Preview: No. 2 Georgia at Missouri

No. 2 Georgia at Missouri

WHEN: Saturday, noon

WHERE: Memorial Stadium/Farot Field, Columbia, Mo.

RECORDS: Georgia 3-0, 1-0; Missouri – 3-0, 0-0

TV/RADIO: ESPN (Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Eric Zeier, Chuck Dowdle); Sirius/XM – 98/190.

Second-ranked Georgia and Missouri have similar concerns when it comes to Saturday’s SEC showdown (Noon, ESPN) at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. Both want to make sure they don’t get burned by the pass.

For Georgia (3-0, 1-0), it’s all about getting a handle on Tiger quarterback Drew Lock, who is looking for his first win against Georgia in what will be his fourth try.

A senior, Lock is arguably the top quarterback in the SEC, averaging 354 yards passing with 11 touchdowns through three games. He figures to give a young Bulldog secondary its toughest test this year.

Missouri (3-0, 0-0), meanwhile, is coming off a game that saw the Tigers give up 570 passing yards last week to Purdue.

“It was a little frustrating, because we knew what we were about to get, and we couldn’t do anything about it,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said. “That’s not a very good feeling.”

Odom’s fears are well placed.

Georgia hasn’t had to throw the football a lot through three games. But when they have, Jake Fromm and Justin Fields have been very efficient, combining to complete 80.6 percent of their throws (54 of 67) for 649 yards and eight touchdowns.

Last year, the Bulldogs topped the Tigers 53-28 in a game that saw Fromm throw for a season-best 326 yards.

Lock certainly has the attention of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, whose Bulldogs will look to win their second conference game after beating South Carolina two weeks ago.

Odom is certainly impressed with what he’s seen from the Bulldogs, who through three games lead the SEC in total defense, allowing 258.7 yards per game.

“You can’t talk about the top teams in college football without Georgia coming up in the conversation,” Odom said. “You always want to find mismatches—there’s not many out there.”

—QB Jake Fromm continued his solid play, completing 10 of 12 passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns, one each to Mecole Hardman, Riley Ridley, and Jeremiah Holloman.

—WR Mecole Hardman had another big day for the Bulldogs, scoring a pair of touchdowns, one on a 5-yard catch and another on a 70-yard punt return. Hardman now has four touchdowns, tops on the team.

—CB Deandre Baker intercepted his second pass in and as many weeks. It was one of just three passes Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill decided to throw against the senior, who continues to show why he’s one of the best defensive backs in the SEC.

—RB Elijah Holyfield enjoyed the best statistical day of his career, rushing eight times for 100 yards for Georgia, a team averaging almost 260 yards on the ground through three games.

Georgia leads the all-time series with Missouri 6-1.

"He can make every throw. He threw the ball outside of the stadium last year on us. I think the biggest thing is his maturity level, his confidence. He's seen the coverages. He's seen the checks. He understands where he wants to go with the ball. He's got as fast of release as I've ever seen. He can get the ball out so quick, and he does such a good job of keying your defenders and knowing where to go with the ball.” – Kirby Smart on Missouri quarterback Drew Lock.

For Georgia, it’s trying to find a way to contain Mizzou quarterback Drew Lock. The senior is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, and last year burned the Bulldog secondary for four touchdown passes. Georgia only has one sack the entire year, a number that’s going to have to grow at a faster rate—especially against a quarterback the stature of Lock.

—OT Andrew Thomas has returned to practice after spraining his left ankle against South Carolina. He is questionable for the game.

—TE Jackson Harris is out after undergoing foot surgery.

Last year in Athens, Georgia rolled past Missouri 53-28, despite a big day from Tiger quarterback Drew Lock, who threw for four touchdowns, including a pair of 63-yarders to talented wideout Emmanuel Hall.

If the Tigers can score 28 points in Athens, certainly playing in Columbia should be good for another seven points, correct?

I’m not too sure about that.

Drew Lock is a talented quarterback. Make no mistake. In my humble opinion, he’s the best in the SEC, and certainly capable of causing plenty of headaches for the Bulldogs. It’s not going to be a surprise to see him have a big afternoon on Saturday.

But here’s the deal. After watching Missouri’s defense struggle the way it did against Purdue, I just don’t see how they can be expected to slow down the Bulldogs enough to win a shootout. Prediction: Georgia 45, Missouri 24.