Stunner: South Carolina absolutely whomps Georgia

• South Carolina defensive line overwhelms Georgia and quarterback Aaron Murray
• The victory puts the Gamecocks in control of the SEC East
• South Carolina figures to be in top four when coaches poll released Sunday
• Connor Shaw threw for two touchdowns and ran for another

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Georgia's Aaron Murray was rolling right, surveying his targets, envisioning the kind of play that had worked with video game precision for the Southeastern Conference's most potent offense.

And then from the shadows of the blind side, here came the footsteps of massive defensive end Devin Taylor chasing Murray to the boundary; just another play going nowhere against South Carolina and another quarterback with no chance.

The Gamecocks weren't done with Murray, either. Another snap and there was the freakish Jadeveon Clowney busting through the line, delivering a clear shot that drove Murray to the turf. Then it's third down and here's Clowney's backup, Chaz Sutton, sacking Murray to punctuate the most revealing series of No. 6 South Carolina's 35-7 win Saturday night.

On a sequence of three plays, three different defensive linemen put a lick on one of the SEC's best quarterbacks. And for long-suffering South Carolina, consider it a message sent to a conference that has no choice but to see the Gamecocks as serious contenders to win this league and perhaps the national title.

"Obviously this was a special one against a school that sort of used to own us," said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, whose team could be ranked as high as No. 3 when the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll is released around midday Sunday. "They can't say they own us anymore, that's for sure."

Oh yes, the barbs were coming left and right Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium, where an overflow crowd of 85,199 watched this complete dismantling of the nation's No. 5-ranked team. In his trademark Spurrier way, he took subtle shots at everyone from TV commentators to past South Carolina coaches to in-state rival Clemson.

But the Ol' Ball Coach had earned every last one of them, and by the time he was done, Spurrier eventually came back to the fundamental truth driving South Carolina (6-0, 4-0 SEC) to places it has never been before.

"We started recruiting better, that's what we did," he said.

There is nothing complicated or fancy about what South Carolina has done through six games. There are no signs of the old Florida Fun 'n Gun, no tricks, no risks. But the new Spurrier formula is a winning one in the SEC, tried and true for decades. Develop a quarterback who limits mistakes, recruit an elite running back and, above all else, put together a defensive line that can win in the trenches.

The Gamecocks have all three now, and it's the last item in particular where few teams in the nation can match them.

Forget for a moment the burst of energy that carried South Carolina down the field to a 7-0 lead in the first 2:32, or even the 11-play march that made it 14-0 right off the bat. In this kind of frenetic environment with so much at stake -- it was the first top-10 matchup ever in this stadium -- that kind of start wasn't a surprise.

What truly stood out about this performance was the degree to which South Carolina's defensive front made Georgia (5-1, 3-1) look inept, wrecking its game plan in every way possible.

Georgia, a team that had averaged 48 points and 248.8 rushing yards, had 40 yards on 26 carries through three quarters and didn't score until a cheap touchdown with 1:57 left. Earlier this week, Murray was being talked up as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. By the end of the night, Clowney and company had harassed him into an 11-of-31 performance for a paltry 109 yards.

"That was our goal, to put pressure on him and cause conflict with their offensive line," said Clowney, who said he had picked up Georgia's silent snap count early in the game. "We tried to make them one-dimensional and stop the run."

Clowney, a native of Rock Hill, S.C., is the kind of player Spurrier was talking about. The nation's No. 1 recruit in 2011, he was the kind of player South Carolina wouldn't have had a chance to get in the past. But when Spurrier won a fierce recruiting battle with Alabama, it was a program-defining moment, a chance to go from 8-5 to something like this.

At his best, Clowney is a one-man pass rush, a guy with the athleticism, speed and reach at 6-6 to single-handedly alter offenses. And when you combine him with the likes of Taylor and sophomore tackle Kelcy Quarles (another top-100 in-state recruit), you've got a truly elite defensive line that has now proven it can shut down great offenses.

"I'm glad I'm not playing against them," South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw said.

It also gives the Gamecocks two great luxuries: They don't have to blitz, and they can play conservatively on offense when they get the lead.

With Clowney getting off blocks and limiting Murray's time to throw, South Carolina stuck to fundamentals, took no chances and just ran, ran, ran the ball once it got a 21-0 lead.

"We try to keep it simple," defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said. "It's a blessing to be able to rush four guys and drop seven when it's time to throw the football."

There are no gimmicks or shortcuts in this South Carolina uprising; just really fast, talented, well-coached players playing ferocious defensive football. After years of unmet expectations, squandered potential and relentless thirst for big-time football, the Gamecocks can finally call themselves a national championship contender.