Game To Watch: #8 Arkansas at #2 Georgia: October 2, 2021

Arkansas will travel to Athens to take on Georgia in a battle of top ten teams on Saturday at 12:00 EST. The Razorbacks are coming off a big win that pushed their great start to 4 – 0. The Bulldogs annihilated Vanderbilt 62 – 0, turning in another dominant performance on the way to 4 – 0. The two SEC teams are trying to stay ahead in the conference standings with a win on Saturday.

Recent History

Georgia is 11 – 4 all time against Arkansas, including a 37- 10 win in Fayetteville last year. The Bulldogs have won 8 of 9 match-ups since the year 2000 and have won by a comfortable margin in most of those. Arkansas’ last win came in 2010, a 31 – 24 win on the road in Athens.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

Battle of Excellent Defenses

For Arkansas this will feel like deja vu. The Razorbacks played against another top defense last week when they faced the Aggies and are heading into another defensive showdown with another top defensive team. Arkansas has allowed just 14.5 points per game and 4.11 yards per play this year. The Razorbacks have a veteran laden defensive front that creates disruptive plays from different spots. They pressure the quarterback and are able to create negative plays against the running game. Georgia has been even better so far in 2021. The Bulldogs have been next to impossible to score against, giving up a mere 5.8 points per game and 3.3 yards per play. Their defense has recorded 14 sacks and 29 QB Hurries through the first four games of the season. Georgia’s defense is number one in the SEC in scoring defense, passing yards against, rushing yards against and total defense. The suffocating play of the defenses will set the tone for their respective teams on Saturday.

Has Georgia’s Offense Found Itself?

Georgia has had a dominant defense for a few seasons now, but the offense has not always held up its end of the bargain. In the 2021 opener against Clemson, the defense scored the only touchdown of the game for either team, leading the way to a 10 – 3 win. Since then, Georgia has scored 56 points against UAB, 40 points against South Carolina and 62 points against Vanderbilt. The passing attack has led the way, but the rushing offense has gotten better each week to balance out the offense. The level of competition from the defense this week will be the toughest Georgia has seen since the Clemson game. Arkansas’ defense has yet to give up more than 21 points in a game this season. They have experienced talent at each level led by defensive end Tre Williams, linebackers Grant Morgan, Bumper Pool and Hayden Henry and safety Myles Rowser. Arkansas will play disciplined and limit big plays, but also has the ability to make the big plays defensively to flip the momentum of the game. Georgia’s offense will truly be tested this weekend and they will have to perform for the Bulldogs to beat the Razorbacks this weekend.

Can KJ Jefferson Continue His Progression?

KJ Jefferson is an excellent running threat, but Georgia has a great defense and will not allow a one dimensional quarterback to beat them. Jefferson has shown progress as a passer this year, particularly when pushing the ball downfield and will have to continue that progress to have success on Saturday. He didn’t throw the ball as much against Texas A&M but in 15 attempts, averaged a whopping 14.1 yards per attempt and threw 2 touchdowns without an interception. Jefferson was able to make big plays in the passing game and avoid turnovers. Georgia’s pass defense has been lights out this year. The Bulldogs have held opponents to a 45.5 percent completion percentage and 4.6 yards per pass attempt. Even more impressive is the fact that they have allowed just 1 touchdown pass while intercepting 7 passes. Georgia will be the toughest defense Jefferson faces this year, he will have to be effective in the passing game to give his team a chance to win.

Prediction

The defenses will control the game and make it difficult for the offenses to move the ball. KJ Jefferson brings an element to Arkansas’ offense that the Razorbacks have not had recently. He and the arsenal of running backs Arkansas uses will chip away at the Bulldogs defense behind a good offensive line and give the Bulldogs their toughest challenge. The Bulldogs have dominated on defense, but JT Daniels and company are playing well offensively and their improvement on offense will be the difference for Georgia on Saturday. Georgia 28 Arkansas 17.

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