You could pin the 2019 upset loss to South Carolina on any number of causes. Four turnovers hurt. An offense that lacked much of an explosive element came to define the 2019 season and led to the changes that brought Todd Monken to Athens. Kirby Smart took responsibility for failing to “get (their) ass ready to play.” The team went through the motions for a sleepy noon kickoff against a heavy underdog and paid the price.

Georgia has been pretty good in early kickoffs since then. They put Vanderbilt away in Nashville last season before local clocks struck noon. The Gameday lead-in to a frenzied and packed Sanford Stadium set the stage for Georgia to jump all over Arkansas. You might think some of the preparations Smart made for last week’s game at South Carolina was overkill. There was pumped-in crowd noise at practice. The obsession with Columbia’s September heat shaped the team’s social media messaging. Georgia even brought their own air conditioning (and the generator to power it) for their locker room.

The point of it all was that Smart would not allow any factor to prevent his team from being ready and engaged. South Carolina was roughly as much of an underdog in this game as they were in 2019, they had their usual home crowd, and a strong comeback last week on the road at Arkansas might have fostered optimism that they were figuring some things out. From interviews with the broadcast team and postgame comments, it’s clear that Smart’s “hunter vs. hunted” message was emphasized this week to neutralize those glimmers of hope as soon as possible. The Bulldogs executed that plan about as well as they did against Oregon. Georgia jumped out to a 21-0 lead before having to punt. With no chance of a noon letdown, Georgia’s decisive talent advantage took care of the rest.

That talent advantage starts with Brock Bowers. Bowers had been involved in the first two games but hadn’t scored yet or had the kind of jaw-dropping performance that made him Georgia’s leading receiver in 2021. This was the game we had been waiting for. Bowers doubled his season reception total, had over 120 yards receiving, caught two touchdown passes, and added another score on a reverse. His full arsenal of talent was on display. You saw the elusiveness to evade four would-be tacklers on the reverse. You saw the sure-handed leaping ability to secure his first touchdown catch and the awareness to get a foot in bounds. You saw the speed and vision to take a pop pass down the seam, juke two defensive backs, and outrun everyone for a long touchdown. Georgia had the best player on the field and a system that found ways to get him the ball with devastating results. It almost seemed unfair to deploy Bowers against an inexperienced safety who had just come into the game.

Stetson Bennett had another efficient day delivering the ball to Bowers and the other receiving options. Kenny McIntosh was a little less involved than in previous weeks, but Bennett spread the ball around to other playmakers. That was a theme for the offense: with the exception of Bowers’ stat line, only McConkey had more than two receptions. Six Georgia players rushed for at least 20 yards, but Bennett was the team’s leading rusher with 36 yards. There’s no one element of this offense or any one or two players that defenses can key on, and that had to be a nightmare for a defense missing a handful of starters.

Georgia’s defense was also without an important starter, Jalen Carter, but Georgia still had plenty of playmakers step up on that side of the ball. At first glance it looks as if the defense hasn’t missed a beat from 2021. But while the focus last season was on the front seven (and rightfully so!), this year the passing defense is enjoying some time in the spotlight. Georgia’s two P5 opponents have featured a pair of well-known quarterbacks capable of making tough throws and evading pressure. No one is going to confuse Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler with Joe Burrow, but they have still been experienced and successful quarterbacks for major P5 programs. Georgia held each to under five yards per pass attempt. For perspective, there are only seven out of 121 FBS quarterbacks currently averaging under 5 yards per pass attempt (perhaps we should call this the Jeff Sims metric after the Georgia Tech QB who is averaging right at 5.0 YPA.)

Of course good pass defense requires contributions from all three levels. Only one sack on the season might be concerning, but that doesn’t necessarily imply a lack of pressure. We’ve seen that Georgia’s opponents have preferred quick passes to put pressure on Georgia’s young linebackers and defensive backs to make tackles. This game shows more than any other how Georgia can still be active up front while preventing big plays downfield. Georgia again didn’t record a sack, but they notched nine QB hurries and had six tackles for loss. Rattler was rarely allowed to get comfortable, and he ended up having to make rushed decisions and get rid of the ball quickly. He had a single completion for 46 yards and managed just 72 yards on 24 other attempts.

• It’s tough to highlight a single series in a blowout of this magnitude, but a pair of possessions in the second quarter just about ended any chance South Carolina had. Georgia was pinned deep and went three-and-out after a failed and ill-advised screen attempt. An average punt gave the Gamecocks great field position near midfield. It was 21-0 at that point, but a Gamecock score just before halftime could have put the game back within reach at halftime. South Carolina called three straight running plays. The first two went for short gains, and the third was stuffed for a loss. Georgia got the ball back, drove to add three more points, and went to the locker room with all of the momentum.
• Georgia might’ve lost focus in the third quarter of the Samford game, but they were locked in after halftime this week. Georgia’s first three drives of the second half led to touchdowns, and only a dropped pass in the endzone prevented a fourth. South Carolina managed just 17 yards of offense in response to those three touchdown drives before the reserves took over.
• I’m glad Carson Beck is doing more than handing off when he’s in the game. Not only do we get to see his command of the offense, but we also get to enjoy watching players like Oscar Delp cut their teeth.
• Perimeter blocking has been a strength of this team since the opener when Bowers and Mitchell cleared the way for McConkey. Much of what Georgia is trying to do with tight ends and tailbacks in the passing game wouldn’t be possible without complete buy-in and execution from blockers. Even Stetson Bennett got into the act.
• South Carolina’s defense was in good position several times but couldn’t come up with a big play. They sniffed out a screen that led to a Georgia three-and-out (and almost a bad turnover). An edge defender was in position on Bennett’s touchdown run but bit hard when Bennett planted his leg and went back inside. Bowers was well-covered on Georgia’s third touchdown, but a precise throw and spectacular catch using Bowers’ size advantage made the play a win for Georgia.
• David Daniel-Sisavanh has the distinction of giving up late meaningless touchdowns to Michigan and now South Carolina. He’ll have to continue to improve in those coverage situations, but he’s one of the more physical defenders Georgia has at the star position and will continue to have a role.
• Only two Bulldog defenders had more than 2 interceptions in 2021. What odds would you give Malaki Starks to best Derion Kendrick’s 2021 team-high total of 4?
• The game continues to slow down for Georgia’s inexperienced middle linebackers. Dumas-Johnson, Marshall, and Monden were Georgia’s leading tacklers and accounted for five of the team’s nine QB hurries. Marshall’s late interception was a heady play to drift from the line into the passing lane.
• Thorson’s second punt was the definition of outkicking your coverage. He boomed it 56 yards, but Josh Vann was able to bring it back 21 yards to set up South Carolina’s score.
• How lopsided was the result when the backup kicker gets to show off his leg?