UGA Football has taken the college football world by storm throughout the entirety of this season so far. However, many are expecting the SEC power to crack under the pressure one of these days, and it may. But the day that happens will not be this weekend against the Missouri Tigers.
Georgia sits atop the first College Football Playoff rankings as of Tuesday, and they undoubtedly deserve such an honor. Their overbearing defense has been the biggest reason for the abundance of success. This is no surprise, as the Bulldogs are becoming more and more renowned for their stifling ways as the seasons go by. But what about their offense? Is it any good, and can it score on Missouri?
Georgia’s Offensive Prowess
Just because UGA Football is praised for defense does not mean that it sucks on offense. So far this season, the Dawgs have scored an impressive average of 37.9 points per game. This is despite playing a ranked Arkansas (at the time), Auburn, and Kentucky, all back-to-back.
Perhaps the greatest testament to their depth is how quarterbacks J.T. Daniels and Stetson Bennett have both received noteworthy amounts of playtime. However, their offensive flow has taken no visual hits in the process; they score at will, regardless of who is orchestrating the drives. That is one of the most impressive traits an offense can possess.
When compared to other Southeastern forces, Georgia currently sits in third place in regards to points scored with 303. Ahead of them are only the number-2 Alabama Crimson Tide (363) and the number-16 Ole Miss Rebels (313). Considering the offensive capabilities of both Bama and Ole Miss, that is nothing to be ashamed of.
When looking at points amassed in league play, though, UGA Football has scored more than any other SEC team with 237. That should be powerful enough to handle Missouri in Athens, right?
Missouri’s Defensive Struggles
A newborn could work his way to the answer to that last question. Not including the Vanderbilt Commodores (320), Missouri has easily allowed the most points of any Southeastern power, with 288 so far. That means that Mizzou is giving up an average of 36 points per game.
And it’s not as if the Tigers are playing the best of the best, either. Of their first eight opponents, three of them were Central Michigan, Southeast Missouri State, and North Texas, respectively.
CMU is 4-4 on the season with a Mid-American Conference schedule. Since scoring 24 against Missouri on the road, they have been held to 17 at Miami (OH), 30 at Ohio, and 26 versus Toledo. That is certainly not a great company for Missouri’s defense to be in, but it doesn’t stop there.
Southeast Missouri State of the FCS’s Ohio Valley Conference managed to score 28 against Mizzou. Of their six losses thus far, their offensive showing against the Tigers scored more than it did in three other defeats at the hands of FCS-level opponents.
And lastly, Conference USA’s 2-6 North Texas squad put up 35 on Missouri, in what is still one of their “closer” losses. For the sake of comparison, the Mean Green have scored less against SMU, UAB, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, and Liberty. In other words, the defeat at Missouri saw UNT score more in a loss than any other so far this year. Are we supposed to believe that Georgia can’t get points on that kind of effort?
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The Takeaway for UGA Football
It’s not uncalled for to say that the Georgia Bulldogs shouldn’t struggle in this one. Rather, this is a golden opportunity for them to prove their worth on the offensive side of things and, as a result, appear more complete as a unit. UGA should take this one in convincing fashion, most likely by a score that sits in the ballpark of 45-13.
Upon their dominating victory, the Dawgs will advance to 9-0 on the season and keep their spot at number-1 for another week. As for Missouri, they will fall to an unpleasant 4-5. At the same time, they will officially take the crown for the worst defense in their league, as they will subsequently surpass Vanderbilt’s total points allowed (as the Commodores have their bye this weekend). That means that Georgia won’t be knocking down anyone of merit this Saturday, but they’ll look ready for anything nonetheless.
