Georgia natives anxious to return to the Peach State
Twenty-seven players.That is how many players on the South Carolina roster hail from the state of Georgia. That is the second-highest any one state, by a wide margin. 46 players are from the Palmetto State.
So as the Gamecocks prepare to face off against the Bulldogs, there are more than a few players who are ready to face the hometown team.
“I’m showing all of my emotions,” sophomore tailback Mike Davis, of Lithonia, Ga., said minutes after last Thursday’s win over North Carolina. “Hometown game against UGA? I can’t wait. I’ve already had guys calling me and telling me that they are going to beat us.”
Davis isn’t the only one who has been hearing trash talk from Georgia players. Safety T.J. Gurley, who is from Cairo, Ga., and led the Gamecocks against the Tar Heels with nine tackles, said he knows a few of the Bulldog players.
“It’s like a rivalry game for me,” Gurley said. “A lot of the Georgia players are from around where I’m from, so I know a lot of them. They’re talking a lot of trash, but it’s just all fun.”
Throw in the fact that this game will be a top-15 battle and an important factor in the Southeastern Conference’s East divisional race, and there is plenty of hype to go around.
The Gamecocks have beaten the Bulldogs three years in a row, but in the past two years, South Carolina hasn’t been able to capture the East.
As a result, coach Steve Spurrier said that this game won’t make or break the season and that the last three years won’t be relevant Saturday.
“We’ve been fortunate the last few years, but that’s all history,” Spurrier said. “The game this Saturday at 4:30 is the one that counts, and that’s the one that we’re trying to focus on the best we can.”
Quarterback Connor Shaw is also a Georgia native and will try to end his South Carolina career undefeated against the Bulldogs. However, this will be the senior’s first start in his home state.
“I’ve been looking forward to this one for awhile,” Shaw said. “It’s going to be exciting for us Georgia boys. We all know the importance of this game.”
Shaw has established himself as a proven winner at South Carolina, compiling an 18-3 record as a starting quarterback. Spurrier said in his weekly press conference that junior Dylan Thompson “needs to play,” but he isn’t sure how that is going to work out.
Thompson came in for one play against North Carolina last week and threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Kane Whitehurst.
One thing is for sure. This will be Shaw’s moment to shine in Georgia.
Spurrier said it is special for a player to take the field in his home state, something that not every player gets to do.
Spurrier never got the chance to play at Tennessee during his playing career at Florida. The closest he came to his hometown of Johnson City, Tenn., was when his Gators played at Vanderbilt.
However, Spurrier said it is important that Shaw doesn’t get carried away.
“Hopefully he won’t be too fired up,” Spurrier said. “Quarterbacks have to think. They have to make quick decisions and so forth. So hopefully concentrating on what he needs to do will be what he focuses on. But all players like to play well in their home state.”
Spurrier said that every year during Georgia week, the team plays Willie Nelson’s “Georgia on My Mind” during practice to stress the point of focusing on the Bulldogs.
“Most of our players thought it was Ray Charles, but it was Willie Nelson,” Spurrier said. “But that’s all we’re trying to do — get Georgia on our mind.”
A win against Georgia would mean several things for the Gamecocks. Spurrier said the recent success against the Bulldogs, along with the recent overall success, has helped the team recruit in Georgia.
The native Georgians on the roster also enjoy what comes along with a win over UGA.
“It’s always great to go home knowing we have the game over our shoulders, and we came out with the W,” said Chaz Sutton, a senior defensive end from Savannah, Ga. “You always have those bragging rights when you go back home. You have guys that are like, ‘Well, y’all got the ‘Dogs again; we’ll see y’all next year.’”