Georgia offense ready for tough test against Florida defense

ATHENS -- Malcolm Mitchell can't say who the best defensive back he has played against is, and with good reason.

"I've played against, like, six first-round draft pick corners," Mitchell said. "Obviously they're good."

Mitchell actually has played against four first-round corners -- Morris Claiborne, Stephon Gilmore, Dee Milliner and Darqueze Dennard. But adding in the three first-round safeties he has seen in his three full seasons at Georgia -- Matt Elam, Eric Reid and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix -- Mitchell is no stranger to talented secondaries.

On Saturday, he's likely to see another future first-rounder in Florida's Vernon Hargreaves.

"I think he's a great player," Mitchell said. "Obviously, he's made a lot of great plays there and is considered one of the best in college football. So it'll be a good challenge and a good opportunity to compete with someone like that."

The simple solution for Georgia might just be to line Mitchell up on the opposite side of the field from Hargreaves. But the presence of Jalen Tabor complicates that plan, too.

"(Hargreaves is) a guy that a lot of people try to avoid if possible," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "And anybody trying to pick on the other side, Tabor, all he's done is had two interceptions for touchdowns. He leads the team in pass break-ups and he's got 18 tackles himself. So he's doing a great job opposite of Hargreaves."

Even if Georgia gets a receiver free over those two corners, there's Florida's No. 3 leading tackler Keanu Neal playing over the top at safety. So if Georgia wants to throw the ball, it's going to have to test some talented defensive backs.

"They're very impressive with what they do, but there's been times when balls have been caught on them," Richt said. "It does allow them to -- if they choose to put a bunch in the box -- to stop the run, they've got good reason to believe they can hold up on the edges. We'll just see how they decide to play it."

But that's just the story for Florida's defense.

Georgia can choose to challenge Hargreaves, Tabor, Neal and company, a unit that has combined to be the No. 42 pass defense in the country, allowing fewer than 200 yards per game. Combined with the nation's 19th-ranked pass rush, it might be easier to run the ball.

"They are a fast, physical bunch," Richt said. "(Alex) McAllister ... on the edge has four sacks, six quarterback hurries himself and is a guy who has been very difficult for people to block, especially when they get you in a passing-type situation."

Except then, the Bulldogs will be trying to run against the No. 21 run defense in the country and the No. 25 defense in tackles for loss, led by inside linebackers Antonio Morrison and Keivonnis Davis, as well as defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard.

"Florida every year has obviously a great defense, and they're very stout, big guys, heavy rushers that do a good job," senior tackle John Theus said. "The linebackers flow really well."

But it has been done.

Tennessee ran for 254 rushing yards and two touchdowns behind Josh Dobbs and Jalen Hurd. Just two weeks ago, LSU put up 221 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a 180-yard performance by Leonard Fournette.

Georgia will try to get a productive day out of sophomore running back Sony Michel. But even he knows that he can't expect to have that kind of night against this physical group.

"As a running back, there's only so much you can do," Michel said. "Watching the other running backs, yeah, they do great things, but it's really hard to watch what they do and try to do the same thing."

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 9:22 PM with the headline "Georgia offense ready for tough test against Florida defense ."