UGA Football: Everything You Need to Know About Georgia vs South Carolina

The Bulldogs lead the series with South Carolina 53-19-2, and they have won six out of the last seven in the series that dates back to 1894. Georgia left the Gamecocks behind 45-16 the last time the teams met in Columbia in 2020. Since becoming SEC Eastern Division rivals in 1992, the Bulldogs own a 20-10 lead in the series. The Bulldogs are 5-1 overall against the Gamecocks in the Kirby Smart era with the only loss coming in Athens (20-17) during the 2019 season while current Georgia assistant Will Muschamp was South Carolina’s head coach (2016-20). Georgia is 30-5 versus the SEC East during the Smart era and three of those losses came in 2016.

Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer was on Smart’s staff at Georgia in 2016-17 as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. After serving in several roles for Oklahoma from 2018-20, Beamer took over at South Carolina before the 2021 season. The 1-1 Gamecocks fell 44-30 at No. 16 Arkansas over the weekend.

In last year’s meeting in Athens, Georgia posted a 40-13 victory. The Bulldogs scored five points in the final 26 seconds of the first half, and then the defense forced a pair of turnovers on USC’s first two possessions of the second half that led to 14 points. All 13 of South Carolina’s points came off three Bulldog miscues (interceptions by JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett plus a fumble by Kendall Milton). USC gained 310 yards on 63 plays. Georgia’s leading tackler was Nolan Smith who registered a career-high eight stops, 1.5 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble that was recovered by current Green Bay Packer Quay Walker.

A week after moving from No. 3 in the preseason poll to No. 2, the Bulldogs have assumed the top spot in the AP poll headed into the South Carolina contest. Georgia has been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in 16 of the past 18 Associated Press (AP) polls, with the other two weeks at No. 3. Last year, Georgia was preseason ranked No. 5, then moved up to No. 2 for five weeks of the regular season before claiming the top spot for eight weeks. Following the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs dropped to No. 3 during the CFP and ended the season ranked No. 1 as national champions. From 1981 — the season after Georgia won a national title — to 2016, the Bulldogs were ranked in the top two a total of 10 times.

Despite a record 15 players getting selected in the NFL draft, including five defenders in the first round, Georgia’s defense, at least through the first two game, looks to be as strong as ever. Once again, the Bulldogs find themselves leading the nation in Scoring Defense at 1.5 points allowed per game. Georgia is the only FBS team that has yet to surrender a touchdown. The Bulldogs whipped No. 11 Oregon 49-3 in the season opener in Atlanta and then blanked Samford 33-0 last Saturday in Athens.

Senior OLB Nolan Smith, redshirt sophomore DB Kelee Ringo and senior S Chris Smith are the Dogs’ three returning defensive starters from last season’s team. For the third time in school history, Georgia led the nation in Scoring Defense. The 2021 unit allowed just 10.2 points/game and only 153 total points in 15 games.

A 2021 College Football Playoff national championship, a 2018 CFP title game appearance, 2017 Southeastern Conference Championship, four SEC Eastern Division titles, 67 wins and six bowl victories are more than respectable rewards as Kirby Smart rolls into his seventh season. That’s what Georgia got when it hired Smart, the former Georgia player and Alabama defensive coordinator, to head the program in December of 2015.

His impact, along with a stellar coaching staff, players, and a passionate fan base has put Georgia on the national stage six years running. His 2021 team became UGA’s first national champion since 1980, the first since 1982 to go undefeated in the SEC regular season, a No. 1 national ranking by all the major polls and the first ever to win 14 games. It marked the fifth straight team to finish the regular season ranked in the top ten of the College Football Playoff rankings. The team set 21 school records, highlighted by the nation’s top-ranked defense. The third-ranked Bulldogs defeated #2 Michigan, 34-11, in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami and then No. 1 Alabama, 33-18, in the championship game in Indianapolis. The senior class also set the mark for most career wins by going 45-8. After the regular season, Smart was named SEC Coach of the Year for the second time in five years.

