Four things to watch in Georgia’s SEC battle against Missouri
Georgia opens a stretch of seven SEC games Saturday against Missouri.
Georgia is a 14-point favorite in the contest between the two undefeated teams. The winner will be the lone team in the SEC East to not have a loss. The Bulldogs carry the same mentality from game-to-game, but this brings a tad more value.
“Absolutely, this is exciting,” Georgia sophomore linebacker Monty Rice said. “This is why I signed to play in the SEC.”
Here are five things to know before Georgia faces off with Missouri.
Holding down Drew Lock
Rice said it was important to get pressure on Missouri quarterback Drew Lock. Georgia is tied for last nationally with one sack and media focus has been about the deficiency.
But can pressure be brought in other ways?
“It’s not about sacks, because sacks don’t win games,” Rice said. “We have to make sure the quarterback isn’t comfortable and get him moving on his feet.”
Lock had 253 yards and four touchdowns in last season’s 53-28 Georgia win, and leads the SEC with this year with 1,062 passing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart compares Lock’s arm talent to that of former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Bulldogs’ head coach said he “doesn’t know if it can get any stronger.”
“He's got as fast of release as I've ever seen,” Smart said. “He can get the ball out so quick, and he does such a good job of keying your defenders and knowing where to go with the ball. You can tell they really work hard on it, and I think he's just more mature”
Can Terry Beckner Jr. be a defensive influence for Missouri?
Nearly all of the chatter around Missouri is centered on its offense, while little focus is placed around the defense. The Tigers gave up 37 points to a winless Purdue team for its highest scoring total of the year.
But there is one defensive lineman who garners some attention — senior Terry Beckner Jr. who was named to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team. Through three games, Beckner has collected five tackles and poses a challenge at 305 pounds.
Last season, Beckner Jr. had seven sacks and has built a reputation for pressuring the opposing quarterback.
“He’s a big, physical man,” Smart said. “It seems like he has been there forever. He’s hard to move and they play physical. In the SEC, you go up against one like that probably every week. That’s what you come to play the game for and go up against the best guys.”
Eliminating the big play
Lock has a number of weapons to throw to, including Emanuel Hall, who is expected to play in Saturday’s game after dealing with an ankle injury. Hall torched the Bulldogs for 141 yards in 2017.
Missouri doesn’t hesitate to pick up plays in chunks under offensive coordinator Derek Dooley, either. The Tigers have 20 plays of 20-plus yards and Georgia leads the nation by only allowing two. In essence, something has to give.
With Hall and the other weapons, it becomes of intrigue to see where senior cornerback Deandre Baker is matched up in order to eliminate them.
“Everyone would just say, ‘Well, just put Deandre on him. Let him shadow him,’” Smart said. “Well, it’s not that easy, because the ball could be on this hash, that hash, fastball. They go quick. They have a lot of tempo. It’s not that easy.”
Andrew Thomas or Cade Mays at left tackle
Georgia freshman offensive tackle Cade Mays could be called into starting action for the second consecutive game after Andrew Thomas continues to deal with a sprained ankle.
As of Wednesday, Thomas was dressed out for the final media viewing period of the week but didn’t participate. Smart indicated Thomas did “a little bit” but not fully engaged in live reps. Thomas suffered the injury in the second half against South Carolina.
Mays was called into action and had an up-and-down start against Middle Tennessee.