A clash of SEC championship contenders is taking place this Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET as the Georgia Bulldogs will play the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The game will be televised on ABC, with “College GameDay” heading to Tuscaloosa for day.
Both teams had a bye week in Week 4, but Georgia lost the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll in Week 3 after an ugly 13-12 win against the Kentucky Wildcats. Alabama has looked strong as the No. 4 spot, coming off of a 42-10 win over the Wisconsin Badgers, but this will be their first SEC game of the season.
Kirby Smart is 1-5 in his career playing against Alabama, but with Nick Saban no longer coaching at Alabama anymore, Smart will look to improve his record against the Tide.
Here’s a statistical look at each team, provided by CFB Stats.
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Scoring Offense:
Georgia: 31.7 points per game (58th)
Alabama: 49.0 points per game (6th)
Alabama’s impressive scoring offense is a big reason why we think the Crimson Tide may have a significant edge against Georgia.
Rushing Offense:
Georgia: 145.7 rushing yards per game (84th)
Alabama: 238.0 rushing yards per game (19th)
Passing Offense:
Georgia: 256.7 passing yards per game (48th)
Alabama: 228.7 passing yards per game (69th)
Total Offense:
Georgia: 402.3 total yards per game (t-65th)
Alabama: 466.7 yards per game (24th)
Scoring Defense
Georgia: 6.0 points allowed per game (3rd)
Alabama: 8.7 points allowed per game (6th)
Georgia is the only defense in the country that has not allowed a touchdown all season.
Rushing Defense:
Georgia: 110.67 rushing yards allowed per game (42nd)
Alabama: 132.33 rushing yards allowed per game (69th)
Passing Defense:
Georgia: 91.3 passing yards allowed per game (1st)
Alabama: 115.7 passing yards allowed per game (7th)
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe represents the biggest challenge (by far) for the Georgia secondary this season.
Total Defense
Georgia: 202.0 total yards allowed per game (4th)
Alabama: 248.0 total yards allowed per game (13th)
Both teams have a top-15 defense in yards allowed per game, along with a top ten defense in points allowed per game. The question will be which offense reigns supreme in this one. Carson Beck, who is seeing his Heisman candidacy slip, will need to lead the Georgia offense without one of its top receivers against the only team he’s ever lost to in his career.