Georgia football matches up well with Ole Miss in run game, defense

ATHENS — Kirby Smart knows better than anyone that there’s only one sure way to keep Ole Miss from scoring, and that’s to keep the Rebels’ explosive offense off the field.

Georgia’s Top 10 showdown with Ole Miss at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday is the sort of matchup Smart might have had in mind when devising a run-heavy offensive identity that would give the Bulldogs their best shot at a championship season.

UGA has had to start six different offensive line combinations in the first six games as a result of injuries. However, it’s still averaging 185.5 yards per game on the ground, even after facing the nation’s No. 11 run defense at Auburn (86.5 yards per game allowed) in last Saturday’s 20-10 road win.

“I’m proud of their toughness and the way they play,” Smart said of his offensive line, which has often included two true freshmen. “That drive they had late in the (Auburn) game shows something about their character and their ability to overcome and convert some third downs.”

Georgia’s game-clinching touchdown drive against the Tigers was 16 plays and 78 yards, and it tied a school record by taking eight minutes and 45 seconds off the clock.

As much as Smart said the Bulldogs are looking to devise and execute more explosive plays, long, physical drives like that would seem an ideal way of keeping the Ole Miss offense out of rhythm and off the field.

The Rebels rank 94th in the country against the run — a spot behind Alabama, for perspective — allowing 157.7 yards per game.

The Bulldogs have run the ball at defenses from several different angles with several different backs and receivers as ball carriers, in addition to utilizing quarterback Gunner Stockton’s mobility.

Rebels coach Lane Kiffin noted on Sunday night that, run or pass, the bottom line is Smart’s ability to adjust to each opponent.

“Kirby does an amazing job over time of winning close games and winning in different styles, depending on what’s going on,” Kiffin said, per TheRebelWalk.com. “It’s why he’s one of the greatest coaches ever.”

Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) opened as a 6 1/2-point favorite, even though it’s the Rebels (6-0, 3-0) who enter Saturday’s contest undefeated.

Smart paid tribute to Kiffin’s reputation as an offensive guru, particularly with in-game adjustments.

“Probably one of the best things he does is in-game coaching,” Smart said. “His impact on the quarterback and the offensive play and ability to communicate with the quarterback, whether it’s by headset or by sideline. He does a great job of getting the quarterback’s attention and getting them in the right place based on looks — probably better than anybody else in the country.”

Ole Miss’ offensive efficiency indicates as much: The Rebels rank 19th in the nation in average plays run per game (74.5) despite ranking only 100th in the country in average time of possession (28:23).

The Rebels’ explosive duel-threat QB, Trinidad Chambliss, is a big reason why, as the transfer leads the SEC in yards per completion (15.1) and yards per pass attempt (9.9) on an offense that’s fifth in the country in total offense.

Ole Miss averages 515.3 yards per game — over 100 more than the Bulldogs are managing (414.8).

“They use tempo, they’re able to go really fast,” Smart said. “They wear people down.”

To that point, the Rebels get plays off 10th-fastest in the nation, per advanced metrics (22.9 seconds), four seconds faster than Georgia.

The Bulldogs have already faced the third-fastest snaps in the nation against Tennessee (21.5 seconds) and another premium dual-threat quarterback last Saturday in Auburn’s Jackson Arnold.

Smart indicated all of that experience could indeed play a factor in a reloaded defense that has proved capable of adjusting, having shut out Alabama and Auburn in the second halves of two of the last three games.

The Tigers, Georgia fans recall, gave the Bulldogs all they wanted until UGA turned the game around by forcing a fumble at the 1-yard line late in the second quarter, leading to a 20-0 run.

“Ole Miss has all the same plays (as Auburn),” Smart said of the similarities with the duel-threat quarterbacks and physical SEC personnel. “I mean, you turn the tape, they’re tremendous offensively, and there’s not a run that Auburn runs that they can run. And they have a lot of the same weapons that Auburn has on the perimeter.”