Georgia’s championship season enjoyed a fitting exclamation mark at the 2022 NFL Draft. The Bulldogs set a Draft record with 15 players taken, including five defenders in the first round, led by the first overall selection, junior Travon Walker.

%Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic; ^Liberty Bowl; $Rose Bowl Game; ~Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl; !CFP National Championship

Rushing Yards: 222, Nick Chubb vs. #22 UNC (9/3/16)
Rushing TDs: 3, Sony Michel UK (11/18/17); vs. #2 Oklahoma (1/1/18)
Longest Rush: 83-TD, D’Andre Swift @ #9 UK (11/3/18)
Passing Yards: 401, JT Daniels MSU (11/21/20)
Passing TDs: 5, Stetson Bennett UAB (9/11/21)
Receiving Yards: 197 (8 rec.), Jermaine Burton MSU (11/21/20)
Receiving TDs: 2, by 7 different Bulldogs multiple times
Longest Pass/TD Pass: 89-TD, S. Bennett to Brock Bowers UAB (9/11/21)
Tackles: 15, Nakobe Dean vs. #8 UF (11/7/20)
Sacks: 3, Trenton Thompson vs. TCU (12/30/16); Azeez Ojulari vs. #8 UC (1/1/21); Channing Tindall @ UT (11/13/21)
TFL: 3, Azeez Ojulari #7 AU (10/3/20); Thompson vs. Nicholls (9/10/16); 3, Azeez Ojulari vs. #8 UC (1/1/21); Channing Tindall @ UT(11/13/21)

Under Kirby Smart, Georgia has registered 25 scores on defense and special teams. The Dogs are 22-1 (loss came versus #8 UF in 2020) when they register a non-offensive score under Smart.

In 2021, Georgia had six of these scores: Christopher Smith’s 74-yd INT return (#3 CU); Jamon Dumas-Johnson’s 20-yd INT return (UAB); Safety (SC); Zamir White 0-yd return of blocked punt (#8 ARK); Nakobe Dean’s 50-yd INT return (UF); Safety (UM); Kelee Ringo’s 79-yd INT return (UA-2).

Kirby Smart is one of 11 Power 5 head coaches who are leading their alma maters.

Offensive Coordinator – Quarterbacks Coach – Todd Monken
Fain & Billy Slaughter Co-Defensive Coordinator – Inside Linebackers – Glenn Schumann
Co-Defensive Coordinator – Will Muschamp
Passing Game Coordinator – Wide Receivers – Bryan McClendon
Run Game Coordinator – Running Backs – Dell McGee
Defensive Backs Coach – Fran Brown
Assistant Coach – Tight Ends – Todd Hartley
Offensive Line Coach – Stacy Searels
Assistant Coach – Defensive Line – Tray Scott
Assistant Coach – Outside Linebackers – Chidera Uzo-Diribe

The Bulldogs will feature four new on the field coaches. Bryan McClendon, who won an SEC title with Georgia as a receiver in 2005, returns as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He most recently held the same spot for Oregon from 2020-21. McClendon was a graduate assistant at UGA in 2007-08 and was the running backs coach from 2009-15. Stacy Searels will be Georgia’s new offensive line coach after serving in the same role for the Bulldogs from 2007-10. He has most recently been North Carolina’s OL coach for the last three years. Another pair of coaches will join UGA for the first time in their careers. Fran Brown was named the defensive backs coach after serving as the secondary coach at Rutgers. Chidera Uzo-Diribe is the Bulldogs’ new outside linebackers coach following a stint in the same position at Texas Christian University.

Georgia’s offensive line returns three of five starters after Jamaree Salyer and Justin Shaffer had a combined 50 starts between them and have since moved on to the NFL. C Sedrick Van Pran (17 consecutive starts), RT Warren Mc- Clendon (team high 26 consecutive starts) and RG Tate Ratledge all got the nod in the first two games along with LT Broderick Jones and LG Xavier Truss. Jones started the final four regular season games last year when Salyer went down with an injury. Ratledge also started the 2021 opener but was lost for the year with an injury sustained in the fourth series of that contest. Warren Ericson relieved Ratledge for the final 14 games of 2021 and returns this year. Amarius Mims is also back and is lining up at either tackle while Devin Willock has earned a spot in the regular rotation as well at OG.

