Georgia football defense rises up in second half as Bulldogs avoid South Carolina upset

Flashbacks to 2019 filled the Sanford Stadium air when South Carolina had Georgia football on the ropes Saturday.

Again.

This time, the No. 1 Bulldogs avoided the biggest upset in college football this season.

Georgia surged in the second half in the rain to fight back the Gamecocks for a 24-14 victory.

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South Carolina beat No. 3 Georgia 20-17 in double overtime in 2019,.

The 27.5-point underdogs couldn’t hold a 14-3 halftime lead. Georgia sealed the win with a 13-yard touchdown run by Cash Jones with 9:10 left.

Here are three things learned:

Georgia football defense rises up in second half

The Bulldogs carried a shutout to the fourth quarter the first two games.

This was quite different.

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 16 of 18 for 152 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

With Georgia holding a 17-14 fourth quarter lead, Mykel Williams pressured Rattler and Malaki Starks broke up the third-down pass.

Rattler hit Antwane Wells Jr. for a 21-yard touchdown on the opening drive.

Rattler had thrown for over 300 yards in four of his last five games, but he had 256 when Dan Jackson intercepted with 4:01 left.

UGA football offense, Carson Beck stymied early

Kirby Smart told the Georgia radio broadcast before kickoff he wanted to see a “relentless attack."

The Bulldogs scored 7 points and totaled 131 yards in the first quarter the first two games and came away with only a 31-yard Peyton Woodring field goal in the first half this time.

No play was longer than 11 yards in the first half.

The Bulldogs were held without a touchdown for the first time since trailing Missouri 16-6 on Oct. 1 last season.

Carson Beck threw for 98 yards and was sacked twice in the first half, but uncorked a 37-yard completion and Daijun Edwards scored on a 7-yard touchdown in the third. Georgia went ahead on a 3-yard touchdown run by Dillon Bell.

Beck completed 11 of 13 passes for 146 yards in the third quarter.

Georgia Bulldogs still streaking but had to work

Shane Beamer threatened to became the first Kirby Smart assistant to beat him in six tries.

A year after Georgia’s 48-7 victory, Georgia kept a bunch of streaks going but fans had to sweat it out.

They extended their winning streak to 20 games dating back to the SEC championship game loss to Alabama in 2021 and their home winning streak to 21 dating back to that Gamecocks win in 2019.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football responds to halftime deficit behind its defense