Georgia heads into Saturday’s matchup with Oklahoma carrying more than just a big game on the schedule. A few Bulldogs have a real chance to put themselves on the national radar, and the spotlight is especially bright on four players who could tilt the afternoon in Athens.
At the front of it all is Georgia’s starting center, Bobo, who has already spent the first three weeks grinding through tough, efficient work in the trenches with a giant club on his hand. Now the senior team captain should finally have both hands available against a stout Oklahoma defensive front.
He’s one of the league’s top centers, and he may not even have to deal with top Sooner defensive tackle David Stone on Saturday. That would make life easier for Georgia up front, where Bobo is set to anchor an offensive line that wants to establish the run early.
If that happens, the Bulldogs’ offense could be headed for a big day. His leadership and max-effort style should matter plenty.
Georgia could also get a bigger impact from sophomore defensive lineman Griffin, who has opened the season with a relatively quiet stretch. This week feels different.
With Oklahoma struggling to run the ball and set the tone along the line of scrimmage, Griffin should see more snaps as a starter and have chances to make plays in the trenches. The Sooners have not faced a defensive front like Georgia’s, and if their offensive line can’t hold up, Griffin could have one of those days that turns heads.
The Pooler, Georgia native already flashed once with a big stop against Arkansas, but Saturday could give him far more room to work.
On the perimeter, sophomore wide receiver Taylor is another name worth watching. He’s the only Georgia pass-catcher with multiple receiving touchdowns, and his burst gives him the kind of downfield threat that can stress the Oklahoma secondary.
Taylor got the first target of the season and should be in line for more chances against a skilled Sooner defense. He didn’t register a catch against Arkansas, but that didn’t mean he was ignored.
He drew a pass-interference call in the end zone that led to a Bulldog rushing touchdown, and he could see more red-zone opportunities this weekend.
Defensively, Georgia’s best shot at controlling Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer may come through linebacker Cole. He’s playing at an elite level to start the season, and there’s a strong case that he’s the best player on the Bulldogs’ defense.
That puts him in position to chase Mateer, disrupt plays in the backfield and help against the run, where Oklahoma has struggled to generate anything. Mateer is prone to mistakes, and if Cole is everywhere the Sooners don’t want him to be, Georgia could force a turnover or two.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Heads Into ACC Opener With A Problem It Can't Ignore
Georgia Techs first ACC test of the season arrives with more than the usual league-opener urgency. The Yellow Jackets released their injury report ahead of the Stanford game, and it includes several notable absences, headlined by defensive end Jordan Walker, safety Savion Riley and left tackle Ethan Mackenny. It is the kind of availability sheet that immediately changes the conversation around a matchup, especially with conference play beginning and roster depth about to matter in a hurry.
The good news for Georgia Tech is that the next-man-up plan is already coming into focus, with a mix of freshmen and backups expected to shoulder more of the load. There are also several players listed as questionable or probable, which leaves the picture a little clearer than it might have been, but still not fully settled. For a team trying to make an early statement in the ACC, the challenge is not just getting through Saturday, but doing it without letting the missing pieces define the night. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Still Has One Problem To Solve Before ACC Play
Georgia Tech heads into its meeting with Stanford with a chance to pull its season back to .500, but the larger task is still finding a version of itself that can hold up once ACC play begins. Between the coaching changes and the constant shuffle in available personnel, the Yellow Jackets have spent much of the year trying to settle on an identity, and it has shown up most clearly in two places: a run defense that has been vulnerable and an offense that has not always found the same level of rhythm from one week to the next.
There are signs of progress. A few players have carved out roles in the passing game, giving the offense more structure than it had early on, but the depth behind them remains a concern and the defensive lapses have not disappeared. Against Stanford, Georgia Tech has another chance to show that it can stack a complete performance, but the bigger question is whether it has solved enough of its problems to survive the grind that starts now. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Faces A Defensive Test It Cant Keep Ignoring
Stanfords offense has had a rough stretch, but Davis Warren has at least kept the ball out of harms way. In losses to Miami and Duke, the Cardinal managed only 13 total points, yet the quarterback has still completed 107 passes attempts this season for 675 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, giving Stanford a steadier foundation than the scoreboard suggests.
For Georgia Tech, the bigger concern is on the other side of the ball. Brent Key did not dodge the issue when he talked about his teams rushing defense ahead of the Stanford game, and that matchup now looks like a chance for the Yellow Jackets to prove they can handle a physical opponent before the seasons grind gets any more demanding. [Read more 🡒]