Though it's hard to identify the main reason, I have a number of stories which help explain why I strongly dislike the SCAR program.
Could be the 3-game losing streak in the series from 2010-2012, which included my last two years at UGA. Those SCAR teams were led by arch-nemesis Steve Spurrier, and featured bona fide stars, including Stephon Gilmore, Marcus Lattimore, Melvin Ingram, Alshon Jeffery, Connor Shaw, Jadeveon Clowney and arguably the greatest player in the program's history, Stephen Garcia.
These were the glory years for the SCAR program. Conversely, it felt that UGA was losing ground to a rival that we had dominated historically, and this hurt the pride of Bulldog Nation. Spurrier ended his 11 years in Columbia with a 5-6 record against UGA, but I took each loss personally.
Or maybe it was the disastrous 20-17 loss at home in 2019 to the Will Muschamp led Gamecocks. The Dawgs entered the day as 23.5 point favorites, and the loss certainly cost us a chance at making the playoff later that year. Safe to say the loss was a mood killer on the day we celebrated the 30th birthday of our friend Scruggs.
Finally, if you've ever been to Williams-Brice Stadium, that insufferable rooster noise they play all the time is reason enough to hate the team. A free piece of advice for y'all. Play "Rooster" by Alice in Chains instead of that noise.
I am going to pick a fourth story which sums it up. Circa 2014, I was a young whippersnapper learning the ropes of the corporate world. Young Dtru and a few other coworkers were asked to interview a candidate for an entry level analyst role. I had never interviewed someone before, but figured there was not much to it. Early on in the interview, my co-worker said, "I see that you went to school at South Carolina". Simple conversation starter, nothing to it, right? Incorrect. This jabroni interjected, and said, "No, I went to THE University of South Carolina". I was wondering if he meant to say Ohio State? At least I had heard that reference before and expected this type of d bag behavior from Urban Meyer's fan-base. Awkward silence ensued. I thought he was joking.....but he was not. To be honest, I kind of respected the move. Roll the dice and see what happens. Suffice to say, that guy did not get the job and, out of principle, I refuse to refer to SCAR as the University of South Carolina.
High level hitters
After week 2, Bill Connelly's SP+ has SCAR ranked 81st overall (88th offensive and 66th defensive).
The absence of QB Luke Doty, who was ranked as the 4th best dual threat QB and 86th overall player in the 2020 recruiting class per the 247 Sports Composite, has likely played a big part in the Gamecocks' offensive struggles so far. I was not overly impressed with what I saw from Doty in his action last year, but he was a true freshman at the time on a team that lost morale midway through the year.
Based on the 247 Team Talent Composite, SCAR has the 22nd most talented roster in the country.
After the 56-7 victory over UAB, UGA remains #2 in the SP+ rankings. UAB dropped from 48th to 79th in SP+, two spots ahead of SCAR. SP+ is a fluid rating system, but at this point, it does not think very highly of SCAR.
SCAR QB Situation
Watkinsville, GA native Zeb Noland has started at quarterback in Doty's absence. The Gamecocks have won both games, including last week's win over perennial American Athletic Conference powerhouse East Carolina.
You've probably heard Noland's story. He came to SCAR as a grad assistant this past May, after spending the previous 2 seasons at North Dakota State (Noland was the backup to Trey Lance in 2019). After Doty's injury during fall camp, someone convinced Noland to come out of retirement and use his 6th year of eligibility.
Certainly a feel good story that probably makes Noland a candidate for some obscure ESPY award. Probably not the best sign for a team which was a genuine contender for the SEC East not long ago, IMHO.
Personally, I would have demanded significant "NIL" compensation to end my retirement if I were Noland. AKA, have the bag man pay me a visit. I hope Noland did the same. I digress.
SCAR head coach Shane Beamer was non-committal regarding Doty's availability for the game against UGA, but it does appear that Doty will try to play.
What to watch for
SCAR has 3 running backs that are really good. The highest rated of the trio is MarShawn Lloyd, who was ranked as the 43rd overall player in the 247 Sports Composite rankings in 2020. Lloyd is coming off an ACL tear that he suffered in 2020, and had 21 yards on 7 carries in last week's game against East Carolina. It appears that Lloyd is still working his way back to full strength, but he's a legitimate stud when healthy.
Juju McDowell impressed last week against East Carolina, finishing with 71 yards on 11 carries, including a few critical runs which helped set up the game winning FG drive.
Junior Kevin Harris rushed for over 1,000 yards (6.2 YPC) in the 2020 season. He is a physical back, and hit UGA safety Chris Smith with the truck stick in last season's game. Smith beefed up this offseason, so i don't expect that to happen again.
The SCAR DL/OLB
This group will provide a good test for the UGA offensive line, which has had its share of struggles so far this season (primarily against Clemson). I don’t think the SCAR front 7 has the depth required to hang around for the entire game. But they have some talent.
Atlanta native Kingsley “JJ” Engabare is the leader of the group. He has been a thorn in the side of the Dawgs, who recruited him out of high school.
Jordan Burch was a 5-star prospect, ranked as the 8th overall player in the 2020 recruiting class. He had a quiet freshman season, but is hyper talented. Burch returned an interception 61-yards for a touchdown in last week's game against East Carolina.
DL Zacch Pickens is another former 5-star recruit, ranked the 8th overall prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. Pickens probably has not yielded the production you would expect of a former top 10 prospect, but he definitely has his moments.
I expect the Dawgs to win comfortably in
this one. The 31 point line seems a little rich, but I'm done with score predictions, so I won't opine. I do reserve the right to change my mind 5 minutes prior to kickoff when the liquor blanket gives me a rush of confidence.
Tangent of the week
SCAR reached an agreement with Will Muschamp for a $12.9 million settlement in lieu of his full $15.3 million buyout after his termination as head coach following the 2020 season.
UGA is paying Will Muschamp $300,000 to be a defensive analyst this year. Muschamp's son is a walk-on QB for UGA, which probably played a role in his decision.
If my alma mater ever offers me 300 large to work in Athens, consider it a done deal. Have your people call my people, Jere.
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