Considering Georgia rolled to a 40-13 win over South Carolina in last year’s game, the notion that one of the top plays would come from the defensive side might initially seem far-fetched.
After all, the Bulldogs offense had its way with the Gamecocks, with former quarterback JT Daniels throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns.
However, on this day, it’s time to give the defense some love, and we’ll do so by taking a look at a play by Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith late in the first half that helped secure Georgia’s big victory.
Georgia was in control 21-6 when Jake Camarda went back to punt and pinned the Gamecocks down at the 1-yard line in the final minute of the first half.
On the very next play, senior nose tackle Jordan Davis and outside linebacker Nolan Smith sacked quarterback Luke Doty for a safety with 24 seconds left, giving the Bulldogs a 23-6 lead.
Doty never had a chance.
After faking a handoff, Doty dropped to throw and was quickly swarmed with Davis and Smith leading the way.
"It was really just one of our blitzes," Smith said after the game. "We knew they were backed up, so they were either going to try a deep shot or they were going to try to run the ball out. I know Coach called the perfect blitz and put us in the right position in order for me to make a play."
While the combined sack for a safety was the pick for the game’s top play, for the purposes of this article—it wasn’t the defense’s only one.
South Carolina received the ball first after halftime with a chance to score and get back in the game. Georgia's defense instead set up its offense to put the game out of reach.
On a third-and-8 during South Carolina’s opening drive of the second half, Doty floated a screen pass behind his intended receiver Kevin Harris. The ball ricocheted off his hands and into the arms of cornerback Derion Kendrick, who returned the ball to the South Carolina 20-yard line.
"Our goal is to set the offense in the best possible position to get us points," safety Lewis Cine said. "However we do it, however it turns out, just don’t let them score, don’t let them get points, and get our offense the best field position and best position possible for them to score and get us points." South Carolina gained some offensive momentum on the next drive and neared midfield. On a first-and-10 from its own 47, the Gamecocks tried another hard play-action pass.
That decision proved to be ill-fated. Smith blew around the left tackle and hit Doty as he attempted to throw. The ball squirted free and scooted along the turf before eventually being recovered by Quay Walker, stifling the Gamecock drive.
"He's an extra-effort, get-after-it, positive leader," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Smith after the game. "He impacts the game. Tonight, those two plays, that sack fumble and the safety, were humongous plays in the game."
