September 10, 2011; Athens, GA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore (21) runs in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. South Carolina beat Georgia 45-42. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE
On Saturday the earth will shake, mountains will crumble and oceans will part, revealing the deepest secrets of SEC football.
A little too dramatic?
No. Not nearly dramatic enough.
When South Carolina takes on Georgia at Williams Brice Stadium this Saturday night, an SEC Titan will try to fight off a rising star in the new Southeastern landscape.
So which match ups will rule the day and tell the tale when the final whistle has blown?
Georgia’s Running Backs vs South Carolina’s Linebackers
As good as the Gamecocks’ defensive line is, Georgia’s freshman RBs will get through it at times, and when they do, it will be up to SC’s senior linebackers to stop them from going any further.
This year, Quin Smith, Shaq Wilson and Reginald Bowens are all on the Gamecocks top seven tacklers list.
Smith has 26 total, Wilson has 25 and two interceptions and Bowens has 19.
Georgia leads the country in long big plays (of 20 yards or more), and their running backs have been a big part of that.
Still, against the only quality defense they’ve played (Missouri), their two freshman backs accounted for a combined 98 yards.
If that’s all they get against South Carolina, the score will lean heavily in the Gamecocks favor.
The Battle in the Trenches
Georgia’s offensive line was supposed to be a liability this year. Instead, it’s been a solid force for the Dawgs. Aaron Murray has been sacked just seven times, and as a team they’re averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
It will be up to the Gamecocks stellar defensive line to reverse those trends.
Jadeveon Clowney has already been named defensive linemen of the week twice in the SEC, and the D-Line in Columbia is a big reason Carolina is giving up just over 11 points per game this year.
Marcus Lattimore vs The UGA 3-4
There probably isn’t a team that hates playing against Marcus Lattimore more than Georgia.
In his two career games against the Dawgs, Lattimore has rushed for 358 yards and three touchdowns.
This year, Lattimore will have to produce another strong performance against a Georgia 3-4 defense that hasn’t been all that impressive against the run.
Buffalo rushed for 199 yards against the Bulldogs, and while Missouri and Vanderbilt could barely get over 100 yards on the ground against them, Georgia gave up 135 rushing yards to FAU and 197 to Tennessee.
That’s a good sign for Marcus Lattimore and the Gamecocks, and a troubling one for Georgia.