Senior PK Jack Podlesny is back in 2022 for his third season as UGA’s top kicker. His most recent outing saw him score a career-high 15 points during the 33-0 win over Samford, which was the most for a Bulldog since current Indianapolis Colt Rodrigo Blankenship scored 17 against Missouri in 2017. Podlesny was 4-of-5 on field goals versus Samford and hit all three of his PATs. Podlesny has made 39 of 48 field-goal attempts in his career (81.3 percent) and drilled 119 of 120 PATs. Early enrollee Brett Thorson, a native of Australia, has a season-long punt of 53 yards (No. 11 Oregon) and has totaled only four on the year. The Bulldogs are without four-year starter Jake Camarda (4th Rd. pick, Tampa Bay), whose career mark of 45.8 yards set the UGA record. The Bulldog snappers return in senior Payne Walker and junior William Mote. Walker handles the snapping duties on field goals and PATs while Mote is called on for punts.

Senior Stetson Bennett, a native of Blackshear, Ga., began his career with the Bulldogs as a walk-on in 2017 when he was redshirted. Bennett transferred to Jones College (Miss.) where he started in 2018 and then returned to the Bulldogs on scholarship in 2019. He saw action that season in five games including throwing passes in four of them. In 2020, he started five games and then got the nod in the final 11 contests of the 2021 national championship season.

In his Bulldog career, Bennett is 16-3 and has completed 63.7 percent of his passes (340-for-534, 4,969 yards, 42 TDs, 14 INTs).

Bennett earned Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week and Manning Award National QB of the Week honors while leading No. 3 Georgia to a 49-3 rout of No. 11 Oregon in this season’s opener. He directed the Bulldogs to seven touchdowns on their first seven drives and finished 25 of 31 for a career-high 368 yards and two touchdowns. Bennett also had a 1-yard rushing score against the Ducks.

In 2021, Bennett played in 14 games (11-1 as a starter) and was 185-for-287 (64.4%) for 2,862 yards with 29 TDs and seven INTs.

He ranked fourth nationally in Passing Efficiency (176.7) last year, which broke the school record in that category previously belonging to Aaron Murray (174.8, 2012).

Bennett helped Georgia complete a historic 8-0 SEC regular season and its first undefeated regular season since 1982.

During the CFP National Championship Game versus No. 1 Alabama, Bennett finished 17-for-26 passing with 224 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. Trailing 18-13 with 10:14 left in the game, Bennett directed a four-play, 75-yard scoring drive that gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead at the 8:09 mark (a two-point conversion failed). Georgia never relinquished its lead to collect its first national championship in 41 years. Bennett was named the game’s Offensive MVP as was the case in the CFP Semifinal Orange Bowl victory over Michigan.

*Ties school record

Georgia’s tight end room is loaded. Along with 6-4, 230-pound sophomore Brock Bowers, the top targets here include 6-7, 270-pound junior Darnell Washington, 6-5, 255-pound redshirt sophomore Arik Gilbert and 6-5, 225-pound freshman Oscar Delp.

Bowers leads the group this year with five catches for 95 yards while Washington has four for 66 yards.

Bowers burst on to the scene last year and had one of the finest seasons ever by a Bulldog pass catcher in earning All-America honors, and he was just a freshman. A native of Napa, Calif, he was named the FWAA Freshman of the Year, the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year and the SEC Freshman of the Year. He tallied 56 receptions for 882 yards and 14 touchdowns (13 receiving, 1 rushing), all team-bests and school records for a tight end. The 13 TD catches was the most ever by a Bulldog. He was utilized as an H-back too for his superior blocking skills and running ability. In fact, he had four carries for 56 yards and one touchdown. His first career rush resulted in a 12-yard TD at Vanderbilt.

Bowers has had three 100-yard receiving games in his career; four TD receptions of 25+ yards; his first career TD catch covered 89 yards against UAB, and he had a 77-yard TD at Georgia Tech.

