The South Carolina Gamecocks play host to the Georgia Bulldogs in a highly anticipated matchup between SEC foes from Williams-Brice Stadium. While they appear to be two teams destined for different ends of the SEc East standings, there's little doubt that it will still be an exciting matchup on Saturday. The Bulldogs come in with a 2-0 record and look every part of being the reigning national champs. For South Carolina, a win over Georgia State in the opener was impressive, though dropping the SEC opener last week put things back into perspective. The Bulldogs will be favored but the Gamecocks have the talent to make things interesting.
Georgia has become a mainstay near the top of the national rankings over the last handful of years and there's little doubt that they should find themselves in the College Football Playoff again come season's end. Their dominance in the SEC East is clear and while any conference road game can prove to be a challenge, the Bulldogs aren't likely to run into a roadblock this weekend. Georgia has won seven of the last ten between the two sides and two in a row overall, including a 29-point win the last time the two times met in South Carolina. Georgia won't be daunted at all going into this one and assuming they can avoid some sort of catastrophe, will be well on their way to shifting their focus towards Kentucky next week.
Injuries are a growing concern for the Bulldogs and while it might not catch up with them this week, it could be a challenge as the season progresses. Being without Adonai Mitchell (ank le) isn't ideal given his athleticism on the outside at receiver. On the offensive line, the Bulldogs are definitely without Drew Bobo (shoulder), and Earnest Greene III (leg) is questionable.
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— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 13, 2022
Georgia's offense looked like one of the best in the country in week one and considering their opponent last week, they haven't need to put the offense on full display. While the ground game has been their bread and butter over the years, the passing attack is dangerous this season. Spearheaded by Stetson Bennett's three touchdowns, they rank second nationally in passing yards per game. On the ground, Kendall Milton is averaging 7.5 yards per carry and if the Bulldogs continue to find balance, no SEC team will be a match.
On the defensive side of things, the Bulldogs remain one of the most physically imposing and athletic groups out there. They rank top ten in total yards allowed and are first in scoring defense. While the Gamecocks have talent at skill positions, the Bulldogs will be aiming to force turnovers, which could be a death sentence for the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs only have one sack on the season though, which rema ins a massive concern. Without a stable pass rush, it could spell trouble in the secondary.