Georgia vs Missouri Preview - What the Stats Say About the Matchup

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is looking to keep his undefeated record against the Missouri Tigers, who are the only eastern division opponent that is yet to beat Coach Smart. The Bulldogs are currently listed as a 16.5-point favorite against the Tigers. The point spread is one of many numbers that we use to analyze football games, but what do the other numbers say about this game?

For starters, one stat that Georgia fans might be interested in is that Missouri is one of the most penalized teams in the country this season. They rank 85th and average 7.1 penalties per game for an average of 55.6 yards per game. More importantly, on the road, they rank 98th, averaging 7.3 per game for 60 yards per game.

Moving on to the more intangible statistics, Georgia is currently averaging 40.5 points per game against conference opponents, while Missouri is averaging 33.9. On the flip side, the Bulldogs are only allowing an average of 14.8 points per game, the fewest in the conference, compared to Missouri's 23.3, which ranks 9th in the conference.

Offensively speaking, though, both Georgia and Missouri have been very efficient this season. UGA is averaging 7.2 yards per play which ranks 6th in the nation, and Mizzou is averaging 6.7 yards per play which ranks at 17th. However, defense is where the two teams start to separate. Georgia's defense is 12th, allowing an average of 4.6 yards per play. Mizzou ranks 42nd, allowing an average of 5.2.

Part of the reason why Georgia and Missouri have been so successful on offense this season is due to the quarterback play. Against conference opponents, this how how Carson Beck and Brady Cook stack up against one another:

Carson Beck: 126/170 (74.1%), 1,547 yards, 8 TDs, 3 INT
Brady Cook: 97/142 (68.3%), 1,186 yards, 8 TDs, 3 INT

Missouri has also been extremely efficient in the red zone this season as they lead the country in red zone conversion rate on offense as they are scoring 97 percent of the time, while Georgia's offense ranks 24th. The Tigers' defense ranks 52nd for opponent red zone conversion rate, while Georgia ranks 100th. However, Georgia has allowed the 4th fewest red zone trips in the country.

Another stat that typically plays a major role for teams who play against Georgia is third down success rate. Missouri currently ranks 62nd in the country, converting 41.5 percent of the time. Georgia ranks 3rd with a conversion rate of 56.3 percent. The Tigers also rank 61st defensively on third down, while Georgia ranks 1st.

Last weekend was Georgia's first test of the season without tight end Brock Bowers, and now they will be faced with another tough task as they face the Tigers at home. The stats and point spread indicate Georgia should handle business, but it will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs match up against a top SEC opponent.

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