South Carolina Football Way-Too-Early Schedule Preview: Georgia Bulldogs
By Kevin Miller
After starting the season with two out-of-conference games against North Carolina (in Charlotte) and Furman, the Gamecocks will begin their SEC schedule by being thrown into the deep end of the scheduling pool. As is often the case, South Carolina football’s first conference matchup will be with the Georgia Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium in Athens.
The two-time defending national champion Bulldogs shouldn’t take much of a step back in terms of overall talent, but they will be replacing lots of key players. Quarterback Stetson Bennett, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, and linebacker Nolan Smith are just three of the names that will no longer be on the field for Georgia. The ‘Dawgs will again be among the best teams in the country, but how well they adjust to their new roster will determine if they are a great team or a true championship contender.
The South Carolina football program still has a ways to go before it can be compared to a program like Georgia. However, the Gamecocks are on the rise in the SEC. Shane Beamer’s two seasons as the Carolina headman have seen the team’s win total rise from 2 in Will Muschamp’s final season to 7 in year one of the Beamer era and to 8 in year two.
It’s a harsh reality in the SEC that a team can finish the year in the top-25 but still be sixth in the conference in the final AP poll of the season. That was precisely where the Gamecocks found themselves after 2022, and the 2023 schedule is considered the toughest in the country. The Gamecocks will play several teams from that final poll, and Georgia is the best of the bunch.
South Carolina’s only realistic avenue to victory is to limit the Bulldog offense. With uncertainty at quarterback, former Carolina commitment Gunner Stockton could start for the ‘Dawgs as he will battle with Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff for the job. The matchup against the Gamecocks will be the starter’s first game against a Power-5 opponent as Georgia opens the year with UT-Martin and Ball State. Clayton White and the Carolina defense will have to throw everything they’ve got at the Georgia offense in hopes of having a chance in Athens.
Georgia will be in game 3 of a new-but-not-new offensive coordinator as Mike Bobo has retaken the reins. Bobo likes to run the ball, and that preference will likely shine through with a young player under center. Slowing down talented back Kendall Milton and true freshman Roderick Robinson will be paramount for a Carolina defense that struggled to stop the run last season.
Kirby Smart’s team replaces a lot of talent every year on the defense, and every year, the defense is really good. There is no reason to suspect that trend will change in 2023, so points will likely be at a premium for South Carolina in this one. In recent years past, the Gamecocks have had big momentum plays go against them early when they had an opportunity to score (think a pick-6 when the Gamecocks were at midfield on the opening drive in 2018). That cannot happen if the game is to remain close this fall.
Spencer Rattler and the offense should be able to move the ball in most games in 2023, but the Georgia game might be their toughest opportunity to do so. If new Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains can scheme up some points against Kirby Smart’s defense, South Carolina football fans can feel confident about the offense’s direction.
All-in-all, the Gamecocks likely will be heavy underdogs against Athens on September 16th. Unless things drastically change between now and then, the perceived gap between the two programs is a deserved one. Georgia will be that good once again in 2023, and playing them in Athens will be a difficult test.
The South Carolina football season will not kick off for another 152 days. They won’t play Georgia for 166 days. Spring practice, the transfer portal opening, summer practice, fall practice, and two games stand between today and the Gamecocks’ road trip to Athens. A lot of things can change, but regardless of what transpires over the next five months, South Carolina fans should expect a competitive game to show just how much their team has grown as a program.