The American college football rivalry between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Georgia Bulldogs has come to a head every fall since 1992. These schools are the flagship universities of their respective Southern states which share a border along the Savannah River. At times, fans have felt this proximity is just too close for comfort.

This rivalry dates back to 1894 when the Gamecocks first played the Bulldogs on their home turf and suffered an agonizing loss. In 1903, South Carolina experienced their first win against this border state with a decisive 17-0 victory in Athens. The two teams continued to battle here and there but never consistently faced each other until the Gamecocks joined the Southeastern Conference in 1992. Georgia has called the SEC home since 1932. Since the team’s SEC debut, Gamecock fans have traveled from all corners of our blessed state to enjoy an annual clashing of these Southern titans, and it has proven to be a thirst-quenching rivalry for South Carolina and Georgia fans alike.

While the rivalry has always existed — due in part to the close proximity of the two teams — it intensified during Steve Spurrier’s decade-long tenure as the Gamecocks’ HBC from 2005-2015. During the Spurrier years, the Gamecocks held a 5–6 record against Georgia and engaged in recruiting battles annually. In 2012, Spurrier referred to Georgia as South Carolina’s “biggest conference rival,” solidifying what fans already knew to be true.

Since South Carolina’s entrance into the SEC, this rivalry has typically met on the gridiron the second week of each season with a non-conference game played prior. This schedule changes periodically, but the tradition holds partially true this year with Georgia being South Carolina’s third game of the season and the first conference game for both the Fighting Gamecocks and the Georgia Bulldogs.