A mere 38 days after Alabama took down the Georgia Bulldogs for the seventh consecutive time, the two will square off again, this time for all the marbles. These have certainly been the two best teams in college football, but one is seeking redemption following the 41-24 drubbing it took a month ago. College Football Gametime broke down what they saw as a major key in avenging that defeat.
Look no further than third down to see why Georgia lost this game. Alabama finished 7-14 (50%) while the Bulldogs were a miserable 3-12 (25%). Georgia fell behind the chains early and often, finding themselves in a bad position to convert on third down. "Third and long is no good for anybody," says Chris Goforth, "But it is especially bad for Stetson Bennett."
Get the running game working at least well enough to keep the line to gain at a manageable distance and stay on schedule. That means four, five, or six yards per play. Georgia isn't the type of team that's going to blow the top off of defenses, but they don't have to. When Georgia controls the game with pace, that's when they're at their best.
Speaking of controlling the game, the Dawgs have to do better on the other side of the football. For as much blame as Bennett and the offense took for the SEC Championship flop, the defense was ultimately what was most disappointing. That failure stemmed directly from its inability to pressure Bryce Young and the Tide were able to cash in on big plays as a result.
Georgia has to make Bryce Young uncomfortable. Not only that, Georgia has to get him on the ground. "Don't be desperate to get pressure," Randy said. "They want to mix it up. When (Georgia) rushed four players, Bryce Young was 13 of 15 for three touchdowns."
A major key in that could end up being the absence of the Tide's leader in receptions, John Metchie III. He ranks eighth nationally with his 96 catches on the season. The ability to find the open space has served as a safety valve for Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide offense. It appeared that they tried to fill that void with Jameson Williams against Cincinnati and it didn't seem to fit his style of play. For as talented a player as he is, Williams is a "give me the damn ball and get out of the way" type of talent. If Georgia can limit the big plays, this could be a key factor in helping Georgia find a way to sack Bryce Young.
If Georgia can flip the script and win third down, they could find themselves winning a whole lot more on Monday night.
