The good the bad and a lot of ugly today in the Gamecock's loss to No. 1 Georgia
Sept. 17, 2022
South Carolina dropped its second game in a row, losing to No. 1 Georgia 48-7 on Saturday. Real bad day for the Gamecocks so let's get bad and ugly out of the way before we get to the good. Yes, there was a little good in a very ugly showing by the Gamecocks today. Here we go.
THE UGLY
Passing defense: Stetson Bennett made easy work of the Gamecock's defense both in the secondary and between the front seven. Many receivers and running backs managed to take short catches and turn them into long gains. Other targets found ways to get open deep, making it easy for Georgia to score on eight of its 11 drives Saturday. Bennett exited the game in the third quarter, finishing with 284 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air.
Depleted crowd: By halftime, the student section was cut in half and then some. Fans cleared out of the stadium with the Gamecocks trailing 24-0 after 30 minutes of football. Additionally, the game was nationally televised on ESPN. By the end of the game, there wasn’t an overwhelming advantage of the South Carolina fans over Georgia fans in the stands.
THE BAD
Allowing big play after big play: Georgia had no issues moving the ball down the field, finishing with five plays of 20 or more yards. In particular, the Gamecock defense struggled to contain tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers finished with 121 yards and two touchdown receptions, and he also ran in a 5-yard TD in the first quarter.
Third-down conversions: South Carolina struggled mightily to move the chains, but specifically on third down, as the Gamecocks went 4-of-13 on the day. The team did not convert on any of its third downs in the first half aside from a pass interference call late in the second quarter. Too many drives stalled out for the Gamecocks, and even drives that had long gains didn’t yield much success.
THE GOOD
Nick Emmanwori: With the injuries to the defense, Emmanwori stepped up for South Carolina. He ended the game with 14 tackles and continues to be a factor on defense. The true freshman safety now leads the team in tackles through three games.
Kai Kroeger: Kroeger made some of the best plays for South Carolina on Saturday. He executed a fake punt with a 20-yard completion to Traevon Kenion. He also helped the defense with field position on a few occasions. He made a 41-yard punt that put UGA at its own 9-yard line, leading to the Bulldogs’ first punt of the day.
Schedule ease up: As bad as the last two games were for the Gamecocks, they were two of hardest on paper on the 2022 schedule. Both Georgia and Arkansas are both top-10 teams. While South Carolina will face more ranked teams down the line, it should match up better with its remaining opponents.
Sept. 17, 2022
South Carolina dropped its second game in a row, losing to No. 1 Georgia 48-7 on Saturday. Real bad day for the Gamecocks so let's get bad and ugly out of the way before we get to the good. Yes, there was a little good in a very ugly showing by the Gamecocks today. Here we go.
THE UGLY
Passing defense: Stetson Bennett made easy work of the Gamecock's defense both in the secondary and between the front seven. Many receivers and running backs managed to take short catches and turn them into long gains. Other targets found ways to get open deep, making it easy for Georgia to score on eight of its 11 drives Saturday. Bennett exited the game in the third quarter, finishing with 284 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air.
Depleted crowd: By halftime, the student section was cut in half and then some. Fans cleared out of the stadium with the Gamecocks trailing 24-0 after 30 minutes of football. Additionally, the game was nationally televised on ESPN. By the end of the game, there wasn’t an overwhelming advantage of the South Carolina fans over Georgia fans in the stands.
THE BAD
Allowing big play after big play: Georgia had no issues moving the ball down the field, finishing with five plays of 20 or more yards. In particular, the Gamecock defense struggled to contain tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers finished with 121 yards and two touchdown receptions, and he also ran in a 5-yard TD in the first quarter.
Third-down conversions: South Carolina struggled mightily to move the chains, but specifically on third down, as the Gamecocks went 4-of-13 on the day. The team did not convert on any of its third downs in the first half aside from a pass interference call late in the second quarter. Too many drives stalled out for the Gamecocks, and even drives that had long gains didn’t yield much success.
THE GOOD
Nick Emmanwori: With the injuries to the defense, Emmanwori stepped up for South Carolina. He ended the game with 14 tackles and continues to be a factor on defense. The true freshman safety now leads the team in tackles through three games.
Kai Kroeger: Kroeger made some of the best plays for South Carolina on Saturday. He executed a fake punt with a 20-yard completion to Traevon Kenion. He also helped the defense with field position on a few occasions. He made a 41-yard punt that put UGA at its own 9-yard line, leading to the Bulldogs’ first punt of the day.
Schedule ease up: As bad as the last two games were for the Gamecocks, they were two of hardest on paper on the 2022 schedule. Both Georgia and Arkansas are both top-10 teams. While South Carolina will face more ranked teams down the line, it should match up better with its remaining opponents.
