OFFENSE: B+

Game balls to Dylan Thompson and Brandon Wilds after both veterans executed well against Jeremy Pruitt’s blitz-happy defense. Thompson connected on several mid-level throws early in the contest and tossed three touchdown passes in the first. Wilds ran hard between the tackles and was the Gamecocks’ leading rusher with 93 yards and a score. Thompson shook off a late interception deep in his own territory with a 4th-and-inches conversion at midfield that sealed the victory on the Gamecocks’ ensuing drive. South Carolina finished with 447 yards of total offense and produced points on 6 of 11 possessions. Take away two turnovers and this performance deserved an A grade, the Gamecocks’ best outing of the season.

DEFENSE: B-

Georgia piled up 408 yards of total offense but it was a far cry from the 566-yard average the Gamecocks were giving up this season coming into this game. South Carolina was able to get off the field in several key third-down spots and force Georgia into field goal tries. For the most part, Lorenzo Ward’s unit tackled well and limited Todd Gurley’s yards after contact. After allowing 69 yards passing on the Bulldogs’ first possession of the game, the secondary tightened and gave up just 122 yards through the air to Hutson Mason the rest of the way.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B+

Elliott Fry’s 32-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter capped a 9-play, 59-yard drive that spanned a just over two minutes and gave the Gamecocks a 24-13 advantage. Shon Carson averaged 28.7 yards per kickoff return on three tries and South Carolina dodged two scoring chances when Georgia kicker Marshall Morgan — a Lou Groza watch list member — missed two field goal attempts for the first time in his career.

COACHING: B+

South Carolina looked like a different football team against the Bulldogs, one that played with heart and resiliency. The Gamecocks had an answer for each Georgia touchdown and never wavered in their quest to stay in the Top 25 by beating an Eastern Division arch rival. Often the case in wins over ranked teams, Steve Spurrier elected to keep the ball on the ground in crunch time and sprinkled in a variety of passing plays early to boost Thompson’s confidence level. His offense dissected Georgia’s secondary early and accounted for 27 total first downs. South Carolina’s offensive line showed improvement thanks to Shawn Elliott and Ward made adjustments in the secondary after Georgia scored in two plays through the air on its first drive.

OVERALL: B+

By no means does South Carolina’s victory mean the Gamecocks are now division favorites, but it shows that Spurrier’s squad isn’t going to go away quietly. Saturday’s performance warranted the preseason Top 10 ranking and resembled what we’ve seen out of South Carolina the last several years.