No. 6 South Carolina dominates in 35-7 victory over No. 5 Georgia

COLUMBIA, S.C. — All the things that worked so well on offense for No. 5 Georgia in its first five games made little dent on the sixth-ranked Gamecocks.

“We got our tails whipped,” Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said after a 35-7 defeat Saturday night, the Bulldogs’ third straight in the series.

The loss means the Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) will need plenty of help to win the SEC East. First, though, Richt must build back his team’s psyche, which took a big-time hit against the rising Gamecocks (6-0, 4-0).

Aaron Murray was 11 of 31 for 109 yards passing, the lowest total of his career. Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, the Bulldogs’ “Gurshall,” managed only 76 yards and zero touchdowns, a week after going off for 294 yards and five TDs in a victory over Tennessee.

“We felt like we had a great rhythm offensively going in the first give games,” Murray said.

Georgia’s usually stout defense was off balance throughout, both of Connor Shaw’s touchdown passes going to wide-open Gamecock receivers who got behind the secondary.

“I don’t think this team is four touchdowns better than us,” defensive back Sanders Commings said.

The Bulldogs will likely drop several spots when the next rankings come out Sunday. Richt said the team still has a chance to defend its divisional title. “We still have an opportunity to keep fighting and keep playing and getting better and winning,” he said. “If we are able to do that, then we still have a chance to get back to Atlanta.”

Marcus Lattimore ended with 109 yards and a touchdown, the third straight time he’s gone past the century mark on the Bulldogs. Coincidence the Gamecocks have posted their first three game win streak in the series that began in 1894?

The Gamecocks 10th straight victory surpasses a school best set with their 9-0 start in 1984. That team reached No. 2 in the country and were poised for the top spot when No. 1 Nebraska lost, but South Carolina fell to Navy to lose perhaps its best- shot at a national championship.

This South Carolina team showed the brand of championship defense usually found on the SEC’s best teams.

Georgia came in with a league-leading 48.2 points and 536 yards a game of offense — and where shut down by the Gamecocks.

Gurley and Marshall kept pounding the line to little effect, held scoreless after combining for 294 yards and five TDs in last week’s win over Tennessee. Aaron Murray was 11 of 31 for 109 yards. He was sacked twice and threw one interception.

The game figured to be a matchup of Georgia’s explosive offense against South Carolina’s impenetrable D. The Gamecocks showed early it was no contest, holding the Bulldogs to just 111 yards of offense in the first half and taking control of the game.

South Carolina’s offense set the tone at first, Spurrier once again showing there are few better at calling plays. Damiere Byrd outfought Georgia’s Bacarri Rambo for a 42-yard catch on the game’s second snap. Two plays later, Shaw hit a wide-open Bruce Ellington for a 20-yard TD catch that sent the record crowd of 85,199 into a frenzy.

They had more to celebrate moments later when Kelcy Quarles tipped Murray’s pass high in the air and safety DeVonte Holloman made a diving interception. Shaw cashed in again for the Gamecocks, ending a 69-yard sequence when tight end Rory Anderson came open in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown.

South Carolina used special teams — typically a Georgia strength — to extend the lead a few plays later after a three-and-out by the Bulldogs. Sanders bobbled the punt, got the ball back, broke several tackles and outrun the punter to the left pylon for a 21-0 lead with less than nine minutes gone.

The Gamecocks defense took control after that.

Georgia “didn’t move it very far when they were out there,” Spurrier said with a grin.

South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney sacked Murray for a loss of 6 yards to stall one series. Gurley and Marshall were continually swallowed up for minimal gains. The Bulldogs looked as if they’d found their footing right before halftime, Murray converting three third-down passes to get to the Gamecocks 4. But on fourth-and-goal, Rantavious Wooten was stopped shy of the end zone after catching a short pass by D.J. Swearinger and Shaq Wilson.

First-year defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward thought his team could put on a show against the high-powered Bulldogs. “I believe in the young men that I coach every day, I believe in the system that we run and I believe we can play with anybody,” he said.

The biggest drama of the second half was whether Georgia would leave with its first shutout since a 31-0 loss to Alabama in 1995. Spurrer kept his defensive starters in, yet the Bulldogs drove 75 yards to score on Ken Malcome’s 3-yard TD run with 1:55 to go.

Malcome finished as the team’s top rusher with 45 yards, all on Georgia’s scoring drive.

“We hoped to make a play to change momentum but they never allowed us to,” Richt said.