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Georgia-South Carolina Preview

Sep 11, 2010 - 12:04 AM By CHRIS ALTRUDA STATS Editor

Georgia (1-0) at South Carolina (1-0), 12:00 p.m. EDT

Georgia knows not to make a big deal of its offensive outburst against an outclassed opponent. Coach Steve Spurrier, meanwhile, may finally have the type of offense he envisioned after taking over South Carolina.

The SEC rivals try to gain an early foothold in the East Division when the No. 24 Gamecocks host the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs to open conference play Saturday.

Georgia made quick work of Louisiana-Lafayette in its opener last week, rolling to a 55-7 victory. Freshman Aaron Murray threw for 160 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a fourth score, but coach Mark Richt knows his young quarterback will be facing a much better defense this week.

"He played a game and he played a game in front of a big crowd," Richt said. "He got a chance to get hit a little bit here and there and make plays and make some mistakes and all that kind of thing, but I think next week is gonna be another new experience for him, playing away, playing in a hostile environment, playing against a Southeastern Conference opponent, playing against maybe a little different brand of athlete, on defense especially."

Kris Durham emerged as Murray's favorite target, catching a 41-yard touchdown pass and finishing with five receptions for 83 yards. Nine players caught passes for the Bulldogs, who played without suspended starting receivers A.J. Green and Tavarres King.

Green has been suspended for three more games for selling a jersey to someone the NCAA says qualifies as an agent, a ruling announced Tuesday. King is available following a one-game ban for underage possession of alcohol.

Top returning tailback Washaun Ealey was also suspended for the opener following a hit-and-run incident in the offseason, and he will join Carlton Thomas and Caleb King in the backfield after the two players combined for 108 rushing yards.

"It will be very competitive," Richt said. "It will be very interesting to see who gets what."

South Carolina's defense has usually been ahead of its offense, surprising given Spurrier's ability to construct high-octane offenses at his previous coaching stops. The Gamecocks, though, may have turned a corner in their 41-10 victory over Southern Mississippi last Thursday.

Stephen Garcia threw for 193 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, while freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore also had two scores as South Carolina scored its most points since a 44-36 win over Houston in the 2006 Liberty Bowl.

"I was thinking for the first time ever here we might score 50," Spurrier said.

In addition to a talented new option in the backfield in Lattimore, Garcia has a standout freshman in receiver Ace Sanders, who had a 53-yard run on a reverse and added two catches for 47 yards.

"Ace is a good player. He can run punts back, kickoffs back if we ask him to do that," Spurrier said. "We're trying to find ways to get him on the field more. We need to utilize his talents more than we did last game."

Alshon Jeffrey had seven receptions for 106 yards as the sophomore showed he is ready to build on a strong first year, when he had 46 receptions for 763 yards and six touchdowns.

Like the Bulldogs, the Gamecocks have some players with eligibility issues.

South Carolina played last week without starting cornerback Chris Culliver and left tackle Jarriel King. The school said Friday that Culliver and King had been cleared to play.

Tight end Weslye Saunders, originally suspended for a team violation, is being probed by the NCAA for possible contact with agents.

These teams have met to open conference play every year since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1992, with Georgia going 13-5. The Bulldogs made a late defensive stand to preserve a 41-37 victory last year, with DeAngelo Tyson's block of a potential tying extra point in the fourth quarter proving pivotal.