South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium has become something of a house of horrors for Georgia of late, especially on offense. In 2010, the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs traveled to Columbia, lost 17-6, put up 253 yards of total offense, and did not score an offensive touchdown. Two years later, the fifth-ranked Bulldogs fell behind No. 6 South Carolina 28-0 at the half, did not score an offensive touchdown until the score read 35-0, and gained only 224 yards of total offense.
South Carolina, somehow still ranked 24th in the latest AP poll, ranks 125th nationally in pass defense through two weeks of this young season but, still, Hutson Mason and No. 6 Georgia would like all the help it can get when heading into Casa de Spurrier (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
It appears that help won’t arrive, as Mark Richt has listed wide receivers Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley as “doubtful” heading into Saturday’s game, according to Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph and Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
Not that this is new information to anyone, of course. Mitchell has not seen the field since suffering a knee injury in the 2013 opener against Clemson, and Scott-Wesley has been sidelined since an Oct. 5 win over Tennessee in 2013. Both have suffered setbacks in their recoveries; Mitchell was burdened with a cartilage injury during spring drills in the same right knee that saw an ACL tear a year ago, and Scott-Wesley suffered an ankle injury in fall camp. Scott-Wesley was also cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession while injured last season and, according to Georgia’s guidelines, is due a one-game suspension. Richt has not announced if his absence in the Bulldogs’ 45-21 season-opening win against Clemson satisfies that requirement.
“There still an outside chance (Mitchell could play against South Carolina), but I think it’s still too early to tell,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week. “Right now I would say no but the first of next week could change some things. Hopefully by next Tuesday we’ll know something.”
“Well, I can tell you from my perspective, he’s not full speed yet,” wide receivers coach Tony Ball told the AJC on Friday. “Whatever other reasons are there, I just know he’s not full speed.”
Mason completed 18-of-26 attempts for 131 yards with no touchdowns in Georgia’s defeat of Clemson on Aug. 31.