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Instant Analysis: Georgia Live Thread

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Will Helms

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Hello all and welcome to the Georgia Instant Analysis Thread. I've started going live with these just so y'all get to see my thoughts as they happen rather than having to wait until after the game. Feel free to comment, give your thoughts, ask questions, etc. throughout the game. Updates will be in this post, just refresh the page.

-- The Egg Bowl is over after a very Egg Bowl-y ending so my tv has been switched over to South Carolina-Georgia. We're playing "spot the freshman" today, because there will be a lot of them. JT Daniels gives the Bulldogs a downfield passing attack, so this secondary will be stretched.

UGA Ball, 15:00 1Q
-- We're three plays in and I just Googled "Gamecock Football Roster 2020". And we're off! So far, I see Rod Fitten and Joey Hunter, who to my knowledge have not played this season. McKitty was obviously in the end zone and that's confirmed in one of the quickest overturned reviews I've ever seen. Look, Georgia is better at every position, I'm just looking for some Gamecock freshmen to play well tonight.
7-0 Bulldogs

SC Ball, 12:05 1Q

-- After a penalty and a clock issue, we finally get to see Luke Doty's first start. Predictably, South Carolina starts with two zone read handoffs and a play action that doesn't work. The analytics ALWAYS favor throwing on first and second and long and that's why. The odds of a successful run are far lower than a successful throw, so running on first and second down (especially against a good defense) just limits an offense's chances of success. It also means everyone in the world knows you'll throw on third and long and makes picking up a first down highly unlikely. That's just the way it is. South Carolina's next coach needs to know that too.

UGA ball, 10:26 1Q
-- Georgia's offensive line is so good. Back-to-back power variations hurt the Gamecocks to start the drive. They also have future NFL receiver George Pickens on the outside when the Bulldogs do decide to pass. South Carolina is missing three of its four starting linemen, plus Jordan Burch. Now, with Jabari Ellis going down, we're looking at Fitten, MJ Webb, Gilber Edmond, etc. which makes things interesting for sure.

-- This team struggles with size, but it certainly doesn't help that the defense's gap integrity is (and has been) poor. James Cook scored his touchdown mostly because four Gamecocks got blocked by one tight end and one receiver. That obviously shouldn't happen.
14-0 Bulldogs

SC ball, 5:52 1 Q

-- Zone read, but Doty keeps (I wasn't fooled), but Dakereon Joyner couldn't quite get the kickout block. Screen for a few yards, then the worst play design I've seen from South Carolina all season as South Carolina tries to run a boot behind jet sweep motion before a throwback screen. It nearly got Luke Doty hurt. Either Doty rolled the wrong way (unlikely) or that play needs to be burned and never run ever again. Ever.

UGA ball, 4:45 1Q
-- Shocker here, but South Carolina's defensive line is getting absolutely manhandled. Then when the backs get hit (five yards downfield) they pick up another five yards. This is reaching ugly territory here.
21-0 Bulldogs

SC ball, 2:23 1Q

-- Luke Doty has attempted five passes, none have been beyond the line of scrimmage. Right as I type that we see a reverse flea flicker pass to Nick Muse. It was right on the money. So I ask again, why did South Carolina open with six runs and four screens? Beats me. Anyway, that throw was gorgeous, but South Carolina needs to cash in. End of the first quarter
-- The Gamecocks aren't running inside (I can't say I don't blame them) but I'd love to see Luke Doty as a drop back passer in tight quarters. Why not?
-- Instead, we get double fullbacks, which I'll admit is very fun. Kevin Harris now has 14 rushing touchdowns this year, tied for third in Gamecock history, with George Rogers' Heisman year.
Gamecocks trail 21-7

UGA ball, 14:57 2Q

-- The success of Georgia's rushing attack looks like it will slow South Carolina's pass rush, which wasn't bad early in the game. Great double move but JT Daniels underthrows his receiver. Georgia ran it on second-and-long which could hurt them.
-- Yep, Zacch Pickens sack. In all honesty, that was a terrible drive from Daniels, who missed a receiver and then bailed from a clean pocket to allow a sack.

SC ball, 13:43 2Q
-- We'll see how aggressive South Carolina is here. Run on first, then play action on second. Doty is a bit jittery in the pocket, but he stayed in there, which is rare from freshmen. Doty's high throw is bailed out by a bad pass interference call (It was clean).
-- Power sweep, power sweep. shotgun counter draw with Rashad Amos, Mike Bobo is in the zone now.
-- South Carolina is behind the chains, which has been somewhat of a death blow this season. Doty feels pressure (Wait, a quarterback can do that?) and dumps off to Harris. That's usually a good idea. Times two for a first down.
-- South Carolina ran on second-and-long (Always a bad idea) and leaves them in third-and-long. Doty is high on the screen, and a field goal attempt.
21-10 Bulldogs

