Georgia Three Keys: Austin Peay

Three-keys-Georgia

Georgia opens the 2018 season on Saturday with the visit of Austin Peay. It is far from the flashiest opening day matchup on the FBS schedule, but it is a game that will give head coach Kirby Smart a feel of where the Bulldogs stand as they make another run at the College Football Playoff.

By Steve Wright

Here are the three keys for this one:

Don’t take Austin Peay lightly

Head coach Will Healy has done some remarkable things at Austin Peay over the last couple of seasons. The 33-year-old may still be young enough to (conceivably) be playing on Sundays, but he has managed to create a level of buzz around a non-SEC program in SEC country that is not easy to achieve.

It has been his ability to recruit that has set Healy apart from other coaches at the FCS level. He went 0-11 in 2016 with the Governors, but he has also managed to reel in three consecutive No. 1 recruiting classes in the Ohio Valley Conference. After rolling to a 29 game losing streak after starting 2017 0-2, Austin Peay rebounded to finish the season 8-4.

The Governors have no business even being in the game with Georgia after the first quarter given the talent and budget gap between the two schools. You can bet, though, that Austin Peay will come out of the gates strong, their coach simply wouldn’t have it any other way.

Shut down the ground game

Austin Peay will try to attack Georgia with a running game that is unique and relies on plenty of misdirection. This is the formula that the Service Academies have been running for years to take down schools with easier recruiting paths, so the Bulldogs will have to be aware of everything that the Governors do on the ground in order to shut them down.

The Georgia defense will be expected to control this game, that is what the Bulldogs defense does after all. Healy’s offense rushed for almost 260 yards per game last season – admittedly at a lower level  – averaging over five yards per carry with elements of the option and a couple of dual-threat run/pass players on the field.

The Georgia front will be the key to stopping this attack. The motion and misdirection only works if the defense is unable to break through into the backfield and stop the runs at their source. If the defensive line manhandles the Governors front – which it should do on paper – then it will be a long day for the running backs.

Make Jake Fromm the focal point

Fromm was obviously an important component of the Bulldogs offense in 2017. He was the controller of the team, the signal caller who allowed Sony Michel and Nick Chubb to take over games on the ground. Behind that duo, Fromm threw for over 2,600 yards and 24 touchdowns.

If Georgia wants to achieve its goals in 2018, the Fromm will have to be even better.

The Bulldogs will have a running back one-two punch – they simply always do – but Fromm needs become a player that can win games for Georgia on his own. This will be far from his biggest test of the year, but seeing Fromm making big throws for completions would go a long way towards showing that he is ready to take the next step in this offense.

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