South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Georgia Bulldogs Complete Game Preview

The Georgia Bulldogs got past Vanderbilt in their SEC opener last week, and it’s now time for them to move on to the next one as they face South Carolina on Saturday evening. This will be the first home SEC game for the Bulldogs, so Sanford Stadium will be on fire.

Over the last five seasons, South Carolina has had Georgia’s number. The Gamecocks have won four of the last five matchups, and the loss last season was very costly because it prevented the Bulldogs from going to the SEC title game.

However, South Carolina is a different team this season, and not in a good way. It barely got past North Carolina in the season opener, and it lost to Kentucky last week. And to top things off, its starting quarterback, Connor Mitch, is lost for at least a month because of a shoulder injury, according to Kevin McGuire of NBCSports.com.

That’s not going to matter because Steve Spurrier loves playing Georgia and loves it more when he beats Georgia. So no matter who’s at quarterback, the Gamecocks will be ready to play in one of the biggest SEC games of the year.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 19

Time: 6 p.m. EDT

Place: Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia

TV: ESPN

Radio: Bulldogs Radio Network, Sirius AX 115/191

Spread: Bulldogs favored by 16.5 points, according to Odds Shark

When South Carolina Has the Ball

As it was mentioned earlier, Mitch suffered a shoulder injury and will not see action for another month. This means that Perry Orth will get the start at quarterback. Orth, who was the sixth-string quarterback two and a half years ago, according to Josh Kendall of the State, came in for Mitch in the second quarter of the Kentucky game last week, and he finished 13-of-20 with 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

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Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

With this being the first start, odds are the Gamecocks will try to run at the Bulldogs, especially when the Gamecocks have a running back in Brandon Wilds, who rushed for 107 yards last week. And if the run game gets going, Orth should be able to find an open Pharoh Cooper more times than not. That was the case last week as Cooper caught nine passes for 100 yards.

The Bulldogs defense has been sound the last two weeks, as it has surrendered 28 points in two games.

South Carolina will have to watch out for the outside linebackers Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins. Both linebackers had a combined 18 tackles and two-and-a-half sacks against Vanderbilt last week. Quincy Mauger and Dominick Sanders will be two other players to watch on defense. Mauger had four tackles and one pass breakup last week while Sanders had eight tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown.

When Georgia Has the Ball

Expect the Bulldogs to run, run and run some more because at this point of the season, it’s the strength of the offense. Nick Chubb is coming off a day were he rushed for 189 yards on 19 carries. Sony Michel came off the bench to rush for 56 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown against Vanderbilt.

That said, the Bulldogs will need to make plays downfield to keep the Gamecocks defense honest. They only threw for 141 yards against Vanderbilt, and Greyson Lambert got off to a slow start, as he did not complete his first five passes.

The South Carolina defense knows this, and it will do whatever it takes to get Lambert out of his rhythm. Lambert will have to watch for linebackers Jonathan Walton and Skai Moore. Walton led the Gamecocks with 11 tackles last week, and Moore had eight tackles, one pass breakup and one interception. Darius English and Boosie Whitlow can get after the quarterback, as they had a combined one sack and two quarterback hurries last week.

Player to Watch for South Carolina: Perry Orth

All eyes will be on Orth, who will make his first career start on Saturday. As it was mentioned earlier, Orth was able to do some good things last week, but he did throw an interception late in the game, which helped Kentucky get a victory.

Despite the interception, he was able to lead the Gamecocks to a near comeback win, so he has the ability to take control of the offense. And what makes him dangerous is there is little film on Orth, which means the Bulldogs will not know what to expect from him.

The fans have been behind Orth because they know that if the Gamecocks want to get anywhere this season, he will need to play at a high level. But it seems he is loving the new attention he’s getting.

"

Perry Orth: "I wouldn't trade my time here for anything." #Gamecocks #HereSC

— Gamecock Athletics (@GamecocksOnline) September 15, 2015"

Player to Watch for Georgia: Isaiah McKenzie

There were a few Bulldogs that stood out in the Vanderbilt game, but Isaiah Mckenzie proved that he is the most dangerous return man in the conference.

Last week, McKenzie returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest punt return score for the Bulldogs since Brandon Boykin returned a punt 92 yards in the 2012 Outback Bowl.

McKenzie is now the SEC’s active leader for punt return touchdowns with three. But he also plays receiver and can be dangerous there as well. He only had one catch for 15 yards, but once Lambert is able to be more consistent in the passing game, McKenzie will make an impact on offense as well as special teams.

"

#Dawgs Isaiah McKenzie gave the Dawgs the jump start they needed! #HumanJoystick #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/HGfUfOU3Lv

— GATA Dawgs (@BassinDawg) September 14, 2015"

Final Prediction: Georgia 28, South Carolina 14

The Gamecocks may have won the last four of five meetings, and Spurrier does have a 16-6 career record against the Bulldogs. But with the weapons Georgia has on offense, such as Chubb, Michel and Malcolm Mitchell, and the athletes it has on defense, such as Jenkins, Floyd and Mauger, it will be a little too much to handle for the Gamecocks.

This game will be close, and the Gamecocks will likely start fast. But the Bulldogs should learn from the mistakes they made in Nashville and be able to put up a complete game on Saturday.

A win for Georgia would mean a 3-0 start, which will give the Bulldogs a ton of momentum when they face Alabama on Oct. 3. As for South Carolina, a loss would mean its chances of a SEC East title are done, and it also could mean another disappointing season in Columbia.