The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs are traveling to Williams-Brice Stadium to face off against their rival, the South Carolina Gamecocks.
This is the first SEC road game of the season for the Bulldogs. With a noon kickoff, all eyes will be on them to see if they perform to their standards, especially after Alabama struggled on the road last week in Austin against the Texas Longhorns.
This week at practice, the Bulldogs coaching staff have tried to simulate what Williams-Brice will feel like. They have been playing loud crowd noise over the speakers to test offense’s ability to communicate in the huddle and once they line up at the ball.
This team has a lot of experience and are battle-tested, so Georgia fans should not be worried about the crowd affecting their gameplay.
Gamecock’s redshirt junior quarterback Spencer Rattler received a lot of hype coming into this season after transferring from Oklahoma. The former five-star quarterback decided to transfer after being replaced by Caleb Williams as the starter, and after Lincoln Riley decided to take the head coaching job at the University of Southern California. Williams transferred to USC on the west coast, and Rattler transferred to the other USC in Columbia.
Rattler hasn’t really impressed so far through his first two games in a South Carolina uniform. In the first game at home against Georgia State, Rattler completed 23 of his 37 passes for 227 yards. He threw for one touchdown and threw two interceptions. The Gamecocks still ended up winning the game 35-14, because they blocked two punts for touchdowns in the second half.
In Week 2 against Arkansas, Rattler played better and went 24-39 for 376 yards. He threw for one touchdown and one interception. South Carolina lost to the 16th-ranked Razorbacks on the road 44-30.
One weapon on offense the Bulldogs will have to watch out for is junior tight end Jaheim Bell. The Valdosta High School product is listed at 6’3 232 lbs. South Carolina has used Bell as a rusher and a pass-catcher in the first two games. He was their leading rusher in Week 1 when he ran the ball seven times for 39 yards, and he ran the ball four more times against Arkansas.
Last season, Bell was the Gamecocks’ second-leading receiver where he had 30 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns. He has the ability to stretch the field vertically with his speed. He ran an unofficial 4.54 40-yard dash. He also has the size and athleticism to win 50-50 balls against smaller defenders.
Although Bell does pose as a threat, the Georgia defense is used to playing against talented tight ends in practice every day.
On the defensive side, South Carolina has some guys that are projected to be NFL draft prospects in 2023. Redshirt junior cornerback Cam Smith is projected to be a future first round pick. South Carolina plays a lot of zone coverage and Smith has good instincts at his spot.
They also have talented starters on the defensive line. Junior defensive end Jordan Burch and senior defensive tackle Zacch Pickens were former five-star recruits that have flashed ability up front, but aren’t really strong as pass-rushers yet.
For Georgia, they might be playing without one of their best receivers in Adonai Mitchell. Mitchell sustained an ankle injury in the game against Samford last week, and has not returned to practice yet. Head coach Kirby Smart said Mitchell has receiver treatment throughout the week and there has not been a determination on whether he will play or not yet.
Either way, the Bulldogs will look the younger receivers like freshman Dillon Bell and sophomore Jackson Meeks to step in and produce when their numbers are called.
Williams-Brice Stadium is always a hostile environment, especially when the Georgia Bulldogs come to town, but this team is experienced and battle-tested from last season.
Georgia is a 25-point favorite in this game, and they have a very good chance of covering that spread. With Spencer Rattler still trying to find his rhythm in his offense, and the Georgia defense not allowing a touchdown so far this season, the Bulldogs should be able to win their first SEC game.
Final Score Prediction: Georgia 38 South Carolina 10
