SEC Network's Chris Doering weighs in on Spencer Rattler, South Carolina vs. Georgia

SEC Network Analyst Chris Doering joined Gamecock Central’s Mike Uva on Thursday afternoon’s episode of GC Live to provide his thoughts on South Carolina’s upcoming matchup with No. 1 Georgia.

Like pretty much everyone who has paid attention to the Gamecocks this year, Doering has been impressed with the start to the season of quarterback Spencer Rattler, who went 25 of 27 for 345 yards and three touchdowns.

“That’s great against air,” Doering said. “And I don’t care what level of opponent you’re playing. It’s tough to complete 92 or whatever percent that actually is. I’ve been impressed with him. And it was interesting last year. I felt like, especially early on, he was trying to press too much, like live up to this expectation that everybody else had kind of set for him and he had set for himself.

“But when everything kind of came together and you let the game come to you he started to be able to really excel in the last couple weeks of the season. And I feel like despite all of the pressure that he’s been under, despite not a whole lot of run game helping him out, he has shouldered the entire offensive effort that this team has had for two weeks. So I’ve been really impressed with not only the numbers he’s put up, but I think more so the resiliency and the toughness.

“I mean, some of those shots he took in the first game of the season, I think it would have deterred a lot of other people. But he kept getting up, kept going back to the huddle, kept dropping back and trying to bring his team back in the game despite that looking less and less likely as it went on.”

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Can Rattler and the Gamecocks pull off an upset in Athens, similar to the one South Carolina created in 2019?

Doering knows it will be a tough task but believes it would have to be a script similar to the one that year with Carolina grabbing a non-offensive touchdown and finding a way to pressure quarterback Carson Beck, while making him throw the football.

To be clear, Doering did point out that Georgia has recruited as well as anyone, they seemed to plug in super-talented players for the ones they lost to the NFL, and Carolina’s issues protecting the passer could make life difficult on them Saturday.

But he does seem to believe there is at least a path for South Carolina, especially considering there are still some unknowns about this UGA team.

“We’ve always kind of relied on Kirby Smart’s teams being able to run the football,” Doering said, in part. “But with as much as they’ve had injuries affect them at the running back spot, we don’t know the health of Daijun Edwards. Kendall Milton hadn’t looked 100% this season. Who’s running the ball for them and how effective are they if it is one of those guys that hadn’t had to carry the ball 20 times a game? I look at the fact that Ladd McConkey, the more that that lingers on, and evidently the report is that he may not play in this one too, that’s a big loss. Now, Mekhi Mews has been great in kind of filling in some of that role in the punt return duties and had a big touchdown reception in Game 1.

“Certainly, it’s a weird situation with where Georgia is. Not having played any real competition in the first two weeks, Carson Beck still kind of trying to get his feet under him. Having all of the injuries impact you at this time of year, I really don’t think you have a good feel for exactly who Georgia is. That’s not to say they can’t go out and win a national championship. I predicted in the preseason they would, but with all of those things right now factored in, I think it’s a great time for South Carolina to catch Georgia. I’m really not sure if they even know what their identity is going to be this year yet.”

The Gamecocks and the Bulldogs are set for a 3:30 kickoff Saturday afternoon in Athens with CBS carrying the broadcast.

Check out the full video interview with Doering embedded in this story.

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