The best game of the college football season thus far happened in Columbia, S.C. Saturday afternoon.

Georgia surrendered 450 yards of total offense and Gamecocks quarterback had a career day completing 21 of 30 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns. It was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading touchdowns most of the way through the game.

Here are a couple of thoughts on the game:

What it means: South Carolina is not as bad as we thought they were, and Georgia is not as good as we thought they were. We saw a much improved Gamecocks team, with Lorenzo Ward’s defense coming up with some big stops in key moments. Williams-Brice Stadium again was an unfriendly environment for the ‘Dawgs, who dropped their second straight trip to Columbia. The SEC East is wide open.

What I liked: Hutson Mason’s performance was up-and-down, but played well overall. Mason completed 16 of 22 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. He got off to a quick start completing his first two passes for for 69 yards as the Bulldogs tied the game at 7 early in the first quarter. Mason struggled at times in his timing with his receivers but was strong down the stretch completing some big passes to keep the ‘Dawgs in it.

Who’s the man: Todd Gurley rushed for 131 yards on 20 carries and had a 54-yard touchdown run called back due to a holding penalty. Gurley had just 44 yards on 11 touches in the first half, but asserted himself after intermission and powered the ‘Dawgs back into it.

Key play: Marshall Morgan missed a chip-shot field goal that would’ve tied the game at 38 in the fourth quarter. That killed a drive that began with a 1st and goal on the South Carolina 4-yard line after a Damian Swann interception. An intentional grounding penalty moved the Bulldogs back, leading to the missed field goal by Morgan.

Here a few highlights from tonight’s action.