“Bend, don’t break” and “Football is a game of inches” certainly could apply to this game: the South Carolina Gamecocks eked out for a 38-35 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs at Williams-Brice Stadium. Marshall Morgan missed a potentially game-tying 28-yarder with 4:24 left in the ballgame and the Gamecocks were able to escape with the three-point victory by just barely converting a 4th and inches with less than 90 seconds left, in a game that was delayed about an hour and a half due to weather.
What we liked: Brandon Wilds. The backup running back had a bad fumble earlier in the game on a bad pitch, but he was able to recover in the 4th, spelling Mike Davis and putting together a nice 24-yard run to make it 38-28. Wilds finished with 14 carries and 93 yards. Dylan Thompson was solid for the most part (21-30, 271 yards, 3 TDs) and was helped by his offensive line as he was sacked only once, spreading it around to Nick Jones (4 for 87), Rory Anderson (5 for 67, TD), and Shaq Roland (4 for 47, TD).
What we didn’t like: Todd Gurley torched the defensive line, and while he was bottled up a few times, he ultimately showed why he is a Heisman hopeful. He ended with 20 carries and 131 yards and a touchdown with some dazzling runs thrown in. In fact, the entire defense struggled throughout the contest: 408 yards allowed, 217 on the ground. Mason Zandi had a boneheaded penalty that gave the Bulldogs good field position that ultimately led to a touchdown. The defense, who showed signs of life toward the middle of the game, looked like they broke down for the most part later on.
It was over when: The Gamecocks picked up a 4th and inches with 1:26 left at midfield to seal the deal. Just barely.
Next up: First road game of the season at Vanderbilt, September 20 at 7:30 pm.