Georgia and North Carolina are two college football squads that feature plenty of question marks, doubts, and intrigue as the season opens up this weekend. In fact, out of all the action this weekend, this game could end up answering some of the questions fans have of these two teams or leave more questions and doubts than answers.
In 2015, the Bulldogs finished in the SEC with a 10-3 record, where they went 5-3 in conference play against tough SEC opponents. As the season winded down, their defense kept them in many games as their offense stumbled and was ugly at times leaving many Georgia fans disappointed. Georgia posted a 4-2 record on the road last season and finished the season on a high note by defeating Penn State 24-17 in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
The Tar Heels had a terrific 2015 campaign in which they finished with a 11-3 record and a dominant 8-1 in conference play. They were also an excellent home team as they garnered seven victories at home with only one blemish. North Carolina ended the season in disappointing fashion by losing to an elite Baylor team 49-38 in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Despite the loss, North Carolina looks to build on last season’s momentum and gain traction nationally.
Offensively, the Tar Heels averaged 40.71 points per game and an astonishing 486.92 yards per game. Their offense was fairly balanced as they averaged 262.21 passing yards per game and 224.71 rushing yards. For Georgia and their fans, last season’s offense pales in comparison to the Tar Heels. Georgia only averaged 26.31 points per game and 377.23 yards per game. Similar to North Carolina, the Bulldogs were fairly balanced in their offensive repertoire as they averaged 185.08 yards passing and only 192.15 rushing yards. The Bulldogs offense was anemic at times and was often bailed out by their strong defense which kept them in many contests.
Defensively, Georgia takes the cake when compared to North Carolina. Georgia only gave up on average 16.92 points to opponents and stifled competition to 305.92 yards per game. Georgia was able to shut down opponents in both phases of the game by allowing only 156.46 passing yards and 149.46 rushing yards on average. In comparison, North Carolina allowed 24.5 points per game while their defense was a tad more porous by allowing 435.93 yards on average per game. The Tar Heels pass defense excelled last season and allowed only 188.14 passing yards; however, their weak rushing defense allowed teams to rack up almost 250 rushing yards per game. A key for this game for the Tar Heels will be shutting down Georgia’s rushing attack and forcing them to spend more time passing, which could allow North Carolina to exploit Georgia’s pass offense.
This will be the first ever meeting between Georgia and North Carolina. The game is scheduled for Saturday, September 3, at 5:30 pm inside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. An interesting tidbit for this game is the fact Georgia’s offensive line coach Sam Pittman was previously the Tar Heels offense line coach for five years from 2007-2011. During that tenure, Pittman was able to amass terrific offense lines and is well respected in Tar Heels country. Considering the importance of a resurgent Bulldogs offense this season, and strong and potent o-line will be critical in beating the Tar Heels.
North Carolina fans also have a love affair for their head coach Larry Fedora. Fedora arrived when NCAA sanctions were steep against North Carolina due to academic violations that were not committed under his tenure. Despite loss of valuable scholarships and tarnished school reputation, Fedora has built a successful program in a short period and for the first time in years Tar Heels fans are not just excited about their basketball program but football as well. Fedora will oversee a change in leadership at quarterback this season after Marquise Williams Jr graduated earlier this year. Mitch Trubisky will fill the void and the team has expressed confidence in him as the replacement for Williams. In relief of Williams last season, Trubisky successfully completed 85% of his passes for 555 yards and 6 touchdowns to zero interceptions ratio. Natural regression is expected for Trubisky this season as he plays full length matches, but if he can carry the majority of that momentum into this season, there is no reason why North Carolina cannot repeat last season’s successes. North Carolina will utilize two offensive weapons to help Trubisky ease into fulltime action. Tailback Elijah Hood who is well respected in Tar Heels country and Ryan Switzer is scouted as a potential first-round talent in next year’s draft will help lead a powerful offense.
Georgia also faces lineup questions as we approach game day on Saturday. The health surrounding running back Nick Chubb has been a constant revolving question all off season in Athens, Georgia. Chubb is a dynamic back and a leader for the Bulldogs rushing attack and his health is vitally important. After an incredible 2015 season, can Georgia’s defense repeat their success once again? Considering the gauntlet of opponents, the Bulldogs face in SEC conference play on a weekly basis, a strong defense is valuable when your offense can be questionable at times. Finally, head coach Kirby Smart is taking a play out of Nick Sabban’s playbook and is refusing to name a starter at quarterback. While it is likely Smart will announce soon, the fact he has waited this long is a strategic move and not due to lack of options. Greyson Lambert is the most logical choice as he is the most seasoned and experienced. There has been chatter in Georgia however about starting Jacob Eason and beginning a new era of Bulldogs football. Lambert offers little upside or risk as he is essentially a game manager who can move the ball down the field but is not explosive. No matter who Smart decides to start, having a strong running game will be key. Sonny Michel and Chubb will lead a rushing attack that will look to improve on 2015’s numbers.
While on paper this appears to be a close matchup, I think this will be an ugly game for both squads. I think Georgia’s defense will be too much for the Tar Heels offense to handle and this game could serve as a springboard to boost Georgia’s confidence the remainder of the season. Unless North Carolina’s defense improves enough to shut down a stable but often inconsistent Bulldogs defense, then I will expect Georgia to win a close matchup. Final score prediction: Georgia 20, North Carolina 17.
