It wasn’t so much that Jeremy Pruitt, a year after being schooled by Steve Spurrier, schooled him back. There were still rough moments for Georgia’s defense.
The good moments, however, vastly out-numbered them. The score reflected that, as did the stat sheet, and the feeling on each sideline.
There was Spurrier, trying whatever he could against his longtime Georgia rivals, but without enough pieces to make it work for long.
And there was Pruitt, sending in his freshman reserves early in the fourth quarter.
Last year Georgia’s defense entered the South Carolina feeling great about itself after a shutdown performance over Clemson’s high-octane offense. But Spurrier, remembering his team’s win over Alabama in 2010 (when Pruitt was a Crimson Tide assistant) delved back into that game’s playbook. The Gamecocks hit the Bulldogs with down-the-middle passing, racked up 447 total yards, and won 38-35.
This year Spurrier, down to a walk-on quarterback and less playmakers in general, was able to muster a few good first-half drives. But this time Georgia had enough answers.
Georgia’s run defense was as firm as expected, holding the Gamecocks to 3.9 yards per carry during the decisive first three quarters.
Malkom Parrish, the sophomore cornerback, had strong coverage. At one point in the second quarter he knocked away a deep pass that would have converted a long third-down try.
Safety Dominick Sanders had another interception, following up one from last week, that set up the Georgia touchdown that made the score 38-13. Sanders also had six tackles.
About the Author
