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College Football

SEC Kickoff: Everything you need to know about Georgia Tech at Georgia

Drew Laing

By Drew Laing

Published:

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Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s annual rivalry between Georgia Tech and Georgia in Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.

When: Today
Where: Athens, Ga.
Game Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Current Line: Georgia (-12.5)

Game Buzz: As one of the more underrated games this weekend, Georgia and Georgia Tech square off in Athens, Ga. The Bulldogs won’t be competing for an SEC East title anymore, but there’s still a lot on the line in this in-state rivalry. UGA has won five in a row and looking to extend its dominance as both teams enter the game ranked for the first time since 2011.

SATURDAY DOWN SOUTH PREVIEWS

NO. 16 GEORGIA TECH

Players to watch:

  • QB Justin Thomas
  • RB Zach Laskey
  • WR DeAndre Smelter
  • LB Paul Davis
  • LB Quayshawn Nealy
  • DB DJ White

Keys for Georgia Tech: 

  • Run, run, run: The UGA run defense has been great most of the season, but in recent weeks it’s been a unit that’s struggled. Georgia Tech needs do what it does best and pound the rock straight at Georgia. If the Yellow Jackets are able get some production on the ground, perhaps they can keep pace with the talented rushing attack of Nick Chubb on the other sideline.
  • Make Hutson Mason beat you: Everyone knows how dominant Chubb can be for UGA, and he’s nearly impossible to stop. Georgia Tech would likely find the most defensive success if it can force Mason to make the big plays on offense. He’s improved as the season has progressed, but he’s still capable of making some errant throws, especially with weaker arm strength. Perhaps GT can take advantage of some poor decisions.
  • Enough is enough. Georgia Tech is on the verge of losing its sixth straight game in the series. At some point, the Yellow Jackets need to stop letting the Bulldogs push them around and send a message to UGA. Georgia Tech needs to play like its got nothing to lose on Saturday and show UGA that its players want it more.

Glaring weakness to watch: Confidence. GT has lost five straight games in the series. Does Georgia Tech believe it can beat this UGA team?

Most interesting part of the game: How do the Yellow Jackets stop Nick Chubb? The true freshman has been virtually impossible to stop and GT’s run defense hasn’t been that great this season. It’ll be interesting to see how GT adjusts and what it does to contain the standout freshman.

Team buzz: Georgia Tech isn’t FSU in the ACC, but this is a good football team. The Yellow Jackets should give Georgia all it can handle on Saturday, in preparation for the ACC Championship next week.

No. 9 GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Players To Watch:

  • QB Hutson Mason
  • RB Nick Chubb
  • WR Malcolm Mitchell
  • TE Jeb Blazevich
  • OL John Theus
  • OL Kolton Houston
  • LB Leonard Floyd
  • LB Jordan Jenkins
  • CB Damian Swann
  • LB Amarlo Herrera

Keys For Georgia:

  • Ride the freshman: Nick Chubb is easily your best offensive weapon. Don’t get cute on offense and hand the ball off to Chubb as much as possible. He’ll be the guy to lead the team to a win.
  • Don’t be afraid to throw deep: Georgia also needs to take some chances downfield. Hopefully for the ‘Dawgs, an effective run game will open up some opportunities downfield. Receivers Jonathan Rumph and Chris Conley have developed into some reliable targets in recent weeks and should be able to make some big plays against Georgia Tech.
  • Avoid a letdown: Georgia won’t be going to the SEC Championship, but the ‘Dawgs can’t let that disappointment affect their play on the field. They’ve still got a lot to play for, including a premier bowl game. If they start feeling sorry for themselves, Georgia Tech could easily upset the Bulldogs on their home field.

Glaring weakness to watch: Run defense. Georgia’s run defense isn’t bad, but GT’s rushing attack is among the best in the country. The ‘Dawgs have shown some vulnerability in that area at times this season, so there’s no telling what’ll happen when these two teams collide tomorrow.

Most interesting part of the game: Nick Chubb’s rushing performance. Can he keep it up? He’s been dominant since becoming the starter back in October. A big game from Chubb would possibly put his name into the SEC MVP discussion as well.

Team buzz: Georgia’s hopes of an SEC Championship berth are gone, but as a top-10 team there’s is still a remaining possibility that UGA could sneak into a high-level bowl game with some losses ahead of them in the rankings. A win tomorrow would also give UGA 10 wins on the season and its sixth-straight win against Georgia Tech.

Drew Laing

Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.

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