Position-by-position edge: Georgia vs. North Carolina

No. 18 Georgia will meet No. 22 North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday in the Georgia Dome. It’s part of an opening weekend of football that’s as good as any in recent memory.

Kirby Smart enters his first game as the Bulldogs’ head coach with plenty of talent, but some questions as well. The Tar Heels have better players than Georgia fans would like to admit and a real shot at winning.

Since 2002, the Bulldogs are 3-1 against ACC teams (all against Clemson) in their season opener, but only 2-3 when facing ranked opponents. In that same time, North Carolina is 0-3 against SEC teams and ranked teams in season openers.

When analyzing this contest, however, history doesn’t matter. Smart is hoping to usher in a championship era, while Larry Fedora has turned the Tar Heels into a strong ACC contender.

These two teams appear to be evenly matched, but let’s go to the tape and see who has the real advantage.

When UGA has the ball

QBs Jacob Eason/Greyson Lambert vs. UNC pass defense: This is a difficult battle to measure because there are so many unknowns. For starters, it remains unclear who will start for the Bulldogs, although signs are beginning to point to Eason.

If Eason gets the call, it will be his college debut. And while we know the 5-star freshman has all of the physical tools, he needs to prove himself in game action. Eason is clearly the Bulldogs’ most dynamic passer and will make some incredible plays, but he will also make some fans shake their heads at times.

When Gene Chizik took over as North Carolina’s defensive coordinator, he had some major work to do with the pass defense. The Tar Heels were abysmal in pass coverage in 2014 but made major improvements last season to finish 18^th nationally in pass yards allowed per game.

The unit’s confidence grew as last year progressed, and North Carolina made things hard on Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson in the ACC championship game. Chizik will surely throw some unique looks if Eason is the starter and may show faith in his veteran secondary by blitzing often.

Edge: UNC

RB Nick Chubb & Co. vs. UNC run defense: Momentum swung heavily in Georgia’s favor with the news that Nick Chubb (below) would be ready to go against North Carolina. Like their pass defense in 2014, the Tar Heels were among the worst teams in college football against the run last year.

Baylor throttled UNC in bowl game without a QB. Seriously, no QB. Ran for 645 yards, which seems like a typo. What will Nick Chubb do?

— Chris Wright (@FilmRoomEditor) August 29, 2016

Opposing teams gained 5.13 yards per attempt against UNC, which surrendered over 247 yards per game on the ground. Before his injury last season, Chubb averaged 8.44 yards per carry – second to only Leonard Fournette among players with at least 70 carries in the months of August and September.

There were some concerns about the team’s depth at the position, but with reports that Sony Michel might also be able to go for the season opener, that is no longer the case. The ground game is Georgia’s biggest strength in this matchup, bar none.

Edge: UGA

UGA wide receivers vs. UNC secondary: I’m going to cheat a little bit and include Georgia’s tight ends in this section, because I believe that unit will be used heavily in the passing attack. It’s a very deep group that Jim Chaney plans to take full advantage of.

On the perimeter, things are a little less settled. Sophomore Terry Godwin is believed to be the next star receiver, but Smart has been pumping the brakes a little bit on that hype train. Another sophomore, Michael Chigbu, has impressed coaches in practice, and senior Reggie Davis should be another option.

As previously stated, the Tar Heels have a very talented secondary. Junior cornerback M.J. Stewart and senior cornerback Des Lawrence form one of the top tandems in the ACC. They are capable defenders when the ball is in the air and adept at preventing catches.

UNC led the ACC with 17 interceptions last year.

Godwin has the talent to enjoy a breakout season in 2016, but that might be on hold until Week 2 against North Carolina’s top-flight corners.

Edge: UNC

UGA kicker/punter vs. UNC return: This is another aspect where North Carolina should have a nice advantage. The Tar Heels have one of the most electric return men in wide receiver Ryan Switzer, who has seven punt return touchdowns in his career.  Senior running back T.J. Logan will primarily handle Carolina’s kickoff return duties and is a speedster capable of breaking one at any point.

At Georgia meanwhile, the team has not yet announced who their starting kicker or punter will be, although that news is expected to come soon. Whoever the Bulldogs’ kicker is, either Rodrigo Blankenship or William Ham, it will be the first time he has seen live game action.

