Georgia overcomes first SEC road test

<p>Georgia's depth and defense could be as strong as ever.</p><p>An injury to Georgia's star running back, a lackluster game from its quarterback and a 16-0 deficit couldn't shake the third-ranked Bulldogs in their Southeastern Conference opener.</p><p>"I was proud of our team and their ability to stay calm and poised and to come back from that deficit," Richt said after No. 3 Georgia (2-0, 1-0 SEC) beat South Carolina 20-16 on Saturday. "I've been curious to see how this team would react to something like this and I found out."</p><p>Richt also learned exactly how deep the Bulldogs are at running back.</p><p>When freshman Danny Ware, who rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns last week, left the game with a chest injury, the Bulldogs called more on Tyson Browning and Michael Cooper.</p><p>The two combined for 115 yards on 24 carries. Cooper, last year's leading rusher, had dropped to fourth on the depth chart, but moved up in the rotation when Thomas Brown was sidelined earlier in the week with an injury.</p><p>"We've got some good backs and hopefully we'll have everybody healthy next week," said Richt, whose team faces Marshall next Saturday.</p><p>If the Bulldogs do get well, they might rest easy this year won't all fall on the arm of David Greene.</p><p>"I think we showed ... we do have a lot of depth there," said Greene, who struggled early but threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns. "We've got a lot of guys that can make plays for us at that position. I think it says a lot about the offensive line, too."</p><p>While Georgia got it together without Ware, South Carolina struggled when its most dominate back, Demetris Summers, sprained his right ankle and finished with two carries for 13 yards.</p><p>"Losing Demetris affected us big time," South Carolina coach Lou Holtz said. "He's the one guy who can make things happen. It's just different when he runs it."</p><p>Dondrial Pinkins rushed for 32 of the team's 73 yards, and though he threw for 200 yards and a touchdown, most of it was made up of two big passes to Troy Williamson.</p><p>Williamson's first big catch was a 65-yard TD reception, and he caught a 54-yard pass in Georgia territory during the third quarter, but the Gamecocks missed a field goal.</p><p>That's when the Bulldogs started to click. Aided by a couple of runs by Browning and Greene's four passes, Browning capped the 73-yard drive with a 12-yard TD reception that cut South Carolina's lead 16-13.</p><p>"When we finally scored that touchdown, we finally got something positive going," said Greene, who threw to six different receivers.</p><p>Fred Gibson and Reggie Brown led the way with a combined 10 catches for 130 yards. Brown's most important reception came with 9:56 left in the game when Greene found him wide open in the end zone for 22-yard touchdown that put Georgia up for good 20-16.</p><p>"He wasn't going to get down on himself because he made a few mistakes," Brown said of Greene. "He kept his focus and he went out there and made the adjustments he needed to make."</p><p>With the improved offense, the Bulldogs' defense showed late in the game why it could be one of the nation's best.</p><p>Georgia held off South Carolina three times in the final 3:42. Greg Blue ended a lengthy drive when he stuffed Pinkins, forcing him to fumble.</p><p>The Gamecocks got the ball back moments later after a fumble recovery, but the Bulldogs' defense again held Pinkins, this time stuffing him on a fourth-and-one on the Georgia 13.</p><p>"I'm not sure how close it was," Holtz said. "Whether it was two inches or 12 miles, it's irrelevant."</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/9/161248