The task of defeating the, two-time defending national champion, Georgia Bulldogs is difficult for anyone. For the Gamecocks, it will require near perfection and some help from Georgia. South Carolina running back, Dakereon Joyner<\/a>, played quarterback the last time the Gamecocks beat Georgia in Athens. During media availability on Tuesday, Joyner pointed to the details as the key to victory.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n To put it bluntly, Georgia has better football players than South Carolina at almost every position. The Bulldogs are elite on defense. Stopping the run and shutting down opposing offenses is the pedigree of head coach Kirby Smart<\/strong>. Additionally, former South Carolina head coach, Will Muschamp<\/strong>, is in his third season on the Georgia staff. Muschamp is in the position he has excelled most in over the course of his career as the (co)defensive coordinator. Georgia\u2019s defensive starters are better than the starters at almost every other school in the country across positions.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Offensively, Georgia is still breaking in new starting quarterback <\/a>Carson Beck.<\/a> He spent time sitting behind the previous starter, Stetson Bennett<\/strong>. Now, he looks to lead the boys from Athens to a third straight national championship. No team has won three national championships in a row since Minnesota did it from 1934-1936. Beck could be spectacular, but that remains to be seen. Georgia opened the season with games against UT Martin<\/a> and Ball State<\/a>. Respectfully, neither of these teams had a remote chance against Georgia. It’s likely that Mike Bobo<\/strong>, in his second stint as the Bulldog\u2019s offensive coordinator, showed very little in these first two outings. The Gamecocks can expect a heavy dose of multiple running backs with play-action deep shots. That is Bobo\u2019s background and he won\u2019t likely depart from what has worked for him.<\/span><\/p>\n South Carolina will be outmatched when trying to block the Georgia defensive front. There has been little push from the offensive line in the run game over two games. Against an elite front, they cannot be expected to suddenly get it together and open huge holes for Joyner and other backs. Mario Anderson<\/strong> is a transfer from Division II Newberry College. Anderson is an accomplished back who understands the game and averaged over seven yards per carry before transferring to South Carolina. Look for the Gamecocks to utilize him more as he continues to adjust to the speed of Division I. Carolina’s rushing attack will do best to utilize four backs as the season moves forward. A committee approach presents the best option to gain yards on the ground. 100 yards rushing is the magic number for Gamecocks teams under Shane Beamer<\/strong> to win games.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Gamecock defensive tackle, Alex \u201cBoogie\u201d Huntley<\/a>, rallied the troops last Saturday night after Furman scored twice early in the game<\/a>. He will need to find that motivational speech again this week. While the linebackers have been improved this season for South Carolina, the defensive line actually seems to have regressed. Tackles Tonka Hemingway<\/strong>, who has been in the headlines thanks to Smart, and Huntley has shown the ability to play better in the past. Backup tackles TJ Sanders<\/a> and Nick Barrett<\/a> have also shown more potential than they have played up to this season. That group will need to hold the line against Georgia\u2019s offensive line push to keep the game competitive.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Quarterback and wide receiver are the two positions, (in addition to punter, where South Carolina is second to none), where the Gamecocks stack up with Georgia. Georgia acquired two top SEC receivers in Dominic Lovett<\/a> (Missouri) and, former Gamecock commit, RaRa Thomas<\/a> (Mississippi State) in the portal. However, if Juice Wells<\/strong> returns to form this week and joins the leading receiver in the Power 5, Xavier Legette<\/a>, the Gamecocks weapons are just as formidable on the outside. Spencer Rattler<\/a> is playing like the best quarterback in the SEC. He gives the Gamecocks a fighting chance on every play, but he will need some help from his playmakers and definitely his offensive line.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Beamer on Tree Babalade and Trovon Baugh: \u201cThe DLine they will face this week will be better than (Furman).\u201d<\/p>\n Does this indicate the freshmen offensive linemen will get significant snaps against Georgia?<\/p>\n — Rob Williams (@RobWilliamsGCP) September 13, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe Matchups<\/span><\/h3>\n
On the Ground<\/span><\/h3>\n
Through the Air<\/span><\/h3>\n
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