Georgia vs. South Carolina football preview, prediction

Preview, prediction for Georgia vs. South Carolina on the Week 3 college football schedule

Following two very easy wins to kick off the 2022 season, defending College Football Playoff national champion Georgia takes to the road in its SEC opener against South Carolina in Week 3 action on Saturday.

Georgia harangued previously-respected Oregon in a 49-3 to open and coasted in a 33-0 showing over Samford. South Carolina is 1-1 after a close opener against Georgia State and a hard-fought loss at Arkansas.

Here's what you need to know about this weekend's matchup in the SEC.

Georgia vs. South Carolina football preview, prediction

Week 3 college football schedule: Georgia vs. South Carolina / USA Today Images

How to watch

When: Sat., Sept. 17

Time: 12 p.m. Eastern

TV: ESPN network

Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)

Game odds, point spread, betting lines

Line: Georgia -24.5

O/U: 52.5

Moneyline: UGA -4500 SC +1550

FPI pick: Georgia 91.2%

What you need to know

South Carolina: Two crucial losses on defense for the Gamecocks as edge rusher Jordan Strachan and middle linebacker Mo Kaba both tore their ACLs in the loss at Arkansas. That's two huge holes USC will have to patch up quick before lining up against Georgia's skill pieces. Spencer Rattler has just 2 TDs against 3 picks on the year and is playing behind a line that, despite its experience, doesn't appear to have made any major improvements keeping the pocket clean for him, or this rushing attack, which is good for just 2.0 ypc and hasn't produced a 60 yard runner on the year yet.

Georgia: We didn't learn much from last week's win over Samford as the Bulldogs went into autopilot. No real challenges yet for the defending champs, and it's hard to find any holes on a team that lost a ton to the NFL. Georgia's D is yet to allow a touchdown and squares off in the SEC opener against a team that is down 2 key defensive pieces and had a hard time matching up physically with Arkansas.

Georgia vs. South Carolina: Fast Facts

+ Georgia is the only college football to not surrender a TD

+ South Carolina is 1-9 in its last 10 against ranked opponents

+ Georgia leads the nation with 1.5 points allowed per game

+ Carolina is 1-5 when playing the No. 1 team in the AP poll (Alabama, 2010)

+ Georgia is 22-1 under Kirby Smart when it scores a non-offensive TD

+ Carolina is 4-1 when gaining 400-plus yards under Shane Beamer

+ Georgia is 57-4 under Smart when leading at the half and 10-10 when trailing

+ Carolina was 9th nationally in passing defense per game a year ago

+ Georgia is 64-8 under Smart when scoring 20-plus points and 4-7 when scoring fewer

+ Carolina is 6-1 under Beamer when scoring first and 2-6 when opponents do

+ Stetson Bennett is 6th in Georgia history with 42 TD passes

+ Carolina is 12-4 under Beamer when scoring 20 points or more

+ Georgia led the nation in red zone defense in 2021, keeping opponents from scoring any points on 12 of 32 drives

+ South Carolina is 5-1 under Beamer when leading after the 1st quarter and 2-6 when trailing

+ Georgia is plus-3 in turnover margin this year, scoring 17 points off takeaways, while opponents have not created any turnovers from UGA yet

+ USC is 7-2 when leading the time of possession and 1-5 when it trails

+ Georgia has scored on 93% of red zone drives this season, scoring TDs on 67% of possessions 

What happens?

Winning games on the road in the SEC comes down to playing a more physical game at the lines of scrimmage and checking off the big plays to your best skill targets. That's what Georgia does best.

Better than just about any team in college football the last 12 months and it doesn't appear it's missed a beat in the offseason.

Stetson Bennett looks even more confident, and with that confidence has come a larger role in pushing the ball downfield, and a more aggressive approach overall on offense. 

Working the likes of Bowers, Washington, McIntosh, and McConkey in space, and controlling the pace on the ground facing third down, while the front line mangles the Gamecocks' pass protection is tough to stop.

College Football HQ Prediction: Georgia 40, South Carolina 17

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College football rankings

According to AP top 25 poll

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan
5. Clemson
6. Oklahoma
7. USC
8. Oklahoma State
9. Kentucky
10. Arkansas
11. Michigan State
12. BYU
13. Miami
14. Utah
15. Tennessee
16. NC State
17. Baylor
18. Florida
19. Wake Forest
20. Ole Miss
21. Texas
22. Penn State
23. Pittsburgh
24. Texas A&M
25. Oregon

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