Instant reaction: South Carolina vs. Georgia thumbs up, thumbs down
Things weren’t particularly close between South Carolina football and Georgia at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, with the Gamecocks falling 45-16. Let’s take a look at some of the things that went wrong — and a few that went right.
Thumbs down
Injuries continue to decimate defense
South Carolina’s defense was pushed around pretty badly by a bigger, more talented Georgia offense (more on that below), but it wasn’t exactly a fair fight — already hurting from several opt-outs and injuries, the Gamecocks lost two starting defensive lineman and five-star freshman Jordan Burch before kickoff Saturday. And once the game actually started, linebacker and leading tackler Ernest Jones, followed by his backup, freshman Mo Kaba, both went down with injuries.
All told, USC had to rely on former walk-ons and players that had seen limited, if any, action this year against a top-10 team. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t go well. At this point, South Carolina will be lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective) to have enough defenders available to play the season finale against Kentucky.
Steamrolled by the run
Against USC’s massively depleted depth chart, Georgia had a chance to get its running game back on track after rushing for just eight total yards last week against Mississippi State. Sure enough, the Bulldogs did just that, tallying 332 total rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
UGA averaged 7.2 yards per rush, the most South Carolina’s allowed in a game since 2015. Adjusting for sacks, that figure jumps to 8 yards per attempt. Simply put, Georgia ran the ball down USC’s throat and there was no stopping it.
Offensive line play
With a mobile quarterback like freshman Luke Doty, a number of sacks are to be expected. But South Carolina’s offensive line simply wasn’t up to the task against Georgia’s front, with Doty under constant pressure and taking several massive hits. And the running game wasn’t all that great either — sophomore running back Kevin Harris had to break a lot of tackles to make plays, and even still, the Gamecocks averaged just 2.8 yards per rush, even adjusted for sacks.
Thumbs up
Kevin Harris won’t quit
The sophomore running back’s pursuit of 1,000 yards on the season continues, with him picking up 53 to today to move to 928 on the year. But arguably his most impressive carry of the day netted just two yards — on fourth down late in the second quarter, Harris was wrapped up in the backfield, seemingly sealing a turnover on downs. Instead, he kept driving, put his head down and escape his tacklers, plunging forward for a gritty first down that showed all the heart and hard running that have made him a fan favorite in this trying season.
Nick Muse’s career game
With senior wide receiver Shi Smith out due to a concussion, senior tight end Nick Muse was USC’s top receiving option all game long, and he proved himself to be a valuable target for freshman quarterback Luke Doty. On his Senior Night, Doty set career highs in receptions and yards, with 8 and 131, respectively. He was sure-handed, nabbing every pass thrown his way, and explosive, breaking through tackles and scoring the first touchdown of his South Carolina career.
Jammie Robinson’s incredible interception
South Carolina’s depleted secondary has been well documented over these past few weeks, with sophomore Jammie Robinson one of the only remaining players left from the rotation at the beginning of the season. And he led the team in tackles Saturday, recording 10 stops. But his highlight of the night came just before halftime, as Georgia was looking to grab one more score and really put the screws to Carolina. A hard hit jarred the ball loose along the sideline, and Robinson was in perfect position to scoop the ball just above the turf before sliding out of bounds.
This story was originally published November 28, 2020 at 10:45 PM.
