Grading the game: Georgia rushing attack flourishes against overmatched Gamecocks

Here’s how Georgia graded out following its 28-14 win over South Carolina.

Offense: B

Normally when a passing attack accounts for only 29 passing yards with the offense putting up 21 of 28 points, it’s not a good day. But the offensive line and the rushing attack were in full-on beast mode, which allowed Georgia to control the tempo of the game and keep the ball away from the South Carolina offense.

It’s been a while since Georgia’s offensive line was able to push around another front seven. Even against North Carolina, the Bulldogs didn’t have the kind of dominating performance it did on Sunday.

But with Georgia being able to run the ball 50 times, with three running backs going for over 80 yards each (326 total as a unit), it’s tough to deny the offense had a solid performance. Plus, Georgia was able to put up more total points on the Gamecocks than any other opponent this season.

Defense: B+

Georgia’s defense had a good day against the Gamecocks. South Carolina was limited considerably with the run game as it only tallied 30 total rushing yards. A.J. Turner and Rico Dowdle ran for 30 yards apiece but quarterback Perry Orth ended the game with a loss of 39 yards, which contributed to the total.

Georgia’s defense picked up five sacks as it got to finally play a pocket-passing quarterback in Orth. For that reason alone, considering the Bulldogs have struggled against dual-threat quarterbacks at times, it was surprising to see Brandon McIlwain on the bench the entire game. But the decision to go with Orth gave the Gamecocks a chance to throw the ball downfield.

And South Carolina was able to do that some as Orth picked up 288 passing yards on 26-of-36 passing. But the fact Orth had to throw the ball 36 yards and threw an interception indicates how well Georgia did against the run to force South Carolina into a one-dimensional offense.

Special teams: C

Georgia didn’t have to kick a field goal against South Carolina and Rodrigo Blankenship did have a touchback in the fourth quarter.

Marshall Long averaged 38.5 yards per punt and did have a huge 59-yarder, although he was the beneficiary of a long roll on that particular attempt. Long also had a 17-yarder that could’ve hurt the Bulldogs, although it didn’t.

Coaching: B-

Yes, there were two questionable moments when it came to coaching. The coaching staff had the “debacle,” in head coach Kirby Smart’s words, at the end of the first half in which it allowed the clock to run out instead of calling a timeout following a penalty. It also had an interesting moment in the second half when it appeared safety Quincy Mauger intercepted a pass that was then taken away after he hit the ground, with the coaching staff deferring to the officiating crew’s judgment of the play.

But other than those two moments, it wasn’t a bad day for the coaching staff. The only thing you’d like to see more of would be the fact that Georgia had every opportunity to seize control of this game and run away with a blowout but didn’t.

Then again, players have to make the plays for that to happen, so how much of that can really be placed on the coaches?

This story was originally published October 10, 2016 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Grading the game: Georgia rushing attack flourishes against overmatched Gamecocks."