Matchups

Posted on: November 2, 2023 at 12:46:47 CT

Talent is often the most important factor in a specific football game, especially at the college level. Jimmies and Joes decide more games than Xs and Os but sometimes matchups play a key role. No. 2 Georgia will host No. 12 Missouri on Saturday in a game that has massive SEC Eastern Division ramifications.

The Bulldogs are currently favored by 15.5 points and they haven’t lost a home game since 2019. If UGA is going to meet expectations and grab its 26th straight win as a program, it will have to win some key battles against the red-hot Tigers. DawgsHQ is ready to examine those matchups.

Georgia defensive backs vs. Missouri wide receivers
The Tigers possess the best group of pass catchers the Bulldogs have faced this season and that’ll probably still be the case once all 12 regular-season games are in the books. Luther Burden leads the group and he’s one of the top wideouts in the country. He creates separation and is dynamic after the catch. Theo Wease is also coming on strong and Marquis Johnson is a deep-ball merchant. Mookie Cooper is also dangerous.

Most would consider the Georgia secondary a strength. The Bulldogs have given up some stuff this season but with guys like Kamari Lassiter, Malaki Starks, and Javon Bullard, Georgia has a ton of talent and experience. Tykee Smith has made a ton of plays for UGA this season and while Daylen Everette has been a bit up-and-down at times, he’s showing the ability to right the ship quickly.

DawgsHQ’s Take: A faster start than the past two games is key. Both Vanderbilt and Florida used the pass to score first on Georgia the past two times out. Both teams hit chunk plays on the Bulldogs and those are the types of plays that take the air out of a home crowd.

The Bulldogs have to limit or eliminate Missouri’s easy opportunities. That means now allowing Burden or any of his sidekicks to work wide open. Georgia had the same challenge a season ago when Tennessee brought stud pass catchers into Sanford Stadium but this is a new team and a new test.

UGA’s offensive line vs. Missouri’s defensive line
The Tigers have a really solid run defense and a group of defenders who do a nice job of getting after the passer. Darius Robinson and Johnny Walker Jr. are disruptors who create negative plays and their ability to spend time in the backfield creates opportunities for others. Only LSU and Kentucky have been able to run the ball effectively against Missouri and the Tigers have multiple sacks in every game but one this year.

Georgia’s offensive line is coming into its own and it should regain the services of preseason All-SEC selection Amarius Mims this week. The Bulldog run game has trended up since the start of the season and the pass protection has been stellar for all eight games thus far.

DawgsHQ’s Take: Georgia lost this battle for over three quarters of last year’s matchup with Missouri. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Bulldogs gained their footing and started running the football. They can’t afford to wait that long this year because this Mizzou team is better. Having the home field is an advantage that Georgia needs to exploit.

Georgia QB Carson Beck vs. Missouri DC Blake Baker
Baker is one of the most creative defensive play callers in the country. The Tigers are multiple on defense and Baker is willing to use all 11 guys to generate pressure. He’s aggressive and will take chances on early downs to try and get the offense behind the chains but that can backfire at times with the Tigers giving up over 4.5 plays of 20-plus yards per game this season.

Beck has been really good in his first season as a starter and he has played his best ball at home. He’ tough to rattle and outside of a play or two per game, makes really good decisions with the football. The Georgia triggerman is still learning and improving, but he has a quite a bit of experience under his belt at this point in the season.

DawgsHQ’s Take: Beck is going to see some unfamiliar looks on Saturday. With a bye week to self-scout and prepare, Baker is going to throw some things at Georgia that he didn’t put on tape in the previous eight games. The key for Beck is to adhere closely to the concepts that have been taught to him and to play within the offense. If he can spoil some of those unconventional looks early on, it can have a ripple effect the rest of the way.

UGA’s front seven against vs. Missouri’s rushing attack
While the Missouri passing game gets a lot of love, the rushing attack is plenty formidable. Cody Schrader is a one-cut runner who has the skillet to punish a defense. The Tigers run a lot of outside zone and that’s something that Georgia doesn’t see very often. Nathaniel Peat is also a gifted back. He and Schrader both had 25-plus yard gains against the Bulldogs a season ago.

Georgia is very good against the run but it isn’t as dominant as it has been the past two years. Florida creased the Bulldogs several times last week and while the biggest of those was after the game was in hand, Georgia has plenty that it can clean up. Getting Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins healthier and even more involved should help some but the entire defensive front will have to improve when it comes to striking blockers and limiting space at the line of scrimmage.

DawgsHQ’s take: While this is our last highlighted matchup, it’s certainly not the least important. Georgia will find itself in a shootout if Missouri is able to run the ball with any consistency. The Tigers are good at it and when you consider now little of it they have seen and how tough it is to simulate, the outside zone can give the Bulldogs some problem. It’s going to take a big-time effort from the entire Georgia front seven.