Georgia Bulldogs vs. North Carolina Tar Heels: A look at the matchup
The Georgia Bulldogs and North Carolina Tar Heels will go head to head in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday. Here is a look at the matchup and various predictions from around the web.
For the Georgia Bulldogs, the Kirby Smart Era officially kicks off on Saturday. On Thursday, the Bulldogs announced that they decided to start senior quarterback Greyson Lambert over the five-star freshman Jacob Eason. However, Eason is still expected to play. Additionally, star running back Nick Chubb will make his return on Saturday.
On the other side of the field, the Tar Heels are coming off their best season under head coach Larry Fedora. They led the ACC in scoring last year, but this year, they face a more difficult schedule as well as a defense looking for improvement.
These two teams haven’t met since the 1971 Gator Bowl, in which the Bulldogs won 7-3. For each team, this is the second time they will play in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. In 2011, the Georgia Bulldogs lost this game to Boise State, 35-21. The Tar Heels also lost 30-24 to LSU in 2010.
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Here is a look at Saturday’s game predictions from around the internet:
VIA Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports & Life:
"Regardless of whether Eason or Lambert ends up with the majority of snaps under center for Georgia, the gameplan for coach Kirby Smart is pretty simple: Get the ball to Nick Chubb early and often. The Bulldogs should be able to take advantage of North Carolina’s suspect run defense to limit some of the pressure on the quarterback. The Tar Heels should look to push the tempo and jump ahead early to take Georgia out of its comfort zone on offense. North Carolina has its share of success with Trubisky and Hood early on, but Smart and Tucker eventually make the necessary adjustments, which helps Georgia open the season with a huge non-conference victory.Prediction: Georgia 34, North Carolina 27"
VIA Chip Patterson of CBSSPORTS.com:
"Neither school has great memories of their last Chick-fil-A Kickoff appearance. The Bulldogs got embarrassed by Boise State in 2011 and North Carolina was a dropped touchdown pass away from knocking off LSU in the early days of the still-ongoing NCAA scandal in 2010. It’s a prove-it game for North Carolina, which has just two wins (Duke, Pittsburgh) in nine tries against AP Top 25 opponents under Larry Fedora.Pick: Bulldogs -2.5"
VIA Brian Stultz of Campus Insiders:
"Sure, it is being called a neutral site game, but let’s be honest: Georgia fans are going to fill the place in their backyard. If Chubb is back to 100 percent healthy, he could be a difference maker. Still, I think Trubisky and the Tar Heels go into the Georgia Dome and upset the Dawgs in a big win for the ACC.Final Score Prediction For UGA vs. UNC: UNC 27, UGA 24"
"Former Bulldogs’ linebacker Jordan Jenkins, now in the NFL with the New York Jets, posted his thoughts on his personal Twitter account.“Georgia 42 UNC 14. Them Georgia boys are ready for Saturday.”"
Next: Bulldogs select Lambert to start vs. UNC over Eason
The Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game will kick off Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Georgia Dome at 5:30 PM EST. Catch the game on ESPN.