Kirby Smart reveals message to Carson Beck after trailing South Carolina at halftime

Georgia found itself in an unfamiliar spot entering halftime Saturday against South Carolina. The Bulldogs trailed 14-3 as the Gamecocks put together an efficient first half on offense and sent Kirby Smart’s team into the locker room with its first double-digit halftime deficit since 2015.

Heading into the locker room, though, Smart was talking with Carson Beck after the offense struggled in the first half. His message was a simple one. Georgia will receive the kickoff, meaning the Bulldogs will have a chance to respond right away after the break — even after the final possession of the first half stalled.

Add in some injuries, such as one to offensive lineman Amarius Mims, and Smart said Georgia needs to rise to the occasion.

“We get the ball first,” Smart told CBS’ Jenny Dell. “And that’s big. We get the ball first. We were trying to double a possession there, get points and then start out the second quarter. But a little out of rhythm on offense. They’re doing a good job defensively. And we’ve some guys down we’ve got to make up for. Guys got to step up.”

Kirby Smart: Georgia needs to ‘get off the field on third down,’ avoid allowing explosive plays

Beck completed 13 of 18 passes for 98 yards in the first two quarters against South Carolina, and Daijun Edwards led the way with 55 rushing yards. But Smart pointed to the defense as something that needs to clean up, especially when it comes to guarding Xavier Legette. The Gamecocks star receiver had six catches for 68 yards in the first half to help them take the lead into the locker room.

Third downs were also an issue, which is why Smart said execution will be key in the second half.

“Well, we’ve got to get off the field on third down,” Smart said. “They’re hitting two explosive plays to their best playmaker, 17. We’ve got him doubled and he still beat us. So we’ve got to do a better job executing and we’ve got to get some turnovers to get off the field.”

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler didn’t make life easy for Georgia in the first half, completing 16 of 18 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs entered the game as a heavy favorite, which is why the second half is sure to be interesting amid Georgia’s run of dominance over the last two seasons.