Georgia vs Arkansas: 5 reasons Arkansas could pull off the upset
This Saturday, No. 8 Arkansas comes to Athens to take on the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs.
Both teams are 4-0 and have an impressive win under their belts.
Both have smothering defenses. Georgia ranks higher in almost every statistical category, offensively and defensively, but there’s no reason to sleep on these Razorbacks.
I expect Georgia to win this game by three scores. My prediction: Georgia 34, Arkansas 13. But here’s a few reasons Georgia should not take this game lightly.
Arkansas' defense is tough
Sept. 11, 2021; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Texas Longhorns quarterback Hudson Card (1) looks to pass during the second quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
SEC rankings:
Total defense:
No. 1 — Georgia (185 yards allowed per game)
No. 3 — Arkansas (267 yards allowed per game)
Passing defense:
No. 1 — Georgia (115 yards allowed per game)
No. 3 — Arkansas (144 yards allowed per game)
Rushing defense:
No. 1 — Georgia (69 yards allowed per game)
No. 9 — Arkansas (123 yards allowed per game)
Scoring defense:
No. 1 — Georgia (5.8 points allowed per game)
No. 3 — Arkansas (14.5 points allowed per game)
Sacks:
No. 2 — Georgia (14)
No. 7 — Arkansas (10)
Look at what the Razorbacks did to Texas A&M on Saturday. They held the Aggies to 10 points. They held A&M quarterback Zach Calzada to 151 passing yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception.
The Razorbacks’ defense is going to give UGA issues, but expect the Dawgs to adjust well.
A noon game in Athens
Sept. 8, 2018; Columbia, SC; Georgia Bulldogs fans celebrate with mascot Harry Dawg following the win over the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
The stands will be full. But how loud will it be? Noon games are the worst, and that’s what we’ll have on Saturday despite it being a top-10 matchup. You know the schedulers are kicking themselves for this one.
A big game is a big game, no matter what time it kicks off at. I think it will start a bit sluggish, but the fans will get into it when they realize how needed they are.
Arkansas' running game
Sept. 11, 2021; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Arkansas Razorbacks running back Trelon Smith (22) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Texas Longhorns in the second half at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 40-21. Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
This could either be good news or bad news for Arkansas. The thing is Arkansas has a great rushing attack, but Georgia has the nation’s best run defense.
What happens to Arkansas if Georgia shuts the run game down? Where does it go from there? The Razorbacks’ passing offense is suspect, ranking 10th in the SEC.
But Arkansas has run the ball more times than any other school in the conference, and they’re doing it behind a line that Sam Pittman built.
A dual-threat quarterback always scares me, and KJ Jefferson has looked good this year. But what scares me the most is if there’s anyone who knows how to run against a UGA defense it’s Sam Pittman, whose offense did it every day at practice while he was in Athens.
Arkansas has proven it can win
Sept. 25, 2021; Arlington, Texas; Arkansas Razorbacks defensive lineman Tre Williams (55) celebrates a sack of Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Zach Calzada (10) during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Arkansas is 4-0 and boasts nice wins over then-No. 15 Texas and then-No. 7 Texas A&M.
In both games, the Razorbacks’ defense was legit. It allowed an average of 264 yards per game in both those games. Former Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman has proven his team can win.
Arkansas plays grown man football
Sept. 25, 2021; Arlington, Texas; Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Jalen Catalon (1) celebrates during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at AT&T Stadium. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Arkansas has 19 redshirt seniors on its team. That’s an insane number. These are grown adults who have been in Fayetteville for 5-6 years. They have no reason to not leave it all on the field.
This is a tough, physical team that wants to smack you in the mouth and run the ball down your throat.
And that’s exactly how Georgia plays as well. Which team will be more physical?
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