GEORGIA PASS OFFENSE vs TEXAS PASS DEFENSE
The question with Carson Beck is what version is going to show up on Saturday? Will it be the one that lit up Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi State to the tune of more than 1,650 yards (although he did turn the ball over a bunch in those games)? Or will it be the one similar to what we saw in Austin in October that threw for zero touchdowns and three interceptions and was held in check with his yardage? Georgia has a pretty deep pool of receivers but doesn’t necessarily have the dynamic threat that the program usually features. Arian Smith is the big play guy who leads the team in yards, while Dominic Lovett is the leader in terms of receptions. In the first match-up, I mistakenly gave Georgia the edge by one star. While I expect Beck to play better than he did in Austin, the Longhorns have earned the benefit of the doubt in this one.
Edge – Texas **
GEORGIA RUN OFFENSE vs TEXAS RUN DEFENSE
Who would have ever guessed that we’d see a Georgia team under Kirby Smart that ranks 15th out of 16 teams in the SEC in rushing? Well, that’s where we’re at this year. The Bulldogs average just 128 yards per game on the ground, ahead of only LSU. Texas, meanwhile ranks third in the league in rush defense. Trevor Etienne has been banged up but may be available this week. In the first match-up, with Etienne in the game, the Longhorns held Georgia to 108 yards on 30 carries.
Edge – Texas **
GEORGIA OFFENSIVE LINE vs TEXAS DEFENSIVE LINE
Georgia’s line has been pretty good overall, giving up just 18 sacks on the year, which puts the Dawgs at third in the conference. The run blocking hasn’t been great and this is a line that was hit by key penalties early in the season. Left guard Dylan Fairchild is very good. So is left tackle Earnest Greene. Texas was able to generate just one sack in the first match-up but the Longhorn defensive line is playing much better of late.
Edge – Texas *
TEXAS PASS OFFENSE vs GEORGIA PASS DEFENSE
It’s a decent Georgia pass defense but it’s not an area where the Bulldogs have been dominant either. Georgia ranks 37th nationally in passing yards allowed per game and is 40th nationally in pass efficiency defense. Free safety Dan Jackson has been really good. So has strong safety Malaki Starks, who is one of the best in the country. Starks is tied for the team lead in tackles. The Texas passing game has a lot of individual talent but it’s had some issues of late with Ewers averaging just 195 yards per game over the last three. I expect Ewers to play much better than he did in the first meeting but Georgia gets the edge here based on overall performance and the way it kept Ewers in check in Austin.
Edge – Georgia *
TEXAS RUN OFFENSE vs GEORGIA RUN DEFENSE
Georgia comes in at No. 44 nationally in rush defense, which is right about where they were the first time these two teams met. The Bulldogs give up 136 yards per game and held Texas to a ridiculous 29 yards in the first meeting. The Longhorns did lose 35 yards in sacks but even Quintrevion Wisner was held in check. Texas’ ground game has been playing much better lately compared to where it was when the two teams met in October, but the edge still has to go to Georgia after the way it controlled the line of scrimmage in the first match-up.
Edge – Georgia *
TEXAS OFFENSIVE LINE vs GEORGIA DEFENSIVE LINE
Kelvin Banks practiced this week, per Steve Sarkisian, but we don’t know how close to 100 percent he is. Georgia doesn’t necessarily have a dominant defensive line in terms of big-name talent but it’s a solid group across the board and it absolutely dominated Texas in the first game. Mykel Williams is very good. He’s been pretty quiet for much of the year but did notch two sacks against Texas in Austin. Jalon Walker is technically a linebacker but that dude lived in the Texas backfield in the first game. Georgia gets the easy advantage here based on the matchup in October.
Edge – Georgia **
SPECIAL TEAMS
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Georgia gets the edge at punter and at kicker. The Bulldogs average a whopping 9+ yards more per net punt than Texas does. If this is a close game where field position is important, that’s a terrible stat for the Longhorns. Texas has a big edge in kick returns and the two are pretty even in punt returns. Both teams are pretty solid with their coverage units.
Edge – Georgia **
