9/26/20 10:30am
#4 Georgia vs Arkansas Week #1 Prediction
By. Andrew Rodberg (twitter.com/AndrewRod2019, instagram: 404thebeat)
TV/Radio: SECN 4:00pm
FAYETTEVILLE, AR— The first regular season game for the Dawgs during this modern day pandemic: Riding a 1 game winning streak vs the Arkansas Razorbacks (with two teams clashing last in 2014), the Dawgs travel to Fayetteville, AR to face a new head coach (Sam Pittman) Razorbacks team, who finished just 2-10 last season. With a 4:00pm kickoff time, the Dawgs have a few keys for victory:
Stop Rakeem Boyd:
With Rakeem Boyd such a huge part of the Razorbacks offense, (eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark while averaging 6.2 yards a carry and 8 TD’s in 2019), the Dawgs defense needs to be locked in. Plugging the gaps and knowing your assignments is going to be key for the Dawgs. If everyone plays fundamental football, the Dawgs will be able to contain the run game and really make Arkansas’ offense sluggish.
Feed off the Defense:
With the strong suit of the UGA team being it’s defense, the Dawgs offense must feed off of the defense and help a brand new UGA QB in the process. Following Jake Fromm’s NFL declaration, the Dawgs went an picked up Jamie Newman (Wake Forest QB in 2019) who decided to opt out of the season and focus on the NFL Draft before ever playing a down in the Red and Black. So with the uncertainty of who will be taking the load of the snaps vs the Razorbacks, look for sophomore WR George Pickens to have a huge game as he helps the Dawgs stretch the field.
Run the Ball:
With the departures of D’Andre Swift and Brian Herrien, a new breed of Dawgs take over the running load and none more deserving than sophomore Zamir White. White along with junior James Cook look to be the next two in line as a possible Chubb/Michel duo. With Zamir being the more “Chubb like” runner who attacks down field and run over defenders, James is the “Michel like” runner who is shifty, has bursts of speed and can catch the ball out of the backfield. With yet another duo in the making, look for the Dawgs to do what they do best…RUN THE BALL.
Avoid Sloppy Plays and Turnovers:
With this being the first live game action in nine months, look for there to be some visible rust from both teams. This game will have multiple turnovers and sloppy tackling for a good portion of the first half, but the second half, we believe will be more fundamentally sound and will result in a Dawgs win at the final whistle.
404thebeat.com 