The South Carolina Gamecocks traveled to Athens, Georgia on Saturday afternoon to face the no. three ranked Georgia Bulldogs in a noontime ET matchup.
The Gamecocks came into the game 2-3 following their bye week after a win against Kentucky. On the other hand, the Bulldogs came into the game undefeated, 5-0. The Gamecocks handed Georgia their first loss of the season, in what is sure to be the upset of the week, after beating the Bulldogs by three points in double overtime.
Georgia started the game with possession of the ball and, after eight plays, Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm was sacked by Kingsley Enagbare, forcing kicker Rodrigo Blankenship into a 50-yard field goal –– which he promptly hit, putting UGA up 3-0 with 10:15 left in the first quarter.
Carolina was unable to put up points on their first possession, going three and out. However, freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski connected with Bryan Edwards for a 46-yard touchdown pass on Carolina’s second drive. There was just under two minutes left on the clock, and the Gamecocks held on to the 7-3 lead going into the second quarter.
The Bulldogs answered South Carolina’s touchdown in their first possession of the second quarter after D.J. Swift rushed for a one-yard touchdown with 13:35 on the clock, regaining a 10-7 lead over the Gamecocks. The next few possessions didn’t yield any points for either team and, with two-and-a-half minutes left in the first half, South Carolina converted on a 49-yard field goal by Parker White, a career-high for him, thus tying the game at 10 apiece.
South Carolina proceeded to take a 17-10 lead after Israel Mukuamu returned a Jake Fromm interception 53 yards for a touchdown.
That 17-10 lead would hold true into halftime.
The second half opened up with both teams trading punts, but Georgia closed the third quarter with a critical fumble that was recovered by South Carolina’s T.J. Brunson.
While the Gamecocks weren’t able to produce any points following the fumble recovery, Israel Mukuamu gave them another chance by intercepting another pass from Fromm. Again, South Carolina couldn’t convert, allowing Georgia another chance to tie the game.
A recipe that doesn’t spell success when facing the no. three ranked team in the country, as Jake Fromm connected with Demetrius Robinson on a six-yard touchdown pass, evening the score at 17 after the point after attempt with two minutes remaining in regulation.
The Gamecocks made a bid to win it in regulation, but Parker White missed a field goal from 57 yards, sending the game into overtime deadlocked at 17.
Georgia got first dibs in overtime, but it only took two plays before Mukuamu picked off Fromm for the third time. South Carolina got themselves into field goal range, but Parker White missed his second kick of the game.
The missed field goal took the teams into the second overtime, and this time South Carolina had first possession.
The Gamecocks converted on this chance, as Parker White drilled a field goal from 24 yards out, giving Carolina a 20-17 lead.
Georgia was given one more shot to even the score, or win the game on their next drive. Four plays later, Blankenship missed from 42 yards, sealing the Bulldogs’ fate.
The sub-.500 Gamecocks improved to 3-3, with a home matchup against no. seven ranked Florida next Saturday.
Georgia, fresh off their first loss of the season, faces Kentucky next week.
South Carolina has No. 3 Georgia on the ropes! pic.twitter.com/b2OSYzU3Hz
— ESPN (@espn) October 12, 2019
