ATHENS, Ga. - Beasts of the East at last.
Georgia won its first Southeastern Conference Eastern Division championship since 2012 on Saturday afternoon, clinching the prize with a 24-10 win over South Carolina at Sanford Stadium coupled with Kentucky's 37-34 home loss to Ole Miss. The Bulldogs improved to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in SEC play, while every other East member has at least three league losses.
There was no celebrating for Georgia, which also was playing for the first time as the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings.
"What's there to celebrate?" second-year Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. "We're going to play Auburn next week, and that's where our focus is. We control our destiny, so we're a lot more worried about us."
Auburn, No. 14 in the playoff rankings, improved to 7-2 Saturday with a 42-27 win at Texas A&M.
Winning the SEC East was always the first objective listed each season under former Georgia coach Mark Richt, who guided the Bulldogs to five East titles in his 15 seasons from 2001 to 2015. It has not been a topic in Georgia's drive to 9-0 for the first time since 1982.
The Bulldogs were favored to win the East this season, but they also were favored in 2013 and 2015 before coming up short.
"It was something we talked about in camp and at the very beginning, but now it's work time and we don't talk about it," senior running back Nick Chubb said after pounding out 102 yards on 20 rushes. "We knew that if we worked and didn't talk that everything would happen for us."
Saturday's triumph was described as a "grind" by Smart and several players, and it was the closest contest Georgia has experienced next to its 20-19 win at Notre Dame on Sept. 9. The Bulldogs did not feel that being No. 1 in the playoff rankings had an effect on their performance.
"I think we handled that well," senior receiver Javon Wims said. "Every team we play, we're going to get their best because of the rankings. Every game is going to be like a national championship, because every team is going to come out here to try and beat us."
Said sophomore receiver Mecole Hardman: "We really didn't try to pay attention to the number-one ranking. We just wanted to play football like we always do."
The Bulldogs opened the game with an unsuccessful onside kick and had their first drive end with a Terry Godwin fumble at South Carolina's 4-yard line, but they took their second possession 69 yards in 11 plays, grabbing a 7-0 lead on Sony Michel's 8-yard touchdown run with 2:21 left in the opening quarter. Jake Fromm threw nine passes in the first two possessions after throwing seven all game in last week's 42-7 drubbing of Florida.
Fromm wound up completing 16 of 22 attempts for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
"Jake did a great job, like always," Chubb said. "He's a very mature kid, and he keeps making plays for us. We're very proud of him."
Stellar scoring catches highlighted the second quarter, with both South Carolina's Bryan Edwards and Georgia's Wims making touchdown receptions that were initially ruled incomplete before getting reversed by replay. The touchdown to Edwards occurred from 12 yards out, while Wims had a 10-yard score.
"I felt pretty confident," Wims said. "I knew I caught it. Their guy made a great catch as well."
J.R. Reed's 14-yard return of a Jake Bentley interception with four seconds left in the half gave Georgia a chance at a Hail Mary from 44 yards out, but Fromm threw incomplete. The Bulldogs racked up 250 first-half yards but led just 14-7 at the break.
Georgia got the ball to open the second half and marched 75 yards on 10 plays, taking a 21-7 lead on Fromm's 20-yard touchdown pass to Hardman. The Gamecocks would not go away, however, answering with a 13-play, 68-yard drive and pulling within 21-10 on a 25-yard Parker White field goal.
The Bulldogs salted the game away in the fourth quarter with a 15-play, 65-yard drive that culminated with a 20-yard Rodrigo Blankenship field goal with 6:36 remaining.
"Georgia has a really good football team," South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said after his Gamecocks dropped to 6-3. "Kirby has done a fantastic job. I'm really proud of our team with the way we competed and fought.
"We made Jake Fromm play quarterback, and I compliment Jake. He played extremely well and was very accurate."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.