Georgia vs. Mississippi State: Score Predictions
A battle of Bulldogs is set to take place in Athens Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network, as the No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs host the 2-4 Mississippi State Bulldogs. Head coach Mike Leach's program is battling issues with COVID-19 and several starters having opted out or transferred.
As for Georgia, due to COVID-19 postponing its matchup with the Missouri Tigers a week ago, they still have a bad taste in their mouth from a 44-21 beating from the Florida Gators. A new starting quarterback, JT Daniels, and the possibility black jerseys being worn have many excited for tonight's game.
As usual, following are our staff predictions:
Brooks Austin, Lead Editor
Georgia 41, Mississippi State 14
Mississippi State comes to town with just 47 scholarship athletes making the trip, 15 transfer portal entries, and four opt-outs. They're not in a good place, having lost four of their last five with the lone victory coming last week against a winless Vanderbilt team 24-17. However, they do present an interesting challenge with their offensive and defensive schemes.
Between Georgia's ability to run the football and Mississippi State's struggle to remain gap sound, there should be explosive plays in the run game. Additionally, quarterback JT Daniels should be able to take advantage of a less than stellar Mississippi State secondary. Mississippi State leads the SEC in interceptions thrown with 14 and that number should climb even higher today.
Kyle Funderburk, Lead Writer
Georgia 34, Mississippi State 3
Daniels' debut and the return of wide receiver George Pickens provides Georgia's offense with the spark needed to dominate Mississippi State. Daniels will likely take a while to settle in, and Mississippi State could contain Georgia's running game for much of the first half. However, Daniels will eventually find a connection with Pickens leading to a pair of scores before halftime. That chemistry will carriy over into the second half.
On the other side of the ball, Mississippi State is no match for Georgia's defense. Mississippi State will be one-dimensional from the beginning of the game, allowing Georgia's pass rush to swarm quarterback Will Rogers and lead to multiple sacks and a couple of turnovers.
Chris Allen, Fixer of Brooks' Mistakes
Georgia 31, Mississippi State 6
Enter No. 18. Daniels will become the third quarterback to start for UGA this year, a start many fans wonder why it didn't happen sooner. This game is going to be straight-up Dawg-on-Dog crime. Nose guard Jordan Davis returns, safety Lewis Cine will be back on the field, and most important for the offense, Pickens will play, which is a massive bonus for Daniels. Additionally, MSU will be missing two key players because of sudden opt-outs: defensive tackle Nathan Pickering and safety Marcus Murphy. Throw all that in with the possibility of black jerseys in a 7:30 night game, and it may be a long night for the Bulldogs from Mississippi State. Daniels passes for 250-yard or more and two touchdowns with a side of a weekly score by running back Zamir White.
Jonathan Williams, Staff Writer
Georgia 31, Mississippi State 14
The Daniels era has officially begun, and it starts on the right foot with a W. Thanks to last week's game being postponed due to COVID-19, Georgia has had some time to heal up and prepare for Mississippi State. With Pickens back in the mix and the defense getting some key players back, it will be a great bounce-back win for Georgia. Daniels will be solid, and the ground attack will help open up the field for the passing game and provide some confidence for the offense.
