We are now less than a week away from watching the Georgia Bulldogs go head-to-head with North Carolina in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
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Many questions Georgia Football fans have been asking have been answered. Nick Chubb is 100% healthy and is ready to play. According to multiple reports, Jacob Eason will be the starting quarterback although Smart won’t let on.
The players and coaches have worked hard for weeks to prepare for this game. But even with all that work, a lot could go right and a lot could go wrong.
Here are two things that could likely go in the Bulldogs favor and two more things that could hurt Georgia’s chances of winning.
Right No. 1: Nick Chubb plays like Nick Chubb
By all accounts, Chubb is healthy and ready to go. Will North Carolina’s defense be though? If they have not improved much since the last time they played then the answer will be a big, fat no.
In their bowl game, Baylor had 645 rushing yards and seven touchdowns against the Tar Heels. In Gene Chizik’s second year as defensive coordinator, the defense should be better, but they will need a 180 degree turnaround to even slow down Chubb.
Right No. 2: A wide receiver steps up to help Eason
Of course, we hope Eason plays well, and Nick Chubb will help him out a lot. But besides Terry Godwin, he needs another threat out wide to make his job easier. The inside spots are solid with Isaiah McKenzie and a stable of tight ends that might be the best in the country.
In an electric environment, making his first start, Eason will need all the help he can get to settle in. Reggie Davis has experience, but he has never been relied on as the No. 1 or No. 2 receiver. However, he has been devoted and has said that watching his dropped touchdown pass against Tennessee last year has motivated him to work much harder in the offseason.
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Then, there is freshman Riley Ridley who looked really good in the G-Day Game. His brother Calvin had a great freshman year in 2015 for Alabama. Riley could do the same for Georgia in 2016.
Whether it is Davis, Ridley or someone else does not matter, if one of them steps up for Eason, it will just be on him to deliver passes.
Wrong No. 1: Jacob Eason isn’t ready
Clearly, this is the worry on every fans mind and for good reason. He is a true freshman starting against a very good team, away from the friendly crowd in Athens. He could struggle just as easy as he could shine.
All the pieces around him may be ready, but it is a lot to ask of a quarterback to start in the kind of game he will be this Saturday.
(Read this for a more descriptive reason why Eason might have a tough year in 2016.)
Wrong No. 2: Elijah Hood tears through a rebuilt defensive line
Georgia has a talented defensive line thanks to some good recruiting classes as of late, but besides Trenton Thompson, they are all inexperienced.
That is not a favorable situation to face when your first game is against a running back like Hood. Last year he had 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Clearly, he is a guy Georgia would rather face with a group of seasoned defensive linemen. Unfortunately, that is not what Georgia has, and fans around the country might be looking at two running backs running free for 60 minutes in the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game.