For the first time in a while, Georgia had an easy victory. The Bulldogs got out to a 21-0 lead. After the first play of the fourth quarter, it was 45-10. Ultimately it led to a 45-16 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The 29-point victory is the biggest win of the season for Georgia this year, one that has been filled with ups and downs.
That’s why many seemed to be in a celebratory mood after the win for Georgia.
“We just haven’t put a whole game together,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “That was our goal today so I can sit here and tell you that we played a complete game — defense, special teams, offense, overall — but I also know that a lot of that comes from our kids growing up and them having some guys out.”
The win over South Carolina had some personal meaning for Smart for a number of reasons. First, Smart earned his 50th career win, moving his record at Georgia to 50-14. The game also matched Smart against his former teammate and college roommate in Mike Bobo.
Bobo, the former Georgia offensive coordinator, is serving as the interim head coach for the Gamecocks after the school parted ways with Will Muschamp. Bobo’s presence was a talking point on social media, as well as one after the game.
“He takes his team and he motivates his team and he gets them ready to go out and play,” Smart said. “I thought they had some good spark there when they got the ball driving on us. They did it with a freshman quarterback and he had good numbers because they made it really simple for him and got him out of the pocket and moved the pocket with him.
“He doesn’t need my pity and I’m not giving him any. Our job is to go out and win the football game and that’s what we were trying to do.”
The Bulldogs ran for a season-best 332 yards against the Gamecocks, with big games from James Cook and Zamir White. Quarterback JT Daniels wasn’t asked to do much, as he threw for 139 yards on 16 attempts. Two of those went for touchdowns, with Tre’ McKitty and Arian Smith both scoring their first touchdowns of the season for Georgia.
The offensive fireworks had a number of fans celebrating the performance on social media after the win. Georgia now sits at 6-2 on the season with a game against Vanderbilt set for next Saturday.
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