As Georgia and Mississippi State prepare for Saturday’s all-Bulldogs showdown in Athens, the parallels go deeper than mascots.
Both teams have won with a strangling defense and a physical run game. Both believe they have an opportunity in their divisions. Both share a bond with former UGA and current Mississippi State defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
And it can be argued both are exceeding expectations thus far.
“Our defense is kind of similar to Mississippi State’s, so I mean, we just get a lot of good looks,” UGA guard Isaiah Wynn said. “Their ends, outside linebackers favor us. They all have length, (6-foot-5), 6-6 guys. So we’re just getting prepared for that. … We get that look every day in practice going against those guys, so I don’t think it’ll be too much of a challenge for us.”
Containing defensive end Jeffery Simmons will be one of Georgia’s chief concerns. Simmons is back-to-back SEC defensive player of the week. The sophomore has 2 1/2 sacks and dismantled LSU’s offensive line in a 37-7 home victory a week ago.
“He is a great player, you know he plays with really good technique,” Georgia fullback Christian Payne said. “He’s a really, really quick defensive lineman and we are all looking forward to the challenge.”
Simmons and the Bulldogs’ front seven were key in achieving only their third win over LSU since 1992. Tigers running back Derrius Guice, arguably the best runner in the nation, was limited to 76 yards on 15 attempts. LSU became one-dimensional in the loss.
Georgia will try to avoid falling victim to the same fate. Wynn said the key will be leverage. Payne agreed, emphasizing that the offense must be aware of where Simmons is lining up each snap. Michael Barnett has been emulating Simmons for the UGA scout team.
“Michael Barnett, he is rushing just like (Simmons),” guard Solomon Kindley said. “Doing his moves and everything.”
Simmons isn’t a lone star of the opposing Bulldogs. Nick Fitzgerald might be the best quarterback in the conference. He’s the prototypical dual-threat whose frame – 6-5, 230 pounds – reminds Georgia linebacker Lorenzo Carter of former Penn State signal-caller Christian Hackenberg. UGA defeated Hackenberg’s Nittany Lions 24-17 in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl.
“Big quarterbacks, it’s an interesting challenge, but it’s a challenge nonetheless,” Carter said. “It’s going to be fun out there. … They have a running quarterback that can make plays with his feet and his arm, so we have to keep him in the pocket, force him to make more throws from the pocket rather than give him a change to roll around, get out (defensive backs) out of coverage. So we’ve got to keep him in the pocket the same way we did Notre Dame.”
Carter added the team doesn’t necessarily need sacks. They just need to rattle Fitzgerald, who is from Richmond Hill, enough to force him into relying more on his legs than his throws.
“It’s not always going to be a sack to affect the quarterback,” he said. “You can affect him with pressure, get him off his spot, not let him step into his throws. So we want to push the pocket, hands-up pass rush ability is big. It’s not always going to be about the sacks.”
If UGA is going to start 1-0 in SEC play, it might need those sacks. Especially against a quarterback who could become a Heisman Trophy candidate.
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