Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Michael Bennett (82) runs the ball during the Bulldogs's victory over Clemson.ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia will be without several key receivers this week, but at least the Bulldogs have experience in this predicament.
"We've dealt with this ever since I've been here," fifth-year senior Michael Bennett said Tuesday. "Guys have to step up."
Malcolm Mitchell, Justin Scott-Wesley and Jonathon Rumph missed Georgia's opening win over Clemson and are not expected to play at South Carolina. Rumph had been the only one of those three healthy in preseason camp, but then he suffered a hamstring injury.
"It's shaky, the depth right now," coach Mark Richt said.
Bennett, who led the Bulldogs in the opener with five catches for 60 yards, is expected to be joined by Chris Conley and Reggie Davis in the starting lineup, with Blake Tibbs, Kenneth Towns and freshman Isaiah McKenzie the primary backups.
Bennett, Conley, Mitchell and Scott-Wesley all missed games last season due to injury.
"I think it's created a culture around here of the guys realizing that you're never that far away from playing," Conley said. "Even if you're a freshman, you're only one play away from being in a game. You've seen a little bit of Isaiah McKenzie, but there is still more that he can do that we haven't really been able to show yet."
A 'bloody' afternoon?
Georgia had the first bye week of the SEC season -- excluding Florida's canceled game against Idaho -- and Richt believes it allowed the Bulldogs to get in a lot of physical workouts.
"I've got a feeling this game could get a little bit bloody," Richt said. "I think both teams are tough physically, and I think both teams have got outstanding backs who can pound."
Several Bulldogs players smiled when they heard about Richt's "bloody" reference, and they certainly understood what he was saying.
"They're going to run the ball, and we're going to run the ball," senior inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera said. "Everybody in the world knows that we're going to run the ball."
Morgan nears mark
Marshall Morgan has made 18 straight field-goal tries dating back to last season, tying the SEC record set by Tennessee's Fuad Reveiz in 1984. Morgan has declined interviews this week, but quarterback Hutson Mason was happy to share his opinion on the junior kicker.
"He really has been consistent, and it starts with his preparation over the summer," Mason said. "He's pretty active on Twitter and Instagram, so the whole world knows when he's kicking. He has been working hard this summer out there -- you don't really notice hard work from a kicker because they're so weird and so behind the closet.
"Kickers at any level are just different. They have weird habits. They play soccer while the team is doing their own thing or some Hacky Sack game, but he's a funny guy to be around and a great dude."
Odds and ends
Georgia leads the series over South Carolina, 47-17-2, but the Gamecocks are 5-3 when both teams are ranked. ... Richt on his friendship with Spurrier: "Years ago my wife was diagnosed with cancer, and him and Urban Meyer were the two guys that reached out and gave me a call and spent a little time on the phone about that, and that meant a lot to me." ... South Carolina has not been a home underdog since its 2010 game against top-ranked Alabama, which the Gamecocks won 35-21. ... Spurrier on the win over ECU: "We gave out a lot of game balls. We had a lot of them saved up from our other game."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.