This time last year, Marcus Satterfield was breaking down film of Tampa Bay as an assistant coach for the Carolina Panthers.

Heading into Georgia week, he’s seeing some of the same things he saw last year in the NFL while breaking down some of Georgia’s defensive tendencies.

“I’m doing the protection plan and it’s an NFL scheme on third down,” Satterfield said. “You mix in the talent at DB, the length at DB, the speed and the leadership. Number 17, that linebacker, scares me. He’s an absolutely warrior out there and orchestrates the whole defense. The D-line, they bring four in and four off with a great pass rush. They’re a challenge at every single position offensively right now.”

Also see: Final thoughts as South Carolina heads to Athens

The Gamecocks have gotten off to their best start since 2017, but to improve to 3-0 for the first time in nine seasons they’ll have to take down the second-ranked team in the country and a team that has outscored opponents 66-3 through two games.

“They have a great system. I think they do a great job of mixing things up, a great job of getting a lot of guys involved and know when to use the back, when to use their scat backs and when to use receivers, tight ends,” Clayton White said. “They do a great job of mixing things up and it makes it hard for any defense.”

Offensively the Bulldogs are much of the same, ram-it-down-your-throat style of offense, but defensively is where the Gamecocks will have their hands full.

Georgia hasn’t allowed a touchdown all season and it ranks fifth defensively in yards per rush allowed (2.0) and is the best team in the league in yards per play allowed at 3.1.

The defense has limited offenses to just 22 percent on third down with a defensive line which will give South Carolina’s pass protection its toughest test yet.

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The Gamecocks’ pass protection has been up and down through two games, allowing four sacks but ranking seventh in the SEC in pressure rate, allowing a quarterback pressure on 17.2 percent of their 58 dropbacks this year.

“To the average eye, people are going to say, ‘Oh my gosh what is that offensive tackle doing?”’ Shane Beamer said. “That offensive tackle is doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s trying to keep the heat off the quarterback because the quarterback slid the line the wrong way. Have we been perfect on pass pro? Is it as bad as some people want to analyze and say that it’s been? Absolutely not.”

South Carolina’s pass blocking, which Shane Beamer said hasn’t been bad, will need to be on point to handle Georgia’s pass rush regardless of whichever quarterback is out there.

Also see: How South Carolina can pull the upset Saturday

“I would say a layman would watch and say they can’t pass protect. When you peel the layer back and understand certain calls were made from the quarterback position and the communication between the quarterback, running back, offensive line,” Satterfield said.

“We’re still right on point, in my opinion, and as long as we continue to get our communication better and eliminate putting him in terrible positions like we did early in the game. There shouldn’t be any pressure on two of those sacks they had on two of the sacks (ECU) had.”

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