Belk Bowl 2014: Georgia vs. Louisville, Tale of the Tape
The 2014 Belk Bowl is coming up on Dec. 30, and here’s a quick look at how we see Georgia and Louisville matching up.
Georgia and Louisville have never met on a football field, but there is some familiarity between opposing coaches as well as some players.
But if you didn’t know these two teams, and just wanted to see how they really stack up, why not just with an old-fashioned, boxing-style “tale of the tape”, showing who we think has the edge in some important categories.
Here’s how we see the two teams shaking up.
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Giving no edge to either team in quarterbacks, as Georgia’s Hutson Mason has been relatively unspectacular, but simply serviceable all season, while Louisville is still unsure whether Reggie Bonnafon will be able to play in the game. Neither team has been setting the world on fire with quarterback play.
Georgia, with or without Todd Gurley, still has the best running back group in the nation. Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and Brendan Douglas are going to take this Cardinals run defense to task and see how good they truly are. The Cardinals will be without the services of Michael Dyer, which gives an even bigger edge to the Dawgs.
Louisville gets the nod in the receivers category simply because DeVante Parker is the best receiver on the field, particularly with Georgia freshman Isaiah McKenzie suspended for the game. However, as noted above, if Kyle Bolin has to sub at QB for Bonnafon, then it’s anyone’s guess.
The defensive matchups and offensive line edges respectively kind of wash each other out, although Georgia’s overall advantage in the trenches could prove to be a huge difference late in the game.
The real wild card in this game could be on special teams. The Cardinals have been exceptional in every facet of special teams play all season, while Georgia — as has been the case in the past several seasons — has had its struggles, except with place kicker Marshall Morgan.
Everything points to advantage Georgia, but that has also been to known to become a downfall for this team.
Dawgs 31, Cardinals 24
Next: TE Coach John Lilly to Call Offense for UGA in Belk Bowl