Guerry Clegg: Greyson Lambert fits in with Bulldogs

Let's throw out the disclaimers right up front.

It was just one game in a long season.

South Carolina's defense might be even worse than anyone imagined.

One injury, let alone a rash of them, can wreck a season.

It was at home, and the offensive line provided him better security than Secret Service.

OK, got it. But still

Greyson Lambert's performance Saturday night in Georgia's 52-20 win over South Carolina just might prove to be one of those benchmark moments, not unlike Auburn's game-winning drive against Mississippi State or Dee Ford's sack of Johnny Manziel two years ago, or Terrence Cody's two blocked field goals against Tennessee in 2009.

Granted, Lambert likely will never match the numbers he put up Saturday night: 25 pass attempts, 24 completions. That computes to a completion percentage of .960. No quarterback in the history of college football with at least 20 completions has done that.

"There were very few balls that weren't right on the money," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "There's a difference between a completion, a ball that might cause a guy to fall or stumble or make a shoestring catch or jump up out of his shoes to get it. He was really putting it on the money."

Lambert was so hot that Richt scrapped the original plan to get Brice Ramsey some playing time in the first half.

"After that third series, it was like, 'We're not doing it right now. We may do it later, but we're not doing it now,' " Richt said.

Georgia entered the season with what was perceived to be a championship-caliber roster with the notable exception of quarterback. Ramsey, Faton Bauta and Jacob Park went through spring practice unable to lay undisputed claim to the starting job. Meanwhile, up in Charlottesville, Va., coach Mike London decided to change quarterbacks, going with Matt Johns over the more experienced Lambert.

Lambert decided to transfer to Georgia. With that, Park decided to leave. It's hard enough to be the new guy coming into a veteran team. It's especially difficult when at quarterback, the leader of the team. After a month of preseason practice, Lambert won the starting job.

Wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell said Lambert made a positive impression from Day 1.

"Work hard. Showed us he cares. Showed us he wants to win," Mitchell, a senior, said. "When I say us, I mean just the guys who have been here for a while. He just loves the game of football."

Lambert is humble but exudes a quiet confidence, much like David Greene. Perhaps having spent three years in a mediocre program gave him a better sense of appreciation for being on a championship contender.

"It's a blessing. I just thank God for being able to experience it," Lambert said.

His debut was successful, but it was against Louisiana-Monroe, not much of a measuring stick for the rigors of the SEC. That was followed by a poor performance against Vanderbilt. The first half was especially rough as he failed to complete a pass. Many fans were ready to see Ramsey get a shot. But Lambert remained confident, which did not go unnoticed by his coaches or his teammates.

"Every week is a new week," Lambert said. "That Sunday, that game was behind me. I wasn't thinking about that game. The most important thing about that game was we got a 'W' and we were able to get back and practice and play this one."

His teammates, even Ramsey and Bauta, welcomed him from the beginning.

"That was big," Lambert said. "I just wanted to come in here and do whatever I can to help the team. So I just embraced the role coming in. I love my team. I love my teammates. I'm blessed to be a part of it."

"I'm happy for him," Mitchell said. "He definitely deserves it."

There's a stage in the northeast corner of the Sanford Stadium. After big wins, players climb on stage and celebrate with the students. When the game ended, Lambert headed for the dressing room but was grabbed by tight end Jeb Blazevich.

"I've never felt that exhilarating feeling like that before," Lambert said. "To see all the students there who have been there an hour before the game and they're there until the very end. It was definitely fun. Jeb told me, 'Hey, there's a stage over there you've got to go stand on after the game.' I was like, 'What are you talking about?' So I made my way over there. That was definitely a fun experience."

So does Lambert finally feel accepted as the leader of the offense?

"Um who knows? I'm just thankful for this win and we'll see."

-- Guerry Clegg is an independent correspondent. You can write to him at sports@ledger-enquirer.com

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Guerry Clegg: Greyson Lambert fits in with Bulldogs ."