Georgia Football: Five Keys to Georgia Beating Missouri

Win The Field Position / Turnover Battle

Turnover ratio is one of the most important stats in all of football. Taking the ball from your opponent, more than you give it away, is almost always directly correlated to wins and loses. The stat becomes even more crucial, when facing the Tigers, the SEC’s top ranked passing offense.

When facing a talented quarterback like Drew Lock, giving him short field opportunities is the last thing the Bulldogs’s defense wants to do. UGA must make Drew Lock and Mizzou work for everything they get. Ball security and punting will be key towards making the Tigers earn every yard.

Georgia Football is fortunate to have tremendous special teams units. Freshman punter Jake Camarda is averaging an impressive 47.4 yards per punt.

Coming into the season, punting was thought to be a possible concern. Yet Camarda is averaging more yards per punt than Cameron Nizialek, who was fourth in the SEC in punting last season with 45 yards per punt.

Junior kicker Rodrigo Blankenship is living up to his billing as the first team All SEC kicker so far. He has been without blemish in 2018, making all three field goal attempts, and all 18 extra points that he’s tried. This is following last season in which he made 87% of his field goals, and all of his extra point attempts.

Blankenship’s ability to connect from beyond 50 yards is an added scoring weapon for the Dawgs. Missed long field goals guarantee good field position for the opponent, so many coaches won’t allow their kicker to attempt field goals that Rodrigo makes.

Rodrigo Blankenship also constantly produces touch backs when kicking off, limiting Georgia Football opponents from the opportunity of explosive plays in the kick return game.

Kirby Smart has done an excellent job, keeping the Bulldogs’ special teams staffed with talented players. He has taken what was a weakness for UGA under the previous regime, and made it a strength. Unless the Dawgs make uncharacteristic mistakes Saturday, they will win the special teams matchup.

Georgia Football Coach Kirby Smart is huge on ball security, and so far the Bulldogs haven’t disappointed their head coach thus far.

The Dawgs only have two turnovers on the season. One turnover was a fumbled snap exchange by third quarterback Mathew Downing. The Bulldogs other turnover, was an interception by Jake Fromm against South Carolina, in which he was pressured and overthrew the receiver.

On the defensive side, Georgia Football has forced five turnovers. They have intercepted three passes, and recovered two fumbles.

The Dawgs’ defense has also scored a touchdown, on a pick six by Deandre Baker. Unfortunately for Baker he dropped the ball short of the goal-line, and linebacker Juwon Taylor was credited with a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Prediction

I expect the Georgia Bulldogs to excel in all of these keys, with the exception of the pass rush. I do think that even in that department, UGA gets more pressure than expected, and gets to Lock at least once.

I expect Missouri to score more points than any Bulldogs’ opponent thus far, behind top prospect Drew Lock. I suspect Lock will hit on at least one explosive play.

I do think Georgia will limit Missouri’s leading receiver Emanuel Hall, who has 18 catches for 430 yards and three touchdowns on the season, in a similar fashion that they limited Debo Sanders of South Carolina.

With Georgia playing Grown Man Football, dominating the line of scrimmage, I expect another game in which the second string guys get valuable playing time.

Georgia Bulldogs 41

Missouri Tigers 24

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