South Carolina at (3) Georgia
Time: 11 AM CST
Spreads: UGA -24
Total: 52.5
Odds c/o 5dimes
The No. 3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs are 5-0 and last defeated Tennessee 43-14. The Bulldogs will host South Carolina from Athens where the Bulldogs are 3-0 SU this season. Georgia is 24-point favorites with the point total set at 52.5 according to NCAA Football oddsmakers at 5dimes. The game will kick off at 11 AM CST Saturday on ESPN.
UGA
Georgia thus far has not suffered any close calls. It is dominating its opponents by an average tune of 42.8 points (no. 10) to just 10.8. A 32-point positive win differential tells the story of the dominance, and the offense has been bolstered by a No. 13 rated rush attack which averages 250 yards per game. The passing offense is solid, too, at 262.2 yards per game (No. 47). Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm has been superb. He has thrown 77.5 percent for completion while averaging nearly a first down each pass play (9.7 yards). He has eight TD throws with no picks yet, and most amazingly, he has only been sacked one time through five games.
Fromm averages just 2.8 yards per rush on his six attempts, but his arm has been great. The backfield does major work, anyway. The top-three rushers for the Bulldogs all average better than six yards-per-attempt, and Kenny McIntosh leads the team with 9.8 yards-per-carry on his 13 tries. No. 1 and No. 2 running backs De’Andre Swift and Brian Herrien have amassed 460 and 251 yards, respectively, and both have four rushing TDs on the season. Georgia has scored 14 touchdowns via the rush.
The Bulldogs have spread the wealth out at wide receiver, with four WRs having over 150 yards and both tight end Dominick Blaylock and Swift having topped 100 yards, as well. Lawrence Cager leads the team in receptions (15), yardage (197) and touchdowns (3). George Pickens, Blaylock, and Demetris Robertson all have two TD catches on the year, and Georgia has 10 passing touchdowns.
Bulldogs kicker Rodrigo Blankenship is perfect on the season. He has hit 25 of 25 PATs and 11 of 11 field goals, with a long field goal of 50 yards already, and he is 2 of 2 beyond 50-yards. It is a nice cushion that every drive within midfield can result in a field goal for Georgia with such an accurate kicker.
SC
South Carolina is 2-3 on the season, and it won its last outing 24-7 over Kentucky at home. The Gamecocks are 0-1 on the road where it takes on the No. 3 ranked Bulldogs in Week 7. The Gamecocks are 0-1 against AP Ranked teams after its 23-47 loss to Alabama in Week 3.
South Carolina has received poor play from its quarterbacks. Ryan Hilinski averages just 6.3 yards-per-completion with his three interceptions and five touchdowns. Jake Bentley threw two picks to just one touchdown. In all, Gamecock QBs have been sacked 13 total times for 79 yards lost, with eight of those sacks coming from Hilinksi. Hilinkski is also a negative rushing threat, with -12 yards on his 14 attempts.
The Gamecocks top running backs have all fared quite well, though. Rico Dowdie, Tavien Feaster, and Mon Denson all have high rushing averages at 6.6, 5.8, and 8.4 yards-per-carry. Dowdie leads the team with 370 yards and a team-best four touchdowns. South Carolina has scored 13 rushing touchdowns on the season while averaging 6.1 yards-per-carry as a team. Credit a lot of this to a tough offensive line that has allowed the top-three backs to shine in high numbers of carries (168 on the season). At wide receiver, Bryan Edwards leads the way in catches (27), yards (348) and touchdowns (3). South Carolina has scored just six passing touchdowns this season.
Gamecocks kicker Parker White is 7 of 9 on field-goal attempts, but both misses have come from beyond midfield. He is perfect on PATs (14 of 14). South Carolina probably cannot settle for many field goal games in a matchup it presses itself in as three-plus TD underdogs.
