Gamecocks have no answer for Georgia

Seventh-ranked Georgia dominated South Carolina 52-20 on Saturday night, sending the Gamecocks to 0-2 in the SEC and 1-2 on the season.

“It wasn’t very pretty,” head coach Steve Spurrier said. “Maybe Georgia is that good. We will find out.”

The Bulldogs gained 576 yards and averaged more than 9 yards play. Georgia tailback Nick Chubb had 159 yards on the ground but played second fiddle to Bulldogs quarterback Greyson Lambert, who set an NCAA completion percentage record by completing 24-of-25 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns.

“We might be a little down right now, but we’ll move on, get ready for next week,” said Perry Orth, who started at quarterback for the Gamecocks before giving way to freshman Lorenzo Nunez for most of the second half.

TURNING POINT

The Gamecocks got a 51-yard field goal from Elliott Fry on the final play of the first half to cut Georgia’s lead to 24-13 headed into halftime. However, the Bulldogs opened the second half with a five-play, 75-yard drive to put the game away.

THREE POINTS

Star of the game: Georgia quarterback Greyson Lambert entered the game fighting to keep his starting job. He ended the game 24-of-25 for 330 yards and three touchdowns. “Yeah, I heard he set some sort of record,” Spurrier said. “Pretty good night.”

Stat of the game: The Bulldogs didn’t punt until their ninth drive of the game and only faced four third downs all night.

Play of the game: There weren’t many for the Gamecocks, but Lorenzo Nunez’s 7-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter showed what may be the future of South Carolina’s offense. Spurrier said after the game he will evaluate how to best use Nunez and Orth as the season progresses.

OBSERVATIONS

Payback: Georgia didn’t pull its starters until after it reached 52 points. That’s how many Steve Spurrier scored as Florida’s head coach during a 1995 victory over the Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium. After that game, Spurrier made a point to say he was the first opponent to score more than 50 against the Bulldogs in the building. On Saturday night, he pointed out the score of 1995 game was 52-17 in favor of his team.

Bright spot: Freshman quarterback Lorenzo Nunez, a Georgia native who was a four-star prospect as dual threat quarterback in high school, saw his most extended action of the season. Nunez entered the game on the first series and rotated with Orth throughout the night. He finished with 18 passing yards and 71 rushing yards and threw a beautiful pass for a 14-yard completion to Matrick Belton in the third quarter.

Injuries mounting: South Carolina’s job was not easy to begin with, but it really jumped up in difficulty when starting center Alan Knott (ankle) and starting running back Brandon Wilds (rib) were lost for the game due to injuries suffered in the first half. Knott was replaced by true freshman Zack Bailey. Wilds had five carries for 24 yards at the time of his injury. Starting defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth left the game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.

UP NEXT

Who: UCF at South Carolina

When: Noon, Sept. 26

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium

TV: ESPN2 or ESPNU

Georgia 3, USC 0

Scoring play: Marshall Morgan 30-yard field goal

Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:36

Key play: Malcolm Mitchell 25-yard reception from Greyson Lambert

USC 3, Georgia 3

Scoring play: Elliott Fry 45-yard field goal

Drive: 13 plays, 48 yards, 5:40

Key play: D.J. Neal 15-yard reception from Perry Orth

Georgia 10, USC 3

Scoring play: Nick Chubb 2-yard rush

Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 3:35

Key plays: Lambert with passes of 20 yards to Jay Rome and 17 yards to Terry Godwin

Georgia 17, USC 3

Scoring play: Sony Michel 21-yard rush

Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 3:42

Key play: Michel had five touches for 57 yards on the drive

Georgia 17, USC 10

Scoring play: Orth 4-yard rush

Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 5:13

Key play: On third-and-6, Jerell Adams 15-yard reception from Orth

Georgia 24, USC 10

Scoring play: Mitchell 5-yard reception from Lambert

Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 1:53

Key plays: Lambert also with completions of 19, 15, 14 and 7 yards on the drive

Georgia 24, USC 13

Scoring play: Fry 51-yard field goal

Drive: 1 play, 51 yards, 0:07

Key play: Shon Carson 51-yard kickoff return ended in 15-yard facemask penalty on Georgia to set up field goal

Georgia 31, USC 13

Scoring play: Michel 11-yard reception from Lambert

Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:45

Key play: Chubb 31-yard rush

Georgia 38, USC 13

Scoring play: Michel 11-yard reception from Lambert

Drive: 1 play, 11 yards, 0:06

Key play: Orth interception set up short field

Georgia 45, USC 13

Scoring play: Chubb 7-yard rush

Drive: 2 plays, 23 yards, 0:36

Key play: USC turned the ball over on downs deep in own territory

Georgia 45, USC 20

Scoring play: Lorenzo Nunez 7-yard rush

Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 1:16

Key plays: Nunez four rushes for 39 yards on the drive (UGA had 15-yard penalty)

Georgia 52, USC 20

Scoring play: Keith Marshall 3-yard rush

Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 5:18

Key plays: Mitchell 25-yard reception from Lambert

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 9:23 PM.