Texas A&M vs Georgia: Predicting the Breakout Performers for the Bulldogs

In what's set to be their first meeting as SEC opponents, and the first game between these two programs since 2009, Texas A&M and Georgia square off between the hedges this Saturday at 3:30 PM on CBS.

Jimbo Fisher's squad comes to town featuring the 3rd highest-scoring offense in the SEC - behind LSU and Bama at 34.0 PPG - and the league's most versatile quarterback. Kellen Mond is the only QB in the conference with 2400+ passing yards & 400+ rushing yards.

Despite Georgia being a 13.0 point favorite in this football game, you don't beat an SEC opponent without a few breakout performances from key contributors.

Here are this week's predictions:

OLB, Azeez Ojulari

Texas A&M's offensive line is currently ranked 95th in the FBS in adjusted sack rate percentage, allowing sacks on 7.4% of snaps during close games. For comparison, the UGA offensive line that Ojulari goes against weekly in Athens ranks 4th at just 2.2%.

Suspect, to say the least. Considering Georgia should be up in this football game, one would expect A&M to have to drop back more times than they'd typically prefer. Despite both Aggie tackles having started the last 23 consecutive games, I think they can be beaten. LT Dan Moore Jr. seems to struggle with giving up the corner on speed rushes.

Ojulari has excelled in speed rush scenarios this season.

DB, Tyrique Stevenson

The true freshman has been one of defensive coordinator Dan Lanning's prized possessions dating back to the day the four-star from Miami Southbridge high arrived on campus. Saying this offseason, "You go watch practice, you watch that guy for a little bit and you’re saying, Holy moly we’ve got a ballplayer.“

Stevenson got a shot at extended playing time last weekend against Auburn, even spending time near the line of scrimmage on 3rd downs, getting his first career sack.

This week we expect to see Lanning use that "ballplayer" a bit more, and if he's left out there long enough, he's bound to make a big play.

WR, Dominick Blaylock

We could be hopping on this heater a little too late, considering Blaylock was indeed the breakout performer in last week's 21-14 win in Auburn. But hear me out.

A&M's defense has an explosive drive rate (scoring drives averaging at least 10 yards per play) of 14%, that's 69th in the country. A lot of that has to do with their tendency to bite hard on play-action fakes, something that you simply cannot do on against Georgia's offense. Blaylock will break another big one this weekend.

Georgia's Run Game

Texas A&M ranks 122nd against the run in short-yardage situations on third and fourth down. Meaning the Aggies are going to have to buck some trends in order to get off the field. Expect Georgia to pound the football in short-yardage scenarios despite a banged-up interior offensive line.

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