Expect the unexpected with Georgia football this season.
A wild first quarter led to a surprising 31 points between the two teams. Most experts picked a much lower total final score, much less first-quarter score. The Gamecocks got things started after an A.J. Green fumble that resulted in a South Carolina possession on the Georgia 23. The Cocks went on to score on a 6–yard pass from Stephen Garcia to Tori Gurley on third and goal.
Just when Dawg fans probably started to fear the worst, sophomore cornerback Brandon Boykin set a UGA record in more than one way. The starting cornerback returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards, a UGA record for a kickoff return as well as the longest touchdown ever scored by UGA in Sanford Stadium.
Bulldog fans were delirious.
But the positive feelings would not last long as the Cocks would drive 77 yards in nine plays on the following drive to re-take the lead. After having a 43-yard touchdown pass to Gurley nullified by an ineligible man down field, South Carolina would score anyway — this time on 13-yard pass to running back Brian Maddox.
True freshman Branden Smith then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Cocks took over at the Georgia 9. Like last week in a similar situation, the defense stiffened and held Carolina to a field goal.
The coaching staff obviously has a lot of confidence in Smith, giving him multiple responsibilities at this point in his career.
Boykin was back on the next kickoff and returned it to the UGA 48. Only a shoestring tackle prevented him from scoring. One has to wonder why Boykin was not back on the previous kickoff. Perhaps fatigue?
Anyway, on their first true possession of the night, the Dawgs drove down the field with ease behind the suddenly tough-running Richard Samuel. On the drive, Samuel accounted for 35 yards and broke several tackles in the process, including a one-yard touchdown run.
After a stand by the defense, the Dawgs’ offense scored in a more unconventional way. After a circus catch by Green for a 23 yard gain to the UGA 39, the Dawgs ran a double reverse that resulted in Smith catching a pitch and outrunning Carolina’s defense for a 61- yard touchdown run.
Again Sanford Stadium was bonkers.
It became crazy again in Sanford when the Dawgs scored just before the half on a nine-yard reception by Green. The sensational sophomore just got his foot in bounds for the score and the Dawgs led 31-23 at the half.
The 54 total points is the most scored at all in a UGA-South Carolina game since 1995, when the Dawgs won 42-23.
RELIEF FOR DAWG FANS
There were a lot of positives from the first half that were not seen in the opener.
Richard Samuel has suddenly become a tackle-breaker. The sophomore from Cartersville ran hard in the first half and broke several tackles. He looks to be the guy Georgia needs at tailback.
The directional kicking appears to be a thing of the past. The Dawgs knocked each of their kickoffs down the middle and either had a touchback or a return of minimal yardage.
NOTES
-Blair Walsh kicked two touchbacks in the first half. The crowd was delighted with each of his kickoffs, as none of them were of the infamous directional variety.
-South Carolina DT Nathan Pepper injured his ankle and will miss the rest of the game. UGA DE Rod Battle also injured his knee and has not returned.
-Smith’s 61-yard run was UGA’s longest since the LSU game of 2008.
-Cornelius Washington earned his first sack of his career when he tackled Garcia during Carolina’s first drive.
-The over-under for the game was between 39 and 40 depending on who you ask. It was surpassed with 12:36 left in the second quarter on Walsh’s field goal.
-Reshad Jones was called for another personal foul. This one at the end of a pass play to Jarvis Giles. Giles was ruled out around the 20 but kept running after the play was blown dead. Jones threw him out of bounds and was penalized.
-The Dawgs set an all-time school record for kickoff returns with 204 in the first half. The mark surpassed the previous record of 196 yards which set against Kentucky in 1977.
Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com.
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