Live Updates: No. 1 Georgia 48 - South Carolina - 7 -- FINAL

COLUMBIA, S.C. — It’s game day for the Georgia Bulldogs and they’re checking off a few firsts. UGA is set to play its first SEC game of the season and since it won the National Championship back in January.

It’s also the Bulldogs’ first true road test of the season and the first game that they’ll play outside of the Peach State. South Carolina awaits inside Williams-Brice Stadium.

The Gamecocks are 1-1 on the year with a win over Georgia State and 14-point loss at Arkansas last week. They’re in year two under former Georgia assistant coach Shane Beamer, who led them to a surprising 7-6 record and a win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in year one.

Georgia has gotten its National Championship defense off to a strong start, thumping Oregon 49-3 in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff. It defeated FCS opponent Samford in week two 33-0. While Georgia is favored by a little more than three scores in this game, Kirby Smart knows that a major test can always luck inside Williams-Brice Stadium.

“I’ve always thought, even when they came and we played in conference with Brad Scott there, that they have a tremendous following in their fanbase,” Smart said. “They fit the SEC culture in terms of their fanbase and their commitment to a facility and winning environment. They have all of that. It’s not a huge state, so they know they have to go outside of the state to win battles. They come into Georgia a lot, and they’ve gone to Tennessee a lot. Their culture to the eastern seaboard and some of the DC area have got them a lot of players from that area because they’re the closet school by car to get there. Shane [Beamer] has done a good job there, and they will probably continue to do a good job because they recruit well.”

Georgia has won three a row in South Carolina’s home stadium with all of those wins coming under Smart as head coach. None of those games have been particularly close.

The Bulldogs got the modest streak started back in 2016 with a 28-14 win in a game that was played on Sunday due to Hurricane Matthew. Georgia came out on top 41-17 in 2018 and 45-16 in the COVID-altered 2020 season.

Today’s kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN. Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, and Molly McGrath will be on the call. Below, DawgsHQ provides links for you to stream the game live, listen in, and follow along with the live stats.

STREAM | LISTEN | STATS

There’s still one more way to keep up with the goings on. In the space below, DawgsHQ will be posting live updates, scores, news and highlights from before and during the game. Just use the refresh button on your browser to see those updates a they role in.

4th Quarter

TOUCHDOWN (0:53): South Carolina gets on the board with the first touchdown UGA has allowed this season. Luke Doty finds Traevon Kenion for a 13-yard score with under a minute left in the game against UGA’s reserve defense. The PAT cuts Georgia’s lead to 48-7.

FIELD GOAL (8:57): Georgia eats up a lot of clock and gets into the red zone, but the drive stalls after a dropped pass in the end zone. Jared Zirkel comes on to hit a 21-yard field goal to give Georgia a 48-0 lead.

3rd Quarter

TOUCHDOWN (6:00): Georgia, again, wastes no time taking advantage of the short field. Carson Beck comes into the game at quarterback and leads a two-play, 54-yard drive. Beck hits true freshman Oscar Delp for a 28-yard touchdown to cap it off. It’s the first catch of Delp’s career. The PAT gives Georgia a 45-0 lead.

INTERCEPTION (6:59): It goes from really bad to worse for South Carolina. Rattler takes a deep shot into double coverage and former walk-on safety Dan Jackson comes down with the interception at the Georgia 46-yard line.

TOUCHDOWN (7:13): Georgia continues to pour it on. Bennett finds Milton for a 35-yard gain and the sixth-year senior quarterback takes it in himself two plays later on a zone read keeper from 11 yards out. Podlesny’s PAT gives Georgia a 38-0 lead.

TOUCHDOWN (13:21): Bowers does it again. He catches hauls in a play-action pass from Bennett in the middle of the field, gets through two Gamecock tacklers, and scores from 78 yards out. It’s his third touchdown of the day. The PAT gives UGA a 31-0 lead.

2nd Quarter

FIELD GOAL (0:30): Georgia gets the ball at its own 15-yard line after a punt and takes it 60 yards on nine plays. The drive stalls at the South Carolina 25-yard line and Podlesny comes on and hits a 42-yard field goal to push the lead to 24-0.

TOUCHDOWN (11:25): Georgia finds the end zone again, this time from seven yards out. On 3rd and goal from the seven-yard line, Bennett lofts up a pass to Bowers who hauls it in for the touchdown. Podlesny knocks it through to put Georgia up 21-0.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS (14:52): The first quarter ends with South Carolina possessing the ball on 4th and 9 at the UGA 37-yard line. The Gamecocks go for it but only pick up 4 yards, and UGA takes over at its own 33-yard line. South Carolina extended the drive earlier with a fake punt to avoid a three and out.

1st Quarter

TOUCHDOWN(4:42): Georgia takes advantage of the short field, using just five plays to score its second touchdown of the day. After a 15-yard scramble from Bennett put it at the Gamecock two-yard line, Kendall Milton punches it in. Podlesny’s PAT pushes the UGA lead to 14-0.

INTERCEPTION (6:46): South Carolina picks up a huge chunk on a pass from Spencer Rattler to Jaheim Bell. The play covered 46 yards but two plays later freshman safety Malaki Starks covered up a Gamecock wheel route and picked off his second pass of the season. He returned it 42 yards to the South Carolina 43-yard line.

STATS: Stetson Bennett IV completed four of five passes for 60 yards on the opening drive. Ladd McConkey had two grabs for 37 yards with a long of 28 yards. The Bulldogs ran it five times for 22 yards.

TOUCHDOWN (8:20): Georgia’s defense allows a first down on the opening drive but forces South Carolina to punt on the second set of downs. The offense takes it and marches it 82 yards with Brock Bowers taking an end around in for a five-yard touchdown. Jack Podlesny’s PAT gives the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.

Pregame…

• We aren’t sure who won the toss but Georgia will kickoff to start the game. It will get the ball to start the second half.

• South Carolina will reportedly be without cornerback Cam Smith today. ESPN’s Jordan Reid reports that Smith suffered a concussion against Arkansas last week and won’t be available for Saturday’s game. That report has been since confirmed.
• True freshman Darris Smith is working with the defensive backs during pregame warmup. Smith signed with Georgia as an outside linebacker/EDGE. He’s likely working with the defensive backs because he’s getting some work at the STAR/nickel position.
• Kirby Smart said on the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network that Jalen Carter is “banged up.” Smart pulled Carter aside during pre-game warmup to talk with him for a bit and Carter walked away while taking off his helmet. He has not participated in defensive line drills since.