Georgia kicked off the season with a comfortable 45-0 rout of Austin Peay. Now the competition gets more serious in a hurry as the Bulldogs face a South Carolina squad that many have picked to be their primary challengers in the SEC East.
By Steve Wright
Here are the three keys:
Win the physical battle
Georgia vs. South Carolina just sounds like it should be a physical football game. This is not going to be one of those Big 12 games where defense is optional, instead it will be a smash mouth type of game where intensity and a will to win will be just as important as the plays called on the sideline. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has said that the game against the Gamecocks last year was the most physical that Georgia played in and there is simply no reason to think the 2018 game will be any different.
Georgia wasn’t physical enough against Austin Peay. That is why running backs Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift picked up just 34 and 43 yards respectively. It is telling that short yardage plays against a team like the Governors would likely be stops for no gain – or even a loss – against a stronger and more experience defensive front like that of South Carolina.
If Georgia cannot win the physical battle at the point of attack then it will be a long day for the Bulldogs’ stable of running backs.
Stop Deebo Samuel
Smart is obviously a fan of South Carolina wide receiver Samuel. The coach called Samuel the most underrated player in college football on Monday, quite the compliment given that Samuel is already seen as a star in some quarters.
Samuel is still getting back into game shape after an injury that coast him pretty much all of his 2017 season, but he is clearly the player that Georgia has to stop to win this game. The first aspect of this is to take him out of the equation in the return game, by blasting kickoffs through the end zone and making sure that any punts that he fields sacrifice a little distance to extend hang time and allow the Georgia coverage team to build a wall around the dazzling return man.
When the Gamecocks are on offense the role of Samuel stopper could fall to cornerback Deandre Baker. Baker is a special talent. He shut down Calvin Ridley in the national championship game last year, but Samuel is a different type of receiver to Ridley. Baker also routinely plays just one side of the field for Georgia, creating a headache for Smart as he figures out how to get his best cover guy on South Carolina’s best weapon.
Find ways to use Demetris Robertson
There are some players in college football that you need to find a way to feed. Georgia has one of those players in Robertson. While the Cal transfer didn’t record a single catch against Austin Peay, he showed the Bulldogs fans everything they needed to see when he took a basic end around play 72 yards for a touchdown.
Robertson is lightning fast and when he gets out in space there is no one that is going to be able to run with him. This games too soon for the sophomore to be part of the regular offensive rotation, but don’t be at all shocked to see Robinson be fed the ball half a dozen times on designed runs and quick screens to see if he can break one loose.
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