Steve Spurrier is coming to town. Lock your doors and hide
your women, because the Old Ball Coach is coming to Athens.
South Carolina is coming off a disappointing home loss to
Kentucky last weekend, where they were completely and thoroughly outplayed for
all four quarters. South Carolina lost their starting quarterback, Conner
Mitch, for the season with a separated shoulder. South Carolina has struggled
to stop the run in both of their first two games. South Carolina will come to
Sanford Stadium on Saturday a mind-blowing 17 point underdog.
So this is going to be an easy win for Georgia right?
WRONG.
If there is one thing we should all know about being a
Georgia fan, or even an Atlanta sports fan in general, is that it is never as
easy as it should be.
I wish so badly that Georgia would come out and just run the
ball up and down the field, while letting our star-studded defense dominate the
game, but I know that won’t happen.
Georgia is far more talented than South Carolina. Other than
Carolina’s wide receiver, Pharaoh Cooper, there isn’t a position on the field
where South Carolina is better than Georgia.
Like I said, this game should be easy. The obvious weakness
of Georgia’s team is quarterback. After watching the first half of the game
last week against Vanderbilt, I was ready to see the Grayson Lambert experiment
come to an end, but the coaches saw differently. Lambert was better in the
second half, and if going 0-7 and playing as bad as he did against Vanderbilt
didn’t get Grayson Lambert benched, then nothing will. The coaches have made
their decision, and Grayson Lambert is going to be Georgia’s starting quarterback
this season.
As nervous as Georgia fans are about Lambert, the
quarterback situation at South Carolina is even worse. The Gamecocks will be
starting former walk-on quarterback Perry Orth on Saturday night. Orth was
13-20 for 179 yards against Kentucky coming in for Mitch who was hurt early in
the game. Orth threw one touchdown, and a late interception that sealed the win
for Kentucky.
Read that paragraph again. Steve Spurrier, offensive genius,
quarterback guru, visor-tossing loon is bringing a former walk on quarterback
between the hedges for the first start of his career. The Old Ball coach is a
long, long way from Gainesville in the mid 90’s where he changed quarterbacks
like they were underwear.
With Orth under center, South Carolina’s offense is going to
be heavily dependent on the run, which means the load will be carried by
Brandon Wilds. Spurrier will have many ideas about how to get the ball in his
best players hands, so don’t be surprised if you see a lot of plays with
Pharaoh Cooper taking a direct snap, or Cooper on a jet sweep. If I know this,
Georgia’s coaches surly know this, and they should be ready.
Georgia’s defense has been so fun to watch this year. Jordan
Jenkins played like a man possessed in Nashville, and the talent that Georgia
has on the defensive side of the ball makes me feel so much more confident
about this team this season than in years past when we knew we just had to
outscore everyone.
The game plan for Georgia could not be simpler. Run the ball
on offense, and throw when needed off play action. Defensively, stop the run
and take advantage of Orth who would have to be super-human not to be
overwhelmed by the moment on Saturday. Any time Orth drops back, Georgia will
be sending the most talented trio of linebackers in the country right into his
kitchen, and my guess is he will not be able to handle it. The secondary will
be licking their lips at the idea of this green quarterback throwing early
trying not to get hit. I would be shocked if Georgia doesn’t get at least one
interception.
There is no reason Georgia should lose this game.
There is no reason that Georgia shouldn’t cover the spread
in this game.
But, then all we have to do is remember a mere 11 months
ago, in Jacksonville, Florida. Georgia found a way to lose a game that was
impossible to lose.
There will be many tests for Georgia this season, but this
first test is the most important test of all. Can we finally get out of our own
way, and drop a game to a team that is on the verge of disarray?
South Carolina is already 0-1 in the league, and they will
lose at least 3 more games this season. Georgia isn’t a perfect team, but they
are much better than the team they are playing on Saturday night. Georgia is at
home. Georgia HAS to win this game.
The Dawgs will get the win, but I wouldn’t lay the 17 points
if I were betting your money.
South Carolina 17
Georgia 31
Go Dawgs.
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