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The Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) are hosting the Missouri Tigers (7-1) Saturday at 3:30 in Athens, Georgia.
Last year, the Tigers gave the Bulldogs a scare after Georgia made a fourth quarter comeback to squeak out a four-point win.
This SEC East matchup could end one team’s playoff hopes after the Bulldogs moved from first in the AP Poll to second in the CFP Poll. On the other hand, Missouri moved up from 14 to 12 from the AP Poll to the CFP Poll. Both teams are still competing for an SEC Championship, but a loss to an opposing SEC rival could be devastating to either team.
What Is Georgia Without Brock Bowers?
The Bulldogs proved that they don’t need injured tight end Brock Bowers to score. Georgia is coming off of a 43-20 win over the Florida Gators. Ladd McConkey had his best game, catching six passes for 135 yards and a touchdown.
.@laddmcconkey02 made his 100th reception count. #GoDawgs
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) October 28, 2023
Dominic Lovett had a season high in receiving yards with 83 yards from four catches. Lovett has the second most receiving yards for the Bulldogs with 365, only trailing Bowers.
Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart spoke on Dominic Lovett:
The Bulldogs are also great at protecting starting quarterback Carson Beck. He has attempted 263 passes, yet he as only been sacked five times.
Georgia is fourth in passing yards per game, seventh in points per game and fourth in total yards per game. On the other side of the ball, the Bulldogs rank eighth in defensive yards per game and seventh in defensive points per game only giving up an average of 14.8 points.
While some teams may have stand out players that help to carry a team on either side of the ball, the Bulldogs play as a team. Twelve players have double-digit total tackles and nine players have at least one sack.
A Look Into Missouri’s Success
Missouri has made major improvements from last year when the Tigers ended the season 6-7. After starting off 7-1 , the Tigers are in a much better place. They are well rested ahead of their matchup with the Bulldogs after having a bye week.
Missouri Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz knows that his team just needs to focus on one week at a time.
The Tigers defense knows how to get pressure on the quarterback and cause turnovers. After eight games, the Tigers have 24 sacks, seven interceptions and 30 passes defended.
Smart had this to say about Missouri’s pass rush:
https://twitter.com/MizzouFootball/status/1713634702207398102
Missouri isn’t lacking any talent on the offensive end either. Running back Cody Schrader has 807 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. The Tigers leading receiver is Luther Burden III who has 905 receiving yards, which is fifth in the nation.
https://twitter.com/MizzouFootball/status/1710737360730910842
The Bulldogs are looking to remain undefeated, while the Tigers are looking to stun the nation by taking out the back-to-back national champions. Kickoff is set for 3:30 at Sanford Stadium.
