The stakes are excessive as No. 3 Georgia travels to Oxford for the primary time since 2016 to face No. 16 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon.
The third-ranked Bulldogs enter Saturday’s showdown having solely misplaced to Alabama, whereas the Rebels have suffered a pair of three-point losses to Kentucky and LSU.
Whereas a second loss would drop Georgia down in its playoff positioning, it could doubtless not get rid of the Bulldogs from the 12-team area. Ole Miss enters the sport in a must-win scenario.
One matchup to control might be Georgia’s O-line and the Ole Miss protection. Whereas Georgia solely permits 1.25 sacks per recreation, the Ole Miss protection is second within the nation with a mean of 4.56 sacks per recreation, according to the Related Press. The Rebels lead the nation with a mean of 10.1 tackles for loss.
Although Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has accounted for 17 TDs, he has thrown 11 interceptions, together with three in back-to-back video games. Since Georgia’s lone defeat to Alabama on Sept. 28, the Bulldogs have scored 30 or extra factors in every recreation regardless of Beck’s turnovers.
Though Beck has been turnover-prone at occasions, the senior has handed for 200 or extra yards in six of Georgia’s eight video games, together with two video games with 400 or extra yards. Beck has additionally thrown a number of TD passes in six video games, and whereas he has accounted for a number of interceptions in 4 video games, Beck has not thrown an interception within the different 4.
Ole Miss enters the sport after a record-setting efficiency in opposition to Arkansas. Quarterback Jaxson Dart broke the workforce information for passing yards (515) and complete offense (562). Dart tied the college document with six TD passes. In complete, Dart has 21 TDs, three interceptions and has handed for greater than 200 yards in each recreation this season.
Previous to that offensive outburst in opposition to Arkansas, Ole Miss had been held underneath 30 factors in every of its earlier 4 convention video games.
Dart must go to battle on Saturday with out main rusher Henry Parrish Jr. (leg), and the workforce’s star receiver Tre Harris (decrease physique) is uncertain.
This marks the primary of consecutive ranked matchups for Georgia because the Bulldogs play their last street recreation at Ole Miss previous to internet hosting No. 7 Tennessee on Nov. 16. Ole Miss has a extra favorable schedule, making Saturday’s recreation in opposition to Georgia carry a good greater significance.
