The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) will open the SEC season this Saturday versus the South Carolina Gamecocks (1-1) in Sanford Stadium.
Georgia showed improvement in each phase in Week 2 with a 45-3 win over Ball State. With two non-Power Five tune-up games under their belt, the Bulldogs will face their first test of the season against former Georgia assistant Shane Beamer and quarterback Spencer Rattler.
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South Carolina is coming off of a 42-17 win over Furman. No. 21 North Carolina topped the Gamecocks 31-17 in Week 1.
Georgia has controlled the matchup easily over the last three matchups, outscoring South Carolina 143-36.
Here’s five key Gamecocks to watch versus Georgia:
1
QB Spencer Rattler
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Senior quarterback Spencer Rattler has had a good start to the 2023 season with all things considered.
Rattler is currently second in the SEC with 698 passing yards and his 83.3 completion percentage ranks first in the conference. He’s also been careful with the football, totaling three touchdowns to zero interceptions.
A lack of blocking is what has killed South Carolina’s offense. The Gamecocks are 129th out of 133 FBS teams in sacks allowed (9) and are last in the SEC in rush yards per game (53).
2
WR Xavier Legette
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Senior wideout Xavier Legette has amassed an impressive 296 receiving yards through two games, which already surpasses his 167 receiving yards in all of 2022.
It’s clear that Legette is Rattler’s prime target and at 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, he is a matchup problem for defensive backs.
3
Dakereon Joyner
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Senior running back Dakereon Joyner’s rushing production doesn’t stand out on the stat sheet, but he is a valuable piece to this Gamecocks offense.
The do-it-all back has rushed 23 times for 65 yards with two touchdowns, while adding nine receptions for 66 yards.
4
DB Jalon Kilgore
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Eatonton, Georgia, native Jalon Kilgore leads South Carolina in tackles with 18 stops on the year, including a 12-tackle performance in Week 1 versus North Carolina.
The former four-star was rated as the No. 18 cornerback and the No. 23 player in the state of Georgia in the 2023 recruiting class.
5
LB Debo Williams
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Linebacker Debo Williams is the most productive player in South Carolina’s front-seven. The junior has racked up 18 tackles this season, including 14 in the season opener against North Carolina.