2024 Bulldog Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 6

The first year of the Jeff Lebby era at Mississippi State has generated a lot of excitement, but the schedule does the former Oklahoma offensive no favors. MSU does get an off-week after traveling to Austin to take on Texas, but the test will not get any easier as it heads to Athens to take on Georgia.

Kirby Smart has built a juggernaut in Athens, and they are firmly in the mix to return to the college football playoff. UGA added vital players from the transfer portal and returned several difference-makers.

Here's an early look at Georgia as we continue to preview Mississippi State's opponents for the upcoming season.

Offense

The most critical position on the field is quarterback, and Georgia has a good one. Stetson Bennett led UGA to back-to-back national titles and left big shoes to fill; Carson Beck filled them well a season ago.

Beck is a projected first-round pick, as he threw for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six picks. However, he will be without two of his top targets this season: Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey.

UGA looked to the transfer portal to fill those holes by signing Benjamin Yurosek, a tight end from Stanford who has been productive his whole career. The fifth-year senior scored 1,337 receiving yards and five touchdowns at Stanford and was ranked a 4-star transfer portal prospect.

Despite losing McConkey, UGA still has a solid duo returning at receiver this year with Dominic Lovett (54 catches, 613 yards, and four touchdowns) and former Mississippi State transfer RaRa Thomas (23 catches, 383 yards, and one touchdown).

They also signed an impressive pair of receivers from the transfer portal: Miami receiver Colbie Young (47 catches, 563 yards, and five touchdowns) and freshman Vanderbilt receiver London Humphreys (22 catches, 439 yards, and four touchdowns).

UGA also pouched a player from their rival Florida, running back Trevor Etienne (131 carries, 753 rushing yards, and eight touchdowns.) It will be a struggle for a young MSU defense to have much success against Georgia, which has no fundamental weaknesses.

Defense

Georgia's calling card under Smart has been the defense, which is no surprise, as he worked under Nick Saban for many years. UGA returned six starters from its defense a year ago, and let's highlight a few potential difference-makers.

UGA churns out NFL talent, and a freshman linebacker last year seems poised to be the next first-rounder. CJ Allen played many snaps as a true freshman last season, which speaks volumes about his talent.

The former 4-star recruit racked up 41 tackles and a sack in 2023, and he will be a game-wrecker this fall. Another young player stood out last season for UGA in the secondary as sophomore Malaki Starks made plays.

The former 5-star recruit collected 52 tackles, three interceptions, and seven pass deflections a year ago. A football game is also won in the trenches on defense, and Mykel Williams will be an elite pass rusher this season.

Williams racked up 4.5 sacks in 2023, and nose tackle Nasir Stackhouse will be back between the hedges. The fifth-year senior made 24 tackles and two sacks last season.

It will be tough for Lebby to find consistent success against this rugged UGA defense.

Schedule

Georgia finished 13-1 last season. A loss to Alabama in the SEC title game kept UGA out of the college football playoff.

Georgia played undefeated Florida State in the Orange Bowl and routed the Seminoles with a 63-3 final score. Since 2021, Georgia has been the gold standard in college football, and a third national title in four years is certainly possible.

Outlook

It will be tough for MSU to find any success against Georgia. However, can Lebby scheme up UGA and make it a competitive game at halftime?

Even though it is a tall order, scoring 20+ points will generate excitement.

The Game

When is the game?

Saturday, October 12th

What time is the game?

2:30-7 p.m. CT

What channel is the game televised on?

TBA

Where is the game played?

Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA.

What is the series history between MSU and Georgia?

Georgia has a 20-6 edge in the series. The last meeting between both schools was on November 12th, 2022.