Georgia hosts Georgia Tech: Major Matchups
Georgia takes aim at its second straight undefeated regular season on Saturday and Georgia Tech stands in the way. The No. 1 Bulldogs will host the Yellow Jackets for the first time since 2018.
The game wasn’t played in 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19. The rivalry resumed last season with Georgia dominating once again in Atlanta. The Bulldogs are favored by five scores and in order to make that happen, UGA will have to take care of some specific matchups. We outline those for you below and share our take.
Georgia offensive line vs. Georgia Tech defensive lineman Keion White
The Yellow Jackets seem to have one guy who has the ability to wreck the offensive game plan. That guy is White, who lines up on the edge, inside, and is really good in the stunt game. UGA’s guards are going to have their hands full in passing situations. Odds are that he’ll make a play or two but the Bulldogs have to limit him on early downs to stay ahead of the chains.
DawgsHQ’s Take: The key is cutting White’s penetration off so you can get the play started. Once you get the play started, the rest of the defense is vulnerable. Tate Ratledge had been playing some really good football before not playing at all vs. Kentucky due to a shoulder ailment. The Bulldogs need him back and playing well.
UGA defensive backs vs. GT wideout Nate McCollum
There’s one wideout who has the chance to give Georgia trouble and the odds there aren’t even great. McCollum has some make-you-miss to his game and that translates well to his movement without the football. He’s a good route runner who can separate quickly.
The Yellow Jackets are going to get him matched up on at least three, maybe four Georgia defensive backs throughout the day. Georgia has to find him and figure out if and when help is needed.
DawgsHQ’s Take: We’re saying some of the same things about McCollum that we did about Barion Brown last week. McCollum isn’t that big of a threat but he can cause problems. Georgia has to disrupt him as much as possible with jams, leverage, late changes, and more.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett vs. Georgia Tech secondary
The Yellow Jackets aren’t very good against the pass. They’re even worse against the run. You can bet that Georgia Tech is going to stuff the box early and often. They’re going to crowd the line of scrimmage, come after the quarterback, and let the chips fall where they may. Hey, it worked fairly well for Missouri.
That’s going to put the onus on Stetson Bennett to make plays with his arm. He’ll have to determine whether he’s dealing with man or zone coverage behind the blitz and exploit the numbers advantages that he’ll have.
DawgsHQ’s Take: Bennett can be hit or miss against the blitz, so we’ll be watching this. He’s at his best when he can buy time against the blitz but he has gotten better as the year has gone on at getting the ball out quickly and accurately. If he handles the rush well early in the game, it’s going to be a long day for Tech.
