Kirby Smart thrilled with focus in blowout of South Carolina while noting areas to improve

No. 1 Georgia steamrolled South Carolina on Saturday, ringing up a 48-7 win on the road for its first Southeastern Conference win of the season. Almost everything was working for the Bulldogs, who had backups in early in the second half.

Still, there were teaching moments for head coach Kirby Smart.

His defense surrendered its first touchdown of the young 2022 campaign when backup Gamecocks quarterback Luke Doty dropped a 13-yard touchdown pass to Traevon Kenion with 53 seconds to play. The score came against the second-team defense, which Smart explained can be a learning experience for the group.

“I think (the starters) want those guys to learn. We’re big on playing guys,” Smart told ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath following the game. “We were playing some guys as early as the second series of the second half so they can get experience for us. It’s unfortunate, but the ones didn’t get scored on. So the big deal for them is to keep trying to fight to do that.”

While Smart would have preferred to hold the shutout, he knows his group can learn from the late touchdown drive.

Getting this year’s group all the way up to the standard set by last year’s outstanding defense is the goal, Smart said in his postgame interview. That will take time as the depth continues to figure things out.

Georgia Bulldogs still firing on all cylinders

Georgia rolled out to a 24-0 halftime lead behind another strong performance from starting quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, who took full advantage of the mismatch nightmare he has in tight end Brock Bowers.

Bowers scored three touchdowns in the first half — two receiving and one rushing — as the Bulldogs blitzed the Gamecocks right out of the gates.

Bowers was the headliner in the first half. He finished the game with five catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns, striking on his third score with a 78-yard touchdown reception after beating South Carolina’s safety down the middle of the field.

Bennett, meanwhile, overcame an early overhydration issue and was near-flawless again. He finished the game 16-of-23 passing for 284 yards and two touchdowns without an interception while adding three carries for 36 yards and another score.

Smart was extremely happy with how his players were focused to begin the game.

“Well I thought the way we came out meant a lot to the players,” Smart said. “Great atmosphere. We talked about it all week: playing the guys within the lines, not the guys outside the lines. I thought we started fast.”

How can the Bulldogs continue to keep things rolling, making life extremely difficult on opponents no matter how lopsided the matchup might be?

“Practice really, really hard and you find out who’s willing to do that,” Smart said. “And you don’t listen to what other people say about you.”