With Zamir White and James Cooks off to the NFL, Georgia’s veterans in the backfield are senior Kenny McIntosh, as well as juniors Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards.

McIntosh had nine catches for 117 yards (both career highs) to go along with five carries for 18 yards and a touchdown during the rout of No. 11 Oregon in the 2022 opener.

Milton was the leading rusher versus the Ducks with 50 yards on eight carries (6.2 avg.). He scored both a rushing and a receiving touchdown against No. 11 Oregon for the first time in his career.

Versus Samford, Milton had a career-high 85 yards rushing on 10 carries last weekend.

In the season-opening win over No. 11 Oregon, Kenny McIntosh led the Bulldogs with 117 receiving yards on nine catches. It was the most yards by a Bulldog running back since 1995 when fullback Larry Bowie tallied 156 yards on 10 catches against Virginia in the Peach Bowl.

McIntosh’s nine catches were the most since 2013 when Todd Gurley had 10 (for 77 yards) against #7 Auburn.

McIntosh was again the leader during the victory over Samford with five catches for 61 yards. For the year, he has 14 receptions for 178 yards (12.7 avg.). 100+ Yards Receiving By A Bulldog RB In The Modern Era 156, Larry Bowie on 10 catches, 1995 Peach Bowl vs. Virginia in Atlanta 117, Kenny McIntosh on 9 catches, 2021 vs No. 11 Oregon in Atlanta 112, James Cook on 4 catches, 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl vs. No. 2 Michigan in Miami, Fla. 101, James Cook on 4 catches, 2020 at No. 2 Alabama

This marks the third year that Todd Monken is directing the Georgia offense. Currently the Bulldogs averaged 41.0 points/game, which ranks 33rd nationally.

Georgia’s offense generated 49 points against No. 11 Oregon in the 2022 season opener. The Bulldogs tallied 571 yards of offense on only 62 plays and scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions of the game.

UGA finished nine for 10 on third down conversions against the Ducks.

Ten different Bulldogs caught a pass in the win over Oregon as Georgia amassed 439 yards through the air, which is the most ever in the Kirby Smart era.

Georgia’s leading receivers against the Ducks were Kenny McIntosh (9-117-0), Ladd McConkey (5-73-1) and AD Mitchell (4-65-1). Also of note, McConkey scored receiving and rushing touchdowns in the same game for the second time in his career (@ Vanderbilt, 2021).

McConkey is ranked second on the team with six catches for 110 yards (18.3 avg.) and a score. He is also the primary punt returner with two for 32 yards.

The Bulldogs were 7-for-8 in the Red Zone against Samford, but had to settle for four field goals to go along with three touchdowns. Georgia generated 479 yards and 15 different Bulldogs caught a pass.

In 2021, Georgia featured the nation’s top Scoring Defense allowing just 10.2 points/ game. In six games last year, Georgia did not allow an offensive TD and that led the FBS.

This season, the Bulldogs lead the nation again in Scoring Defense, giving up just 1.5 points per contest. Georgia is the only team in the FBS to not allow a touchdown this season.

The Bulldogs led the country in Red Zone defense last year. Opponents advanced to the Red Zone only 32 times and 12 times came away with no points.

This year, Georgia is tied for fourth in the country with opponents advancing to the Red Zone only twice and coming away with a single field goal.

The defense allowed 13 TDs in 2021 while it scored four TDs.

The 2022 Bulldog defense kept No. 3 Oregon to only a field goal in the season opener as the Ducks collected 313 yards on 68 plays. This marked the first time Oregon had failed to score a touchdown in a game since 2017.

Late in the fourth quarter, Georgia had an impressive goal line stand late that ended at the two yard line following a 19-play, 87-yard drive that lasted 8:47.

The Bulldogs kept Samford scoreless 33-0, marking the ninth shutout since 2017. That is the most shutouts for an FBS team during that stretch. The Bulldogs had three shutouts last season (No. 8 Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt).

