Georgia: winners and losers in football after big win against South Carolina



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Georgia: winners and losers in football after big win against South Carolina

Winner: Georgia Offensive Line

A week after being called upon by Kirby Smart for her performance against Mississippi State, Georgia’s offensive line reacted significantly.

The Bulldogs racked up 332 rushing yards in the 45-16 win. James Cook led the way with 104 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Zamir White added 84 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

But with Kenny McIntosh getting 79 yards and rookie Daijun Edwards finishing with 77 yards, it was clear the Georgia forward was opening holes all night for whoever was directing the ball for the Bulldogs.

“They knew South Carolina had guys out there, but they didn’t play at that level,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “They played physically, they kicked people with the ball, they ran the ball and I thought the second effort from our O line and the second effort from our back was the difference in the game.

After the team ran just eight yards against Mississippi State, that effort against South Carolina was much needed for players like Jamaree Salyer, Justin Shaffer, Trey Hill, Ben Cleveland and Warren McClendon.

Loser: Vanderbilt Commodores

It’s been a tough weekend for Vanderbilt’s football program. It started on Saturday with a 41-0 loss, where the only highlight for the Commodores was a perfectly executed squib kick from Sarah Fuller, as she became the first woman to play for a Power 5 schedule.

The 41-0 loss sent Vanderbilt down to 0-8 this season. Then on Sunday, the school split from Derek Mason. He was in his seventh season in school and compiled a 27-55 record.

After his dismissal, Mason posted a note on his Twitter account.

“I am fortunate to have worked alongside and built relationships with some of the best coaches, staff and teachers in the country,” Mason wrote. “I truly had the honor of having the opportunity to teach, mentor, advocate and coach hundreds of young Vanderbilt men and one brave woman.

Vanderbilt has appointed offensive coordinator Todd Fitch as interim head coach. His first challenge will be to face a team from Georgia which has just put in its most complete performance of the season.

Vegas pundits don’t like Vanderbilt’s chances, as the Bulldogs open up as a 35-point favorite over the Commodores. For what has been a tough season for Vanderbilt, Saturday should be another tough day for the Commodores.

Winner: Jalen Carter

My dad is a casual football fan in Georgia. He knows JT Daniels and the top players, but he’s not in the weeds regarding all Georgia players and that was rated as what as a rookie.

But it was very obvious to him on Saturday night that defensive tackle Jalen Carter was a problem for South Carolina. When he was alerted that he was just a freshman, he was even more impressed.

Carter made three tackles, including one for loss as well as quarterback pressure. He leads all of Georgia’s defensive linemen with 3.0 tackles for the loss of the season and also has five rushing quarterbacks for the Bulldogs.

Georgia must have been younger inside the defensive line due to injuries to Jordan Davis and Julian Rochester. This gave Carter an even bigger role in defense.

“He grew up a lot faster than some of the other guys. He’s very talented, ”said Smart. “He continues to work hard and improve. Sky is the limit. But he has to work very hard to realize his potential. But he made some repercussions. And we need to be more disruptive with guys like him.

Carter was a 5 star signer in the Recruiting Class of 2020 and so far he looked just as good as advertised. Carter showed his athleticism earlier in the year with a touchdown against Tennessee.

If he continues to play like he did against South Carolina, it won’t be long before every casual football fan in Georgia knows his name.

Loser: Regardless of the fourth team in the college football qualifiers

Who wants to be the fourth team to make the college football playoff squad? Texas A&M certainly didn’t look like this as the Aggies worked their way to a 20-7 victory over LSU on Saturday.

Florida will likely have their chance against Alabama, but they will need to play better in the first 30 minutes than they did against Kentucky. Kyle Pitts was once again unstoppable for the Gators as he caught three more touchdown passes from Kyle Trask, but Florida needed a Kadrius Toney punt return touchdown in the dying minute of the first half. time to win the league.

Related: SEC roundup for week 13

Oregon lost to Oregon State, but torpedoed PAC 12’s chances. Northwestern lost to Michigan State, ending their season undefeated.

Then there’s the state of Ohio, which is facing a COVID-19 outbreak that has forced them to cancel their game against Illinois. At most, the Buckeyes will only play seven games this season and that is if they are able to play the next two weeks against Michigan State and Michigan. If neither of those games were played, the state of Ohio would not be eligible for the Big Ten Championship game, unless 12 of the remaining 14 games were also canceled.

And what is all this for? The right to be demolished by an Alabama team that has dominated since half-time in the game against Georgia? The Crimson Tide overtook Auburn on Saturday, winning 42-13.

Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame all look like playoff teams. But finding the fourth team is a bit difficult at the moment.

Winner: Young Georgia Players

With Georgia up 35 after the opener of the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs had the chance to do something they haven’t often had this season.

The Bulldogs were able to play against young players such as Broderick Jones, Mekhail Sherman and Arian Smith. Smith actually recorded his first career catch, which allowed a 31-yard touchdown.

“I was proud of these guys. I wish we could play them more, ”said Smart. “That’s what the kids do, they come to Georgia to play the games.”

Smart added that he was not thrilled with the appearance of some of the young defensive players on Saturday. But this experience will end up being a good thing for them and for the team going forward.

“This is how you learn,” Smart said. “I’ve been there for years where I’ve been to places where you get a lead, put it on and you learn a lot about a kid. You find out, hey, he might still be a year away, but getting that experience under his belt is invaluable.

With the Bulldogs taking on Vanderbilt this Saturday, there’s a chance Georgia will do the same, given how the Commodores have played this season.

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