UGA ball, 8:14 2Q

-- True freshman walk-on Darryle Ware is getting some run. He turned down a couple of Power Five scholarship opportunities to walk on at South Carolina.
-- There's just so much running room against this makeshift defensive line. Georgia should just run all game.
-- South Carolina is getting gashed in the running game. There's just not much South Carolina can do. Not much analysis there, I know. I'll do better.
28-10 Bulldogs

SC ball, 4:43 2Q

-- Ger-Cari Caldwell sighting! Nice catch just short of the first down line. A run into the line on third down (With approximately zero offensive line push) leaves fourth and inches at the SC 34. South Carolina should absolutely go for it. There's nothing to lose.
-- Kevin Harris. That's all I've got to say about that. What an individual effort.
-- Already in 1.5 games, I've been impressed with South Carolina's clock management compared to in the past. Bobo knows when to use tempo, when to slow down and when to hurry up to the line after a favorable call.
-- Doty can't keep taking those hits, but man is he tough. He's delivering with Georgia players in his face. That's not easy. Doty has bailed from the pocket a second or two early and the defensive end has worked back to make the tackle before he can break through.
-- After I complimented the staff's clock management, they waited 11 seconds to call timeout on fourth and one.
-- I'm fairly certain Parker White has missed his 50-yard field goals by a combined four inches. Every time he kicks one I'm like, "Finally, he got one," only for it to drift wide at the last possible second.

UGA ball, 0:25 2Q
-- I can't imagine Georgia gets into field goal range, right?
-- Jammie Robinson is a ball player. He's one of the best tacklers in the country (Seriously, Google it) and seems to make big plays every other game.

SC ball, 0:11 2Q
-- Sack. It's impossible to move the ball consistently when the offense allows a havoc play every three snaps (A real stat and one in which South Carolina is 13th of 14 SEC teams).

HALFTIME: 28-10 Georgia

SC ball, 15:00 3Q

-- I see the Gamecock offensive line has not improved. Unblocked tackler on a first down run, then Doty has about 1.2 seconds on second down, then a poorly blocked quarterback draw on third down. I'm being very serious here, I'd consider resting Doty. He might get hurt, if not.

UGA ball, 12:59 3Q
-- Poor punt coverage and UGA starts in the red zone. A few runs and Georgia is in. I'd say Georgia should begin to run this one out, but that might be less merciful than if they mix in some throws.
Easy TD, 35-10 Georgia

SC ball, 11:38 3Q

-- The only room South Carolina can hope to find is on the edges and even there, there's not much room.
-- A nice gain against pressure (again) on a dump off to Harris. Beyond that, it's two sacks and a scramble. Statistically, a true measure of a quarterback's accuracy is his accuracy from a clean pocket. Doty isn't going to register enough clean pocket snaps for us to even know how accurate he is. We're at the point in the game when I'm going through past PFF numbers to see if I can recall a worse offensive line performance than this game. I'll let you know if I find one.

UGA ball, 8:38 3Q
-- Georgia threw the ball. I'm not sure why. It worked, but I'm not sure why they threw. Then again, but it didn't work. Back to the run for a few first downs though. To be honest, there's not much to analyze in this half. Georgia is just destroying South Carolina in the trenches. That's basically what's happening.
-- When Georgia decides to pass, South Carolina's defense has a chance. Against the run, nope. Georgia decided to pass a lot and it helped the Gamecock defense.
Georgia 38-10

SC ball, 4:26 3Q

-- On second-and-10, Doty finally gets time and it leads to a big gain. When he's had time, he's been impressive, there just hasn't been a lot of time.
-- Doty hands off to Jalen Carter... I mean Quandre White on second down. Carter could have taken the handoff. It's nice to see White in the game though.
-- Doty gets picked on a nice play by Tyson Campbell. Campbell fell off of the coverage from Jalen Brooks, that's usually an indication that the quarterback telegraphed the throw with his eyes. That's a freshman mistake and Doty should learn, but that's got to be frustrating for a guy that seems to be gaining confidence.

UGA ball, 0:57 3Q
-- Georgia should be looking to wind this one down, maybe with some backups.

End 3: Georgia leads 38-10 and has it first and 20.

-- Out of the break, Georgia goes to the air against Joey Hunter, who to my knowledge has not played this season before tonight. 45-10 Georgia

SC ball, 14:46 4Q

-- After White drops a kickoff trying to make a play, Amos finds room on a sweep against Georgia's second-team defense. While this won't be as fair a judgement against non-starters, South Carolina's offense should have some time to operate and that should help with the "game reps" Doty and some of the other young guys desperately need.
-- I would like to see some more traditional drop back passes, just so we can evaluate Doty in the pocket a bit more. That being said, Doty moves the pocket on fourth and three and delivers on target to Muse for six. First career touchdowns for each, which is a good silver lining after this one. 45-16 Bulldogs

UGA ball, 9:20 4Q

-- It looks like Georgia's second-team is in on offense as well. Jammie Robinson has moved to a rover/spur/box safety, which I think suits his skill set well. I was interested to see if Georgia finishes the drive. I have no problem with scoring at the end there, but Kirby Smart calls for a knee.

FINAL: Georgia 45, South Carolina 16
 
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