First look: Top story lines, betting odds for South Carolina vs UGA football game
South Carolina football’s SEC slate kicks off this week.
The Gamecocks open Southeastern Conference play with one of their schedule’s toughest opponents on the road, traveling to Athens for a meeting with No. 2 Georgia.
Both teams head into their first SEC matchup with a 2-0 record. South Carolina handily defeated FCS Eastern Illinois in Week 1 and left Greenville, North Carolina, with a close 20-17 win over East Carolina. Georgia came out on top after a tight season opener against Clemson and routed Conference USA’s UAB, 56-7, in Week 2.
How to watch South Carolina vs Georgia football game
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (2-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Where: Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN
This week’s SEC betting odds, TV times
The point spread for South Carolina’s first SEC game on the road against Georgia opened with the Bulldogs 32-point favorite. It was 30 points Sunday evening at some sportsbooks.
South Carolina has opened as a steep underdog against Georgia for the past two seasons. In 2020, the Bulldogs were favored by 18 points at the line’s opening. In 2019, the Bulldogs opened as a 21-point favorite.
College football open point spreads, according to VegasInsider.com
- Noon: New Mexico at Texas A&M (-25)
- Noon: UT Chattanooga at Kentucky — no line
- Noon: SE Missouri State at Missouri — no line
- Noon: Tennessee Tech at Tennessee — no line
- 3:30 p.m.: Alabama (-15) at Florida
- 4 p.m.: Georgia Southern at Arkansas (-18)
- 4 p.m.: Mississippi State (-3) at Memphis
- 7 p.m.: South Carolina at Georgia (-32)
- 7:30 p.m.: Auburn at Penn State (-7)
- 8 p.m.: Tulane at Ole Miss (-15)
- 8 p.m.: Stanford (-9) at Vanderbilt
The state of the Gamecocks
South Carolina eked out a close victory over East Carolina in the final minutes on Saturday, which showed that the Gamecocks have the ability to rally in tight contests. The Gamecocks have room to improve on costly penalties, turnovers and along the offensive line.
Quarterback Zeb Noland recorded his second career start for the Gamecocks and was more inconsistent against East Carolina. Noland threw 214 yards, one touchdown and one interception in 13-of-24 passing, but was left to scramble throughout the afternoon and was sacked three times.
Quarterback Luke Doty, who hasn’t fully recovered from a foot injury suffered in fall camp, didn’t play against ECU, though head coach Shane Beamer said Doty continues to do more in practice and is expected to be at 100% health when they travel to Athens.
The Gamecocks’ defense continues to be their bright spot, holding the Pirates to 268 total yards and keeping East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers contained with 77 yards on 11-of-24 passing. Linebacker Damani Staley came up with a 63-yard interception returned for a touchdown against ECU, a major momentum shift in the Gamecocks’ favor.
The state of the Bulldogs
Georgia is considered one of the nation’s top football programs, defeating last season’s College Football Playoff semifinalist Clemson Tigers in Week 1 and standing at No. 2 in the AP Top 25.
Georgia’s most obvious strength is in its vaunted defense. Statistically, the Bulldogs have the best total defense in FBS football, holding their first to opponents to an average of 177 yards per game. They’re tied with Auburn for the best scoring defense in the FBS, holding Clemson to a field goal and allowing UAB a single touchdown.
Questions swirl around the health of Georgia’s starting quarterback, J.T. Daniels, who didn’t play in Georgia’s last game due to an “upper body injury,” per Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. Smart said Daniels’ health status will be monitored throughout the week.
In 2020, Daniels completed 67% of his passes for 1,231 yards in four games after recovering from an ACL tear. He went 20 for 33 with 135 yards and an interception against Clemson in Week 1. Backup quarterback Stetson Bennett had a strong performance in his start against UAB last Saturday, going 10-of-12 for 288 yards and five touchdowns.
3 Georgia players to watch
Nakobe Dean, LB: Dean had a knack for getting to Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei in the Bulldogs’ season opener. Dean sacked Uiagalelei twice for a loss of 14 yards and was also credited with four QB hurries.
Christopher Smith, DB: Smith has explosive ability in the defensive backfield and brought back a 74-yard interception for a touchdown against Clemson, the Bulldogs’ only touchdown in their first game.
Jermaine Burton, WR: Burton is one of Georgia’s more flashy options at receiver, hauling in a 73-yard touchdown pass in Georgia’s win over UAB. He has recorded 103 yards on five catches in the Bulldogs’ first two games.
