Georgia football will play its second top-10 opponent of the season on Saturday as the No. 8 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks come to town for a noon showdown.
ESPN’s College GameDay will be in town, and it should give us an atmosphere college football fans love more than their mama’s cooking on Sunday morning.
These two teams are similar on paper, but the Dawgs are the superior team. There is no question about which team has more talent and depth on it, and if you are questioning it — the Dawgs do.
Georgia averages 43.8 points a game while the Hogs average 35.8. Both defenses hold opponents to few points as the Dawgs lead the country in scoring defense at 5.8 and the Hogs average 14.5.
Both offenses average at least 450 yards of offense, they like to run the ball, but they both have explosive pass attacks.
Defensively, the Hogs have some talent in the secondary, and then there is Bumper Pool, who is from a planet of his own. Georgia has Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean and nine other guys that have shined this season.
However, the deciding factor for Georgia this week will be their experience and depth. Regardless if Arkansas has quite a few super-seniors on their squad, it isn’t the same kind of experience the Dawgs have. Georgia has almost two complete rotations on defense that can shut down teams regardless of who is on the field. I’m not sure Arkansas has the same.
The Dawgs know they cannot overlook this team, and the way Kirby Smart is coaching them this year, they aren’t going to overlook them or get complacent. They are on a mission, and the next subject is Arkansas.
Here is the Dawn of the Dawg staff predictions as we are just a couple of days away from another top-10 showdown at Sanford Stadium.
Savannah Leigh
Georgia and Arkansas are two of the most fun teams to watch in college football right now. Sam Pittman has turned the Hogs around in a year, and so far, they have been unstoppable. Defeating Texas A&M last week and Texas earlier in the season have them about as confident as App State was when they beat Michigan.
Even though the Hogs have played well, the Dawgs are more talented across the board. Kirby Smart has five years on Pittman building this culture, which will show on the field Saturday. I have a feeling Sanford Stadium will be a packed house despite the noon kickoff time and will be the 12th man for the Dawgs.
Georgia wins this game on third-down and sustaining long drives. If they can do that, regardless if it’s the run game that leads the way or JT Daniels putting on another impressive performance, the Dawgs will find success. Arkansas is a well-coached team, but so is Georgia, and with the mojo this team currently has, it’ll be hard to see anyone beat them.
I’ve got the Dawgs big, and I mean big. Before the season in my game-by-game prediction article, I said it would be a low-scoring game like 21-10, but after seeing the Dawgs offense through four weeks, I think if they get in a groove, it’ll be over quickly.
Score Prediction: Georgia 42-10
Seth Saunders
The Hogs are 4-0. They’ve got a home win and a neutral site win over Texas and Texas A&M. They’re the No. 8 team in the country. It’s important to lay all that out to emphasize that Arkansas is a damn good football team. Yet, the folks in the desert still installed Georgia as a 19.5-point favorite.
That’s because Georgia is an elite football team. They’re in year six of Kirby Smart and his coaching staff recruiting their tails off and building a roster juggernaut with a two-deep full of studs on both sides of the football.
Arkansas does not yet have the depth or explosive talent on either side of the football to keep pace with Georgia for four quarters. Plus, Arkansas’s offense is not built to play from behind. They need to run the football and take a few deep shots when defenders creep down into the box to stop the run.
If Georgia comes out hot and gets on the board early as they have in their last three games, things could get out of hand. Even though the number seems big given the rankings, I like the Dawgs to cover, and I’ll take the over as well.
Score Prediction: Dawgs 42-10
James Kehm
Kirby Smart led teams/defenses have had problems with dual-threat quarterbacks in the past, and KJ Jefferson is a dynamic player (hobbled or not). However, Jefferson has never seen a faster trio of linebackers than Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Channing Tindall who are all showcasing their talents for the NFL this year.
Jefferson will be running for his life early and often and never find a rhythm against this fierce Dawgs defense.
The offensive line has been a work in progress all season. JT Daniels, who is nursing another injury, will take what the defense gives him, and Georgia will wear down a talented but thin Arkansas defense. This is the week it all comes together and anchors the offense for the toughest stretch of their schedule.
Everyone has been impressed by what the Razorbacks and Coach Pittman have done this year, but they are playing a far talented and deeper team. Great teams dominate these games, and this Georgia team is shaping up to be just that. Dawgs roll over the Hogs Between the Hedges on Saturday 41-17.
Score Prediction: Dawgs 41-17
Rick Beach
Arkansas is a great story, and Sam Pittman is an even better guy. What he has done at Arkansas is genuinely remarkable. From 0-19 against SEC teams to No.8 in the AP poll deserves all the praise.
However, Arkansas is not on the level that Georgia is. Texas isn’t, and neither is Texas A&M. The closer we get to kick-off, the more this game feels like the 2017 Mississippi State game when Georgia won 31-3.
Not saying this will be as dominant a victory, but Arkansas is about to play a machine, unlike anything they have seen since Alabama in 2020.
Score Prediction: Dawgs 38-17
Jeffery Stevens
There has been a ton of hype about the Arkansas vs. Georgia game since the Hogs took out Texas A&M last week. While I think the game will be great for the Dawgs, especially the offense, I don’t think it will be very competitive.
No, I don’t see Georgia winning by 62 points. That being said, playing a team ranked in the top 10. Regardless of how big the lead is, coach Kirby Smart has every reason to play JT Daniels for at least an entire half. This has statement game written all over it.
Score Prediction: Georgia 48-10
Payton Wilkerson
I was dead wrong last week about Darnell Washington and Tykee Smith returning against Vandy last week. However, Coach Smart has stated a couple of times this week that both players would likely play against Arkansas, especially Washington.
With his return, he gives JT Daniels and the Georgia offense another top weapon. One of Washington’s first impressions as a Bulldog was last year against the Hogs, as he shoved an Arkansas defender on a block like he was playing against a junior varsity team.
Of course, the Razorbacks are much better than the last time we played them, but I think Georgia just has too much talent on both sides of the ball. I still love Coach Pittman, though!
Score Prediction: Dawgs 38-17
Austin Carter
Arkansas is a much-improved team that will come ready to play. I love what Sam Pittman has been able to bring out in that team and believe it will be a competitive game. That being said, I trust the Dawgs to be locked in and be able to get the job done.
Score Prediction: Dawgs 38-17
The writers here at Dawn of the Dawg are really confident that Georgia gets the job done against the Hogs on Saturday and move to 5-0 on the season. Georgia has what it takes to win this game, they just must stay focused and play their game ‚— the rest will handle itself.