UGA welcomes back a familiar face on Saturday for SEC showdown with Arkansas

Georgia is set for its second Top 10 showdown of the season (the first, of course, was its season-opening victory over Clemson). The Bulldogs are set to take on a surging Arkansas team that is 4-0 after knocking off then-No. 7 Texas A&M 20-10.

Aside from the hype surrounding a pair of top teams clashing, this will also serve as the homecoming for former Arkansas coach Sam Pittman. Pittman worked under Georgia head coach Kirby Smart as the team’s offensive line coach from 2016-19 before taking the head coaching position at Arkansas.

The year before Pittman arrived, the Razorbacks went 2-10 and weren’t competitive in many games. In Pittman’s first season at the helm, Arkansas finished 3-7 but played teams like Georgia, Auburn and LSU tougher than expected.

This season Pittman has guided his team to a 4-0 start with a pair of statement wins over Texas and Texas A&M. Smart said Pittman has done a great job so far at Arkansas.

“They’ve done a tremendous job creating a new culture and energy there at Arkansas,” Smart said.”Very thankful for what (Pittman) did with our organization before he left… He’s genuine. He cares and it matters to him. He’s relational. He does a tremendous job of that.”

The culture that Pittman brought over to Arkansas has been influenced by things that he picked up while working under Smart. In a press conference this week, Pittman said Smart’s desire to win is a big part of why the Bulldogs have been so successful.

“I learned a lot from (Smart),” Pittman said. “He’s at his alma mater and he wants to win for the state of Georgia, the University of Georgia.”

Pittman said Smart’s players work extremely hard and clearly have a lot of respect for Smart.

“You don’t find many teams that are playing extremely hard that don’t have high respect for the head coach,” Pittman said. “They do, and I was very fortunate to be there four years and learn from him.”

As for the game, Smart is ready for the challenge Pittman and his offensive coordinator Kendall Briles will bring to the table on Saturday. Briles’ offense is averaging 225 yards per game through the air and 261 yards per game on the ground. Smart said Arkansas forces defenses to cover the whole field with its balanced attack.

“When you run the ball successfully, you create one-on-one opportunities for shots. And they’ve done that well,” Smart said. “(Briles) does a good job. You’ve got a quarterback like KJ [Jefferson] who creates issues and problems for defenses and then you’ve got good matchup guys, you’ve got speed at back. Got a really good team.”

How to Watch

Who: Georgia Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (4-0, 1-0 SEC)

Where: Sanford Stadium in Athens

When: Noon Saturday

TV: ESPN

This week’s SEC betting odds, schedule

Georgia is favored by 18.5 points, according to VegasInsider. Georgia has won eight of its last 10 games against Arkansas, including a 37-10 win in Fayetteville last season.

College football point spreads, according to ESPN Consensus.

• Noon: Arkansas at Georgia (-18.5)
• Noon — Tennessee at Missouri (-3)
• 3:30 p.m. — Ole Miss at Alabama (-14.5)
  
  
• 3:30 p.m. — Troy at South Carolina (-7)
  
  
• 6 p.m. — Florida (8.5) at Kentucky
  
  
• 7 p.m. — Mississippi State at Texas A&M (-7)
  
  
• 7:30 p.m. — UCONN at Vanderbilt (-14.5)
  
  
• 9 p.m. — Auburn at LSU (-3.5)
  
  

Three Arkansas players to watch

KJ Jefferson, QB: Jefferson is a dual-threat quarterback who has knack for hitting the deep ball. His third-longest pass this season was a 60-yard touchdown to Warren Thompson against Georgia Southern. The pass was right on target to the receiver about 50 yards down the field and allowed Thompson to walk into the end zone. Jefferson can also create with his legs,;he is Arkansas second-leading rusher with 230 yards and is averaging eight yards per carry.

Trelon Smith. RB: Smith is Arkansas’ leading rusher with 298 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Smith is a big part of what Arkansas does to set up the attack through the air. He also might have the toughest test as Georgia’s run defense allows just 66 yards per game and has not allowed a rushing touchdown all season.

Treylon Burks, WR: Burks is arguably the Razorbacks’ best player. He is likely a future first-round pick in the NFL draft and has the ability to stretch the field or take it the distance on a short pass. Last week, he went for 85-yard touchdown against Texas A&M. He leads the Razorbacks with 373 yards and two touchdowns.