The South Carolina Gamecocks go behind the hedges to duke it out with the 2nd-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in an SEC Conference affair in the Peach State. The game is slated to start on Saturday, November 4th at 3:30 p.m. EST. The inner-conference rivalry can be viewed on CBS for some afternoon football entertainment. Las Vegas has set the Bulldogs as a lofty -23.5 point favorites over the Gamecocks. The contest’s over/under currently rests at 45 points.
The South Carolina Gamecocks have put together a nice 6-2 record over their first eight games. Last week, they won their third-straight game when they knocked off the Vanderbilt Commodores 34-27. The Gamecocks had the lead throughout the battle but allowed the Commodores to score late to make it interesting. Nevertheless, they held on to win and are now 4-2 in SEC play.
The Georgia Bulldogs surprised some folks when the College Football Playoff committee placed them at number one. They certainly have proved that they are balanced on both sides of the ball and sport one of the nation’s best rushing attack. Last week against the Gators, the Bulldogs proved just that and spanked Florida 42-7 at the World’s Largest Cocktail Party.
The Georgis Bulldogs own a 45-17-2 edge in the all-time series and have won the last two. Including a 28-14 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 9, 2016.
South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2)
The South Carolina Gamecocks picked up the victory over Vanderbilt despite being outgained 440-386. They also were edged in the first down department 27-26. Fortunately, did create the game’s only turnover in which they capitalized on by scoring a touchdown.
Quarterback Jake Bentley threw for 174 yards and a touchdown on 19 of 29 passing against the Commodores. The nifty athlete also scampered his way for 47 more yards on six carries and another two trips to the end zone. The sophomore quarterback has done better than people expected him to do in 2017. Bentley has thrown the ball for 1,759 yards on 148 completions. with 13 scoring tosses and only four interceptions. He will need to use all of his athletism against Georgia as the Bulldogs can flat out bring the pressure to opposing signal-callers.
South Carolina likes to throw the ball around but they will use three tailbacks to balance out the offense and keep them in third and short situations. Together, the trio has run for just over 800 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Ty’Son Williams leads this group with 69 carries for 341 yards and a score. Teammate A.J. Turner is tops out of the backfield with two trips to pay-dirt.
Five capable wideouts carry the load when Jake Bentley looks to toss the ball around on Saturdays. Altogether, the quartet has amassed 108 catches for over 1,400 yards with 11 touchdown grabs. In fact, all five receivers have caught at least one score and all have at least 15 passes they have reeled in.
On defense, the Gamecocks Steven Montac’s interception highlighted an otherwise frustrating outing for South Carolina. Unfortunately, they allowed a normally unproductive Commodore offense to put up 440 yards of total yards in the game. Overall, they’re pretty good in the red zone. The Gamecocks only allow other schools to put up 20 points per contest (30th).
(2) Georgia Bulldogs (8-0)
It was business as usual for the Georgia Bulldogs last week when they marched into Florida and pounded the Gators 42-7. The game was never even in question as the Bulldog’s offense scored early and often. The victory put a stranglehold on the SEC East title, which would put them in the SEC Championship Game at the end of the year. The Bulldogs also improved their conference record to 5-0 with the one-sided triumph.
Quarterback Jake Fromm really didn’t have to do much in the pocket against Florida last weekend. He only completed four measley passes for 101 yards and a score. Obviously, Georgia asks the youngster to throw accurately when necessary and let their powerful rushing attack handle the rest. His 2017 stats prove just that. Fromm has completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,263 yards with 13 touchdowns and four picks.
The bread and butter of the Bulldogs’ offense reside out of the backfield. Two agile and powerful tailbacks are a threat to go yard everytime they touch the pigskin. The tandem has toted the rock just under 200 times for 1,349 yards and 17 trips to glory. Sony Michel and Nick Chubb have to be considered the best one-two punch in the SEC. Last week, Michel ran for 137 yards with a 74-yard touchdown sprint. He also added another one later on in the contest. Chubb put in some nice work with 77 more yards and a score of his own.
Believe it or not, only two receivers even recorded catches against the Gators in the Swamp. Javon Wims made the most of his catch because it was for 17 yards and a score. Wims leads the team with 19 catches and 329 yards. Wideout Terry Goodwin is tops with his five end zone appearances but also has 369 yards on 16 catches.
The Georgia defense has proven to the college football world that they are a force to be reckoned with in 2017. The front half is one of the best in the nation, surrendering only 94 rushing yards a game (6th). The back half will not be outdone, holding wideouts to only 157 yards through the air (3rd). Most importantly, the defense as a whole only allows other teams to put up 11 points a contest on them (3rd). Last week, the Bulldogs created two more turnovers, one of which was recovered for a touchdown.
Prediction
Obviously, Sin City doesn’t foresee the Georgia Bulldogs getting tested much at home against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The 23.5 point spread is a testament to that. I don’t care how good someone thinks you are, a three-touchdown plus line against a 6-2 SEC team is scary to me. For that reason, I’m not going to even go close to this line.
Instead, I think there is some value in betting the over 45. I realize that the Georgia defense is one of the best in the country. But Bentley and company should find a few ways to score throughout four-quarters of football. I also think that Georgia will move the ball nicely against the Gamecocks and their running game should put up some points. It’s not hard for me to fathom seeing the Bulldogs score in the low 30’s in this one. Their offense is better than Vandy’s and the Commodores put up 28 on South Carolina. Combined with the Gamecocks 14-17 points, I think the over 45 will fall in the fourth quarter. Take the over and hope these offenses can create a few big plays or the defenses find a way to score. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
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Trends
The Gamecocks are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 road games.
The Under is 13-3 in the Gamecocks last 16 conference games.
The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
The Under is 19-9 in the Bulldogs last 28 games overall.
Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
