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#24 South Carolina is currently favored over #22 Georgia by 3.5 points. The big stories in this game will be who's playing and who's not playing. Georgia received word from the NCAA Wednesday that top receiver -- and top player -- A.J. Green will not be eligible to play. The Gamecocks are still awaiting word on cornerback Chris Culliver, offensive tackle Jarriel King, and tight end Weslye Saunders from the NCAA. Antonio Allen and D.J. Swearinger are expected to be back from injuries, but that is no given at this point. The loss of A.J. Green for this game is huge. As with any player of Green's caliber, there were probably a few wrinkles to be thrown into the defensive gameplan for double coverage that won't have to be applied now. Georgia's inexperience at receiver will be capitalized on by the Gamecock cornerbacks. The Bulldogs will rely heavily on the three-headed monster at running back -- Washaun Ealey, Caleb King, and Carlton Thomas. When asked about how the carries will break down between the three, Georgia head coach Mark Richt stated, "It will be very competitive. It will be very interesting to see who gets what." Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray was impressive in his collegiate debut, throwing for 160 yards and 3 touchdowns versus 1 interception. Murray also ran 4 times for 42 yards and 1 touchdown. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to the pressure and speed the Gamecock defense will put on him. Without A.J. Green, Murray relied mostly on Kris Durham, and Durham didn't disappoint putting up 5 receptions for 83 yards and 1 touchdown. Gamecock Nation is as excited as ever after the 41-13 victory over the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. One of the biggest matchups of the game easily went to USC's favor when cornerback Stephon Gilmore shut down highly touted wide receiver DeAndre Brown. To add to the excitement of this game is the fact that the other SEC East teams didn't look very good in week one. Florida scored a bunch of points, but didn't look like the dominant team everyone has come to expect out of Gainesville lately. Kentucky played decently in their rivalry game against Louisville, but didn't look like SEC East competitors. Tennessee looks to have a rebuilding year. Vanderbilt is Vanderbilt, and they have a new coach. If Florida gave a true indication of their season, this UGA@USC matchup may be the deciding factor for the SEC East champion. Keys To A Win: 1. Stop the run. If the Gamecock defense can shut down Georgia's rushing attack, this game will be over. 2. Stop the special teamers. USC hopes that the special teams play will be improved. If it's not, Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith will be ready to exploit it. 3. Offensive Line play. While the offensive line looked great against Southern Miss, it was Southern Miss and this is Georgia. If Jarriel King is able to return, it would help tremendously. Stats, tidbits, and history UGA 2009 Record: 8-5 (4-4) UGA 2010 Record: 1-0 (0-0) USC 2009 Record: 7-6 (3-5) USC 2010 Record: 1-0 (0-0) Previous Matchup: UGA win 41-37 Key Returners for UGA: A.J. Green - 53 receptions, 808 yards, 6 touchdowns, 15.2 avg Caleb King - 114 rushes, 594 yards, 7 touchdowns, 5.2 avg Washaun Ealey - 125 rushes, 717 yards, 3 touchdowns, 5.7 avg Key Players in Previous Matchup: UGA: Kick returner Brandon Boykin was probably UGA's MVP of the 2009 South Carolina - Georgia game. He returned a kick for a touchdown, averaged 46.8 yards per return, and played superb defense. Wide receiver A.J. Green provided 86 yards and 1 touchdown on 6 receptions. Green's biggest contribution was probably keeping the USC defense honest while there were no other proven receivers and only Richard Samuel at running back. Former running back Richard Samuel bullied his way for 65 yards and 1 touchdown on 15 carries. Without Nathan Pepper, Ladi Ajiboye, or Travian Robertson, it seemed Samuel was able to get every first down on third-and-short. Athlete Branden Smith provided a spark with a reverse that went for a touchdown. He was also valuable in the return game. USC: In last year's matchup against Georgia, quarterback Stephen Garcia seemed to come into his own passing for 313 yards and 2 touchdowns to 1 interception. Garcia was also the leading rusher in this game. It can be argued that Garcia didn't live up to the hype of that particular game the rest of the season, but he quietly put together one of the more solid seasons as a Gamecock quarterback in history -- at least, statistically. Tori Gurley was another name that seemed to use the 2009 Georgia game as a stepping stone to show off his potential. Gurley reeled in 46 yards on 4 receptions and 1 touchdown, but also had two touchdowns called back because of penalties not relating to him. Spencer Lanning was lights out hitting 5 of 5 field goal attempts, but had one of his three extra points blocked which turned out to the difference in the end. Another newcomer to the scene was Bryce Sherman. He led all running backs with 27 yards rushing on 2 carries. The speed was evident. Chris Culliver had a big night returning kicks as he averaged 30.5 yards per return and finished with 122 yards on kick returns. Weslye Saunders was the rock that Garcia relied on while hauling in 8 catches for 96 yards to lead all receivers. |
