Matthew Stafford passed for 145 yards on 15-of-25 passing while adding a couple of big runs as Georgia won 14-7 at South Carolina. Knowshon Moreno contributed 80 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. With the win, Georgia moves to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC as a trip out west to face Arizona State looms next week. A fourth-quarter South Carolina fumble into the Bulldog end zone and interception helped the Bulldogs preserve their lead and victory. Let’s look at some of the positives and negatives from Saturday’s win.
POSITIVES
1. The defense played up to the game’s magnitude: Coming into the matchup in Columbia, S.C., some were concerned about the way Georgia Southern and Central Michigan moved the ball against the Bulldogs. However, Georgia’s defense showed against South Carolina that they are every bit as good as the unit that stifled Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Georgia came out against South Carolina, held the Gamecocks scoreless in the first quarter, and limited them to 286 yards for the day. Rennie Curran’s forced fumble on the goal line and Reshad Jones’s game-clinching interception were examples of Georgia making plays even when South Carolina found a rhythm.
2. Pulling out the stops: Mark Richt showed that he will do what it takes for the Bulldogs to make it through their schedule unscathed. Of course, a lot of that will depend on the way Georgia uses Moreno. Moreno returned the Bulldogs’ first punt of the game and lined up in the shotgun behind center on one Georgia play. This gives reason to believe that are more new wrinkles and tricks to be seen as Georgia’s schedule gets harder and harder.
3. Impact freshmen: Receiver A.J. Green and placekicker Blair Walsh showed that no one should be worried about their ability to play on the big stage. Green led Georgia with 60 receiving yards on three catches, including a long completion from Stafford. Walsh connected on two field goals, including the first important kick of his career, a 42-yarder that put Georgia up 3-0.
NEGATIVES
1. Lack of pressure from the front four: South Carolina started moving the ball in the second half. A large part of that had to do with the Bulldogs’ inability to pressure South Carolina quarterback Chris Smelley without blitzing. The ability to get pressure from the down linemen will be key when they face Arizona State and quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who’s dangerous when he has time to throw.
2. Passing game not capitalizing: Perhaps the Bulldogs’ 14-7 win would have not come down to the final minutes had Georgia made more big plays in the air. The opportunities were there as Kris Durham dropped a would-be touchdown, Tripp Chandler dropped several passes, and Stafford missed a couple of open receivers.
3. Penalties: For the third game in a row, Georgia was plagued by penalties. The Bulldogs committed 11 penalties for 112 yards as personal fouls by Jones, Reshad Evans and Shaun Chapas put Georgia in unfavorable situations. This is another area where Georgia will have to make drastic improvements as their schedule gets tougher and tougher.
Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com.
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