Georgia vs. South Carolina: Game Grades, Analysis for Bulldogs and Gamecocks

The meeting between the Georgia Bulldogs and South Carolina Gamecocks was well worth the wait.  After a 90-minute delay due to weather, things started early with lots of points and very little defense.

That proved to be the case throughout the evening, but ultimately coach Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks prevailed and put themselves in pole position in the SEC East. 

Here are positional game grades and analysis for both teams.

Position Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Passing Offense	B+	B
Rushing Offense	B-	B+
Pass Defense	F	C-
Run Defense	B-	C-
Special Teams	C	F
Coaching	C	C

Georgia Bulldogs Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

Hutson Mason threw the ball extremely well in the first half, but it was odd that Georgia didn't go back to the passing game more often—particularly in the red zone.  In the second half, the emphasis was more on the running game, but Mason was still more than serviceable.  A few throws were late and/or high, but it's hard to put the loss squarely on Mason.

Rushing Offense

In the first half, holding penalties wiped out several long Todd Gurley runs.  Things opened up more advantageously in the final two quarters.  The Bulldogs finished the evening with 217 rushing yards, which is certainly hard to argue with.

Pass Defense

Georgia's pass defense was nonexistent in the first half.  The Dawgs struggled to pressure quarterback Dylan Thompson and as a result he picked apart a mostly unimpressive secondary.  The second-half effort was aided by some improvements in pressure, but any strides made against the pass were largely because South Carolina placed an emphasis on running the ball later in the game.

Run Defense

Georgia contained Mike Davis and the Gamecocks' ground attack in the first half, but the Gamecocks didn't need to run the ball.  Oddly enough, South Carolina's running game got stronger after Davis tweaked an ankle.  Brandon Wilds and Davis found just enough holes to make Georgia pay.

Special Teams

A missed field goal late in the first half hurt Georgia, but a missed attempt in the waning moments of the contest cost Georgia the game.  Kickoff coverage was poor in the second half, but those missed opportunities—six combined points were left off the board on missed field goals—proved insurmountable.

Coaching

For the first half, Georgia seemed to play it very safe. This approach was not in and of itself discouraging, given the second half turnaround the Dawgs pulled off in the season opener against Clemson.  The plan for the second half was sound, but this South Carolina team was more than Georgia could overcome—especially with Georgia having problems with execution.

Position Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Passing Offense	A+	A
Rushing Offense	C	B
Pass Defense	C-	C
Run Defense	C-	C-
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	B	B

South Carolina Gamecocks Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

Quarterback Thompson had himself a game on Saturday.  He struck early and often.  He let up some in the second half but mainly because South Carolina committed to eating the clock and running the football.  Georgia was unable to stop the Gamecocks passing attack.

Rushing Offense

South Carolina didn't run the ball especially well in the first half, but with Thompson on fire, the Gamecocks didn't need to.  In the second half, Wilds and Davis picked up yardage at critical times. They didn't dominate the entirety of the game's final 30 minutes, but they did enough to crush Georgia's spirits.

Pass Defense

The Gamecocks looked susceptible in the secondary, but South Carolina put pressure on Mason in the first half.  The second half followed a similar tone, but Georgia's failure to commit to the pass bailed out a poor South Carolina secondary.

Run Defense

South Carolina gave up yards in chunks throughout the afternoon.  The Gamecocks did a nice job of limiting yardage on the ground on first downs, but far too often Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel broke tackles for meaningful gains.

Special Teams

No news is often good news on the special teams front, and that was certainly the case for the Gamecocks on Saturday.

Coaching

Spurrier and his coaching staff dealt with the long delay extremely well.  The Gamecocks came out fired up and ready to make plays.  The opening drive was a thing of beauty.  In the second half, they showed true resiliency and enough discipline to hold off a charging Georgia team.  

Great win for this coaching staff.