If Georgia is going to handle business Saturday against this Mark Stoops lead football team, they will need several keys to the victory on the defensive side o the football.
The No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs enter Saturday’s contest against the No. 20 ranked Kentucky Wildcats as 14.5 point favorites at home. Georgia has won the last 13 football games, the longest active winning streak in the series’s 80-year history, covering a total of 76 games, 62 of which Georgia has won.
If Georgia is going to handle business Saturday against this Mark Stoops lead football team, they will need several keys to the victory.
Prepare for the Punch
This is a physical brand of football coming to town on Saturday and it’s something that is talked about every year by head coach Kirby Smart. “This is the most physical game we play every year,” Smart said on Monday. It’s something you have to be prepared for as a football team, they are not only going to run the ball, they are going to run the ball at you, relentlessly.
The front seven defensively will need to strike and defeat blocks in order for this Georgia football team to limit the run game. It’s a different brand of football than what Auburn had success with Saturday, nonetheless, run fits and physicality are basic requirements Saturday for success defensively.
Limit the Explosives
Smart mentioned during his press conference this week that not only does Kentucky lead the Southeastern Conference in Explosive Play Margin — the number of explosive plays you create, minus the number of explosive plays you allow — and also noted that they are almost dead even with regard to run to pass explosive metrics. So, in short, this is not only a football team that can gash you through the run, they have receivers to take the top off as well.
The run game explosives are a matter of run fits and defeating blocks (see part A), the explosives in the passing game are about corners winning their one one-on-ones while also remaining alert. The motion, constant threat of the run, and overall design of the offense can leave defensive backs sleeping outside.
Take Advantage Of Leary’s Misfires
This is certainly a run-heavy football team, they’ve thrown the ball just 24.0 times per game through two games in conference plays, to an average of 33.5 rushing attempts per game. That’s the other thing that sticks out about this football team, they don’t run a lot of plays. They stand of the football and they milk the clock, so when — not if — Devin Leary has a drastic misfiring, it needs to be an interception-worthy play for this Georgia team.
Leary already has five interceptions on the season and managed to play a turnover-free football a week ago, though Florida did drop a sure-fire pick-six midway through the first half. Even when he wasn’t throwing interceptions a week ago, he completed just 9 of his 19 attempts on the day.
Source : DAWGS DAILY