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You wouldn’t guess it by looking at this year’s squads, but South Carolina has owned their rivalry against Georgia of late, winning four of their last five contests over the Bulldogs.
Despite the recent spate of success, Georgia is the overwhelming favorite when they play host to Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks in Week 3. The popular notion is that these two programs are heading in opposite directions as the Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0) are the class of the SEC East, while South Carolina (1-1, 0-1) is stuck in an uphill battle to compete.
But how far apart on the field are the two schools located about 160 miles from one another?
Defensively, Georgia and South Carolina are polar opposites … or so it would appear. Georgia holds a slight statistical advantage over the Gamecocks in just about every category except for total defense where the Bulldogs are roughly 100 yards more efficient than South Carolina per game.
The big culprit is the run defense. Georgia’s front seven is about as dominant as they come, paced by Jordan Jenkins, who leads the nation with 6.5 tackles-for-loss.
The South Carolina defense was holier than the screen doors in the Vatican last season, coughing up 432.7 yards per game. Through two games this season, that same defense which returns the majority of its starters has allowed 434.2 ypg.
But still, there’s reason for hope in Columbia. The Gamecocks defense gets stronger in the second half against teams. So much so, that the South Carolina defense has yet to be scored on the second half this season. The two points the team gave up this year in the second half came via a botched two-point conversion attempt on offense against Kentucky in Week 2.
| Georgia | South Carolina | |
| Total Defense | 325.5 ypg | 419.5 ypg |
| Scoring Defense | 14.0 ppg | 19.5 ppg |
| Yards Per Play | 4.52 ypp | 6.40 ypp |
| Rush Defense | 75.0 ypg | 207.5 ypg |
| Pass Defense | 250.5 ypg | 212.0 ypg |
With such as discrepancy in the run defenses, establishing enough of a running presence so Gamecock quarterback Perry Orth can take advantage of the Bulldogs secondary will be vital for South Carolina. The South Carolina rushing attack is the toughest the Bulldogs will face so far this year.
Brandon Wilds, David Williams and Shon Carson have combined for 224.5 ypg, good enough for sixth-best in the SEC for South Carolina. They’ll need to be in top form as Orth makes his first career start for the Gamecocks under center. Orth showed promise in relief of injured Connor Mitch, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury. South Carolina’s new starter threw for 179 yards against the Wildcats in a little more than one half of play.
It’s vice versa on the other side of the ball for Georgia, which possesses one of the best rushing trios in the country. South Carolina doesn’t defense against the run particularly well, which should open up the SEC’s leading rusher Nick Chubb (309 rushing yards) for a big game.
If Chubb has an off game — unlikely considering the sophomore has rushed for more than 100 yards in all 10 games he’s started in his career — the Bulldogs are stacked in backfield, racking up an average of 262.2 rushing yards this year with Sony Michel and Keith Marshall also lining up for Georgia. They’re even deep at fullback.
Biggest change of note on #UGA‘s depth chart for #SCvsUGA game Saturday: Quayvon Hicks & Christian Payne listed as co-starters at FB
— Bulldawg Illustrated (@ecdawg_BI) September 15, 2015
Funniest part of #UGA presser: @NickChubb21 saying he took 2 visits to SoCarolina but never saw Spurrier. “He was getting some awards”
— Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzAJC) September 15, 2015
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS CLOSER LOOK
Top player, offense: Pharoh Cooper, Jr., WR — Pharoh Cooper does it all for the Gamecocks in addition to his wide receiver role, including lining up under center and returning kicks. The junior has 145 yards receiving in 2015 to go along with a touchdown. While the numbers are respectable, especially given the Gamecocks struggles at quarterback, South Carolina is waiting for their first-team All-SEC player to have a true breakout game this season.
Top player, defense: Skai Moore, Jr., LB — Skai Moore is the unequivocal leader of the South Carolina defense, both in stats and in veteran leadership. The junior leads the team once again with tackles with 19.0 (12 solo) and is tops in the SEC with 3 interceptions. His interception in the end zone sealed the Gamecocks first win of the season over border rival North Carolina.
Top players, special teams: Elliott Fry, Jr. PK — Elliott Fry often gets overlooked among the best kickers in the SEC. But the junior is automatic from 20-to-29 yards, leading the SEC with four makes from that distance — two more than the next closest kickers Austin MacGinnis of Kentucky and Cole Hedlund of Arkansas. He’s tied with three other kickers for most field goals in the conference connecting on four of his six attempts this year with his misses coming from 57 and 42 yards.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
