After a physical 20-10 win over Auburn, No. 9 Georgia will face another tough test in No. 5 Ole Miss this week.
Despite being ranked below the Rebels (6-0, 3-0) in the AP Poll, the Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1) are favored by 6.5 points.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart recognizes the importance of preparing his team for a skilled Ole Miss squad led by Lane Kiffin. The Rebels dominated the Bulldogs last year at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
“I have a lot of respect for Lane (Kiffin). He does an incredible job,” Smart said on Monday. “Probably one of the best things he does is in-game coaching. His impact on the quarterback, the offensive play, and his ability to communicate with the quarterback — whether it’s by headset or on the 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 ranks No. 6 nationally in total offense, averaging 515.3 yards per game. The Rebels also average 37.8 points per game, ranking No. 20 in the nation, so Georgia’s defense must play its best game of the season.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is one of the most inspiring stories in college football. Austin Simmons started the season for the Rebels, but an injury has kept him off the field for the past few weeks. Chambliss, a transfer quarterback from Division II powerhouse Ferris State, has shined in Simmons’ absence.
The Michigan native led the Bulldogs to three national championships in four years and is now having instant success at the Division I level with Ole Miss. Chambliss has passed for 1,286 yards, seven touchdowns, and only one interception in six games. He’s also rushed for 281 yards on 61 attempts with three scores.
“He’s explosive, right? He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s tough, he’s got great lower body, great instincts. There’s a difference in being a fast guy and being a runner,” Smart said of Chambliss. “He’s patient behind blocks, quick when he needs to be. Some guys can only run perimeter runs well; some can only run internal well. He runs both; he does a great job in the (quarterback) draw game. He sets up blocks, and he’s a good passer.
“I feel like he is a big threat with his legs,” Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson said of Chambliss. “He’s an elusive scrambler, and inside the pocket, he’s elusive. He can get out just like that. So, I feel like he’s a pretty good player.”
Georgia, which ranks No. 26 in total defense and No. 19 in scoring defense, has already seen several dual-threat quarterbacks this season. However, the Bulldogs struggled to contain them and bring them down.
Georgia has also struggled to get after opposing quarterbacks this season, ranking near the bottom of the country in pressure rate. The Bulldogs only have eight sacks through six games, which also ranks near the bottom.
But Georgia’s ability to limit explosive plays and control the line of scrimmage has kept it in games. The Bulldogs will need to do those things and also contain Chambliss to pull off their third consecutive win this Saturday.