Georgia vs. South Carolina: Score and Twitter Reaction

No. 24 South Carolina pulled off a 38-35 upset win over No. 6 Georgia on Saturday in a game that was literally decided by inches.

Holding a three-point lead in the final minutes, the Gamecocks converted a fourth-down quarterback sneak that was ruled a first down by the smallest of margins. The home team was able to run out the clock from there.

Paul Finebaum of ESPN gave his impression of the South Carolina win:

Dylan Thompson threw for 271 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for the Gamecocks, while Mike Davis and Brandon Wilds combined for 159 yards on the ground.

Todd Gurley led the way for the Bulldogs, rushing for 131 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Quarterback Hutson Mason also added two passing touchdowns. 

Before the game, South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier was well aware of the stakes for the SEC East battle. 

"It’s pretty much a must for the division if we’re going to have a shot. It would be very helpful," he explained, via John Boyette of the Athens Banner-Herald.

His squad responded well, and the team is now back in good position for a division title after losing the opening game of the year to Texas A&M. 

Saturday's matchup took a long time to get started due to some inclement weather, as Prim Siripipat of ESPN described:

After the lightning subsided, the teams were able to take the field, although the rain continued throughout much of the game.

South Carolina was the first to strike and built up an early double-digit lead thanks to some strong play by Thompson in the first half. Josh Kendall of The State provided a look at the quarterback's stats early on:

ESPN's Danny Kanell gave his analysis of the senior quarterback:

The biggest moment for Georgia in the first half was a 33-yard touchdown on a screen pass to Sony Michel on an incredibly quick drive, as noted by SportsCenter:

Other than that, the Bulldogs had to be happy going into halftime down 24-13 considering Gurley was still on the field (and not ejected). This was in doubt due to a scuffle in the second quarter, which CBS Sports' Jeremy Fowler described:

Gurley made a big impact throughout the second half with a number of long rushes. He scored a two-yard touchdown early in the third quarter and was quite impressive whenever he got the ball, as Kevin Weidl of ESPN explained:

Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee joked about the running back's ability:

One of his most impressive runs came on a 3rd-and-16 where he changed direction and got the first down. CBS Sports provided a view of the change of events:

The run extended a drive that led to a Jay Rome five-yard touchdown catch. With the score and two-point conversion, the Bulldogs had cut the Gamecocks' lead to three.

South Carolina answered right back, though, with some strong running of its own. Davis and Wilds led a four-play touchdown drive all on the ground, capped off by an impressive 24-yard run by Wilds. 

College GameDay could not resist the opportunity for a pun:

When Georgia countered to get the score back to 38-35, ESPN's Stuart Scott explained how good the game was:

Later in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs had a chance to tie with a 28-yard field-goal attempt, but Marshall Morgan missed the chip shot. ESPN Stats and Info explained why this was such a shock:

South Carolina then got a few first downs to seal the victory, including a big fourth-down conversion on a quarterback sneak that was very close. Former college football coach Pete Roussel provided an image of the final measurement:

The play was reviewed and confirmed, and South Carolina came away with the win.

Both of these teams entered the year with high expectations, not only for an SEC title but also for a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Gamecocks got a big boost for both of these scenarios, although there is still a lot of football to be played.

Things get much easier for the Bulldogs from here as they return home for a game against Troy. This will be the first of three winnable games at home, with Tennessee and Vanderbilt also coming up. This could be a good chance to build some momentum for the rest of the year.

South Carolina continues its SEC schedule with a road game against Vanderbilt and a tough home game against Missouri in two weeks.

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