Georgia football vs. South Carolina: Scouting report, prediction

Kirby Smart and his Georgia football program have a sparkling record of late against all opponents.

So the fact that he is 5-0 against former assistants who became head coaches is par for the course.

He’s 2-0 against Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, 1-0 against Oregon’s Dan Lanning and 2-0 against South Carolina’s Shane Beamer, whose Gamecocks come to Sanford Stadium Saturday.

Georgia is 2-0 this season but gets its first real test, although it’s still favored by nearly four touchdowns.

The Bulldogs beat the Gamecocks 40-13 in 2021 in Athens and 48-7 last year in Columbia.

“What I remember about South Carolina is really Sandstorm in the first quarter and it was over after that,” linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson said.

Here are five things to know about the matchup:

Spencer Rattler, Gamecocks could ‘challenge,' Georgia football

It’s a small sample size, but South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler is third nationally in completion percentage at 83.3 percent with 698 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.

“He's got elite arm talent, I can tell you that,” Smart said. “The throws he makes, deep, vertical, back-shoulder throws. He's thrown a couple field outs. He had a throw against Clemson last year on third and 10, it was a rope.”

Xavier Legette is the top threat with 15 catches for 296 yards and a touchdown. Georgia Tech transfer Ahmarean Brown has 9 catches for 86 yards. Backup quarterback Luke Doty has 77 receiving yards and a touchdown.

“Definitely looking forward to the challenge with the back end guys,” nickel back Tykee Smith said.

Rattler, the Oklahoma transfer, was held to 13 of 25 passing for 118 yards with two interceptions last year against Georgia, but threw for 798 yards with 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in wins over Tennessee and Clemson late last season.

“He has a great understanding of what we’re doing offensively,” Beamer said. “His decision-making is good and therefore his accuracy is going to be good.”

Protecting UGA football's home turf

Georgia owns the nation’s longest-home winning streak.

It has won 20 straight dating back to South Carolina’s 20-17 double overtime win in 2019 when Bulldog co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was Gamecocks head coach and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon was offensive coordinator.

Smart said at midweek he hadn’t mentioned that to the team.

“No, I wouldn't want to give B-Mac and Will the pleasure,” he said.

Georgia’s Zion Logue, Tramel Walthour, Xavier Truss, Dan Jackson and William Mote were on that team but none played.

“I was so young, I was 18 years old,” said South Carolina running back Dakereon Joyner, a sixth-year senior, who came in for an injured Ryan Hilinski at quarterback that game. “I was running out there like a chicken with my head cut off.”

South Carolina lost to No. 21 North Carolina 31-17 in week one in Charlotte.

“This game is a mentality game,” Joyner said. “Previous teams I’ve been on, we’ve lost the game before we got there. We’ve just got to be locked in and focused and go in there with an edge."

Can Georgia Bulldogs pass rush take advantage like North Carolina did?

Georgia has just one sack in two games, but it’s defense is tied for second nationally in points allowed at 5 per game.

“The offense is doing quick-game for a reason,” Dumas-Johnson said. “They don’t believe they can drop back and hold the ball and scan the field. The quick game is the answer is the same as we really can’t block them and we’ve got to get the ball out fast.”

Rattler was sacked nine times in the loss to North Carolina.

The Gamecocks have started two transfers — left tackle Sidney Fugar from Western Illinois and left guard Nick Gargiulo from Yale.

“It’s been hard to get that continuity developed and that is the key on the offensive line,” Beamer said.

South Carolina is without two projected starting tackles. Jaylen Nichols sustained a season-ending knee injury in the spring game and Cason Henry is also out with a knee injury.

Georgia Bulldogs offensive line wants more movement

Beamer referred to Georgia’s offensive line this week as “massive” with two probable NFL first round draft picks. He didn’t name them, but right tackle Amarius Mims and center Sedrick Van-Pran Granger are seen as those type of players.

Injuries in the backfield have contributed to Georgia’s lack of a running game—its averaging 129 yards per game—but the Bulldogs’ line isn’t living up to the hype in its run blocking, according to guard Tate Ratledge.

“Definitely a lot of room for improvement,” Ratledge said. “Gotta be more physical, get more movement, have better holes for our backs to hit. It was just not our standard. … We have to have the mindset to go out there and make somebody quit.”

Will Georgia football have Javon Bullard for secondary’s ‘big-time test’?

Rattler and South Carolina’s receivers will provide what Smart calls “a big-time test for our secondary.”

Starting safety Javon Bullard’s availability is uncertain coming off a sprained ankle in the win over Ball State.

David Daniel-Sisavanh, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior from Woodstock, has played all 25 games with the Bulldogs as a reserve but would have an expanded role if Bullard can’t go.

"He brings in that hard-hitting ability,” cornerback Kamari Lassiter said. “He calls himself 'hit man.’”

Smart said Daniel-Sisavanh relied on instincts and good speed in playing in the dime package, on third down and late in games.

“He has played well, and he has had some really big hits,” Smart said mentioning plays against Oregon and South Carolina. “He has shown up and played when asked to, and he's played on special teams. He is a product of development, growth, intelligence, and persistence."

Georgia also relied on former starter Dan Jackson at safety last week.

“I think coaches do a really good job as far as cross-training people,” nickelback Tykee Smith said. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys in the back end that can play multiple positions if we needed them.”

Georgia football vs. South Carolina prediction

Georgia 38, South Carolina 13

Expect parts of the playbook held back the last two weeks by Georgia against overmatched opponents to be utilized. Furman was tied with the Gamecocks with under a minute to go in the first half last week.

Spencer Rattler should make some plays with his receivers, but not enough to keep up with Georgia.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football vs. South Carolina prediction, things to know