ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia will have a notable change on special teams Saturday night when the No. 5 Bulldogs visit No. 6 South Carolina.
Redshirt junior receiver Rhett McGowan is taking over returning punts from Malcolm Mitchell, who fielded a punt inside his 5-yard line against Vanderbilt and let a punt roll to the 1 last week against Tennessee. Mitchell also fumbled a punt at Missouri.
McGowan, a former walk-on from Calhoun, Ga., has two punt returns for 42 yards this season and had been used to handle pooch kicks.
“He’s had a couple of reps out there in the middle of the field,” Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said Tuesday, “and we’re going to allow him to be the primary punt return man in this game and see how it goes.”
Richt said Mitchell and freshman tailback Todd Gurley will continue to share duties on kickoff returns.