8 Arkansas vs. 2 Georgia College Football Game of the Week Prediction
Who would have thought that the Arkansas versus Georgia game would become a marquee matchup at the beginning of the season? The game is one of five big-time matchups in the Southeastern Conference this weekend. Currently, the Razorbacks have two quality wins on their resume right now. A few weeks ago, Arkansas put the college football world on notice after delivering a 40-21 beatdown on the Texas Longhorns. Anybody familiar with the inner workings of college football knows that Texas is one of college football’s premier teams.
On that night against the Hogs, it was evident that they were still not back yet. Two weeks later, they would follow that up with another impressive victory against the Longhorn’s inner state rival, Texas A&M. The victories over both Texas and Texas A&M have captured the eyes of the voters on the Associated Press top 25 polls. At the moment, Arkansas is ranked 8th in the country.
As for the Razorbacks opponent, the Georgia Bulldogs, have lived up to lofty expectations so far. Their defense put on one of the season’s best performances after taking down Clemson 10-3 in the first game to open up the 2021 campaign. Georgia’s defense has NFL-level talent from top to bottom on the roster. Four games into the year, the Bulldogs defense have only given up a total of 23 points.
Last week on the road against Vanderbilt, Georgia would not allow the Commodores to get on the scoreboard as they left West End with a 62-0 victory. Arkansas will be the first significant test of Georgia’s SEC portion of their schedule. Let’s analyze how both teams operate when the football is in their possession.
When Arkansas Has the Football
So far, the Razorbacks have found a way to win football games in numerous ways. The bulk of their winning ways comes from being aggressive on offense and not doing things that can cause a turnover. Quarterback KJ Jefferson has done an exceptional job leading the Razorbacks offense. Jefferson is bound to have at least two or three big plays in a football game. He may have to go above and beyond when facing the Georgia defense.
Jefferson will have to rely on the Razorbacks’ solid rushing attack, averaging 261 yards on the ground. Head coach Sam Pittman will need to be patient with the running game and not abandon it. Georgia is ranked sixth in the nation by only allowing 66.0 yards rushing. Any leaks that Arkansas may find in Georgia’s defense, they must exploit it early and often.
When Georgia Has the Football
The 2021 version of the Georgia Bulldogs is one of their better teams that we have seen when it comes to offensive production under head coach Kirby Smart. While the defense has performed on a historic level so far, the offense also deserves some credit. Georgia’s offense is averaging 42 points per game with 454.5 yards per game. They have achieved those numbers by being well-balanced on offense. Despite battling numerous injuries this season, quarterback JT Daniels has established himself as a viable option at the position.
Daniels has thrown for five touchdown passes with two interceptions while completing 54 of 71 passing attempts. If he cannot physically compete in Saturday’s game, the coaching staff is confident that backup Stetson Bennett. Listed at 5’11 and 190 lbs, Bennett can make big plays by standing in and outside of the pocket. His mobility could pose a challenge to an Arkansas defense that has a stout pass rush.
Final Outcome
While the Hogs may be the first significant challenge for the Dawgs in the SEC, we expect them to win this football game. There is just too much talent on both sides of the football for Georgia to allow this game to become a shootout. No team will be in a shootout with Georgia this season. Unlike Texas, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knows how to get the best out of NFL-level talent when he has access to it.
Arkansas 17, Georgia 38
Image courtesy of Getty Images.
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