Top Dawgs: Georgia rolls Gamecocks
Bennett, No. 1 Georgia’s ‘D’ steamrolls South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Georgia coach Kirby Smart and his No. 1 Bulldogs are sending messages to anyone who thought they were going to drop off after a national championship.
The latest statement came Saturday in a 48-7 victory over South Carolina (1-2, 0-2) in their Southeastern Conference opener, where the Gamecocks needed a touchdown with 53 seconds to go to avoid becoming the fifth shutout victim of the Bulldogs (3-0) in their past 14 games.
Meanwhile, the Georgia offense gained 547 yards, scoring on eight of its first nine possessions and was averaging nearly 10 yards a play before the backups came in and took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter. Even though 15 players left for the NFL after winning Georgia’s first national title since 1980, there still is still plenty of talent and an attitude that winning a championship leaves behind, coach Kirby Smart said.
“That was a very special group. That’s going to linger in our building,” Kirby said. “Not the championship, but the way they practiced, the way they carried themselves.”
Stetson Bennett went 16 for 23 for 284 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score. Just like the Bulldogs’ 49-3 victory over Oregon and 33-0 win over Samford, Bennett didn’t take a snap in the fourth quarter. He reminded his teammates
that it won’t stay this easy.
“We’re going to have to play a four-quarter game at some point. We’re going to have to stay in shape,” Bennett said. “This isn’t going to happen every week.”
Tight end Brock Bowers had five catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score. Georgia let 10 players carry the ball, rushing for 212 yards.
The Bulldogs’ defensive line overwhelmed South Carolina’s front. A defender was in quarterback Spencer Rattler’s face almost every time he dropped back more than three steps. The Oklahoma transfer got
off just three deep balls, with two of them intercepted. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter and was 13 of 25 for 118 yards.
“I obviously did a horse-crap job of getting our team ready to play today regardless of how many guys we had out,” said South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, who was missing six defensive players. “I don’t even want to hear it. We had a good enough team to go out there and compete.”
The 41-point victory was Georgia’s biggest against the Gamecocks in their 75 meetings. It was South Carolina’s worst loss since a 56-6 defeat to Florida in 2008.