A battle of undefeated 4-0 teams will take place on Saturday in Athens as the 4-0 Georgia Bulldogs take on the upstart 4-0 Arkansas Razorbacks. Here are the three keys to a Georgia victory.
By Steve Wright
1 – Prevent big plays
Arkansas has beaten both Texas and Texas A&M this season, with the latter especially having a defense that was supposed to slow the Hogs down. Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson is a big play waiting to happen and his arm strength and ability to extend plays makes chunk plays only a viable offensive strategy for Arkansas Jefferson is not, however, the most accurate passer in the conference and if Georgia is able to limit the big plays and make Arkansas drive their way up the field then their offensive game plan is thrown off.
2 – Take away the run
The Hogs average 261 yards per game on the ground as part of an offensive attack the goes for close to 480 yards per game. The average 5.6 yards per rush and have a stable of backs that can do damage both as rushers and as pass catchers out of the backfield. Part of taking away Jefferson’s ability to go long is to curtail the rushing attack, something Georgia should be able to do given they allow just 69 yards per game on the ground. Expect a couple of big plays out of the Arkansas run game, but keeping them around 125 yards will make this much easier for Georgia to win.
3 – Test Arkansas early
Arkansas wants to be physical in its front-seven and stop the Georgia run game. To do this the Hogs will need to load the box, bringing up an extra safety against the massive Georgia offensive front. This will be the time for JT Daniels to use his arm strength and accuracy to strike over the top with a big play or two. This will make Arkansas back-off against the run – opening up that avenue of attack for Georgia – and allowing the mid-range passing game to settle in. Look for some deep strikes in the first quarter here.
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