Georgia shook up its starting offensive line for Saturday’s game against South Carolina after the unit had a disappointing performance in the opener at Clemson a week earlier.
Sophomore John Theus, who did not start in the opener, returned Saturday to the first unit at right tackle, where he started 14 games as a freshman last season. Kolton Houston, who started at right tackle in the opener, started at left guard against the Gamecocks. Dallas Lee, who had started 15 consecutive games on the offensive line, did not start Saturday.
However, Houston left the game in the second quarter with an injury and was replaced by Lee. Trainers appeared to be examining Houston’s left foot. Houston returned to the game in the third quarter.
Later in the third quarter, starting left tackle Kenarious Gates left the game with a right ankle injury and was replaced by Mark Beard.
Three players started their first career games for the Bulldogs on Saturday: sophomore wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley, junior defensive end Ray Drew and sophomore safety Josh Harvey-Clemons. Scott-Wesley, whose role at receiver increased with the loss of Malcolm Mitchell to a season-ending knee injury in the opener, also handled Mitchell’s former role as kickoff returner.
Still kicking: With Marshall Morgan completing his two-game suspension for an off-season boating-under-the-influence arrest, Patrick Beless — a sophomore walk-on — again handled Georgia's place-kicking duties. Beless, a Marist School graduate, kicked a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs a 10-3 lead and a 37-yarder in the third quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead 27-24. Beless, who made the UGA team as a walk-on in the spring of his freshman year in 2012, had not previously attempted a field goal in a college game. He lined up for a 19-yarder at Clemson, but a high snap aborted that play. Meanwhile, punter Collin Barber continued to handle Morgan's kickoff duties.
Sitting out: The Bulldogs had to play without Jay Rome. The tight end was unable to come back from a sprained left ankle that he aggravated against Clemson. The injury kept him out of preseason camp for more than two weeks. With Rome out, that left freshman Jordan Davis as the only scholarship backup to senior starter Arthur Lynch. Also out Saturday was one of the players looked upon to help replace Mitchell: wide receiver Jonathon Rumph, a junior-college transfer who also missed the Clemson game with a hamstring strain.
TV numbers: Saturday's game, which was on ESPN, was Georgia's second in two weeks to be nationally televised. The Bulldogs' opener at Clemson on ABC drew a national audience of 8.14 million viewers, making it the most watched sports event on U.S. television that week and the sixth most watched program of the week overall. The fifth most watched: CBS' "60 Minutes," which drew 8.36 million viewers.
New this season: For Georgia's first home game of the season, two new sections of temporary seats had been installed at field level between the east end zone and the stadium's permanent seating bowl. The seats were filled by many of the recruits and their families attending the game. The change was aimed at improving the experience of visiting recruits, who previously got seats far from the action.
Etc.: SEC Commissioner Mike Slive attended Saturday's game. … Georgia was tied at the half for the second consecutive game, this time 24-24. The Georgia-Clemson game was tied 21-21 at the half. … Herschel Walker had 12 100-yard rushing performances in his first 16 games at Georgia in 1980-81. Sophomore tailback Todd Gurley went over 100 yards early in the third quarter Saturday, giving him his 11th 100-yard performance in 16 career games for the Bulldogs. … The games against Clemson and South Carolina marked the Bulldogs' first back-to-back games against top-10 opponents in 15 years. In October 1998, Georgia defeated No. 6 LSU and a week later lost to No. 5 Tennessee.
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