Rating The Three Keys

Win in the box

Of teams Georgia has faced this year, Mizzou may have the most capable ground game. It’ll be up to Georgia’s defensive line and linebackers, namely the inside linebackers and linemen, to clog things and up and bog the Tigers down between the tackles and take that element away.

At some point, this thing of nobody scoring a rushing touchdown against Georgia has to end...doesn’t it? The Bulldogs obviously got help with Kelly Bryant’s playing status, and it basically let Georgia pin its ears back to stop the run with less of a passing threat, and it worked - the Tigers were held to 50 yards rushing. And it’s not as if Mizzou abaonded the run - it ran the ball 24 times and passed it 34 times.

Point is - Georgia has a defense that can shut down anyone right now. The offense? That’s another story...hopefully for now.

Suffocate and don’t let up

It seems like a old and tired strategy, but it still holds true. Georgia is better than Missouri. It does not need to let the Tigers hang around into the third quarter and think that they have a chance to win.

There’s two ways to beat someone that you are better than. You can either rip the head off early and be down with it, or there is the more agonizing option of slowly cutting them apart. Georgia and its Man Ball did the latter on Saturday. As the early lead got extended and extended, there was no doubt that the Tigers would not be able to rally - and Georgia played like it knew that.

Win the edge

Sure, D’Andre Swift eventually got yards between the tackles last week, but things really loosened up with the stretch plays to get to edge. If Georgia gets its playmakers in space outside the tackles, via run or pass, itll be a great Saturday night in Athens.

As has been typical, Georgia didn’t have many explosive plays against Mizzou, especially om the ground. For a while, Jake Fromm’s 15-yarder was Georgia’s biggest gain. The Buldogs eventually got a bit more - D’Andre Swift broke off a 47-yard burst to help him gain 83 yards by night’s in.

How much of that run-game plan was impacted as the game went on with injuries? A good bit - you have to play to what you have to work with does best. Even Cade Mays and Isaiah Wilson play at Auburn, the question becomes how close to 100 percent they’ll be. If they’re not, does Georgia go more max-protect? Time will tell.

Go Dawgs!

Go Dawgs!