Welcome to the SEC, Kalen DeBoer.
The first-year Alabama football coach gets to make his SEC coaching debut against anything but a conference cupcake. The No. 1/2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) are coming to Tuscaloosa.
They will face No. 4 Alabama (3-0) on Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT, ABC) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It will mark the first time since 2007 that Georgia will make the trip to Tuscaloosa to play in front of a full-crowd; the 2020 game was in front of a limited crowd.
The Bulldogs are fresh off a close 13-12 victory over unranked Kentucky on the road; Georgia needed a touchdown in the fourth quarter to beat the Wildcats in Lexington.
Georgia will look to leave those offensive efforts in the past as it looks to beat the Crimson Tide in this matchup of top-four teams. Meanwhile, Alabama will aim to continue its overall dominance of the Bulldogs from Nick Saban’s tenure, having won eight of the last nine matchups.
Before the game, here’s what you need to know about Georgia.
Georgia offense minimizing mistakes
The Georgia offense hasn’t been electrifying through three games. But it has yet to turn the ball over.
The Bulldogs are one of three FBS teams with zero turnovers this season, along with Indiana and Louisville.
Georgia will meet an Alabama defense with a mandate for takeaways. In fact, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has called it “unacceptable” when the Crimson Tide doesn’t find a way to force takeaways.
So that defense will meet an offense that doesn’t turn the ball over. At least not yet.
“It’s one of those … an unstoppable force against an immovable object,” Wommack said Monday. “We’re trying to create a lot of takeaways. It’s who we are. It’s what our identity is. And they do a really good job of taking care of the football. And we’ve got to do our best to be able to be +1 in the turnover margin on Saturday night. I think that’s gonna be a huge piece to the game is who can take care of the football and who can take the football away. I think it’ll be a huge indicator in the outcome of the game.”
Meanwhile, the Georgia offense has been somewhat average through three games. It ranks No. 65 among FBS teams in total offense (402.3 yards per game) and No. 58 in scoring offense (31.7 points per game). However, the Bulldogs have faced two FBS opponents in Clemson and Kentucky over three games. (Alabama has only faced one FBS opponent: Wisconsin).
Quarterback Carson Beck is back for another season and was a Heisman Trophy favorite heading into the season. That has somewhat quieted after a solid but not remarkable start to the season. He has completed 56 of 82 passes (68.3%) for 680 yards and seven touchdowns.
Receiver Dominic Lovett has been his top weapon. Lovett has caught 12 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown. Right behind him has been Arian Smith, catching 11 passes for 142 yards and a score. Colbie Young, a Miami transfer, leads the group with two receiving touchdowns and five total receptions for 41 yards on the year.
Trevor Etienne, the Florida transfer, has been the top rusher, even though he missed the first game. ESPN reported it was “a result of his arrest earlier this spring on DUI and reckless driving charges.” Etienne has rushed for 157 yards on 24 carries. Meanwhile, Branson Robinson has rushed for two scores to lead the ground efforts. Nate Frazier is another running back to watch with 20 carries for 113 yards and one touchdown.
Georgia defense elite again
The Bulldogs have played three games and yet to allow a touchdown.
They’re the only team in the SEC that hasn’t given up a touchdown. Georgia has allowed six field goals, but not yet a touchdown.
Linebacker CJ Allen leads the Bulldogs with 15 tackles. Fellow linebacker Smael Mondon jr. isn’t far behind with 12.
Jalon Walker is the top player to monitor off the edge; He is tied for the team lead with 1.5 sacks, and his eight pressures lead the defense, per Pro Football Focus. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is next with five pressures off the edge and one sack.
Safety Malaki Starks is the top player to watch on the backend. Starks, a 2023 consensus All-America selection, has Georgia’s lone interception this season. He also has tallied 11 tackles through three games.
Georgia injury report
Georgia has a handful of players who won’t be available, or might not be available, for the game.
As of Thursday, the Bulldogs listed seven players on their daily availability report.
The most notable are Tate Ratledge (out), Mykel Williams (questionable) and Warren Brinson (probable). Ratledge, an offensive lineman, is one of the top players on the offense. He was an AP second-team All-America selection in 2023. Ratledge recently underwent surgery on his left ankle, so he will be out for the game.
Williams has been dealing with an ankle sprain that he sustained in the first game of the season. Off the edge, he can be one of Georgia’s top defenders when available; Williams was an All-SEC second team selection in 2023.
Brinson also sustained an injury in the season opener that has kept him out. Brinson has been practicing, Smart said this week.
“Mykel’s been able to do little bit, I still don’t know the timeline on Mykel,” Smart said Tuesday. “He’s looked good running and taking some reps, some light reps, some rush reps, some stuff he did today. It’s his first day really getting out there and doing some things.”
Leave a Reply