Five things we learned from USC’s blowout loss to No. 1 Georgia

The South Carolina football team lost its second-straight game Saturday, falling to No. 1 Georgia at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The 48-7 loss represents the largest margin of victory in series history, breaking a record set in the two teams’ first meeting in 1894. With the loss, the Gamecocks fell to 1-2 (0-2 SEC) on the season.

Here’s what we learned from USC’s loss.

Georgia is as good as advertised

There should be no real surprise here. After all, Georgia came into the game ranked No. 1 in the country, and the Bulldogs are coming off a national title win over Alabama. Playing their SEC opener on Saturday, the Bulldogs looked poised for another title run with how easily they handled South Carolina on both sides of the ball.

UGA quarterback Stetson Bennett was surgical in the passing game, threading the needle on 16-for-23 passing for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Brock Bowers scored both of those touchdowns and looked like the top tight end in the country with 121 receiving yards to go along with a five-yard rushing touchdown.

Led by former South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator, the Bulldogs nearly shut out USC after allowing just three points combined in their first two games.

USC’s defense is in shambles

The Gamecocks are already down defensive lineman Jordan Strachan and Mo Kaba for the season, after both suffered injuries at Arkansas last weekend.

Unfortunately for USC, the injuries have continued to mount. The Gamecocks were down five defensive starters against the Bulldogs on Saturday, with star defensive back Cam Smith the biggest name on the sidelines.

Those absences forced the Gamecocks to lean heavily on their freshmen, and Beamer pointed out that the team’s defensive inexperience led to mistakes and missed assignments against Georgia. The Bulldogs put up 547 yards of offense against USC — 339 passing and 208 rushing.

In good news for the Gamecocks, Beamer said he expects all five defensive starters to return for next week’s game against Charlotte.

Spencer Rattler hasn’t found his footing yet

Both Beamer and quarterback Spencer Rattler said Saturday that the transfer signal-caller needs to play better.

Through three games, Rattler has thrown five interceptions to just two touchdowns. And against Georgia’s elite defense, Rattler looked overmatched. The former Oklahoma Sooner completed just 13 of his 25 passes for 118 yards and two interceptions.

Both interceptions came on poor throwing decisions: the first on a wheel route in the red zone to Juju McDowell and the second into double coverage for tight end Jaheim Bell. Pressure from UGA’s defense and inconsistency on USC’s O-line haven’t helped, but Rattler said after Saturday’s game that he knows he needs to limit turnovers.

Who are USC’s playmakers?

Speaking of passing, it appears Rattler and the Gamecocks are still trying to sort out who should get the ball on offense. Each week, a different receiver has seemingly emerged as Rattler’s top target, with little consistency from game to game.

One week after transfer Antwane Wells led the Gamecocks with eight catches and 189 yards, UGA relegated Wells to no catches on two targets Saturday.

Veteran Josh Vann was USC’s leading receiver last year. So far this season, he’s got only two catches for eight yards.

Beamer Ball is still in effect

The Gamecocks didn’t have much success moving the ball on offense or stopping the Bulldogs defensively, but special teams coordinator Pete Lembo still had reason to smile.

Special teams — a cornerstone of “Beamer Ball” — was one of the few areas where the Gamecocks excelled Saturday.

The highlight came in the first quarter when the Gamecocks attempted a fake punt on 4th and 6 in the first quarter. Punter Kai Kroger completed a 20-yard pass to tight end Traevon Kenion for the first down. Kenion later caught USC’s only touchdown in the fourth quarter on a throw from backup quarterback Luke Doty.