Georgia points have been hard to come by at South Carolina

BULLDOGS GLANCE• Georgia (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at South Carolina (1-1, 0-1 SEC)• Williams-Brice Stadium• Saturday, 3:30 p.m.• CBS & 102.3 FM

ATHENS, Ga. - Ray Goff was the coach, Eric Zeier the quarterback and "Forrest Gump" the can't-miss movie the last time the Georgia Bulldogs scored more than 20 points inside South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium.

The year was 1994, when the Bulldogs triumphed 24-21, and the Georgia quarterbacks who have tried since include Quincy Carter, David Greene, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray. Considering the Bulldogs are 5-4 in their last nine trips to Columbia, their points have been relatively few but precious.

"I could have gone without knowing that," Georgia fifth-year senior quarterback Hutson Mason said Tuesday. "It's a cool opportunity and a cool challenge. As the leader of the offense, I try and stay in the bubble of 'What do we have to do to win this game?'

"History has said so-and-so or whatever, and I think it just kind of speaks on what a tough place it is to play and what a great team they have over there. We'll see how it goes."

The Bulldogs haven't come close to 20 points in their last two trips, losing 17-6 in 2010 and 35-7 in 2012. Georgia does not have the same offensive difficulties when hosting the Gamecocks, having scored 41, 42 and 41 points during their past three meetings in Sanford Stadium.

"I don't know why that's happened, but there have been some stout defensive battles over there," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said. "Last time we were there it obviously wasn't much of a defensive battle, but it's been tough getting points there for whatever reason. Hopefully we'll do better. [Former defensive end David] Pollack, I think, scored more points than a lot of our offensive players there over the years."

Said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier: "The last two times they've come here have been really good defensive games. Two years ago, our defense had them shut out until the last drive of the game."

Mason completed 18 of 26 passes for 131 yards in the opening 45-21 win over Clemson on Aug. 30, complementing a rushing attack that pounded out 328 yards on 41 carries. He said Tuesday that every defense is geared to stop junior tailback Todd Gurley and that he must capitalize when receivers have one-on-one matchups.

One Gamecocks menace who occasionally tormented Murray but has moved on to the NFL is defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

"That guy is a once-in-a-decade player," Mason said, "so you don't have to put as much focus on when you're preparing for a defense and how we're going to handle a guy like that. You sleep a little bit better at night."

photo Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason (14).

Nobody for Georgia slept much after the 2012 venture to Williams-Brice, when the No. 6 Gamecocks staggered the No. 5 Bulldogs with three touchdowns in the first 10 minutes. The Finnish techno song "Sandstorm" was blared before that game and continued throughout the onslaught, and that experience remains vivid two years later.

Bulldogs senior inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera called it the loudest game he's ever played in, and he wasn't alone.

"'Sandstorm' is really catchy," defensive end Sterling Bailey said, "but this Saturday, we're going to try and limit the amount they play it. It's a really bad memory, but it is catchy."

Mason has watched the last two Georgia-South Carolina games in preparation for Saturday but is not "driving myself crazy over several years ago." No Bulldogs quarterback has thrown for 200 yards in Columbia since Greene in 2004, which was also the last time Georgia had a touchdown pass in Williams-Brice.

Murray was just 11-of-31 passing for 109 yards and an interception two years ago, and now it's up to Mason to reverse the trend in what should be the most hostile crowd he's encountered.

"The good thing about Hutson is that he's not a freshman," senior center David Andrews said. "He's been in these environments. He maybe didn't play, but he's been there, so he knows how loud it is. You can feel the energy from the sideline.

"It's not like you can't notice it from there, so he knows what it's going to be like and is ready for it."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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