching Mason’s debut. Offense will be conservative, especially early. Would really like to pick the Dawgs but we haven’t fared well in big games for years now. I’m not getting emotionally invested in this one.
Mobile Dawg
October 1st, 2012
8:46 pm
Then again, our defense could get an attitude, with the lack of love and Dawg fans everywhere could bark again. They have the “potential” to be nasty.
Eric C.
October 1st, 2012
8:52 pm
SC has the homefield advantage, but I’d say UGA has been tested a little more than SC so far.
A road game at Missouri, in their SEC inauguration, is more intimidating than a road game at Vandy.
Playing UT anywhere is a bigger test than playing KY.
Huh?
October 1st, 2012
10:29 pm
UGA may beat SC, but until they fix their defense and special teams issues, they won’t win the SEC or the NC for that matter. So far this year, excuses have been made for UGA’s defense. Well, after 5 games, I’m not that impressed. It’s more of a pattern than an anomaly. The Offense looks great, but the defense is average.
3 phases of a football team…offense, defense and special teams. So far, UGA seems to have figured out 1 of them.
Left Coast Dawg
October 1st, 2012
11:05 pm
Dawgs are underdogs by 2-1/2…… This means Vegas thinks UGA is slightly better than USCe, as typically the home team gets 3pts.
Left Coast Dawg
October 1st, 2012
11:08 pm
@Huh? – you still on here making dumb a$$ comments again. If the Dawgs haven’t figured out defense yet then why are they undefeated? I mean they have kept the other teams from scoring more than them, right? Isn’t that what it boils down to, preventing the other team from out-scoring them?
RED DOG 77
October 1st, 2012
11:18 pm
I have been saying for some time now [granted I might be wrong]………………The University of Georgia BULLDOGS have a pretty complete team this year [ not as much Oline depth as I'd like]…………but when “my” DAWGS show-up……………and all indications are, they will show-up to play in Columbia Saturday evening……………….The Dawgs Will Get After That As$ ………….No contest…………Georgia BULLDOGS 42 South Carolina Gamecocks 24……………Relax BULLDOG NATION……………We will all feel great after this one, but the Florida Gators loom X-tra large on down the road……………that one my friends, scares the poop out of me……………..All for now, Best To All…………………RED
Chris
October 1st, 2012
11:22 pm
Huh keeps copying and pasting the same thing in different blogs. Lame.
The defense is great. They’ll keep getting better now that everyone is back, too. Special teams is what needs work.
Notebook: Malcolm Mitchell understands why changes being made on punt returns | UGA sports blog
October 2nd, 2012
12:40 am
[...] Gamecocks favored as countdown to Georgia-South Carolina begins [...]
Fair n Balanced
October 2nd, 2012
4:18 am
We can win this but not the way we played Saturday!
Cal22
October 2nd, 2012
6:14 am
Did someone say that Georgie is better than Alabama this year? Funny how you could know that. Georgie doesn’t have the stones to step on the field with a real team during the regular twelve. But that’s okay ’cause I prefer national embarrassment in December.
Carolina Bays
October 2nd, 2012
7:52 am
Darth Visor (aka the Evil Genius) – 42
Muck Rickety – 31
The heartwarming triumph of quality and goodness over sleazy ineptitude.
chad hodges
October 2nd, 2012
8:43 am
hey jarvis do what you do saturday. go dawgs
chilidawg
October 2nd, 2012
9:29 am
Anyone who thinks this will be a blowout by either team is delusional. This will be a battle, and will almost certainly give me an ulcer.
HBC owns Uga
October 2nd, 2012
9:45 am
Hey Granthum, this is the HBC calling. I saw that poor excuse for a defense you put on the field last Saturday(sucks teeth). When you leave Williams-Brice wondering how you got curb stomped, just remember, I am still the Evil Genious and I own Mark Richt and the Dogs(sucks Teeth).
Ding-Dawg
October 2nd, 2012
11:27 am
Hey “Gamecock Fan” if thats what you really are. Because you only named SEC west teams, but if you are yalls Championship record not to good.
Ga 31
SC 28
Cal22
October 2nd, 2012
11:41 am
Only in a Georgie fan’s mind… Carolina was losing to Kentucky in the first half so Georgie should have no problem with them.
Well here’s a game you Georgie boys may remember… LSU 42 U G A y 10
Nothing Could Be Finer
October 2nd, 2012
11:50 am
The dogs will not be successful with all those sweeps they run vs the best DE combo in the nation (Clowney and Taylor).
Truth
October 2nd, 2012
12:02 pm
UGA and USC are bot overrated.
UF will beat LSU and will expose UGA soon enough
UGA will go to the ChickFilA bowl and get dominated by Clemson.
Mark it down!
SC News, Politics, Personalities, Newsmakers, Warren Lasch
October 2nd, 2012
12:03 pm
[...] matchup between the 5-0 teams should again go a long way in settling who will represent the …Countdown begins to Georgia-South Carolina showdown; Gamecocks favoredAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)South Carolina Football: 10 Things We Learned from the [...]
AltamahaDawg
October 2nd, 2012
12:24 pm
..except this SC team ain’t no LSU from last year, sport.
AltamahaDawg
October 2nd, 2012
12:25 pm
Not to mention, this isn’t the UGA offense that limped into that game either.