How Georgia Losing Branson Robinson Could Impact South Carolina's Strategy
For the second straight year, people are clamoring about the difficulty of South Carolina's schedule, but unlike last year, there's a real feeling that this could ring true throughout the entire season. The Gamecocks' September slate, in particular, is an absolute gauntlet, as in that month alone, Shane Beamer's squad will take on the No. 21 North Carolina Tar Heels, the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, and the No. 12 Tennessee Volunteers, all away from their home venue.
Carolina's week three matchup versus the Georgia Bulldogs has garnered interest as a potential upset in the minds of some fans and pundits for two main reasons: Georgia is replacing some very important pieces from last year's championship squad, and this game is viewed as the first real test for Kirby Smart's squad. The player under the biggest microscope for the Bulldogs is Carson Beck, the man replacing one of the most successful quarterbacks in College Football history in Stetson Bennett IV.
Beck will have an array of weapons out wide to help lighten his load, along with an offensive line that for years has been viewed as one of the best in the country, but a quarterback's true best friend when he's taking over a starting job is a running back that he can trust. In that aspect, Georgia suffered some devasting news on Wednesday, as Smart announced that Branson Robinson would miss the 2023 season with a torn patella injury he suffered in practice on Tuesday, concluding, "This puts us in a tough situation at back."
Georgia has dealt with many injuries at the position in recent years, which has continued this offseason with Kendall Milton struggling to get to 100 percent and now Robinson being out for the year. Daijun Edwards could step up, but otherwise, the Bulldogs don't have a veteran bell-cow back who has proven to be durable.
Considering the multiple responsibilities a running back has to juggle regarding communicating play-calls, sitting back in pass protection, and being a safety blanket in the passing game, Carson Beck's first real test against South Carolina just got a little more difficult. If Clayton White and his unit can force the Bulldogs into some obvious passing downs and dial up the heat on Georgia's new starter, they could potentially exploit the Dawgs' uncertainty at running back. It might not sound like much in the grand scheme of things, but this is a storyline for Gamecock fans to watch over the next few weeks.
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