ATHENS - Georgia showed a potent passing game in its season opening win against Boise State and switched gears to a grind-it-out running game Saturday to edge South Carolina.
The constant through two games has been the Bulldogs' defense. It has surrendered a total of three touchdowns and a field goal.
"I really felt like even though we were going against some pretty good offensive coaches and players, I was really hoping that our defense would be able to match up pretty good with them and play real solid," coach Mark Richt said Sunday.
"They probably are playing a little bit better than maybe I could have hoped."
Willie Martinez, promoted when Brian VanGorder joined the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff, is in his first season as defensive coordinator.
Top 50 NFL Draft picks David Pollack, Thomas Davis and Odell Thurman are gone, but Georgia has more interceptions (six) after two games than it did all of last season, and new playmakers have emerged - like defensive end Charles Johnson, who had two sacks in the 17-15 win over South Carolina, and safety Tra Battle, who has interceptions in each of the first two games.
"We've got some young guys in here with some older guys, and I thought the leadership took over on the sidelines and in the huddle," Martinez said of Georgia's play late against South Carolina.
The Bulldogs ran the ball in the second half behind their veteran offensive line to pull out the win. Thomas Brown and Danny Ware combined for 213 yards rushing on 35 carries.
On a weekend when three teams ahead of Georgia in the polls lost, the Bulldogs moved up two spots Sunday in the Associated Press rankings to No. 7 and three to No. 6 in the USA Today coaches' poll.
Georgia (2-0) plays Saturday at 1 p.m. against overmatched Louisiana Monroe (0-2), which is coming off a 38-0 loss to Wyoming. Georgia won both previous meetings in one-sided fashion: 70-6 in 1994 and 42-3 in 1997.
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