Don’t be surprised if North Carolina manages to take one back against Georgia.

Edge: UNC

When UGA is on defense

QB Mitch Trubisky vs. UGA pass defense: Although Saturday’s game will be Mitch Trubisky’s first start, the North Carolina quarterback feels like a veteran to the coaching staff. The junior has appeared in 19 games and did well in his relief of former quarterback Marquise Williams.

Carolina has developed a dangerous offense under Fedora, and Trubisky should have a successful season in 2016. But Georgia led the nation in pass yards allowed per game last season.

Like the Tar Heels, the Bulldogs have a talented veteran secondary returning this year. Dominick Sanders and Quincy Mauger are savvy safeties and there is plenty of depth to allow flexibility elsewhere.

This could be a strength-on-strength matchup, but Georgia has proven capable of stifling opposing passing attacks.

Edge: UGA

RB Elijah Hood vs. UGA run defense

If North Carolina’s passing offense against Georgia’s secondary is a battle of strengths, this is a matchup that could determine the outcome of Saturday’s game.

Chubb might be the most talented back on the field, but it’s not by a very large margin. Perhaps it’s because he plays at North Carolina, a non-traditional football power, but Hood doesn’t get as much national attention as he should. He’s one of the top running backs in college and will look to prove it on a big stage.

SEC schools wanted him. He was a 4-star prospect and No. 9 running back in the 2014 class. He famously flushed a recruiting letter from Nick Saban down the toilet.

The Bulldogs’ defensive front seven is easily the team’s biggest weakness, although it’s trending in the right direction. Georgia is finally getting some players back along the defensive line, but inexperience will play a factor.

Hood averaged a whopping 6.68 yards per carry last season en route to gaining 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns. Smart and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will have their hands full trying to contain this dynamic, physical runner.

Edge: UNC

UNC wide receivers vs. UGA secondary

Trubisky is an accurate passer, which should help his receivers tremendously. A well-thrown ball tips the scale in favor of the offensive player, but how do the receivers themselves stack up against Georgia’s secondary?

The Tar Heels return a very deep and experienced receiver corps that is capable of pushing the Bulldogs’ pass defense. Senior Ryan Switzer (below) might be the most well-known receiver of the bunch, and an extremely dangerous return man, but fellow senior Mack Hollins actually led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns last season.

Georgia will catch a bit of a break because Hollins, the Tar Heels’ best deep threat, will sit out the first half of Saturday’s game due to a suspension stemming from a targeting penalty in North Carolina’s bowl game. In his absence, Fedora has another senior receiver at his disposal with Bug Howard.

North Carolina’s trio of seniors will provide an incredible test for Georgia’s pass defense. If there is one matchup worth watching on every play, it will be this one.

Edge: Push

UNC kicker/punter vs. UGA return: Unlike Georgia’s kicking and punting situation, the Bulldogs have some familiar faces and good options in the return game. Electric junior Isaiah McKenzie is back and should be the primary punt returner. Senior Reggie Davis also showed he can be effective returning kickoffs.

It’s possible the coaching staff could also give some talented freshman a shot. Running backs Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien are strong candidates, as is the nation’s top athlete from the 2016 recruiting class, Mecole Hardman.

North Carolina had a battle for its starting punter this summer, and it appears the competition is still ongoing. The Tar Heels brought in Australian punter Tom Sheldon in hopes that he would claim the job, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

UNC is much more settled at kicker, however, where Nick Weiler returns for his senior season. Weiler set a school record last season by converting 67 extra-points. He has been named to the Lou Groza Award preseason watch list, and the coaching staff feels confident sending him out to put points on the board.

Edge: UGA

On paper, Georgia’s defense looks equipped to try and contain North Carolina’s potent passing attack. With the Bulldogs’ own aerial offense still a relative mystery, Saturday’s showdown may come down to which team can run the ball most effectively.

Having Chubb in the backfield is something that should give Georgia fans confidence, but the Tar Heels faithful are optimistic about their own talented running back. The defense that is best able to slow the opposing back could send their team home with a 1-0 record.

William McFadden covers the University of Georgia for Saturday Down South. For news on everything happening between the hedges, follow him on Twitter @willmcfadden.