When playing Georgia, one priority sticks out above the rest.

Stopping Todd Gurley.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Gurley, who stands at an intimidating 6-foot-1, 226-pounds, runs about as fast and as hard as any running back in college football. With the exception of one game where he only carried the ball six times, Gurley has surpassed 130 rushing yards in every game so far this season. None of Georgia’s opponents have been able to keep Gurley under six yards per carry.

There’s no question Georgia’s offense revolves around Gurley considering he’s arguably the best player in all of college football.

“I think they’re leaning on the running game a lot more,” Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel said earlier this week. “They are running the ball well and that’s what they do. They stick to it.”

Gurley can beat defenses in multiple ways. He wears defenses down with his powerful running style, but his speed makes him a huge big play threat on any down and he’s also a capable receiver out of the backfield. Seen as a likely first-round pick and the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, Gurley is good enough to shoulder an entire offense for a whole game.

And with a less than spectacular passing attack, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Georgia put the ball in Gurley’s hands a lot early on to try and neutralize a raucous environment at Faurot Field.

“He’s a great player, and I have a great amount of respect for him,” Pinkel added. “He’s strong and breaks tackles really well.”

As for Missouri’s defense, the Tigers have been average in stopping the run this season. They’ve allowed 143.2 rushing yards per game, which is good for eighth in the conference. While Missouri has a vaunted pass rush, the run defense for the Tigers hasn’t been nearly as dominating.

Because of an injury, Gurley didn’t play Missouri last season and was held to a modest 65 yards two years ago when the Tigers were new to the SEC in 2012. It’s doubtful Missouri can post the same kind of performance this weekend against Gurley. He’s simply too good to be stopped for an entire game. Georgia’s offensive line is big, physical and has a good amount of experience.

Behind that group, Gurley is bound to break off some big runs at some points in the game. The key for Missouri will not to focus on shutting down Gurley, but rather limiting the damage and forcing Georgia to look elsewhere for points.

“You’re not going to stop him, so what you got to do is contain him,” Pinkel explained about his defensive approach to Gurley. “You do that through gap integrity and playing well up front with the defensive line. You can’t allow big holes to open up. We obviously have to play physical against a really good offensive line. You also have to tackle well and pursue well.”

Based off this season’s performance, the prospects of Missouri keeping Gurley from at least 100 rushing yards doesn’t look good. The Tigers have allowed a 100-yard rusher in four out of five games this season and there’s no question that Gurley is the best running back they’ll face all season.

Still, if Missouri can keep Gurley from huge numbers, the chances of a big win for the Tigers this weekend greatly increase. Outside the running game, Georgia’s offense is rather stagnant. Despite the tough challenge ahead for Pinkel’s team, the head coach is looking forward to giving Gurley their best shot.

“We recognize it’s a great challenge, but we’re excited about the opportunity.”