The game that was
Georgia lost a 45-42 thriller to South Carolina, which got 21 points from three Georgia turnovers and another seven points from a fake punt. The Bulldogs dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 1996 and have lost three consecutive games since beating Georgia Tech in last year's regular-season finale.
What we learned
1. Georgia has more potential and more playmakers than it showed in the opener. Although losing to a highly ranked opponent for the second consecutive week, the Bulldogs showed improvement from the Boise State debacle and reasons to think the season is not a lost cause, especially with the schedule turning favorable.
2. Isaiah Crowell looks as good as advertised. The highly touted freshman tailback rushed for 118 yards (7.4 yards per carry) and caught two passes for 40 yards in his Sanford Stadium debut. UGA had a 100-yard rusher only four times in 13 games last season, and Crowell clearly seems an upgrade at tailback.
3. Notwithstanding Nos. 1 and 2, Georgia still is finding ways to lose. And what mind-boggling ways it found this time: a South Carolina fake punt that went for a 68-yard touchdown run by a 276-pound lineman; a Crowell fumble that was returned 56 yards to set up another Gamecocks touchdown; an interception of an Aaron Murray pass that was returned 25 yards for a touchdown, the Gamecocks' second in a 47-second stretch; and finally, with Georgia trailing 38-35 and just over three minutes to play, a Murray fumble on a sack, resulting in South Carolina's final TD. You won't beat many teams, let alone the nation's No. 12 team, with such a series of blunders.
The numbers game
14-14
Georgia's record since the start of the 2009 season, including 12-14 against FBS (formerly Division I-A) opponents and 7-10 in SEC games.
Sound bite
"If Georgia plays the way it played Saturday, it will contend for the Southeastern Conference East Division championship."
-- Ivan Maisel in his ESPN.com column from the game
Loose ends
A whopping 60 points were scored in the final 21 minutes and nine seconds of the game. . . The Gamecocks have back-to-back wins against Georgia for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons and for just the sixth time in the history of the series, which dates to 1894. . . . South Carolina's 45 points were its most ever against Georgia. . . . Brandon Boykin's busy day included a UGA-record seven kickoff returns for 184 yards. He also played on defense (two tackles, one interception) and offense (14 yards rushing on two carries). . . . In two games against Georgia, South Carolina tailback Marcus Lattimore has 358 rushing yards on 64 carries.
What's next
After playing its first two games against teams ranked in the nation's top 12, Georgia will face FCS (formerly Division I-AA) member Coastal Carolina on Saturday. Kickoff is 1 p.m. in Sanford Stadium, and the game will be televised on pay-per-view. Coastal Carolina is coming off a 20-3 victory over Catawba.
-- Tim Tucker
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