The South Carolina football team is set to roll into Athens, Georgia, on Saturday to attempt to knock off the No. 1 ranked team in the country: the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs, who have scored more than 30 points in every game this season but one, have been steamrolling their opponents since Week 3. They got the nod over Alabama as the No. 1 ranked team in the country this week and look to stay red hot against the Gamecocks.
South Carolina has been on fire as well, winning its last three games, all of which were against SEC opponents. The Gamecocks are two games behind the Bulldogs for the SEC East lead, and an upset this week would pull them even closer. The Gamecocks are a 24-point underdog heading into Saturday.
What to expect from Georgia
Georgia has been spectacular on both sides of the football this season. Running back Nick Chubb remains one of the premiere backs in the country, rushing for 765 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Freshman quarterback Jake Fromm won the starting job after Jacob Eason went down from injury early in the season. Fromm has been a pleasant surprise, throwing for 1,263 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Defensively, head coach Kirby Smart has some play makers, especially with linebacker Roquan Smith who leads the team with 61 total tackles on the season. Lorenzo Carter leads the team with four sacks for a Bulldog defense that has been smothering opponents all season.
Look for the Bulldogs to try to bully the Gamecocks early on with a lot of power runs, as they have done all season.
How the Gamecocks can pull off the upset
South Carolina has won football games in just about every possible way this season. The Gamecocks have come back late against Louisiana Tech, blown-out Arkansas and held Vanderbilt and Tennessee on the final drives of the game to maintain their lead. The Gamecocks have not been beaten convincingly yet this season and have played every single team tough, even if they let two games slip away.
It could be a long shot, but if the Gamecocks sustain long drives for touchdowns and force ample turnovers or punts early on defense, they could stun the Bulldogs. They have been red hot in their last three games and continue to improve on both sides of the football.
Kick-off is set for 3:30 p.m. between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs on Saturday. It is a significant game for both teams to prove how legitimate they are.