No. 1 Georgia is seeking to win its third-consecutive nationwide title this season and that journey continues Saturday when it begins SEC play at dwelling Between The Hedges towards South Carolina. The Bulldogs have not been challenged to this point of their 2-0 begin, profitable their first two video games by a mixed rating of 93-10, however the harmful Gamecocks confirmed themselves to be able to a significant upset twice final 12 months towards Clemson and Tennessee.
It is a sequence by which Georgia has held the higher hand not too long ago. Beneath coach Kirby Sensible, the Bulldogs are 6-1 towards the Gamecocks — together with 2-0 towards former Sensible assistant Shane Beamer. Georgia has much more on the road by way of streaks, having received 29 consecutive regular-season video games (a run going again to Nov. 2020) and 19 straight total. Whereas Georgia carries streaks from earlier years, the group on the sector in 2023 has been principally outlined by the brand new contributors.
Quarterback Carson Beck has been efficient in his first begins, guiding an offense that is piled on factors early and constructed sufficiently big results in relaxation by the beginning of the fourth quarter. It isn’t simply Beck, although. Georgia’s main rusher is true freshman Roderick Robinson II, and sophomore Mekhi Mews is without doubt one of the group’s main receivers after logging simply two receptions in 4 video games final season.
That group faces SEC competitors for the primary time on Saturday with the Gamecocks on the town seeking to bounce again following their season-opening loss to North Carolina. South Carolina is now 1-1 after a win towards Furman, a top-10 FCS group, however faces its personal raised stage of competitors going up towards the reigning champs.
Try LIVE updates from Georgia vs. South Carolina
Learn how to watch Georgia vs. South Carolina stay
Date: Saturday, Sept. 16 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Sanford Stadium — Athens, Georgia
TV: CBS | Reside stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Attempt It Free)
Georgia vs. South Carolina: Must know
Georgia coping with accidents to key gamers: Junior Ladd McConkey, the group’s high choice at vast receiver final season by way of receptions and receiving yards, has not performed within the first two video games whereas coping with a again damage. His standing for Saturday’s recreation is up within the air. Operating again Daijun Edwards has dressed out for each video games however has not performed as he continues to recuperate from an MCL sprain suffered throughout fall camp. And simply when the protection was lastly getting shut to totally wholesome, beginning security Javon Bullard left the Ball State recreation with an ankle damage. His standing for Saturday’s recreation is doubtful.
Whereas there are gifted gamers all through the depth chart, the “subsequent man up” mentality goes to place somebody on the sector who hasn’t been as key to the back-to-back title runs of 2021 and 2022. If Bullard, the Faculty Soccer Playoff Defensive MVP in each the Peach Bowl and nationwide championship final season, can’t go towards South Carolina, it will likely be David Daniel-Sisavanh and Dan Jackson sharing his duties at security.
Gamecocks coping with their very own damage points: Star vast receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells has been restricted this season with a decrease physique damage and logged only one catch for five yards. Whereas Rattler’s high goal from a 12 months in the past has been off the sector, senior vast receiver Xavier Legette has emerged as one of many high pass-catchers within the SEC. Legette leads the SEC and ranks second nationally with 148 yards receiving per recreation, whereas additionally main the SEC with 180 all-purpose yards per recreation and rating second within the convention with 7.5 receptions per recreation. Reverse Legette is Ahmarean Brown, who was knocked out of the Furman recreation with an damage. Vast receiver will not be the one place room seeing shake-ups due to damage. As a group about to play Georgia, Mississippi State after which Tennessee (in Knoxville) in consecutive weeks, South Carolina can’t afford too many extra accidents.
Spencer Rattler will take a look at retooled Georgia protection: The Bulldogs protection has been wonderful and maintained this system customary in its efficiency, however these spectacular numbers are going to be examined towards Rattler. The Gamecocks quarterback ranks third amongst FBS signal-callers at 349 yards passing per recreation, trailing solely Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. He is additionally finishing 84.3% of his passes with three touchdowns with no interceptions. For Rattler, this can be a probability so as to add one other upset particular to his résumé after taking down Tennessee and Clemson in 2022.
Georgia vs. South Carolina prediction, picks
Odds through SportsLine consensus
It may be troublesome for South Carolina to take care of its offensive manufacturing towards Georgia, particularly given the obvious benefit within the trenches when it is time to put the Gamecocks to the take a look at towards the Bulldogs’ entrance. I believe Georgia’s unusual sack drought — only one sack all season — ends on Saturday and the protection shines in a Bulldogs win. Decide: Beneath 55
Which faculty soccer picks are you able to make with confidence in Week 3, and which underdogs will win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a confirmed laptop mannequin that has returned greater than $2,500 in revenue over the previous seven-plus seasons — and discover out.
