Welcome to the Morning Five, in which we pop it down, jack you up, and shoot you out flyin’ down the highway. But only after increasing your knowledge of Georgia’s upcoming matchup with five numbers you need to know.
#1 Thirteen. Georgia’s ranking in rushing offense in the 16 team SEC, a woefully, troublingly low number. While the results were uneven, the Bulldogs still ended up with 102 yards on the ground in 30 attempts against Kentucky. I’m curious to see what the Red and Black can do on the ground with Tate Ratledge out.
#2 Fourteen. Alabama’s rank in rushing defense after giving up 206 yards on the ground to South Florida and 149 to Wisconsin. Some of that is situational. USF quarterback Byrum Brown is far more dangerous on the ground than through the air, and Wisconsin lost starting g QB Tyler Van Dyke in the first quarter and had to lean into the run game. But still, I think the Tide are a little vulnerable up front on the ground.
#3 68.3. That’s Carson Beck’s completion percentage on 82 passing attempts this season. It’s only slightly below the 72.4% he completed in 2023 but especially against Kentucky it felt as if the Jacksonvillain was just slightly off. This Saturday would be a good time for him to get his icy-veined mojo back.
#4 28.5. That’s how many yards per catch Alabama true freshman receiver Ryan Williams is averaging this season. 10 catches, 285 yards, 4 touchdowns. That is a problem, one that the Bulldog secondary has to solve.
#5 Eight. In Kirby Smart’s nine seasons as the Bulldogs’ head coach, Georgia has had nine regular season bye weeks. In the games following those bye weeks, the Bulldogs are 8-1 and have defeated opponents by an average margin of 21.5 points in those eight victories. Admittedly, seven of those victories are against the Florida Gators of Jim McIlwain, Dan Mullen and Billy Napier. But still, there are few coaches I’d less like to face with an extra week of preparation than Kirby Smart. Until later…
Go ‘Dawgs!!!