With its offense struggling, South Carolina used its defense and special teams to turn around the game and beat Georgia, 45-42, in both teams' SEC opener Saturday in Athens, Ga., giving the Gamecocks wins against the Bulldogs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2000-01.

The No. 12 Gamecocks (2-0, 1-0 SEC) scored a touchdown on a fake punt to take 14-13 halftime lead, and they scored three of their four second-half touchdowns off turnovers.

After Georgia (0-2, 0-1 SEC) regained the lead on Aaron Murray's second touchdown pass midway through the third quarter, the Gamecocks' defense responded with two big plays in the third quarter.

Stephon Gilmore scooped up a fumble and returned it to the Georgia 13, setting up quarterback Stephen Garcia's 8-yard touchdown run. On Georgia's next offensive play, Antonio Allen intercepted a Murray pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Allen has scored a defensive touchdown in three consecutive regular-season games.

The defense scored again in the fourth quarter, when highly touted freshman Jadeveon Clowney forced a Murray fumble and Melvin Ingram returned it for a touchdown. Ingram, a 6-foot-2, 276-pound defensive lineman, also scored on a 68-yard run on a fake punt with 2:20 left in the half and recovered Georgia's onside kick with 2:13 left in the game.

South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore helped seal the win with 180 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Lattimore rushed for 182 yards and two scores against Georgia last season.

Georgia freshman Isaiah Crowell rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown, but also had the key fumble that led to Garcia's touchdown run.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier moved ahead of Jim Carlen for second place on the school's all-time wins list with his 46th victory. Rex Enright holds the school record with 64 wins over 15 seasons.

Eight of last 11 games in the series have been decided by seven points or less.