The Georgia Bulldogs are set to host the Ole Miss Rebels in Athens on Saturday in what will be a crucial game in the race for the SEC Championship. The SEC is highly competitive this season thus far, with three teams above Georgia in the standings despite UGA having an impressive 3-1 conference record. One of those teams is Ole Miss.
For Georgia to have a shot at making it to Atlanta, they cannot afford to drop this conference game to the Rebels. A loss on Saturday would hand them a losing tiebreaker to both Alabama and the Rebels, who are both currently above them in standings.
For Georgia to win on Saturday and sit firmly in the drivers seat for an SEC Championship appearance, here is what needs to happen.
Help pass defense by getting to the QB
Getting pressure on the quarterback has been an issue for Georgia so far this season. That will need to change for the Bulldogs to find success against the Rebels. Ole Miss is a top 10 team in the nation in passing offense, and Georgia has not favored well against the pass when playing teams like Tennessee and Alabama. Georgia will need to disrupt QB Trinidad Chambliss to help out the secondary and create takeaways.
Stay true to the run game
Georgia's success up to this point in the season has been heavily due to their ability to run the football. Their ability to control the line of scrimmage and the time of possession will be crucial against an up-tempo Lane Kiffin offense. Georgia cannot afford to go three-and-out several possessions and average only a few yards a carry. Running backs Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier will need to have big games to carry the Dawgs to a victory.
Keep everything in front of them
One of the things that killed Georgia against Tennessee was allowing the deep plays downfield. Since that game against the Vols, the secondary has done better, but not great.
Ole Miss thrives on explosive plays on offense. For Georgia's defense to be successful, they need to break up the deep shots and force Ole Miss to play for the shorter yardage shots. Georgia's linebackers and defensive line played a phenomenal game against Auburn last week. If Ole Miss is forced to run the ball and throw passes just a few yards downfield, it could be a long day for the Rebels.
Kickoff between Georgia and Ole Miss is scheduled for 3:30 pm EST on Saturday, Oct. 18.