A guide on how to beat Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy and has accounted for 46 touchdowns this season, but he isn’t unbeatable.

During his three-year career at Oklahoma, Mayfield, Georgia’s opponent in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, is 34-5.

When looking at the handful of loses, a trend appears, showing how teams have beaten Mayfield.

Quickly, let’s look at each of the five loses.

Oct. 10, 2015: In the annual Red River Rivalry, Mayfield and the undefeated Sooners lost to a 1-4 Texas team. Mayfield completed 20 of his 28 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown. He didn’t throw an interception, but he was sacked six times. As a team, Oklahoma ran for 67 yards and lost one fumble. Oklahoma lost 24-17.

Dec. 31, 2015: In the College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson, Oklahoma took a one-point lead into halftime but lost 37-17. Mayfield threw for 311 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers intercepted him twice. The Sooners combined for 67 rushing yards on 33 carries and went 5-for-13 on third down as its season ended.

Sept. 9, 2016: Oklahoma, ranked No. 3, lost to No. 15 Houston, 33-23, to start a season that had national championship hopes. Mayfield threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. However, the Sooners ran for a total of 70 yards and lost two fumbles. Mayfield, who was sacked five times, lost one of those fumbles.

Sept. 17, 2016: Two weeks after losing to Houston, Oklahoma lost to No. 3 Ohio State at home. A 45-24 score, the game wasn’t close. The Sooners rushed for 177 yards, but Mayfield threw two interceptions and Oklahoma was 5-for-13 on third down.

Oct. 7, 2017: Oklahoma’s only loss of the season so far came against Iowa State. Mayfield accounted for three touchdowns. The Sooners rushed for 190 yards. Oklahoma turned the ball over once. The No. 3 Sooners entered the game as 31-point favorites, making the 38-31 loss Oklahoma’s biggest upset loss in 40 seasons, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

So, looked at as a group, the one consistency from those five games are turnovers. In the games Mayfield has lost, he has thrown a combined four interceptions. In each of those games, Oklahoma turned the ball over at least once. To beat Mayfield, Georgia must also stop the run. In three of Mayfield’s five loses, the Sooners failed to rush for 100 yards.

But what makes Oklahoma’s offense lethal is forcing the Sooners to be one-dimensional doesn’t guarantee a victory. That’s because of Mayfield. This season, Mayfield has thrown for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns. He is second in the country in each category. Mayfield, who has thrown five interceptions, hasn’t been picked off since playing Oklahoma State at the beginning of November.

Of the 11 other college quarterbacks who have thrown at least 30 touchdowns this year, none have fewer interceptions than Mayfield. Against Oklahoma, the No. 1 offense in the country, forcing turnovers and stopping the run are no easy feat. Georgia’s defensive performances this season bode well for its ability to stop the run. The Bulldogs hold opponents to an average of 113 rushing yards per game.

But in forcing turnovers, Georgia has been average when compared to the rest of the country. The Bulldogs have 10 interceptions, which ranks them 64th overall. They also recovered just eight of their 15 forced fumbles.

Forcing turnovers and making Oklahoma one-dimensional on offense won’t automatically win Georgia the game. But those are the reasons Mayfield has lost the few times he has.

This story was originally published December 14, 2017 at 4:30 PM with the headline "A guide on how to beat Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield."