Georgia Football: Bulldogs take on Texas A&M for the first time in SEC play

Georgia football is 2-3 against Texas A&M in their all-time series. Georgia welcomes the Aggies to Sanford Stadium for the first time since 1980 with a chance to tie up the series.

Saturday’s game between Georgia and Texas A&M will be the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Aggies since they joined the SEC in 2012. The Dawgs had played A&M five times though before the Aggies left the Big 12. Georgia has won the last two meetings by a combined score of 86-20.

It’s fitting that the Aggies would come to Sanford Stadium this year for the first time since the 1980 season. The Dawgs are in the middle of a College Football Playoff push and we all know what happened back in 1980. After sending Texas A&M back home with a 42-0 loss Georgia went on to win the National Championship.

Here is a highlight from that game in 1980 (complete with the call by Larry Munson):

Today the Aggies run a split-back pro set (two-back) offense that features Isaiah Spiller and Cordarrian Richardson. Spiller has 796 rushing yards and eight touchdowns and Richardson has 232 yards and four touchdowns. As a team, A&M is averaging 175 yards rushing a game, No. 49 in the nation.

The Aggies are also pretty good at using their two-back set to create mismatches in the passing game.

They are No. 40 in the nation in passing offense averaging 259 passing yards a game. Texas A&M’s quarterback, Kellen Mond, is also a dual-threat, throwing for 2435 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just six interceptions while rushing for 400 yards (second on the team) and seven touchdowns.

Another weapon A&M has is Jhamon Ausbon, who has amassed 744 yards and three touchdowns.

These four are the main reason that A&M average 34 points a game.

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On the defensive side of the ball, A&M is giving up 20 points a game, which is No. 23 in the nation, 132 yards rushing a game, which is No. 36 in the nation, and 195 yards passing, which is No. 27 in the nation. The Aggies have only allowed two teams to go over 200 yards rushing this season.

This matchup is going to be a tough one for Georgia, do not expect the Bulldogs to just roll over the Aggies. Expect another hard-fought game as you saw against Auburn. Texas A&M is a well-coached team that likes to play physical, just like Georgia.

The Aggies held Travis Etienne to 53 yards and JaTarvious Whitlow to 67 yards. So don’t expect D’Andre Swift to just run through their defense. However, there were two backs that went for over 100 on A&M’s defense though, Najee Harris (114) and Kylin Hill (150).

Georgia’s defense has not seen a split-back offense this season. Not too many teams run that system anymore. With the stellar backs that A&M uses in their system along with dual-threat quarterback Kellen Mond, it could really cause some problems for the defense.

I expect Georgia to tie up the series though and send those agriculturists back to Texas with a loss. I believe Bulldogs’ running game will be enough to put them over the top in a very close game. I also do not see The Junkyard Dawgs giving up 20 in this contest.

Georgia wins 24-14.