Final thoughts, prediction for South Carolina-Georgia ... and Will Muschamp’s return

The stretch of games I’m dubbing the “Shane Beamer ex-Coworker Extravaganza Tour” gets its biggest name to date on Saturday when Kirby Smart and No. 1 Georgia roll into Williams-Brice Stadium.

Beamer is 0-1 against his former boss as a head coach, losing last year in Athens 40-13. Now comes trying to match the defending national champions in South Carolina’s first Southeastern Conference home game of the season.

“I’m excited about this week,” Beamer said Tuesday. “Big week for us — home SEC opener against a great opponent.”

South Carolina flashed in spurts during last week’s loss at No. 10 Arkansas. It narrowly missed out on scoring 33 points in an SEC game for just the ninth time in its last 41 tries. Spencer Rattler recorded the 10th-highest single-game passing total in school history, notching 371 yards on 23 of 38 passing.

“I’m not gonna lie, going into every game, we’re gonna spin that thing and throw down the field,” offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said Wednesday of what South Carolina’s offense could look like against Georgia.. “That’s what we said going into the season. So that’s not going to change.”

This week, though, is a whole other animal.

Georgia lost plenty from last year — 15 NFL Draft picks (eight from the defense) to be exact. But this group remains one of the nation’s best.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter figures to be a top 15 pick or better next spring. He’s a space eater that matches his enormous size with an uncanny ability to get after the passer. Just last year, Carter finished the 2021 season with 37 tackles and 33 QB pressures, the second-best mark on the team.

The Bulldogs also bring back a trio of starters from the national championship squad in cornerback Kelee Ringo, outside linebacker Nolan Smith and safety Chris Smith.

That’s not to mention the return of former South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp — now the defensive coordinator at Georgia.

“He’s a great coach, and I loved him,” running back MarShawn Lloyd said of Muschamp. “No hard feelings, still love the coach.”

As impressive as the Georgia defense is — a unit that has allowed all of three points total in matchups with Oregon and Samford this fall — the offense is what makes Smart’s seventh team in Athens scarier than ever.

The tune around much-maligned quarterback Stetson Bennett IV has changed plenty since he guided Georgia to its first title in 40 years. His play of late, too, has something to do with that.

Bennett ranks second nationally in passing yards per game (334) among quarterbacks with 65 or fewer attempts and 11th overall. His 10.3 yards per completion also sit third in the country out of passers with 60 or more attempts in 2022.

The three-headed tight end monster of Brock Bowers, Darnell Washington and Arik Gilbert also create a whole host of issues for opposing defenses. Bowers nearly doubled the next closest pass-catcher a year ago with 882 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 15.75 yards per reception in 2021 also ranked second among SEC tight ends behind only South Carolina’s Jaheim Bell.

“They use all their tight ends — which is a really good job by them, using those guys’ skillsets,” defensive coordinator Clayton White said Wednesday. “I think the most important thing is that we have to go out and make sure we get aligned correctly, and when you’re at practice you obviously have multiple guys trying to replicate their positions.”

South Carolina has had its moments in the Georgia series. The 2019 win over the Bulldogs in Athens came out of nowhere. The Gamecocks also recorded victories in three consecutive years between 2010 and 2012.

Still, this feels like too big of a mountain to climb in 2022.

The largest margin of victory in a South Carolina-Georgia game over the last century came in a 58-14 Georgia romp in 1974. Don’t be surprised if the Bulldogs threaten that number Saturday.

— Prediction: No. 1 Georgia 48, South Carolina 14 —