South Carolina unable to slow down Dawgs as Georgia takes over second half

South Carolina linebacker Stone Blanton waited patiently like a hawk ready to attack his prey. He read the play perfectly and found an opening.

As Carson Beck looked to make a pass, Blanton came crashing in, laying a massive hit on the Georgia quarterback. South Carolina’s bench exploded in excitement. The Gamecocks were in complete control.

However, the hope and strong play they had built up didn’t last for long. After a miserable first half effort, Georgia came to life and pulled away to a 24-14 win over the Gamecocks Saturday afternoon.

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Things got off to a promising start as the Gamecocks (1-2, 0-1 SEC) drove deep into Georgia territory on their first drive. But the Dawgs seemed poised to make a stop on 3rd and 16.

With pressure coming, Spencer Rattler threw a screen pass to Juice Wells, who evaded multiple defenders and dashed into the end zone for a 16-yard score. On that drive, Rattler completed his first eight passes for 62 yards.

After scoring the touchdown, Wells would come out of the game with an injury. He was carted off the field with a cast covering his leg. South Carolina believes he may have broken a bone in his foot. Wells didn’t return to action.

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In response to the opening score, Georgia would drive right down the field. However, a few key plays by TJ Sanders, including a sack, forced the Dawgs to settle for a field goal.

The next few drives would be pretty nip and tuck with each team making stop after stop. But the Dawgs eventually got something going, setting up first and goal at the 10.

In these situations, Georgia has usually been finding the end zone, but South Carolina had other ideas. After making three straight stops, the Dawgs were forced to kick a field goal. Only this time, kicker Peyton Woodring missed from 28 yards to keep the score intact.

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With a chance to take advantage of the miscue, Rattler wasted no time finding Xavier Legette for a 45-yard gain over the middle. A few plays later, Dakereon Joyner plowed into the end zone from two yards out for a touchdown.

After being rowdy all day, the Sanford Stadium crowd was stunned. The Gamecocks commanded a 14-3 lead going into halftime.

As expected, Georgia wasn’t going down quietly. With the ball to open the second half, the Dawgs put together a six-play, 75-yard drive in less than three minutes.

The Dawgs defense, which had struggled to slow down Rattler, got a stop on the next possession to set up a chance to put their foot on the gas.

And they did just that. On their next drive, they went nine plays for 49 yards, capped off by a three-yard scoring play from Dillon Bell. For the first time in the game, Georgia had its first lead.

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While South Carolina couldn’t muster any points in the third quarter, it was still in the game, only down by three heading into the final 15 minutes.

For a moment, it looked like Georgia was in prime position to put the game out of reach and score another touchdown. It moved within the 20-yard line. But the Gamecock defense was able to hold strong and force a field goal try.

However, the Dawgs came up empty again as Woodring missed wide of the uprights from 43 yards.

On the ensuing possession, the Gamecocks went three-and-out. They had a chance to extend the drive, but Trey Knox couldn’t handle a pass over the middle on third down.

The Dawgs continued to dominate the defense and pushed deep into Gamecock territory. The drive would end in a 13-yard touchdown run from Cash Jones to make it a 10-point game.

Ultimately, it would be an inability to sustain drives that proved costly for the Gamecocks. It was a second half to forget for the offense that did so much good in the early going. After having 180 total yards in the first half, they had 129 the rest of the way.

Rattler, who played lights out in the first half, struggled in the second half. Part of that was due to the absence of Wells and receivers dropping balls. But he wasn’t perfect either. He finished 22-for-41 for 256 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

It was also a game filled with a handful of penalties. The Gamecocks had 11 of them for 73 yards.

Up next: After the loss, South Carolina will head back home to face Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC) next Saturday night. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

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