South Carolina football fans aren’t sure what to think about their favorite team this season. In week 1, the Gamecocks looked pretty bad against North Carolina (outside of a handful of players on either side of the ball) but still managed to keep the game relatively close. In week 2, after a slow start, USC dominated FCS program Furman.
The mighty Georgia Bulldogs are next up on the schedule, and the Gamecocks have to travel to Athens to take on the two-time defending national champs.
Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football squad must play a complete football game on Saturday in order to have a chance to upset the top-ranked ‘Dawgs.
How to watch South Carolina Football take on the Georgia Bulldogs
A Sanford Stadium crowd that has only seen games against Ball State and Tennessee-Martin so far in 2023 will welcome the Gamecocks to Athens on Saturday.
The game will kick off at 3:30 and will be broadcast on CBS and CBS All-Access on the Paramount+ App.
Storylines to watch for in South Carolina Football’s week 3 matchup
The Gamecocks are probably out-manned by the Bulldogs at every position on the offense and defense except for one. South Carolina football starting quarterback Spencer Rattler has outplayed new Georgia starter Carson Beck this season.
In fact, Rattler has outplayed almost every signal-caller in the country as he has been nothing short of elite through two games. For his efforts last week, he was even named SEC Offensive Player of the Week. #7 leads the SEC in completion percentage and yards per game.
While Georgia probably has the overall edge at the wide receiver position due to depth, it is close. Both USC’s Juice Wells and UGA’s Ladd McConkey have missed time with injuries this season, and their respective availabilities could swing the receiver matchup in this one.
In Wells’ absence, Xavier Legette has stepped up supremely, leading all Power 5 receivers with 296 yards receiving this season. Meanwhile, Georgia does not have a player with more than 102 yards receiving this season.
The Gamecocks’ offensive line was, expectedly, much better against Furman than they were against North Carolina. If the unit struggles against the ‘Dawgs as much as they did against UNC, Georgia will make moving the football next to impossible for offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains’ unit.
For reasons unknown, at a Georgia football press conference this week, a Bulldog reporter asked UGA head coach Kirby Smart about a quote from Gamecock defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway. The quote came from SEC Media Days in July. In the quote, Hemingway said he believed Texas A&M and Tennessee had loud stadiums.
Whether it was because he hadn’t actually seen the comments or because he was looking to manufacture some motivation for his team, Smart erroneously claimed that Hemingway “called out” the Georgia fanbase. Seeing how the crowd treats Hemingway and the Gamecocks will be a minor storyline to watch on Saturday.
Injuries are still a major storyline heading into the border rivalry between South Carolina and Georgia. Wells and McConkey both are expected to suit up on Saturday, but how effective can they be? Another Gamecock receiver, the speedy Ahmarean Brown, is questionable for the Saturday affair.
The Gamecocks will be without offensive linemen Markee Anderson, Cason Henry, Jaylen Nichols, and Ryan Brubaker and could be without JonDarius Morgan, as well. Nichols was the team’s starting left tackle this spring, and Henry started the North Carolina game at right tackle. Anderson was viewed as the top sub up front prior to his ailment.
Carolina also will be missing defensive end Jatius Geer. Defensive backs Nick Emmanwori, David Spaulding, and Keenan Nelson are all questionable but expected to give it a go on Saturday.
For Georgia, All-American candidate Javon Bullard could miss the contest with an ankle injury. The Bulldogs have another possible All-American who plays next to Bullard at safety in Malaki Starks, and redshirt senior Tykee Smith seems healthy after dealing with his own injuries last season and has played well in Bullard’s absence. Smith has played some safety and some “star” (outside linebacker/safety combo). He was an All-American at West Virginia before transferring.
Georgia is the top-ranked team in the country. The two-time defending national champs have not lost a game at home since 2019 when the Will Muschamp-led South Carolina football team upset the ‘Dawgs. Georgia has won 19 straight games overall, as well.
South Carolina is 3-0 against the spread in their last three trips to Athens, including the outright win in 2019.
South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer coached on Kirby Smart’s staff at Georgia for two seasons.
What experts are saying about South Carolina Football vs. Georgia
The spread in this game is a big one. SI Sportsbook called Georgia 27.5-point favorites as of Thursday. Most of the other betting lines are very similar.
ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Georgia a 91.8% chance to win the game.
Sports Illustrated’s prediction model (SP+) gives Georgia a 91% chance to win but believes it will be a little closer and lower-scoring than many are expecting. The model says the final score will be 39-16 in favor of UGA.
The entire college football team at CBS Sports picked Georgia to win the game, but 5 of the 6 panelists expect the Gamecocks to cover the spread.
The Greenville News’ Emily Adams, who is an AP Poll voter in the 2023 season, predicted a 41-16 victory for the ‘Dawgs and believes Georgia will dominate up front. She also expects Spencer Rattler to perform very well in the losing effort.
Official Garnet and Cocky Prediction for South Carolina Football’s week 3 game against the Georgia Bulldogs
The Gamecocks will provide Georgia with their first real test of the season. However, just because the Bulldogs came out a little sleepy against Tennessee-Martin and Ball State does not mean that they will be unprepared for South Carolina on Saturday.
The Georgia Faithful have gotten complacent with all the success in recent years, but the faux controversy surrounding Tonka Hemingway’s comments (or lack thereof) likely will have the crowd in rare form.
If this South Carolina football team has any chance of victory, the stars in garnet and black must play like stars. Spencer Rattler has to have a big day, and Xavier Legette (and, hopefully, a healthy Juice Wells) must make plays on the outside and do so quickly.
While the Bulldogs don’t rack up a ton of sacks, they have enough defensive playmakers to pressure the quarterback, especially against the struggling offensive line of South Carolina. Mykel Williams and company will cause problems if the USC offensive line cannot protect Rattler.
The Gamecock defensive front has to be stout against the run, as well. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck seems to be the team’s biggest “weakness” so far in the young season, so the Carolina defensive line has to force offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to dial up pass plays. The only way to do that effectively is to stop the run.
The Bulldog offense is far from the country’s best, having taken a step back from the past two seasons. However, the Gamecock defense is porous up front against the run and struggles to generate a pass rush, meaning that the Carolina linebackers and defensive backfield could be forced to carry the load until Georgia eventually overwhelms them.
Georgia is absolutely loaded all across the field on both sides of the ball. Expect South Carolina special teams coordinator Pete Lembo to dial up a game-changing play (or 5) to try to overcome the roster disparity. If the Gamecocks can hit on some of those while playing good ball on offense and defense, the game could stay close.
Fans should expect the Gamecocks to hang around in this game, especially early. Shane Beamer’s group will be doing anything they can to stay in the game, knowing that the inexperience at quarterback for the ‘Dawgs will give them a chance if Carolina can just keep the score close. An onside kick, fake punt, or outside-the-box 4th down conversion attempt are all on the table to keep the Gamecocks within striking distance.
However, the superior talent on the Georgia roster eventually will shine through on Saturday. The most probable outcome is one that sees Georgia winning a game that isn’t quite as close as it feels.
A one-score game nearing halftime is a real possibility if the Gamecocks play well, but Georgia is the better team and will show it on Saturday as they pull away in the 2nd half.
A Gamecock upset is not outside the realm of possibility in the border rivalry, but everything must go the way of the garnet and black for that to happen. Instead, a 17-24 halftime score that balloons to a 45-24 Georgia victory feels like the direction this one is headed.