The stakes are high as No. 3 Georgia travels to Oxford for the first time since 2016 to face No. 16 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon.
The third-ranked Bulldogs enter Saturday’s showdown having only lost to Alabama, while the Rebels have suffered a pair of three-point losses to Kentucky and LSU.
While a second loss would drop Georgia down in its playoff positioning, it would likely not eliminate the Bulldogs from the 12-team field. Ole Miss enters the game in a must-win situation.
One matchup to keep an eye on could be Georgia’s O-line and the Ole Miss defense. While Georgia only allows 1.25 sacks per game, the Ole Miss defense is second in the nation with an average of 4.56 sacks per game, according to the Associated Press. The Rebels lead the country with an average of 10.1 tackles for loss.
Even though Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has accounted for 17 TDs, he has thrown 11 interceptions, including three in back-to-back games. Since Georgia’s lone defeat to Alabama on Sept. 28, the Bulldogs have scored 30 or more points in each game despite Beck’s turnovers.
Although Beck has been turnover-prone at times, the senior has passed for 200 or more yards in six of Georgia’s eight games, including two games with 400 or more yards. Beck has also thrown multiple TD passes in six games, and while he has accounted for multiple interceptions in four games, Beck has not thrown an interception in the other four.
Ole Miss enters the game after a record-setting performance against Arkansas. Quarterback Jaxson Dart broke the team records for passing yards (515) and total offense (562). Dart tied the school record with six TD passes. In total, Dart has 21 TDs, three interceptions and has passed for more than 200 yards in every game this season.
Prior to that offensive outburst against Arkansas, Ole Miss had been held under 30 points in each of its previous four conference games.
Dart will have to go to battle on Saturday without leading rusher Henry Parrish Jr. (leg), and the team’s star receiver Tre Harris (lower body) is doubtful.
This marks the first of consecutive ranked matchups for Georgia as the Bulldogs play their final road game at Ole Miss prior to hosting No. 7 Tennessee on Nov. 16. Ole Miss has a more favorable schedule, making Saturday’s game against Georgia carry an even higher importance.
