Dawg Tracks: 15 thoughts heading into Georgia-Mississippi State

Here is this week’s Dawg Tracks column with Georgia preparing to face Mississippi State this Saturday.

1. Georgia just came off of a wild and emotional four-point win over rival Florida. Next week is a home meeting against a resurgent Texas squad. This Saturday’s trip to Mississippi State is the definition of a trap game.

2. Mississippi State has played the almost-spoiler twice already. It took Tennessee to overtime and lost. Its game against Texas seemed all but done before a furious comeback led by Arch Manning. Mississippi State possesses a good offense and has proved it can at least compete with a couple of the SEC’s top-half teams.

3. How Georgia plays will be a good measuring stick to Texas A&M, the top dog of the SEC. The Aggies are the only team to defeat Mississippi State handily, by a score of 31-9.

4. After holding Florida to 2 of 11 on third down, Georgia now ranks 11th in the SEC by allowing teams to convert third downs at a 39.3 percent clip.

5. Georgia did catch a few breaks but otherwise played its best game defensively in conference play. It held DJ Lagway to only 166 passing yards. The Bulldogs will hope their secondary can put forth a similar result against Mississippi State.

6. That will be tough task, however. Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen has averaged 315.7 passing yards in his past three games against Florida, Texas and Arkansas.

7. As I mentioned in Tuesday’s Across the Ball column, this is a dream matchup for Georgia’s running backs. Mississippi State ranks 15th in the SEC in run defense at 162.1 rushing yards allowed per game.

8. Chauncey Bowens is the only run for over 100 yards this season, doing so against Alabama (12 carries, 119 rushing yards). Bowens has been Georgia’s best running back and should have every opportunity to cross the century mark for the second time in 2025.

9. Nate Frazier has slowly started to regain his form since his fumble against Alabama. He’s carried the ball 29 times for 117 yards in the past two weeks. He and Bowens are likely in for 10-plus carries each against Mississippi State.

10. Georgia is familiar with the receiver Shapen targets the most. Anthony Evans III, who began his career at Georgia, has caught a team-high 52 passes for 653 yards and four touchdowns.

11. However, Brenen Thompson leads Mississippi State with 716 receiving yards on 11 fewer receptions. Georgia’s defensive backs are in for a much bigger challenge than they saw against Florida.

12. Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby fielded a different offense personnel wise a year ago. It still totaled 306 passing yards. This game has potential to be a high-scoring affair.

13. If Georgia doesn’t crack the top four of the College Football Playoff, having the fifth seed is an excellent place to be this year. If the season ended today, Georgia would face Memphis in Athens. That’s a matchup the Bulldogs would love if it can’t get a bye.

14. The College Football Playoff Committee made a necessary change in not forcing the top four seeds to be conference champions. However, given that Memphis is not in the top 25 but slated to earn a playoff spot, perhaps a Group of 5 ranking requirement should be written into the rules next year. It would be silly for a Group of 5 team outside of the top 20 to make it but not a two-loss SEC or Big Ten team.

15. Four games remain in the regular season. A lot can, and will, still happen during this stretch. That stated, Georgia cannot afford to even think of looking past Mississippi State. I opened with this and I’ll close with it as well. This is the definition of a trap game.

ICYMI

Film Don’t Lie: How Georgia beat Florida.

For Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, pain is only temporary.

Jae Lamar shows appreciation to Kirby Smart and Georgia.

Evans is having a successful season at Mississippi State ahead of his Georgia reunion.

Lebby wants “more cowbell” against Georgia.