Advertisement
Published Sep 13, 2018
Preview: MTSU at No. 3 Georgia
Anthony Dasher  •  UGASports
Editor

Middle Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia
WHERE: Sanford Stadium
WHEN: Noon
RECORDS: Middle Tennessee 1-1; Georgia 2-0

DAWG WALK: 10:15
TV/RADIO: ESPN NEWS (Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Bolman); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Eric Zeier, Chuck Dowdle).

Advertisement

The Game

There’s obviously a lot going right for No. 3 Georgia entering Saturday night’s non-conference game against Middle Tennessee State (Noon, ESPN News).

However, if you really want to get picky, there is one stat you can look at and wonder if it’s a concern. The Bulldogs (2-0) only have one sack in their two games, a number that ties Georgia with Ole Miss and Texas A&M for last in the SEC.

Does that worry head coach Kirby Smart?

"We're always looking to improve the pass rush," he says. "I think you're never where you need to be, but that's an area we want to improve. Two things have to happen in pass rush: You have to cover him long enough to rush him; and you have to stop the run to force them to pass the ball. And we're a run/stop team first. That's what we pride ourselves on, which probably takes a little bit away from the pass rush, to be honest with you. So it's an area that I know, since we've arrived we've been pretty good on defense here.”

Smart’s not kidding.

Last year Georgia was sixth in the SEC with a respectable 34 sacks, 6.5 of which came courtesy of Roquan Smith, with D’Andre Walker and Lorenzo Carter chipping in with 5.5 and 4.5, respectively.

Of course, of that group, only Walker remains on the 2018 squad, meaning the Bulldogs will need to find other players to reproduce that production, hopefully starting Saturday night against the visiting Blue Raiders and their record-setting quarterback Brent Stockstill.

Stockstill owns basically every major passing mark for Middle Tennessee. Every chance the Conference USA team has will depend on his talented left arm.

However, as Smart explains, throwing all your defensive eggs into one big basket might not be the best idea, especially when it comes to potentially taking away what the Bulldog head coach feels is one of his team’s strengths—its defense against the run.

“You don't get both worlds, because you could be good at pass rush and not really good at run defense. So we pride ourselves on that, and it's something we really work on. I think it's really important for these guys not to give the quarterback a lot of time to sit back there, because he's really good at it,” Smart said. “They also, on the other hand, know it's hard for them to block some of their guys every down in, down out so they get rid of the ball quickly. You have to be careful how many times you overdo the rush, because they have an incredible screen game, and the quarterback is a very good decision-maker. He knows where he's going with the ball. And they have really good skill players to get the ball to."

NOTES

--QB Jake Fromm has gotten off to a strong start for the Bulldogs, having completed 27 of 34 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Just a sophomore, Fromm is 14-2 as a starter, including a 5-2 mark versus teams in the Top 25.

--WR Mecole Hardman had a career day at South Carolina, hauling in six catches for 103 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown. It was Georgia’s first 100-yard receiving game since the 2016 Liberty Bowl versus TCU (Isaiah McKenzie, four catches for 103).

--CB Deandre Baker, a preseason All-American, had six tackles, two pass breakups, and the team’s first interception of the year, a pick which he brought back 55 yards. Baker actually dropped the football at the Gamecock 1-yard line, but linebacker Juwan Taylor was there to pick it up and step across the goal line for the score.

--S Richard LeCounte made his second consecutive start at South Carolina, and led the Bulldogs with a career-high 10 tackles, including a pass breakup.

SERIES HISTORY

Georgia leads the all-time series with Middle Tennessee State 1-0.

QUOTE TO NOTE

"Cade (Mays), I was excited for him as much as I was disappointed for Andrew because Cade has worked hard. He came in mid-year and worked really hard. Biggest reaction I had was, I'm glad we practiced the way we did.” – Kirby Smart on Mays taking over at left tackle for the injured Andrew Thomas.

KEY MATCHUP

MTSU quarterback Brent Stockstill, the son of MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill, is a senior veteran for the Blue Raiders who has excelled in his share of big games before. MTSU uses a spread offense and loves to operate as fast as it can, meaning Georgia defenders will have to be focused, and the substitutions will have to be quick to keep the Blue Raiders from gaining a foothold.

DRAFT SLANT

--CB Deandre Baker contemplated leaving Georgia a year early for the NFL. He opted to stay, and the Bulldogs are certainly glad of that. A preseason All-American, Baker is considered one of the best at his position in the entire country, and after his near pick-six against South Carolina, he's off to a quick start.

INJURY UPDATE

—OT Andrew Thomas suffered a sprained ankle in the third quarter and is questionable for the game. If Thomas can’t play, freshman Cade Mays will start, with Kendall Baker serving as the top backup.

—TE Jackson Harris is out after undergoing foot surgery.

PREDICTION

If Georgia has proven one thing through two games, it's that the Bulldogs have been better than the bookies in Las Vegas predicted they'd be.

In both outings, the Bulldogs bettered the weekly lines, beating Austin Peay and South Carolina by a combined 86-17 score.

Next up is Middle Tennessee. The Bulldogs are favored by 33 points. That may seem like a lot, but the Bulldogs' offense is clicking. Vanderbilt beat the Blue Raiders 35-7. Georgia will do better. Prediction: Georgia 49, Middle Tennessee 14.

Advertisement