The offensive side of the ball isn’t the only area that Georgia will have when the Bulldogs take on either Notre Dame or Indiana in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s night (8:45 p.m., ABC).
There are also questions on the defense that will need answering.
The Bulldogs are coming off one of their better games of the year in the SEC Championship, but there is still improvement needed.
Let’s take a look at five questions that we have:
Who will be the top four cornerbacks?
Even before Julian Humphrey packed his bag and hitched a ride on the NCAA Transfer Portal, sophomore Daniel Harris had already taken over, playing opposite 13-game starter Daylen Everette.
But who will be the top backups behind them?
In the SEC Championship, both Harris and Everette played all 55 defensive snaps, so the plan may well be the same in the Sugar Bowl.
But if the Bulldogs need someone to step in, true freshmen Demello Jones and Ellis Robinson IV figure to be the next two men up after playing in just three and four games, respectively, during the regular season.
Will Christen Miller be ready to go?
Christen Miller suffered a shoulder injury against UMass and did not play against Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale, or the SEC Championship against Texas.
We did see Miller work out before both games with strength and conditioning coach Scott Sinclair.
With three weeks between games, it’s believed Miller will at least dress out for the contest, and likely be in position for some reps against either the Irish or the Hoosiers.
What player on defense could be one to watch?
It’s been a difficult year for Jordan Hall, who dealt with surgeries on both legs to repair a couple of stress fractures.
Hall returned to play in Georgia’s last five games but has remained somewhat limited.
With the extra time to rest and prepare, could Hall be setting himself up for a strong finish to his 2024 campaign? He could be. If so, that’s going to give the Bulldogs’ defensive front a nice bump.
How will the Bulldogs match up against the starting quarterbacks of Notre Dame or Indiana?
It’s a tale of two different quarterbacks.
Historically, Georgia has struggled against running quarterbacks, and Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard certainly first that description.
Along with completing 194 passes for 2,092 yards and 16 touchdowns, Riley has rushed 124 times for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke is more of a stationary target, having completed 202 of 287 passes for 2,827 yards, 27 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He has been sacked 17 times compared to just 12 for Leonard.
He’s not much of a runner, however, with -25 yards rushing on 41 attempts with two scores.
What role will Will Muschamp play?
Per team sources, defensive analyst Will Muschamp will play the same role as he did for Georgia in the SEC Championship.
Muschamp will be a sounding board and extra set of eyes for Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann.
Otherwise, the veteran assistant will continue to perform the same duties that he did for Georgia throughout the regular season, lending a hand with his insight in several different defensive areas.
He’s expected to again be on the sidelines for the game.
