Why Ole Miss poses a real test for Georgia

Georgia visits Ole Miss on Saturday with a matchup that may punish defensive concessions between the 20-yard lines. Dawg Sports’ GlimmerTwinDawg identified red-zone defense, field position and the Rebels’ efficient offense as the main concerns at Vaught-Hemingway, where Georgia is 12-9 and has lost its last two trips.

Ole Miss has scored on 30 of 31 red-zone possessions, producing touchdowns 84% of the time. Georgia’s touchdown conversion rate is 77%, and Trinidad Chambliss gives the Rebels another dimension after throwing for 2,200 yards and rushing for a team-high seven touchdowns on bootlegs, scrambles, sneaks and quarterback power.

Field position also has worked against Georgia. By the author’s count, the Bulldogs started 11 possessions inside their own 15-yard line over the last three games. Against Florida, Georgia began four of 10 possessions inside its own 20 and scored on only one of those drives.

Ole Miss has defensive vulnerabilities. The Rebels rank 13th in the SEC against the run, 113th nationally in third-down defense, 94th in first-down defense, 101st in passing yards allowed, 129th in time of possession and 97th in total defense. Their rushing results have varied sharply, from allowing Florida to gain 302 yards and Texas to gain 207 to holding Missouri to 39 and Auburn to 63. Auburn averaged fewer than 2.5 yards per carry.

Offensive production has helped offset those defensive issues. The Rebels rank 13th nationally in first-down offense, 15th in third-down conversions and 19th in passing offense, which stands second in the SEC. At No. 10 in the CFP rankings, Ole Miss is also fourth nationally in sacks allowed, 12th in tackles for loss allowed and fourth in net punting.

Georgia may find running room if its passing game continues to struggle, but long fields increase the pressure to sustain drives without a mistake. Ole Miss allows few sacks, scores on 30 of 31 red-zone possessions and ranks fourth nationally in net punting.

Why it matters

Ole Miss is No. 10 in the CFP rankings and has the offensive efficiency to punish Georgia’s field-position problems. Georgia is 12-9 at Vaught-Hemingway and has lost its last two visits.

What to watch next

Georgia and Ole Miss meet Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.