As No. 3 Georgia heads to Oxford for the first time since 2016 to take on No. 16 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon, the stakes are considerably high.
Georgia, ranked third, enters this match-up with only a single loss to Alabama, while Ole Miss has faced two narrow three-point defeats against Kentucky and LSU. Although a second loss for Georgia could affect its playoff standing, it likely wouldn’t completely eliminate the Bulldogs from contention for the 12-team playoff. On the other hand, Ole Miss must secure a victory to stay relevant.
A key area of focus will be Georgia’s offensive line against the Ole Miss defense. Georgia has a solid track record, allowing only 1.25 sacks per game, but Ole Miss ranks second in the nation with an average of 4.56 sacks per game and leads the country with 10.1 tackles for loss.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has thrown for 17 touchdowns but has also committed 11 interceptions, including three in consecutive games. However, since their lone loss to Alabama on September 28, the Bulldogs have scored 30 or more points in every game, despite Beck’s turnovers.
Despite his occasional inconsistency, Beck has passed for over 200 yards in six of the eight games this season, including two occasions exceeding 400 yards. He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in six games but has had multi-interception performances in four games, while not throwing any interceptions in the other four.
Ole Miss arrives at this matchup following a record-breaking performance against Arkansas, where quarterback Jaxson Dart set team records with 515 passing yards and 562 total offensive yards, while tying the record with six touchdown passes. Overall, Dart has thrown for 21 touchdowns with just three interceptions, consistently surpassing 200 passing yards in each game this season.
Before the explosion against Arkansas, Ole Miss had struggled to reach 30 points in their previous four conference matches. However, Dart will face Georgia without top rusher Henry Parrish Jr. (leg) and with the status of star receiver Tre Harris (lower body) in doubt.
This game marks the beginning of consecutive ranked matchups for Georgia, who will then host No. 7 Tennessee on November 16 after the game in Oxford. With a more favorable schedule, the Saturday game against Georgia becomes even more crucial for Ole Miss.
