No. 3 Georgia turns road test into rout of No. 24 South Carolina

Reporting from COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jake Fromm threw for 194 yards and a touchdown, all three of Georgia’s latest running combo scored touchdowns and the third-ranked Bulldogs turned an expected Southeastern Conference showdown into a blowout with a 41-17 victory over No. 24 South Carolina on Saturday.

The Gamecocks (1-1, 0-1 SEC) came in ranked for the first time in four years, and some thought they had a chance of upsetting the defending SEC champions early in the season. Instead, the Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0) used dominating offense and suffocating defense to win their fourth straight over South Carolina.

Fromm was 15-of-18 passing, including a 34-yard TD pass to Mecole Hardman. D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien looked every bit as effective as NFL runners Nick Chubb and Sony Michel did a year ago in leading Georgia to the College Football Playoff.

Holyfield led the way with 76 yards and a 5-yard score. Swift had a 17-yard TD run, and Herrien piled on with a 15-yard scoring burst in the third quarter as Georgia went up by 31 points. That’s when many in the crowd of 83,140 began to file out in disappointment — a familiar ritual against the Bulldogs.

Cornerback Deandre Baker set the tone on defense early with an interception off a tipped ball in the opening minute that led to a quick, if unconventional touchdown. Baker let the ball loose before crossing the goal line, but teammate Juwan Taylor picked it up and took it the final yard for a 56-yard score.

From there, Georgia’s defense and run game took over — as they have so often against South Carolina. The Bulldogs outrushed South Carolina 271 yards to 54.

When South Carolina had a chance to tie it after Rashad Fenton’s interception deep in Georgia territory, the Bulldogs allowed just a yard on the next four plays. They took over on downs after Bentley’s fourth-down incompletion.

Georgia rarely let up. South Carolina drove 70 yards to the Bulldogs’ 5 in the fourth quarter before safety J.R. Reed’s end-zone interception.

South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley threw for 269 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.