Three Keys to a Sugar Bowl Win

Don’t believe what you may have read.

Yes, Dawg Sports is showing up for our gameday run of content for the Sugar Bowl against Baylor.

Here’s three keys to a Georgia win in the Big Easy.

How’s the case of wants?

More times than many of us care to recall, especially in last year’s offseason, Georgia as a program perception needs to win this bowl game. It was very apparent last year against Texas that this team did not want to be there. Kirby Smart’s public front here this time by has been that the focus is on the players who want to and are in New Orleans.

As a program, having to go into another offseason with a bowl loss won’t sit well, and neither may being ranked below Florida. That’ll be a big deal to the fan base and coaching staff. The question is - will the players be motivated enough to force that result.

Georgia does not just need to try to win. It has to win.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Give Fromm time

You don’t want to discount what James Cook, Zamir White and Kenny McIntosh can do with Brian Herrien out and D’Andre Smith likely limited, At the end of the day, Swift is on another level, and at least from what’s been shown this year, those three guys don’t strike as those who can carry the load and take a game over.

Given that, this could be a game where there’s at least a chance for Jake Fromm to throw it more to Georgia’s patchwork of receivers, tight ends and even backs from the backfield. The challenge will be an offensive line without three starters protecting Fromm in a big moment - think the Florida game.

Fromm can win this game for Georgia, but he’ll need protection up front to do it.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Shut down Baylor’s receiving backs

If you look at the Bears loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, a key factor was Baylor’s running backs catching passes from the backfield being a non-factor.

Georgia needs to make tackles in space and allow its perimeter play to do something similar, forcing Baylor to win between the tackles instead.

Go Dawgs!