Georgia’s leading tacklers in the win over No. 11 Oregon were senior Chris Smith and freshman Malaki Starks who finished with six and eight stops, respectively. Both Bulldogs also registered interceptions that eventually turned into 14 points. The picks came on the Ducks’ second and third possessions and helped Georgia build a 21-0 lead.

This marked Smith’s fourth career pick and his second in a row in a season-opening game after returning his interception for a score against No. 3 Clemson in 2021 for the game’s only touchdown. Smith shared SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors following his performance against Oregon. He also garnered the league accolade following his game against Clemson last year.

Against Samford, junior Dan Jackson caused a fumble that was recovered by Xavian Sorey, which led to a Bulldog field goal. The leading tackler against Samford was ILB Smael Mondon after finishing with four stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss.

Stetson Bennett: Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, Manning Award Star of the Week, Davey O’Brien Award Quarterback of the Week (vs. #11 UO)

Chris Smith: SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week (vs. #11 UO)

1. Alabama, 39-4
T2. GEORGIA, 36-5
T2. Louisiana, 36-5
4. Clemson, 36-6
5. Cincinnati, 34-6

2016: 12 points in two games (KOR, PR)
2017: none
2018: 12 points in two games (PR, Blocked Punt Ret.)
2019: none
2020: none
2021: 6 points in one game (Blocked Punt Ret.)
2022: none

Longest PR For a TD: 82 yards by Isaiah McKenzie vs. Louisiana, 2016
Longest Blocked PR For a TD: 8 yards by Eric Stokes @ Missouri, 2018
Longest KOR For a TD: 43 yards by Terry Godwin @ South Carolina, 2016

The Bulldogs had six first-time starters on defnese in their opener versus No. 11 Oregon: ILB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, DE Mykel Williams, ILB Smael Mondon, DB Javon Bullard, DB Kamari Lassiter, N Nazir Stackhouse. Williams became just the ninth true freshman starter to make his debut in a season opener in the Smart era. In game two, true freshman Malaki Starks earned his first start for the Bulldogs.

Georgia had seven first-time starters in the 2021 season opener against No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte. The Bulldogs had 19 first-time startersin 2020, including seven in the opener.

Georgia featured 12 true freshmen in its 2022 opener against No. 11 Oregon after having an NCAA record 15 players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. A total of 21 true freshmen have played so far during the 2022 campaign.

During the 2021 season opener, six true freshmen saw action against No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium. In 2021, a total of 24 true freshmen played for the Bulldogs.

#11 Oregon:Nolan Smith, Kenny McIntosh, Christopher Smith, Sedrick Van Pran
Samford:Zion Logue, Warren Ericson, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint
S. Carolina:
Kent State:
Missouri:
Auburn:
Vanderbilt:
Florida:
Tennessee:
Miss. State:
Kentucky:
Georgia Tech:

GAME ONE:
UGA: 7 (Longest: 38-yd pass, Bennett to McIntosh)
#11 ORE: 0

GAME TWO:
UGA: 4 (Longest: 37-yd pass, Bennett to McConkey)
SAM: 1 (36-yd pass, Crittendon to King)

GAME THREE:
UGA:
USC:

GAME FOUR:
UGA:
KENT ST.:

GAME FIVE:
UGA:
MIZ:

GAME SIX:
UGA:
AUB:

GAME SEVEN:
UGA:
VAN:

GAME EIGHT:
UGA:
UF:

GAME NINE:
UGA:
TENN:

GAME 10:
UGA:
MSU:

GAME 11:
UGA:
UK:

GAME 12:
UGA:
GT:

Georgia is +3 in turnover margin. The Bulldogs have 17 points off three turnovers. Opponents have not created any turnovers.

#11 Oregon: UGA got 14 pts. off 2 TOs; UGA did not have any TOs.
Samford: UGA got 3 pts. off 1 TO; UGA did not have any TOs.
S. Carolina:
Kent State:
Missouri:
Auburn:
Vanderbilt:
Florida:
Tennessee:
Miss. State:
Kentucky:
Georgia Tech: