The Georgia Bulldogs are slight road favorites against the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi. In this game, it will take all three phases for Georgia to pull out a victory.
Three reasons the Georgia Bulldogs will beat Ole Miss
Resiliency
Georgia has faced many road challenges this season. Early in the season Georgia played unranked Kentucky and was hit with haymakers all game. UGA struggled offensively, gaining only 262 total yards, but found a way to win.
Two weeks later, the Bulldogs went into Bryant-Denny Stadium against No. 11 Alabama and had their worst start in the Kirby Smart era. They fell behind 28-0 in the first quarter. Carson Beck showed his elite quarterback play. He threw for 339 yards and three touchdowns in the second half before losing.
The third test was when they went into Austin, Texas, where it was Georgia vs. The World. No. 5 Texas was called the new “sheriff” in the SEC by ESPN analyst Desmond Howard. Georgia’s defense honed in and created havoc in the backfield with seven sacks. Running back Trevor Etienne carried the load for three touchdowns. UGA overcame a controversial call, too.
In these three games, Georgia had its backs against the wall and responded with big performances. UGA knows it has a big challenge against Ole Miss, but that’s when the Dawgs have played their best this season.
Kirby Smart
Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football. Smart is an impressive 27-12 against ranked teams since he began coaching Georgia in 2016.
Smart has led Georgia back into the nation’s elite, and the Bulldogs are among the nation’s best over the past four years. Smart is arguably the best coach at preparation for his opponent now that Nick Saban has left college football. Smart has the coaching edge over Lane Kiffin.
Battle of the Trenches
The battle of the trenches is the most important matchup in this game. Ole Miss’ defensive line has sacked opposing quarterbacks 42 times, which is the best in the nation. Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen have revamped this Ole Miss defense to be among one of the best defensive line groups in America.
Luckily, the Bulldogs had guard Tate Ratledge back for the Florida game. Georgia’s offensive line will neutralize this Rebels’ defensive line to help create running lanes for the running backs and create time in the pocket for Carson Beck.
This Georgia defensive line has momentum and has totaled nine sacks in the past two games. It has far more NFL draft talent than Ole Miss’ offensive front.