Georgia defeated South Carolina 40-13 in the Bulldogs’ first SEC game of the season. Following the game, The Red & Black graded each position group’s performance.

Quarterback

There was uncertainty around who would start at quarterback throughout the week leading up to the game with South Carolina. Kirby Smart ended up going with JT Daniels who looked fully recovered in his first game back from injury. Daniels threw the ball 31 times completing 23 of them for 303 yards and three touchdowns on the night. The junior looked as good as ever on his return and showed improvement throwing the ball down the field. Daniels said he was still disappointed with the amount of points Georgia left off the board, especially in the second half. The quarterback room accounted for two turnovers as well, behind Daniels errant throw late in the second half and Stetson Bennett’s first throw of the game that resulted in an interception. Despite the impressive showing from Daniels, there is still room to improve for Georgia’s quarterbacks.

Grade: B+

Running backs

Georgia put together its third straight game rushing for more than 100 yards on Saturday night. The Bulldogs ran for 184 yards on the ground, the team’s best rushing game so far. Kendall Milton led the team in carries as he took 10 carries for 66 yards. Both Zamir White and James Cook found the end zone on the ground and the two added 51 yards each to the run total. Cook was also a clear threat through the air, catching four passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. A Milton fumble in the second half added to the turnover tally and kept Georgia from putting more points on the board. The running backs have improved their yardage each game so far this season and will look to improve more as they travel to Vanderbilt next week.

Grade: A-

Receivers

The wide receivers were a surprise for head coach Kirby Smart as Georgia took the field Saturday night. A position unit that has been pushed to its limit this year through injury showed resilience against the Gamecocks. Leading the way was tight end Brock Bowers who has become a staple in the Bulldogs offense. Bowers caught a team-high five passes for 53 yards on the night. Adonai Mitchell and Jermaine Burton led the way for the rest of the Georgia pass catchers as both receivers had an impressive night. Mitchell caught four passes for 77 yards while Burton caught three for 70 yards. Burton also caught the longest pass of the night on his 43-yard touchdown catch in the first half. Kearis Jackson, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Ladd McConkey also added catches of their own.

Grade: A

Offensive Line

The Georgia offensive line only allowed one sack on the night to a highly rated South Carolina pass rush. The Bulldogs gave Daniels enough time to find the right receiver and allow routes to develop. They also blocked well in the run game paving the way to a near 200 yard game. Despite the nice numbers, Warren Ericson said that there is always room for improvement. The Bulldogs will look to improve more along the offensive line as they take on Vanderbilt next week.

Grade: A-

Front seven

Georgia’s front seven has arguably been the strongest part of its team so far this year. The Bulldogs grabbed three sacks on the night and constantly applied pressure to the Gamecock quarterbacks. Outside linebacker Nolan Smith led the way for the defense with eight tackles and tallied 1.5 sacks as well. Georgia also defended the run really well, allowing only 96 yards on the ground. Adam Anderson added four tackles while Nakobe Dean and Robert Beal Jr. added three each. Smart said that the front seven will need to work to create more pressure as teams begin to learn how to counter the pass rush.

Grade: A

Secondary

Georgia entered the season with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the secondary. Over the first two games the secondary looked strong, but some clear holes started to show Saturday night. The Bulldogs only gave up 214 passing yards, however, the big plays became a problem. South Carolina attacked Georgia with the deep ball, focusing on one-on-ones and isolating the Bulldogs’ cornerbacks in coverage. Multiple deep completions showed that Georgia does have some weakness on defense. A late touchdown through the air was the first touchdown Georgia had given up all year. Despite the overall mediocre performance, the unit did have some standouts. Safety Lewis Cine grabbed six total tackles and corner Latavious Brini added four of his own. Corner Derion Kendrick grabbed an interception as well.

Grade: B-

Special Teams

Kicker Jack Podlesny went 1 of 1 on the night after drilling a 36-yard field goal to end the first half. Punter Jake Camarda showed why he is widely considered as one of the best punters in the country as he had three punts for 155 yards, averaging over 51 yards per punt. The best moment of Camarda’s night came just before halftime as he pinned the Gamecocks within their own five yard line which led to a safety. Camarda proved he is a valuable member of the team yet again.

Grade: A

Printed with permission from the Red & Black independent student media organization based in Athens, Ga.; redandblack.com/sports