Published September 15, 2010 - 1:38pm
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#12 Arkansas rolls into Athens Saturday to face the Georgia Bulldogs. This game features one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, Ryan Mallett, against one of the conferences rising stars, Aaron Murray. Here are five things you need to know before kickoff at noon.
1: No A.J. Green, Big Problem: Green is currently in the middle of a four game suspension for selling a game jersey for $1,000. While Georgia is appealing the length of the suspension, few expect it to be overturned. Without Green, one of the nations best wide receivers, the Georgia passing game is without its biggest play maker and most dangerous deep threat. Kris Durham leads Georgia in receiving, and will need to have a big game for the Bulldogs to pull of the win.
2: Defense: Georgia has played well in the passing game, but will face their biggest test Saturday in Ryan Mallett. The defense has allowed an average of 12 points per game, since changing to the 3-4 scheme this year. Last week, the defense forced just one turnover, and will need to do better if they hope to beat Arkansas. The Georgia defense will have to limit the big plays in the passing game and force turnovers if they hope to beat the Razorbacks.
3: Finally, a legit opponent for Arkansas: Arkansas’ first two opponents, Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe, are a good way to start your season, but a poor way to prepare for SEC competition. Those two opponents have very few players who were recruited by SEC teams, and do not posses the kind of speed the Arkansas will see Saturday. This will be the first chance we have to see if Arkansas is legit, or a
nother over-hyped sleeper team like Ole Miss.
4: Run, Broderick Green: If Razorback coaches learned anything from watching Georgia play South Carolina it should be that the Bulldog run defense can be worn down over time. Marcus Lattimore carried the ball 37 times for 189 yards last Saturday, and Arkansas should try and let Broderick Green duplicate that effort. While Green isn’t the talent that Lattimore is, they have very similar size and running styles. If Green can get 20-25 carries, it will make their passing game even more dangerous. Green will also need to improve on his opportunities, while he leads the offense in rushing attempts , he is third in yards gained.
5: Georgia is favored by 2.5: I was surprised to see the line considering Georgia did not look impressive last week, and are still without A.J. Green. The game is being played in Athens, which accounts for about 3 points for Georgia. Had the game been played on a neutral site, it would have been either a pick’em or Arkansas -1. I believe that Arkansas is a more dangerous team, and should beat Georgia. However, Vegas makes a lot of money off people that think they know more than their experts do.
When did Georgia hire back Ray Goff? No chance Mark Richt is coaching this team next season.