What we learned from Georgia’s rout of South Carolina in SEC opener

South Carolina had two explosive plays. Georgia had many more that sent a packed-out Sanford Stadium into a roar.

Based on those facts, the result is an expected one. Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) routed a rebuilding South Carolina team, 40-13, to open conference play. That sums a lot of it up, but this writer isn’t Lewis Grizzard and can’t sum up a game in a matter of eight words.

So, let’s dive in a bit. Georgia dominated the Gamecocks, but it has reached the point where a 27-point win warrants some nitpicking. The Bulldogs’ schedule strengthens after one more tuneup at Vanderbilt — the SEC’s bottom dweller — and there are some takeaways.

Here’s what we learned from Georgia’s third-consecutive victory to open the season.

There’s no quarterback controversy

JT Daniels has validated his spot as Georgia’s starting quarterback, despite an injury that sidelined him in last Saturday’s victory over UAB. A 73-yard pass to Jermaine Burton proved it.

Daniels, who had battled an oblique injury, didn’t throw a deep pass in the opener against Clemson. His first of 2021 connected as smoothly as the many others that led the Bulldogs to a strong finish to the 2020 campaign. Daniels made Georgia’s offense tick en route to a 40-point performance, despite some struggles when head coach Kirby Smart opted to play conservative late in the first half.

Daniels finished with 303 yards on 23-of-31 passing and three touchdowns. His lone blemish came on a third-quarter interception by South Carolina defensive back Jaylan Foster (he collected two on the game, the other from Stetson Bennett).

“I definitely felt very confident, and a lot of that goes to the medical staff,” Daniels said. “We’ve been rehabbing three times a day. I’ve never had a muscle pull heal this fast.”

Georgia rolled with Daniels on its first few series and didn’t miss a beat against the Gamecocks’ depleted secondary. Smart opted to put in Bennett, who threw a pick that put South Carolina in field-goal range. Bennett’s entrance into the game briefly halted Georgia’s momentum, but the game’s result was never in question.

Barring another injury, it’s clear — JT Daniels gives Georgia its best chance offensively.

“These past few weeks have been really rehab-heavy,” Daniels said. “We ramped it up this week, and I felt good to go by game time.”

Good and bad with Georgia’s secondary

South Carolina had some quarterback questions entering Saturday’s game. Zeb Noland, a former graduate assistant, started the game and Luke Doty followed after one series. Each of the Gamecock signal-callers connected on a deep pass against the Bulldogs’ secondary.

Josh Vann, a Peach State product from Tucker, hauled in passes of 61 and 31 yards. Another deep connection was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass. The Bulldogs had no issues with their pass defense against UAB, but Clemson receiver Joseph Ngata eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the opener.

Vann capped it off in the third quarter with a 38-yard touchdown reception. He finished with 128 yards on three receptions. It marked the first touchdown that Georgia’s defense allowed on the season.

Georgia’s secondary welcomed a lot of new faces over the offseason, including Tykee Smith, who has yet to play due to a foot injury.

Georgia’s secondary did benefit from an interception from Derion Kendrick to open the third quarter, the Clemson transfer’s first of the season.

Georgia improves with getting push, but more progress needed

Throughout the Smart era, Georgia has taken plenty of pride in its big-bodied offensive line. The unit’s main objective is to get plenty of push in the run game and open up holes for the stable of four- and five-star running backs that the Bulldogs feature.

On a new-look offensive line after the departures of Ben Cleveland and Trey Hill, Georgia has had some trouble finding consistent rhythm in the run game. Quite frankly, it hasn’t been the same since previous position coach Sam Pittman left for Arkansas and Matt Luke replaced him.

Against the Gamecocks, Georgia had one of its best rushing totals with 184 yards. James Cook led the way by getting into space, which started with a 23-yard touchdown burst on the opening drive. Georgia’s three leading rushers each finished with more than 50 yards.

Saturday’s performance is a glimpse of what Georgia wants in the run game. It would probably take those totals against most opponents, but improvements are needed when tests against the conference’s upper-echelon opponents arrive. The Bulldogs need more explosiveness in the run game, and they’ve got the playmakers to do so.

Georgia’s defensive front ensured its dominance

Sometimes, it’s OK to take a moment and marvel.

Georgia’s defensive front had its share of expectations headed into 2021. Everyone returned with the exception of defensive end Malik Herring. Those results showed yet again against South Carolina.

The Gamecocks averaged 2.8 yards per rushing attempt, which might not even meet the Bulldogs’ standard for defending the run. Doty felt plenty of pressure, too, as it felt like a pack of kids playing chase on the playground had the Gamecocks’ quarterback as their main target.

Georgia had three sacks, but a number of quarterback pressures on key downs forced Doty into some errant passing attempts and made for uncomfortable situations when the Bulldogs brought pressure. One of those pressures resulted in a safety, which continued the defense’s streak of scoring points in each game.

To cap it off, Nolan Smith forced a third-quarter fumble on his sack of Doty, and Quay Walker recovered it.

Georgia’s favorite target is a tight end

Some thought we’d never see the day. Georgia has implemented tight ends to its offense at a high volume, and freshman Brock Bowers has especially gotten plenty of targets.

Bowers has been a featured piece for Georgia in each of its first three games, which could put the true freshman into Mackey Award consideration (the nation’s best tight end) before too much longer. Daniels went to Bowers almost immediately. He led the team in receiving with five catches for 53 yards.

Bowers’ evening as an integral piece of Georgia’s offensive attack followed his 89-yard snag against UAB, where he broke free from defenders and scampered up the sideline. Bowers has led Georgia in receiving in each of its first three games.

“It’s the way of college football now,” Smart said of Bowers, also mentioning true freshman AD Mitchell. “He’s not really a freshman, because he’s been here all spring. He’s competed at a high level and they’ve earned that.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2021 at 10:41 PM.