The No. 24 Gamecocks looked to capitalize at home in an early season game against the No. 3 Bulldogs, but their offense did not deliver effectively enough to beat Georgia on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
South Carolina kept it to a ten-point game at halftime and had a few dropped balls gone its way; there was certainly a chance for much closer game. The second half proved that the Bulldogs had more gas in their tank as they went on to win 41-17.
Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp discussed the crucial role that coaching played in this game.
"Disappointed with obviously how we played, give Georgia credit, they've got a good football team." Muschamp said "We needed to play better and that's on me."
South Carolina struggled to establish the run all day; Ty'Son Williams led the Gamecocks in running yards with 26. The longest rush of the game was a mere 11-yard scramble from Bentley. In the first drive, we saw the Gamecocks open with an empty back set for four plays in a row. Quarterback Jake Bentley liked the starting tempo his team had.
"It felt good, trying to go fast," Bentley said. "Us staying empty and keeping them in that same formation."
The drive took a turn for the worst when Bentley was looking to dump off a pass to Rico Dowdle, getting tipped and coming back for a pick six.
South Carolina followed that with a three and out possession on offense.
However, the next drive saw a unique Gamecock touchdown, as Deebo Samuel threw a pass off a jet sweep to Bryan Edwards for the score. While to the fans that might be a play they never forget, Edwards did not see it the same way.
"We lost," Edwards said, "No moral victories in a loss like that."
The Gamecocks offense only accounted for 336 total yards tonight. Gamecocks running back Rico Dowdle accredited the Gamecocks execution on offense, feeling as though should expect more from his teammates.
"The run game would've helped, you can't be a one dimensional offense," Dowdle said. "What we put out there today, that's not us, it doesn't define us as a team."