Gameday Guide: Gamecocks vs Georgia

South Carolina (2-6, 2-6 SEC) vs Georgia (5-2, 5-2 SEC)

When: Saturday, Nov 28, 2020 - 7:30 pm ET

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium - Columbia, SC (77,559)

Television: SEC Network (Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang)

Local Radio: Gamecock IMG Sports Network (Derek Scott, Tommy Suggs, Jamar Nesbit)

Satellite Radio: Sirius 137/XM 190

Odds: UGA - 21.5 (O/U 49)

Weather: 57-degrees, 3% chance of precipitation

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CAROLINA VS. GEORGIA: This is the 73rd meeting between these two bordering flagship state universities. Georgia leads the all-time series by a 51-19-2 margin, including a 21-10-2 advantage in Columbia. Since becoming SEC Eastern Division rivals in 1992, the Bulldogs own an 18-10 advantage in the series, including a 9-5 mark in Columbia.

EVEN IN THE DECADE: The series is knotted at five wins apiece in games played during the 2010s. Carolina won three-straight from 2010-12, its longest winning streak in the series, and won again in 2014 and 2019. Georgia countered with a win in 2013 and four-straight from 2015-18.

IT’S GETTING LATE: This is the latest the two teams have ever met on the calendar and just the fifth time they’ve met in the month of November. The previous “latest game” took place during the 1939 season, with that year’s game coming on Nov. 18. Traditionally, this is one of the earlier matches in the SEC, generally played in early September.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET: In the high point of the 2019 season for Carolina, the Gamecocks went into Athens on Oct. 12 and knocked off the No. 3/3 Bulldogs by a 20-17 mark in double-overtime. Israel Mukuamu was the star of the game, intercepting three Jake Fromm passes, including a 53- yard pick-six in the upset win. Parker White connected on a 24-yard field in the second overtime, before Rodrigo Blankenship missed from 42, providing the winning score. Georgia outgained Carolina 468-297 on the afternoon, but four turnovers proved costly for the Dawgs. The win matched the best road win for Carolina in school history.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: Jake Fromm completed 15-of-18 passes for 194 yards and Georgia rolled up 271 rushing yards as the third-ranked Bulldogs posted a 41-17 win over No. 24 South Carolina on Sept. 1, 2018 in Columbia. Deandre Baker set the tone with an interception off a tipped ball in the opening minute that led to an early score for the Bulldogs. Carolina held close for a while, but a late second quarter field goal sent Georgia into intermission with a 20-10 advantage. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on three third quarter possessions to put the game away. Jake Bentley completed 30-of-47 passes for 269 yards.

BOBO SEES RED: Gamecock interim head coach Mike Bobo is very familiar with the Bulldogs. Bobo is a 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia and spent all but one of the first 22 years of his adult life with the Bulldogs as either a player or assistant coach. Bobo and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart were teammates at UGA.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND: Carolina wide receivers coach Joe Cox is a 2009 graduate of Georgia. He was the starting quarterback as a senior at UGA, when he completed 185-of-331 passes for 2,584 yards and 24 touchdowns, at the time the second-best single-season total in UGA history. An offensive captain, Cox led the Bulldogs to an 8-5 record. Carolina defensive line coach Tracy Rocker had a similar post at Georgia from 2014-16. DFO George Wynn started for three years at Georgia and served as a team captain as a senior, graduating in 1992.

IT JUST MEANS MORE: Seventeen players on Carolina’s roster claim Georgia as their home state. That figures to 16 percent of the Gamecocks’ 104-man roster. The list includes: Rashad Amos (Fayetteville), Kingsley Enagbare (Atlanta), Rodricus Fitten (Atlanta), Cole Hanna (Norcross), Kevin Harris (Hinesville), Joey Hunter (Atlanta), Ernest Jones (Waycross), McKay Melnick (Bogart), Rico Powers (Atlanta), Jordan Rhodes (Fairburn), Jammie Robinson (Leesburg), Will Rogers (Hampton), Aaron Sterling (Atlanta), Jazston Turnetine (Ellenwood), Josh Vann (Tucker), M.J. Webb (Rutledge) and Dylan Wonnum (Tucker).

Collyn Taylor: Georgia is good with a defense predicated on stopping the run, which South Carolina is going to rely on heavily. Best-case scenario for South Carolina is starting a true freshman likely without his No. 1 target in Shi Smith. Defensively South Carolina is held together like a MacGyver bomb, so it will be hard to stop a good Georgia rushing attack and a revitalized passing attack from JT Daniels. It's going to be a tough row to hoe. Georgia 38, South Carolina 13

Wes Mitchell: South Carolina is as banged up as ever on a defense that has struggled for a large portion of the season anyway. Luke Doty sparked the Gamecocks' offense last week and gives them a running threat that they haven't had at the quarterback position. But it's going to be tough with Shi Smith likely out. Georgia 42, South Carolina 17

Michael Beckham: Both teams are likely going to trot out young quarterbacks who saw their first significant action for their teams last week. That is where the comparisons should end.

Georgia has a better support system around their quarterback, and they have a vastly superior defense. Outside of a large win in the turnover margin, I simply don’t see South Carolina competing in this game. Georgia 41, South Carolina 17

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